Body condition scoring alpacas
Body condition scoring is the means we use to assess & describe the body condition of alpacas through the use of a ten-point scale. Variations in alpaca body condition can directly impact the health and reproductive performance of both individual animals and herds.
As sudden losses in condition across herds and in individuals can be an indicator of underlying disease, it’s important to make regular checks, to ensure that your feeding regime is correct and to help anticipate potential problems caused by parasites.
Book a camelid herd health check
Body condition scoring takes a bit of practice, and our team will be happy to walk you through the process on our next visit. The scoring process basically involves gauging the level of fat cover over specific areas of the alpaca. It is important to actually touch the animal when you assess the body condition as visual assessment alone is often misleading, especially when animals have a full fleece.
A body condition score is normally based on a scale of 1-10 where a score of 5 indicates the animal is of average condition, which is good. A score of 10 indicates the animal is obese and has had too much to eat while a score of 1 or 2 indicates the animal has suffered a loss of muscle mass that is extremely concerning.
A quick guide to how to body condition score an alpaca
Put the base of the palm of your hand on the animal’s backbone half way between the neck and the tail. In this position, laying your fingers down the animal’s side, you should find your hand straight and at a 45-degree angle to score the animal at a perfect 5.
If the angle of your hand is more than 45 degrees and or the shape of your hand is slightly dished, then score 2-4. If the backbone is really protruding like a dull knife edge score a 1 and call us immediately. If your hand sits at less than a 45-degree angle, and the shape of your hand is slightly bent outwards, you should score 6-10, indicating your animal may be overweight.
You should also check over the last few ribs, which you should be able to feel. If there is a lot of covering over the ribs, the animal is likely to be overweight. If the ribs are very obvious and you can fit your fingers between them then the animal is below the ideal body condition score.
If you’d like a much more detailed method for scoring your alpaca, then this excellent video by Camelid Veterinary Services this video offers a much more detailed explanation. Source: Camelid Veterinary Services
How often should you body condition score your alpaca?
Body Scoring should be done on a regular basis, we recommend at least every month. However more important than the precise timing of your scoring is the fact that you must chart the results to allow you to effectively manage your animal’s health.
Regular weighing is useful but, like recording the body condition, an animal’s weight is not a helpful indication of health unless you have charted weights on a regular basis. The point is that for body condition and weight, trends are more useful than isolated numbers.
Also, it doesn’t really matter what numbers you personally assess for body scoring are, so long as you get used to charting each animal on the same relative basis. You can let us know the results when we next visit, or call us if you’re seeing an unexplained change in the direction of the body condition scores you’re recording.
Why now is a good time for camelid worm egg counts
Autumn is a good time to perform a faecal screen for your camelid herd. With the wet summer, we have seen a number of Haemonchus cases recently so it may be sensible to consider screening a little earlier this year.
In camelids it is really important we pick the right samples, the right individuals and the right tests to ensure we get the best information from our counts.
Individual samples are important
We always recommend providing individual samples for camelids as there will be a variation of burdens within the same grazing group. A single individual may have a high burden and be the only animal requiring treatment. A pooled sample would give the impression the group has a low burden as the high count in an individual is diluted by other low counts. Treating whole groups unnecessarily will hasten resistance to the products being used so they become ineffective over time.
How we choose the sample size
In smaller herds, it is ideal to screen all the animals to ensure we are treating the correct individuals. In large herds, we recommend that a minimum of 10% of the herd are selected for screening. We target animals that are more likely to have burdens: older animals, animals in poorer body condition, those who are noted to be pale on membrane colour scoring or those aged between 6-18 months.
Use a specialist accredited laboratory
As camelids have a much lower tolerance to parasites than many of our other grazing species, they can suffer disease at much lower egg counts. Therefore, we always recommend sending counts away to an external laboratory (eg Camelid Vet Services) who provide specialist testing. Providing a good history for the farm and the animals submitted for testing allows us to provide targeted and much more specific advice.
If you are set up to perform your own counts, we highly recommend that you regularly send away a percentage of your samples to an accredited laboratory to double check your results as a quality control measure.
Back up faecal screen with body & eye condition scoring
Worms are a big problem for our camelid species, so we recommend regular weighing, body condition scoring and membrane colour scoring to help identify any problems. Poo picking is also an essential part of camelid parasite control – removing faeces every day or every other day will dramatically reduce the risks to your herd.
Catharina Arthurs answers your questions on your puppy’s chewing phase
A lot of families in the Towcester area got themselves a puppy over the recent lockdown. Typically, in the run-up to Christmas, even more will join that happy group. However, shortly after that cute furball has arrived you’ll get your first nip from those pin-sharp teeth and next thing you know … the cute furball has destroyed your sofa and your slippers.
