This was a question that was sent to our exotics veterinarian where I work.
I have a flock of backyard chickens that are having problems. I recently introduced a new bird to the flock and soon after the egg production dropped, they have gone off their feed and their feathers are messed up. When I looked at the birds I saw lots of dark specks running around on their skin. What is the problem with them and how do I fix it so they start laying eggs again?
It sounds like your hens may have encountered a parasite problem. Those “fast-moving specks” might very well be mites. These external parasites suck the blood of their host and are common in poultry. Affected birds will often lose their appetite, look scruffy and have a drop in their egg production due to anemia from blood loss. Mites can also make the chickens more susceptible to other diseases. Your local avian veterinarian can confirm this diagnosis by examining those “specks” under a microscope as well as examining your birds for other health problems.
The key to treatment involves treating both the birds and their environment at the same time. The parasites will attack the birds to feed but often are found hiding in cool, dark areas of the hen house or in the bedding. After removing any bedding and eggs, dust both the birds and the ground with a poultry-safe insecticide powder such as ‘Sevin’ which contains 5% Carbaryl. It is important to follow the directions on the label when using insecticide powders for your safety and that of your birds. At the same time scrub all surfaces of the hen house with hot soapy water followed by a dilute 1:10 bleach solution (9 parts water to one part full-strength bleach) to eliminate the mites and their eggs. Let in as much sunlight in as you can while cleaning as this will also help kill the parasites. Replace all bedding material each time you clean. Allow the hen house to air out between applications. Since the life cycle of the parasites takes a week, you will probably need to do several weekly treatments to eradicate the pests. Don’t forget that you should not eat any eggs for a week after treating the chickens with insecticide.
Please note that you can also use an organic parasite control, diatomaceous earth, to reduce future mite problems in your chicken yard. These products are available from your farm/feed store or by consulting your agricultural extension agent. Follow the instructions on the labels for all products. Finally, your local avian veterinarian can be a very helpful source of advice for the proper husbandry of your chickens.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Adjusting your Dog to a New Baby
Having a baby is very exciting and is a time and something you have to prepare for in many ways. A lot of clients come to me, anxious about how their dog will do once they bring the baby home. A few have been worried that the dog may physically harm the baby. It is impossible to know how your dog will react to the change. Dogs vary tremendously in how they will respond to a new member of the household, especially a baby. You can help him accept the new baby by taking a few steps.
To minimize your dog's stress when the baby comes, try to start making any anticipated changes to his routine ahead of time. Since the baby isn't due for a month, you still have time.
If his daily exercise is about to change from long walks to being let out in the yard, start making this transition now. Have you thought about which rooms he will not have access to once the baby is here? If you plan to limit his ability to roam the house, start using baby gates and other barriers now so he is gets used to them. This is also a great time to give him a short refresher course on basic commands such as "come," "sit,'' "down" and "stay."
After your baby is born and mom and baby are still at the hospital, have someone bring home a few objects such as a blanket and used diaper. This will help him get used to the baby's scent. If you are concerned your dog may jump on you when you first come home, have someone else hold the baby when you walk in the door. This will allow your dog to happily greet you while keeping the baby safe.
Once the baby is home and everyone is settling in, set absolute rules that they are not together unsupervised. Give him lots of attention and praise for being calm with the baby. If he is too aroused and you are afraid he will try to jump or bite, use a leash and/or muzzle to help control his actions. Avoid interactions when the baby is crying or waving arms and legs as these actions could elicit a playful or predatory response. Try your best to still give him quality time away from the baby.
With some careful planning now and patience once the baby is home, your dog should and child will become best friends.
To minimize your dog's stress when the baby comes, try to start making any anticipated changes to his routine ahead of time. Since the baby isn't due for a month, you still have time.
If his daily exercise is about to change from long walks to being let out in the yard, start making this transition now. Have you thought about which rooms he will not have access to once the baby is here? If you plan to limit his ability to roam the house, start using baby gates and other barriers now so he is gets used to them. This is also a great time to give him a short refresher course on basic commands such as "come," "sit,'' "down" and "stay."
