THIS PAGE WAS DESIGNED TO KEEP OUR CLIENTS INFORMED OF ANY CLINIC NEWS AND ABREAST OF ANY NEW MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS THAT MAY HELP KEEP YOUR PET AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE.
June 8, 2006
News Flash!! News Flash!! News Flash!!
Now that summer is upon us again, we at Nassau Veterinary Hospital would like to help you with two very important issues that come to mind this time of year:
1. FLEAS!!!!!!!!! This year our hatch out was particulary bad due to a fairly dry spring, and a mild winter. You may find that your "hit and miss" application of flea control is not meeting your needs recently. We suggest putting your flea control on at 3 week intervals rather than the usual month recommended by the manufacturer. The flea's life cycle runs approximately 21 days, so by applying every 3 weeks, you will kill those juveniles before they have a chance to breed and lay more eggs!! Also, the shampoo you use will greatly influence the efficacy of your flea product. Over the counter shampoos and pet shampoos bought at general merchandise stores are not your best bet. Because your monthly flea products reside in the lipophilic (oil/fat loving) layer of the skin, any shampoo that is harsh (most are to kill the fleas!) will wash away this layer and also all your wonderful, effective flea control products. You have to remember that harsh shampoos kill the fleas that are on the dog during the bath, BUT DO NOT PROVIDE ANY LONG-LASTING PROTECTION!!!! So, a moisture sparing soap free shampoo makes your flea control products work more efficiently and longer....call us for our recommendations for a great shampoo for your pet.
2. HURRICANE SEASON is upon us once more. Nassau Veterinary Hospital would be glad to help you with your hurricane preparedness plan for your pets. We have pamphlets and brochures that give you a great outline for where to start to prepare your pets hurricane kit. Dr. Carter is also involved along with the Nassau County Veterinary Association to put a hurricane plan into place that addresses the animals that may be left behind, stranded or injured during a major hurricane disaster. We are partnering with the Jacksonville Veterinary Society to effectively handle the emergency animal care situation that will occur if and when we are hit with a storm disaster. Please feel free to call our hospital and request our hurricane brochures. We all hope that we are spared such an event, but if we all are prepared with a plan in place, we should pull through with our families and pets safe and sound.
We at Nassau Veterinary Hospital strive to keep up with the latest medical technology regarding health care for your furry friends. Recently at a conference, we have learned that the prevalence of Lyme's disease and Erlichiosis is on the rise in the Southeastern United States....(that's us!!). Both of these diseases are tick transmitted and can carry a wide variety of clinical signs. Sometimes these symptoms can be very vague, such as intermittent lameness, occasioinal lethargy and inappetance and an animal that "just isn't doing right". Sometimes the clinical signs can be very severe, such as bleeding from the nose/mouth, severe joint pain, fevers, and major organ dysfunction. As a routing health screening test, we have required all our canine patients be tested for Heartworm Disease. We feel this is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT due to our close location to lots of marshlands and our very high mosquito population. However, we have learned that we may be missing some subclinical cases of Lyme's Disease and Erlichiosis. These diseases (like heartworms) can be fatal if left untreated, and have the best outcomes if caught early. As an upgraded health service for your pet, we will phase out of just routine heartworm screening, and begin to use the new ID3 test. This test checks your dog for Canine Heartworm Disease, Canine Erlichiosis, and Lyme's disease. Again remember, that heartworms are spread by mosquitoes, and the other 2 are tick borne illnesses. The additonal cost of screeing for 2 more life-threatening diseases is only $7.00. We are all interested to see which of our patients has been limping on and off and it is NOT ARTHRITIS, BUT LYME'S DISEASE!!!! Please give us a call if you would like to have your pet screened for these potentially deadly parasites.
The staff at Nassau Veterinary Hospital strives to make your visit as pleasant as possible. If you ever visit our hospital and have any special requests, please feel free to let Heather, Kristy or April know. They will do their very best to accomodate you and your pet so that your visit to the doctor is as pleasant as possible. They are also able to answer your questions about diet, behavior and routine health issues that may be affecting your special member of the family.
The last topic for this clinic news update is a summer nightmare. HEATSTROKE!!!! Living in a beach town provides lots of opportunities to enjoy the ocean and sun. Please remember that your pet enjoys the outings as well, but special precautions should be taken to ensure their safety in the sun and in the water. Dogs will drink salt water when they are thirsty, and can succomb to "Salt Intoxication". This is a fatal situation where your dog becomes severely dehydrated because of the intense rapid salt intake and suffers brain damage, coma and death. Please always bring AT LEAST 2 GALLONS OF FRESH WATER PER DOG FOR A DAY AT THE BEACH!!. Do not worry about it being cold.....just fresh and no salt is all that matters. White coated dogs are susceptible to sun burn and skin cancer just as fair skinnned people are. Please apply a 50 children's sunblock product to your white dogs ear tips, top of nose and aroung the lips and eyes if these areas are very pink. Let your pet rest often and try to provide shade areas for them to catch their breath out of the sun. Your pets pads are indeed thick and designed to withstand alot of environmental torture, but severe burns can happen if you let your pet walk on hot pavement in the summer. I am constantly amazed at people I see walking their dogs at 3pm in the blazing sun on a sidewalk and they don't notice that their dog is "dancing a jig".......maybe they just think they are feeing extra good that day. Helllllllooooooo.....their pads are burning. Watch your pet closely when you are walking on any type of potentially hot surface. They will tell you if it is too hot...."dancing a jig" is just not normal!!!!!
If you have any questions, or you would like to make an appointment, please give us a call at (904) 225-2050.
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