Month: June 2020

Parasite control Service – Parasites causing diarrhea in Minneapolis dogs

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Post date June 29, 2020
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Dog owners should know about two common intestinal parasites, hookworm and Giardia, that are prevalent in Southwest Minneapolis. Although both are treatable, these parasites can cause important illnesses in pets.

At Grah Kingston, we are providing quality Cat & Dog Parasite Control Service. We are known as one of the best Dog & Cat Parasite Control Vet Clinics in Kingston.

Hookworm

Hookworm disease is a terrible disease for dogs, cats, and humans. It is zoonotic, meaning it can be spread from dogs and cats to humans.

#KingstonAnimalHospital #GardinersRoadAnimalHospital #AnimalHospital #VeterinaryHospital #FleaAndTickMedication #AnimalWormPrevention #AnimalSkinProblems #AnimalAllergies #ParasiteControlServices — Parasite control Service – Parasites causing diarrhea in Minneapolis dogs

Early in the disease, dogs may have no symptoms, but during this time they can be dispersal thousands of hookworm eggs daily in their stool and contaminating the environment. Later in the disease, patients will develop diarrhea and weight loss. Hookworms are voracious bloodsuckers. They attach to the abdominal lining and release an anti-coagulant to stimulate bleeding. Hookworm disease can cause anemia, and puppies that are exposed to hookworm as neonates can become so anemic that they can die.

The primary way hookworm is transmitted is through the stool. Dogs with adult hookworms in their gastrointestinal tract will pass hookworm eggs in the stool. These eggs are not immediately infective. It takes 2–9 days for the eggs to hatch into infective larvae. Contaminated stool left in the environment can mix with the soil and turn it into a source of contamination. These larvae live for many months in the soil, even in winter. Minnesota has its cold weather hookworm that can survive freezing temperatures.

It takes a community effort to help control the spread of hookworm. You can do your part to control this disease by following these tips. Pick up your dog’s stool and throw it away as soon as it is produced. Keep your dog on a monthly parasite preventative, even in the winter. The monthly heartworm preventative you give your dog likely protects against hookworm, but it would be prudent to double-check with your vet.

Keep your dog on a leash to stop him from eating soil that may be contaminated with hookworm larvae. Wear gloves when gardening and shoes when walking outside. It doesn’t take long for microscopic hookworm larvae to penetrate the skin and cause disease. Wash all fresh fruits and vegetables. Hookworm can also enter people through accidental digestion of contaminated soil.

Have your veterinarian screen your dog’s stool regularly for parasite eggs, even if he is not showing diarrhea or illness. Early in the disease, dogs are usually asymptomatic and during that time (sometimes months), they can be spreading disease and contaminating their environment. Giardia is a single-celled parasitic virus that infects many types of animals around the world. Humans can become infected as well, but it is rare for canine Giardia to transmit to people.

Organisms are passed into the environment through feces and once outside the body, they turn into hardy, tiny cysts that can endure for months. Once they are ingested by a new host (for example from contaminated water, or a dog licking her feet after walking in the grass) the shell dissolves and every cyst releases two infectious organisms. Once there, they can move around in different parts of the intestines looking for different nutrients.

It takes about five days to two weeks for the Giardia to be passed out into the stool of an infected pet and diarrhea can lead the shedding. Infection is more predominant in places with high dog density, such as dog parks, kennels, and daycare facilities. Symptoms of the infection can include diarrhea (sometimes bloody), vomiting, and loss of appetite.

Testing has become more reliable and efficient with the development of a newer test called an Elisa SNAP test. This test takes minutes and can be done while you are at the clinic for the appointment. Because of the erratic shedding habits of the organism, repeat testing is sometimes necessary to detect it.

Pet owners are welcome to visit our Animal Hospital in Kingston. Our veterinarians can carry out specific testing to diagnose the parasites affecting the health of your pet.

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Animal Hospital in Kingston Gardiners Animal Hospital Vaccination Service Veterinary Hospital

Pet Vaccination Service – Why vaccines important to keep pets healthy

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Post date June 29, 2020
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In light of the rabid bats outbreak in the Santa Clarita area, the urgency has increased to vaccinate your pets, and keeping your pets’ vaccinations up to date is crucial for protecting and preventing further outbreaks, veterinarians say. Vaccines are important because they protect your pet from acquiring certain diseases, some of which can be fatal.

At Grah Kingston, we are providing quality Dog & Cat Vaccination Service. We are known as one of the best dog Vaccination vet clinics in Kingston.

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Dogs and cats alike can start getting vaccines at 6 to 8 weeks of age, according to Vega, with booster vaccines recommended every three to four weeks until the pet reaches the age of 16 weeks. Vaccines are done this way as both puppies and kittens receive passive immunity from their mothers via colostrum. This passive immunity protects them from acquiring certain diseases.

That immunity starts to slowly disappear between 6 to 16 weeks of age. Therefore, it is during this time we vaccinate to build up individual immunity. The American Animal Hospital Association has developed dog and cat vaccination guidelines, separated into core and non-core animal vaccines.

