Recommendations to animal owners

Respiratory problems

Acute respiratory failure is considered one of the most serious problems in emergency veterinary medicine.

The following symptoms reveal respiratory failure:

• Respiration rate is over 30–40 per minute at rest
• Cats breathing with their mouth open
• The animal also uses its abdominal muscles for breathing
• Bluish tongue
• Pale or bright red mucus membranes
• Inability to lie down, collapsing

If the owner is not certain, whether the animal is suffering from respiratory failure or not, it is recommended to contact the animal clinic!

The most common causes of respiratory failure are:

• Respiratory infections
• Cardiac/ Heart and/ or pulmonary/ lung diseases
• A foreign body in the respiratory tract
• Brachycephalic airway obstructive syndrome/ upper respiratory tract abnormality
• Trauma
• Heat stroke
• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• Pathologies of thoracic cavity

As respiratory failure is a serious condition, it is recommended to contact the veterinarian as soon as possible and come to the clinic to perform the necessary diagnostic procedures.

It is essential to try to calm down the animal already at home. If respiratory failure is caused by a heat stroke, the owner or handler may try to cool down the animal using moist towels.  Any secretion coming from the nose has to be carefully removed.

When transporting the animal to the clinic, it is important to ensure the movement of preferably cool air in the vicinity of the animal. One cannot put the animal into a box or bag with limited access of the air. It is not allowed to put the animal into the trunk/ baggage compartment of the car.

Diarrhoea is an unpleasant clinical symptom for both the owner and the animal which can also be life-threatening. Diarrhoea may be caused by different conditions and diagnostic procedures and treatment depend on them.

What are the causes of diarrhoea?

In simple terms, diarrhoea occurs if the function of large or small intestine is impaired. It can be caused by inability to digest or absorb food; excessive production of liquid in the intestine; malabsorption of this liquid; increased intestinal motility.

Kõhulahtisus võib olla nii esmane (primaarne) kui ka teisene (sekundaarne).

Diagnosis and treatment in the animal clinic

An individual diagnostic and treatment plan is composed for every patient depending on its condition, however, the most common diagnostic methods are:

• X-ray examination/radiology: to evaluate the state of internal organs and presence of opaque foreign bodies.
• Haematology of the blood sample: to evaluate the degree of infection
• Biochemistry of the blood sample: to evaluate the functioning of different organs via the analysis of the blood sample
• Faecal examination: to diagnose the presence of the parasites
• Ultrasonography: to evaluate the structures of the organ systems, assess intestinal motility, detect non-opaque foreign bodies.
• Express tests: to diagnose different diseases and detect pathogens.

The treatment plan usually comprises fluid therapy, to treat dehydration caused by diarrhoea, easily digestible food, probiotics to normalise intestinal contents. The treatment plan may be adjusted if a different primary cause is revealed.

What can be done at home?

If your animal suffers from diarrhoea, but its overall condition is good, the owner may start helping the pet applying the first aid methods.

Check, when the animal was last dewormed. If more than three months have passed since then, it is recommended to repeat the procedure. It is recommended to deworm kittens and puppies every month until the age of six months.

The animal may be fed easily digestible food: boiled unseasoned skinless chicken fillet with rice porridge. Pet pharmacies and animal clinics also sell special feeds meant for pets suffering from gastric or intestinal problems.

Probiotics are food supplements and have to be administered in case of diarrhoea.  They help neutralise and normalise intestinal microflora and bind liquid faecal masses.

It usually takes 1 – 3 days for the animal to recover from light gastro-intestinal problems.

If your pet’s condition deteriorates, the animal starts vomiting or you can notice fresh blood in the faeces, you should immediately contact the nearest animal clinic to get further instructions. You have to be especially careful with kittens and puppies, as their condition may quickly become life-threatening!

What kind of disease is leptospirosis?

Leptospirosis is a potentially life-threatening zoonotic disease (i.e. a disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans) caused by spirochaetes belonging to Leptospira genus. Spirochaetes are bacteria with both gram-positive and gram-negative characteristics. Leptospira genus comprises 20 different species and over 250 serovars. Leptospirosis is common all over the world.

How do dogs become infected with leptospirosis?

Leptospirosis mainly spreads with the urine of infected rodents. The animals become infected through either direct or indirect contact with the urine of the infected animal or contaminated surface.  Leptospirosis can be found in stagnant waters, mud puddles, or areas densely inhabited by small rodents (mice, rats). Thus, cases of leptospirosis emerge in Estonian climate all the year round, but are more frequent in summer and autumn.

Dogs of all ages may contract the disease. However, working and hunting dogs, as well as those who move a lot in nature (walks in the woods and fields) belong to the risk group. Additionally, dogs who swim in water bodies and drink water from lakes or rivers are exposed to increased risk of contracting the disease.

What are the main symptoms of the disease?

Leptospirosis is a multi-systemic disease mainly affecting kidneys and liver, but able to damage lungs, spleen, eyes, genitals, and nervous system.

Clinical symptoms of leptospirosis are not specific and are mainly related to kidney and/ or liver damage:

• Loss of appetite
• Lethargy
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Fever or hypothermia (decreased body temperature)
• Abdominal pain
• Jaundice
• Soreness/ Tenderness of joints, lack of desire to move
• Weight loss

In some case, certain lung damage induced symptoms may emerge, e.g. changes in the breathing/ respiration pattern (excessively fast respiration/ breathing, respiratory failure). The animal may suffer from conjunctivitis or uveitis.

How is leptospirosis diagnosed?

Leptospirosis is diagnosed based on the clinical history, clinical symptoms and laboratory findings. Blood sample haematology and biochemistry as well as urinalysis are conducted.  Diagnostic imaging is performed to exclude other diseases with similar clinical symptoms. This is mainly done using x-ray examination/ radiology or ultrasonography.

Express leptospirosis tests are usually performed on all cases when the disease is suspected. Leptospirosis express test determines the presence of the disease antibodies in the blood. The express test may be both false positive or false negative, therefore, it is recommended to send the blood sample to the laboratory for final diagnosis.

How is leptospirosis treated?

