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The kennel cough

Kennel cough or infectious tracheobronchitis is a highly contagious disease affecting dogs and, as indicated by his name, resulting in a strong cough.

It's called "kennel cough" because of its very high contagiousness which implies an even higher risk of illness in kennel or in any place where dogs are found in large numbers (community life, canine gatherings…).

Le syndrome brachycéphale

 

 

The brachycephalic breeds are experiencing a major population boom : These are races that appeal to their particular appearance and character.

Genetic selection has led individuals increasingly typed, with an accentuation of their morphological characteristics.
Unfortunately, these anatomical and morphological differences result in symptoms that are grouped under the name "brachycephalic syndrome".

 

What are the peculiarities of these brachycephalic breeds ?

 

These dogs have several anatomical changes and peculiarities :

– Closer nostrils than normal : they are said stenotic.
– A lengthening and thickening of the soft palate (the rear part of the palate between the oral cavity of the nasopharynx)
– Eversion cartilage that form the larynx
– A collapse of the trachea
– A narrowing of pylorus (junction between the stomach and small intestine)
– A esophagus and stomach often inflammatory.

 

All these anatomical and morphological features is causing more or less disabling disorders in animals.

 

 

In this photo of the groove bottom of the brachycephalic dog, we note the presence of a velum (VDP) very long, the free edge (caudal end of the soft palate) extends far back from the edge of the epiglottis (EP) and prevents proper flow of air to the trachea.

 

What are the symptoms ?

 

Symptoms are mainly respiratory order : snoring, fast and noisy breathing, exercise intolerance or heat (shortness of breath), difficulty breathing or fainting in the most serious cases.

 

These respiratory disorders are frequently associated with digestive disorders : vomiting of food or foam, regurgitations…

 

Because of the efforts that the dog must provide to breathe, his heart is very busy. The heart constantly tries to fill respiratory failure.

A long terme, dogs can thus have a right heart failure.

If we do not treat dogs that suffer from this syndrome, their life expectancy is greatly reduced.

 

Aggravating factors

 

The heat, humidity, the stress, l’effort, excitement are factors that aggravate breathing difficulties.

Beware of the summer ! Keep your dogs cool as possible and avoid over-stretching in the effort. Better to wander the early morning or late evening when it is cooler.

 

Some diseases can, also, increase symptoms : if the animal has a fever, if he suffers from respiratory infection or a neuromuscular disease, related disorders brachycephalic syndrome are amplified.

 

How to treat ?

 

In an emergency, during acute attack, the animal is hospitalized and can be placed under oxygen. The veterinarian administers a treatment that reduces edema (swelling) airway and allow the air to the lungs.

 

In chronic disorders, the dog's health can be improved through medication and compliance with certain instructions : avoid stress, hot weather, the efforts, the excitation and any overweight.

But to get a good long-term improvement of symptoms, surgical treatment is necessary. It is the treatment with which the best results are obtained.

The surgery to be performed varies from dog to dog and each case is reviewed individually : a thorough medical examination of the animal is made to find out what can be corrected by surgery.
The vet explores why the respiratory and the dog's digestive apparatus (endoscopically including).

Several types of transactions allow an improvement in symptoms :
– La rhinoplastie, which corresponds to an expansion of the nostrils,
– The palatoplastie, which shortens a soft palate too long,
– The laryngeal surgeries that allow a better opening of the larynx and easier passage of air into the trachea.

A dog may need one or more of these interventions : correcting the set of these abnormalities is required to obtain a significant improvement.
After surgery, good regression or complete disappearance of respiratory disorders and possible gastrointestinal symptoms is obtained.

 

 

Photography dog ​​postoperative the previous photo :

the soft palate (VDP) was shortened and its free edge comes over to cover the edge of the epiglottis (EP). The passage of air into the trachea can now be done properly and the dog breathing normally.

 

 

Note that most surgical correction of the various anomalies encountered in brachycephalic is early, the better the results.
So do not wait !

 

§

 

If you find that your pet snores much, it is quickly out of breath, his noisy breathing, report it to your vet.

It is important to know the particularities of brachycephalic breeds and measure the impact these characteristics have on their health.

If you buy a puppy, remember to inquire about the parents' health condition and question the seller also on possible problems that could have the puppy. Ensure your future mate you seem fit, he was not too noisy breathing and it is not out of breath for no apparent reason.

Better to focus the health of your pet rather than aesthetics…

 

 

 

No veto without peasant.

 

 

 

 

A few days ago, arriving at the clinic, we found this on our front.

 

NO VETO

NO VETO

FARMER FREE

FARMER FREE

SLOWLY ON BILLS

SLOWLY ON BILLS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are fully aware of the seriousness of the problem, and solidarity your claims.

 

What do the vetoes in Rostrenen to help their farmers? They are not a wait or inactive.

We have made great efforts since the crisis 2009 on drug prices, and it's not for nothing that farms that were supplied to far long back to provide home.

Beyond this drug selling business, we also looked for what we needed to do to be able continue to exercise our real job : work on farms ...

 

With as main issue :

What role can the vet in the profitability of dairy farms?

 

This analysis is based on the study Institute of Livestock " technical and economic benchmarks of corn-grass farm " in 2012.

 

Firstly it is clear that if the milk is not paid, all efforts in breeding quickly become hopeless.

Currently, the French system holds the vise by breeders 3 main ways :

  1. the price pressure exerted by supermarkets
  2. the profitability requirement to short-term financial groups which buy milk from farms
  3. standards, very restrictive.

As long as nothing is done to change that, any improvement in profitability of farming will be captured and thus we return to the same point for the breeder.

The vet can not much to this fact. This fight is over labor and policy that technical.

 

 

On the other hand :

  • first observation

veterinary fees are 5 to 14 euros 1000 liters following farms, either 9 euros on average

  • second observation

food costs represent 210 euros by 1000 liters (crop crop storage-buying-mechanization (operation, loans, interview)-employee work-work by the company)

  • third observation

Unlike gross margin between two farms may represent up 80 euros the 1000 liters

  • And finally, selling milk represents 88% the money returned the milk shop

 

Conclusion : the post “feed efficiency” (= Quantity of milk sold per kg of dry matter distributed) represent by far the largest share of the economic result for the milk shop.
So on this we think we can help our farmers to make efficiency savings.


This is why our vet clinic offers
Service improvement and monitoring of raw milk margin workshop, based on 2 years of development of our global tracking method.

From our studies and experience, it seems that:

  1. In Central Brittany, without investing, a farm 50 or 100 cows may have a production cost (to the 1000 liters) less than a well-managed farm 500 cows.

  2. In Central Brittany, without investing, working on feed efficiency and food costs, all farms are above the upper current quarter.

  3. All this is going in the same direction: cows in better health (less veterinary expenses), less unnecessary reforms, less use of drugs (less veterinary expenses), a milk best quality for consumers, lesser environmental impact, job more serene for farmers.

 

 

The clinic launched 2015 a cycle of 4 information meetings in its area of ​​activity :

The milk shop : veterinary approach

 

the first meeting was held in the Plouguernevel 24 November 2015 with 20 present on farms 40 guests.

-the second will be held in Locarn Thursday 25 February 2016

-the third will be held on Paule sector

-the fourth will be held on the area of ​​Silfiac

 

here.

We did not wait for the crisis, anger (understandable) breeders, neither these tags, to ask questions and put in place measures, and services, could help our farmers (the extent of our possibilities).

If you want to react to this, or if you have questions, you can do this by clicking right here.