Veterinary Wellness Blog
We let pets into our hearts, don’t let heartworms into theirs!
May 2, 2013Heartworm disease is a common illness here in Minnesota. It is carried by mosquitoes, and spread when an infected mosquito bites your pet. As the worms mature, they can block the blood vessels of the heart and lungs, causing both circulatory and respiratory disease such as difficulty breathing, exercise intolerance, asthma like symptoms, blood clots, anemia, heart murmurs, irregular heart beats, high blood pressure, and thickening of heart muscles (hypertrophy). Infection can also cause protein loss through the kidneys, which over time can damage the kidneys. Lastly, it can be fatal. Treatment of heartworm disease involves a series of shots which are derived from arsenic. There is a lot of follow up and cost involved-multiple chest x-rays, medications to help prevent reactions to the arsenic and dying worms and anaphylactic shock, hospitalization, and follow up testing. Pets must be kept confined to a cage just large enough for the dog to stand, turn around, and lie down in for a couple of weeks. This to help prevent the pet from having a blood clot or piece of dying worm getting stuck in a blood vessel in the lungs, called a pulmonary thromboembolism or PTE. PTE can cause difficulty breathing and even death. Cats and ferrets cannot tolerate the arsenic compound used to treat heartworms, and […]
Read PostApril showers bring May flowers, fleas, and ticks!
April 2, 2013Fleas and ticks are external parasites that can cause a variety of health issues for our pets. Fleas can cause general annoyance from itching, while heavier infestations can cause an anemia (low red blood cell count) which may be fatal to young or small pets. Fleas can also carry diseases such as the plague, cat scratch fever, and can transmit tapeworms. Pets can also become allergic to fleas, which can lead to secondary skin issues. Ticks can carry diseases that are much more severe in nature. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection carried by ticks. Ehrlichia is a white blood cell parasite. Anaplasma is a platelet (clotting cell) parasite. Babesia is a red blood cell parasite in dogs, and Hepatozoonosis is a white blood cell parasite in dogs. Cytauxzoonosis is a red blood cell parasite in cats. These many different diseases carried by ticks can cause a variety of signs in our pets. Polyarthritis (pain in multiple joints) which can present as reluctance to move, difficulty getting up and down stairs, on and off furniture, or standing or laying down, swollen lymph nodes, decreased appetite, dehydration, fever, weakness, muscle loss or wasting, and generalized pain or increased sensitivity are a few of the symptoms. More include hypothermia, difficulty breathing, edema (buildup of fluids), weight […]
Read PostSnug as a bug, in your pet?
March 3, 2013Even though the weather is still cold, internal parasites may be snug as a bug inside your pet! One intestinal parasite can produce 100,000 eggs per day, which are passed in the pets’ feces and into your yard, where they can remain infective and pose a threat to your pet and even you for years to come. A zoonotic disease is one that can be transmitted between animals and humans. Some of the intestinal parasites found in our pets are zoonotic, and can cause some potentially irreversible damage in humans. There are a number of intestinal parasites that can infect our pets. Roundworms are an intestinal parasite that are zoonotic. In humans, the worm larvae can travel through areas where they are not meant to, including internal organs such as your liver, which is called visceral larval migrans, or through the retina in your eye, which can lead to blindness, and is called ocular larval migrans. Tapeworms are another zoonotic parasite. Hookworms are also zoonotic, and can be picked up through the skin (so don’t walk around barefoot!). Hookworms cause something called cutaneous larval migrans, which is a red rash where the worm is traveling through the skin. Whipworms and coccidia are two parasites that are not zoonotic. Giardia and cryptosporidium are two […]
Read PostProviding the best possible veterinary care for your pet.
Heritage Animal Hospital is a full-service veterinarian clinic that provides examinations, diagnostic services, dental care, surgical services, medicine, grooming and boarding services in Maple Grove, Minnesota. We are dedicated to providing the highest level of pet care possible and facilitating an environment where client communication and education are at the forefront of our practice.
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