Dogs with leptospirosis symptoms usually have to be hospitalized. The treatment includes antibacterial and supporting fluid therapies, administration of gastroprotectants and analgesics. The treatment plan often involves the use of two different antibiotics, as one type of those decelerates the spread of leptospira but does not kill the bacteria, whereas the other destroys the bacteria but does not limit its spread. Therefore, it is essential to use the combination of two antibiotics for successful treatment. When the animal’s overall condition improves and stabilizes, the patient is discharged and the treatment has to be continued at home.

Prognosis

The prognosis for the dogs infected with leptospirosis depends on the severity of the disease. If no serious kidney or liver damage is caused, and the treatment is initiated in time, the prognosis for full recovery is relatively good. In more severe cases, when serious kidney and/ or liver damage is caused, the prognosis may be cautious. In very severe cases (especially if the disease has spread to the lungs), the animals may die. After the end of treatment, it is necessary to repeat blood haematological analysis to evaluate kidney and liver functionality.

Vaccination?

It is possible to vaccinate dogs against the most common leptospirosis causative pathogens. It is necessary to vaccinate the animal every year. Unfortunately, currently available vaccines do not protect dogs against all leptospirosis causative pathogens. Nevertheless, we recommend to vaccinate dogs to develop immunity against the most common serovars.

Leptospirosis in cats

Cats can also contract leptospirosis and disseminate the pathogens via urine, however, they rarely suffer from any clinical symptoms of the infection.

Eclampsia or calcium deficiency is an acute life-threatening and possibly lethal condition of pregnant or lactating female animals (most frequently dogs).

Who may suffer from eclampsia?

Calcium deficiency may develop in dogs of any breed or size, regardless of the size of the litter, at any stage of lactation period or, in exceptional cases, before or during whelping.  If calcium deficiency develops during whelping, it causes dystocia or complicated whelping. Hypocalcaemia is most common in dogs of small breeds with large litters.

What causes eclampsia?

Hypocalcaemia commonly develops due to significant loss of calcium via milk or insufficient amount of calcium received with food. The condition develops because calcium leaves the body of the female animal faster and in larger quantities than the organism is able to mobilise from the bones and supply blood with.

What are the symptoms?

The first clinical symptoms include panting and anxiety.

Furthermore, slight tremors, cramps, muscle contractions, stiff and uncoordinated gait develop. The animal may reveal signs of aggression, suffer from excessive salivation, whine, be hypersensitive to stimuli, and confused. The condition may sometimes be characterised by increased thirst and urination, as well as vomiting, increased heart rate, and fever. Deterioration of the condition leads to severe tremors, tetany, and finally, coma and death.

What should an owner do if the symptoms emerge?

If the above described symptoms develop, the owner or keeper has to immediately contact the animal clinic. The dog suffering from eclampsia needs immediate hospitalisation and fluid therapy.

In the clinic:

• An intravenous cannula is placed;
• Blood sample is taken and biochemistry is performed to primarily control calcium level;
• The animal is connected to ECG machine to monitor cardiac function and notice possible irregularities in time;
• The patient receives oxygen;
• The animal is continuously intravenously administered calcium until its level normalises.

NB! It is not efficient to orally administer calcium, as it needs at least 24 hours to absorb, but in case of eclampsia, calcium level has to be raised as fast as possible.

Home care

At home, it is important to continue to administer calcium orally throughout the entire lactation period.

What happens to puppies/ kittens?

It is recommended to wean puppies or kittens from mother’s milk.  The animals younger than one month have to be fed with special milk replacer (avoid feeding milk of other animals!) available in animal pharmacy and large pet shops. The animals older than 1 month may additionally be fed with special puppy/ kitten food. Offspring health condition has to be closely monitored for e.g. vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, and lethargy.

If it is not possible to wean the offspring, they should not be allowed to suck their mother’s milk during the first 24 hours after emergence of eclampsia, to give the organism of the female animal the time to restore normal calcium level. During this period, milk replacers should be fed to the offspring. After 24 hours, the puppies or kittens may start sucking on their mother, but the condition of the latter has to be closely monitored. Milk replacers may be additionally fed to the offspring. If eclampsia symptoms reoccur, the offspring has to be taken away from their mother and manually fed from the bottle (younger than 4 weeks of age) or entirely weaned of mother’s milk (older than 4 weeks of age).

Prognosis

If the patient has received help immediately after the first eclampsia symptoms emerged and calcium solution has been administered intravenously, the prognosis is usually good and the dog fully recovers.

There exists a high risk of eclampsia reoccurrence during the next pregnancy, and therefore, it is not recommended to continue using these dogs for breeding. If the owner still decides to breed the animal again, it is essential to ensure the diet during pregnancy is diverse and contains appropriate calcium and phosphor ratio (1:1), as well as sufficient amount of vitamin D.

If your animal has eaten something it should not have.

If fewer than two hours have passed since the accident, you may try to initiate vomiting. In order to do that, you may use salt or 3% hydrogen peroxide solution.  

• You should make a small salt ball and put it into your pet’s throat. To make the ball you may use small amount of water and one tea-spoon of salt. You may only try to use the salt ball once, as repeated consumption of salt may cause life-threatening salt poisoning.
• You may give 1 – 2 ml per one kilogram of body weight of 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. However, the maximum dose may not exceed 50 ml – for dogs and 10 ml – for cats. In approximately ten minutes after solution administration, the animal would normally start vomiting. If it does not happen, one more dose of the solution may be given.
• Activated carbon/ charcoal is also administered in case of most poisonings. It helps fix toxins in the digestive organs. The initial dose for both cats and dogs is one (1) gram per kilogram of body weight, which means you should give four (4) regular pills sold in regular pharmacies per each kilogram of body weight. That also means that large dogs need significant amounts of activated carbon/ charcoal for it to have an effect.

If the animal is already vomiting, is unconscious, no longer has swallowing reflex, or is suffering from cramps, it is contraindicated to induce further vomiting or administer any medications.  You must immediately contact the animal clinic, and they will instruct you on further actions and ask you to come to the clinic as soon as possible.

It is contraindicated to induce vomiting in case of acid or alkali poisoning. In such cases, the use of activated carbon/ charcoal is inefficient, as carbon does not fix these substances. If the animal is awake, you may give it some water or milk to try to neutralize the poison. Afterwards, you should contact the animal clinic to get further instructions.