Core vaccines include every dog and cat should receive, such as rabies. A non-core pet vaccine, such as the rattlesnake vaccine, is given based on lifestyle or environment. On average, core pet vaccines can range from $10 to $28 per dose while non-core vaccines are more expensive.

The distemper/parvovirus vaccine and FVRCP is usually one of the first core vaccines given to pets. A rabies vaccine is required by law to be updated every three years. When a puppy receives their first rabies shot they need to receive a booster one year later. After that, they are due for a rabies booster every three years.

“If an owner brings in a dog that was attacked or bitten by a wild animal, I always vaccinate them with the rabies vaccine just in case,” said Dr. Laura Ekman.

If an adult pet’s vaccine history is unknown, they will be vaccinated with the first shot, and expected to come back a year later for the booster and triannually after. Animal Vaccinations prevent pets from not only getting diseases but also from spreading them to other animals or potentially to humans.

Pet owners are welcome to visit our Animal Hospital in Kingston. The veterinary team at GRAH will assess which inoculations are required, specific to your pets needs as well as age and stage of development, different vaccination packages are available at the clinic.

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Animal Hospital in Kingston Gardiners Animal Hospital Micro-chip Service Veterinary Hospital

Micro-chip Service – It’s a good time to microchip for dogs and cats

Post author By blog_wp
Post date June 27, 2020
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Gwen Kuykendall, co-owner of Kuykendall’s Border Collies and Goose Masters, wants residents to understand the importance of micro-chipping family pets to help track them and keep more of them from getting lost during storms and landing in animal shelters.

At Grah Kingston we are providing quality Cat & Dog Micro Chip Services. We are known as one of the best dog and cat Micro Chip vet clinics in Kingston.

#KingstonAnimalHospital #GardinersRoadAnimalHospital #VetClinicsKingston #VeterinaryClinic #KingstonVet #VeterinaryService #EmergencyVetKingston #AffordableVeterinaryClinic #Micro-chipService — Micro-chip Service – It’s a good time to microchip for dogs and cats

We breed, raise and train high-end Border Collies for farms, Canada goose control, sports dogs and sometimes pets. Although our dogs are highly trained and can be commanded at a distance through verbal and whistle commands, anything can happen, they are still dogs, we’re not too proud to think they are perfect, so we recommend micro-chipping.

We will go even further and say that we think it is as important as vaccinating, de-worming for internal and external parasites and heartworm prevention. Plus, it’s very affordable — less than $50, it lasts the lifetime of your animal and can be done in seconds at a regular vet visit. We have collars on all our dogs with nameplates but collars can fall off or be taken off, microchipping is permanent.

Kuykendall wants to stress the importance of microchipping: If you’ve decided to microchip is something you’d like to do; this is the time to do it. Summer outdoor activities just put your dog at a greater risk of potentially getting lost. Travel in unfamiliar environments can cause added opportunities for animals to become separated from their families.

Even if a friend is watching your pet, fireworks, gunshots, and thunderstorms all play a role in dogs becoming frightened and bolting from us, their handler, or caretaker. Most of the time our dogs drop instantly on the lie-down command but if nervous or frightened they’ll continuing running and get away from us. Veterinary clinics have the means to micro-chip fur babies.

The process is simple — first the dog is scanned to be sure there isn’t a microchip already implanted, next the chip which is only about the size of a grain of rice is inserted between the shoulder blades right under the skin, most times your animal never even feels it.

Finally, the dog is scanned again to be sure the number shows up on the scanner. Most importantly is the final step of either filling out your personal contact information online or by regular mail and as important is keeping that information current if anything changes.

The chip only has a number associated with it so if a dog is lost the facility trying to locate the owner, they call the company and give them that number which is associated with the animal and the company whether it be Avid, Home Again, or MicroFindr. That company will then contact the owner; personal information is never given out. This is not a GPS tracker; micro-chips work on radio frequency to read the number on the chip. Typically, the chip stays in place but can move slightly around the body and very rarely dislodge from the body.

All facilities in the state of North Carolina are taking in lost animals, Veterinary offices, rescues, and pounds, all by law have to scan the animal so if your pet or working dog is lost and found and brought in to a facility the chances of you being reunited is very, very good.

If you have any questions regarding microchipping or wish to make an appointment for your pet visit our Animal Hospital in Kingston. At GRAH, we routinely provide microchipping service to pets in an easy and relatively painless manner.

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Animal Hospital in Kingston Dental-Care Service Gardiners Animal Hospital Veterinary Hospital

Pet Dental Care Service – Understanding the costs of your pet’s dental care procedure

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Post date June 27, 2020
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Small animal veterinarians are commonly asked: “How do the costs add up so quickly for my Dog and Cat Dentistry procedure?” But first, we should discuss why a dental procedure might be recommended for your pet. It’s not just about sparkling white teeth and fresher breath, though those are among the many positive outcomes. Oral health matters for pets for the same reason that it matters for us: It’s all connected.

