Have you ever heard that a wet nose is a sign that your pet is healthy? Although that’s often the case, it’s not always true. A moist nose can benefit your pet in several ways, but it doesn’t necessarily guarantee good health.

How Does a Wet Nose Help My Pet?

Have you ever been woken at 5 a.m. by a cold, wet nose rubbing against your hand or face? Although the ability to easily wake lazy humans is certainly one advantage of a wet nose, your dog or cat benefits from a moist nose in a few other ways.

Scents are very important to your pets. Animals mark their territory by leaving subtle scent clues when they rub against people and objects. Outside, pets set boundaries by urinating or defecating in strategic places. When other animals sniff those scents, they understand the message your pet is sending.

A wet nose enhances your pet’s ability to identify scents. Microscopic scent particles float through the air and land on your pet’s nose. If the nose is wet, they’ll stick to it rather than falling off, which makes identifying odors much easier.

A wet nose also helps keep your pet cool. As moisture evaporates from the nose, it provides a cooling effect. Luckily, it’s easy to restore lost moisture with a simple swipe of the tongue.

Can My Pet’s Nose Be Too Moist?

A wet nose isn’t always a good sign. If your pet’s nose is suddenly very wet, an upper respiratory infection may be to blame. When dogs and cats catch a cold or other virus, they may experience runny noses just like people do.

Is a Dry Nose a Bad Sign?

A warm, dry nose isn’t necessarily a sign that your pet is ill. Some dogs or cats naturally have dry noses. Even if your pet normally has a cool, wet nose, it may tend to become dryer and warmer after a nap or a few hours spent in the sun. Dryness may also be a natural effect of aging.

A dry nose can be a sign of dehydration or illness, particularly if your pet’s nose is usually wet. You can tell if your pet is dehydrated by examining its gums. Dehydration often makes the gums look pale instead of pink. The scruff test offers another way to determine if dehydration is a problem. Perform the test by gently pulling up on the skin on the back of your pet’s neck. If your cat or dog isn’t dehydrated, the skin will quickly snap back against the body. It will take a few seconds for the skin to return to normal if your furry friend is dehydrated.

Other signs that may indicate illness in pets, whether the nose is dry or wet, include:

• Unusual Lethargy
• Loss of Appetite
• Change in Behavior
• Obvious Pain
• Urinating More or Less Than Normal
• Hiding (in Cats)
• Coughing
• Vomiting and Diarrhea
• Lameness
• Constant Scratching
• Hair Loss
• Difficulty Moving or Walking
• Weight Loss
• Changes in Bowel Habits
• Lumps
• Cloudy or Red Eyes

Has your pet’s nose suddenly become dry and warm? Call us to schedule an appointment to find out if a health issue is the reason for the change.

Sources:

Dog Health: Does a Dry Nose Mean My Dog is Sick?

https://www.doghealth.com/how-and-why/why-dogs-have-wet-noses

Catster: Ask a Vet: Should a Cat’s Nose Always Be Cool and Moist?, 6/21/16

http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-health-care-nose-wet-moist-cool-ask-a-vet

VetStreet: Why Does My Dog Have a Wet Nose?

http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/why-does-my-dog-have-a-wet-nose

Animal Wellness Magazine: What Your Dog’s Nose Can Tell You

https://animalwellnessmagazine.com/dog-nose/

Healthy Pets: Help Your Dog Overcome These 3 Common Allergies, 9/15/11

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/09/15/help-your-dog-overcome-these-common-allergies.aspx

Drs. Foster and Smith: Allergy Signs & Symptoms

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?siteid=12&acatid=169&aid=75

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Teaching Your Child Pet Care Basics

Is your child eagerly looking forward to the day a dog, cat, guinea pig, or fish joins your family? Caring for a first pet offers many benefits for kids and may encourage them to become more responsible and compassionate. Here are a few ways your child can help care for your new addition.

Feeding, Watering, and Cleaning

Providing food and water is one of the most important aspects of caring for a pet. Children can add food and water to dishes, give pets treats, or handle cleaning duties.

When you shop for pet food, explain that you need to choose a food that has the nutrients your pet needs to stay healthy. Just as junk food isn’t the best food for people, foods that contain too many fillers or unnecessary ingredients may be bad for your pet’s health.

Even very young children can help clean food and water dishes. Although the dishes may not look dirty, it’s important to wash and dry them every day to prevent bacterial growth. If bacteria remain on the dishes, your child’s new pet could become ill.

If you have a turtle or fish, your child can help you clean the tank or terrarium and gradually take on more and more of the responsibilities as he or she gets older.

