Dog Health

While there are more than 200 species of fleas in this country, the main troublemaker for pets is the cat flea. Happy to feed on anyone in the household – cat, dog or human – these wingless insects will most likely choose a pet, whose fur provides warm camouflage for their breeding ground.

Fleas feed and lay eggs on your pet for part of the day. They will also jump off and propagate in grass, soil, carpeting, cracks of hardwood floors, and furniture in and around your house. Even if your pet is indoors, anyone or anything can introduce fleas into your home.

The United States has about 200 tick species. Habitats include woods, beach grass, lawns, forests, and even urban areas. Ticks may carry various infectious organisms that can transmit diseases to cats and dogs

Lyme Disease is caused by a spirochete called Borrelia. A spirochete is a type of bacterium. It is transmitted to dogs through the bite of a tick. Once in the blood stream, it is carried to many parts of the body. It is especially likely to localize in joints. It was first thought that only a few types of ticks could transmit this disease, but now it appears that several common species may be involved.

Parasitic worms are as common as fleas to cats and dogs, from the half-inch- long hookworms to the flat, segmented tapeworms that can reach three feet in length, But in most cases, worm detection is easy and treatment is effective. However, ignoring possible symptoms and necessary treatments can lead to serious illnesses and sometimes even the death of your dog, as well as the possible transmission of a worm infection to both you or your children.

Treatment of tapeworms is doubly important because these worms can be transmitted to people. The same larvae infecting your pet can migrate into a person and cause either a skin infection or in some cases an internal infection to the liver. This disease is called visceral larval migrans. This is why deworming all puppies is recommended, even if the fecal analysis is negative, and request regular stool examinations.

The roundworm known as Toxocara canis is the most common, and puppies are often born with an infection. In the mother dog, the resting round- worm larvae are activated by hormones during pregnancy, and the larvae then cross the placenta to infect the unborn puppies. Less commonly, the larvae are carried in the mother’s milk into the newborn puppies.

Hookworms are much more common in dogs than in cats. Adult hookworms are blood-sucking parasites of the small intestine.

Now that winter is here, be mindful that street salt gets wedged between pads of dogs, and it stings. It seems that the colder it is outside, the more it stings. Making matters worse, dogs can get stomach ailments by licking the salt off their paws.

As in humans, being overweight can considerably affect the health of your dog. Here are some frequently asked questions regarding overweight dogs.

Most of us remember to schedule a physical exam for ourselves every year, but how many of us do the same for our pets too? We know that medical check ups are important for people, but they’re even more important for dogs – mostly because they age faster than we do. A dog that doesn’t see a vet for, say, three years, is the same as a person who doesn’t see a medical physician for six to ten years.

If your dog is having problems remembering things, the herb ginkgo might help. This seems to be particularly true in older dogs. "Ginkgo can be given to dogs at the earliest signs of cognitive problems," says Dr. Shawn Messonnier, author of Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats (Prima Publishing). "No one knows exactly how ginkgo works. Ginkgo may directly stimulate nerve cell activity, protecting nerve cells from further injury. Probably ginkgo also improves circulation, and more blood flow to the brain could make a difference."

The most deadly animal on earth isn’t a crocodile or a venomous snake. It’s the mosquito. Mosquitoes like to share, and they give about 500 million people the "gift" of malaria each year. Millions don’t survive. That’s not to mention well over a million more who succumb to mosquito-borne yellow fever, dengue fever and various kinds of encephalitis (including West Nile virus).

Could it be that the flea and tick preventives you’re buying for Fido are counterfeit? Counterfeit versions of Frontline and Advantage have started showing up both at retail stores and online in cleverly designed packaging that looks almost identical to the real thing. However, it definitely is not.

It’s one thing to pet a dog. It’s something totally different to stroke a dog with purpose. "Every dog needs attention and affection," says Maryjean Ballner, author of Dog Massage (St. Martin’s Griffin).

Swimming is one of the best exercises for a dog. And that’s more important than ever these days, because many dogs aren’t getting nearly enough exercise. A few laps in the pool can make a big difference.

With the new year comes the reminder that you should take your pet to the veterinarian for their annual check-up. As each year goes by, your pet ages at a faster rate than we do. Before you know it, that once playful puppy is now a slow moving "old man". That frisky kitten is now a more laid back feline.

The complaints about vet bills go on. To give you a better idea why vet bills are what they are, let us look at veterinary care expenses from the other side of the exam table.

Holidays can be a time of great joy for the family but also disaster for your pet. Pretty lights, plants, food, guests, candy, and costumes – all can spell danger for your furry companion. Though we may get caught up in the festivities of the various holiday seasons, we must stop and consider our pets. Take a moment to plan for issues and make every holiday safe and sane for all. Let’s take a bit and look at the major Holidays and what to look out for. I’ll start with the beginning of the year and work to the end.

We brush several times a day. We also floss and gargle on a regular basis and yet there are still some of us who suffer from dental disease. So imagine what happens in your pet’s mouth without the benefit of doing all these things on a daily basis.