Dental Disease

January 2012, Aubrey, LVT

Dental disease is the most commonly diagnosed disease in cats and dogs. If dental disease is left untreated it can significantly affect your pets health. Your veterinarian determines dental disease, having yearly exams for your pets can help in insuring that your pets dental health is not going untreated. One thing you can do at home is look at your pets’ teeth to see if there is any obvious tartar, swelling of the gums, or broken or cracked teeth. If you notice any of those issues you can schedule an appointment with a veterinarian to have a dental cleaning on your pet. A dental cleaning is an anesthetic procedure. Once your pet is under anesthesia the licensed veterinary technician useses an ultrasonic-scaler to remove any tartar and build up from the teeth. Once the teeth are cleaned the veterinarian uses an instrument called a dental probe, which measures the depth of the gum line to insure there is no pocketing where bacteria can be trapped. Once the teeth are examined and there are no teeth to be extracted, the licensed veterinarian will polish the teeth with a prophy paste to smooth down any rough spots on the teeth. Having regular exams to check the health of your pet cannot only keep your pets healthy but it can also help prevent your pets from having to have dental extractions. Dental extractions are recommended if a tooth appears to be broken, infected, or causing pain. It is best to have dental x-rays done with a dental procedure which we can do while your pet is under anesthesia. The month of February we are offering 10% off our dental packages as well as dental x-rays! Schedule a pre dental exam and keep those pets teeth clean!

Aubrey, LVT

Heartworm

January 2012, Angela, LVT

At Helping Hands veterinary Clinic, we are always stressing the importance of keeping your pet up to date on all treatments and preventions. This holds true for the prevention of Heartworm disease. Heartworm disease is a serious and sometimes fatal condition where infected animals have adult worms living in both lungs and heart.

Heartworms are passed from animal to animal by means of a mosquito. The life cycle begins with the female Heartworm releasing their young, or microfilariae, into the infected animal's bloodstream. Once a mosquito takes a blood meal, it too becomes infected. Within 10 to 14 days, the microfilariae mature to the infective larval stage within the mosquito. Once the mosquito takes a blood meal on another animal, the infective larvae pass through the bloodstream. Within 6 months the larvae mature into adult worms and reside in both the lungs and the heart. The adult heartworm can live up to 7 years in an animal.

Though Heartworm disease may not be as prevalent in the Northwest as it is in warmer areas, it has been reported in all 50 states. In both cats and dogs, clinical signs are usually seen in late stages of the disease. Some signs you may see are persistent coughing, vomiting, lethargy and weight loss.

This disease can cost thousands of dollars to treat and can be extremely rough on both animal and owner. The treatment includes harsh medications and isolation/kenneling for months at a time. Prevention, on the other hand, is both cost effective and simple. Helping Hands Veterinary Clinic currently offers two types of Heartworm preventions; Revolution and Trifexis. Revolution is a topical prevention whereas Trifexis is an oral form. Both are successful in the prevention of Heartworm disease. We also recommend bringing your pet in for yearly Heartworm tests. These tests use a small amount of blood to detect the presence of adult worms within the bloodstream. These tests are important to do because animals that are diagnosed with Heartworm should seek treatment immediately. The sooner this disease is diagnosed, the more optimal results you will see with treatment. If you have any questions or would like to schedule your pet's yearly Heartworm test, send us an email or call us at the clinic.

Angela, LVT

Fleas

January 2012, Dr. Nicole Velotta, DVM

Is your dog or cat constantly itching? Fleas are the most common external parasite found on both the cat and dog.   They are also one of the top causes of an itchy pet.  Fleas spend their entire adult life on a host with an average life span of 6 – 24 months.  During this time they produce eggs, which fall off of the host and hatch into larvae.  Larvae then undergo three molts then spin cocoons in which pupa develop.   Pupa are a very durable stage and can survive up to one year in the environment until conditions are right for them to hatch into an adult flea.  These newly hatched fleas seek out a new host.

Fleas can cause many problems for cats and dogs including hypersensitivity (allergy reactions), anemia, and tapeworms.

Some cats and dogs are allergic to flea saliva (contains histamine-like substance and antigens) and experience severe reactions such as extreme itchiness followed by self-inflicted trauma (from itching) that can lead to skin infections.  The severity of the reaction does not correspond to the number of fleas present on the pet, meaning that a single fleabite in a flea allergic pet can cause a severe reaction. It is even more important in these pets to keep them on a yearly flea preventative. When flea infestations are significant enough, they can cause severe anemia (blood loss).  This is especially true in young animals.