By the time your child is about 9 or 10, they may be able to handle feeding or cleaning with little supervision.

Brushing Your Pet

Brushing removes loose hair and debris from your pet’s body and can prevent hairballs in cats and rabbits. Demonstrate how to use gentle strokes in the direction that the hair grows. It may be easier for young children to understand how much pressure to use when brushing if they try out the brush on their arms.

Many pets benefit from weekly brushing. If your pet has long hair or sheds heavily, more frequent brushing sessions may be helpful. Older children can also help sweep or vacuum pet hair from floors, carpets, and furniture.

Depending on what type of pet you have, like a dog, they made need a bath every so often to avoid any odors and to clean them if they get dirty. When bathing your pet, your child can help to lather and rinse the shampoo from your pet.

Walking or Exercising With Your Pet

Unlike you, your kids may never grow tired of playing fetch or frisbee with your dog in the backyard or entertaining your cat with a kitty fishing rod. Exercise not only keeps your pet healthy but also improves socialization.

Teach your kids how to walk your dog or cat on a leash or harness by practicing in a fenced yard. When your child is comfortable and can control your pet safely, let them take control of the leash occasionally while you’re out for a walk. Eventually, they will be able to take your pet for a walk without you. Michigan Health notes that children may be able to handle solo walks when they’re 12 or older.

Don’t leave young children alone with pets during exercise sessions or at any other time. Even normally well-behaved kids may be tempted to tease a pet or pull its hair or tail when you’re not around.

Cleaning Up

Cleaning the litterbox or cage and picking up poop from the backyard isn’t the most fun pet care task, but it’s certainly essential. When your children are about 9 or 10, they may be able to start helping you with these tasks. Show them how to dispose of waste properly, and teach them to wash their hands thoroughly after cleaning the litterbox, cage, or yard.

Some Things to Keep in Mind

Every child is different. Some may enthusiastically participate in pet care while others need a little prodding. Before you give your children pet care tasks, consider their ability to handle other chores responsibly. If your child tends to be forgetful, they might be better suited to exercising and grooming your pet rather than feeding it.

Ultimately, your pet’s health and well-being depends on you. If your children forget to feed your pet or take it for a walk, you’ll need to step in and do these things yourself.

Has your pet been to the see the veterinarian yet? A visit will help you ensure that your new addition is as healthy as can be. Contact our office to schedule an appointment.

Sources:

FamilyEducation: Pet Care for Kids: Age-Appropriate Ways for Kids to Help, 11/14/19

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Pets and Children, 1/19

The Animal Foundation: The Basic Necessities of Proper Pet Care, 1/23/18

https://animalfoundation.com/whats-going-on/blog/basic-necessities-proper-pet-care

Michigan Health: Is Your Child Ready for a Pet? 6 Questions to Ask, 12/16/19

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6 Tips That Will Prevent Your Pet from Becoming Lost

Ten million pets wander away from their homes every year, according to American Humane estimates. Sadly, not all of them return home. July’s National Lost Pet Prevention Month is the perfect time to take a few steps to help keep your pets safe.

Use Collars and Identification Tags

If your pet never travels farther than your backyard, an ID tag may seem unnecessary. Although your cat or dog may seem perfectly content to sit near the open door while you bring in the groceries or check the mail, that may not always be the case. One day, your furry friend might make a mad dash out the door to investigate an unfamiliar animal or flee after being scared by a loud noise.

Your lost pet has a much higher chance of being reunited with you if it wears a collar with an ID tag. The tag should include your pet’s name, and your name, address, and telephone number. If your cat or dog accompanies you on vacation, buy tags that list your temporary address.

Replace the collar when it becomes worn or no longer fits your pet correctly. If the collar fits properly, you should be able to slide no more than two or three fingers underneath.

Make Sure Your House and Yard Are Secure

Regular inspections of your home and yard will help you identify possible escape routes. Check fences for holes, broken slats, or leaning posts. If digging is your pet’s favorite hobby, follow the ASPCA’s advice and bury concrete blocks under the fence.

Invisible fences may not always keep your pet in your yard, as some pets may risk a momentary shock to cross the fence line. Keep in mind that invisible fences are designed to keep your pet in your yard but don’t prevent other animals from entering.

During your inspection, look for loose or torn window or door screens. A determined pet can quickly enlarge a small hole in a screen. Doors and gates that don’t latch properly are another potential danger.

Keep Pets Safe When Strangers Are in the House

Pets may be more likely to become lost when contractors, delivery people, and other strangers walk in and out of your house. Skittish pets may feel threatened by strangers and be more likely to bolt.