At Grah Kingston, we are providing quality Cat & Dog Dental Care Services. We are known as one of the best dog and cat dentistry clinics in Kingston.

The mouth can act as a port of entry for bacteria, allowing infection and inflammation to move through the bloodstream to the rest of the body. Pets also suffer significant pain related to fractured teeth, infection of the gums, and abscessed or loose teeth.

#KingstonAnimalHospital #GardinersRoadAnimalHospital #KingstonVet #24HoursAnimalHospital #AnimalHospital #VetClinicsKingston #VeterinaryClinic #DogDentalVet #DogDentistry #PetDentalCleanings #DogDentalCare #PetDentist — Pet Dental Care Service – Understanding the costs of your pet’s dental care procedure

General anesthesia is necessary to thoroughly examine your pet’s mouth. Some of the molar teeth are tucked so far back in the mouth, they can’t be seen well in even the nicest and most compliant pet. Think about how your dental hygienist performs an in-depth exam and cleaning, uses a dental probe to measure pockets along your gum line, and has you sit still for dental X-rays. None of this is possible for pets without anesthesia.

Pre-anesthetic blood tests help identify individual health concerns that could impact the pet’s procedure or cause potential problems during or after anesthesia. Some clinics have in-house laboratories that add cost but allow for rapid monitoring and response to anesthetic emergencies. Calming and pain-relieving pre-anesthetic medications decrease the need for other anesthetic drugs, improve safety, and lead to smoother recoveries.

Ideally, an intravenous (IV) catheter is placed to give drugs and fluids, though this varies between clinics. Catheters provide rapid access to the bloodstream in the rare event of an anesthetic emergency. IV fluids maintain hydration, electrolyte balance, and blood pressure to protect the heart and other organs. An endotracheal tube is placed inside the throat to deliver oxygen and gas anesthesia and to prevent inhalation of liquid and dental cleaning debris. Inhalant gas maintains pets’ unconsciousness and allows rapid adjustments in anesthetic depth.

Anesthetic monitoring equipment and protocols vary, but often pets are monitored by multiple staff members using advanced equipment. Pulse oximeters measure heart rate and blood oxygen levels. Additional equipment tracks heart rhythm and blood pressure, alerting the team immediately to dangerous changes. Careful temperature monitoring prevents hypothermia (perilously low body temperature) that may delay recovery and decrease anesthetic safety.

Dog and Cat Dental X-rays are crucial to understanding the health of tooth roots hidden below the gum line. Many teeth have multiple roots that may be considerably longer than the exposed crown, so we’re truly only seeing “the tip of the iceberg” if we don’t look below the surface. Some infections cause obvious gum changes or loose teeth, but others are only detectable using X-rays.

And without X-rays, root fragments may be left behind after tooth extraction, causing ongoing pain and infection. For optimal detail, some clinics have specialized digital Cat & Dog dental X-rays. As in human dental offices, drills, polishers, and hand tools are often employed. Ultrasonic scalers may be used to remove the thick calculus (mineralized plaque) that can accumulate on pets’ teeth.

Staffing and training also add significant cost. Your pet’s dental team ideally consists of a licensed veterinarian, one or two certified veterinary technicians, and one or two veterinary assistants. The veterinarian assesses your pet’s oral and overall health, directs anesthesia, performs dental extractions and surgery, and determines the post-dental plan.

The certified veterinary technicians play multiple roles: dental hygienist, a phlebotomist (drawing blood), anesthetist (pain relief), an X-ray technician. Veterinary assistants support pets’ core body temperatures to prevent hypothermia and maintain heart rates, oxygenation, blood pressure, general attitude, comfort, and cleanliness.

The need for extractions or surgical removal of oral tumors varies with each pet. Local nerve blocks are administered before these procedures for pain relief lasting up to eight hours. At some clinics, a laser may be used in the removal of abnormal gum tissue and acupuncture may be offered for pain, nausea, and anxiety relief. Antibiotics, anti-nausea drugs, pain relievers, and appetite support may be critical for a speedy recovery and are tailored to each pet’s comfort, anesthetic complications, and health status (e.g., insulin for diabetics).

The items above detail many of the costs involved in pet dental procedures, but what isn’t discussed is how concerned veterinarians tend to be about client costs. It’s considered a major stressor in veterinary medicine, a profession in which practitioners constantly worry about how to provide the best care for the pets and clients we love while still respecting individual family cost constraints. So, if your veterinarian recommends a dog dental care procedure, listen carefully and ask questions because we truly want what’s best for your pet and want to help you in achieving that goal.

Pet owners are welcome to visit our Animal Hospital in Kingston. At our pet dental clinic, we have Pet Dentists with years of experience who have done their jobs in Cat Dentistry and Dog Dentistry incredibly.

