• Ticks are arachnids, meaning that they are more closely related to spiders than to fleas.
• Ticks feed off the blood of their host.
• A tick’s saliva has an anesthetic and anticoagulant effect when they bite; in some species, the saliva can act as a cement to keep the parasite in place.
• There are 800 species of ticks worldwide.
• In the U.S. there are seven species of ticks that can carry disease. At least one of those species lives in every state except Alaska and Hawaii.
• Ticks can live 200 days without food or water.
• Ticks normally live in woods and tall grass and wait for a warm-blooded animal to pass close enough for them to reach out and grab. Some ticks live in caves or other dark places.
• In at least one study, it was shown that a single pass through a tick-infested field resulted in over 500 ticks clinging to a single subject!

Ticks transmit several serious diseases, including Lyme disease, erhlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. There is even a condition called “tick paralysis” where the tick’s saliva causes sudden paralysis of the limbs. Some of these diseases are more common in certain parts of the country than others, but all are potentially serious and can be tricky to diagnose. While there is a vaccine for Lyme disease, the other diseases have no prevention other than repelling and removing the parasites.

There are several products on the market that can help prevent ticks from attaching to your pet. However, none of them are foolproof and with a severe tick exposure you can still have attachment even if you’re using it properly. Talk to your veterinarian about the best tick preventive for your dog or cat. And if your pet is acting abnormal and you know or suspect tick exposure, be sure to discuss this with your vet.

You can learn more about ticks on Banfield’s website or check the prevalence of ticks in your state by going to our State of Pet Health site.

Here is a guide to some of the helpful articles and resources we’ve put together to spread the word about fleas and offer recommendations on preventing infestations or treating flea-related health issues.

Prevalence and risk information from our State of Pet Health Report:

• Flea and Tick Overview

Articles and infographics found on Banfield’s website:

• Enemy #2: The Flea
• My Cat Has Fleas; What Can I Do?
• My Dog Has Fleas; What Can I Do?
• Tips for Killing Fleas Year-Round
• How to Identify Fleas on your Pet
• Flea Allergy Dermatitis Treatment Options

Posts from our Sit and Stay blog:

• Beware of Super Flea
• Failure of Flea Prevention? Nope!

I hope you’ll take a few minutes to browse through these resources. And of course, if you have any questions about fleas, including recommendations on year-round preventives, ask your local Banfield veterinarian. The more you know about fleas and their potential consequences, the better prepared you’ll be to protect your dogs and cats.

She’s right. The prevalence of heartworm infection in dogs in Oregon isn’t very high. According to Banfield’s newly released State of Pet Health 2013 Report, southern states have the highest prevalence, while the west coast falls into a low risk category. For this reason, it’s understandable that someone in a low risk state might question the need for an annual heartworm test and year-round preventives. I admit that for a long time I didn’t have my dogs on any kind of heartworm prevention. But then I got to thinking…

Mosquitoes are everywhere. There may not be as many in Portland as there are in other parts of the country, but when I think back to the warm summer nights I’ve spent sitting on my deck I have a very clear memory of batting away pesky mosquitoes. A mosquito bite to me is a nuisance. But to a dog or cat, a single bite from an infected mosquito could lead to serious illness or even death. Prior to working at Banfield, I had no idea that heartworm infection was such a danger to pets. Read more about it, and I suspect you’ll want to do everything you can to protect your dog or cat.

Knowing what I know now, it was easy to answer my mom’s question. Yes, I believe year-round heartworm prevention is important no matter where you live. The risk may be low in some areas, but the danger to pets is high. I never want to take a chance with my dogs’ health, especially since keeping them protected is so easy.

To find out the prevalence of heartworm infection or other diseases and conditions in your state, visit StateOfPetHealth.com.

“Meat” (Chicken, beef, salmon, etc.)
“Clean flesh derived from slaughtered mammals, limited to skeletal muscle or tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus;  with or without fat, skin, sinew, nerves or blood vessels.”  Essentially this is the same kind of meat tissue that we would eat, though it may contain pieces of bone.