For safety’s sake, put your pet in a quiet room and close the door if you’re doing a little work on your house or expecting a delivery. Provide your furry friend with a few toys, food, and water (and a litter box if you have a cat).

Microchip Your Pet

Microchipping your pet offers a simple way to increase the chances that your pet will return home if lost. Rice-sized microchips placed just under your pet’s skin contain codes that can be read with scanners at a veterinarian’s office or humane society. The numerical code is linked to your contact information in the microchipping company’s registry. The registry is only helpful if it contains current information. Be sure to update your contact details if you move.

Although microchips are a very effective tool, you’ll still need to use a collar and ID tag. If someone in your neighborhood finds your pet, he or she probably won’t have a scanner.

Use Carriers and Leashes

Carriers and leashes are a must if you’ll be visiting the veterinarian’s office or venturing outside your home with your pet. Even the calmest pets can become agitated when exposed to the sights, smells, and sounds at the vet’s office. If you don’t use a leash or carrier, your overwhelmed cat or dog may jump out of your arms the moment the door to the waiting room opens.

Obedience Train Your Dog

Dogs that respond to sit, stay, wait, come, and other commands may be less likely to wander or take off after a rabbit during your walks around your neighborhood. Training also teaches your dog the appropriate way to behave around people and other animals.

Microchipping only takes a few seconds yet offers an excellent way to protect your furry friend. If microchipping sounds like a good option for your pet, contact our office to schedule an appointment.

Sources:

American Humane: Every Day is Tag Day – Is Your Pet Protected?, 4/1/19

Petfinder: What to Do if You Lose Your Pet

ASPCA: How Many Pets Are Lost? How Many Find Their Way Home? ASPCA Survey Has Answers, 6/28/12

The Humane Society of the United States: High Tech: Identifying Lost Pets with Microchips

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How to Calm an Anxious Pet

Does your pet cower in fear during thunderstorms or hate to be alone? Although it doesn’t seem fair, anxiety isn’t just a human problem but can affect animals too. Fortunately, there are a few steps you can take to decrease your pet’s anxiety.

Anxiety Triggers

Identifying your pet’s triggers can help you create a strategy to calm your dog, cat or rabbit. Triggers vary from animal to animal and may include:

• Loud Sounds: Vacuum cleaners, fireworks, thunder, and other sounds can be particularly frightening to some pets.
• New People or Animals: Exposure to unfamiliar animals and people may increase anxiety symptoms in some pets.
• Change in Routine: Moving, bringing a new person or pet into your household, or even changing your work schedule may be the catalyst for your pet’s anxiety symptoms.
• Visits to the Veterinarian: Some pets are overwhelmed by the unfamiliar sights, sounds, and smells at the veterinary office or feel threatened by the other animals in the waiting area.
• Certain Surfaces: Does your pet resist walking on marble, hardwood, laminate or types of smooth flooring? He or she may be afraid of falling or may have been scolded after walking on a particular type of floor in the past.
• Separation: Separation anxiety is particularly common among pets, affecting 14 percent of dogs, according to the American Kennel Club.
• Aging: Pets that have cognitive dysfunction syndrome, a condition similar to dementia in people, may develop anxiety.

Signs of Anxiety in Pets

Anxious pets may lash out if they’re afraid of a person, animal or object. Your pet may express fear by growling, barking, hissing, biting or scratching.

Just like people, animals can lose control of their bowels or bladder if they’re extremely anxious or fearful. If you’ve ever returned home and discovered that your housetrained dog or cat had an accident, separation anxiety may be to blame. Anxious pets can also be destructive. Social media is full of videos and photographs of mangled couch cushions, gouged doors, and overturned plants.

Anxiety can trigger frequent barking, howling, meowing, or drooling. Cats or rabbits may groom themselves excessively, causing bald or irritated spots on their skin.

How to Reduce Anxiety

These tips may help your pet feel more secure and less fearful:

• Create a Safe Space: Place your pet in a quiet room when you’re vacuuming, hosting a noisy party, or meeting your best friend’s new Great Dane.
• Try Pheromones: Pheromones are natural or synthetic chemicals that can calm stressed or anxious pets. Pet stores and online shopping sites sell pheromone sprays, diffusers, wipes, and collars.
• Avoid Routine Changes if Possible: Your work schedule may change, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that your pet’s routine must be altered. Ask another family member or roommate to feed, walk or play with your pet at the usual times. If you’re going out of town, your anxious pet may be happier staying at home with a pet sitter rather than spending the time in a boarding kennel.
• Give Your Pet a Piece of Your Clothing: Decrease separation anxiety by giving your pet clothing that contains your scent.
• Buy a Calming Vest: Calming vests are a type of wrap-around jacket that calms pets by applying constant pressure to their bodies. Similar to weighted blankets for humans, calming vests help dogs and cats cope with loud noises and may also help with general anxiety.
• Make Time for Exercise: After a vigorous game of fetch or chase the laser pointer light, your pet may feel much calmer. Daily exercise is beneficial for all pets but is particularly important if your pet suffers from anxiety.
• Gradually Desensitize Your Pet to the Anxiety Trigger: Pets may become less fearful if they’re gradually exposed to anxiety triggers. If your pet is afraid to walk on hardwood or laminate floors, take one or two steps into the room and offer a treat. When the fear of loud noises is the problem, play a recording of thunder or fireworks for a few seconds, then offer a treat. Discontinue this approach if your pet doesn’t respond well or becomes increasingly agitated.
• Talk to Your Pet’s Veterinarian: If these suggestions don’t relieve your pet’s anxiety, it’s a good idea to consult the veterinarian. Your pet’s doctor can offer suggestions, prescribe anti-anxiety medication, if needed, or make a referral to a behavioral specialist. Your pet will also receive a thorough examination to make sure that anxiety isn’t related to a health condition or disease.

Are you worried about your pet’s anxiety? Contact our office to schedule an appointment.

Sources:

AKC: Understanding, Preventing, and Treating Dog Anxiety, 5/14/19

Humane Society of the United States: Does Your Dog Freak Out When You Leave?

PetMD: 6 Cat Calming Products to Help Ease Cat Anxiety

Yummy Magazine: Stress in Rabbits, 2/16/18

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Are You Ready for Flea and Tick Season?

The spring and summer months are peak flea and tick season in many parts of the U.S. Although the insects thrive in tall grass and wooded areas, you may also find them in your backyard. Luckily, reducing your pet’s risk of a flea- or tick-borne illness can be as simple as taking a few of these preventive steps.

Treat Your Backyard

Use flea and tick spray on grass, shrubs, and plants to kill fleas and ticks. Products that promise to kill both adult fleas, ticks, eggs, and larvae offer the best protection. Keep your pets out of the yard until the spray dries completely. Most products only keep your yard flea and tick-free for about a month and require regular re-applications.

It’s also important to make your yard less hospitable to fleas and ticks. Begin by thatching your lawn to remove the layer of dead grass, roots and stems that form between the soil and the grass. Thatch provides the ideal breeding ground for fleas.

Do you have piles of leaves or wood on your property? You may have unknowingly created the perfect flea habitat. Clearing debris and brush may prevent fleas and ticks from invading your yard.

Cutting your grass too high or too low can be a factor in flea prevention. Fleas hide in tall grass, then jump on to the nearest warm body that passes by, whether that’s you or your pet.

Unfortunately, too-short grass also poses a problem. When grass is short, the spiders and ants that provide natural flea control will move out. How short is too short? Scotts says that it’s best to keep your grass at least two inches high.

Protect Your Pet

Topical and oral flea and tick medication, sprays, shampoos, and dips offer additional protection for pets. The products kill adult fleas and ticks and stop the development of larvae and eggs. Check with your pet’s veterinarian before using one of these products for the first time, particularly if your pet is very young, old, or has a chronic health condition.

Keep Critters Out of Your Yard

Raccoons, opossums, deer, and your neighbor’s dogs or cats can bring fleas to your property. If your yard isn’t already fenced, consider building a solid fence to prevent flea-ridden animals from infesting your yard. Check fence slats regularly for holes or signs of rot.

Check Your Pet for Ticks and Fleas Regularly

Perform a tick check every time your pet returns inside after spending time outdoors. Start the check by running your hands over your dog or cat’s head and body.

As you perform the tick check, take a closer look at any unusual bumps. They may actually be ticks engorged with your pet’s blood. It can take up 24 hours or longer for attached ticks to transmit diseases to your pet. Removing ticks as soon as possible is essential for your furry friend’s health. Don’t forget to check your pet’s paws and ears too.

Remove ticks with tweezers, then kill them by placing them in a jar filled with alcohol. You may want to keep the sealed jar for a few weeks. If your dog or cat develops a rash or other possible Lyme disease symptoms in the coming weeks, your pet’s veterinarian may want to test the ticks.

Pull the tick straight out of your pet’s body without twisting or crushing it. Be sure to wear rubber or latex gloves during the procedure.