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Animal Hospital in Kingston Dental-Care Service Gardiners Animal Hospital Veterinary Hospital

Pet Dental Care Kingston – At GRAH we providing best Pet Dental Care Services

Post author By blog_wp
Post date June 25, 2020
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Periodontal disease in pets is entirely preventable yet usually untreated, affecting most cats and dogs by age 3, according to the American Veterinary Dental College. At Grah Kingston, we are providing quality Pet Dental Care Service. We are known as one of the best dog and cat dentistry clinics in Kingston.

Why should a pet owner care? A broken tooth can put your pet in pain.

Pet owners need to be on the lookout for tooth decay because there are few signs of gum disease, which can cause multiple problems in a pet’s mouth and spread to internal organs.

Dental care Service – At GRAH we providing best Pet Dental Care Services — Pet Dental Care Kingston – At GRAH we providing best Pet Dental Care Services

Warning signs

A broken tooth is incredibly common in dogs and cats. Teeth are tools for cats and dogs. Dogs can fracture a tooth in play biting chew toys, bones, rocks, or other hard objects. Cats often break fang teeth when slipping while jumping on and off of things.

“The problem is that animals don’t always tell us they’re in pain. They’re tough,” Delmain said.

The most obvious sign of a tooth problem is bad breath. It could be a sign of periodontal or another oral disease. Brown or discolored teeth and bleeding gums are also dental-health warning signs.

At the vet

Pets’ teeth are hard bone shells around a core of nerves and blood vessels, just like human teeth. If an infection is left untreated it can lead to an abscess forming. A fractured tooth can be sealed if it’s shallow, but if the fracture reaches the tooth’s pulpit needs to be removed.

A broken tooth requires a visit to the veterinarian, who can assess the situation. While human dentistry is about saving a tooth, pet dentistry is about the comfort of the tooth. If a veterinarian has to remove a pet’s tooth, the animal can do well afterward.

“A nicely healed area of gum is nothing to worry about,” she said.

Because two-thirds of a tooth is under the gum line, dentistry with anesthesia is necessary to get rid of plaque and tartar, for teeth cleaning and X-rays. Without it, cat and dog dental care can be scary.

Brushing at home

Regular dental checkups by a veterinarian should be augmented by brushing at home, Delmain. Be sure to use products approved for pets. Just like learning a new skill, getting a pet used to toothbrushing may take time. Start by letting your pet sniff the toothbrush and paste and try to work your way up to about 30 seconds of brushing on both sides.

Pet owners concerned about their pet’s oral health can look for products approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council, which have undergone research and testing to back up claims for home dental care for pets, look for a square label the says “VOHC Accepted” on products that help control tartar and plaque build-up.

Pet owners are welcome to visit our Animal Hospital in Kingston. At our pet dental clinic, we have Pet Dentists with years of experience who have done their jobs in Pet Dentistry Service incredibly.

Animal Hospital in Kingston Gardiners Animal Hospital Nutrition Service in kingston Veterinary Hospital

Pet owners can get best Nutrition Service now from our Vet Clinic in Kingston

Post author By blog_wp
Post date June 25, 2020
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Obesity is the most common nutritional disorder in cats and dogs. Obesity is the accumulation of excessive amounts of adipose tissue in the body. There have been many studies done that show obesity can have damaging effects on the health and longevity of cats and dogs.

At Grah Kingston, we are providing quality Cat & Dog Nutrition Services. We are known as one of the best dog & cat Nutrition vet clinics in Kingston.

There a few reasons why our companions are overweight; it is up to us to be able to identify when it becomes a problem. Food is probably the most obvious reason. We like to give our pet treats for coming inside, before bed, while they are in their crate, etc. However, we tend to forget our ‘treats’ are extra calories and empty calories with no nutritional value in them. Many treats also have more calories in them then what your pet needs in total for one day.

#KingstonAnimalHospital #AnimalHospital #GardinersRoadAnimalHospital #NutritionServiceinkingston #NutritionService #CatNutrition #DogNutrition — Pet owners can get best Nutrition Service now from our Vet Clinic in Kingston

In which case, with these additional calories is where the accumulation starts. Treats are an important part of the training, but treats need to be limited and carefully picked for each pet. For my pets whose breeds are prone to becoming obese, I carefully choose their food and treats by choosing lower-calorie treats and also treats that beneficial to them.

By beneficial I mean helping combat problems such as dental and joint problems. I also know a lot of people feel the need to give their dog’s human food; this is ‘okay’ in moderation. If you would like to give your dog human food, stick to acceptable fruits and vegetables which are much lower in calories.

Another reason is when your pet is spayed or neutered, their metabolism changes due to the lack of estrogen and testosterone. We always recommend you switch their food to a weight management diet after surgery. Very few spayed/neutered pets can tolerate high-calorie foods. After switching foods, we recommend you monitor their weight in case you need to increase or decrease the amounts or switch to a lower calorie food.