Phone call to the clinic

When calling the animal clinic, be prepared to answer the following important questions:

• What and when did you animal eat?
• What amount of the substance has it swallowed?
• How much does your animal weigh?
• What was health condition of the animal before the accident? Does the animal regularly receive any medications?

Based on the acquired information, the veterinarian or animal clinic receptionist will instruct you on further actions and will possible ask you to come to the clinic.

Arrival at the clinic

If you are asked to take you animal to the clinic, it is recommended to bring with you the package of the poison/ chemical substance/ solution consumed, as it may provide the veterinarian with the necessary additional information.

You should take into consideration your animal health condition while transporting it to the clinic. If the dog is suffering from cramps or is confused, you should make a soft place at the backseat of the car to minimise the risk of the animal injuring itself. The owner or handler has to be careful, so that a confused animal would not damage them.

If the animal has a high fever, moist towels can be put around its body, on the armpits and groin area. It is suitable to use cold packs, but they have to be wrapped in a towel to avoid direct contact with the skin. Using air conditioning or opening the widows of the car may also help lower the body temperature.

Entering Estonia with a cat, dog, or ferret from other Member States*

• Microchip or clearly legible tattoo made before 3 July 2011
• Correctly filled in EU pet passport
• Valid rabies vaccination, administered not later than 21 days before entering Estonia, taking into consideration the fact that:
  • The animal must be at least 12 weeks old on the vaccination day
  • Repeat vaccination will be considered primary if it was not done during the validity period of the previous vaccine.
• * Separately located territories of the Member States are considered Member States:
• Denmark: Greenland, Faroe Islands
• Spain: Canary Islands
• France: French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion
• Gibraltar
• Portugal: Azores, Madeira
• Additionally, Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, and Vatican.

Entering Estonia from EU countries

Valid for cats, dogs, and ferrets.

Animal must be accompanied by:

• Microchip/ Transponder or clearly legible tattoo made before 3 July 2011;
• Correctly filled in EU pet passport;
• Valid rabies vaccination, administered not later than 21 days before entering Estonia, taking into consideration the fact that:
  • The animal must be at least 12 weeks old on the vaccination day;
  • Repeat vaccination will be considered primary if it was not done during the validity period of the previous vaccine.

Separately located territories of the Member States are considered Member States:

• Greenland, Faroe Islands, Canary Islands, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, Gibraltar, Azores, Madeira, Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, and Vatican.  

Entering Estonia with young pets

Valid for kittens, puppies, and baby ferrets.

It is allowed to enter Estonia from other EU countries and states with satisfactory rabies status without a valid rabies vaccine if:

• Unvaccinated pet animals are younger than 12 weeks or vaccinated pet animals are 12–16 weeks old, but anti-rabies vaccine is not valid yet;
• The animals are microchipped;
• The animals must be accompanied by an identification document (pet passport), however:
  • the animal entering Estonia from a third country must be accompanied by an official veterinary certificate (issued by a local veterinary centre) and declaration confirming that the movement is non-commercial.
• Young pet animals are accompanied by their mother, on whom they still depend, in this case:
  • The mother must possess an identification document, from which it should be established that, before their birth, the mother received an anti-rabies vaccination which complied with the validity requirements.
• Young pet animals are transported without mother; their identification certificate should be accompanied by the declaration confirming that from birth until the time of the non-commercial movement the pet animals have had no contact with wild animals of species susceptible to rabies.

Entering Estonia from non-EU countries

Valid for cats, dogs, and ferrets.

Animal must be accompanied by:

• Microchip or clearly legible tattoo made before 3 July 2011;
• Official veterinary certificate, containing information about the owner and the animal, tattoo or microchip number, anti-rabies vaccination date, the vaccine used and its validity period. The certificate is issued and signed by the veterinary official (the document can be obtained from the local veterinary centre); the certificate is valid for 10 days;
• Declaration confirming that the movement is non-commercial signed by the owner or authorised person
• EU pet passport.

​About vaccination

Rabies status of non-EU countries has to be satisfactory and all the same vaccination requirements apply to all cats, dogs, and ferrets entering Estonia from those countries as to the animals travelling within EU.

• Vaccination date and validity is confirmed by the veterinarian’s signature on the official veterinary certificate.
• When entering Estonia from the third countries, rabies antibody titre is required in addition to valid vaccination. Antibody titre must be obtained 30 days after vaccination (the required titre is 0.5 or more units per ml). It is required to wait at least three months after antibody titre test and before entering EU.
  • Since 2013, Veterinary and Food Laboratory no longer performs rabies antibody titre tests. Those can be made, for example, by German laboratory Laboklin.
  • Antibody titre test results must be listed on the veterinary certificate, and original document from the laboratory confirming the performance of antibody titre must be attached.
  • A EU (including Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, and Vatican) animal re-entering the EU from a third country must be accompanied by EU pet passport instead of the certificate, where rabies antibody titre test result must be listed (IV part of the passport) valid before leaving the EU or any of the above mentioned countries. The original document from the laboratory confirming the performance of antibody titre must be attached to the passport.
• Rabies antibody titre test is not required for the animals entering from the following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Ascension Island, Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Bermuda, the BES Islands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba), Bosnia and Herzegovina, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Curaçao, Falkland Islands, Fiji, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, French Polynesia, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Montserrat, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Russia, Sint Maarten, Singapore, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Taiwan, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates, USA (as well as American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands), Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna.
• After transit through a third country other than listed above the owner or authorised person must provide a signed transit declaration confirming that the animal had no contact with animals of species susceptible to rabies and did not leave the transporter or international airport territory.

Important links

More information about travelling with pets can be found at the webpage of Veterinary and Food Board – https://pta.agri.ee/en/animals/travelling-petlink opens in new page

Travelling to Finland – https://www.ruokavirasto.fi/en/private-persons/travellers/pets/link opens in new page

NB! Before the trip, it is essential to check all the requirements related to travelling with the pet to this specific country.

Pregnancy/ Gestation period in dogs is regularly 63 days, fluctuations within the range of 58–68 days is considered normal. The first pregnancy/ gestation is commonly shorter.

