“Why does my pet need heartworm preventative year-round”? 

“Why do they need to be tested every year in the spring if they are getting the medication year-round”?

“Why does my dog need to be retested in the spring for heartworm disease if they were tested late in the season (ie. after July)”?

“Does my cat/dog really need to be on a heartworm preventative if they are indoors and don’t go outside”?

To find out the answers to these questions and other facts that you may not have know please click “KNOW MORE” or visit our Topic of the Month.

We recommend that all cats and dogs that go outdoors or have increased exposure to other animals (boarding and grooming facilities, dog parks) be on an effectice and safe flea and tick preventative. 

Ticks can carry serious diseases that can cause Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichia while fleas can also infect your pet with disease, intestinal tapeworms, cause allergic skin reactions and can take months to get rid of in your home. 

 What most people don’t know is that adult fleas only make up 5% of the flea problem, meaning 95% of the problem is what you don’t see, the immature stages of fleas.  The immature stage can be found on your pets hair, in your furniture, bedding and carpeting.  This is why using an effective preventative that treats not only the adults but also the immature stages of fleas is very important. 

 We do not recommend over-the-counter products as they tend to be ineffective and are not as safe to use on your pets, especially very young pets and cats.  Even over-the-counter preventative applied on dogs can cause signs of toxicity to the cats that come into contact with the treated dogs making them seriously ill. 

We carry topical preventatives such as Frontline Plus and Revolution which are very safe and effective for puppies and kittens 8 weeks and older, as well as for cats and dogs.  When you purchase 6 months of either product you will receive a FREE monthly dose. 

For those dogs with increased exposure to ticks (those that go hunting, visit cabins, wooded areas) they should be vaccinated for protection against Lyme disease and be routinely tested for exposure to tick borne disease (lyme, anaplasma, ehrlichia) with their annual heartworm test.   

If you want to know more on how to protect your pet or think your pet has been exposed to a tick borne illness please give us a call at 763-560-6906.

Spring is almost upon us and along with road construction and detours, the warm weather will bring mosquito season.  These annoying little pests can infect our furry little friends with a deadly parasite that causes heartworm disease with just a single bite. 

Heartworm disease is caused by the mature adult parasitic worm that lives within the heart and blood vessels of the lungs.  The parasite causes damage to the heart muscle, lungs, kidneys and liver causing irreversible damage.  The treatment for heartworm disease in dogs is costly and can also be fatal, however without treatment the risk for death is even higher.  As of today, there is no effective heartworm treatment for cats and therefore protecting all cats is extremely important. 

 Mosquitoes are most active in the morning and evening, when dogs and cats go outdoors.   They also tend to get in the house so even our strictly indoor cats are at risk. 

We recommend that all pets receive a monthly heartworm preventative year round to protect our pets in the mosquito season but also for the effective treatment against some of the most common intestinal parasites that can be spread to pets and people.        

Please note: Revolution is approved for the treatment of intestinal parasites in cats, but is not approved for the effective treatment in dogs!

ALL DOGS NINE MONTHS OR OLDER ARE REQUIRED TO BE TESTED FOR HEARTWORM DISEASE PRIOR TO STARTING A MONTHLY HEARTWORM PREVENTATIVE. 

What would you do if your pet got lost or stolen? 

Most stray and lost pets are not wearing identification tags or collars to help reunite them with their owners.  By microchipping your pet they can be identified by their unique microchip identification number when scanned using a Universal microchip scanner.  Their identification number is unique because no other pet will have the same number allowing a HomeAgain Recovery Specialist to enter their number into a data base to find out who they are and who owns them.  

Most veterinary clinics, humane societies and animal control facilities have these scanners and rountinely scan all stray/lost pets that are found.  Then by simply calling the 24 hour Recovery hotline (HomeAgain Recovery Hotline: 1-866-PETID24 )  we can help reunite these pets with their owners based on the information that you fill out at the time of the microchip placement.   

HomeAgain is now also offering additional services when you enroll in their membership plan.  Your first year is included in our One Time Microchipping Fee ($49.90), thereafter you can decide if you would like to continue the annual membership to receive the full membership benefits.

Membership benefits include; Lost Pet Alerts, Personalized “Lost Pet Posters”, 24/7 Emergency Medical Care, Lost Pet Medical Insurance, Pet ID Cards, Proactive Pet Recovery Network.  For more information visit www.homeagain.com 

Microchipping may save your pet’s life and will increase your chance that your pet returns home safe.  To protect your pet today, give us a call at 763-560-6906 to schedule an appointment.