Seasonal Information on Animal Care

Heartworms are a prevelant and deadly danger. Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes from infected dogs to healthy dogs. The heartworms live in the heart and lungs of cats and dogs and if left untreated will cause heart failure and death. Signs of heartworm disease in dogs can include coughing, difficulty breathing, sluggishness, reluctance to exercise or fatigue after exercise, weight loss and death. Adult heartworms can grow 10-12 inches in length and as many as 100 worms can be present at one time.

Cats can get heartworm disease too! Heartworm disease in cats can result in respiratory disease such as feline asthma and bronchitis. Signs can include coughing, difficulty breathing, wheezing, vomiting, diarrhea, collapse and/or death. Cats tend to have low numbers of adult heartworms (1-4), are are more likely to have lung damage caused by juvenile heartworms. It is a common misconception that only outdoor cats can get heartworms. Actually 25% of indoor only cats have been reported to have hearworms. It only takes one mosquito to infect your cat.

How do I know if my pet has heartworms? A simple blood test can be done to screen your pet for heartworms. The American Heartworm Society recommends testing your pet at least once a year.

How can I protect my pet? Prevention is simple. Once a month chewable or topical medication is available. Heartgard, Interceptor and Sentinel are all chewable medications that are to be given once a month to prevent heartworms and intestinal parasites. Revolution is a topical medication that also controls fleas, earmites and intestinal parasites.

Is there treatment for heartworms? Dogs can be treated, but it is much safer and cheaper to prevent them. Unfortunately there is no safe treatment in cats which is why prevention is so important.

 

 

Fleas and ticks are not only irritating to your pet but they can also cause skin infections and transmit deadly diseases.  Fleas can also transmit tapeworms, a type of intestinal parasite to your cat or dog.  Deadly and debilitating diseases such as Lymes disease, Ehrlichia, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever can be transmitted by ticks.  Flea borne diseases such as Mycoplasma Hemofelis and Bartonella are infections that cause severe anemia and illness. 
 
How can my pet get fleas and ticks?  Your pet can get fleas from other cats and dogs while your pet is at the groomers, boarding or at the park.  Your pet may even pick up fleas by walking through areas where untreated animals (neighbors pets, rodents, raccoons) have access.  Areas under the house, under your deck, or grassy areas on your property may be an area where infested raccoons, oppossums or feral cats frequent.  Ticks are frequently found in areas with high grass or treed and wooded areas. 
 
How can I protect my pet?  Fortunately prevention of fleas and ticks is easy!  Safe and effective products such as Frontline Plus and Revolution are fast-acting, very safe and last 30 days.  Other over-the-counter topicals and collars are less effective and can cause allergic reactions on some pets. 
 
Frontline Plus is a topical medication that spreads in your pet's natural skin oils killing fleas and ticks within 24 hours.  It lasts 30 days and is waterproof.  Call today to ask for Frontline for your pet.  Buy 6 doses and receive 1 dose free. 
 
Revolution, also applied topically, prevents heartworms, intestinal parasites and kills fleas and earmites.  This prevention is good for those pets who have a low risk of exposure to ticks while also preventing heartworms.  Buy 6 doses of Revolution and receive 5 dollars off. 
 
Interesting Facts:

 

Our goal at Crysler and AniMed Animal Hospitals is to provide a premium standard of care for your pet’s teeth and gums. This level of care begins with a complete oral examination under general anesthesia. General anesthesia is essential for safe and accurate evaluation of the oral cavity. The examination evaluates each tooth and associated gum tissue both visually and radiographically. The integrity of each tooth and the surrounding tissue can best be evaluated with a radiograph (x-ray) of the tooth and bone. The majority of periodontal disease occurs below the gum line and can only be detected with an x-ray. Many teeth may appear healthy above the gum only to have an abscess or infection around the tooth root. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of dogs and seventy percent (70%) of cats have periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is painful and many owners are unaware of this pain because most pets are still eating. An animal’s primary instinct is to eat. Many pet owners attribute a decrease or change in activity level to normal aging rather than dental pain. Quality dental care should begin early. Once periodontal disease begins, we are on the road to tooth loss. Please schedule today for your pet’s dental health care plan!

 

 

Yes. We screen each patient with a physical examination and pre-anesthetic blood tests to identify any underlying concerns. IV catheters are placed and IV fluids are administered. Blood pressure monitors and blood oxygen monitors are used.

 

Patients are given injectable pain medication that is tailored to the severity of dental disease present. Most are sent home with oral pain medication as well. During anesthesia, your pet’s comfort is aided by the use of a warm water circulating blanket, warm recovery cages and the attention of our dedicated and well trained staff.

 

The only way to properly treat dental disease is to accurately diagnose the problem. There is no way to guess which tooth is bothering the pet. With x-rays, we can define the extent of the problem and best treat your pet. If a tooth has an infection (abscess) or has lost all of its supporting bone structure, treatment is essential. Our options are limited to extraction or referral for root canal or other specialty procedures. Extraction is the most common option due to expense.

 

Home care is essential to slow the progression of dental disease just as it is in humans. Home care and yearly dental health exams will provide for a healthy mouth. In reality, only five percent (5%) of clients brush their pet’s teeth. Most dental care comes from appropriate dental chews and prescription dental tartar control diets and professional dental examination by your veterinarian. A newly approved dental vaccine is now available for our canine companions that helps control dental disease.

SO DOCTOR, WITH ALL OF THE FOOD RECALLS, WHAT CAN I FEED MY PET?

 

With all of the foods out on the recalls, we have recommended a few diets safe to feed your pet. Some of these include Science Diet Dry, Purina Dry Chow, and I-Vet. I-Vet is a new premium diet we carry. We are highly encouraging to feed only dry food for a period of time until we know it will be safe to feed canned/moist foods. If your dog will only eat canned, you may wet down the dry food with water to make it "spongy" using either water or low sodium chicken broth. Don't hesitate to "dress up" the dry food by adding cooked peas, green beans or carrots. For cats that will only eat canned food- you may try jars of baby food. These come in chicken, turkey, veal and lamb. If you have any concerns/questions please don't hesitate to call us. For more information on the food recalls, you can visit