“Meal” (Chicken meal, lamb meal, bone meal, etc.)
This is tissue that has been ground, cooked or dehydrated to remove the water and fat, as well as reduced to a smaller size.  If it is listed as an animal type (“chicken”), it is the whole animal exclusive of certain parts.  If it is listed as a certain structure (“bone”) it is just the processed form of that tissue.  Though it may be lower on the ingredient list, it’s a highly concentrated source of nutrients.  By definition this specifically excludes heads, feet, feathers, hooves, intestines, and similar structures.

“By-products” (Chicken by-products, beef by-products, etc.)
Though many may consider this “junk”, by federal definition by-products must specifically exclude hair, hooves, horns, hide, manure, and gastrointestinal contents.  By-products are the non-muscle organ tissue, including the liver, stomach, kidneys, head, brain, and other organs.  There are many nutrients in by-products that aren’t found in muscle tissue.  These are also structures that the wild ancestors and cousins of our dogs and cats will eat in their natural prey.  Despite what some people may think, this is not filler or other unwanted material.  There are specific nutrients found in by-products that you can’t find in other tissues.

“Digest” (Lamb digest, chicken digest, etc.)
Material resulting from chemical and/or enzymatic processing of clean and un-decomposed tissue.  This must be exclusive of hair, horns, teeth, and hooves.

“Animal” vs. Species
If an ingredient has a particular type of animal, such as “chicken” or “beef”, the tissue is exclusively from that kind of animal.  If it says “animal”, it is usually a mixture of various properly slaughtered mammals, while “poultry” means various birds such as chicken, turkey, and duck.

Trying to read a pet food ingredient list can be like trying to read a different language.  Realize that decades of careful research and trials have gone into these foods, and nothing is on the list without a specific reason.  Some ingredients may be better than others, but they all have a reason.  Other factors that help determine the quality of a food include the manufacturing process and the quality control guidelines used by the company.  Unfortunately there is nothing on a package that gives any indication about these processes, so it’s very difficult for the average consumer to know which food to choose.  So what’s a pet owner to do?  Talk to your vet.

As in human foods, pet food ingredients are listed from most to least. What many don’t realize is that this is determined based on pre-cooked weight, so just because something is first on the ingredient list doesn’t mean that it’s automatically the highest percentage. That ingredient may just weigh more. For example, something listed as a meat (i.e. “chicken”) is the whole tissue, most of which is water. An ingredient that is “meal” (i.e. “chicken meal”) is the muscle tissue that has been dehydrated. If you look at two foods and see that one lists chicken as the first ingredient and another food has chicken meal as the third ingredient, it’s actually possible for the second food to have more chicken protein than the first! Since dehydrated tissue has the water removed, it weighs less and therefore ends up lower on the ingredient list. This is one reason why it’s not easy to look at an ingredient list and tell exactly how much of each ingredient is present.

There is another confusing part of food labels. Some foods are essentially puppy foods, even if it is labeled for adults! How can that be? Look somewhere near the ingredients list and content analysis on the food package and you will see an AAFCO statement along the lines of the following: “[dog food] is formulated to meet the nutritional levels by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance.” Pay close attention to the words at the end of the sentence. If you see “maintenance”, “maintenance of adult cats”, or similar words, this has been designed as an adult or senior food. Statements like “growth” or ”growing puppies and gestating or lactating female dogs” mean that the food is for kittens or puppies, or the mothers until the babies are weaned. However, if you see “all life stages”, by law that food must meet the most stringent nutritional requirement of the different stages of life, which is puppy/kittenhood. So essentially a food “for all life stages” is a puppy/kitten food! In an adult or senior dog the increased calories and nutrients can lead to your pet becoming overweight.

Take another look at the AAFCO statement. Besides the life stage, you will see either “formulated” or “animal feeding tests”. This part of the statement indicates how the food was analyzed. A formulated diet was calculated and analyzed by an ingredient formula before feeding. While not necessarily a bad way to analyze food, it isn’t the most accurate. Just because an ingredient is in the “formula” doesn’t mean that it’s easily digested and absorbed. Analysis through animal feeding tests indicate that the food was analyzed prior to feeding, then the feces analyzed afterward, with a comparison of the two determining how much of the food was actually utilized by the pet. While feeding tests are the most accurate way of determining food absorption, most pet foods will formulate them, even the good brands. Still, it’s one more thing to consider in the analysis.

