Wellness Exam - This is the most important part of your
dog's visit! A thorough exam allows the
veterinarian a chance to identify possible abnormalities before your pet may even have symptoms. It is also a good
opportunity to talk with your
vet about any health, nutritional, or behavioral concerns you may have.
Canine Distemper - This is a disease that can occur wherever dogs reside. Distemper is spread through mucosal secretions, such as coughing, as well as other bodily fluids. It is a primary killer of puppies. Early signs of distemper are eye and/or nasal discharge, fever, decreased appetite, coughing, and weakness. As the disease advances it can produce vomiting, diarrhea and a hardening of the nose or foot pads. It then spreads to the brain and spinal cord and signs such as restlessness, seizures, and imbalance. These nervous signs may be seen months to years after infection with distemper. They may become permanent, although some dogs do "recover".
Hepatitis - This is an infection of the liver that is spread through urine, feces, blood, saliva, and nasal discharge. Symptoms are fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, coughing, and a tender abdomen. In some cases, hepatitis can cause oral hematomas
(blood that accumulates outside the blood vessels) . In some animals, the liver infection or hematomas can be severe enough to cause death.
Leptosporosis - A zoonotic (can be spread from animals to humans) disease that can result in chronic liver and kidney disease that can cause death. It is spread most commonly through moist environments that have been contaminated with infected urine, or from ingesting certain wild animals like rats, raccoons, skunks or opossums. Because of the zoonotic potential, specific quarantine guidelines must be followed if the pet is suspected of having leptosporosis.
Parainfluenza - Parainfluenza is a virus that can cause respiratory tract and lung disease, and is most often characterized by a hacking cough and poor appetite. In some cases, it can lead to pneumonia. It is quite contagious.
Canine Parvovirus - Parvo, as it is commonly called, most commonly affects unvaccinated puppies. Symptoms include lethargy, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. It is extremely deadly and
highly contagious, and requires prompt medical attention and hospitalization
in an isolation unit. It is most commonly spread through fecal contamination, and can even live in an outdoor environment (even through Wisconsin winters!), so precautions must be taken before introducing another dog into that environment, if at all.
Bordetella - Also known as "kennel cough" is a bacterial disease most often associated with large groups of dogs housed together. The only symptom is the "sounds like there is something in my dog's throat" cough, otherwise appetite and activity levels are normal. However, kennel cough often comes in conjunction with one of several viruses, making it a complex infection. It is recommended that all dogs that go to boarding, grooming, or daycare, or that go to dog parks, dog shows, or obedience classes also receive the Bordetella vaccine.
Lyme Disease - Lyme disease is a transmitted through deer tick bites. The disease is less severe in dogs than in humans, but can still produce chronic joint disease, fever, or even kidney damage. The symptoms may not present themselves until months after the infective bite.
Rabies - Rabies is a zoonotic (can be spread from animals to humans) disease that is most common in wildlife. It is typically spread from bite wounds with infected animals. It is also a requirement of boarding and grooming facilities that a cat have a current Rabies vaccination before boarding or grooming can be performed because although unlikely, there is a possibility of disease transmission. Rabies has 100% mortality rate in both animals and humans.
Heartworm Test -
A heartworm
test is a simple test which uses a small amount of blood to test for
heartworms. Heartworms are spread through bites from mosquitoes
that have been infected from heartworm positive dogs. Since
Heartworms are endemic in Wisconsin, there is always a risk that if
your pet is outdoors during warm weather, even briefly, an infected
mosquito can pass on this deadly disease. The heartworm can grow up
to 14 inches long, and lives in the heart or pulmonary arteries of
your dog. The more worms that are present, the harder your pet’s
heart must work to pump blood, and can be deadly.
Parasite Screen - Also known as a fecal or fecal analysis, the fresh stool
is analyzed to look for intestinal parasites and organisms such as roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, giardia, and coccidia. Several of these organisms are zoonotic
(can be spread from animals to humans), and yearly checks are
recommended, especially if there are small children around.
Parasites are usually spread from mother to puppies, by consumption
of a wild animals that has the parasite, general grooming after
contact with parasite eggs, or for humans (mostly children) oral
ingestion of eggs either from infected soil or fecal matter.
AKC Microchip - This is a pet identification microchip inserted
under your pet's skin to permanently identify your pet in case of
theft or loss. You must enroll your pet with AKC once the chip is inserted. Most kennels, humane societies, and veterinary clinics have scanners that can read the chip. They can then call the
company who passes on your contact information so that you can
retrieve your pet.
Flea and Tick Preventatives - Once monthly topical
treatments to prevent flea and/or tick infestations. There are
several brands available, and your veterinarian can help you decide
which best fits your pet's lifestyle.
Heartworm Preventatives -
There are simple once a month chewable or topical preventatives
which kill heartworms before they become a problem, even if your dog
is bitten by an infected mosquito. As a bonus, many of the
preventatives also kill common intestinal parasites, and some even
control fleas!
Senior Testing - Please visit our
Senior Pets
page for an in depth article.
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