Your pup has just entered what we call the ‘Chewing Phase’ and shortly you’ll want the answers to a few common questions. Our Veterinary Surgeon Catharina has anticipated your puppy chewing questions and answers the common ones below. Let us know how our tips work out for you and share your own puppy chewing hints & hacks on our Facebook page.
WHY DOES MY PUPPY CHEW?
There are four main reasons your puppy will chew. Understand the cause of their chewing and you can quickly plan ways to help them (and you) out.
- They are teething. Just like human babies, when your puppy has a new tooth coming in their gums will feel sore, so they chew to ease the pain.
- Puppies chew, nip and ‘mouth’ to strengthen their jaw. This is a basic dog behaviour that lasts through to adulthood to keep their jaw muscle strong.
- They chew as they learn acceptable social behaviours. They learn from relationships between their actions and the reactions of other dogs (and of course you).
- They chew because they are bored.
HOW LONG DOES THE PUPPY CHEWING PHASE LAST?
Longer than you think! Actually, until they are 1 to 2 years old (depending on the breed and personality of your dog). At around 2-3 weeks your pup’s ‘puppy teeth’ emerge. At around 4 months old, adult teeth begin to come through. Then, from 7-12 months, adolescent chewing kicks in as the new teeth settle down and your pub begins to explore the world.
What you can do about puppy chewing
Now you know the causes, here are a few hints and tips to help you manage puppy chewing at home:
1. Puppy proof your home
Prepare for success by putting the chewable things you can out of reach; Slippers, electrical flexes and children’s toys need to be moved if they are to be saved
2. Train them at home
If they chew something they shouldn’t, immediately replace it with something they can. When they have their own object in their mouth, give lots of positive attention. If they nip or mouth you or your clothing, tell them ‘No’, then disengage. A minute later, put their toy in their mouth and start engaging and playing again
3. Learn how to confine them
When you need to go out or be away from your puppy, putting them in a crate or a confined area is important for their safety and development. It also gets them used to being in an area where they can get some downtime.
4. Give them more stimulation
Confinement is not a substitute for your lack of attention. Positive stimulation a socialisation is one of the most important factors in your new pup’s development. When your puppy starts destructive chewing, they’re probably just attention-seeking so lengthen the daily walk (or go out multiple times) and introduce more stimulating activities.
5. Get a few chew toys
Invest in high-quality dog specific chew toys that are built to last. No sticks please and no toys they can destroy and eat (you may need to persevere here). We often have good ones in the surgery, so speak to Katy, or one of the other nurses for their advice on the best ones for your pup.
6. Consider puppy classes
These will teach you and your puppy how to give and react to basic commands. Classes will teach you how to handle and socialise your dog and better still, these sessions will tire them out. One thing you’ll come to learn is that a tired puppy is much less likely to chew your belongings.
Puppy chewing will end
Before you know it, the chewing phase is over and all you’ve got to remember it is half a dozen destroyed slippers. Remember, manage their environment, teach them what’s acceptable and provide lots of the right stimulation. After all, that’s the joy of having a puppy! Right?
A warm welcome to Sarah Kinton, our new farm vet
We’d like to extend a very warm welcome to Sarah Kinton MRCVS, who joined Towcester Farm Vets at the beginning of September. Although some of you might have already met her, we thought we’d tell you all a little bit more about our newest member of the team.
Sarah graduated from Cambridge Vet School in July 2021 and is joining the practice as her first job. Throughout her training she’s enjoyed working on a wide range of farms, and particularly loves the joys of coaxing new life into the world during lambing, despite the hard work!
Her principal interest is understanding how and why disease occurs on farms and she’s looking forward to working with farmers to try to reduce the risks wherever possible.
Sarah has moved to the area with her husband where they have joined the local church. At university Sarah enjoyed playing canoe polo and is looking to join a canoe club in Northampton so she can continue kayaking in her free time.
Gareth, who interviewed Sarah, found her to be an exceptionally enthusiastic and personable candidate with a profound level of knowledge. The rest of the team will be introducing Sarah to clients over the next few months as she helps us to provide our broad range of farm vet services.
Towcester Veterinary Centre gets honest about cats
The natural behaviour of cats can be hilarious, mischievous, loving and annoying in equal measure, as any owner will testify. You only have to look at YouTube or Instagram to see how they amuse and frustrate with their antics.
Whilst we sit back and enjoy the entertainment, every cat lover should ensure their pet stays in peak condition with a regular check-up. If your cat has not seen a vet for a while then why not contact us on 01327 350239 to book an appointment now?