It is recommended to visit the animal clinic for pre-whelping check starting from Day 45 of the gestation period. During the visit, general examination of the animal and, if necessary, x-ray examination/ radiology and ultrasonography are performed.

Why is x-ray examination/ radiology necessary?

It is recommended to perform x-ray examination/ radiology to determine the size of the litter. Moreover, x-ray examination/ radiology helps determine the size and position of the puppies. It is especially important in case of small litters and small breeds, when the whelping may be complicated. Ultrasonography helps evaluate cardiac activity of the puppies. It is not sufficient to only use ultrasonography to count the number of puppies in the litter, as it may be complicated due to their movement in the uterus. Therefore, x-ray examination/ radiology is always recommended. You should not worry about radiation, as the dosage needed to make one image is very small and does not cause any damage to either the mother or foetuses.

Due date is getting closer

The owner has to prepare a place comfortable and suitable for whelping. It is essential to help the dog get used to this place. One or two weeks before the due date, it is recommended to perform an ultrasonography or x-ray examination/ radiology to determine the number of puppies. Additionally, during the week preceding the due date, it is advisable to measure the dog’s temperature twice a day. The normal body temperature in dogs ranges 38.2–38.8 ºC. Body temperature decrease by 1 ºC signals the beginning of the whelping in 12–24 hours.

With the whelping date approaching, the dog will spend most of the time resting. Immediately before the beginning of the process, the dog will start making the nest. The dog may look for a dark place, become restless, or start scratching and digging the ground. The latter is commonly associated with the contractions of the uterus, which are invisible but cause changes in the dog’s behaviour. Approximately one week before the due date, milk will appear in the teats, pubic and pelvic ligaments will become loose and the abdomen drops. Moreover, the dog may refuse to eat, the vulva will become swollen and viscous secretion may appear.  Discharge of dark green secretion flowing from the vulva mark the beginning of the labour.

Whelping

Labour duration and course differ and depend on the breed. Number of puppies, and previous whelpings. The process commonly lasts 4–8 hours or even longer if the litter is large. The labour can be divided into three stages.

During the labour stage I, the cervix starts dilating and bitch is very restless. It may make a nest, crawl under the furniture, dig and scratch the ground, shiver, look at her abdomen, and even vomit. The more the process develops towards labour stage II, the more intense all the symptoms become. Labour stage I may last 4–24 hours.

During labour stage II, the bitch will lie on the side, it will sometimes stand up and move around. The amniotic sac will rupture and amniotic fluid will flow from the vagina, abdominal contraction will now become visible and the temperature will increase to normal. The first puppy must be born within the maximum of 6 hours after the beginning of the second stage.  When the foetus has moved into the pelvic cavity, abdominal straining will develop and the foetus is normally pressed out with 2–4 pangs. 60% of the puppies are delivered in anterior presentation and 40% – in posterior presentation. The puppies are commonly delivered at 30-minute intervals, however, this period may become longer towards the end of the whelping. The interval of 5–60 minutes (maximum 2 hours) is considered normal.  During whelping, the bitch will commonly be lying on its side. However, the dogs whelping for the first time may be standing. In this case, it is important to monitor, that the bitch would not step on the new-born puppies.

The main task of the owner is to create peaceful environment for the dog. The presence of other dogs or strangers may interfere with the process and result in prolonged labour. Interfering during the resting period between two deliveries out may slow down or interrupt the entire process. The same may happen if the interference occurs during the actual delivery of the puppy.

The puppy is born in an amniotic, which is regularly removed by the dog. The bitch will normally lick the puppy to clean and dry it, and will chew through the umbilical cord at approximately 2 cm from the puppy’s belly. If the bitch does not do that, the owner has to remove the amniotic sac and the umbilical cord at 2 cm from the puppy’s belly by crushing it and tearing, tying it with a thread if necessary. Puppy’s mouth and nose must be cleaned of mucosa (by sucking) and the whole body must be dried and massaged using a towel. By that time, the puppy will become really vocal. After drying the puppy, you should place it close to the bitch to suck the milk. Most bitches react to dead puppies in exactly the same way as to those alive as long as their body temperature is close to normal. Labour stage II usually lasts 3 – 12 hours, less frequently even up to 24 hours depending on the number of puppies.

Labour stage III starts after the birth of the last puppy and lasts up to two hours. Dogs deliver placenta immediately after the delivery of each puppy, several puppies, or at the end of the whelping. The dogs commonly eat the placentas. One has to be careful with dogs with fragile digestive system, as eating numerous placentas may lead to indigestion. If placenta is not delivered immediately and if a part of the umbilical cord is out of the vulva, the dog may pull it out with its teeth.

After whelping

During the first 2–3 days, red and watery uteral secretion may be discharged. During the next several weeks, the quantity of the secretion will gradually decrease and its colour will change to reddish brown. After two or three weeks after whelping, only very small quantity (if any) of light red or reddish brown limy secretion may be discharged. The secretion should not have any bad smell. It is essential to monitor the bitch’s condition.

When is it necessary to consult a veterinarian?

You should consult the veterinarian if:

• The due date has passed and the puppies were not born;
• The interval between the delivery of two puppies is longer than three hours or if no straining occurs;
• Visible contraction and straining develop, but the puppy is not delivered within half an hour;
• Greenish red or brown secretion is discharged from the vulva, but no puppy is delivered during 2–4 hours;
• Amniotic fluid flew out 2–3 hours ago, but no puppies have been delivered since then;
• Body temperature of the mother is increasing and the animal is lethargic, but contractions continue.

What usually happens in the clinic?

If it is necessary to go to the clinic, place the puppies into a warm soft nest (basket/ box). You should also put bottles with warm water there.

The veterinarian will examine the animal and evaluate its condition. Certainly x-ray examination/ radiology or ultrasonography will be performed and the treatment plan will be developed: whether to induce contractions or perform a caesarean section.

What is vaccination?

Vaccination or active immunisation means inducing active immune reaction of the organism. During vaccination, an antigen of a disease is introduced to the organism to make it start producing antibodies. If an animal is vaccinated against a certain disease, then, if it has a contact with this infection in the future, it is already prepared to protect itself. It is significantly cheaper to vaccinate the animal than treat the infections that could be avoided!

