Preventative Medicine

Parasite Prevention

Canine Heartworm

Parasite control medication prevents heartworm disease and selected intestinal parasites. Heartworm disease if untreated is often fatal, yet it is virtually 100% preventable. We are advising that all dogs receive their parasite control medication on a 12 month basis. Dogs must be tested for heartworm disease and intestinal parasites on an annual basis. No preventative can be certified to be 100% effective, so yearly testing will help us determine if any parasites have slipped past. This advise is in keeping with current recommendations of the Companion Animal Parasite Council and the Center for Disease Control.

 

Factors dictating these recommendations include:

  • Increasing mosquito populations, and a trend to warmer weather, elevate the risk of heartworm infection, which can continue into winter months.
  • In addition to heartworm, your pet and your family face the constant threat of intestinal parasites such as hookworms, roundworms, whipworms and external parasites such as fleas and ticks.
  • Sentinel and Interceptor, the monthly parasite control medications we recommend prevent and control heartworm and intestinal parasites. To effectively guard against these parasites, Sentinel or Interceptor must be continued throughout the year.
  • Sentinel has an added component, lufenuron, which completely interrupts the flea cycle by preventing flea eggs from hatching. Use it year round to stop flea infestations before they start.

NO ORAL MEDICATION PREVENTS TICKS

Feline Heartworm

Most owners don't realize it but heartworms affect cats as well as dogs and it is equally as serious. Even if your cat is strictly indoors, it only takes one mosquito to get inside and infect your cat. We recommend year round prevention with Revolution. In addition to heartworm prevention, Revolution is indicated for treatment and control of roundworms, hookworms, ear mites, and for control of flea infestations.

The KNOW Heartworms campaign is a public awareness program to educate veterinarians and cat owners on the real threat of heartworm and the importance of prevention.

Flea & Tick Control

There are several products now available for this purpose.

  • Program for cats is an injection given once every 6 months which prevents the flea egg from hatching out into the larval stage. It can be started as early as 6 weeks of age.
  • Frontline is a once a month topical product that kills fleas and ticks. It can be started as early as 12 weeks of age.
  • Advantix for dogs is a once a month topical product that kills fleas and ticks. It can be started as early as 7 weeks of age. This product must not be used on cats or ingested by cats. Please separate any cats in your household when applying for at least 24 hours. If ingested, it may have serious harmful effects.
  • Revolution for cats is a once a month topical product that kills fleas, ticks, heartworm and ear mites as well as certain intestinal parasites. It can be started as early as 6 weeks of age. This is the only product we recommend for cats due to the important heartworm prevention.

Spay/Neuter

Unless you are planning on breeding your pet, we strongly recommend spaying or neutering at 6 months of age. Doing so eliminates the chances of your pet developing mammary and testicular/prostate cancer, deadly uterine or prostate infections, and may prevent behavioral problems (roaming, aggression, urine marking) in the future.