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You Have Questions...

 
What is Giardia?
What is Mange?
When is my pet considered Senior?
What vaccines does my pet need? 
What is Heartworm?
What is Hookworm?
What is Roundworm?
What are Earmites?
Fleas and Ticks
What are Zoonotic  Diseases?
Dangers of dental disease.
How old is my pet?
Why does my dog itch?
What are Struvites and Oxalates?
What is Parvo?

plants poisonous to your pet
tips for traveling with your pet
what do i need to register my dog
We Have Answers!
Giardia is caused by a parasite which prevents proper absorption of nutrients, damages the delicate intestinal lining, and interferes with digestion.  While the most common symptom is diarrhea, infection can also result in dehydration, loss of appetite, and weight loss. While dogs have a high rate of Giardia infection, few will develop symptoms. Giardia most commonly causes clinical signs in dogs that have weakened immune systems, in dogs that have been exposed to an abnormally large number of the parasites, and in puppies.  Most dogs treated for Giardia will recover quickly. With proper preventive measures, few dogs will have a recurrence.  Giardia can infect humans. The clinical signs are similar to those reported for dogs.  When treating a pet with Giardia care should be taken to wash hands frequently and wash pet's bedding to discourage spread of the parasite to your family or even back to your pet.
Mange:  Sarcoptic mange, Sarcoptes scabeie var. canis, is one of the most uncomfortable skin diseases that a dog can contract.  Highly contagious, sarcoptic mange is caused by a mite and is transmissible to humans.  These mites burrow into a host animal's skin, causing scaling, yellowish crust, hair matting and loss, and severe itching.  Some dogs never develop the classic skin lesions, but will itch constantly year round. Pets with this condition may appear to have allergies.
Demodectic mange, otherwise known as "red mange", is a type of mange that occurs when abnormally high numbers of a mite called Demodex canis multiply on the skin.  This mite is normally present in a small numbers in the skin of healthy dogs, but when a dog's immune system becomes weakened, the mites can overgrow and cause disease resulting in inflammation of the skin, localized patches of hair loss, redness and scaling.  It is not uncommon for nursing puppies to become infected with this eight-legged skin parasite during the first two to three days of life.  The mites can be passed from the mother to the nursing puppies however, as the puppies grow and their immune systems become stronger, they can fight off the overdeveloping mite with little help.  It is possible for older dogs to develop demodex, but for them, the disease is much more serious. The infestation can be localized to a few areas of the body, or generalized, meaning that the mites are all over the body. Generalized demodicosis usually means that the dog has a serious underlying disease that is weakening the immune system, thereby making the dog susceptible to overgrowth of the Demodex mites.  Cats are not immune to mange and can also contract this disease.
Hookworms, Ancylostoma tubaeforme - can affect both cats and dogs, living on the animal’s blood.  They have a very hard mouth to resist collapse as they feed.  With their three sets of teeth the Hookworm grasps onto the inner surface of the small intestine and uses those teeth to pierce a blood vessel.  An anti-coagulant saliva-like substance is released which prevents the blood from clotting.  If they do release, the wound continues to bleed.   They can be very damaging, particularly in young animals, where they can cause diarrhea, anemia, weight loss and lethargy.  Your pet can pick up this worm almost anywhere!  They can even be born with them or obtain them through their mother's milk.  Often, a pet will pick it up walking through wet grass or even just lying on the ground where their body heat excites the larva and they go right through the thin skin of the abdomen.  When the Hookworm eggs find favorable conditions, such as moist soil or damp grass, larva can hatch in just  12 - 18 hours and then become free-living organisms ready to infect other animals.  Larva can live for many weeks without food waiting for a host to pass by.
Heartworm:  The normal host for Heartworm is the dog but cats are not immune to them.  Since Heartworm is spread by insects, an infective agent can be transferred with a mere bite.  Once in the system the Heartworm can develop into adult 5-7 inches long!  These adults prefer to live in the right ventricle of the heart and pulmonary arteries.  They can produce tens of thousands of microfilariae blocking capillaries and creating circulatory stress.  Puppies should be started on Heartworm preventative by 8 weeks of age and then blood tested at 7 months of age. Dogs should be tested on a regular basis, yearly if any doses of preventative have been missed and once every 2-3 years even if no doses were missed and preventative is given year around.   
Roundworms can lead to a host of medical problems in dogs, including stunted growth among puppies that are infected early in their development.  Puppies are more likely than adult dogs to develop serious symptoms.  Dogs and cats can develop adult worm infections within the digestive tract.  Almost all puppies are born already infected with roundworms, which are the most common intestinal parasite of the dog.  Toxocara canis, a species of roundworms, is capable of migrating across the infected mother dog's placenta and into the unborn puppies.  Neonates also can ingest the infective form of the roundworm when nursing infected milk from their mother.  Other possible modes of roundworm infection include either ingestion of infective eggs from the environment or from prey that harbor the parasite.  Large numbers of eggs can be spread into the environment by an infected dog.  Roundworm adults are fairly long, white, and tubular in shape and have been said to resemble half-lengths of spaghetti noodles.  These worms swim inside the small intestine and feed on the animal's digested food.  Because they can grow to be eight to 12 centimeters long, an infection of multiple adults is capable of causing inflammation and distention of the bowel loops.  This can lead to colic, interference with normal contractions of the intestines, and the inability to absorb the nutrients that the dog's body needs.  A severe roundworm infestation actually can result in a blockage of the intestines and possible death.
The larval stage of the roundworm can cause serious damage in the human, but they cannot develop into the adult form in species other than the dog or cat.  These eggs are a human health hazard if accidentally ingested and can cause vision impairment or other serious diseases.
Earmites:  All animals, including humans, can get mites.  They are highly contagious and are a common cause of many ear problems.   These mites can cause intense itching. Severe trauma to the infected area may result when the pet scratches the irritated skin.  Ear mites are found in cats of all ages, but kittens tend to be infected more commonly.  They can be found in dogs of all ages.
 
