ParvoVirus: The Puppy Killer

With the amount of Parvo cases we have already had this Spring, it is time to write a post about this potentially deadly disease.

 

What is it?

Parvovirus is a highly contagious virus that unvaccinated young dogs and puppies under 4 months of age are highly susceptible to.  This virus affects the gastrointestinal tract of dogs that are exposed.  This virus is spread by dog to dog contact, and if an unvaccinated puppy is around any infected stool from a dog that has parvo.  This virus contaminates all surfaces and inanimate objects.  It can live on clothes, human hands, shoes, water bowls, concrete, grass- basically anything that has been touched by a dog that is parvo positive will harbor the virus on its surface for a VERY LONG TIME.  It can live in the soil for over a few years.  Meaning if you just rented a new house and you have a puppy that has not been vaccinated, and you let them out to potty, it is possible that they can get parvo.  Are you scared yet?  Let’s talk some more about parvo.

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When I first started working at Independence approximately 3 years ago, I had no idea what Parvo even was.  Sure, I knew it was important to vaccinate puppies, but I had never actually witnessed what can happen to the puppies that are not vaccinated.  I learned very quickly the destruction it can cause.  It is so contagious, that at one time when I had my own puppy at home, I would not touch him or get near him until all of my clothes from work were changed and put into the washer with bleach.  So much so that I would take my shoes off at work and wear rubber boots to walk from my car to my home.

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Symptoms

The first signs of parvo tend to be lethargy and inappetence, followed by vomiting and diarrhea.  Fever is common, along with abdominal pain and bloating.  Puppies tend to vomit constantly, and sometimes will have liquid and bloody diarrhea.  With all of that going on, dehydration happens quickly and can cause septic shock.  Puppies tend to die from this amount of dehydration, that has a rapid onset and quickly progresses.  Most deaths from Parvo occur 48-72 HOURS after onset of symptoms.  This can happen even faster in very small puppies (think Chihuahua, Yorkshire Terriers).  The incubation period for Parvo is 7-14 days.  This means that after your puppy comes into contact with the parvo virus, within the 7-14 days they will start to get sick and start showing these symptoms.

 

Diagnosis

When we get a call about a young puppy that has been having some diarrhea, and then started vomiting, our first thought is always parvo.  Multiplied by ten when we discover that the puppy has not ever had vaccines.  We do have a test for Parvo that

Positive Parvo Test

takes about ten minutes to run in the clinic.  We take a sample from the puppy and put it into the test.  One dot means negative, two dots means Parvo positive.  The top dot in the center appears as a control, to let us know that the test is working properly.  The second, darker spot is positive.  And then we have to get to work very quickly if we hope to save that puppy.

 

Treatment

There is no “cure” for Parvo, as it is a virus.  We have to let it run it’s course.  Basically, treatment consists of supportive care to hopefully keep the puppy alive while its body takes on the biggest battle of their short lives, until their immune system is strong enough to fight off the virus on its own.  We immediately bring the puppy into the back, and get started setting an IV to deliver fluids to bring the puppy back from the brink of shock due to dehydration.  We start medications to support the gastrointestinal tract to reduce vomiting and diarrhea, which also helps to slow down the level of dehydration.  And we also start antibiotics to ward off any secondary infections because the immune system is so compromised.  Some cases that are really bad, must have a blood or plasma transfusion.  The problem with Parvo is simply how contagious it is.  We literally have a complete Parvo Battle suit that any one of us that treats parvo has to suit up to be able to touch the puppies.  One of the hardest things about treating a parvo case is when the puppy looks up at you and just wants to be comforted and held, but you’re wearing so much gear to protect from the spread of the virus that you can’t just pick them up and hold them.  Here is a picture of Dr. Sam treating a recent Parvo case.

 

As you can tell, the parvo puppies must be kept in complete isolation.  Which also does not help their spirits much.  They don’t understand why they are alone or that whenever they see a human they are dressed in all that weird gear.

Sometimes the puppies come in and they are already laid flat out and are barely responsive.  These are the hardest cases to battle against and reverse the odds for the puppy.  Early recognition and aggressive treatment is the number one aid to a successful outcome, but even having this on our side, not all puppies survive.  We do have a very good record at the clinic- usually we can save them.  But there are those few that have already gone so far down, it is hard to bring them back from the brink.  Usually these are the tiny 2-3 pound puppies that we have the hardest time saving.  When they are so small, are already dehydrated, are anemic and have lost the look in their eyes of wanting to survive, it is a very uphill battle.

 

Prevention

    Are you worried about parvo yet?  While it is not really my goal to scare our readers, I do want to inform you.  And by letting you see how deadly this disease can be, it may secure a few more people to realize just how easily it is prevented.

