The weather can affect more than just mood, however. So, what can you do to help keep your pet in tip-top condition this winter?

1. Watch out for cuts and scrapes

Grit can be harsh on paws, and after a wet, muddy walk it’s easy to miss a small cut or scrape, leaving it irritated and prone to infection. Try to check your dog’s paws after walks, especially if there’s any sign of a problem.

If you notice a shallow cut or scrape, make sure to rinse it thoroughly with plain water and gently pat it dry. Applying an antiseptic wound healing cream for pets, such as Omnimatrix, can help to soothe the area and support skin’s natural healing.

To find out more, check out our blog on wound care in dogs.

2. Stay safe on nighttime walks

With the sun still setting in mid-afternoon, walks in the dark are a necessity for many dog owners. It’s important to keep both your dog and yourself safe by keeping them on lead and picking high visibility clothing, collars and harnesses.

3.Take care of stiff joints

Just like humans, pets with stiff or sore joints can suffer more in cold weather. Our pets are usually pretty stoic and tend to hide the signs, but if you’ve noticed them slowing down, sleeping more or seeming stiff in the mornings, this could be a sign of underlying joint disease.

The good news is there are steps you can take to support them. For pets with joint disease, avoiding slippery surfaces is a must – whether that’s hard floors inside or icy pavements outdoors. Making sure they have a warm place to sleep can also help, and they’ll definitely appreciate it!

You can also support your pet’s joints with a targeted nutritional supplement such as Omnicondro, which contains market-leading concentrations of glucosamine and chondroitin to promote healthy cartilage and antioxidants to support and stabilise collagen.

For maximal joint care and full body support, why not add in Omniomega, our popular omega-3 supplement that helps to support the orthopaedic, neurological, renal and cardiovascular systems.

4. Look after winter skin

Dry skin can be another thing we share with our pets in winter. While it may be wet and unpleasant outside, the cold air can still be drying to skin, while central heating can also contribute to skin dehydration. Repeatedly getting paws wet and salty outside can cause irritation too.

While some pets cope well, pets with allergies or sensitive skin can become itchy and uncomfortable as their skin dries out or may develop sore paws in response to grit and salt.

If your pet’s skin seems drier or more irritated than normal, there are some things you can try to help. Rinsing then thoroughly drying paws after walks is vital to wash off any salt. You can also try bathing any irritated areas in a gentle oatmeal bath to soothe sore skin.

Another way to support your pet’s coat and skin is to give them the nutritional support they need to help strengthen their skin barrier, which is essential to keep moisture trapped within the skin. Omega-3s in particular have been shown to support the skin barrier.

To provide your pet with complete skin support, check out Omnicutis. This fast-acting supplement contains market-leading concentrations of Omega-3 in addition to zinc and biotin to promote healthy skin, hair and nails and support your pet’s immune system.

5. Don’t forget their ears!

It’s not just paws that get wet in winter. If your dog comes back from their walks with soggy ears, they could be at increased risk of an ear infection. Ear infections can be painful and unpleasant to treat, so prevention is always better than cure. Cleaning dirty ears with a safe, gentle, antibacterial cleaner such as Omniotic can clear wax and debris and help to reduce the risk of infection.

If you’re concerned about your pet’s health this winter, it’s always worth seeing your vet; however, by taking some simple steps at home you can help to keep your pet out of trouble and in tip-top health, ready for the brighter days to come.

The post Winter Pet Care : Top Tips for the Colder Month appeared first on Vita Animal Health .

It’s recommended to get anything more than a very minor graze checked by your vet to ensure there’s nothing more serious going on – but what should you be doing to help your dog heal before and after their trip to the vets? Is there anything you can do to treat minor cuts and grazes at home? What about an antiseptic cream for dogs? Read on for our summary of wound care in dogs.

First things first: assessing the wound and first aid

While home care can play a valuable role, alone it should only be used for very superficial small cuts and grazes. Any wound that’s deeper, dirty, bleeding significantly or causing pain and distress should be assessed urgently by a vet. Puncture wounds or deeper cuts can often be more severe than they appear externally, so it’s worth getting them checked.

Either way, there is some basic wound care you can provide even for more severe wounds before you make it to the vets.

• Keep calm: dogs take a lot of their cues from you, and may become distressed if they see you panic.
• Rinse the wound: as soon as you can, rinse the area either with plain water or, if possible, dilute salt water, aiming to remove any visible dirt.
• Stop any bleeding: if the wound is bleeding, apply some gentle pressure using bandage material or some clean cloth to encourage clotting.
• Prevent licking: keep the wound loosely covered or prevent your dog from licking it on your way to the vets.

Supporting healing at home

If the wound is either very minor, or it’s been checked by a vet and they’ve advised it doesn’t need any specific treatment, you can then turn your attention to helping your dog’s natural healing. This can include keeping the wound clean and, if your vet agrees, applying a suitable wound healing cream for dogs.

