Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Moth balls

It's that time of year again for the snakes to come about.

Some people will use moth balls as a snake repellent, but these are actually toxic to dogs, cats and other animals. Plus, they don't work well at repelling the snakes.

Dogs like to eat anything smelly so moth balls may be yummy to dogs even though they smell horrible to us. If a toxic amount is ingested it can cause a severe hemolytic anemia. This disease often needs blood transfusions to treat it.

So, keep your pets safe and avoid the moth balls.


Hair Ties Not so Fun for Some Cats

Hair ties not so fun for some cats

Hair ties can be very entertaining for a lot of cats and provide hours of fun. But these are not good toys!  Many cats actually eat them and have to undergo surgery to remove them. Here's and x-ray of a kitty who had eaten multiple hair ties and got very sick from them.


Cats and Arthritis, It's a Real Thing

In one recent study 90% of cats over 12 years of age had radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative, progressive and irreversible condition. It's also PAINFUL!  The elbows and hips are the most affected joints in cats but all joints are at risk. Our kitties are very good at hiding the signs of pain. Here is a video of a kitty with arthritis in her hips. Note how she bunny hops down the stairs instead of having a separate stride for each back leg.  

There are medications to help these kitties feel better and be pain free. If your note that your kitty has slowed down in their older years or isn't making as many or as high of jumps they may have osteoarthritis. Ask our veterinarians about options for treatment to help keep your kitties comfortable!

Monday, May 8, 2017

Parasites Pets and Kids

Parasites, Pets, and Kids

Tiffany J. Rule, DVM

Know the facts:  Don’t expose your children!
  • Hookworms and roundworms can be harbored by your dog or cat and transmitted to children who are living in homes with pets.  In some cases these parasites can cause blindness in humans.  It is thought that 30% to 50% of dogs and cats carry gastrointestinal (GI) parasites and that 1 to 3 million people in the U.S. have infections from the same parasites carried by pets.  Children, the elderly and immunocompromised people are at high risk.
  • Dogs get infected with hookworms and roundworms by walking places where other dogs have defecated.  The microscopic roundworm eggs and hookworm larvae end up on your dog’s feet.  Your dog then licks his feet and infects him or herself with these GI parasites.  Three weeks later, your dog is shedding hookworm eggs and larvae from his GI tract.  If your dog licks his anus and then licks your child, or if your child pets your dog, he or she can become infected with these parasites.
  • Dogs can get ticks that spread Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, and tularemia, which can affect people if the ticks detach from the dog and attach themselves to your child.  This could be a risk factor for your children if the family dog or cat sleeps in their bed.
  • Cats get infected with hookworms and tapeworms by hunting prey.  Even if your cat lives indoors, the ingestion of one house mouse can expose your cat to GI parasites.  Cats with a flea infestation can spread cat scratch fever to children, elderly people, or immunocompromised (AIDS, cancer patients, organ transplant recipients) people.

How Can You Prevent the Risk of Spreading Parasites to Your Children?
  • Keep your dog on monthly heartworm preventative all year.  This medication helps to prevent hookworms and roundworms in your dog.  Keep your dog on topical flea and tick control all year.
  • Scoop the yard where your dog defecates at least weekly, ideally daily, as worm eggs and larvae are found in stool and can contaminate the environment.
  • Bring your pet’s stool sample to your veterinarian at least twice per year and ideally four times per year.  You do not have to bring your pet into the veterinary hospital for this service.  The stool should be fresh.  Many veterinarians will provide a special cup that allows specimen collection without touching the stool.
  • Keep your cat on heartworm prevention once per month all year.  This medication eliminates hookworms that could be potentially spread to humans in the household.  It also kills fleas, which can be culprits in spreading cat scratch disease (cat scratch fever).
  • Teach your children to wash their hands before eating, especially if they have recently handled their pet.

Rabies Outbreaks

Rabies is a deadly virus for animals and humans. It's state law to make sure your dogs and cats are up to date on their rabies vaccines and are registered within the city you live in.  

Outbreak-alert.com is a website that records animals that tested positive for rabies by location.  Take a look and see how close Rabies is to your house. 


Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Toxic Mother's Day flowers

Lilies and cats are a bad combo

As Mother's Day is fast approaching, please remember lilies are highly toxic and potentially deadly for our cats. There are many varieties of lilies. The genera Lilium and Hemerocallis are the genera that have been associated with renal failure in cats. All parts of the lily (flower, stem, leaves) are toxic and cause kidney damage and or failure. Most of the time symptoms do not arise for 12-36 hrs post ingestion and death occurring 3-5 days after exposure. If your kitty happens to eat a lily please bring them in ASAP to start treatment and also bring the remaining part of the lily with you so we can try and identify it. Many cats can survive the toxicity with prompt medical care.

So, if you're ordering flowers for a loved one with cats, make sure the florist puts a hold on the lilies!

Love, Dr. Carter