News about Heartworm

Recently, new research has had Spirit rethinking our heartworm protocol. Usually, we recommend heartworm testing in spring before placing our pets on preventative from March to December. The new research states that year round protection is better for the health of both you and your pet. Here's why:

We know that your dogs don't get mosquito bites during the winter months, but remember that Tri-Heart protects against intestinal parasites, too, which are prominent year round.

The Center for Disease Control is recommending that veterinarians promote year round parasite protection, because of the possibility of intestinal parasite cross infection to humans.

If you switch to year round protection, your protocol would be:

*Heartworm test every other year

*Tri-Heart medication year round

*Fecal tests yearly

If you stay on the current protection plan, your protocol would be:

*Heartworm testing every spring

*Tri-Heart medication from April 1st to December 1st

*Fecal tests yearly

Financially, both protocols are equal except for one big thing: In, the company that makes Heartgard, guarantees that if your pet is on year round heartworm preventative with their product and gets an intestinal or heartworm infection, Intervet Schering-Plough Will pay for the treatment!

With advances in veterinary medicine happening every day, we at Spirit would like to give our patients the best and most up to date health care possible. Our doctors have contemplated, discussed, and researched this topic thoroughly and believe that year round heartworm and intestinal parasite protection is essential for the health of both you and your pet. We know that this may be a major change for many of our clients. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to talk to one of our doctors.

Many of our pets have adverse reactions to flea bites. They can cause severe itching and bacterial infections. Ticks can be carriers of potentially deadly diseases such as Lyme's Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Erlichia, just to name a few. We recommend flea and tick protection to our clients' pets who are exposed to these nasty critters.

If you are looking only for flea control, Advantage is the way to go. It is an easy spot on application given once a month. Any adult flea on your dog or cat will fall off and die within 24 hours. Also, your pet can get wet while on Advantage. We do not recommend flea collars, as they can be toxic, and do not always work very well. However, if you do have a flea collar, you can cut it up and put it in your vacuum cleaner bag. This will kill any fleas you vacuum up and help prevent further infestations.

If your looking for flea and tick control Vectra 3D is the way to go.

The unique patented applicator makes applying Vectar 3D to your pet easy, clean and accurate.

The rounded tip minimizes risk of skin abrasions.

The elongated tip makes it easy to reach your dog's skin

The top disk pierces the seal when compressed--no need to remove the cap.

No mess nothing comes out until you squeeze the tube

Vectra 3D contains a triple-action formulation not previously used for protection against fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. Applying it monthly provides maximum protection for your dog.

- Controls existing flea infestation by rapidly killing adult fleas and preventing development of immature flea stages.

- Repels and kills four species of ticks ( Rhipicephalus spp, Dermacentor variabilis, Ixodes spp, Amblyomma spp).

- Repels and kills three species of mosquitoes (Culex spp, Ochlerotatus spp, Aedes spp).

- A single application lasts four weeks

- Remains effective after bathing and swimming.

Flea and tick season usually starts when the weather starts to get warm in March or April, and we recommend using preventative until late November or December. But don't wait until you have an infestation to treat; prevention is the key.

Sprecher Says:

Since I am a very wise Bull Dog, I have been asked to advise people on some frequently asked questions.

This month's question is, " Why do cats pee in wierd places?"

Cats have many reasons for urinating out of the litter box. Many people just assume that it's behavioral and get really frustrated, which usually leads to euthanizing. However, understanding the mind of a cat is very important in this area.

The reasons for this behavior are as follows:

1. Urinary tract/bladder infections. Many cats, if not given the proper diet, can develop infections and/or crystals in their urine. Crystals can bulk up and actually lodge into the urethra and cause blockage. If not treated in time, this can be fatal, as the toxins in the urine leak into the body and bloodstream, or the bladder could rupture. Cats can also get urinary tract infections (UTI's) from their litter boxes, if not cleaned regularly. When they squat so close to the soiled litter, bacteria gets on their fur, and travels up the urethra, causing infection.

We recommend that any cat susceptible to crystals drink bottled water and possibly fruit juices to help with this.

2. Illness. The most common illnesses in cats are kidney or liver disease, thyroid disorders, and diabetes. In the wild, it is a cat's instinct not to show signs of weakness or sickness. Domestic cats are sometimes the same way. Sometimes humans don't realize they are sick until it's too late, because cats don't show signs until the disease is progressed. Urinating out of the litterbox is a common sign that they are feeling lousy and don't know another way to let you know. Urinalysis and blood tests can help diagnose a problem like this, and if caught early enough, cats can still live long lives with proper treatments.