If your dog or cat has fleas, you may notice frequent scratching, licking, or biting of the skin, bald or hot spots, deposits that look like dirt in your pet’s fur, white flea eggs, or red skin. Unnaturally pale gums or lips may be a sign of anemia, which can occur if your pet has a severe flea infestation. Anemia requires immediate veterinary treatment to protect your pet’s health.

Your rabbit, guinea pig, hamster, or gerbil may never spend any time outdoors, but it can still have a flea problem. Small animals often develop fleas if other animals are infested or you unwittingly bring fleas inside on your clothing.

Flea and tick bites can cause Lyme disease, skin infections, and other health problems. Call us if you’re concerned about your pet’s symptoms or need recommendations for effective flea and tick treatments for your home and yard.

Sources:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Protecting Pets from Fleas and Ticks

https://www.epa.gov/pets

ASPCA: Fleas and Ticks

https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/fleas-and-ticks

AVMA: Safe Use of Flea and Tick Preventive Products

https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/Safe-use-of-flea-and-tick-preventive-products.aspx

Scotts: How to Treat Fleas in the Yard

https://www.scotts.com/en-us/library/insect-grub-control/how-treat-fleas-yard

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Heartworm disease can have a devastating effect on your pet’s health. National Heartworm Awareness Month, observed annually in April, reminds pet owners about the health dangers this preventable disease poses for pets.

What Are Heartworms?

Thin, white heartworms look like cooked pieces of spaghetti. Male worms range in length from 4 to 6 inches, but females can grow as long as 12 inches. Heartworm disease is spread when a mosquito bites an infected animal and later bites another animal. The bite deposits tiny heartworm larvae into the animal’s bloodstream. It only takes about six months for the larvae to mature into fully grown worms. Once the worms are mature, they begin to mate, producing even more heartworms.

Why is Heartworm Disease So Dangerous?

Heartworms invade your pet’s lungs, heart and blood vessels and cause permanent damage that can shorten your furry friend’s life. The disease is more dangerous in dogs than cats because fewer worms grow to adulthood in cats. A dog can be infected with more than 200 heartworms, although the average is 15 to 30. Cats may only have a few mature worms or might only be infected with immature worms. Heartworms can live five to seven years in dogs and two to three years in cats, according to the American Heartworm Society.

What Are the Symptoms of Heartworm Disease?

In the early stages of the disease, there may be no obvious changes in your pet’s health. As the worms grow and multiply, you may notice that your dog begins to cough. Their cough will gradually worsen as the disease progresses, and you may also notice that your pet tires easily and has difficulty breathing. A large number of worms in a dog may trigger a condition call Caval syndrome. The syndrome occurs when a bundle of worms prevents blood from flowing back into the heart. Emergency surgery is necessary to prevent death.

Coughing and a decrease in activity is common if your cat has heartworm disease. Other possible symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite and weight loss. You may notice that your cat isn’t quite as active as usual.

Even if your cat only has immature worms, its health can still be affected. Heartworm associated respiratory disease (HARD), a common problem in cats with heartworm disease, occurs when your pet’s lungs become inflamed due to the death of immature worms. If your pet has HARD, it may cough, wheeze and have trouble breathing. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to tell the difference between HARD and feline asthma.

How Is Heartworm Disease Treated?

Drugs are available to kill both mature and immature heartworms in dogs. Because the medications are very strong, they can cause blood clots and other complications, in some cases. Your dog will also require frequent tests during heartworm treatment, such as blood tests and X-rays.

The medications that kill heartworms in dogs are too strong for cats. Instead, your vet may recommend medications that treat your pet’s respiratory and heart symptoms. Corticosteroids can be used to decrease inflammation, while bronchodilators will help your pet breathe easier.

Is Heartworm Prevention Necessary?

It’s much easier to prevent heartworm disease than it is to treat it. Although pets that spend time outdoors are at increased risk of mosquito bites, it only takes a second for a mosquito to fly through an open door and bite your indoor cat. Prescription preventive medications, available for both cats and dogs, offer a simple way to protect your pets.

Before prescribing preventive medications, your veterinarian will test a sample of your pet’s blood. Blood testing is necessary to ensure that your pet isn’t already infested with the worms. If preventative medications are given to a pet that has active heartworm disease, complications can occur.

Preventive medications are available in pill, topical liquid or injections forms. Pills and topical liquids are monthly treatments, while injections prevent your pet from heartworm for six months. Because heartworm preventive medications are only available by prescription, it’s important to make annual veterinary checkups a priority. A delay of a just a month or two can put your pet at risk of developing this deadly disease.