Lack of exercise could also contribute to weight gain, and I do hear this quite a bit. I usually hear this a lot right around this time when people blame it on ‘winter.’ I do agree winter can sometimes interfere with our outdoor activities especially when it is icy or minus 40 outside. It is a pretty good excuse. However, there are plenty of indoor games you can play with your dog. For cats, there are plenty of games we can do with them too, to get them moving.

Unfortunately, there are consequences when we overfeed our pets. The added weight on their joints is hard on them. They can suffer from arthritis earlier than normal; in a sense, they are aging faster. Also, some cancers are more prevalent in obese pets. Some things we may not consider are our pets being clinically depressed because they are overweight and are unable to do some of their natural behaviors such as cats grooming themselves or dogs exercising and running around.

These activities take a lot more effort when they are carrying extra weight. A couple of diseases we also want to try and avoid are diabetes and hypothyroidism. If you are concerned about your pets’ weight, we are always here to help guide you and educate you. A good thing to remember is, if you can see your pets’ ribs or spine, they are too lean and if you can’t palpate their ribs or spine with a slight fat cover, then they are overweight.

Pet owners are welcome to visit our Animal Hospital in Kingston. Ongoing proper nutrition, leading to optimum health and performance is an important goal for every pet owner.

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Animal Hospital in Kingston Dental-Care Service Gardiners Animal Hospital Veterinary Hospital

Dentistry – Dental Care Services at GRAH Kingston

Post author By blog_wp
Post date June 24, 2020
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You’ve shed the January blues, the weather getting ever so slightly warmer, and guess what? It’s also National Pet Dental Health. Why should you pay attention? It’s simple really: because if your pet’s breath smells bad, they could have dental disease.

At Grah Kingston we are providing quality Cat & Dog Dental Care Services. We are known as one of the best dog dental vet clinics in Kingston.

We know the importance of our dental health. We wouldn’t dream of setting off for work in the morning without first cleaning our teeth and rightly so. For our pets, the same rules ought to apply; it’s important to look after our pets’ teeth, ensuring good health and freedom from disease and decay.

#KingstonAnimalHospital #GardinersRoadAnimalHospital #KingstonVet #24HoursAnimalHospital #AnimalHospital #DogDentalVet #DogDentistry #PetDentalCleanings #DogDentalCare #PetDentist — Dentistry – Dental Care Services at GRAH Kingston

Dental disease begins with a small amount of plaque (formed of salivary deposits, bacteria, and food particles) forming on the tooth’s surface. If ignored, this can build up to form dental tartar (calculus), which in turn can cause marked gum disease and inflammation, leading to an array of pleasant conditions including gum recession, tooth root exposure, and decay of the periodontal ligament. Once severe dental disease manifests itself, your pet will require a scale and polish, but this will be the least of your worries as multiple tooth extractions can often be necessary.

Dental disease causes localized pain in the oral cavity and can affect the rest of your pet’s body too. The inflamed, damaged gums absorb the bacteria-ridden tartar and from there, it accesses the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body, affecting the heart and kidneys in particular. This can seriously impact your pet’s health overall, especially if they’re elderly, already unwell, or fragile in any other way.

If your pet has dental disease, the first symptom will more than likely be bad breath (halitosis). They could appear uncomfortable when they eat – often chewing with one side of their mouth or regularly dropping food.

Signs of Dental Problems:

Bad breath (halitosis)

Loss of appetite

Bleeding gums

Inflamed gums

Drooling

Pawing at the mouth (or any other sign of the mouth being sensitive)

Preventing Dental Problems

As with most pet ailments, prevention is far better than cure. There are numerous ways to prevent dental disease:

Dental diets – Several pet food companies now offer dental diets, designed to contest dental disease. Dental kibbles of a particular shape, size, and texture have a mild rough effect and are formulated to clean your pet’s teeth as they chew. Dental chews/treats – They work in much the same way as diets. Be wary, however, as some of them contain a high quantity of fat.

Dental hygiene – Tooth brushing is the gold standard of dental care for pets and, as with humans, it should be done every day. Use an appropriate animal toothbrush and paste. Restrain your pet firmly but kindly, go from back to front in a gentle, circular motion. If they don’t like the toothbrush, let them get used to the process – and having their teeth touched – by putting a dab of toothpaste on your finger and cleaning that way.

Pet owners are welcome to visit our Animal hospital in Kingston. We have Pet Dentists with years of experience who have done their jobs in Cat Dentistry and Dog Dentistry incredibly.

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Animal Hospital in Kingston Gardiners Animal Hospital Parasite Control Services

Parasite control Service in Kingston-Heartworm, fleas & ticks, is your pet protected?

Post author By blog_wp
Post date June 23, 2020
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Spring is in the air! The sun is (somewhat) shining and we all couldn’t be happier to arise from our cold weather hibernation and habits. Now that the temperatures are changing its time to face reality – creepy-crawly season is back and it’s time to get your pet protected!

At Grah Kingston, we are providing quality Cat & Dog Parasite Control Service. We are known as one of the best Dog & Cat Parasite Control Vet Clinics in Kingston.