Against what infections are dogs vaccinated?

We differentiate between core (those done to all the pet animals, as they protect them against serious, life-threatening, and widely spread diseases) and non-core (vaccination necessity depends on the specific animal, its living environment and location, etc.) vaccines.

Core vaccines include vaccination against rabies (In Estonia, vaccination against rabies is obligatory every two years), canine distemper, parvovirus, and viral hepatitis.

Non-core vaccines include vaccination against canine parainfluenza virus, kennel cough, and leptospirosis.

Parvovirus (P)

Parvovirus is a highly contagious serious viral disease. Puppies are more susceptible, the course of the disease is more severe and may lead to death.  The animals contract the disease via digestive or respiratory tracts. The main symptoms include lethargy, lack of appetite, vomiting, severe diarrhoea (with the stool possessing foul smell and containing blood), and weight loss.

Canine distemper (D)

Canine distemper is an extremely contagious multi-systemic viral infection with high mortality rate. The virus may cause respiratory infection revealing itself via purulent nasal discharge and cough. Other symptoms may include vomiting and diarrhoea. In more severe case, nervous system related symptoms may occur, i.e. cramps, pressing the head against the wall, hyperexcitability, and stiffness of the limbs.

Canine contagious hepatitis (H)

This is a viral infection spreading from animal to animal via either direct contact or indirectly via object that has been in contact with virus particles. If the animal contracts the infection, it may result in death within five days. Hepatitis causes liver inflammation, fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, skin jaundice, disorientation, cramps, and coma. In some cases, the virus may lead to eye damage.

Canine parainfluenza (Pi)

This is the most common respiratory viral infection. The contraction occurs via direct contact with the infected animal or via air. The symptoms include eye and nasal discharge, fever, cough, lethargy, and loss appetite.

Leptospirosis (L)

Leptospirosis is a widely spread viral infection that can be caused by hundreds of pathogens infecting various species (including humans). The contraction occurs via direct or indirect contact with an infected animal, contaminated urine or water. The symptoms vary and may include fever, loss of appetite, muscle pain, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea (the stool may be watery, greyish in colour), jaundice, and abortion in pregnant animals. In more severe cases, the animal may suffer from nose bleeding, cough, and sudden death.

Rabies (R)

Rabies is a fatal acute viral infection causing mainly nervous system related symptoms. The infection spreads via bites. Different species (including humans) are susceptible to the disease. The spread of the infection mainly depends on the country. For example, Estonia is declared rabies free, whereas the disease is widely spread in African countries. The disease has several stages, and the symptoms vary from inertia to severe aggressiveness and muscle paralysis. The animal commonly dies within 5–6 days after the first symptoms develop. In Estonia, it is obligatory to vaccinate your pet against rabies every two years! For more information in visit https://pta.agri.ee/en/animals/infectious-animal-diseaseslink opens in new page

Vaccination protocol

It is recommended to follow this protocol when vaccinating the puppies. However, your veterinarian may change it depending on the animal health and living conditions.

Puppy vaccination procedure starts at the age of two months, when the animal is vaccinated with a DHPPi complex vaccine. At the age of three months, the puppy receives a booster shot of complex vaccine (DHPPi) as well as vaccine against leptospirosis (L).  The third vaccination is performed at the age of four months, when the puppy is vaccinated against rabies (R) in addition to complex vaccine and the one against leptospirosis. The fourth vaccination occurs when the dogs turns one year. Then DHPPi+L+R vaccine is used.  

Afterwards, the animal has to be vaccinated against parvovirus (P), canine distemper (D), and contagious hepatitis (H) every three years. In Estonia, it is obligatory to vaccinate the animal against rabies (R) every two years. It is recommended to vaccinate against canine parainfluenza (Pi) and leptospirosis (L) every year.

In cats, the gestation normally lasts 63–66 days with fluctuation range of 52 – 71 days. The period is shorter in case of large litters.

It is recommended to visit the animal clinic for a check starting from Day 45 of the gestation period. During the visit, general examination of the animal and recommendations are given, if necessary, x-ray examination/ radiology and ultrasonography are performed.

Why is x-ray examination/radiology necessary?

It is recommended to perform x-ray examination/ radiology to determine the size of the litter. Moreover, x-ray examination/ radiology helps determine the size and position of the kittens. It is especially important in case of small litters, where giving birth may be complicated. Ultrasonography helps evaluate cardiac activity of the foetuses. It is not sufficient to only use ultrasonography to count the number of kittens in the litter, as it may be complicated due to their movement in the uterus. Therefore, x-ray examination/ radiology is always recommended. You should not worry about radiation, as the dosage needed to make one image is very small and does not cause any damage to either the mother or foetuses. 

Due date is getting closer

Before the due date, it is important to provide the cat with peace and calm and prepare a warm and soft nest, for example, a big box or basket, and put it in the shaded place. It is essential that the cat would have enough time to get used to this place. During the last gestation weeks, the cat’s behaviour may change. The cat that preferred to stay by itself, may start searching for company and vice versa, it may start looking for a quiet, dark, and warm place suitable for giving birth. At the end of the gestation, both the cat’s activity level and appetite change. Pelvic ligaments and abdominal muscles become loose, udder development intensifies. The teats turn pink and approximately 24 hours before the beginning of the labour, milk appears. Similarly to dogs, it is important to measure the cat’s temperature during the last weeks of gestation. Body temperature decrease by 0.5 - 1ºC signals the beginning of the labour in 12 hours.

Giving birth

Labour stage I usually lasts 2–12 hours.  During this stage, the cat is concentrated on making the nest, becomes restless and may meow. The mother sometimes restlessly visits its litter box without defecating or urinating there. Finally, the cat finds a suitable place and remains there. Even if it is not the nest you prepared, let the cat peacefully stay there.

During labour stage II, the kittens are born. It usually takes 5 – 60 min to be born after the beginning of abdominal contractions. In case of the first gestation, the process usually takes longer. The cat may become very vocal while pressing the first kitten out. It is entirely normal, that some kittens are born in the anterior (head first) and some – in the posterior (legs first) position. The following kittens are usually born at 5–60-minute intervals.

