Hello Everyone!
I apologize for having been neglectful in updating our newsletter on this website. I think all the action on our Facebook page keeps me engaged and I forget about the website.
In any case, most everything seasonal is the same, EXCEPT... we are seeing more TICK born diseases. I'm talking about LYME DISEASE, ANAPLASMOSIS and EHRLICHIOSIS. And we still have the risk of HEARTWORM disease spread by mosquitos! These blood born infections can be more difficult to treat the longer your dog is infected. At least yearly testing is a minimum protocol for catching these diseases, even if you are using preventative measures like flea and tick insecticides or monthly Heartworm preventives. Breakthrough infections happen with all forms of prevention. Discovering these and treating them early is imperative! Once they are showing symptoms, the treatments may be longer and more difficult. Especially with Heartworm, by far the most deadly after a pet is showing symptoms.
Another disease that is serious in dogs, and often glossed over or neglected in vaccinations, is LEPTOSPIROSIS. This bacteria is more available in warm weather from rodents and other wild animals contaminating yards and can cause kidney and liver damage that is often fatal. We use a combination vaccine for YEARLY booster shots in dogs that prevents this disease, along with PARVOVIRUS, DISTEMPER VIRUS, HEPATITIS VIRUS and VIRAL KENNEL COUGH. The BACTERIAL KENNEL COUGH is a separate vaccine.
I can't emphasize enough how important it is to get the full series of vaccines for puppies and kittens. Most infections in pets are more deadly the first year of life but every pet is susceptible.
No new outbreaks of feline diseases but we continue to see the diseases we vaccinate for routinely. Keep your cats vaccinated AND every cat should be vaccinated for RABIES even if it never steps out the door. Bats come in! And they are the endemic species in Ohio, having many bats testing positive for rabies EVERY year.
We now have THREE MONTH products for flea and tick prevention! They are expensive, but they last so long it's worth it.
Everyone keep cool - and especially keep your pets cool. Watch out for problem areas like dogs tied outside, garages with closed doors, and attics. Anywhere there is no air circulation is dangerous. Direct sun is deadly. Always have water available 24/7.
Good luck keeping squirrels off your bird feeders! My wife Karla prefers an obstacle course to keep the squirrels confused. They are clever! As are most rodents that seem to blossom in population once the sun and warm weather show up. I have mentioned before my ongoing battle with the moles and voles that are […]
It is difficult to anticipate the dangers of cold weather when it has reached 60 degrees this week. The fact is this warm weather can make cold spells even more dangerous to your pet! The sudden drop in temperature that occurs is harder on the pet’s system when there has been no time to acclimate. […]
Heat stroke is a risk for pets if they are not drowning from floods. Do not lock pets in cars with all widows closed unless your car is completely submerged by the most recent flood. Do not close pets in a garage thinking it will provide shade. An oven will provide shade also and that […]
Please try to imagine the Peregrine Falcon [pictured] perched on the empty limb outside my kitchen window in Granville Ohio. I swear it was there twice in February but I was not fast enough to get a picture of him! I wasn’t sure what it was at first sighting since they are not common in […]
Once again fall is approaching and the same problems persist each year with new ones coming and going. Before we talk pet health I would like to share a picture my wife Karla took while on her lunch hour walk in the Olentangy Park in Worthington close to where the MedVet emergency/specialty vet hospital is […]
Summer 2014 Summer is well underway, and now is the time to beat the heat! Here are a few tips to help you and your pets stay cool! Never leave a pet in a hot car, not even for 5 minutes! Never leave a pet in a hot garage or attic! Always have water available! […]
Spring, 2014 Spring will hopefully be upon us soon. Congratulations to you and your pets for surviving the longest winter EVER! With the coming of spring, comes an increase in toxins, diarrhea and itchies. Be on the lookout for these things in your pets! Everything, including parasites, poisonous plants, and preposterous allergens, seems to wake […]
Winter and the holidays are here. It is Flu season for us but I actually see fewer serious respiratory infections at this time of year. Pets that are indoor and outdoor may suffer respiratory issues because the humidity in a home is generally lower in winter. A constantly running furnace can increase mold spores and […]
Summer is here. We have had a wide range of temperatures from hot as expected to cooler than usual. The shifting of weather from cool to hot triggers disease in pets even more than consistent high or low temperatures. A nasal discharge from your pet that is thick or colored is more than allergy. A […]
I promised newsletters and I am finally ready to deliver. Sorry for the delay. I’m also trying to write a science fiction novel and I found out I should have paid more attention in English class. Understanding science and writing about it are two different things. Go figure. There is a vet in my story […]