Heartworm

Heartworm disease is spread through mosquito. For us in Ontario, this is a concern throughout the summer months and why we use prevention from June through to November. The life cycle of the heartworm begins when a female mosquito bites an infected dog and ingests the microfilariae (consider them the baby heartworms) during a blood meal. The microfilariae grow further for 10 – 30 days in the mosquito’s gut and then enter its mouth parts.

At this stage, they are infectious larvae and can complete their maturation when they enter a dog. The ineffective larvae enter the dog’s body when the mosquito bites a dog. They journey into the bloodstream and move to the heart and adjacent blood vessels, maturing to adults, mating and reproducing microfilariae within 6 – 7 months.

#FleaAndTickMedication #AnimalWormPrevention #EarInfectionTreatment #DogEyeinfection #AnimalSkinProblems #SpayNeuterKingston #DogAnalGland #AnimalAllergies #ParasiteControlServices — Parasite control Service in Kingston-Heartworm, fleas & ticks Is your pet protected?

Heartworm Testing

Here at the Usher Animal Hospital, we test all dogs for heartworm disease before starting them on any sort of preventative. As long as compliance has been met giving the medication for the required amount of time (typically June – November), we do not require subsequent testing to be done.

Heartworm testing requires a small blood sample to be taken with one of our technicians. The sample is sent out to our reference laboratory and results are reported by the next day. Our heartworm tests not only screen for heartworm disease, but we also screen for common tick-borne diseases as well.

Fleas

Fleas can be a year-round issue, depending on where you live. However, in Ontario, the summer tends to be our typical flea season. There are four stages to the flea life cycle:

Flea eggs are whitish and about 0.5 millimetres (mm) (1/32″) in length. They are unlikely to be seen without a magnifying glass. The eggs are primarily laid on the dog’s skin but fall off into the environment to continue their life cycle. Flea eggs establish approximately 50% of the total flea population. Eggs may hatch in as little as 14 to 28 days, depending on environmental circumstances. High humidity and temperature favor rapid hatching.

Flea larvae are about 2-5 mm (1/8″ to 1/4″) in length. They have a white body and a blackhead. They dislike cheerful light and move deep into carpet fibers or under furniture, organic debris, grass, branches, leaves, and soil. Flea larvae prefer warm, dark, and moist areas. Outdoors, larval development happens only in shaded, moist areas where flea-infested pets spend a significant amount of time. Our climate-controlled homes offer an ideal environment for the flea larvae to thrive.

The flea pupae produce a defensive silk-like cocoon that is sticky. It rapidly becomes coated with grime and debris, which acts as a useful camouflage. With warmth and humidity, pupae become adult fleas in 5-10 days. The adults do not appear from the cocoon unless stimulated by physical pressure, vibrations, carbon dioxide, or heat. This is important since once fleas emerge from the cocoon they can only happen for a few days unless they can feed.

Pre-emergent adult fleas can live within the cocoon for up to 9 months. During this time, they are resistant to insecticides applied to the environment. This is important to remember because adult fleas may emerge from their pupae into the environment a considerable time after you apply insecticides in your home.

Once it emerges, the flea adult, unlike the larvae, is concerned with light and heads to the surface to encounter a passing host to feed upon. Two days after the first blood meal, female fleas begin egg making. In normal conditions the adult female will live up to three weeks, laying approximately 40 eggs per day. The whole life cycle, from egg to adult flea can be completed in as little as 14-28 days depending on environmental situations.

Ticks

Ticks are not only a concern in the four-legged community but for us as humans as well. We are all fully aware of Lyme disease and the health concerns involved.

The tick lifecycle involves four distinct life stages: egg, six-legged larvae, eight-legged nymph, and adult. Females sum from 3,000 to 6,000 eggs on the ground. Adult ticks pursue host animals and after engorgement on blood, they quickly mate. Male ticks typically die after mating with one or more females, although some may continue to live for several months. Females die soon after laying their eggs in protected habitats on the ground.

The life cycle needs from as little as 2 months to more than 2 years, depending on the species. After the egg hatches, the tiny larva (sometimes called a “seed tick”) feeds on a suitable host. The larva then develops (“molts”) into the larger nymph. The nymph feeds on a host and then molts into an even larger adult. Male and female adults feed and mate on the host; the female falls to the ground to lay her eggs, continuing the life cycle.

Parasite Prevention

Here at the Usher Animal Hospital, we provide an abundance of heartworm, flea, and tick preventative medications. Which product you choose will all depend on the lifestyle of your pet and their risk factors. Most pets that stay within the City of Toronto use a heartworm and flea combination product as Ticks aren’t as prevalent within the city itself. Pets that travel to northern parts of Ontario and visit cottages will often use a preventative that takes care of heartworm, fleas, and ticks since the prevalence is much higher.

Pet owners are welcome to visit our Animal Hospital in Kingston. Our veterinarians can carry out specific testing to diagnose the parasites effecting the health of your pet.

