Ask The Dog Expert

By Dr. Jonathan Alford

Congratulations – your dog has been a loyal companion for you and your family for a number of years. Our job at Animal Care Center is to help your dog to enjoy the fullest quality of life possible by preventing disease and by catching problems as early as possible to treat them most effectively.

Unfortunately, as you know, our canine companions do not share the same life expectancy as humans. That is where the old “doggy years” math comes into play. It is true that on average a dog ages approximately seven years each calendar year when compared to humans. Small breeds of dogs tend to live longer (into their mid to late teens) than larger breeds, and giant breeds (i.e. Great Danes and Mastiffs) tend to have even shorter life expectancies. These are all just projections based on averages, of course many dogs exceed expectations and some fall short. The point of knowing this information is to know how best to protect and care for your canine.

We recommend a thorough physical exam each year with any vaccinations and other tests that may be indicated for your dog. Remember, if your dog goes in once a year for a check-up that is the equivalent of you going to see your doctor every seven years. A lot can change in a year’s time for your furry friend. As your pet gets older it becomes even more important to have these visits. Annual blood tests to screen for a variety of health concerns are of vital importance in disease prevention. I know of so many cases of dogs with various diseases, in particular in our senior patients that could have been managed so much more effectively if caught early with a simple blood test. Keep in mind, that age is not a disease, but with aging comes an increased risk of developing various and sundry diseases.

A Complete Blood Count (CBC) is exactly what the name suggests, a count of the cells in your dog’s blood. Blood is composed of red blood cells (RBC’s), white blood cells (WBC’s), and platelets. RBC’s transport oxygen to all the tissues of the body and are low with anemia. Anemia can make your dog tired and increase respiration rate and effort to compensate among other things. WBC’s are responsible for fighting disease among many other functions. This count is usually elevated when your dog has a systemic infection or inflammatory response as well as some cancers. Platelets are essential for blood clotting secondary to injury in a very complex series of steps.

A Chemistry Panel is used to screen for various diseases including those affecting the liver, kidney, bowel, pancreas, etc. There are reasonable steps that can be taken to treat these conditions and others which are especially effective if started early in the disease process.

Thyroid testing is another good idea especially in senior patients as well as dogs with a weight problem and difficult to manage skin conditions. The thyroid hormone influences your dog’s metabolism as well as many other body functions. If this hormone is low, there is a supplement that can be given at a low cost that can improve your dog’s quality of life and potentially aid in weight loss if needful.

By Dr. Jonathan Alford

Things are warming up outside, and with that means parasites are an increasing threat to the health and comfort of your pet. Some of these parasites can also be a concern for human health, especially children, so you may want to consider some options with your veterinarian to keep your pet and family protected.

Fleas are one of the most common parasites of dogs. Not only are fleas a nuisance to dogs they can often be the source of allergies, cause anemia, and transmit parasites. There are many products out on the market for prevention of fleas, but they are not created equal. Many are even toxic and harmful to our pets. Gone are the days of flea collars and flea shampoos and good riddance. These remedies are out of date and not nearly as effective as topical now available.

Prescription flea products, available through veterinarians, are the safestand most effective treatment/preventive for fleas. When using these products it is important to understand that adult fleas that you can see on your pet only account for about 4% of the flea population. The other 96% of the flea population are in the egg, larval, or pupaestages and are in the environment (carpet, bedding, yard, etc.). This means that even if you are applying a product monthly to an animal in a flea infested environment you may still observe fleas on your dog before the product kills the fleas. This is because these fleas are constantly emerging from the environment and getting on your dog. Foggers indoors and yard sprays my help decrease fleas in the environment and improve success of treatment. It is also important to use a non-detergent, soap-free grooming shampoo for bathing when using topical flea products to avoid removing the product from the dog. Treatment of ALL animals is also important because an untreated dog or cat can serve as a reservoir host for fleas. This is even true if you have an animal that never goes outside because fleas can be carried in on clothing or other animals.

Ticks can transmit a variety of diseases to dogs and humans through blood meals. Some of these diseases include: Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountainspotted fever. Many of the topical prescription flea products are also effective against ticks. Some of these products have an ingredient that actually repels ticks and prevent attachment, thus decreasing risk of disease transmission as well.

Heartworms are a parasite of dogs and cats that are transmitted by mosquitoes. An infected mosquito transmits the larval stages of the parasite with a blood meal. The larvae travel through the bloodstream where they develop into adult heartworms in the heart of their host. Adult heartworms cause a variety of complications for their host including cough, lethargy, exercise intolerance, and death. Dogs and cats do not have symptoms in the early stages of disease when treatment for heartworms would be the least risky. Treatment for heartworms is expensive and risky for the patient. The good news is prevention is simple, inexpensive, and effective. Prior to beginning a heartworm prevention program it is important to make sure your dog is not already infected. This can be done with a simple in house blood test.