In the meantime, we’d love to see the fun your cat gets up to. So, we’re inviting you to check-out our list of Ten Truths every cat owner will know below, and share a pic of them living one of these truths on our Facebook page.
Post your ‘Cat Truth’ picture to Facebook
- You can have a cat, or houseplants. Not both.
- You just have to accept that your sofa is now a scratching post. That’s never going to change.
- The one day you walk downstairs barefoot will be the day the cat has left a furball for you to tread on.
- If the cat falls asleep on you, you can’t move until it wakes. However long that takes.
- When you’re sound asleep, your feet are fair game.
- Cats will always prefer the box to the toy.
- They won’t often have a mad five minutes, but when they do it’ll be loud. And at 3am when the whole house is asleep!
- You no longer have your own food, just what the cat lets you eat.
- When they need to vomit, they’ll do it on your most prized possession.
- It doesn’t matter how naughty or destructive they’ve been, you’ll always forgive them – and never stop loving them.
Obviously, the above also applies to kittens, only with extra helpings of cuteness.
If you have a new addition to the household, you can make an appointment to register it with Towcester Veterinary Centre on 01327 350239. Let’s get a check-up booked in to make sure those endearing moments don’t get interrupted by an unexpected health issue.
How to protect dogs from ticks in Towcester
Ticks are much more than just a nuisance to remove from your dog. Infected ticks can carry and transfer dangerous diseases. If you choose to use a tick prevention treatment, then you can head-off many of the issues caused by ticks. If you have not invested in one of these treatments, then in the spirit of ‘prevention is better than cure’ we’d suggest you follow Towcester Vets’ top tips for dog tick prevention to help protect your pet
If you’d like help and advice on the right tick prevention treatment, please Contact our practice nurses who will be happy to assist.
Ask us about tick prevention products
Remember, if you’re using certain tick prevention products it may be necessary to leave ticks in your pet as some preventative products work by killing the ticks before they can transfer disease to your pet. If you’re using one of these products then the tick’s mouth parts need to be digested by the body for the tick to naturally fall off your pet, which will happen in a few days.
Depending on whether you’re using a preventative treatment or not, it’s still be a good idea to understand some basic tick avoidance techniques. Here are our top four.
- Check your dog for ticks every day
Whether you’re using tick prevention products or not, the best way to protect against ticks is to check coats for ticks every day by feeling all over the body. Pay special attention to areas that your pet can’t easily reach around the head, behind the ears, and underneath the legs. Smaller deer ticks even hang out on eyelids so be thorough.
- Learn how to remove ticks quickly and safely
When it’s appropriate to do so, removing a tick is straightforward once you know how. To do this you’ll need a tick removal tool. We normally have these in stock so please give us a ring on 01327 350239 and you can pop in and get one. To help, our nurses have created a simple tick removal guide, that you can get from the link below.
Download our tick removal guide
- Avoid walking your dog in areas with high grass
Ticks live close to the ground in long grass and leaf debris. When walking your dog between March and September, it’s worth avoiding long grass. If you can’t, then walk in the centre of pathways and try to dodge overhanging plants.
- Keep Long-Haired Pets Groomed
Long hair on dogs (or on any pets for that matter) makes it easier for ticks to attach themselves and hide. Consider getting your dog a shorter summer clip and along with the daily checks we mentioned above a thorough weekly grooming session is always a good idea.
As ever, if you’d like advice on preventative treatments or if you’ve taken the decision not to use these and you’re having issues with removing a tick, our vet nurses are here to help, and you can contact them by giving us a quick call on 01327 350239.
Breeding guinea pigs safely – why age matters
Is it safe to breed guinea pigs? It’s not difficult to breed these charismatic pets, but it can be unsafe if you don’t time it right. Female guinea pigs (sows) need to be young and fit for their first pregnancy to avoid tragedy.
Towcester Veterinary Centre’s nursing team has lots of advice on guinea pigs and breeding. Why not ask them questions on Facebook and help other owners at the same time?
Before breeding your guinea pig, head nurse Katy Kirkham recommends asking yourself:
- Do you have suitable, loving homes lined up for the piglets?
- Do you have additional housing to separate male guinea pigs & piglets from females?
- Have you considered the potential health implications?
The risks of breeding guinea pigs for the first time
Delaying a female’s first pregnancy after 6 months of age will result in serious, even life-threatening birthing complications. Part of her pelvis must separate before giving birth and after about 8 months it fuses together, and a caesarean is needed. This is a risk to mum and her piglets.