But before we dive into how we can support healing, what exactly does that healing entail?

Dogs’ skin heals in 3 main phases:

1. The inflammatory phase: this includes clotting, swelling and migration of white blood cells to the area to fight infection and clean up damaged tissues. It usually lasts 24 to 72 hours, although this depends on the wound.
2. The proliferative phase: in this phase, your dog’s skin cells are working hard to migrate into the wound and rebuild the damaged tissues. This phase can last a variable amount of time depending on the size and severity of the wound, but often lasts for 2-3 weeks.
3. The remodelling phase: once the damaged tissues have been replaced, the wound will begin to remodel or mature. Initially, the healed wound will still be relatively weak, but over time it strengthens as the tissues reorganise. Just like in humans, it can take months or even years for the skin to finish this part of the healing process – but it shouldn’t bother your dog in the meantime.

This finely tuned, specialised process is what your dog’s skin has evolved to do – so the focus of wound care is to support it as it gets to work. Some things can get in the way of this healing process, like infection, poor nutrition, certain medications and pre-existing health issues. Home care can definitely help wounds to heal, but if things aren’t going to plan it’s important to see your vet.

What to look out for while your dog’s wound is healing

If you notice the following, it’s worth contacting your vet:

• Severe swelling, or swelling that increases after the first 24-48 hours
• Severe redness and heat
• Lameness or significant pain
• An unpleasant odour
• Pus (small amounts of clear discharge and white debris on the skin surface are common in the first 1-2 days of healing, but you should discuss this with your vet if you are concerned)
• Any deterioration, e.g., swelling, pain or increased discharge, after the first 1-2 days.

So, what can you do to help?

1. Prevent licking

Despite dogs’ determination to lick anywhere that’s sore, this can have a disastrous effect on healing, introducing infection and damaging the delicate tissues that are trying to repair the damage. Depending on the location of your dog’s wound, you may need to use a buster collar or pet shirt to prevent them licking.

2. Keep it clean

Small cuts and wounds are most vulnerable to infection in the first 48 hours, so it’s especially important to avoid getting them mucky in this time. If your dog has a cut paw, you may even want to pop a sock on when taking them out to toilet. If the wound is oozing or becomes dirty, you can bathe it with dilute salt water.

As it moves into the proliferative phase, continue to keep it clean. Regular bathing isn’t usually necessary throughout the healing process, and using harsh cleansers or bathing it roughly could disrupt your dog’s delicate cells as they attempt to proliferate and heal the wound; however, when needed the wound can be bathed gently with dilute salt water before thoroughly patting it dry.

For more significant wounds, your vet may recommend bandaging to keep them clean and protected. This should only be done by your veterinary team as it’s easy for bandages to be applied incorrectly and cause more harm than good. Many minor wounds are best left unbandaged as the warm, moist environment created could in some cases contribute to infection. If your dog is bandaged, it’s vital to keep this clean and dry; paw bandages especially should be covered fully if it’s damp or wet outside.

3. Apply a wound healing cream for dogs

The final step you can take is to apply a wound cream or antiseptic cream for dogs. Using an antiseptic cream for dogs can help to keep the area moist while also reducing the likelihood of infection.

Generally speaking, moist areas can favour bacteria, but this moistness is also ideal for your dog’s healing cells. By using a wound healing cream for dogs with antiseptic properties, you can support your dog’s healing by preventing the wound drying out while also reducing the potential for infection.

Wound healing creams can be used under bandages (if your vet is happy to apply them while bandaging your dog) or alone for small cuts and wounds. If your dog’s wound is anything more than a minor cut or mild graze, it’s worth making a treatment plan with your vet and discussing the use of an antiseptic cream for dogs with them.

<box out> Always be careful when handling any part of your dog that’s painful. If they seem stressed it’s best to be careful and stop what you’re doing. Even the loveliest of dogs may nip if they’re in pain! If your dog seems in pain at home, it’s worth discussing with your vet. </box>

How should you use an antiseptic cream for dogs?

• Make sure the wound appears visually clean before you start. If not, gently bathe and dry it as discussed above.
• Apply a small amount of the wound healing cream and gently coat the area, avoiding the eyes and mouth.
• If your dog has a buster collar or pet shirt, you can be more generous with your application.
• If it’s likely they will lick the area or it’s likely to pick up dirt outdoors, it’s best to use a thinner layer.
• Give your dog a treat to make it a positive experience!

Remember, no antiseptic cream for dogs is designed for oral use and if it’s consumed in large quantities, it could be harmful – so if they might lick it, it’s best to use just a small amount.

Picking the right wound healing cream for dogs

Choosing the best type of antiseptic cream for your dog can be challenging, but there are a few things to look out for.

First, using a pet-safe product is best. Human products may be similar, but it can be difficult to rule out toxic ingredients and they may not suit dogs’ skin as well as a product tailored to pets.

