Citrus Animal Clinic

 

HEARTWORM NEWSLETTER
 
With warm weather come mosquitoes. They're a nuisance to you, but to your pets they are a deadly enemy. In a single bite, mosquitoes can transmit a dangerous parasite called heartworm to your dog or cat. Heartworms are blood parasites that make their home in your pet's heart and pulmonary arteries (in the lungs). Infection occurs when a mosquito picks up a microscopic heartworm by biting an infected animal and then biting your pet, depositing the worm in the process. The heartworm larvae then work their way through the blood stream. Heartworms can grow to be up to 14 inches in length, and they resemble strands of angel hair pasta. As the worms reach maturity and reproduce in your pet's arteries, they can cause serious illness including heart failure, difficulty breathing and even death. Heartworm can cause permanent damage in your pet long before symptoms begin to show (which can be as long as two years after infection). Year-round preventive medications are your pet's best defense.
 
Heartworms have been reported in all 50 states and in Canada, with the highest incidents in regions with a warm and wet season that supports a high concentration of mosquitoes. The threat of mosquito bites can be present the whole year through. You can help to reduce the likelihood of mosquitoes biting your pets by eliminating mosquito breeding sites in and around your home. Since mosquitoes need water to lay their eggs, look for any containers that might hold a puddle of water (especially following rain) and turn them over. Be sure to tip over cans, buckets and swimming pool covers, and avoid water sitting stagnant. Reducing the mosquito population near your home will increase your pet's chance for not contracting heartworms, and will make your family a lot more comfortable too.
 
Treating a heartworm infection can be risky and costly, and like any disease, taking preventive steps is a far better alternative. The currently available heartworm prevention medication is safe, effective and available in once-a-month doses. This preventive regimen can be started for your pet as early as 6 weeks of age, as soon as we determine that no adult heartworms have already infected your pet (this requires a simple blood test). In addition to heartworm, many prevention products protect against other parasites, such as fleas, ticks, roundworms and whipworms. Because heartworm prevention is so easy, we recommend that all pets (even indoor pets) be on heartworm prevention medicine. During your visit we can help you decide which approach will best keep your pet heartworm-free.
 
         Remember that in Florida, mosquitoes are a year round problem so we recommend heartworm prevention all year.  Be sure to give us a call or stop by so that we can help you determine what product best fits your pet's lifestyle.  Also ask us about our new monthly pill...Trifexis: which combines the popular Comfortis pill for fleas with a monthly heartworm prevention all in one convenient dose.  For those pets that are on Heartgard Plus and Frontline watch your mailbox for a great savings coupon.
 
****ProHeart6 is back, a convenient 6 month injection for Heartworm Prevention. Call and ask a staff memeber today about ProHeart6.
 
Flea & Tick Newsletter
 
If you’ve ever dealt with a flea infestation, you know. Fleas don’t just affect your pets – they can wreak havoc on your whole household! The best way to keep your pet, your home, and your family pest-free is to block them before they get through your door. Protecting your pet and home from fleas and ticks means protecting them from the diseases these pests carry, such as tapeworms and Lyme disease. Is your pet itchy? Some pets (and people) can develop skin allergies to flea or tick bites. Once fleas have infested your home, you must kill not only live adults, but also their eggs and larvae. If your pet spends much of its time outdoors or if you live in a wooded area, you may need to be especially mindful of ticks, too. When it comes to fleas and ticks, prevention is almost always easier than treating it. Ask us about the modern advancements in parasite prevention that are simple to administer, nontoxic, and best of all, more effective than older over-the-counter remedies.
 
Warmer weather brings fleas out of hiding, and in many parts of the country fleas are a threat year-round. These tiny wingless insects jump onto your pets, feast on their blood, and lay eggs, which can be carried into your home or yard. One flea can lay up to 50 eggs a day. Under ideal conditions, 25 fertile females can multiply into nearly half a million offspring in a month. Think your pet’s been spared? Better double check. Fleas are small and tough to spot. Pull back your pet’s fur with a comb and examine the skin for tiny black dots. These dots are flea feces. It’s also a good idea to check your carpets or your pet’s bedding – these are areas in which fleas love to hide. If you find traces of flea infestation, be sure to call us to for advice on ways to manage the problem.
 
A walk through the park or a hike in the woods can bring unwanted guests. Be sure to do a tick check on your pet when you come back indoors. Early tick removal is a great way to prevent transmission of disease. If you find a tick feeding on your dog or cat, don’t panic. To remove the tick, grasp firmly with tweezers as close as you can to pet’s skin, but be careful not to squeeze too hard. This can push saliva and the “guts” of the tick into your pet. Pull up on the tick gently, in one continuous twisting motion, making sure to get the whole tick, head and all. For the next few days, keep an eye on the area where the tick was, and make sure to bring your pet in at the first sign of any infection or change in your pet’s behavior.