Dogs and cats that have fleas most often are also infected with tapeworms.  This is because fleas are the intermediate host for tapeworms.  Animals become infected with tapeworms when they eat an infected flea.  This is why it is important to de-worm your pet as well as treat them for fleas.

In order to get rid of fleas it is important to treat both the pet and the environment.   At Helping Hands Veterinary Clinic we recommend using a topical product for your pet called Revolution.  It kills adult fleas, larvae, and eggs.  It is also effective against ticks, many types of mites, and in prevention of heartworm disease.  It is very easy to apply to your pet.  For a how to video please visit our website.  There also is a new product available for dogs called Trifexis.  It is a monthly beef flavored chewable tablet that kills fleas, prevents heartworm disease, and controls adult hookworm, whipworm, and roundworm infections.

It is also very important to treat the environment.  Vacuuming should be done daily and washing of bedding weekly.  We also recommend the product Fleabusters.  It is a powdered product that is applied to carpets to kill fleas.

Fleas are much easier to prevent than get rid of!  For a happy, healthy pet make sure to keep them on a flea preventative year round.

Dr. Nicole Velotta, DVM

Microchiping

January 2012, Dr. Cherie Guidry, DVM

Microchiping is another very important service that we provide at Helping Hands Veterinary Clinic. It's an easy step that is often overlooked in our pets. According to Home Again, 1 in 3 pets will go missing during their lifetime. Without proper permanent identification, 90% of these pets will never return home.

A microchip is a small chip inserted between the shoulder blades just under the skin with a needle system. If your pet is lost and ends up at a vet or shelter, a staff member would scan the pet and a unique code would pop up. That code is linked to your own personal information.

At Helping Hands Veterinary Clinic we not only place the microchip in your pet but we also register the microchip with Home Again for you. Our cost includes both the implantation fee and the registration. We make the process hassle free for you! To make it even easier, we have also included microchips in our puppy and kitten packages.

I'm going to end with a little story. My friend had a dog named Zoe and one day Zoe escaped from her back yard. Within 24 hours Zoe was found and back home with her family all because she had a microchip that was scanned by a local shelter. This is only one of my stories.

I hope to see you soon!

Love,

Dr. Cherie Guidry, DVM

Puppies & Kittens

January 2012, Dr. Cherie Guidry, DVM

This month is puppy and kitten month at Helping Hands Veterinary Clinic. We all know how adorable new puppies and kitten are. Having just adopted a new kitten, I am still on cloud nine. We have to remember that there are critical things that they need in their first year of life to keep them healthy.

First of all, I recommend that you take your new pet to your vet within 48 hours of adopting them. This is so important. You want to start off with a healthy addition to your family.

At this visit, your vet should discuss a few important points. Vaccines, internal parasite exam and parasite control are just a few of the points that should be discussed with you by your vet.

Vaccines are a critical part of every new pet's care. At our clinic we follow the AVMA's (American Veterinary Medical Association) guidelines of vaccinating your new pet. The AVMA divides vaccines into core vaccines, vaccines every puppy and kitten needs, and non-core vaccines, vaccines that should be given to pets that are exposed to those diseases. We will discuss this with you and make recommendations according to your pets needs. Most puppies and kittens require a series of vaccines their first year of life. You want to make sure you finish these series to completely protect your pet.

Now let's talk about those yucky parasites. About 75% of new puppies and kittens are born with some kind of internal parasite. What's even scarier is that most of these pets do not show critical signs of parasites AND some of these parasites can be passed on your you and your family. At Helping Hands Veterinary Clinic we follow the CDC's (Center of Disease Control) guidelines and recommend a series of de-wormings and an internal parasite exam (fecal) for your new pet. This should be done right away to protect you and your new pet.

  

At Helping Hands Veterinary Clinic we offer puppy and kitten packages for all pets under the age of one. The packages are discounted to make puppy and kitten care more affordable to our clients. Please stop by or call for more information. See you soon!

These are just a few of the services we provide for your new pet. Please keep a lookout for weekly & monthly blogs to find out more. 

Love,

Dr. Cherie Guidry, DVM