Secondly, make sure the wound healing cream you choose is also antiseptic to reduce the chance of infection. Zinc oxide based products are best, as this ingredient is an effective antiseptic but also supports skin re-growth and encourages tissue repair, especially during the proliferative phase.

Finally, look for added benefits – if you want your dog’s skin to heal as quickly and as well as it can, it’s worth supporting it with natural, evidence-based ingredients like echinacea, arnica and calendula.

Omnimatrix, our pet wound cream for dogs, cats and horses, is tailored to pets’ skin and contains an evidence-based combination of zinc oxide and nine natural herbal extracts that help to soothe skin, reduce inflammation and work with your dog’s tissues to promote healing, including Echinacea purpurea, Arnica montana, Calendula officinalis and Hamamelis virginiana. It can be used in all stages of healing, and is also useful as a barrier cream for sensitive areas. With a 3-year shelf-life once opened this is the perfect pet wound cream to add to your first aid kit.

Find out more about Omnimatrix here.

The post Wound Care in Dogs appeared first on Vita Animal Health .

The post Vita’s A to Z of Pet Health appeared first on Vita Animal Health .

The post 57% of Horse Owners Keep Bute in First Aid Box, New Survey Shows appeared first on Vita Animal Health .

How do you know when to call a vet to a horse wound?

1. Any wound or injury that makes your horse lame or sore
2. Puncture wounds (as there can be significant unseen damage beneath the skin)
3. Wounds that expose any tissue underneath the skin
4. Wounds that still have something in them (e.g. dirt, nails, splinters – do not attempt to remove)
5. Injury to the eye or eyelids
6. Injuries that may interfere with tack
7. Horse kick injuries
8. Wounds that have made the surrounding area feel hot to the touch
9. Wounds that have visible discharge, particularly if smelly
10. Wounds that are close to or over the joint
11. When healing is delayed or ‘proud flesh’ appears
12. If a horse is not up-to-date with their tetanus vaccination

How to apply basic wound first aid to horse wounds

1. Consider clipping – You might decide to trim the area around the wound, especially if your horse has a thick winter coat. This can help to see the area more easily and monitor the wound progression, but is not essential. Take care to avoid getting hairs in the wound as this can cause irritation and infection. Only do this step if your horse is used to clippers and unlikely to react.
2. Clean the wound – It is best to use some lukewarm saline solution to clean the wound to remove any contamination. You can make this yourself using boiled water that has been left to cool and adding table salt. If this isn’t an option then potable water from a hose is the next best option.
3. Reassess – Once you can see the wound more clearly, reassess whether there are any signs of concern. If it is deeper than you first thought, or fits into any of the above criteria then be sure to seek veterinary advice. If you identify any ‘foreign bodies’ such as nails or wood, do not remove these yourself as this could cause damage to underlying structures.
4. Apply antiseptic – Keep a suitable antiseptic in your first aid box to apply to minor wounds. We recommend discussing this with your vet as some antiseptics can be very stringent on skin which may irritate and cause further damage. Omnimatrix is a skin cream that is suitable for all stages of healing and is naturally antiseptic. It can be applied twice daily to the affected area. We recommend using gloves to apply any ointments so that you avoid directly touching the wound in case of infection.
5. Apply a dressing – Only apply a dressing if you are confident in doing so, and the wound is not close to a mobile area such as a joint. A sterile, non-adhesive dressing is best and should be applied with firm, but not excessive pressure (as this can cause further damage). Dressings should be changed regularly so that changes in the wound can be monitored.
6. Monitor progress – If the wound is not healing, your horse becomes sore, or there are any signs of infections or other concerns then call your vet for advice.

The post Wound Healing in Horses appeared first on Vita Animal Health .

What causes wounds in reptiles?

Why can wounds be difficult to heal in reptiles?

How to approach reptile wounds  

1. Pain relief – Pain in reptiles can be very difficult to assess and wounds are likely to be causing significant discomfort.
2. Check for infection
3. Treat as an open wound – To decrease the risk of infection, allow the wounds to heal by second intention.
4. Clean the wound – Recent wounds that are in the inflammatory phase of healing should be cleaned with copious lavage. Necrotic tissue may need to be debrided at this stage, or at subsequent vet check-ups depending on the progression of healing.
5. Dress the wound – A dressing will provide initial protection. These should be changed regularly while the wound is still in the inflammatory phase of healing.
6. Keep the wound moist – When the wound is starting to move to the granulation phase, keeping the wound moist can help promote the formation of granulation tissue. Hydrocolloid gels and dressings, or a product such as Omnimatrix – which is suitable for all stages of wound healing – can be used.
7. Consider UV light – Correct levels of UV light for a particular species can help to increase the rate of wound healing.
8. Diet – Ensuring the correct levels of protein, vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A and calcium, are important for helping the skin and carapace to heal.

The post Wound Healing in Reptiles appeared first on Vita Animal Health .