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Animal Hospital in Kingston Gardiners Animal Hospital Surgery and Anesthesia Services

An overview of Pet surgery and Anesthesia services at GRAH

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Post date June 22, 2020
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The word anesthesia comes from the Greek meaning “lack of sensation”. Anesthesia is accomplished by administering drugs that depress nerve function. With general anesthesia, the patient is made unconscious for a short period. During this insensible state, there is muscular relaxation and a complete loss of pain sensation. Other categories of anesthesia include local anesthesia such as numbing a contained area of skin or a tooth, and spinal anesthesia, such as an epidural block, that results in anesthesia of a particular part of the body.

At Grah Kingston, we are providing quality Cat & Dog Surgery and Anesthesia Services. We are known as one of the best dog & cat Surgery and Anesthesia vet clinics in Kingston.

#VetClinicsKingston #VeterinaryClinic #KingstonVet #VeterinaryService #EmergencyVetKingston #AffordableVeterinaryClinic #SurgeryandAnesthesiaServices — An overview of Pet surgery and Anesthesia services at GRAH

What are the risks of anesthesia?

There is always a risk of an opposing reaction when we use any anesthetic agent, no matter whether it is for minor, short-term sedation or complete general anesthesia lasting several hours. It is generally estimated that approximately 1 in 100,000 animals will have some sort of reaction to an anesthetic agent. These reactions may range from slight swelling at the site of injection or a mild decrease in cardiac output, to a full-blown incident of anaphylactic shock or death.

Another possible danger associated with anesthesia arises if the cat is not properly fasted before anesthesia. Anesthetized patients lose the normal reflex capability to swallow; during swallowing, the epiglottis, a cartilage flap that closes over the entrance to the windpipe, avoids food or water from entering the lungs. If there is food in the stomach, the cat could vomit while under anesthesia or in the early post-anesthetic dated.

If vomiting occurs before the swallowing reflex occurs, the vomited material can be aspirated or enter into the lungs, causing aspiration pneumonia, a potentially life-threatening condition. Other rare difficulties of anesthesia include organ system failures such as kidney liver or heart failure, visual injury, clotting disorders, and seizures. Every precaution will be taken to minimize these risks when anesthesia is a necessary part of treatment.

What can be done to minimize the risks?

Pre-surgical physical examination, preoperative blood, and urine tests, and radiographic examination may reveal clinical or sub-clinical problems. Certain medical situations will increase the risk of having an anesthetic complication. These conditions include heart, liver or kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, anemia, dehydration, and certain infectious diseases such as heartworm disease. Blood tests will rise the chance of detecting a hidden problem that could prove to be life-threatening. In older animals, chest radiographs and electrocardiogram (ECG) are often recommended to ensure there is no pre-existing pathology in the heart or lungs that might increase the risk of an adverse reaction.

Immediate intravenous access for emergency drug administration is one of the most important factors in the successful treatment of cardiovascular or respiratory letdown in either the conscious or the anesthetized patient. By placing an intravenous (IV) catheter and line before anesthesia, your veterinarian can ensure that this lifeline is already in place, should the necessity arise. Anesthetics, fluids, and emergency drugs can be managed through the IV line.

Intravenous fluids help sustain blood force in the anesthetized patient and will change lost fluids (during surgery, fluids are lost through evaporation from body cavity surfaces, through bleeding, and in any tissues that are being removed). Upon accomplishment of the process, intravenous fluid therapy speeds the recovery procedure by diluting the anesthetic agents circulating in the bloodstream and by improving their metabolism and elimination through the liver and kidneys.

Patients that receive IV fluid therapy generally wake up quicker than those that do not. Moreover, studies have shown that 0.9 – 2% of all patients that receive general anesthesia will grow kidney dysfunction or failure 7-14 days after anesthesia. This risk is significantly reduced in patients that obtain peri-operative intravenous fluid therapy. Although 98% of all pets will have no problem, your veterinarian’s goal is to remove that unknown 2%. For these reasons, all general anesthesia patients should receive intravenous catheterization and fluid therapy.

You should confirm that your pet’s complete medical history is available to your veterinarian, particularly if your pet has been seen at another veterinary clinic. Earlier anesthetizing your cat, your veterinarian wants to know about any medications or supplements that your cat has received in the past few weeks, any pre-existing medical conditions, any known drug reactions, the results of previous diagnostic tests, and whether the cat has undergone any anesthetic or surgical events in the past. Other useful information includes the pet’s vaccine status and reproductive status (i.e. when was its last estrus or heat cycle).

Can you describe a typical anesthesia?

All anesthesia patients are weighed on admission and are given a thorough pre-anesthetic examination, which includes an examination of the chest, palpation of the abdomen, and assessment of the gums checking for hydration status and an indication of good circulatory status. After reviewing the medical history, additional diagnostics such as blood or urine testing, blood pressure, electrocardiogram (ECG), or x-rays of the chest or abdomen may be performed before administration of any anesthetic drugs.

