Dogs become infected with heartworms after being bitten by an infected mosquito. The treatment for heartworm disease is expensive and has certain inherent risks. However, there are many preventative medications on the market that are inexpensive and help control other common parasites as well. For only a few dollars per month you can have peace of mind that your pet is protected even when you travel to other states. Before your dog can be put on heartworm prevention, a negative heartworm test is required. This test can be done in the veterinary clinic in about 10 minutes and requires only a few drops of blood. Puppies less than five months of age can be put on heartworm preventative medication without first doing a heartworm test. It is recommended that dogs are tested annually depending upon their exposure level.

April is also a good month to get your dog rattlesnake vaccine boosters or get him or her started on the initial series of vaccine.
Puppies can be started on this vaccine as early as 16 weeks of age. The first year a booster is needed in 4 weeks. If your dog is under 25 pounds or over 100 pounds, a second booster will be needed 4 weeks from the first. Some pets will experience a small lump at the site of vaccination.

Lastly, don’t forget to protect your dogs and cats from fleas and ticks. These creepy little critters can carry diseases & annoy your pet.

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Just like us, pets can have problems with their teeth. Dental disease in animals often goes unnoticed by the owner. They think that if the pet is eating, then it must be OK. Most animals are very stoic and never let on that something is wrong. However dogs and cats can get severe accumulations of soft plaque and and hard tartar, gum inflammation(gingivitis or very painful stomatitis), bad breath (halitosis), bone loss around the teeth (peridontal disease), tooth root abscesses, fractured teeth, cavities and resorptive lesions.

Signs of dental disease may include bad breath, excessive licking or abnormal movement of the tongue, chewing on one side of the mouth, bleeding along the gum line, bumps under the eye, and discolored teeth. Rarely will pets show a lack of interest in chew toys/bones or hard food or quit eating altogether. Clients often comment that their dogs act like puppies again after a good dental cleaning and extraction of any abscessed teeth.

When you bring your dog or cat into us for a dental cleaning, they will be put under general anesthesia. Then their teeth will be scaled (cleaned) with an ultrasonic scaler and polished just like the dentist does with our teeth. We will check for any loose, discolored, or abscessed teeth and extract any teeth necessary. We also check for peridontal pockets along the gum line and sometimes apply a special antibiotic gel in the pockets and along the gum line. Your pet may go home on on oral antibiotics and pain medications depending on the severity of disease.

Horses need regular dental check ups too. They get sharp points that need filed down. This is a process called floating that a veterinarian generally performs with the horse under sedation. Horses with painful mouths often develop behavioral problems or suffer from poor performance.

Pets of the rodent family such as rabbits, rats, gerbils and hamsters can suffer from uneven growth of their teeth. This can lead to problems of mastication or chewing of food. Sometimes the teeth grow too long and cause painful sores in the roof of the mouth.

Remember, prevention is the best medicine

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Diabetes is more common in older cats and dogs, especially those that have been overweight. Since our pets age seven times faster than we do, it’s a good idea to get a basic exam, blood screening test, and urinalysis twice a year. In reality that’s like us going to the doctor once every three and a half years. These tests also check for kidney and liver function and can alert us to other possible abnormalities that may require further testing for confirmation. A spot glucose check for increased blood sugar levels can be taken for very minimal expense and stress to the animal, if you’re not quite ready to spring for a whole blood profile. Typicalsymptoms of diabetes may include increased water consumption (polydipsia), increased urination (polyuria), changes in appetite, weight loss, and healing more slowing or increased incidence of infections. Similar to people, diabetes in animals can usually be managed with diet and insulin injections. Contact us at 745-6888 to set up an exam and consultation for your precious pet today!

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