Ticks, ticks and more ticks!

From the deep woods to urban parks to right in your own backyard, ticks are common parasites that can be found anywhere!  These pesky arthropods are a potential danger to you and your pet. We had 3 positive cases of Lyme Disease this past week alone!

 

New York State has several species of ticks; two of the most important are deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis) and brown dog ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus).  

Deer ticks transmit Lyme disease which is caused by a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferis.  Lyme disease is zoonotic which means it can be transmitted from pets to humans.  Symptoms in pets can be difficult to detect and may not appear until several months after infection. Also, symptoms may come and go and can mimic other health conditions.

Deer ticks also spread anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum).  This form of anaplasmosis targets white blood cells and can difficult to diagnose.  This is also a zoonotic disease and must be considered for both pet and human health.

The brown dog tick transmits another form this disease caused by Anaplasma platys. It is spread by brown dog ticks and leads to infection of platelets which can cause bleeding disorders in pets.  Brown dog ticks also carry Ehrlichia canis which is similar to anaplasmosis in that it is zoonotic and attacks white blood cells.
 

In our area of New York State, Lyme disease is the most common tick borne disease.  The best way to protect yourself and your pet is to test and vaccinate your dog annually for Lyme Disease and to use veterinarian recommended monthly preventatives on your dog and cat year round! The importance of using veterinarian recommended parasite prevention is stressed because of the severe complications and side effects of over-the-counter products, including Frontline and Heartgard. Although Frontline and Heartgard are veterinarian recommended products, unless purchased directly from your veterinarian, you cannot be certain that the product was made in the United States and subject to US federal safety guidelines. Counterfeit product is out there and unfortunately, we have seen it affect our patients.

 

It is important to check yourself and pets periodically for ticks and promptly remove them. Use tweezers (or a tick remover) to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull gently and slowly away from the skin. Do not twist, jerk, or pull hard.  Once the tick is removed, put it in rubbing alcohol. This will kill the tick. Remember to disinfect the bite wound to prevent secondary infections. 

Yard maintenance is also essential to protect against ticks. Keep brush picked up, wood stacked, and bird feeders away from high traffic areas.   Tick control should be a comprehensive effort.

 

Vaccinating for Lyme disease, using monthly preventative, maintaining your yard, and testing your pet for early detection and treatment if necessary will give your pet the greatest chance against ticks and the diseases they carry.   

We love our pets and want to reward them with loving gestures. We shower them with hugs and kisses, treats, clothes, toys and bones. Yet sometimes those well meant, loving gestures can mean tragedy. This past weekend we lost a young and otherwise healthy patient because he ate bones which caused a blockage in his intestines. Unfortunately, it could not be repaired. While not all instances result in death, you certainly don't want to take the chance with your pet.

Here are 10 reasons why it’s a bad idea to give your dog a bone:

1. Broken teeth. This results in expensive veterinary dentistry.
2. Mouth or tongue injuries. These are bloody and messy and often require a trip to your veterinarian.
3. Bone gets looped around your dog’s lower jaw. This can be frightening or painful for your dog and potentially costly to you as it can mean a trip to your veterinarian for sedation and removal of the bone. 
4. Bone gets stuck in esophagus, the tube that food travels through to reach the stomach. Your dog may gag, trying to bring the bone back up, and it could get lodged in his throat.
5. Bone gets stuck in windpipe. This may happen if your dog accidentally inhales a small enough piece of bone. This is an emergency because your dog will have trouble breathing and should get to the veterinarian immediately.
6. Bone gets stuck in stomach. It went down just fine, but the bone may be too big to pass out of the stomach and into the intestines. Depending on the bone’s size, your dog may need surgery or upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, a procedure in which your veterinarian uses a long tube with a built-in camera and grabbing tools to try to remove the stuck bone from the stomach.
7. Bone gets stuck in intestines and causes a blockage resulting in surgery.
8. Constipation due to bone fragments. Your dog may have a hard time passing the bone fragments because they’re very sharp and they scrape the inside of the large intestine or rectum as they move along. This causes severe pain. 
9. Severe bleeding from the rectum. This is very messy and can be dangerous.
10. Peritonitis. This nasty, difficult-to-treat bacterial infection of the abdomen is caused when bone fragments poke holes in your dog’s stomach or intestines. Your dog needs an emergency visit to your veterinarian because peritonitis can result in death.

Talk with your veterinarian about alternatives to giving bones to your dog. There are many bone-like products made with materials that are safe for dogs to chew on. Just be sure to always supervise your dog with any chew product, especially one your dog hasn’t had before.

Brush those teeth!

It's dental health month so of course we need to talk about teeth. Yes, your pet's teeth. They need to be examined and brushed just like our teeth do. Regular oral hygiene can add as many as 2 years to your pet's life. It is actually a nice way to bond with your pet. So how exactly do you brush your pet's teeth?

Here are step by step instructions:

1. Select an appropriate time
Find a quiet, convenient time when you and your pet are both relaxed.

2. Acquaint your pet with the process

For the first few sessions, don’t even use a toothbrush. Hold your pet the same as when you are cuddling her. Gently stroke the outside of her cheeks with your finger. After she becomes comfortable with that, place a dab of toothpaste on a washcloth wrapped around your finger and use it like a toothbrush on the pet’s teeth. Wipe all the teeth with strokes from the gum line to the tip of the tooth. Do this for one to two weeks until your pet is familiar with having their gums and teeth rubbed. We usually suggest starting with Enzadent poultry flavored toothpaste because pets like the taste.

3. Introduce the toothbrush

Place a small amount of toothpaste on a soft bristled toothbrush. Never use human toothpaste as it may irritate your pet’s stomach. The bristles should be held at a 45-degree angle to the tooth surface and be moved in an oval motion. Brush one or two teeth and the adjoining gum line. The purpose of this step is to get your pet accustomed to the feel of the brush.

4. Begin Brushing
Over the next several days, gradually increase the number of teeth brushed. It is important to eventually brush near the rear teeth where plaque and tartar have a greater tendency to accumulate. Go slowly and gently. Stop brushing before your pet begins to fuss. If she learns to dislike the procedure and finds out that more fussing makes you stop quicker, then brushing is going to get harder, not easier. Build up to about 30 seconds per side. Pets don’t get much tartar on the inside surfaces of their teeth, so you only need to worry about the outside surfaces. Be sure to brush the big teeth way in the back.

5. Make tooth brushing pleasurable

Proceed slowly and gently. Stop each session while it is still fun and lavishly praise your pet afterwards. She will soon start looking forward to tooth brushing and it will become a pleasant activity for both of you.