Is your pet protected from heartworm disease? Call us today to schedule your furry friend’s checkup and blood test.

Sources:

American Heartworm Society: Heartworm Basics

https://www.heartwormsociety.org/pet-owner-resources/heartworm-basics

U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Keep The Worms Out Of Your Pet’s Heart! The Facts About Heartworm Disease

http://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/resourcesforyou/animalhealthliteracy/ucm188470.htm

American Kennel Club: What Dog Owners Must Know About Heartworm

http://www.akc.org/content/health/articles/heartworm-in-dogs-symptoms-diagnosis-treatment/

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: Heartworm in Cats

https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/heartworm-cats

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Is Your Pet Protected from Heartworm Disease?

Heartworm, a life-threatening parasitic infection, sickens dogs, cats, and ferrets in all 50 states. Like many diseases, heartworm is much easier to prevent than treat. National Heartworm Awareness Month, held every April, offers a timely reminder of the devastating health effects of heartworm disease.

How Do Pets Get the Disease?

Heartworm disease is transmitted when a mosquito bites an infected animal and then bites your pet. Heartworm larvae are circulated through your pet’s body via the bloodstream and eventually become immature or mature worms.

After traveling through your dog’s body for months, the larvae begin to grow into long, white worms that look like cooked spaghetti. Those that reach the blood vessels of the heart and lungs cause the most damage.

Male heartworms measure 4 to 6 inches in length, while females may be as long as 10 to 12 inches, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA notes that dogs can be infected with one to 250 worms. Each worm can live 5 to 7 years.

Cats are more likely to be infected with immature worms, although some cats do have a few mature worms. Even immature worms can affect your cat’s health, causing serious breathing difficulties.

In ferrets, one or two heartworms settle in the pulmonary artery in the heart. As the worms grow, the heart becomes dangerously enlarged.

What Are the Symptoms of Heartworm Disease?

Symptoms don’t usually occur during the early stages of infection. As the worms grow, your dog may start to cough, seem abnormally tired after mild to moderate exercise, eat less, lose weight and have trouble breathing. Eventually, the infection can cause a swollen abdomen, abnormal lung sounds, collapse or death.

Cats infected with heartworms may develop heartworm associated respiratory disease (HARD). When immature worms reach the small arteries in the lungs, an inflammatory response occurs that damages the air sacs, arteries, and small airways, according to the Cornell University of Veterinary Medicine.

An infected cat may have difficulty breathing or breathe rapidly. Other signs and symptoms include a disinterest in food, weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, gagging, collapse or death.

Symptoms in ferrets also include loss of appetite and weight loss, in addition to coughing, shortness of breath, vomiting, swelling in the abdomen or chest, heart murmur and fatigue. If heart damage is severe, ferrets may suddenly collapse and die.

How Is Heartworm Disease Treated?

Treatment varies depending on the animal. Dogs receive medications that kill mature and immature heartworms and reduce inflammation. The treatment can take a toll on your pet’s body, particularly if your dog’s health is already fragile due to the infection. In some cases, surgery may be needed to remove the worms. Even if heartworm surgery is successful, the damage to your dog’s heart, lungs, and organs will be permanent.

Medications that kill heartworms aren’t safe for use in cats. Instead, your pet may receive drugs that will reduce inflammation, antibiotics, cardiovascular medication or oxygen therapy if breathing becomes difficult. In severe cases, surgery may also be recommended to remove the worms.

Many of the medications and treatment strategies used to treat heartworm infections in cats can also be used for ferrets. Unfortunately, medications that kill heartworms will also kill your ferret.

How Can Heartworm Disease Be Prevented?

Oral, topical, and injectable heartworm medications reduce your pet’s heartworm risk. Your veterinarian can help you decide which type of medication is best for your pet. Oral and topical medications must be given or applied every month, while injectable medication protects your pet for six months.

It’s best to give your pet heartworm medication year-round, even if you live in a cold climate, as mosquito season may not always follow the same pattern every year. Providing constant protection ensures that your furry friend will never have to face this debilitating disease.

Does your pet need a prescription for heartworm medication? Contact our office to schedule a convenient appointment.

Sources:

U.S. Food & Drug Administration: Keep the Worms Out of Your Pet’s Heart! The Facts About Heartworm Disease

American Veterinary Medical Association: Heartworm Disease

American Heartworm Society: Heartworms in Dogs

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: Heartworm in Cats

PetMD: Heartworm in Ferrets

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Straining to urinate, frequent urination, blood in the urine, and accidents in the house are common symptoms that pet owners report to their veterinarian. Many times the signs come on suddenly, as people find urine spots on the floor, often near the door where the dog goes outside. Cat owners may notice that the urine balls in the litter box are smaller than usual, or they may also see urine spots around the house, often in the corners of rooms. Painful urination has three main causes in dogs and cats.