So the big question… how is this deadly disease prevented?  Wait for it… VACCINES!!  I know, I know, sounds too simple to be true.  And really, it is not just as simple as giving one vaccine.  So let me explain:

When puppies are born, they are given maternal antibodies against viruses from their mother while in utero and also by drinking milk once born.  If the mother has been vaccinated, it gives the puppies a leg up over a litter whose mother was not vaccinated.  Now, as the puppies grow, those maternal antibodies begin to diminish.  Enter vaccines, stage left.  While these maternal antibodies are starting to diminish, we come in and give the puppies vaccines at intervals to hopefully time take over when the maternal antibodies are completely gone.  While they still have those antibodies from mom in their system, it makes the vaccine not as powerful.  So, we begin vaccinating puppies at 7-8 weeks, 11-12 weeks, and 15-16 weeks.  By giving the puppies three vaccines, we are upping their immunity, and also have a higher chance of getting full blown immunity at the exact time the mother’s antibodies leave the puppy’s system.  Usually by 16 weeks, all maternal antibodies are gone, so finishing the vaccine protocol at this time is the goal.  Now I know a few people will be saying “well heck, I’ll just wait until my pup is 16 weeks old and get him one vaccine then”.  While “normally” all maternal antibodies are out of the system by 16 weeks, this does not mean that it is the case with every puppy.  Some puppies might lose maternal antibodies at 9 weeks.  Or 10, or 6.  Basically, we have no idea when each individual puppy will lose these antibodies.  So, we do the best and recommended protocol, by vaccinated at 7-8 weeks, and following with two boosters 3-4 weeks apart.

 

Another good practice for prevention, is to keep your puppy away from unvaccinated or strange dogs.  Don’t take them to the dog park until they have had all of their vaccines.  As we discussed earlier, Parvo is such a hardy disease, it can be waiting anywhere.  Until your puppy has had all of their shots, I would recommend staying home.  Taking them outside to potty, and then bringing them back inside.  I see lots of young puppies being pulled around on leashes when I go to my step-son’s baseball games.  Every time I see one, I worry about their risk of getting parvo, and wonder if the owners have any idea about the risk.

 

The next thing I want to mention.  Distemper/Parvo vaccines are $16.  If you add in Lepto (a bacteria that dogs of any age can get), it is $18.  The general treatment for Parvo is bordering right at $1000, sometimes a little less, sometimes a little more.  And we can’t always guarantee survival.  That’s a lot of money and a lot of heartache that could have been avoided for a $16 vaccine.

 

A few more things I wanted to mention.  There is a lot of talk out there about over vaccinating, and using homeopathic treatment to treat a puppy for parvo.  If this is something you’re interested in, I can’t stop you.  But please be aware of how quickly this virus can progress to a fatality.  And if what you’ve been doing at home hasn’t been working, realize that we are already starting off behind the ball when you finally do bring the puppy to us.  It is hard as a veterinary field member to lose a puppy to parvo.  It’s even harder because we know it could have been prevented.  I can’t tell you the number of parvo cases we have had to just put down because the owner did not have the money for treatment, or opted not to spend that amount of money.  Even the process of euthanizing cost more than the vaccine that could have prevented the puppy from getting the virus in the first place.
So, if you’re getting a puppy, please be sure to educate yourself, and get that pup vaccinated.  If your friend is getting a puppy, send them over to this blog to educate themselves, and demand that they vaccinate their puppy.

Heartworm Awareness

April is National Heartworm Awareness Month and to encourage owners to test for heartworms, Independence Small Animal Clinic is offering 15% off of heartworm tests along with 5% off of the purchase of 6 months of heartworm prevention, and 10% off of 12 months of prevention.  Knowing the heartworm status of your dog is the first step in providing prevention, and protecting your dog from this deadly disease.  

Heartworm disease can kill your dog.  It is something that is easily preventable, but many people do not understand the risks their dogs face.

<– This picture shows mature heartworms in the heart of a dog that died from complications of heartworm disease.

 

First, let’s discuss what heartworm disease is.  Heartworms are transmitted via mosquitos.  After a bite from an infected mosquito,heartworm larvae migrate through the tissue. After three months, they enter the bloodstream and end up in the pulmonary artery of the heart. Left untreated, larvae can grow into adult worms in just over 6 months (reaching one foot in length!)—leading to heart, lung, liver, kidney damage and eventually death.

As we all know, mosquitoes are constantly around in our small Texas town.  Especially with the not-so-winter “winter” that we had, we know that all types of bugs are going to be out in full force.  This raises the chances that your dog will be bit by a mosquito that has fed on another dog that has heartworms, and will transmit them to your dog.

