Flea Control
Although you may not see them in the winter in cold climates, fleas can live quite comfortably in your house, as well as on wildlife. … And, of course, fleas live happily in warm climates all year long, so flea control is a year-round battle. Even if your pet never goes outside, fleas can ride inside on your own pants leg among other ways. Pekin Animal Hospital recommends keeping your pet on a flea preventative year around to avoid the discomfort they can cause your pet and the expense of treating your home.
Heartworms
Pekin Animal Hospital follows the American Heartworm Society recommendations of year-round heartworm prevention and annual heartworm testing for dogs. Although there are fewer mosquitoes in the winter, there is still a risk that an animal could contract heartworms if the owner stops giving preventative during the winter months.
Heartworms are carried by infected mosquitoes that transmit parasitic worms that grow in the arteries of the lungs and heart of dogs and cats. The heartworm larvae enter the bite wound and move through the pet’s body. They can grow up to 12 inches long.
Even if your pet rarely or never goes outside, your pet should still take a heartworm prevention medication. Mosquitoes that transmit heartworms can easily access the indoor environment (and therefore your pet) through open doors and windows.
Heartworms do not survive as well in cats as they do in dogs, but cats are still at risk for heartworm disease. Unlike heartworm disease in dogs, there is no FDA-approved treatment for killing adult heartworms in cats. Prevention is the best option.
Intestinal Parasites
Dogs and cats are subject to many different species of intestinal parasites that are spread primarily through contact with infected stool. While most people think “worms” will be visible in their pet’s stool, the fact is most intestinal parasites can only be found by microscopic examination.
Pekin Animal Hospital recommends annual (minimum) fecal examinations. Your pet may show symptoms of a parasite, but many pets are asymptomatic. We send your pet’s stool sample to our reference laboratory for a complete examination and results are generally available the following day.
Fecal testing is particularly important when:
Your pet is having symptoms such as losing weight, a distended (pot-bellied) abdomen, scooting, vomiting or diarrhea
You are bringing a new pet into the household.
You have young children/toddlers in your household. (Some parasites can be contagious to humans through oral-fecal contact)
Parasite Prevention
Pekin Animal Hospital carries and recommends prescription veterinary grade parasite preventatives. To prescribe medications, including our veterinary grade preventatives, one of our veterinarians must have examined your pet within the prior twelve-month period (minimum) to establish/maintain a valid patient/client relationship. We do not carry or sell any over the counter preventatives.
Preventative options offered in-house:
– Injectable heartworm prevention for dogs. One injection and your dog is protected against heartworms for the next 12 months.
– An edible flea and tick preventative for dogs six months and older, this product begins killing fleas within three hours and begins killing five different species of ticks within eight hours.
– An edible heartworm preventative for dogs and puppies six weeks old or older, this product also provides protection for hookworms and roundworms.
– A topical preventative for dogs and puppies six weeks old and older, this product kills fleas, prevents flea eggs from hatching, treats and controls ear mites and protects against heartworms and American Dog ticks.
– A topical preventative for cats and kittens eight weeks old and older, this product protects against heartworms, fleas, ear mites, roundworms, hookworms and three types of ticks.
– An edible preventative for dogs and puppies as young as eight weeks old, this is the most complete parasite preventative available. This product protects against heartworms, roundworms, hookworms, fleas, and five different types of ticks.
For clients looking for other options, our online pharmacy carries a complete line of preventatives for your pet.