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Current News & Events




Spring Has Sprung! Time For Heartworm Testing & Prevention 

A heartworm is a parasitic worm (Dirofilaria immitis) that lives in the heart and pulmonary arteries of an infected animal. The worms travel through the bloodstream- harming arteries and vital organs as they go-ultimately completing their journey to the vessels of the lung and the heart chamber about six months after the initial infection. Several hundred worms can live in one dog for five to seven years. Heartworm disease is serious, and can be fatal. Heartworms are transmitted from animal to animal by mosquitos. Heartworms enter an animal's bloodstream as tiny, invisible larvae, but can reach lengths of more than twelve inches at maturity. Symptoms of heartworm infestation can include labored breathing, coughing, vomiting, weight loss and listlessness, and fatigue after only moderate exercise. However, some dogs exhibit no symptoms at all until late stages of infection. 
Heartworm disease is diagnosed by examination, radiographs or ultrasound, and a veterinarian administered blood test. All dogs should be routinely screened with a blood test for heartworm anually in the spring, or before being placed on a prescription for a heartworm preventive. The good news is that heartworm is easily preventable with an inexpensive, chewable pill, such as Heartgard, available with a vet's prescription. The pills, highly palatable to most dogs, are usually administered monthly.  The pills can be given to dogs under 6 months of age without a blood test, but older animals must be screened for the disease prior to starting medication. 



'Dognition'  App Helps Owners Understand Their Dogs' Behavior and Intelligence

A new app called Dognition is challenging people to assess their dogs' intelligence while contributing to scientific knowledge of dogs' behavioral and cognitive patterns. According to Mother Nature Network, Dognition encourages dog owners to take a survey about their pet's behavior, then play a series of games with their dogs that are designed to assess five dimensions of intelligence: empathy, communication, cunning, memory and reasoning. Owners will gain a better understanding of their dogs' behavioral tendencies and individual intelligence, but in the larger scheme of things, they will be providing valuable data that the scientific community can analyze to advance future studies, said the app's designer, Brian Hare.
Hare, an associate professor in evolutionary at Duke University and director of Duke's Canine Cognition Center, said Dognition will help dog owners gain a deeper understanding of what makes their dogs tick. 





 Seasonal Allergies

Do you have an itchy dog or wheezy cat? They could be suffering from seasonal allergies. Many pet owners are not aware that their fuzzy family members can also spend the spring season feeling miserable thanks to pollens and other environmental allergens. There are primarily two types of allergies: food allergies and environmental allergies. If your pet gets itchy during spring, summer or fall, they may be reacting to seasonal, environmental allergens. If their symptoms continue year-round, it's more likely their sensitivity is to something more constant in the environment, or to something in the diet. Unlike humans, whose allergy symptoms usually involve the respiratory tract, allergies in dogs and cats more often take the form of skin irritation or inflammation-a condition called allergic dermatitis. If your pet has allergies, his or her skin will become very itchy. They will start scratching excessively, and might bite or chew at certain areas of their body. They may rub against vertical surfaces like furniture, or rub their face against the carpet.  They are trying to relieve the miserable itchiness by any means possible. As the itch-scratch cycle continues, their skin will become inflamed and tender to the touch. Other signs of allergic dermatitis include areas of hair loss, open sores on the skin, and scabbing. Pets with allergies may often have problems with their ears. The ear canals may be itchy and inflamed as part of a generalized allergic response, or they may grow infected with yeast or bacteria. Signs your pets ears are giving them problems include scratching at the ears, head shaking, and hair loss around the ears. If infection is present there will often be odor and a discharge from the ears. While respiratory symptoms aren't common in pets with allergies, they do occur. A runny nose, watery eyes, coughing and sneezing are typical allergic symptoms in both two and four legged allergy sufferers. Allergic pets may also have puffy red eyes, a red chin, and red paws. Since the allergen load your environmentally sensitive pet is most susceptible to is much heavier outdoors, two essential steps in managing their condition are: frequent baths (to give relief to an itchy pet and wash away the allergens on the coat and skin (use a gentle hypoallergenic shampoo), and foot soaks (to reduce the amount of allergens your pet tracks into the house and spreads all over the indoor environment).  Keep the areas of your home where your pet spends most of their time as allergen free as possible by vacuuming and cleaning floors and pet bedding frequently. Simple, non-toxic cleaning agents are better than household cleaners containing chemicals. A pet experiencing allergy symptoms should always be seen by a veterinarian before beginning any home care.