It is frustrating to see how many dog owners do not think that heartworms will affect their pet, when the numbers are out there to prove that it more than likely will affect them. According to the Companion Animal Parasite Council, 19.38% of all heartworm positive cases in the United States are in Texas. Here is a map showing the prevalence of heartworm disease in Cooke County.  

Map from: http://capcvet.org/parasite-prevalence-maps/

Have you seen 11 dogs today while you were out driving somewhere in town? One of them is heartworm positive in Cooke County.  Luckily, prevention is very affordable and easy.  This past Saturday I was in an appointment with a client with two dogs, that they weren’t planning on heartworm testing because they had been on prevention off and on.  I explained the importance of keeping them on prevention EVERY SINGLE MONTH, and they decided to test.  Unfortunately, both dogs tested heartworm positive.  It is heartbreaking to see the owner’s reaction when they learn their dog is positive, and most owners feel a sense of guilt when they realize how affordable monthly prevention is.  

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We do not want any owner to ever feel guilty for not doing something.  This is why we always try to give our clients all of the different options we can offer.  We want you to feel knowledgeable and informed, and able to make the best decisions for your pet’s health.  Remember, when we look at your pets, we are seeing our pets at home waiting for us.  The reason we are in this industry is because we love animals, so we always want what is best for them.  And we all know that owners love their animals the same way we love ours, they are just not as informed as we are.  So this is why we have started this blog.

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Let’s discuss a few myths about heartworms that we generally hear on a daily basis at the clinic.

Myth #1:  “My dog lives inside, so I don’t have to worry about them getting heartworms”.

Ever leave the door open while you’re bringing in groceries?  Or crack a window open?  Mosquitoes have to feed on blood to survive, so they are very good at finding something to feed on.  They actually pick up the carbon dioxide that all living things exhale, and use that as a map to find us to have a meal.  Even if your dog never goes outside, and uses potty pads in the house, there is not a house out there that has never had a mosquito in it.

Myth #2:  “I only need to keep my dog on heartworm prevention during the hot months of the year”.

Another downfall of the heat aspect of Texas is that it never really gets so cold as to kill off all mosquitos.  While we may have a few weeks of freezing temperatures (except for this last winter), there are multitudes of mosquitoes just waiting for the temperatures to climb above freezing to come out to attack. We always recommend to keep your dog on Heartworm prevention year round.  Also, our heartworm preventions also prevent parasites (which I wrote about a last month, if you missed it, take a look here: Parasite Prevention Month ).  That added protection is great for year round prevention of parasites AND heartworms.

Myth #3:  “If I have my dog on heartworm prevention, I don’t need to ever test for heartworm infection”.

It is important to always know the status of your dog.  Even if you miss one month of heartworm prevention, it is possible for your dog to become heartworm positive.  Knowing their status is critical to treatment.

Myth #4:  “It’s just as cheap to treat heartworms as to prevent it”.

This is completely FALSE!  Treatment for heartworms is not only expensive, but it can be dangerous, and is painful for your dog.  They have to have immiticide (a type of arsenic) injections into their back in three doses spread out over two months.  They must be strictly kenneled (for approximately 3 months) and not allowed to run or get excited as they run the risk of possibly suffering from a blood clot in their lungs that could kill them.  Not only is it a painful process, but many dogs become depressed.  They don’t understand why they aren’t allowed to play with you or run anymore.  We had a small Yorkie in for heartworm treatment a few weeks ago.  I went to get her out of her kennel to take her on a short leash walk to potty, and when I lifted her up (by the belly), she screamed like I had stabbed her.  Aside from scaring me, it broke my heart.  She was in a lot of pain from her injection, and even though I didn’t touch her back, simply lifting her up put her in pain.  When we have dogs in the hospital for treatment, they spend a lot of time in their kennels just trying to find a comfortable position to lie down.  Of course they are given pain medication, but it doesn’t make the pain completely disappear.  Why put your dog through that when you can keep them on heartworm prevention for less than $10 a month?

What this all comes down to is PREVENTION!  Prevention is key.  It could save a lot of heartache (and not to mention cash), just to protect your beloved dog from heartworms.

If you don’t currently have your dog on a heartworm prevention, or have not tested for heartworms, give the clinic a call.  We would be happy to see you and your dog, answer any questions you might have, and help you get on the right track with a monthly prevention.  Use this month and the specials we are running as a time to finally take that step and give your dog the best care you can offer by protecting them from this deadly disease.  Your dog will thank you for it.