After the birth of each kitten, the mother licks it, removes the remains of the amniotic sac, and chews through the umbilical cord. If the mother does not do that itself, the owner must remove the amniotic sac, clean the airways (by gently sucking) and dry the kitten with a towel. Such intense rubbing of the kitten stimulates respiration. The umbilical cord has to be tied with a thread at 2 cm from the kitten’s belly and thereafter cut at the mother’s side of the thread. If you see that mother is trying to chew the umbilical cord too close to the kitten’s belly, cut it yourself at the appropriate distance. Chewing through or cutting the umbilical cord too close to the kitten’s belly may lead to the development of infection or, in more severe cases even death.

During birth, dark red discharge originating from placenta may flow from the vulva. The cat may stand up, move around, and clean its vulva. These activities are believed to intensify contractions and straining, as well as help press the kitten out.

The entire labour stage II usually lasts approximately 6 hours. Sometimes, there may be pauses lasting several hours, while no kitten is born. Thus, the duration of the stage my become longer and last up to 24 hours.

During labour stage III, placenta is delivered. Placenta is delivered after the birth of each kitten or after the delivery of 2–3 kittens. Placenta has to be delivered maximum two hours after the birth of the kitten. Similarly to dogs, the mother cat also regularly eats placenta.

After giving birth

The mother normally starts taking care of its kittens, but if it does not happen the owner must get milk substitute mixture and consult the veterinarian.

When is it necessary to consult a veterinarian?

You should consult the veterinarian if:

• The due date has passed and the kittens were not born;
• The interval between the delivery of two kittens is longer than three hours or if no straining occurs;
• Visible contraction and straining develop, but the kitten is not delivered within half an hour;
• Greenish red or brown secretion is discharged from the vulva, but no kitten is delivered during 2–4 hours;
• Amniotic fluid flew out 2 – 3 hours ago, but no kittens have been delivered since then;
• Body temperature of the mother is increasing and the animal is lethargic, but contractions continue

What usually happens in the clinic?

If it is necessary to go to the clinic, place the kittens into a warm soft nest (basket/ box). You should also put bottles with warm water there.

The veterinarian will examine the animal and evaluate its condition. Certainly x-ray examination/ radiology or ultrasonography will be performed and the treatment plan will be developed: whether to induce contractions or perform a caesarean section.

What is vaccination?

Vaccination or active immunisation means inducing active immune reaction of the organism. During vaccination, an antigen of a disease is introduced to the organism to make it start producing antibodies. If an animal is vaccinated against a certain disease, then, if it has a contact with this infection in the future, it is already prepared to protect itself. It is significantly cheaper to vaccinate the animal than treat the infections that could be avoided!

Against what infections are cats vaccinated?

We differentiate between core (those done to all the pet animals, as they protect them against serious, life-threatening, and widely spread diseases) and non-core (vaccination necessity depends on the specific animal, its living environment and location, etc.) vaccines.

Core vaccines include vaccination against rabies (In Estonia, vaccination against rabies is obligatory every two years), feline viral rhinotracheitis, calcivirus and panleukopenia virus or feline distemper.

Non-core vaccines include vaccination against feline leukaemia and immunodeficiency viruses. Vaccination against these two diseases is possible in certain countries, however, it is not recommended as vaccine efficiency has not been confirmed yet.  Additionally, it interferes with pathogen detection.   

Viral rhinotracheitis (R)

This is the most common feline respiratory infection, caused by herpes virus. The disease is very contagious and may develop into a life-threatening pneumonia (especially in kittens). The infection spreads via direct contact, particularly saliva or eye and nasal discharge of a sick cat. The symptoms include cough, sneezing, nasal discharge, conjunctivitis, sometimes fever, and the loss of appetite.  The disease may cause the development of predisposition to corneal ulcers and lead to abortion in pregnant animals. At an early age, the infection may ultimately damage nasal and sinus tissue and make the animal susceptible to chronic bacterial infections. Many clinically healthy cats may actually be infected and become disease carriers.

Calcivirus (C)

It is a very common feline respiratory infection. The pathogen is excreted via faeces, urine, saliva, and nasal discharge, and is further transmitted with the air, hairs, clothes, etc. Most cats excrete the pathogen for two weeks after infection, some may continue doing that for the rest of their lives. The symptoms include fever, conjunctivitis, nasal discharge, sneezing, and ulcers in the mouth. Some animals may develop joint problems. The disease may become pandemic with a mortality rate of almost 67%. The infection course is more severe in young animals, whereas cats over three years of age mostly do not suffer any serious symptoms if any.

Panleukopenia or feline distemper (P)

This very contagious disease is caused by parvovirus and may lead to death. The virus spreads via the animal body fluids or faeces, as well as dust, clothes, etc. The pathogen is very resistant to environmental factors. The infection affects digestive tract and its main symptoms include acute bloody diarrhoea, severe dehydration, and loss of appetite. It leads to white blood cell count decrease, which results in weaker immunity. Regardless of the treatment, the mortality rate is high (95% – in animals younger than 2 months of age, 60–70% – in those older than two months, and 10– 20% – in adult animals). If left untreated, the mortality rate is up to 85%.

Rabies (R)

Rabies is a fatal acute viral infection causing mainly nervous system related symptoms. The infection spreads via bites. Different species (including humans) are susceptible to the disease. The spread of the infection mainly depends on the country. For example, Estonia is declared rabies free, whereas the disease is widely spread in African countries. The disease has several stages, and the symptoms vary from inertia to severe aggressiveness and muscle paralysis. The animal commonly dies within 5–6 days after the first symptoms develop. In Estonia, it is obligatory to vaccinate your pet against rabies every two years! For more information visit https://pta.agri.ee/en/animals/infectious-animal-diseaseslink opens in new page.

Why is environmental enrichment necessary for cats?

It is natural for cats to search for food, hunt, scratch, chew, and so on. If a cat's environment does not sufficiently allow for these natural behaviors, it can cause stress, leading to both health and behavioral problems. The most common issues include feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), obesity, excessive licking and grooming (and other compulsive disorders), aggression, and upper respiratory diseases. Therefore, by enriching a cat's environment, the owner can either prevent many of these problems or reduce their occurrence.

What to consider? What is natural for a cat? How to improve and enrich the environment?

