The end of winter brings warmer weather, blooming flowers, and unfortunately unwanted parasites for our pets. We will discuss some of the more common parasites that your pet could encounter and what we can do to protect them. 

Heartworm Disease

Heartworm disease is a very serious condition that can affect your pet.  It is caused by worms that live inside your pet's heart and blood vessels.  They are spread from pet to pet by infected mosquitoes.  All dogs, (including inside pets) are at risk and it only takes one bite from an infected mosquito to cause disease in your pet.  Luckily, we can easily prevent this disease. 

We recommend that all dogs be tested on a yearly basis for heartworm disease.  This is done through a simple blood test in the spring each year.  Spring is the best time to do the test in order to minimize the chance of missing an infection from the previous fall.  It takes up to 6 months after exposure before the test can detect heartworms in your pet.   No medication can claim 100% effectiveness at preventing a disease.  There is always a chance that a pet may spit out or vomit up a heartworm pill after it was given.  And owners sometimes forget to give the monthly protection.  What happens if your pet has heartworms and you don't test, but you start them on the preventative?  With the daily preventatives we used decades ago, this could have caused a serious reaction.  With todays monthly preventatives, a reaction is unlikely, but there is not enough medication in the preventative to cure a heartworm infection.  There is just enough to kill the larval stages of the heartworm before they can develop into an adult.  So while nothing bad might happen initially, your pet could still have heartworms.  The bottom line is that the sooner we identify and treat an infected animal, the better the chance for recovery.  Annual testing keeps us on top of the game. 

Besides regular testing, it is important to administer monthly heartworm prevention from April through November.  Many people choose to administer heartworm prevention throughout the year, especially if they travel a lot with their dog.    This ensures that the owner stays in the habit and more importantly keeps your pet free of intestinal parasites throughout the year that your pet can pick up from the environment.  We offer a variety of heartworm preventatives at our clinic and will work with you to find the best protection for your pet.  

Cats can also get heartwom disease.  They are not affected as frequently as dogs because the heartworm parasite is not host adapted to cats, however, infrequently it does happen.  We don't routinely screen cats for heartworm, but will recommend a test if the cat is showing potential signs of the disease.  If an owner is interested in putting their cat on a heartworm preventative, we can recommend a product called Revolution which not only prevents Heartworm disease, but protects against other internal and external parasites such as fleas, ticks, ear mites, and roundworms.  Ask us at your next visit.  

Fleas and Ticks

Fleas and ticks are nasty skin parasites that are most prevalent in the spring, summer, and fall.  Fleas can cause intense itching, rashes, and allergic reactions.  Once fleas are established on your pet and in your home, they can be extremely difficult to get rid of.  Ticks carry a number of disease such as Lyme disease, ehrlichia, and rocky mountain spotted fever, which can be dangerous to you and your pet.  Fortunately, there are a number of topical products that are very effective at preventing flea and tick infestations.  Most products are applied monthly and will protect your pet against both fleas and ticks.  Some of them are effective at repelling mosquitoes and killing mange mites.  Some hold up better if your pet is in the water a lot.   Cats are not dogs and some of the products labeled for dogs will actually kill a cat.  

Recently there have been an increasing number of consumer complaints about adverse reactions and even some deaths of pets due to use of spot-on flea and tick products.  The EPA is in the process of reviewing the manufacturers label instructions and warnings to see if changes need to be made.  Most of the problems have resulted from owners buying products on-line or over the counter and then not following the instructions on the product.  There are a lot of products out there.  We can help you figure out the best one to use for your situation.  We carry a variety of products and will carefully instruct you in the proper use of anything purchased through the clinic.   Some things to consider when deciding whether or not to  use a flea/tick product and which product to use:

1. What does your dog do for a living? purse pooch or hunting dog

We certainly want to keep parasites off dogs that are likely to be exposed, but if your pet lives in a purse, maybe he doesn't  need these products.  There is some controversy that use of these kinds of products can affect  populations of other types of insects. (honeybees for example)  And why expose your pet and yourself to chemicals if it is not serving a purpose?  That said, pets that are around other pets in dog parks etc can be exposed to most things.   The dog that is frequently running through the fields and forest, going up north, and chasing/catching varmints is at highest risk of exposure.  

2. Reactions that your pet may have had in the past.  Some are sensitive to certain products.

3. What has worked well for you in the past (if its not broken don't fix it)

4. How important is mosquito and fly repelling action to you?

5. How often does your dog get wet?

6. Is your pet likely to be exposed to other types of parasites like mange mites?  

7. Do you have cats and/or young children in your household?

8. Ease of application