 
          -Your Veterinary Technician

Easter Warnings

With Easter less than a week away, I decided this week’s blog post should hit on a few things that we wish people outside of the veterinary field would know.  It’s strange sometimes to realize that pet owners don’t know some of the things that we mistake as common knowledge.  Being in the veterinary field is definitely different than any other field I have ever worked.  While we come across many things in our day to day work at the clinic, there are those certain types of incidents (usually the ones that do not end well and that seem to stem from some harmless action) that have the biggest effect on us.  Something that could have been easily prevented, if only the knowledge had been given to the owner prior to the incident.  I think this is one of the things that has stimulated this blog.  Aside from just keeping clients up to date on different happenings at the clinic, informing you all about different things that can cause harm to your pets is one of our goals.  Knowledge = power.  Okay, I’m getting a little teary eyed after that brief heart to heart, so let’s move on.

Easter is a wonderful time.  But it also brings all kinds of potential harm to your beloved pets into your household.  What things can you think of about Easter that could cause problems for your dogs or cats?  I’m guessing a few of you thought of chocolate.  Great job.

Chocolate

Chocolate is considered poisonous to dogs, and they should never be allowed to eat it.  So, just be sure to keep an eye on any chocolate.  Keep it up high and out of your pet’s reach.  Make sure any children or grandchildren coming over to hunt for Easter eggs do not try to share their goodies with your dog.  I have a stepson whom I have convinced from a very young age that any amount of chocolate will kill our dogs.  He is now 11 years old, but just last week he dropped a piece of his candy bar and basically tackled our 100 pound dog that went to inspect the dropped food, scooping it off the ground and looking to me triumphantly.  Yes, I realize a few of you out there might be thinking this is overkill, but it does get the message across.  Here is a more adult explanation of why chocolate is bad for dogs:

Chocolate is poisonous to dogs; however, the hazard of chocolate to your dog depends on the type of chocolate, the amount consumed and your dog’s size. In large enough amounts, chocolate and cocoa products can kill your dog.  (Thus the small dropped bite to our 100lb dog would not have caused harm, however, I’m not going to discern between what is a safe amount and what isn’t to my stepson.  It is just off limits to dogs).  The toxic component of chocolate is theobromine. Humans easily metabolize theobromine, but dogs process it much more slowly, allowing it to build up to toxic levels in their system.

• A large dog can consume more chocolate than a small dog before suffering ill effects.
• A small amount of chocolate will probably only give your dog an upset stomach with vomiting or diarrhea.
• With large amounts, theobromine can produce muscle tremors, seizures, an irregular heartbeat, internal bleeding or a heart attack. The onset of theobromine poisoning is usually marked by severe hyperactivity.

The usual treatment for theobromine poisoning is to induce vomiting within two hours of ingestion. If you are worried or suspect that your dog may have eaten a large quantity of chocolate and they are showing any of the signs listed above, call us immediately.

Independence Small Animal: (940) 668-8282 Extension 1

A single piece of chocolate should not be a problem. A single piece doesn’t contain a large enough theobromine dosage to harm your dog; however, if you have a small dog that has eaten a box of chocolates, you need to call us right away. Do not wait.

Different chocolate types have different theobromine levels. Cocoa, cooking chocolate and dark chocolate contain the highest levels, while milk chocolate and white chocolate have the lowest. If you’re dealing with any quantity of dark or bitter chocolate, err on the side of caution. The high level of theobromine in dark chocolate means it takes only a very small amount to poison a dog. Less than an ounce of dark chocolate may be enough to poison a 44-pound dog.

Another danger to our pets at Easter time: The stringy green fake easter grass stuff.  What is it called?  Who knows.  If you happen to know, post it in the comment section below this post!  I could look it up, but I don’t particularly like typing the word “thingy” on my google search.  It sounds unprofessional.  And, obviously, that’s not me.  😉

Stringy Green Fake Easter Grass

Cats love anything that moves.  This is much like tinsel on the tree at Christmas time.  This is a HUGE danger, that can easily be avoided.  Cats love to play with it, and what do cats do when they play?  They paw and claw and pull things into their mouths.  What happens when they accidentally ingest this tinsel or stringy fake Easter grass?  They can suffer from a Linear Foreign Body.  This is an emergency situation and requires surgery.  The ingested string type object can “gather up” and shred delicate tissues like the intestinal tract.  It is important to not pull on any visible thread, as this can cause further damage.  It basically causes the intestines to “accordion up” on itself.  If too much time has passed, the tissue in the intestinal tract can lose blood flow, and eventually parts of the intestine begin to die.  Once this happens, there is nothing that we can do to repair this.

The top 3 drawings show the action of the intestine as it “accordions up” on the string.

The lower illustration is the outside view of a section of intestine with a string foreign body.

We have had more than one client bring in their cat that was not eating or drinking, straining to defecate and vomiting.  After getting the history from the owner, and asking if the cat plays with string, the owner suddenly realizes they saw Fluffy playing with sewing string, tinsel, or stringy green Easter grass before they started acting sick.  We take the cat to surgery, and find it inside their intestine.  This is something that can take the life of your cat, but can easily be avoided by being careful about the things you decorate your house with, or leave lying around.  The hair ties that we all use to put our hair into a ponytail can also create the same problems.  The following pictures are from an actual surgery we did at the clinic to remove a piece of ribbon from a cat.