Another serious risk is pregnancy toxaemia, with stress and obesity being major predisposing factors. Other factors include advancing age, lack of exercise, fasting during pregnancy, and having many babies. Signs may not show until two weeks before the birth, so prevention is key: reduce stress, keep your guinea pig fit & healthy, feed a nutritious diet, and always provide fresh water. Also, house her indoors/somewhere sheltered to avoid cold weather risks.
Katy’s guinea pig breeding ‘need to know’ list:
- Male guinea pigs (boars) are sexually mature and able to mate at around 2-3 months; it’s 2 months (55-70 days) for sows but can be earlier for both. Neutering males is necessary to avoid pregnancies in opposite sex pairs – contact us about neutering.
- Sows have estrous (fertile) cycles throughout the year, but mostly in spring. Cycles last 16 days and she is fertile for 6-11 hours, mostly at night.
- A new estrous cycle begins shortly after giving birth. Boars should be housed separately before she gives birth to avoid her being pregnant again while nursing piglets.
- Guinea pig pregnancies last around 63 days; a large litter will make the pregnancy longer. You can tell if your guinea pig is pregnant as she will gain a lot of abdominal weight in the latter stages, even doubling in size.
- Sows do not build nests so time of delivery can be hard to spot. About 1 week before delivery, part of her pelvis will start to slowly widen, just in front of the external genitalia. An hour before delivery this should be about 1 inch wide.
- Uncomplicated births last about 30 minutes with 5 minutes (average) delivery per piglet.
- Nursing should be allowed for 2 weeks; male piglets should be removed at 3 weeks.
- Breeding can sometimes shorten a female guinea pig’s life expectancy.
Do you have any questions, like “how many babies can a guinea pig have?” or “how do you introduce potential mates safely?” or perhaps “are they born with hair?” Pop over to our Facebook page and our Towcester nurses will happily answer them.
Why cat microchipping is being made compulsory
Currently, cats do not have to be microchipped by law in the UK, but that’s about to change. Cat microchipping is set to become compulsory in 2021, with new legislation due to be passed in the coming months. Our team at Towcester Vets has been following this story throughout and has put together some helpful information for you below.
Book a cat microchip appointment
Why cat microchipping is being made compulsory
The compulsory microchipping of cats is being brought in following a sharp rise in cat thefts. Police data shows the number of cats being stolen rose almost threefold in five years, and over 12% in the last year alone. Demand for cats shot up during lockdown when millions of households wanted new pets. Some cat breeds are being sold for £2,000, making them even more attractive to thieves.
There are currently over 10 million pet cats living in the UK. Around 70% of cats have already been microchipped, which means over 2 million cats are still without. Compulsory microchipping for cats would resemble the current law for dogs, which comes with a £500 fine for non-compliance.
What cat microchipping involves:
- A microchip (about the same size as a grain of rice) is inserted just under the skin.
- Cat microchips are completely safe and made to last.
- The procedure is like having a vaccination and no recovery time is needed.
- There’s no age limit, but our head vet at Towcester Vets recommends that kittens should be microchipped, neutered and vaccinated before they venture outside.
- Each cat microchip comes with a unique code, which can be scanned at a vet practice like ours, and some animal welfare centres.
- Your contact information is stored on a pet microchip database and can be matched to your cat when scanned, providing you keep it up to date.
Why you need to microchip your cat
Besides the new microchipping law, cats are at risk of theft, getting lost, being taken for ‘looking lost’, and road traffic accidents. When cats are brought into our veterinary practice with no microchip or ID tag, it can be impossible to trace the owners.
‘Lost & found cats’ must either be handed to a rehoming centre (after receiving emergency care if injured) or taken to a pet cremation service if deceased. Owners are often left without knowing what happened to their beloved pet.
Towcester Vets’ vets and nurses always recommend cats should be microchipped to give them the best chance of being reunited with their owner should the unthinkable happen.
The wider animal welfare plan
Enforced cat microchipping is part of a new wide-ranging animal welfare plan that is currently being worked on. This plan will also formally recognise the sentience of pets and livestock, enshrining in law that animals have the capacity to feel hunger and pain and are aware of what is happening to them. This will change how animals can be treated in the UK.
Get ahead of this new law and give your cat the best chance of being reunited with you, by booking their microchip appointment today.
Important advice on feline pancytopenia for cat owners in Towcester
There has been a sudden and unexpected rise in cases of feline pancytopenia, a usually rare condition that can make cats very ill. As a result, the authorities are advising cat owners, who have fed their cat certain foods from; Pets at home, Sainsburys or Applaws to stop feeding that food and monitor their cats for symptoms.
Our head vet at Towcester Veterinary Centre is urging clients to check the list off affected cat food below. Then, if their cat has any of the symptoms, also detailed below, you should contact the Towcester Vets team without delay.