Because there are so many foods on the market, and so many things to consider, it’s always a good idea to speak with your veterinarian before you select a pet food for your dog or cat.

So what should you do? Should you keep expired medications around (in case you need them and it’s 2 a.m. and you have nothing else) or toss them out? I learned from Sandy Still, Pharm.D., Veterinary Pharmacist and Senior Buyer for Banfield Pet Hospital^®’s Formulary Team, that expired medications are not recommended for use. First, there is no guarantee that they will be effective or free of side effects. Who knows what exposure to light, humidity or the chemical instability of a product will do to the medication over time?

But before you throw out your expired medications, think about where you’re going to dispose of them. Fortunately, there are take-back programs nationwide that have events scheduled on certain days and times. If you go to the Drug Take-Back Network website you can find out what’s happening in your area for the collection and disposal of unused medications by state. Flushing them down the toilet is not OK because they end up in our drinking water supply and water filtration plants aren’t designed to filter out these drugs. Most veterinary clinics, hospitals and pharmacies cannot accept expired medications; it becomes too expensive to get rid of them. In addition, there are drop boxes in some cities. To find one near you, check out RxDrugDropBox.org, your area’s local waste guide, or visit earth911.com for more information.

If you can’t get to a waste site or are unable to find a take-back program or drop box near you, you can mix the drug in with kitty litter or coffee grounds and place it in the trash (regular, not compost trash). Obviously, this is not preferred from an environmental perspective, but is a good option in a pinch and better than flushing down the toilet and into the water supply.

Any time you have a question about the safety or effectiveness of any drug, be sure to ask your veterinarian or pharmacist.

The most obvious example is that pet birds enjoy spending time and playing with their owners. You’re probably familiar with the cockatoo that will stand on your arm and talk to you, but other species such as parakeets and canaries can also be taught to a certain extent to do the same thing. The techniques vary with different species, but are similar to offering your dog or cat a treat as a reward for performing the desired behavior. Keep in mind that any form of punishment (negative reinforcement) should be avoided.

Even docile species such as rabbits and guinea pigs can be taught to use a litter box to make cleaning their habitats an easier task for everyone involved. The general rule is that they don’t like to defecate or urinate where they fed, so putting a litter box filled with suitable litter in the corner away from food and water will entice them to start using it. If it seems like they need extra encouragement, moving feces into the litter tray when they do it somewhere else will help them make the connection.

Reptiles, amphibians and fish tend to be more difficult to teach new tricks, but with the right amount of patience and creativity, anything is possible!

Flash forward several days. I came home from work and noticed that Nike was itching. I remembered the flea incident so I took a flea comb and ran it over her coat. There were several fleas, which I drown in a bowl of water. At that point I knew I had a situation that needed to be dealt with, but I still didn’t feel a tremendous sense of urgency. That weekend I went to the pet store and bought Nike some topical flea preventive. She had been scratching a lot more and I knew she needed relief, but I had no idea what I would find when I took the flea comb to her again.

There were dozens of fleas attached to the comb with every stroke I made down her back. Her back, stomach and legs were covered in little red bites. It was so bad that all I could think to do to get them off of her quickly was to take her into the bathroom and bathe her until the fleas were gone (you can imagine how much she liked that).

I got Nike set up with a flea preventive but then had to make sure the fleas were gone from the house. I washed all of the bedding (hers and mine) daily. I vacuumed every square inch of the apartment several times a day until I was sure the situation was under control. Luckily, I was able to rid myself and Nike of the problem relatively quickly. But it was a real eye-opener in terms of how quickly a flea problem can spiral out of control. The one flea you see in your house likely means there are dozens more hiding in your home or on your pet.

If my story isn’t enough to convince you that having pets on regular flea preventive is important, read this blog post from Dr. Chris Bern. Fleas are pretty powerful little creatures. Luckily for us and our pets, preventing fleas before they turn into a problem is easy to do.