                                

Notice the accordion style of the intestine in the first picture.  The second picture shows the removal of the ribbon.  The ribbon was SO LONG.  The Doctor had to cut the ribbon multiple times and make multiple incisions in the intestine to get all of it out.  All in all, I would estimate the length to be approximately 12 inches.  So don’t ever think that because a piece of ribbon or tinsel is long, that your cat won’t manage to swallow the entire thing.  This is a very delicate surgery, and can come with a wide range of complications. Happily, this patient made a full recovery, and is doing well today.  Not all cases end so well.

The final Easter Pet Danger that I want to inform you of is one of the worst we ever have to deal with.  Often, it results in the death of your pet.  And it is very hard for us to see something like this, that if only people were informed, their pet would not be gone.

Lily Poisoning in Cats

Most people have no idea that Lilies are deadly to cats.  Stargazer lilies, Easter lily, Day lily, Asian lily and Tiger lily, are popular choices for holiday bouquets and are the favorites of many gardeners.  What makes lilies poisonous is still unknown, but it is known that the toxin is soluble in water and deadly. Cats suffer from kidney failure after ingesting even tiny amounts of this plant and flower.  The most toxic component is the flower itself, but all parts of this flower are toxic. As little as one or two plant pieces have caused deaths in animals. Even the pollen is toxic to cats.  If you have ever been near one of these plants, you will notice the large amounts of pollen that fall from the stamen – on table tops, your nose, and clothing.  The pollen is yellow to orange (depending on the lily) and gets everywhere. Cats who have pollen on them should be bathed, as they ingest pollen when they groom themselves.  The first signs of Lily poisoning usually develop within 6-12 hours after ingestion. Following are the first clinical signs see with Lily Toxicity:

Vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite, tremors and seizures.  Kidney failure usually follows, within 36-72 hours of ingestion, showing these types of signs: increased thirst, increased urination at first, then lowered urine output, then no urine output, dehydration, and death.

Treatment includes hospitalization, aggressive IV fluid therapy and protection of the GI tract.  But usually, our efforts end up to be futile.  While we have saved some, most do not make it.  Mortality rate has been reported as high as 100% with lily toxicity if untreated or treated later than 18 hours after exposure. Early, aggressive treatment by a veterinarian has a good prognosis.

One of the hardest cases I have been a part of was a client that brought her cat in because he was acting sick.  We discovered through getting his history that they had just had a death in the family and their house was full of different bouquets of flowers.

My suggestion to any cat owners is to simply not have any type of Lily in your home.  It is not worth the risk.  This is one of the things that we wish EVERYONE knew about.  It could have saved some lives of our feline friends.  I have discovered a petition started that if it gets enough signatures, would require all retailers of lilies to very clearly label them as toxic to cats.  Some retailers already do include a small statement, but it is not very clear and does not draw any attention to itself.  If you are interested in reading or signing the petition, copy and paste this link into your browser:

https://www.change.org/p/flower-retailers-david-cameron-mp-cat-lovers-fight-to-label-lilies-as-lethal-labellilieslethal

I hope I didn’t ruin anyone’s love of Easter!  The only thing to keep in mind is just to be aware.  Knowing the dangers better prepares you to avoid them, and to keep an eye out for different potential hazards to your pet.  Our pets don’t realize the dangers they face, but as their caretakers, it is our responsibility to protect them from these dangers.  While they may not realize you’re doing it, your pet will always thank you for it.
-Your Veterinary Technician

Fleas: Public Enemy Number#1

With the strange “winter” we have had, I’ve decided to write this week’s blog post about Public Enemy #1: The Flea.  We are already seeing large amounts of flea infestations on pets that come in that are not on any type of flea prevention, and all of the problems that come along with these exasperating creatures (think skin infections, anemia).

Did you know that a pet that has 25 fleas can be bitten 600 times per day? OUCH!

Lots of people think that fleas are just annoying and irritating.  But did you know that fleas can actually kill pets?  If you think about it, we all know that fleas are bloodsucking creatures- now think of a pet that has a very heavy infestation- tons of fleas are all drinking that animal’s blood.  Enough fleas drinking blood, and they can cause a slow and life-threatening amount of blood loss.  Especially to very small or young animals.  We have seen multiple puppies and kittens come in to the clinic with white gums, near death because they have so many fleas that the fleas are literally sucking them dry.  It’s incredibly sad to see a young animal struggling to live because of something that can be prevented.  (Just a note here- more often than not, we are able to help to save these puppies and kittens, but sometimes they are already too far gone).