After your baby is born and mom and baby are still at the hospital, have someone bring home a few objects such as a blanket and used diaper. This will help him get used to the baby's scent. If you are concerned your dog may jump on you when you first come home, have someone else hold the baby when you walk in the door. This will allow your dog to happily greet you while keeping the baby safe.
Once the baby is home and everyone is settling in, set absolute rules that they are not together unsupervised. Give him lots of attention and praise for being calm with the baby. If he is too aroused and you are afraid he will try to jump or bite, use a leash and/or muzzle to help control his actions. Avoid interactions when the baby is crying or waving arms and legs as these actions could elicit a playful or predatory response. Try your best to still give him quality time away from the baby.
With some careful planning now and patience once the baby is home, your dog should and child will become best friends.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Housetraining Help!
Are you still struggling with house training, even though your puppy has been home for several months? Does it seem like they were understanding the routine at first but now are having accidents in the house? Here are some tips that might help!
Unfortunately, some puppies are slower to get with the housebreaking program than others. When cleaning up accidents in the house, make sure to use an enzyme type cleaner that will get rid of any lingering scent that could be attracting her to the area. If possible limit her access to room she has been using as her bathroom.
Before you blame her problem on behavior, have your veterinarian make sure she doesn’t have a urinary tract infection that is causing her to urinate more frequently. If this test comes back fine, you’ll need to back up and restart your training.
The Basics:
Restrict her to a small area (crate or small pen) when you can’t supervise her. Carry her outside to the designated potty area immediately after you let her out of the crate and after she eats or drinks. Also do this after she wakes up from a nap and after she has been playing, as she’ll likely need to go. Tethering is another method that allows you to always keep an eye on her and catch any signal she gives before she is about to urinate. This involves attaching her to your belt loop with a 6-foot lead, thus keeping her at your side as you move around the house. With her tethered to you, as soon as you notice her starting to sniff or circle or squat, quickly lift her up to take her outside. After she urinates outside, praise her and give her a treat for being a good girl. A designated outdoor potty area with a soiled rag or paper can also help, as she will be attracted to her own scent. This has to be a team effort, with everyone in the house being consistent with the housetraining.
With repetition on your part and positive reinforcement for her actions, she should start to learn. At her age, she should be able to hold her urine for at least 6 hours. As you know, reprimanding her after you find an accident doesn’t do any good, just clean it up. Have patience and she should eventually catch on.
Unfortunately, some puppies are slower to get with the housebreaking program than others. When cleaning up accidents in the house, make sure to use an enzyme type cleaner that will get rid of any lingering scent that could be attracting her to the area. If possible limit her access to room she has been using as her bathroom.
Before you blame her problem on behavior, have your veterinarian make sure she doesn’t have a urinary tract infection that is causing her to urinate more frequently. If this test comes back fine, you’ll need to back up and restart your training.
The Basics:
Restrict her to a small area (crate or small pen) when you can’t supervise her. Carry her outside to the designated potty area immediately after you let her out of the crate and after she eats or drinks. Also do this after she wakes up from a nap and after she has been playing, as she’ll likely need to go. Tethering is another method that allows you to always keep an eye on her and catch any signal she gives before she is about to urinate. This involves attaching her to your belt loop with a 6-foot lead, thus keeping her at your side as you move around the house. With her tethered to you, as soon as you notice her starting to sniff or circle or squat, quickly lift her up to take her outside. After she urinates outside, praise her and give her a treat for being a good girl. A designated outdoor potty area with a soiled rag or paper can also help, as she will be attracted to her own scent. This has to be a team effort, with everyone in the house being consistent with the housetraining.
With repetition on your part and positive reinforcement for her actions, she should start to learn. At her age, she should be able to hold her urine for at least 6 hours. As you know, reprimanding her after you find an accident doesn’t do any good, just clean it up. Have patience and she should eventually catch on.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Maryland Making Strides to Prevent Antifreeze Related Deaths in Pets
Antifreeze (ethylene glycol) is a freeze preventive used in engines and other heat transfer applications, such as HVAC chillers and solar water heaters. It is a common substance to have in garages this time of year. The problem with traditional antifreeze is that it is attractive to pets because it has a very sweet taste but only a small amount is needed to kill an animal.