Personal space
By nature, a cat is a predator but, due to its small size, also a prey animal. As a result, climbing is a natural behavior for cats, allowing them to have a better view of their surroundings from a higher place—to locate prey or hide from potential threats if necessary.

In a home environment, this means that a cat should have a spot (preferably several spots) elevated above ground level where it can rest or observe its surroundings. Ideally, these spots should be exclusively for the cat (inaccessible to other animals or small children) and away from excessive noise.

If there are multiple cats in the household, it is essential to allow them to distance themselves from each other (meaning the space between the resting areas of two cats should be at least 1–3 meters). In this case, there should also be more resting areas to reduce the stress related to fighting over them.

Food and water
Cats are solitary hunters by nature, which is why they display behaviors like searching for prey, stalking, and attacking. To increase a cat's activity, food can be divided into small portions and hidden, encouraging the cat to make an effort to find it. A good option is to use various toys that can be filled with food, requiring the cat to roll or manipulate them to get the food. Kibble or treats can also be thrown in a corridor or rolled down the stairs, which can mimic hunting for some cats.

To support urinary health in cats, it is beneficial to encourage them to drink more water. A good way to do this is to offer wet food and place clean drinking water in several different locations. Some cats prefer to drink running water, such as from a tap or a special cat fountain. Some enjoy playing with ice cubes in their water bowl, which can also stimulate them to drink more.

Since cats hunt alone in the wild, in a multi-cat household, they may prefer to eat from separate bowls, out of each other's sight.

Litter boxes
Defecating and urinating are activities composed of several sequential behaviors for cats. In nature, a cat first finds a suitable spot (with appropriate ground and enough cover, without disturbances). Afterward, the cat digs a suitable spot and, after doing its business, covers the waste to avoid being detected by potential predators.

Based on this, litter boxes should be placed in quiet and shaded areas, away from food bowls, with free access at all times. Litter boxes should not be near household appliances that can produce sudden loud noises. Litter boxes should be cleaned of waste at least once a day, and the entire contents should be replaced weekly. The box should be washed with unscented soap water at least once a month. Whether a cat prefers an open or closed box and which type of litter depends on the individual cat. When introducing new litter, a new box, or even new food, it is advisable to keep the old option available as well, allowing the cat to choose. If the cat prefers the old option, forcing a change is not recommended.

In a household with multiple cats, there should be at least one litter box per cat, plus one extra.

Scratching, chewing, and playing
Scratching, chewing, and playing are all natural behaviors for cats. Scratching ensures healthy claws and is also a natural way for cats to mark territory. However, these behaviors can cause problems for owners if the cat chooses unsuitable places, such as expensive furniture.

To prevent this, it is advisable to create more suitable and attractive places for these activities. Cats' preferences for scratching post materials and placement can vary and often require some experimentation. A scratching post should ideally be located near a resting spot or where the cat spends most of its time.

To prevent inappropriate chewing, offering safe grasses for cats to chew on can help, which can be coated with tuna water to encourage exploration. It is safest to remove plants that you do not want the cat to damage, as well as any potentially toxic plants.

When playing, cats imitate hunting behavior—stalking, chasing, pouncing, and biting. Various toys are suitable for this, such as different balls (in a room, in a box, or in a bathtub), battery-operated toys, fishing rod toys, and toys that can be filled with catnip. It is essential that toys do not contain fine threads, feathers, or parts that the cat could swallow if unsupervised.

Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is a term used to describe health conditions that may affect urinary bladder and/ or urethra in cats.

Although there are numerous infections that may affect feline lower urinary tract, most cats suffer from a disease that has no clear cause: feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC). The infection is similar with human “interstitial cystitis”, especially due to difficulties in managing and controlling the disease.

2/3 of FLUTD cases are considered to be caused by idiopathic cystitis.

FIC clinical symptoms

• Dysuria – difficult and painful urination (the cat meows when using its litter box).
• Pollakiuria – frequent urination (the cat uses its litter box frequently, excreting small amounts of urine or nor urinating at all).
• Haematuria – blood in the urine
• Periuria – urination in unusual places, not the litter box.
• Frequent licking and cleaning of the area under the tail.

In male neutered cats, an absolute obstruction of the lower urinary tract may develop as a result of severe infection, mechanical problem, or urethral muscle spasm. Thus, the urine can no longer be excreted and the bladder becomes excessively filled with it.

These cats may then suffer from the following symptoms, in addition to those listed above:

• Restlessness, inability to stand or lie;
• Filled bladder can be felt when palpating the abdomen;
• Increased respiration rate, panting;
• Possible loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting;
• Lethargy

If your cat is unable to urinate, you must contact the clinic immediately, as this condition may be life-threatening!

Diagnosing FIC

It is essential to note that, at the moment, there is no specific test to diagnose FIC. FIC is diagnosed after having excluded other FLUTD causes. That means the following diagnostic procedures are commonly performed:

• Urinalysis and analysis of the sample for bacteriuria;
• X-ray examination/ Radiology of the urinary bladder and tract (contrast agent is used if necessary)
• Ultrasonography of the urinary bladder and tract.

If primary FLUTD causes have been eliminated, it is possible to diagnose FIC syndrome.

Urine samples of cats with FIC may reveal the presence of blood and inflammatory cells, although the primary causes for that may remain unclear (it may be caused by urinary tract/ bladder stones or infection induced inflammatory process). Crystals are also frequently found in the urine sample (struvites or calcium oxalates). However, those crystals are not primary cause of cystitis and can be found in concentrated urine samples of healthy cats.

Feline idiopathic cystitis or FIC is defined as a disease the cause for which remains unknown. However, numerous abnormalities have been found in cats diagnosed with FIC that may be related to this syndrome.

Damaged bladder mucous membrane. The inner lining of the urinary bladder is mucous layer consisting of glycosaminoglycans (GAG) that protect sensitive cells in the walls of the bladder. In cats suffering from FIC, the GAG layer is damaged and deficient. Thus irritating substances of the urine may damage the cells of the urinary bladder walls, causing ulceration, irritation, and inflammation.