Zoonotic Diseases are diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans.  Basically, if your pet has it, you could catch it!!  Infections include giardia, ringworm, and rabies.  Some of the less common cases reported are Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Struvites and oxalates are crystals that can form in your pet's urine.  They are commonly associated with urinary tract infections though the crystals can form before the infections starts, and sometimes, after the infection is already there. These crystals, which are like fine sand irritate the bladder. They can also develop into much larger bladder stones, and even produce life threatening obstructions in the urinary tract.
Itching: The number one reason for veterinary visits is itchy animals! We’ll discuss a few of the most common reasons. First would be fleas. When your animal has fleas you will see the black flea dirt or droppings along the base of the tail. Since fleas suck blood from the animal, flea dirt is really just digested blood. That is why when you add water to the skin, the water turns very bloody. Fleas can lay 30-40 eggs daily so the fleas you see on your animal are just 5% of the problem. The eggs hatch into larva and then go into a pupa stage. Under ideal conditions you can go from egg to adult in 21 days. So in just a few weeks, you can go from just a few fleas to thousands of fleas. All these stages are in the environment and comprise 95% of the flea problem. Carpet shampoos and sprays, house foggers or bombs, and items of this sort treat the house environment. There are also sprays available for yard use. When an animal is allergic to fleas you will get an intense itchiness usually around the base of the tail and rear quarters and they might chew out large patches of fur. Flea treatment for animals is much improved today from that in the past. The topical flea treatments such as Advantage, Frontline, and Revolution will kill fleas on contact and last at least 1 month. Revolution can also treat internal parasites.

     The second common cause of itchiness is pollen allergies or hay fever. The itchiness typically involves the front end of the dog. They chew at their front feet, get itchy ears and rub their face on the ground. You will also see that this is very seasonal, usually spring and fall. Animals often get a very dry coat. Treatment is usually aimed at getting good coat condition with bathing, fatty acid supplements and sometimes food changes, and controlling the itchiness. This can involve cortisone injections and pills, and also antihistamines like Benadryl. Sometimes there will be secondary infections that need to be treated with antibiotics. Ear infections involve ear flushing, and medications for yeast and/or bacteria. As you can see, allergy problems can hopefully be controlled but will be recurrent every year around the same time. Some severely allergic dogs can be referred to dermatology specialists for skin testing and desensitization just as they do for human patients. This will help in about 75% of the animals.

     Another cause for itchiness is food allergies. This is much less common and harder to diagnose. Usually the itchiness is year-round and also involves the feet, ears, and sides. Sometimes a food allergy trial is performed using a specific allergen-free food. Sometimes trials are done using novel protein diets, such as rabbit, venison, or fish. These are very strict allergy diets that need to be monitored by a veterinarian since no other kind of food may be given during this time.

     There are other causes of itchiness as well, including mange and other parasites, but the above causes are among the most common. Hopefully, with the help of your veterinarian, you will be able to get your beloved pet through the hot months ahead with minimal problems and stress to everyone.
Parvo is a highly contagious viral illness that usually affects young puppies.  In very young puppies it can infect the heart muscle and lead to "sudden" death.  Parvovirus is transmitted from one dog to another via the infected animal's feces. Parvovirus works by temporarily destroying the lining of the intestinal tract so that very little or no food or liquid can be absorbed. As a result, dogs that become infected with parvovirus may experience bloody diarrhea, severe vomiting, weight loss, and fever. In addition, because parvovirus also affects the immune system, limiting it from producing the white blood cells that protect against infection, dogs with the virus may develop other diseases.  It is rare for an adult dog more than two years of age to get sick from parvovirus. Rather, puppies are the most severely infected by the disease, and without appropriate medical attention, they may not survive the illness. However, there is a vaccine against parvovirus that should be given to puppies as a series early in their lives, and repeated every 3 years thereafter. The cost of treatment is much more expensive than the cost of proper vaccination. In addition, keeping the environment free of feces can deter the spread of parvovirus, as feces can remain infective within grounds for several months.  To help prevent spread of the disease clean up all the dog's stools immediately, use a 1:30 ratio of chlorine bleach and water to clean food and water bowls (4 oz. in 1 gallon of water), wash any bedding the dog has been in contact with in this same bleach solution and hot water. You should also try to disinfect any other areas that the dog has been, like linoleum, concrete kennels, crates, etc.  If you have any other dogs that are two years old or younger, or who have never been vaccinated for parvo or a dog who is overdue for a booster, please bring them in for a booster as soon as possible.  Also, a home and/or dog that has been infected with parvo should remain isolated from dogs for at least 1 month.

This is a very serious disease. Some puppies infected with parvovirus will die despite prompt and adequate treatment. While no extremely accurate statistics are available, a good guess is probably that 80% of puppies treated for parvovirus will live. Without treatment, probably 80% or more of the infected puppies would die.

Due to the high death rate, parvovirus gets a lot of free publicity. Many people just assume that any case of diarrhea in a dog is from parvovirus. This is not true. There are a lot of other diseases and disorders that lead to diarrhea. If you have a puppy, don't take any chances. Have your puppy examined by your vet if diarrhea is a factor in any disease. It is better to be safe than to be sorry.

If your dog becomes infected with parvovirus, he has about a 50-50 chance of survival. If he makes it through the first three to four days, he will usually make a rapid recovery, and be back on his feet within a week. It is vital, however, that he receives supportive therapy immediately. It must be stressed that this is not a bad case of doggy flu; without medical treatment, most puppies die.