Affected Products from Sainsburys, Pets at home & Applaws
The outbreak has potentially been linked to a number of cat foods. The three manufacturers and retailers of the affected foods have issued voluntary recalls as follows.
- Pets at home own brand, AVA, cat food
- Sainsbury’s hypoallergenic recipe Cat food
- Applaws cat foods
You should check the list, stop feeding your cat these foods and contact us is you feel your cat is displaying any of the symptoms above.
Symptoms of Feline Pancytopenia
You should check your cat for the following symptoms (especially if you have fed your cat any affected products) and contact us if you need help.
- Sluggishness & weakness
- Pale gums
- Bruising
- Increased heart rate
- Fever
- Bleeding from the mouth or nose
- Blood in the urine (known as hematuria)
- Spitting up of blood (known as hemoptysis)
- Black, tarry stools (known as melena)
Further information on feline pancytopenia
Pancytopenia is a very rare condition where the number of blood cells your cat has rapidly decreases. This means their blood won’t clot as easily, it reduces the ability of the blood to carry oxygen to the tissues and it also introduces a high risk of secondary infections.
Once an owner alerts our vets to the symptoms above, we diagnose pancytopenia with a simple blood test. Unfortunately, there are several other diseases that have similar symptoms to the new pancytopenia condition. So, to confirm our suspicions, all the other diseases need to be ruled out. To do this we’ll undertake further tests. As there is no specific treatment available yet we’ll treat your cat with antibiotics, intravenous fluids and anti-inflammatory drugs. Most cats require at least one blood transfusion.
If you have any questions or are worried about the condition of your cat, please contact us without delay.
Catharina answers FAQs on dog pregnancy
If you are thinking about breeding your female dog for the first time, or there has been an ‘unexpected incident’, you’ll need to know some facts about dog pregnancy.
Towcester Veterinary Centre’s head vet Catharina Arthurs, is here to help. Read Catharina’s answers to frequently asked questions on the subject, from pet owners in Northamptonshire.
Book a dog pregnancy consultation
How did my dog get pregnant? – Besides the obvious ‘birds & bees’ explanation, it’s helpful to know that female dogs can’t get pregnant all the time. An unneutered female’s ‘heat’ season typically starts between 6 – 36 months of age, lasting 3 weeks at a time, about twice a year.
Female dogs ‘in heat’ can be impregnated by an ‘in-tact’ male dog when you least expect it i.e., out on a walk, visiting someone’s home, doggy day-care, and even in your home or garden. Unneutered male dogs are known to stop at nothing to reach a female.
How long are dogs pregnant for? – A dog pregnancy can vary between 56 – 70 days. Typically, puppies should arrive about 63 days (just over 2 months) after conception.
Are there any tell-tale dog pregnancy symptoms? – Like humans, some dogs can suffer from ‘morning sickness’ and will vomit in the early stages of pregnancy. Other early dog pregnancy symptoms can be subtle including changes to appetite, slightly enlarged nipples, clear vaginal discharge, increased tiredness, and more affectionate behaviour.
During the latter stages, expect weight gain, increased appetite, and behaviour changes. Her teats may become darker, stand out more, and produce a semi-clear discharge. An enlarged abdomen with visible puppy movement is a great sign that puppies are on the way.
Can I buy a dog home pregnancy test?
There is no shop-sold home dog pregnancy test available, like those you can buy for humans. One of our experienced vets may use a hormone test, ultrasound, or a physical examination of the abdomen, to confirm whether your dog is pregnant.
How can I prepare for my dog giving birth?
- Create a nest: Make a quiet, relaxing, and private space for your dog to give birth and nurse puppies in. Line a large cardboard box or whelping box with puppy pads and clean bedding. Add her own clean toys/bedding to get her used to it.
- Prep in advance: Gather clean towels, nail scissors, and small blankets. Microwavable bean bags can provide warmth if you need to move puppies away from mum for any reason.
- Talk to our experienced vets: Know the signs of labour and distress to look out for. You should be as hands off as possible, but always there to support and intervene if needed.
- Be ready for an emergency: Dogs often give birth at night, and sometimes an emergency caesarean is required. Catharina recommends a) popping our emergency contact information in your phone, b) having transport available, and c) packing anything you’ll need to take with you (wallet, keys, blankets, puppy carrier etc.), in advance.
How long is a dog in labour?
Depending on the number of puppies, labour normally lasts between 3 – 12 hours. When you book your dog pregnancy appointment at our Towcester practice, ask us about the three stages of dog labour.
Think your dog could be pregnant? Book a vet consultation so we can run some tests and help you understand what happens next.
