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| | MARK IT ON YOUR CALENDAR - APRIL 1st IS WHEN THE HEARTWORM MADNESS BEGINS | |
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If you're new to the pooch-parenting game then you're in for a treat come April 1st! The first day of April marks the first day that dogs in Ontario can start being tested for Heartworm. Many misconceptions still exist around this deadly disease one of which is that the heartworm can be detected during a pet's routine fecal ("poop") test. While that would certainly make things easier it is impossible to detect a blood parasite without analyzing the blood itself. Heartworms start off as microscopic microfilariae that take up residence in the bloodstream where their lifecycle continues until they have matured into full adults worms. While the microfilariae are small enough to float around the body in the blood the full blown adult worms are large enough that they can get stuck in important organs, such as the heart and lungs, causing blockages and eventually death. The amount of time it takes for the microfilaria to develop into adult worms can be up to two years which means an infected pet can have heartworm disease for two full years without showing any outward signs of infection. The only way to know that a pet is heartworm free is by taking a blood sample and physically analyzing it for the presence of the parasite. So why wait until April 1st? Why not test year-round? In Ontario mosquitoes are only out during the warmer months - approximately May to October. Once an infected mosquito bites a dog it takes a full 6 months for the microfilariea to mature enough to be detectable in the blood. This means that testing too early could yield a false positive promtping the administration of medication to a heartworm positive dog, a move that could produce devastating results. In Ontario it has been determined that the last possible date a pet could be exposed to heartworm is October. Add six months and that brings us right to April 1st.
Check out the attached flyer for details on our Bronze, Silver and Gold Heartworm packages | |
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DISTEMPER IN RACCOONS FUELS VACCINE CONCERNS | |
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Many of you may have heard on the news about an epidemic of distemper that has killed hundreds of raccoons and skunks in the Greater Toronto Area since May. Though this new strain is not dangerous to humans, according to experts it does pose a high risk to unvaccinated dogs and cats. That's why this month I chose to focus on Canine Distemper and its risk to our pets.
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Parasites are a major concern to anyone who owns a four-legged pal. Not only can they cause serious health risks to your pet but also to your family OLYMPIC INSPIRATION
Learn how watching this year's Olympic athletes inspired our 2010 Heartworm and Wellness packages When cats begin to exhibit unusual sleep patterns, soil outside the litterbox, hide or avoid human interaction it could be due to feline Osteoarthritis (OA). Learn about a new diet that can severely increase the quality of life in stiff and aging cats.
Springtime always brings with it a boom in the feline community and an increase in the number of cats looking for a Forever Home. Check out our Adoption Page to see what furry felines are currently up for adoption. |
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Your questions answered | |
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