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

A urinary tract infection (UTI), also commonly called a bladder infection, is by far the most frequent cause of a painful urination. UTI’s can occur in both males and females, but infections in females are more numerous because of the shorter urethra (the tube from the bladder to the outside). To diagnose a bladder infection, your veterinarian will obtain a urine sample, collected in a special way so as not contaminate the sample, for a urinalysis and often a urine culture. E.coli is the most common bacteria causing the problem, but Staph, Proteus, Klebsiella, and Pseudomonas can be other types of bacteria causing the infection. It is believed that pets licking their anal area, then their genital area may be the means of transfer of the bacteria. Pets with extreme weakness or paralysis of the rear legs, diabetic pets, dogs with Cushings, and female dogs with a recessed vaginal opening are prone to UTI’s.

Bladder Stones

Bladder stones are the second most common reason for painful urination. There are five main kinds of urinary stones with struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate) being the most common. Other types of stones are calcium oxalate, urate, silica, and cystine. Struvite stones commonly form secondary to a bacterial infection. The other stones form because of different metabolic problems. Many, but not all, stones will show up on abdominal x-rays. Ultrasound will usually find the other stones.

Surgical removal is usually the treatment of choice for stones; this can quickly relieve the pain the pet is feeling. The main problem with stones is that they often recur. Some dogs have had multiple surgeries for stone removal. Your veterinarian can help to prevent struvite stones by performing urine cultures to monitor for UTI’s. There is also a special food that may help to prevent struvite stones. The other types of stones each have their own recommendations for preventing recurrence.

Bladder Tumors

Bladder tumors are the third most common reason for painful urination. While not common, they do account for 2% of all cancers in dogs; however, they are less common in cats. The vast majority of bladder tumors are a malignancy called transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). They occur mostly in older pets. Some breeds have a higher rate of TCC, with Scotties having the highest rate since they are 18 to 20 times more likely than the average dog to have a TCC. Other breeds with a higher incidence are Shelties, Beagles, Westies, and Wire Haired Fox Terrier. These tumors cause discomfort because they obstruct the flow of urine. Detection of the tumor is by ultrasound, diagnosis is by surgery and biopsy.

If your pet is showing signs of urinary discomfort by needing to urinate more frequently than normal and straining, if you’re finding urine accidents in the house, or if you see blood in your pet’s urine, then consult with your veterinarian. An examination of your pet and diagnostic tests can determine the cause, and your veterinarian will discuss the necessary treatment with you.

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Cleaning up vomit is a fact of life if you’re lucky enough to have a dog in your life. Although all dogs vomit from time to time, it’s important to distinguish between simple upset stomachs and more serious conditions that can cause vomiting.

The Difference Between Regurgitation and Vomiting

Some people use “regurgitation” and “vomiting” interchangeably, but the words don’t mean the same thing. Vomiting occurs when digested food is forcefully expelled from your dog’s stomach. Regurgitated food never makes it the stomach. It becomes lodged in the esophagus until your dog manages to deposit it on your kitchen floor. You can often tell whether vomiting or regurgitation has occurred by taking a close look at the contents of your dog’s digestive system. If the material is liquid, it’s vomit. If it’s fairly solid and composed of recognizable food, regurgitation has occurred.

What Causes Vomiting and Regurgitation?

Vomiting can be caused by:

• Sampling the Trash. Eating foods found in the trash or even eating non-food items can cause vomiting.
• Food Changes. Have you recently changed the food you feed your pet? New foods may upset your pet’s stomach and cause vomiting.
• Eating Chocolate. Chocolate contains theobromine, a substance that can cause death if your dog eats enough of it. Eating very small amounts of chocolate may only cause vomiting and diarrhea. If your dog eats any amount of chocolate, call our office for instructions.
• Ingesting Poisons. Poisons and toxins found in lawn care products, pesticides and other products can cause vomiting.
• Diseases and Illnesses. Your dog may vomit if he or she has a viral illness, bacterial infection, colitis, intestinal parasites, liver or kidney failure, pancreatitis or other conditions or diseases. Side effects from medications may also cause vomiting.
• Obstructions: Vomiting can be a sign that your dog has an obstruction in the gastrointestinal tract. Blockages can be caused by foreign objects, tumors, hernias, pyloric stenosis and other conditions.
• Bloat. If your dog has bloat, he or she may try to vomit, but may not be successful. Bloat is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the stomach twists and fills with gas. If the condition isn’t diagnosed and treated quickly, breathing difficulties, stomach rupture or death can occur.
• Heatstroke. Heatstroke can cause vomiting, in addition to panting, drooling, reddened gums and low urine production. Pouring water over your pet can help, as long as the water is cool, not cold. After you cool down your pet, you’ll need to take him or her to the veterinarian to make sure that there are no lasting effects from heatstroke.