3. Scented litter. Do you really enjoy the smell of scented litter? It usually smells really strong, so it covers up bad smells and makes humans happier, but did you know that most cats can't stand it? Their sense of smell is so much more sensitive than humans, and it really offends them! They hate having to step in it and smell that strong perfume, and then to have go and lick it off their fur is just torture. And we wonder why they throw up so much! They then associate this disgusting smell to the litterbox, and don't want to go in it anymore. We recommend changing to a scoopable, unscented litter, such as Everclean or Arm and Hammer.

4. Location, location, location! Just like humans, cats like to have privacy while, well, you know...

Putting the litter box out in the open, like in the kitchen or living room, is not agreeable to cats. They like to have peace and quiet. We recommend putting it in a spare bedroom or closet, where they can be left alone. The basement can be an ideal place, but not too close to the washer or dryer, as this can scare cats.

Cats also don't like to eat near where they go to the bathroom. So if food dishes are too close, we suggest moving them to a different location.

Older or arthritic cats, who once didn't mind the stairs to the potty, may now find it difficult to get all the way there in time, and think it easier to just go on the floor. We recommend moving the litterbox to a more convenient place for them, such as near a favorite sunning spot or bed. This way when they wake up stiff from sleeping, it isn't too hard to get to the "bathroom."

5. Stress. Cats react to stress in different ways. Some hide, some can become aggressive, and some simply don't know how else to tell you about it than pee on your favorite bedspread. Some things that can trigger it are: moving, a new pet or baby, construction noise outside, a loss of another pet friend or family member, or illness to the cat. Try not to change your attentions to the cat if any of these things occur. Cats can get jealous of a new pet or baby. Make sure the cat knows he or she is still "number one."

6. Not enough/too small in size litterboxes. Cats will share their litterboxes to a degree, but add too many cats and too few boxes, and you will have a problem. Our rule of paw is one litterbox per cat, plus one. This ensures that at least one litterbox will be acceptable. Bigger cats will find it difficult turning around in a small litterbox. We suggest the big clear Rubbermaid containers with the flat bottoms, because not only are they big enough, but the sides are high enough to stop accidents from those "over the top" cats. A small stool or scratching post placed next to it will allow the cat to get in and out of it easily.

Basically, there are a lot of reasons why a cat will not use the litterbox, but hopefully these points will help you win the battle against it!

I hope I did a good job answering that question. Until next time...

SPRECHER

About the only things I love more than food, sleeping and squirrels, are cats. That's why I am sad to have learned that there are so many homeless cats out there, that have no food, shelter, or love. While I'm asleep by the warm fireplace, and my belly is full of good dog food, there are many cats that are cold and starving. Being a Bulldog makes it hard for me to help, as I can't get a job to make money to donate to my poor friends. But, thanks to the staff at Spirit, I can tell you about it and ask for your help, through my own web page.

Let me start with statistics. I'm not too good with math, but I had a little help figuring this out. An unspayed female cat, on average, goes into heat twice a year. Each time, they can have a large litter of kittens, but let's say they have five each time. That's ten new cats a year. Let's say half of them are females. Each new female cat, starting at about six months old (and they should NOT be breeding at this age because they are still growing themselves) can have 2 litters a year. That's at least fifty new cats the first year, all from the original female, already a grandma at one year old! The next year, if half of those are females, there might be a hundred and twenty five new kittens! It just keeps escalating from there!

Now, that's not even bringing up the other half of Grandma's litter, the male cats. The females can only breed a few times a year, but the males? They can breed several times a day, everyday! Left unneutered, they wreak havoc on the cat overpopulation.

Some of you may be saying to yourself, "I don't even like cats, so why should I help get the population get under control?" When cats are left to their own defenses to find food and shelter, if they're not tipping over trash cans, they are killing and eating birds, mice, chipmunks, rabbits, and even my favorite friends, squirrels. While this may be favorable to some that don't like these "pests", many people find joy in bird and wildlife watching. If cats are allowed to wander everywhere killing and eating everything in sight, think of what a sad place this would be, with no birds or squirrels to watch.

There's also another great reason. Rabies. A stray cat that comes across a rabid racoon or skunk, can contract the disease by getting bitten. Then, if it is not killed in the fight, it can carry the disease around with it, and bite other animals, or even a human, spreading the disease to them. If this isn't a good reason to help get cats off the streets, I don't know what is!

The staff at Spirit of 76th invite everyone to give cats a chance at good, safe homes. By doing our part, we can help control overpopulation.

Thanks you for helping my favorite furry friends!

Sprecher