Snake Bites in South Africa

by Rina Van Eeden | Mar 27, 2023 | Cats, Dogs

Your pet has been bitten by a snake… What now?

We can attest that this is of every pet owner’s worst nightmare. One of them at least.

Snakes become more active once the weather warms up. There is a steep increase in snake bites during warmer weather, and we have seen an enormous amount of snake bite cases over the last few months.
To make this even worse, there is no antivenom available anywhere in South Africa.

A snake bite is classified as an emergency. This means that you need to get your pet to a vet ASAP. They will be treated promptly with intravenous fluids and antivenom, should there be available.

The first question we’re going to ask is, what snake was involved? This information is very important as it greatly influences the prognosis and treatment plan. There is no need to kill the snake, this places you and your pet at unnecessary risk. A basic description of the snake will do just fine.
Another will be whether your pet has received antivenom before, this could also influence the treatment plan.

Most pets are bitten around the face and limbs. Some have venom spat into their eyes, in this case, try to rinse your pet’s eyes with running water if they allow, then get to the vet for further treatment.

Snake Bite Symptoms To Look Out For:

While you may not always see the bite marks, there are some key symptoms to look out for.
Profuse salivation, swelling, especially around face, neck and limbs, rapid and shallow breathing, shivering/shaking, vomiting, dilated pupils, weakness and in severe cases, total collapse.
Symptoms will vary depending on the type of snake. Some are cytotoxic (eg. Puff Adder), others neurotoxic (eg. Cape Cobra) and haemotoxic (eg. Boomslang).

If you suspect your pet has been bitten by a snake, call your vet ASAP. Snake bites are emergencies, and the quicker the treatment can begin, the better the chances are for survival.

While we realsie that this is not always possible, preventing a snake encounter is best. If you encounter a snake on your daily walk, stop moving and slowly retreat, giving the snake room to escape. Do not allow your dog to sniff at the snake. If you’re in a known snake habitat, keep your dog on a leash, and preferably keep to open trails where snakes are easier to spot. If your dog is particularly curious and pawing at something, call them away from the area.

Prevention is better than cure, and it is better safe than sorry.

For more information on snakes and snake bites, please visit the African Snake Bite Institute website: https://www.africansnakebiteinstitute.com/snakebite/#pets

The Importance Of Dental Care In Pets

by Rina Van Eeden | Sep 21, 2022 | Cats, Dogs

It’s no surprise that, out of all the members of our family, our pets’ dental care is the most neglected. They cannot brush their teeth or floss and this goes on, in many cases, for years.

Dental care forms as important a part of primary animal healthcare as vaccinations or sterilisations. And, as with vaccinations and sterilisations, neglecting to pay attention to dental health can, and will, have disastrous and extremely painful results.
This is one of the primary reasons that teeth are pulled when you bring your pet in for a dental cleaning.
It is important to address the problem before it progresses too far.

In a normal mouth, teeth are white, or near white, and the gums attach smoothly to each tooth. Plaque is collected on the tooth daily, but is brushed and flossed away. This ensures it never mineralises to tartar.

Tartar is solid and gritty; it is also filled with bacteria. This stops the natural mechanism of tooth cleaning and leads to tenderness and inflammation around the tooth and gum.
This process eventually leads to periodontal disease.

What Is Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal disease is a disease around the outside of the tooth. The gum around the tooth forms pockets due to loose ligaments that are supposed to keep the tooth firmly in place. Food, grass, hair and subsequently bacteria fill those pockets. This leads to infection, even more pain, inflammation, and eventually severe gum recession from the base of the tooth.

Severe tartar build-up compromises blood flow to the tooth and destroys the integrity of the root of the tooth. This also compromises bone in which the tooth sits.

Bone loss and severe periodontitis, once it has begun, cannot be reversed. This is why many teeth need to be removed, but this also increases the risk of jaw fractures due to severely compromised bone. Rotten teeth that are no longer attached to the gum and that are filled with bacteria and tartar cause an unimaginable amount of pain. Those teeth that simply cannot be saved need to be removed entirely in order for your pet to be pain free.

Some common reasons for tooth extractions include:

• severe periodontal disease,
• broken teeth,
• severe gum recession and tooth resorption,
• certain inflammatory conditions and advanced caries/cavities.

In young dogs and cats, deciduous teeth, or persistent baby teeth, are also strong indicators for tooth extraction.

Believe when we say, we would love to save as many teeth as we can during a dental, but we would much rather have your pets be happy and pain free. If removing a tooth can do that, then that is indication enough.

Not to mention, all that bacteria sitting in the mouth gets transported to other areas of the body, leading to secondary infections or abnormalities of the heart, liver and kidneys. Virtually anywhere where the blood flows…

If these facts aren’t enough to scare any pet owner into action, then we don’t know what is.

The best way to prevent these things from happening is to start home dental care from the early stages of your pet’s life.
This includes brushing your pet’s teeth at least twice weekly, using oral gels and wipes, providing safe dental treats and chews and perhaps even considering putting your pet on a dental specific diet.

Remember, do not neglect your pet’s dental health. Imagine how you would feel if you don’t bush your own teeth for 10 years…

For more information on pet dental care, visit our blog: https://kimvet.co.za/dental-disease-in-pets/

or the trusted petMD website: https://www.petmd.com/dog/grooming/evr_dg_oral_hygiene_and_your_dogs_health