Tick and flea season already in full swing
With the very rainy conditions we see in the spring, fleas and ticks are becoming a major problem. Please don't let your pet be the next meal for some hungry flea or tick. Start your pet's flea and tick preventative today!
The mosquitoes are coming!
Standing water is where those pesky little mosquitoes breed. We have plenty of standing water around with all the rain we have. One little mosquito can give heartworm to your favorite furry friend. They don't even have to be outside to get bitten by a mosquito. We all know how they are always getting in our homes. So every animal needs to be protected. Start your heartworm preventative today and save your pet from major illness later.
Senior Wellness Testing
There are many benefits to senior wellness testing. We compare baseline values to your pet's current values to asses and project illness. This will identify subtle changes to your pet's health. Also we can identify unseen diseases in the early stages. This will increase the likelihood of a successful outcome and often lessen the cost of treatment. A blood panel can help avoid using medications that may be unsafe for a pet's medical condition or health status. Senior pets, as we know, often require anesthesia more than younger pets. Common problems for senior pet such as dental disease and skin growth/tumors make using sedation or anesthesia more likely.
As a pet ages often times the organs begin to fail possibly due to factors such as genetics or environment. Some of these common diseases include: Kidney Disease, Heart Disease, Cancer, Liver Disease, Dental Disease, Endocrine Diseases, and Intestinal Diseases such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Colitis. Testing your senior pet is very important and there is affordable wellness chemistry and hematology that we can provide.
To All Oak Lawn Residents
Every owner or person who has a dog or a cat of licensing age (7 months or which possesses a set of permanent teeth) within the village must purchase an Oak Lawn pet license. Licenses can be purchased at the Village of Oak Lawn for $5.00 each. Licenses are valid until Dec. 31st of each calendar year. A current rabies vaccination certificate must accompany each registration. Failure to purchase a pet license may result in a $50.00 fine per animal. Each day the violation exists shall be considered a separate offense.
Letting your dog walk you
A poorly trained dog can pull you while you're out for a walk. According to the CDC, tens of thousands of people end up in the emergency room every year because of pet-related falls. Many of these falls occur during walks. Either a person trips over their dog or is pulled or pushed by one. Experts say obedience training is the best way to make sure your dog doesn't take you down during their walk.
Over looking or ignoring ringworm
If your pet has a round bald patch, ringworm could be to blame. Leave this fungus untreated, and you're putting your whole family at risk. People can get ringworm from dogs and cats by touching either skin or fur. Ringworm causes a reddish, ring-shaped rash on the skin or bald spots if it infects the scalp. If you suspect your pet has ringworm, see you vet promptly.
Overlooking ticks
After a walk in the woods, you check yourself for ticks, right? Don't forget about your dog. Tick bites put your dog at risk for Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and a handful of other diseases. They can also cause serious illness in cats. If your pet has infected ticks, this puts the rest of the family at risk. If you find a tick, remove it carefully with tweezers, being careful not to crush it. Ask us about anti-tick medications.
Not bothering to de-worm
Roundworms are common parasites in both dogs and cats. They cause diarrhea and vomiting and may lead to serious illness. But many people don't realize these worms are a threat to humans, too. An infected pet can contaminate soil or sand with tiny eggs. Kids may ingest the eggs by putting dirty fingers in their mouths. When the worms hatch inside people, they can cause blindness and other tissue damage. Ask Dr. Bowen about regular de-worming.
Skipping flea medication
Skip your pets' flea medicine, and they aren't the only ones who will pay the price. Fleas will quickly set up shop on untreated pets, particularly in the summer and fall, and fill your house with their eggs and young. some people will even wind up covered in itchy sores. Fleas can also transmit serious diseases to people including bubonic plague. Ask our staff about monthly flea and tick preventative for your pets.
Not spaying and neutering your pet
Millions of cats and dogs live on the streets or end up euthanized because of unwanted litters. Still, many people are reluctant to spay or neuter their pets. The fact is, spaying and neutering is a healthy choice for your pet. It reduces the risk of breast cancer in females and testicular/prostate cancer in males. Neutered males are also less likely to run away from home, mark their territory, or exhibit aggressive behaviors.
Keep the food bowl full
With the best intentions, some people keep their pets' food bowls full at all times. This is one of the most common mistakes pet owners make. The problem is that cats and dogs often eat more than they need. If food is constantly available, they will take in too many calories and put on too much weight. To avoid this, follow the suggestions on the pet food label or ask our staff for guidance.
Forcing cats to be vegetarian
Vegetarian people sometimes want their pets to share their lifestyle. The trouble is cats are "obligate carnivores". This means they must eat meat to survive. They depend on nutrients, such as the amino acid taurine, that are only found in animal tissue. Dogs may be able to handle a well-balanced vegetarian diet, but check with our vet before trying a vegetarian diet for your cat.
Providing too little exercise
Just like people, pets need exercise to stay healthy. Couch potato pets are prone to be obese which raises their risk of respiratory problems and joint problems. The right amount of exercise fore a dog depends on the breed and size, but vets recommend at least a half-hour each day. Taking brisk walks with your dog can help you get in shape, too.
The heartworm life cycle.
Adult female heartworms release their young, called microfilariae, into the blood stream of an infected animal, typically a dog or other suitable host. As mosquitoes take a blood meal from these animals, they ingest the microscopic heartworm larvae. Inside the mosquito, the larvae develop into an infectious stage within 10 to 14 days. Then, when the mosquito bites another susceptible host, it deposits the infectious larvae and the larvae enter the bite wound and begin to migrate. In the cat, it takes six weeks to eight months for heartworm larvae to mature into adult worms. Adult heartworms may live in cats one to two years in cats (while in dogs they can live for five to seven years). Microfilariae cannot develop into adult heartworms in our cats without first developing into the infectious stage within a mosquito.
What is heartworm disease?
Feline heartworm disease develops when a cat is bitten by a mosquito carrying microscopic heartworm larvae (Juvenile worms) of a parasite called Dirofilaria immitis. As a mosquito feeds, these larvae are deposited on the pet's skin and quickly migrate into the cat, eventually reaching the cat's bloodstream. Since heartworms typically reside in the pulmonary (lung) arteries and the right side of the heart, infection often leads to severe lung disease and sudden death. This syndrome in cats is known as Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease (HARD). In cats, typically only a few worms develop to maturity, unlike dogs where large numbers develop. Unfortunately, in the cat, even a single heartworm can have fatal consequences.