After ingestion, antifreeze is quickly absorbed from the stomach tract; in dogs, this occurs within 3 hours. As the substance is broken down in the body, reactions in the liver and kidneys can cause severe damage to the body.
If your pet ingests antifreeze, the onset of signs is almost immediate and resembles alcohol (ethanol) intoxication. Dogs and cats vomit due to irritation of the stomach and intestines, drink more water, urinate more often and have neurologic signs. You may notice your pet stumbling, falling over, or having slow reflexes. As the central nervous system begins to slow down, cats and dogs drink less but the kidneys continue to produce more urine, resulting in severe dehydration. Renal failure usually develops between 12 and 24 hours in a cat and 36 and 72 hours in a dog.
Diagnosis can be difficult if someone did not witness ingestion and because many other things can look the same as antifreeze toxicity. Within 3 hours of ingestion, there are significant changes on bloodwork and in the urine that can help a veterinarian diagnose ethylene glycol toxicity. One of the most common changes is the presense of calcium oxalate crystals forming in the urine. These can be seen as early as 3 and 6 hours after ingestion in cats and dogs, respectively. Commercial test kits are also helpful in detecting blood concentrations.
The prognosis after ingestion varies based on the amount of time that elapses between ingestion and initiation of treatment. The goal of treatment is to decrease absorption of the antifreeze and increase excretion out of the body. If ingestion has been recent, your veterinarian will be able to induce vomiting and give activated charcoal to prevent further absorption. If hours have passed between ingestion of antifreeze and your veterinarian being able to treat the pet, prognosis for survival is poor.
Effective January 1, a new Maryland law will require a bitter-tasting additive be put in antifreeze. The law was pushed by Lynne Gillis, from Huntingtown, MD, who testified at a legislative hearing last winter about her hound-mix dog, Nikko, who died after ingesting antifreeze. Unfortunately Nikko did not survive the poisoning, but the law hopes to prevent other deaths. The Maryland Antifreeze Bittering Agent Act, which requires retailers to stock engine coolants with the additive denatonium benzoate, was to begin Oct. 1, but lawmakers agreed to a later date to allow retailers to clear their inventory.
After ingestion, antifreeze is quickly absorbed from the stomach tract; in dogs, this occurs within 3 hours. As the substance is broken down in the body, reactions in the liver and kidneys can cause severe damage to the body.
If your pet ingests antifreeze, the onset of signs is almost immediate and resembles alcohol (ethanol) intoxication. Dogs and cats vomit due to irritation of the stomach and intestines, drink more water, urinate more often and have neurologic signs. You may notice your pet stumbling, falling over, or having slow reflexes. As the central nervous system begins to slow down, cats and dogs drink less but the kidneys continue to produce more urine, resulting in severe dehydration. Renal failure usually develops between 12 and 24 hours in a cat and 36 and 72 hours in a dog.
Diagnosis can be difficult if someone did not witness ingestion and because many other things can look the same as antifreeze toxicity. Within 3 hours of ingestion, there are significant changes on bloodwork and in the urine that can help a veterinarian diagnose ethylene glycol toxicity. One of the most common changes is the presense of calcium oxalate crystals forming in the urine. These can be seen as early as 3 and 6 hours after ingestion in cats and dogs, respectively. Commercial test kits are also helpful in detecting blood concentrations.
The prognosis after ingestion varies based on the amount of time that elapses between ingestion and initiation of treatment. The goal of treatment is to decrease absorption of the antifreeze and increase excretion out of the body. If ingestion has been recent, your veterinarian will be able to induce vomiting and give activated charcoal to prevent further absorption. If hours have passed between ingestion of antifreeze and your veterinarian being able to treat the pet, prognosis for survival is poor.
Effective January 1, a new Maryland law will require a bitter-tasting additive be put in antifreeze. The law was pushed by Lynne Gillis, from Huntingtown, MD, who testified at a legislative hearing last winter about her hound-mix dog, Nikko, who died after ingesting antifreeze. Unfortunately Nikko did not survive the poisoning, but the law hopes to prevent other deaths. The Maryland Antifreeze Bittering Agent Act, which requires retailers to stock engine coolants with the additive denatonium benzoate, was to begin Oct. 1, but lawmakers agreed to a later date to allow retailers to clear their inventory.
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