See the Magic Cat Tree in our Waiting Room
Contents:
There is More to Worms than Meets the Eye
Remembering Past Pets
There is More to Worms than Meets the Eye
One of the
most common misconceptions about worms in pets is that you will see them in the
stool. The majority of worms are too
small when passed to be seen, infrequently passed so unless you look at 100% of
every bowel movement of your pet every day you will miss those that can be
seen, and there are immature stages in the
body that cause problems long before they are possibly visible. Worms that live in the intestines are actually
common even in the best cared for dog or cat.
Even people can pick up parasites so a little knowledge can help both
you and your pet.
Most pets
pick up worms from walking or sniffing (then eating) some soil. Most all of the soil in backyards, parks and
other areas has some infestation by the larvae stage of the most common
worms. These you will not see at
all. Larvae stages are microscopic - not
visible. Hook worms for example actually
creep through the skin to infect any mammal. Did your mom every say "Don't run around without your shoes on!
You'll get worms!" She was
right. People can pick up hook worms
this way, or laying on the bare ground say when camping. Round worms are very common in the soil and
again, people can become infected when they do not wash their hands after
handling dirt then eating.
Veterinarians
are always asking for your pet's stool.
That has to be the most difficult specimen for clients to bring in. For some people it is as if we are asking for
nuclear waste! I know it is not the
most pleasant thing in the world to "handle" but worm control starts
with looking for it.
We have
nifty stool collection cups that you only have to bring in a small amount and
it keeps your hands off of the stinky stuff.
Samples should be less than 24 hours old, and not frozen.
A stool
tests (fecal test) can find worm eggs when they are shed. Occasionally there may not be eggs shed that
day so a negative test may not really mean no worms. If a pet seems to show signs of worms -
weight loss, anal gland problems, frequent stools (more than 2 a day), soft stools
or chronic skin problems then a broad spectrum worming is often given. Sometimes a worming will be given if the
pet's lifestyle can put them at higher risk for worms. A cat goes out occasionally is at high risk
due to hunting habits.
The best way
to prevent parasites is to keep your dog and cat on monthly heartworm
prevention prescribed by your veterinarian. All of the heartworm products will control intestinal parasites as well
as heartworm. The range of control will
vary with the preventative, so discuss
worm control with your veterinarian. Do
not stop the monthly prevention in the winter.
It is important to keep it up year around.
If you want
to know even more about worms than what I have covered here - see the article
on our website. It is the most
frequently hit page on our site!
Remembering Past Pets
Christmas time is marked with many traditions and memories
for us. So often we remember family
members both human and not at Christmas time. For some, it may be difficult as these memories and changed traditions
come about. For others, there is a accepted
fondness when remembering the cat that always climbed to the top of tree ready
to knock it down or the dog that would always manage to get those cookies off
the counter no matter how far back you put them.
Our pets are a part of our life. They live with us and become a part of our
every day rituals. They may sleep with
us, nudge us to wake even on the weekends, greet us at the door with a meow or
happy barks, and force us to get up and take care of them even when we may feel
low. Unconditional love is often
credited to our pets, something that we
humans often work towards but fall short at times. When our pets die, we feel a great loss for
their companionship and those daily rituals that have become a part of our
life.
Grief over losing a
pet is normal, and we pass through the same stages in grieving pet loss as we
do any other loss. Acknowledging this
grief and taking the time to create memorials to your pet is a healthy way to
go through this process. In recognition
of our client's pets that have passes, we have a memorial pet tree set up in
our office over Christmas time. Photos
of our client's pets are put on ornaments and after New Years, we host a
memorial service to honor those pets and provide the owners and friends a place
to remember fondly those pets. We will
be holding our memorial service this year Jan 4 at 7 pm.
All are welcome and If your pet's ornament was on the tree
we will give it to you that night. Some
readings and time for reflecting on the positive, good things that our pets
gave to our lives is the focus of the evening.
We started this event a few years ago. I had heard of some clinics doing this and
thought, it may be a nice way to stay connected with those clients and also
honor the pets. I did not realize how much
it helped me and my staff to have an event where we could remember these
beloved pets who we had cared for. When
a patient dies, we also feel a loss - not as deep as the families - but a
sadness as well. Taking some time to
remember the good things about that pet and expressing appreciation for being
able to care for a family member is very helpful to us too.
So, if you would like to see the tree please stop by this
week. We will be closed between
Christmas Eve and New Years Day. We are open
until 7 pm Friday and during the week until 5 pm. We are located at 140 W. Sale Street, in downtown Tuscola. I have also set up a face
book event page which you can find at Okaw Veterinary Clinic with photos and
details. At our office we also have
information and ideas to help you or a friend if you are grieving after the
loss of a pet.
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