Neurogenic inflammation. Irritation or direct stimuli from the brain (for example, stress) may damage the nerves located in urinary bladder walls. When stimulated, nerves release neurotransmitters that increase pain or cause inflammation

Stress. Many cats suffering from FIC were reported to have experienced a stressful period shortly before the emergence of the first symptoms. Stress may be caused by relatively minor changes: e.g. a conflict with the other pet of the family, a change of the litter box filler brand, etc.

Abnormal response to stress.  The research studies have confirmed that the level of the so called “stress hormones” in the organisms of cats suffering from FIC is abnormal, which means that their organism response to stressful situation is equally abnormal. 

The factors listed above represent only several possible causes for feline idiopathic cystitis. At the moment, the exact mechanism of the infection development remains unknown.

Medications and food supplements

Analgesics: feline idiopathic cystitis is a painful health condition and requires administration of analgesics prescribed by the veterinarian during acute stages of the disease, when cat’s behaviour reveals discomfort.

Antidepressants: due to their adverse effects, antidepressants are considered the last resort and are only administered in very severe cases.

GAG food supplements: in some cases, it is useful to use GAG food supplements to help restore the damaged glycosaminoglycan layer of the bladder.

You may find more information on diversifying the living environment and lowering the stress level of your cat in Estonian HERElink opens in new page[IK1]link opens in new page .

Prognosis

Diversifying the cat’s living environment and increasing its water intake helps decrease boredom and lower stress level, and thus significantly improve their clinical condition. In more severe case, the disease may be more complicated to manage and control. The results of the current research studies show that FIC episodes reoccur in 50% of the cases.  

Useful materials

• https://icatcare.org/advice/feline-idiopathic-cystitis-fic/link opens in new page
• https://vetfolio.s3.amazonaws.com/38/41/10beda0549c88bdf5cee45cd1fe0/91-chewpandora-syndrome-fic.Pandora%20Syndrome%20FIC.pdflink opens in new page
• https://indoorpet.osu.edu/sites/indoorpet/files/assets/documents/hospital/indoorcat/JFMSMEMOFINAL06.pdflink opens in new page
• https://indoorpet.osu.edu/sites/indoorpet/files/assets/documents/Herron10_EE_for_Indoor_Cats.pdflink opens in new page
• https://indoorpet.osu.edu/sites/indoorpet/files/assets/documents/Herron12_FelineFocus_Part_2.pdflink opens in new page

Small Animal clinic of Estonian University of Life Sciences regularly receives patients who need blood transfusion. In our clinic, both cats and dogs receive blood transfusion.

What patient needs blood transfusion?

There are different situations where an animal may need blood transfusion. Animals suffering from anaemia are most frequent recipients of donor blood. Anaemia may be caused by blood loss (as a result of a trauma or surgery), chronic diseases (kidney, liver, or bone marrow diseases), or haemolysis (blood cells decomposition in the organism).

In some rarer cases, animals with low platelet (thrombocytopenia) or protein (hyperproteinaemia) concentration in the blood may also need blood transfusion.

The necessity of blood transfusion is evaluated based on haematology and clinical examination of the patient.

Who is a suitable blood donor?

A cat may be a donor if it:

• Is 1–8 years of age;
• Weighs at least 4 kg;
• Has not received blood transfusion before;
• Is clinically healthy and does not receive any treatment;
• Has been regularly vaccinated;
• Is not pregnant;
• Has not donated blood during the last 2–3 months.

A dog may be a donor if it:

• Is 2–8 years of age;
• Weighs at least 21 kg;
• Has not received blood transfusion before;
• Is clinically healthy and does not receive any treatment;
• Has been regularly vaccinated;
• Is not pregnant;
• Has not donated blood during the last 1–2 months.

Pet blood donors could also be friendly and cooperative, although this is not a prerequisite.

All blood donors undergo careful clinical examination. Preliminary blood tests as well as express tests for contagious infections are performed. Additionally, the veterinarian usually talks to the owner to gather more information about the animal condition and living environment. All these procedures are free of charge for the donor. Based on the gather information and blood test results, the veterinarian will decide whether the animal is suitable to be a donor.

How is blood donation performed?

First, blood types of both the donor and the recipient are determined. If blood types are compatible, additional diagnostic procedures are performed to avoid possible complications related to blood transfusion. If donor blood suitability is laboratory confirmed, we start collecting it from the donor.

Therefore, an intravenous cannula is placed enabling to administer if necessary sedative medication and fluid therapy. A special blood pressure monitoring cuff is attached to the paw.  In animals, blood is collected from jugular vein. An area on the neck is clipped, washed, and disinfected according to aseptic rules. Only disposable sterile needles, gloves and blood bags are used for blood donation. The amount of collected blood in dogs is 20 ml/ kg and in cats – 10 ml/ kg. Only the necessary amount of blood is collected from the donor.

During the entire blood donation procedure, the animal blood pressure, heart and respiration rates are carefully monitored.

How is blood transfusion performed?

An additional intravenous cannula is placed on the recipient, through which the whole blood is transfused.  Special infusion systems with filters are used for blood transfusion to avoid the development of blood clots and prevent them from getting into either recipient’ or donor’s blood circulation.

Donor blood is administered via venous cannula and the patient is monitored during the entire procedure. Its respiration and heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature are regularly measured and the condition is carefully monitored to avoid the emergence of adverse effects (nettle rash, itching, acute allergic reaction). If any of the adverse effects develops, the procedure is interrupted and blood transfusion protocol is revised.  

Having received blood transfusion, the patient remains in intensive care unit for monitoring. Regular blood tests are performed and treatment plan is adjusted accordingly. The animal may need several blood transfusions depending on the cause and severity of disease.

What does the donor get for donation?

The owner of the recipient normally covers the expenses of the blood tests and diagnostic procedures for the donor. Thus, blood donation is free of charge for the donor even if its blood is incompatible with the recipient’s one. During blood donation, the owner of the donor receives information about the health condition of their pet. After the procedure, the donor is fed and if possible gets certain presents. Moreover, the owner of the donor will experience good feeling of helping the one in need. This feeling is invaluable and its importance cannot be measured using money.

If you want your pet to become a donor, contact our clinic:

Phone: +3727313224

E-mail: [email protected]

Come and save someone’s pet’s life!