Ticks, Lyme Disease & Heartworm

We were all hoping that spring was on its way with the last newsletter in March but it seems that Mother Nature thought we needed to wait a while longer! The warm weather will be here so we can all get outside and enjoy some fresh air. The ticks were not held back by the late snow as many of you are reporting ticks at this time. Ticks are out year-round but there are times of the year that they are more apparent due to their growth stages and need for blood meals. In this issue Dr. Crowley's Message National Pet Week Poison Control Ticks, Lyme Disease and Heartworm reminder Why do blood work? In Memorium News Archives Remember that ticks cannot jump or fly but instead lay waiting to attach like Velcro to moving objects. To help deal with ticks, we recommend a few things. When walking, avoid low lying brush. Stay in the middle of trails. Have your dog wear a t-shirt just as you should cover as much exposed skin on yourself. Although this may sounds foolish, it helps to cut down on the ticks on your pet’s body. Check your dog or cat once every twenty four hours. This helps minimize the opportunity for the tick to take a blood meal. Tick repellent products are available. Be sure to read the package instructions very carefully and save them as a reference! Do NOT use dog products on cats as they can be fatal! Please check out the www.k9advantix.com website for more information on the product produced by Bayer Pharmaceuticals. It is a topical once monthly flea, tick and mosquito repellent that is waterproof. It is ONLY for dogs and can be fatal for cats. The product is a combination of two previous products that have been on the market for several years; Advantage and permethrin based products such a Bio-spot. Through research and trials, Bayer was able to discover that the two products worked even better when combined. If you have a healthy dog and a current client of the Beverly Animal Natural Health Center, we just need your dog’s current weight to dispense the K9Advantix. Just remember too that NO product is 100% effective. Due to the large numbers of ticks we are exposed to in this area, expect a few ticks even with protection. We still do recommend the Preventic Collar as another method of tick control. However, due to its chemical make-up, it should not be used in homes with children and it is not waterproof. It cannot be used on any patient that is also on any behavioral drugs such as clomipramine for separation anxiety. Heartworm Reminder Please start your dog on heartworm preventative at this time. As long as your dog is healthy, you may start the preventative NOW and have the blood test done with your pet’s annual exam. If your pet is not current on its annual examination or if you have any health concerns, please call the office for recommendations. The heartworm test is a simple blood test that can be done at your pet’s examination. At this time, we do not recommend heartworm preventative for cats. LYME DISEASE Update There has been no change in the incidence of clinical Lyme disease in our dog population this year. We continue to see dogs clinically ill from the disease but the majority have just been exposed only. If a dog is sick from the Lyme organism, its symptoms include but are not limited to acute joint swelling and pain Fever Loss of appetite The majority of our dogs that test positive for exposure to the Lyme organism remain asymptomatic. If you have any concerns about your pet and its risk for Lyme disease, please set up an appointment with Dr. Crowley or Dr. Ricketts to determine the best course of action for your pet. Please check out the Lyme Disease article in our archives.