Regurgitation may be caused by:

• Megaesophagus. The condition occurs when the esophagus can’t push food into the stomach because it’s unable to contract normally. Megaesophagus can be present from birth or can be caused by a foreign object or certain diseases, such as autoimmune diseases, hypothyroidism or myasthenia gravis.
• Other Causes. Regurgitation can also occur if your dog has a throat abnormality, a disease that affects the muscles or nerves in the throat or esophagus, cancer or a hiatal hernia.

When Should I Be Concerned About Vomiting?

Call the veterinarian if your dog is vomiting and you know or suspect he or she has eaten chocolate, ingested a poison or swallowed a foreign object. It’s also important to call if your dog:

• Can’t stop vomiting
• Vomits every week or every day
• Vomits blood
• Has seizures in addition to vomiting
• Tries to vomit but can’t
• Vomits and also has bloody diarrhea
• Vomits and displays other signs of illness, such as fever, weakness lack of appetite, weight loss and lethargy

How is Vomiting Treated?

Treatment for vomiting is based on the cause. Removing foreign objects, treating accidental poisoning or treating underlying diseases can be helpful. Vomiting, regardless of the cause, may cause dehydration. During your pet’s visit, he or she may give intravenous fluids to combat the effects of dehydration.

The sudden onset of severe vomiting or vomiting that doesn’t go away is always a reason for concern. If your dog displays any of the signs mentioned above, call our office as soon as possible.

Sources:

American Kennel Club: Dog Vomiting, 3/28/17

http://www.akc.org/content/health/articles/dog-vomiting-causes-diagnosis-and-treatment/

PetMD: Dog Vomiting – Why Is My Dog Throwing Up?

http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/common-emergencies/e_dg_vomiting?page=2

Dogtime: Possible Reasons for Dog Vomiting

https://dogtime.com/dog-health/general/5478-reasons-dog-vomiting-faq-jenna-stregowski

Healthy Pets: Megaesophagus – The Regurgitation Disease, 10/29/12

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/10/29/megaesophagus-disorder.aspx

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We all enjoy flowers, whether in a vase in our house or in our gardens. We enjoy the multitude of bright colors and the fragrant odor they give us. But there can be a dangerous aspect to some of our favorite plants. The list of poisonous plants is very long, but this will give you information about some of the more common flowers and ornamental plants.

Lilies are common as cut flowers and in landscaping. They are toxic to cats, but fortunately not to dogs or horses. All parts of the plant can cause kidney problems. A cat that walks through a garden of lilies, then ingests the pollen as it grooms its fur, can develop severe kidney problems.

Azaleas are toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, mental dullness, cardiovascular depression, collapse, and death. Even eating a few leaves can cause serious problems.

Bird of Paradise is among one of the most beautiful flowers, but it can be toxic to cats, dogs, and horses. The fruits and seeds can cause vomiting and drowsiness.

Begonias, especially the tubers, are toxic to dogs and cats. They can cause oral irritation. This can progress to swelling of the mouth, lips, and tongue, causing drooling, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing.

All parts of the castor bean plant are toxic, but the seeds contain the highest concentration of ricin, one of the most poisonous compounds known. This affects horses, cats, and dogs. Symptoms are mouth irritation, vomiting, diarrhea, kidney failure, seizures, and death. Signs usually start 12 to 48 hours after ingestion.

Chrysanthemums are toxic to horses, dogs, and cats. They can cause vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, weakness, inability to walk properly, and even skin problems.

Hibiscus can cause a loss of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea in cats, dogs, or horses that ingest it.

Oleander is very toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. It has toxins that can cause a low heart rate, heart failure, and death. It is possible to also see vomiting and diarrhea.
There are several ornamental plants that contain cardiac glycosides. Plants such as clematis and foxglove can affect dogs, cats and horses to cause weakness, heart failure, drooling, and death.

There are hundreds of other plants that can be toxic. For more information on any toxic plants, consult with your veterinarian. Simple precautions can keep your pets safe and healthy.

Source:

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)

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