Manchester Evening News

Will spaniel survive a heart murmur?

IN MILD CASES YEARS CAN GO BY BEFORE SIGNS DEVELOP – BUT WHEN THEY DO, HOW EFFECTIVE IS TREATMENT?

- DR DAVID GRANT Our vet offers his advice

QOur five-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel was diagnosed with a grade one heart murmur last year at his annual check. He is not showing any signs or having any treatment. What do you think his outlook is?

AGrade mildest one of the murmurs six grades are the of murmur used by cardiologi­sts to classify them. Those involving the mitral valve are very common in Cavaliers and are often detected for the first time at their annual check-up.

The mitral valve, between the left atrium and the left ventricle, clicks shut as the ventricle pumps blood around the body via the aorta.

If there is mitral valve disease, blood leaks back into the atrium, causing the murmur sound, and less blood is available for ventricula­r function.

Eventually, many dogs with murmurs will develop heart failure and require treatment.

In mild cases, some years often elapse before any signs develop, with some dogs living to an old age without developing heart failure.

Now that your vet has noticed the problem, more regular check-ups will be advisable to monitor any signs of deteriorat­ion.

If there is deteriorat­ion, current treatment is very effective in prolonging the life of the dog. It aims to prevent any build-up of fluid in the lungs, reduce resistance in the circulatio­n so that blood can flow freely and to strengthen the heartbeat. Regular checks are all your dog needs at present, hopefully for some years to come.

QMy four-year-old male neutered cat has gone bald on the back of each hind leg. My vet advised I start flea control again to see whether the fur will grow back by spring. I am really puzzled though. Can you help?

ACats their are personalit­ies, unique in many habits ways and – how they respond to parasites, such as fleas, or other causes of skin disease. Baldness on the backs of the hind legs is well recognised as a sign of an itchy cat and it is licking the area which causes the hair to be pulled out. Don’t ask me why some cats just concentrat­e on that area because I am not sure. Because of the equal baldness on both legs, I was taught at college that the problem was likely to be hormonal – we called it feline endocrine alopecia. That was a bit of a stretch because no one knew what hormones were involved, and various hormone treatments didn’t work. Subsequent investigat­ions of these cats discounted early theories and concentrat­ed on diseases that could cause itchiness and provoke increased licking. Allergies are now considered to be the main cause of the itchiness. This could include food, dust mites, pollens or, most commonly, fleas. Good flea control is a sensible first choice, with fur regrowth possible within three months.

CASTLE KONG (PEGI 3) Switch HHHHH

THERE was a time in the dim and distant past when gaming was about one thing – the high score.

There were no trophies to collect, no achievemen­ts to unlock, and no loot you had to spend half your life grinding through meaningles­s tasks for.

It was purely about the quest for points – and getting your name in glowing lights at the top of that leaderboar­d.

Cue Castle Kong, developer Drowning Monkeys’ homage to one of the greatest platformer­s ever made – Donkey Kong.

But this is not for the faint of heart, for not only are the graphics and the gameplay kicking it old school, so are the rules.

One ‘coin’ gets you three lives, after which you’re dead and you have to start all over again – something the gaming masochist in me just loves.

There are 22 levels to tackle over four stages – each more fiendish than the last – with the ultimate goal of reaching the kill screen, and freeing PrincessGi­rl from the clutches of BaronMan.

The opening chiptune music made my heart soar, less so the three goes it took for me to get PauperBoy through the first level, as the dastardly archer kept picking me off.

While Castle Kong has been lovingly made to capture the essence of all that made Donkey Kong great, Drowning Monkeys has also been sure to include some 21st century improvemen­ts. You get a choice of visual modes – arcade or widescreen (which I kept kidding myself would make the game easier), and PauperBoy can scale the ladders with his trusty picthfork.

For a ‘simple’ platformer, each stage has been richly designed.

From beautiful roses climbing the

Castle walls, to stained glass windows and tapestries in the Throne Room, to the terrifying looking accessorie­s hanging in the Kitchen – attention to detail has been paid.

The deceptivel­y basic gameplay sees PauperBoy climbing ladders, leaping over gaps and wielding his pitchfork – which acts much like Mario’s hammer – to defend against oncoming obstacles. But beware, every time you strike an object you lose your weapon, so choose your battles wisely.

He’s pretty responsive too, with none of the frustratin­g lag you’d expect in older games – the many, many times I found myself getting killed was through user error.

PauperBoy faces off with some adorable villains, from the arrow and cannonball firing archers, to trusty knights, a pie-throwing chef, and cute-but-deadly ‘flame ghosts’ which are spewed from a magical chandelier in the Baron’s Throne Room.

For those who like a serious challenge, there’s a contest running until May 25, which sees cash prizes for the 10 players with the highest scores (for more details, visit drowningmo­nkeys.com/tournament).

Castle Kong feels comforting­ly familiar, like buying the supermarke­t brand of your favourite chocolate bar. And while its challengin­g gameplay and retro feel will appeal to a certain type of gamer, frustratio­n can quickly set in causing others to walk away.

■ Buy it: £5.99 from nintendo.co.uk/

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 ??  ?? Gameplay is deceptivel­y basic but with only three lives, Castle Kong isn’t easy
Gameplay is deceptivel­y basic but with only three lives, Castle Kong isn’t easy
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Castle Kong captures the essence of what made Donkey Kong great
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