Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital Newsletters

Newsletter for April 2003

In this issue:

* Heartworm Disease
* Flea and Tick Control
* Allergy Season

HEARTWORM SEASON HAS BEGUN


What is heartworm disease?

Canine heartworm disease is a potentially fatal problem affecting dogs in all 50 states. The disease is caused by the parasitic worm Dirofilaria immitis, and transmitted by mosquitoes. Your dog is infected when it is bitten by a mosquito carrying microscopic heartworm larvae known as microfilariae. The developing larvae eventually enter the bloodstream and migrate to the dog's heart. Adult heartworms begin producing their own microfilariae offspring about seven months after infection.


Clinical signs of heartworm disease include:

Coughing
Labored breathing
Dog tires easily
Fainting
Abdominal swelling


If you see these signs in your pet, call us immediately. We will conduct a blood test and, if heartworms are present, begin treatment.  The treatment itself is not without risks. The best way to protect your dog from heartworm disease is to keep your dog on heartworm preventative year
round. Adult heartworms can live in a dog's heart for several years and grow up to a foot long. Eventually, they can cause serious heart, lung, liver and kidney problems, and even death.


Is your dog at risk?

1. Does your dog spend more than a few minutes a day outdoors?

2. If your dog is currently on a monthly heartworm preventative, do you
ever miss a dose by more than 30 days?

3. Is your dog ever exposed to mosquitoes?

If you answered yes to one or more questions, your dog may
be at risk for deadly heartworm disease.



Facts About Injectable Heartworm Preventive (ProHeart® 6). (moxidectin):

Proheart 6 Website

Quick. When was the last time you gave your dog the monthly heartworm preventative? Or gave it on time?

Can't remember? You're not alone. One in three dog owners admits to occasionally missing the monthly heartworm dose.  Twenty percent eventually stop giving the preventative altogether.  This forgetfulness can leave your dog vulnerable to heart damage, organ failure, and even death.

ProHeart 6 is approved for use in dogs six months of age and older, including collies with known sensitivity to ivermectin. In addition to heartworm, ProHeart 6 is also indicated for the treatment of the canine hookworm, Ancylostoma caninum.

ProHeart 6 is the first heartworm preventative that provides six months of continuous protection in one dose. Unlike monthly pills, chunks or spot-ons you administer yourself, ProHeart 6 is an injection given by veterinarians.  No more wondering when or if you gave the heartworm preventative. No more worrying about underdosing or overdosing. Just a quick visit to the office,
and your best friend can be protected from deadly heartworm disease year 'round.


How it works


ProHeart 6 contains microspheres that release their medication slowly over time.

The active ingredient in ProHeart 6 is moxidectin, a parasite control agent widely used in dogs, horses, cattle and other animals worldwide. The moxidectin molecules are suspended in naturally absorbable microspheres.  Moxidectin is released from the microspheres at a rate sufficient to
prevent canine heartworm infection over an extended period of time. This advanced microsphere technology results in heartworm protection that lasts a full six months.


Proven safe and effective

ProHeart 6 has been extensively tested in target animal safety studies in a wide variety of dogs six months of age and older. ProHeart 6 is approved for use in dogs six months of age and older, including collies with known sensitivity to ivermectin and pregnant and nursing females.


What dog owners should know about ProHeart 6.

ProHeart 6 is generally well tolerated. Use with caution in sick, debilitated or underweight animals. A small percentage of dogs showed mild, transient swelling or itching at the injection site. While rare, digestive neurological or hypersensitivity reactions may occur. See the Package
Insert, or call for more information.



ITS TIME TO START FLEA AND TICK CONTROL


Keep your pets parasite free this spring - fleas cause significant allergies which shows up as itching, chewing and biting in both dogs and cats. Ticks are sources of dangerous diseases like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme Disease - diseases that can infect humans as well as their pets.

Some of our favorite flea products are Advantage and Frontline. Advantage is very effective in killing fleas on dogs and cats. Frontline is also for use on dogs and cats - it kills both fleas and ticks.

If you need stronger tick control, the Preventic collar is the best product available for dogs. Not only does the collar kill the ticks, it also provides a barrier preventive to keep the ticks off your pet; remember that topical spot ons kill parasites, but do not prevent them from getting on the pet.



FLEA FACTS:

*In 30 days, 10 female fleas can produce 4,000 new fleas. In turn, assuming half are females, that 4,000 can produce 80,000 fleas in 30 days.

*Fleas can jump 300,000 times without stopping. They can jump 50 times their length vertically or horizontally, and with a take-off acceleration of 50 times that of the space shuttle after lift off (140 g's).

*Fleas can remain frozen for a year and then survive.

*There are more than 1000 species of fleas in the world, with 238 species in North America.

*Fleas, ranging in size from hardly visible to 1/3 inch long, have been the transmitters of killer diseases such as bubonic plague and typhus.



ALLERGY SEASON IS UPON US


Atopy (or inhalant allergies) are very common in the spring. Many people and their pets suffer through this time of year due to allergies to certain types of pollen grains in the air and on the ground. It is no wonder that pollen is physically irritating to our noses and sinuses; under a
microscope, pollen grains appear like balls with spikes all over the surface. Our pets get a double dose of pollen because they breathe it in the air as well as snort it right off the ground.

In addition to being physically irritating to our systems, pollen also causes a type of inflammatory reaction in certain pets and people. People generally react with the classic hay fever symptoms - sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, tight chest, etc.... Pets on the other hand tend to react by itching, scratching, licking, and chewing their bodies...especially their rumps, sides and paws.


What can be done about these pesky allergies?

1. Bathe your pet frequently with oat meal shampoo (Episoothe is the best) in cool water. No hair dryer unless it is on a cool setting. Aveeno soaks added to the bathe seem to help also.

2. Antihistamines like Hydroxyzine offer relief in many cases. If this is not enough, we tend to use safe, but more potent anti-inflammatories (Vetalog, Pred, Temaril, etc...).

3. Wipe the pollen off your pets feet with a damp cloth after coming in from outside.

4. Schedule an exam/allergy injection if relief is not achieved with conservative methods at home.

5. Avoid walking your pet during peak pollen times (pollen counts are the highest on windy sunny days...especially the morning hours).

6. Consider allergy testing to identify exactly which allergies your pet has; from this information, a set of allergy injections can be made specifically to desensitize your pet the things that he or she is most allergic to.

7. Make sure that your dogs and cats are on Advantage or Frontline. The last thing that you want is secondary flea allergies developing on top of primary pollen allergies.


Best Regards!

Dr. Pennington
http://www.priestlakevet.com
priestlake@mindspring.com
615-361-4646