Flea Season Starts Now!

Spring is here and so is flea season in the Pacific Northwest. I talk to a lot of pet owners who truly believe that their pet does not and never has had fleas. But fleas, and ticks, can be a problem in Western Washington. And it is a problem that should not be ignored.

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Fleas are tiny insects that live on our dogs and cats and suck blood for their meals. They can be difficult to identify, especially on a long haired pet. Grooming by our pets may remove low numbers of fleas before they are even seen. Do not assume that means they are not there. We must be careful not to dismiss fleas just because we don’t always see them.

Fleas can KILL!

In small or debilitated animals, fleas can cause enough blood loss to several debilitate or kill an animal. They can also transmit Feline Infectious Anemia, which is a blood parasite transmitted by flea bites. Flea bites can also transmit Cat Scratch Fever to your pet which will not cause your pet to become ill but can make you very sick if you were to have receive a bite from your pet.

Most commonly we diagnose fleas because of Flea Allergy Dermatitis. This allergy to flea bites results in a red inflamed skin that becomes secondarily infected with bacteria and yeast. Animals suffering from this condition are extremely itchy and uncomfortable. They will often loose hair, especially from the back half of their body and may develop open sores.

We also see a lot of tapeworm infestations. Tapeworms are spread through the ingestion of an infected flea. We see the results of this when cats or dogs poop out small, white sesame seed shaped worms. This preventable with good flea control.

Here is the good news. Fleas are preventable, if you stay on a regular maintenance schedule. There are multiple products available either from your veterinarian or over the counter to help with this. It is best to choose a product after discussion with your veterinarian about the risk factors for fleas, ticks and other internal parasites that may be

treated by various products.

A note about flea products. There are some over the counter flea products available at pet stores that can be toxic when used improperly. Always read the instructions. Never put a dog product on a cat. Never buy a larger dose hoping to split it into multiple doses for smaller animals. Properly used, flea medications are safe. But when improperly used flea product toxicities can lead to tremors, seizures, paralysis and death in extreme cases. If you have any questions contact your veterinarian before applying a product.

Think your indoor cat can’t have fleas? Surprise, fleas love the well controlled environment of our homes. They can live in our carpets, cracks in our hardwood floors or corners. They can be tracked in by other animals or even us before transferring to our pets or laying their eggs.

If you would like more information about fleas, flea life cycles and the products available to treat fleas visit www.veterinarypartner.com and search for fleas. There is a lot of good information on this site written and reviewed veterinary professionals.

Pet obesity

Do you laugh when your cat's belly drags on the floor? Do you make jokes about what a great footstool your dog makes because he is so wide? Do you admire the beautiful dogs on those cute flea preventative and dog food commercials?

What do all these questions have in common? In all of these instances, the animals I am describing are overweight or obese. Obesity affects 45% of our dogs and 58% of our cats according to a 2009 study performed for the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. As in humans, obesity can increase pets risk for arthritis, heart disease and diabetes. It reduces both quality of life and life span. A long term study done by Nestle Purina showed that dogs kept at a lean body weight lived on average 2 years longer than their slightly chubby counterparts!

How do you know if your pet is obese? The numbers on the scale are often much less useful than the look and abilities of your pet. When you feel your pets ribs do you feel them easily, or do you really need to press down? When you look at your pet from above can you see an indented waist behind the rib cage or are they square? A greyhound body shape is the extreme in dog athletes but all dogs should have at least hints of that outline. There is an excellent rating system on Nestle Purina's obesity management website at http://www.projectpetslimdown.com/Home/Obesity. This is the same scale that your veterinarian will use when assessing your pet's weight.

So you think your pet maybe overweight? What comes next? First step is to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. They can help you make a plan as to how much your pet should loose and how quickly. Too quick can cause pets, especially cats, to become sick so be sure to plan with your veterinarian how to approach healthy calorie restriction.

Just like with us, exercise is an important component in healthy weight loss. It can often be difficult to get overweight animals up and moving. So start small. A couple of minutes several times a day can add up fast. Also, try and pick activities that your animal really enjoys. If your dog just will not go for a walk trying playing with a toy instead. Throwing it up the stairs for them to chase is excellent activity. For cats check out the indoor cat initiative at http://indoorpet.osu.edu/ for ideas on how to get your cat more active.

If you are ready to start helping your pet get healthier make an appointment with your veterinarian. You can also check out the following websites for some additional encouragement and support: http://www.projectpetslimdown.com/ and www.petfit.com. They will even give you tips on how to get healthy and fit right along with your pet!