In the mainstream of cases, a technique called ‘balanced anesthesia’ is used. With balanced anesthesia, the patient receives a combination of sedatives and anesthetic agents that is suited to its individual needs. The most common combination is a pre-anesthetic sedative and analgesic combination that is administered by injection, followed by an induction agent that is also administered by injection; the anesthetized state is maintained with an anesthetic gas mixed with oxygen.

Pet owners are welcome to visit our Animal Hospital in Kingston. Elective surgery for your pet may become necessary when it is suffering from a disease or comorbidity that cannot be treated using topical creams, or medications alone. Any surgical treatment requires the services of a professional.

Tags AffordableVeterinaryClinic, EmergencyVetKingston, KingstonVet, SurgeryandAnesthesiaServices, VetClinicsKingston, VeterinaryClinic, VeterinaryService

Animal Hospital in Kingston Gardiners Animal Hospital Vaccination Service

Pet Vaccination Service – All you need to know about our Cat and Dog Vaccinations

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Post date June 19, 2020
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Why do my pets need to be vaccinated?

Vaccines are very important to manage the health of your pets. Vaccinating your pets is one of the easiest ways to protect your pet from highly contagious diseases and even deadly diseases. Also, vaccination prevents diseases that can be passed between animals and also from animals to people, like rabies and leptospira. Lastly, the vaccination of animals makes pet owners avoid costly treatments for disease.

At Grah Kingston, we are providing quality Dog & Cat Vaccination Service. We are known as one of the best dog Vaccination vet clinics in Kingston.

#KingstonAnimalHospital #GardinersRoadAnimalHospital #AnimalVaccines #CheapDogVaccines #DogVaccines #CatVaccines — Pet Vaccination Service – All you need to know about our Cat and Dog Vaccinations

Vaccines help prepare an animal’s immune system to fight future infections from disease-causing viruses or bacteria. Vaccines contain antigens (killed virus or modified live virus or modified live bacteria). When vaccines are injected into animals, they can stimulate the immune system in an animal’s body but do not cause. Thus, the animal’s immune system can be prepared to recognize the pathologic virus or bacteria and fight against them quickly and effectively to reduce the severity of illness in the future.

Which vaccines should my pet receive?
Which vaccines your pet should receive is decided by animal’s age, lifestyle, exposure risk, animal’s health condition, and regulations. In most countries, Rabies vaccines are required by law for all cats and dogs even though they are living indoors only.

Vaccines are divided into “core” vaccines that every pet should have, and “noncore” vaccines that a pet should have depending on exposure risk. Core vaccines are recommended for all puppies and kittens and adult dogs and cats with an unknown vaccination history. These vaccines protect pets from a disease, significant illness, and/or death.

These include vaccines for canine parvovirus (CPV), canine distemper virus (CDV), canine adenovirus (CAV), and rabies in dogs and for feline panleukopenia (feline distemper), feline calicivirus, feline herpesvirus types I (rhinotracheitis) and rabies in cats. Noncore vaccinations are given for individual pets that have a greater chance of exposure to those diseases. These diseases can cause serious illness or even death of your pet in some cases.

Depending on where you live, some of these may be can be categorized as “core” vaccines due to higher disease prevalence in that area (i.e. Lyme vaccines or Leptospirosis vaccine). Canine noncore vaccines include Bordetella, Leptospirosis, Lyme, Canine Influenza (H3N8 and H3N2), Parainfluenza. Noncore vaccines for the cat are those that protect against feline leukemia virus (FeLV), Chlamydophila felis, and Bordetella bronchiseptica. Vaccines against feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) are currently not recommended for use.

How often should my pet receive vaccinations?

1.Core- vaccines
For puppies, one dose of Canine DAP (distemper virus, adenovirus, and parvovirus) vaccine is recommended every 3-4 weeks from 6-8 weeks of age, with the final booster being given around 16- 20 weeks of age. For kittens, one dose of FVRCP (feline panleukopenia, feline calicivirus, feline herpesvirus type 1) is recommended with the same interval as puppies. For dogs and cats older than 16 weeks of age, two doses of the same vaccine given 3-4 weeks apart are recommended. And then, animals need a booster every three years. For rabies vaccines, it is also generally recommended that a single dose of rabies vaccine can be given around to puppies when they are 16 -20 weeks.

Kitten receive the vaccine even though they can receive rabies vaccine at the earliest at 12 weeks old. After the first rabies vaccine has been given, an animal must have a booster one year later regardless of the duration of immunity of first rabies vaccines used (1 yr rabies vaccines vs. 3-year rabies vaccines). After a one-year rabies booster, subsequent booster intervals are determined by the type of vaccine used (1 yr. vs. 3 yr.).

2.Non- core vaccines
When most noncore vaccines are given for the first time for puppies, kitten, or adult animals, we recommend administering two sets of vaccines 2-4 weeks apart. The vaccination is an important part of your pet’s routine. It protects them from potentially severe or deadly disease and improves their quality of life.

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