The first defense against fleas is to understand your enemy.  Did anyone see the movie “Starship Troopers”?  Remember the line “to defeat the bug, we must know the bug!”  No?  Well it was one of those 90s movies that is easily forgotten until you need a line about combating bugs.  Anyways, let’s explore the life cycle of our enemy, shall we?   This information is taken from VeterinaryPartner.com:

Stage 1: Egg

At any given time about one third of the flea population in someone’s home is in the egg stage.  The adult female flea lays up to 40 eggs daily.  The eggs are laid on the host and fall off to hatch in the environment.  Eggs incubate best in high humidity and temperatures of 65-80 degrees.  (How many of us have our home between these temperatures?  I know I do)     

Stage 2: Larvae

The larvae are like little caterpillars crawling around the home feeding on flea dirt (which is actually flea poop) that fall off the host.  The length of time spent in the larval stage is dependant on environmental conditions.  It can be as short as 9 days.  Larvae are killed at 95 degrees.  This means that they must live in some area where they are protected from the summer heat.  (Since we all know in summer it is even 95 degrees in the shade in our wonderful part of Texas, this means that most larval stage fleas are living in our homes- yikes!)

Stage 3: Pupae

This is the stage where the to-be flea makes a cocoon and are turning into the flea that we are all familiar with.  This stage is especially common to find in carpet, where they are protected- but don’t think that since you have hardwood floors that you are safe- they also like to live inside the cracks between the wood or tile!  After the pupae develops, it does not have to hatch right away- it waits for the perfect time.  The mature pupae is able to detect vibrations and waits to emerge until it detects a nearby host.

I remember one time when I was a kid and we had been on vacation for a few weeks in the summer.  We had taken our dog with us and boarded our cats.  When we returned home and walked in the door, fleas attacked.  It was insane, startling and kind of scary.  They were jumping everywhere and going crazy looking for a host!  My Dad (who surprisingly always just put up with me bringing random animals home) was very upset and put us in a hotel for the night and they called an exterminator out.  Our pets were always kept on flea prevention after that incident.

Stage 4: The Fed Flea

After the adult flea finds your pet and has its first blood meal, and it goes through some metabolic changes.  If the fed flea is separated from its host, it will die in a few weeks without a blood meal.  WEEKS!  The female flea begins to produce eggs within 24 to 48 hours of her first blood meal.  They get going quick on making more fleas!

The average lifespan of an adult flea is 4-6 weeks.  But don’t worry, there are so many more to take the place of those that die.

Basically what we’re getting at here is this: Flea prevention is very important.  Aside from the health issues fleas can cause your pet, who wants their home to be full of fleas?  And don’t we all want to cuddle with our pets?  I bet you wouldn’t if you actually knew how many fleas were on them.  Just remember that just because you can’t see the fleas, does not mean that your pet doesn’t have them or that they aren’t in your house.  Flea prevention is applied once every 30 days, and we have many options to choose from ranging from topicals, pills, or chewy treats.  And while you’re at it, get a combination prevention that can protect your pet against heartworms as well.  Your pet will thank you for it.
-Your Veterinary Technician                                                                                              

Parasite Prevention Month

During the month of March, the clinic is going to be having a special for Parasite Awareness, so I decided to write this week’s post about the different parasites that your pet can get, how we diagnose those parasite infections, and how we will treat them.  I said last week that hopefully the next post would not be as gross, and while this one does not specifically deal with something such as anal glands, I must admit, parasites and worms are still pretty gross.  This is a fairly long post, but I promise, there is plenty of learning to be had!!

Our clinic is offering 15% off of fecal exams and 10% off of dewormers (medication used to treat intestinal parasites) for the month of March.

Parasites are not only nasty, but they can in some cases be life threatening.  I will be covering the major parasites that we see on a regular basis and treat often at the clinic.  Parasite infection can be easily diagnosed by running a fecal exam on your pet, and generally are easily treatable with a deworming program.

 First, we will start with what is known as the “Big Four” of parasites- Roundworms, Hookworms, Whipworms and Tapeworms.  

Roundworms, hookworms and whipworms are all parasites that live within the gastrointestinal tract and some of these worms can even live outside of the GI tract.  All worm types have a different kind of life cycle (see the extended article to read more about these lifecycles), but the basics are this: an infected dog has adult worms that lay eggs into the GI tract, these eggs are then passed along to the outside world when your pooch poops.  The larvated eggs develop in the environment and are then picked up again by an unsuspecting victim that is usually grooming themselves, minding their own business and licking eggs that were in infected soil that attached to their coats.  In the case of the hookworm, they are also infected by skin contact to infected soil.  Meaning when your pet walks onto infected soil, these worms actually migrate through the skin.  OH MY GOSH.  Disgusting!  And, not to freak you out even more, (although it will), hookworms are zoonotic.  Meaning they can also infect humans.  Makes you want to make sure you or your kids never walk barefoot on white sandy beaches or nice looking yards again, right?  Right.  Anyways, so the eggs are ingested or picked up through the ground and then go through a long process to mature inside of your pet.  Once matured, these worms can cause a multitude of problems.  Diarrhea, weight loss, anemia, you name it, worms can most likely cause it.  Let’s talk about a few issues from certain parasite infections.

