What’s “bugging” your pets? And what can you do about it?

Preventing parasites from “bugging” your pet and infesting your house and lawn is important for all pet owners.  Parasite preventatives can do just that--keep those nasty critters from bugging your four-legged friends.  They also help prevent an infestation which can start when those pesky bugs try to take a free ride on your cat or dog into your home.  For many, keeping bugs out of the house and off of your pets is reason enough to use parasite preventatives.  However, the issues go much deeper than the cleanliness and comfort of a home.  Fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, flies, lice and mites are not just pesky, they also cause and transmit serious, and sometimes life threatening diseases.  The list of diseases carried by the previously mentioned parasites includes Lyme disease, heartworm disease, Anaplasmosis, Cat Scratch Fever, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and tapeworms just to name a few.  Here is the worst part; your pets are not the only ones at risk of contracting these diseases.  Many of the diseases listed above, and many more not mentioned, can be transmitted from your pet to you!  According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 75% of recently emerging infectious diseases affecting humans are diseases of animal origin and 60% of all human pathogens are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between species.

So what does all this mean?  It means that Fido is not the only one who benefits from parasite preventatives.  You, your children, your neighbors, and your friends are all at risk when your pet is not protected from parasites.  Your pet needs protection all year long; and this can be achieved with once-a-month treatments.  Cold weather is not a good reason to stop using preventatives on your pet.  Biting parasites, including fleas, ticks and mosquitoes can survive through the fall and winter months.  Last winter, despite the cold weather, our clinic saw pets every month with fleas—including January and February.  Even if your pet only rarely goes outside, anyone who has been outside on a hot July day in Wisconsin knows that it only takes seconds before a mosquito takes a lunch break on your arm.  Within only a few minutes of being outside, your pet is exposed to a wide variety of the disease carrying parasites.    

Many parasite preventatives will only kill the parasite after they have taken their first bite of your pet.  Unfortunately, it only takes one bite for your pet to be infected by a disease carrying parasite.  The best type of preventative will not only kill parasites that land on your pets, but they will repel parasites as well. The veterinarians at Maple Knoll Veterinary Clinic, along with the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) and the CDC recommend routine use of monthly heartworm and intestinal parasite preventative as well as flea and tick control year-round for the safety, happiness, and health of your pets, your family, and our entire community.      

Tori's Bad Day

When Tori's owner came home the other day, she came home to an awful mess.  Tori was in her kennel.  There was foul smelling blood all over the inside of the kennel and all over Tori.

Tori had been feeling a little off for a few days—not eating as much, lethargic and drinking and urinating more than normal.

Tori’s owner brought her to the clinic right away where Dr. Julie performed a physical examination noting some pus coming from Tori's vulva.  Dr. Julie confirmed the diagnosis of uterus infection (also called pyometra) with an ultrasound which also allowed her to confirm that the uterus had not ruptured (which could have made the prognosis much worse).  Blood tests were also completed in order to ensure safe anesthesia since Tori now needed surgery.  Treatment of pyometra is an emergency surgery to remove the uterus and ovaries.  The surgery poses some special risks including rupture of the uterus during surgery and bleeding into the abdomen from the greatly enlarged blood vessels of the uterus and ovaries. 

However, without surgery, pyometra is life-threating.  The uterus may rupture and release its infected contents into the abdomen or bleed into the abdomen.   Luckily, Tori’s uterus had not yet ruptured and both her ovaries and her pus-filled uterus were safely removed. Within just 24 hours, Tori was no longer lethargic, eating some food, and feeling much better. Tori is expected to make a full recovery.

Dog Safety Tips for Memorial Day

Like many Americans, you may be planning a festive Memorial Day, complete with barbecue and fireworks. It’s important to remember, fireworks and dogs don't mix.

Unlike people, dogs won’t associate the noise, flashes, and burning smell of pyrotechnics with a celebration. Fireworks will often cause panic and anxiety in dogs. It’s important to remember that dogs panic at the sound of fireworks and flee into the night, often winding up lost, injured, or killed.

1.      Keep your pet indoors at all times, if possible.

2.      Use Pet Friendly Repellent.

3.      Don’t give your pet table food.

Source: http://tiny.cc/4x14ex