Multivitamins
Humans take these because of possible deficiencies in their diet. But if someone is eating a very nutritious, well-balanced diet we’re getting these ingredients in our normal food. Since most of us don’t eat as well as we should, taking vitamins helps make up for some of the things we may be missing. By law, prepared pet foods must meet minimum nutritional standards, including all ingredients necessary for survival. If you’re feeding a high-quality food you don’t need to supplement with vitamins. If your pet is eating a cheap, lower-quality food you probably do need to give vitamins. But why not just feed a better food in the first place?

Oils & Fatty Acids
Certain types of oils contain essential fatty acids (EFAs) that can help a pet’s body in many ways. EFAs have been found to improve the coat and skin, reduce itchiness and irritation of the skin, and decrease inflammation in the joints. However, not all oils and fats are created equal. There are specific kinds of EFAs that are most beneficial, and you won’t find them in high levels in all oils. Also, pets don’t absorb the EFAs found in plant material very well, so using flax seed oil or vegetable oil isn’t going to do much other than make the food greasy. Fish oils are high in the desired fatty acids, but animals usually need far higher levels than do humans. Pets with allergies or arthritis can benefit from EFA supplementation, but you need the right ones and the right dosage. Your vet will be able to help you make the right choice.

Glucosamine & Chondroitin
In both human and veterinary medicine these are somewhat controversial ingredients. While many studies seem to show that they have little to no effect on arthritis and joint pain, doctors know that many patients benefit from them. They are very safe, so I do believe that it isn’t going to hurt to use them. Because human and animal digestive systems are different, your pet may not get any benefit from the supplements designed for people, so chose one specifically made for dogs and cats. Besides glucosamine and chondroitin, look for supplements with MSM and green-lipped mussel, both of which have been shown to help with arthritis.

Before changing foods or adding supplements, always start by talking to your veterinarian.

It was also at that point that I experienced a flash of déjà-vu. I’d seen that look before!  And not just on her, but I just know I see that look a lot – at least a couple times a day even, and usually, now that I think about it, it’s followed by something like “but Doc, what exactly does all that mean?” And that’s about the time that I realize I just wasted my client’s time and patience. Much as I can’t really absorb all the mysteries behind my daughter’s hair products, I can’t expect every other human on earth to absorb all the stuff I spent eight years cramming into my head just so I could have a career treating and helping pets.

I usually pride myself on being very good at explaining things in clear everyday language – but I know I sometimes fall down. Every once in a while I slip into my vet jargon or start lecturing my clients as if they were third year vet students just because it’s easier than trying to figure out the best way to explain things – and my clients are smart anyway – they can get this stuff – it’s not like I’m giving anyone a test on it or anything.  But that’s where the problem really lies – the tests I had to take in vet school seemed very real at the time, and the grades were very important to me at the time.  These days, there are two tests that really let me know whether or not I’ve done a good job:

1)     Did my patient get better?

2)     Did my client bring her back so I could find out?

It might seem that as a doctor, I have more control over the first question – whether or not my patient got better, but unfortunately, regardless of how good a doctor I like to think I am, sometimes my patients don’t get better right away – and I need to see them a second, third, or even a fourth time or more. 

And that’s when the second question becomes even more important, but no one in veterinary school ever taught me how to do a good job of getting my clients to come back. That’s something I’ve been working hard to figure out ever since I started working with clients. What is it that I can say or do that keeps clients coming back and trusting me to take care of their pets?

The answer, although difficult to fulfill, is not all that hard to come up with – I need to give you what you need.

I need to speak to you in a language you can understand. I need to help you understand what to expect – from your pet, from me, and from whatever disease it is that I am helping you and your pet recover from.  If I meet a client’s expectations, I can be pretty confident that I will see you again. If I confuse you with words you can’t be expected to understand, I shouldn’t be surprised when you look for someone else to help you understand what’s going on with your pet.  I know that no one likes surprises, especially when the life and comfort of a loved one is at stake, and it’s part of my job to make certain that there aren’t any surprises – and when there are – it’s also my job to help explain how that one got past me. 

It’s not a really big deal for me to re-boot my router at home so it’s not very important that I understand all the different reasons that I might have to un-plug it and plug it back in. But for all of us, our pet’s are a huge deal, and I need to do my best to make certain you understand what’s going on with her, and everything I can and will do to help you both.