Roundworms

We see roundworms generally on a daily basis at the clinic.  They are most common in puppies and kittens because they can be passed from mother to baby in utero or while nursing from a mother that is infected.  A heavy load of roundworms can kill young puppies and kittens, which is why we always recommend having a fecal exam done at their first appointment for vaccines (earlier if possible!)

Roundworms are a common cause of diarrhea in young animals and can cause vomiting as well.  These worms can even be vomited up!  EWW!  Roundworms consume the host’s food, and can lead to that general unhealthy look, and a pot-bellied appearance.

Hookworms

Hookworms, as described in the name, have little hooks on their mouth pieces that they use to attach themselves to the intestinal wall of the host.  While other parasites feed on the host’s food, hookworms actually feed by drinking their host’s blood.  This, as you can imagine, can be incredibly harmful to young animals, or older debilitated animals.  If the parasite load is heavy enough, these nasty parasites can actually take so much blood from the host that it can cause anemia and death.   

Whipworms

These adult worms embed themselves in the lining of the intestine and like the hookworm, suck blood.  Whipworms in large numbers cause tremendous inflammation that can result in a bloody, gooey diarrhea (sorry for the image there!)  The diarrhea will readily become chronic and hard to control.

Tapeworms

Tapeworms are incredibly gross.  Not that the others are not, but we see A LOT of tapeworm infections up at the clinic.  Have you ever noticed little pieces of white, rice type objects around Fluffy’s butt?  Or maybe on his bedding?  Or maybe on your bed?  You guessed it.  Tapeworm segments.  Tapeworms are a little different than the other parasites we have discussed thus far.  Tapeworms must actually mature inside of a flea.  So, the flea goes about its normal business of sucking the blood of your cat or dog, when to its horror, it is licked away by your pet and ingested.  This is the tapeworm’s time to shine.  The flea body is digested, and the young tapeworm is released.  The tapeworm then uses its six rows of teeth (shudder) to grab on to the intestinal wall of the host.  They feed by robbing your pet of their nutrients.

Before we go on to treatment and prevention of parasites, I want to be sure to mention Coccidia.

This parasite is very common in young puppies or kittens, or animals that are housed in large groups (such as a kennel, shelter, or rescue area), however: This is not an indication of poor animal husbandry or care.  The animal will suffer from bloody, watery diarrhea.  This can be life threatening to young or very small pets.  Coccidia is so common in young animals, that it is recommended to have a routine fecal test as soon as possible, whether diarrhea has been seen or not.  The diarrhea associated with Coccidia can result in many complicating and serious issues.   

Diagnosis:  To diagnose a parasite infection, we simply take a sample of stool from your pet and set it up for ten minutes in a special solution with a microscope slide sitting on top of the solution.  Basically what happens is all of the parasite eggs float to the top and get stuck to the microscope slide.  After ten minutes, we take the slide (using gloves, of course!) and check it out under the microscope.  This is where we will find the parasite eggs that tell us exactly what we’re dealing with.  It is not uncommon to find more than one type of parasite in young puppies or kittens, and dogs and cats that have not ever been dewormed.  Here are a few photos of what some of the eggs look like under the microscope:

Roundworm

Hookworm

Whipworm

Coccidia

 

Treatment:  Depending on what type of parasite infection your pet has, we will use a liquid dewormer such as Strongid, Panacur or Toltrazuril.  For tapeworm infections we generally turn to Drontal, which is a pill.  When we know what infection we are dealing with, the doctors will choose the appropriate medication.  Usually we prescribe the use of a dewormer for a few days in a row to get rid of all of the parasites.
Prevention includes basic animal husbandry practices like picking up your dog’s poop frequently, or cleaning the litter box as often as possible.  Yay for you!  Tapeworms can only be prevented by preventing fleas, meaning keeping your pet on a flea prevention every 30 days is very important.

Heartworm preventions, along with their awesome ability to prevent heartworm infection, are also parasite preventatives.  Heartgard Plus, Trifexis and Advantage Multi are all medications that prevent most of the parasites mentioned today, and when given properly every 30 days, are very effective.

So, what to do with your new found parasite information, besides wow all of your friends?  Call and schedule an appointment to have your dog checked out!  March is the perfect month to do this with the specials we are currently running, don’t forget: 15% off Fecal Exams and 10% off deworming medications, so give the clinic a call to set up your appointment today!  And if anything, remember this information any time you or someone you know gets a new puppy or kitten as intestinal parasites can take the life of these little guys!

Check back in next week for a post about Public Enemy #1: Fleas !

-Your Veterinary Technician

 

It’s Been a Stinky Week

By saying a “stinky week”, I do not mean “man this week has been horrible”, I literally mean “this week has been stinky“.

This week it seems as though everything has seemed to somehow involve butts.  Literally.  Our profession in the veterinary field is not what most would call glamorous.  We spend a lot of time during our days doing gross things (I will spare most details, except for a few things that I think are important to inform pet owners of).  There’s lots of puke and poop and slobber and boogers in our profession.  But there’s something about the fact that it is coming from an animal that makes it not as gross to those of us who devote our days to caring for animals.  So, let’s move on to the informative part of this post, shall we?

Have you ever noticed Fluffy planting his butt on your rug and dragging himself across the floor?  Most pet owners of smaller breed dogs have probably seen this at least once before.  Larger breed dogs will do this also, but they do not seem to do it as often as little dogs.  We have a lot of clients that come in and mention Fluffy doing this and say “I guess he has worms”.  I know that this is a logical conclusion, because when you see your pet doing this, you can imagine them trying to rid themselves of creepy crawly worms.  *Gross, I know*.  But I bet that a lot of owners don’t know that their dog may just be battling some full anal glands.  Whoa, back up, what?  Yep.  Full Anal Glands.  Just writing that sentence sounds gross.  And I’m not going to pretend it isn’t, because let’s face it- it’s pretty gross.  Dogs at one point in time were equipped with anal glands to defend themselves from becoming a tasty treat to some larger animal.  There are two glands that sit internally on either side of the rectum, and sadly, they fill with a smelly, secreted fluid.  Way back when, a dog would be running from a would be predator, and would excrete their anal glands- producing an incredibly foul smelling dark liquid that would cause their would be attacker to lose his appetite.  Why do they still have these glands?  Probably to secrete onto technicians while trying to trim their nails.  Just kidding.  When dogs were wild, they used the material in these glands to mark territory with their individual (and discernable from other dogs) scent.  Ever noticed how dogs always sniff each other’s butts?  You guessed it.  Checking anal glands.

Now, to continue the grossness of this post- you might find yourself wondering, why do they get full?  Hopefully you aren’t wondering why am I still reading this? because I promise, you are going to learn something!  Normally, these glands are excreted when a dog has a BM.  But, if they are having loose BMs (could be an entire other problem that should be addressed with our veterinarians), or are not going often enough, and yet sometimes still it’s just that a particular dog has trouble expressing their own glands, they must be manually cleaned out.  Yep, you guessed it, that’s where your vet team steps in.  Some groomers will also express anal glands, but generally they only do so externally, and sometimes this is not enough for some of those particular cases that are hard to express.  So we go in and express these glands, and while your pet doesn’t seem to appreciate the act, when we are finished they normally are hippity hoppity jumping around and super excited.  And always get a treat!  It makes them feel better to have these full glands emptied.

Sometimes, a patient can have impacted anal glands.  This, as you can guess from the name, is not  a good thing.  They can actually get an infection in these glands.  Normally what we do for this is express them weekly until they stop filling up with infected liquid, and put the patient on some oral antibiotics and anti-inflammatory pain medications.  Some dogs must go on a special diet that is higher in fiber than your regular dog foods.  Some dogs that suffer from recurrent anal gland infections must have surgery to have the glands removed.  Dogs that also suffer from allergy problems tend to have more issues with their anal glands.  Some dogs will never have to have their glands manually expressed, and some dogs must have them done monthly.

The biggest thing to keep in mind with your new found knowledge of anal glands is to just pay attention to your pet.  If you notice them scooting, they are probably uncomfortable.  And instead of waiting for it to become a bigger problem, just give the clinic a call and set up a quick technician appointment to have their glands checked and emptied.  Your pet will thank you for it.  And you won’t have to keep walking around and smelling your rug saying “ugh what is that smell?” and continue to pay to have your carpets cleaned before guests arrive.

For those of you that only have cats, don’t feel left out!  Luckily for you, cats also have anal glands!  Usually cats that are having anal gland issues let you know by pooping outside of the litter box.  Cats also do this for other reasons, so any time your kitty is not sticking to their normal potty habits, best to just give us a call.

One of our favorite jokes up at the clinic is being thankful that humans do not have anal glands.  Can you imagine?  Someone sneaks up on you and scares you and OH NO.  I’ve expressed my anal glands.  Quick, run away before anyone realizes it was you.  

Tune in next week for an informative, and possibly not as gross post!

-Your Veterinary Technician