pet connection

Fleas aren’t just irritating, they can cause serious illness in pets. So can other parasites, like ticks and mosquitoes.  In this week’s Pet Connection newspaper feature, our Dr. Marty Becker has the facts:

In a pet with flea allergy dermatitis (FAD), even one flea bite can cause a cascading reaction of itching, irritation and secondary bacterial infection. Far from being a rare overreaction to fleas, FAD is the most common allergic skin disorder in pets. And allergic or not, all pets can be infected with tapeworm swallowing a flea. Fleas can also bite humans, and a few fleas can lead to a complete infestation of your carpets, bedding, upholstery and yard.

Once it’s in full bloom, a flea infestation can be extremely difficult to eradicate.

And what about mosquitoes? These pests make people itch, but their risk to pets goes far beyond discomfort. Mosquitoes can transmit heartworms, a parasite that’s a serious problem in dogs and increasingly in cats (even indoor cats). Many cases of feline asthma and bronchitis are now thought to be caused by heartworm infection. Heartworm disease can be debilitating, lengthy, difficult and expensive to treat, but it’s easy to prevent with medication from your veterinarian. More information on canine and feline heartworm disease can be found at www.heartwormsociety.org.

Probably the most dangerous of all the pests that afflict our pets is the tick. Ticks can spread Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and babesiosis. These immune-system disorders can be hard to diagnose and difficult to treat. Because their symptoms can mimic so many other diseases, they are often not detected until well advanced, at which time it can be too late.

Find out what you need to know to protect your pet’s health here.

And from Gina Spadafori, tips on safe flying with pets:

Make sure any pet — but especially a cat — is equipped with a harness and leash before removing the animal from the carrier at the airport screening station.I’ve flown with pets as carry-ons a few times and have put larger pets in cargo a few times more — never (knock on wood) with any problems whatsoever. I’ve always found airline staff to be caring, helpful and understanding of the needs and worries of pet lovers.

One myth about flying with pets that just won’t go away is the assumption that pets need to be routinely tranquilized for flights. Not only is this not true, but it’s also dangerous. Tranquilizing limits the ability of their bodies to function normally, and they need all that ability to cope with the stress of flight.

The default mode for pet air travel should be no tranquilizers, although there are exceptions, so a preflight talk with the veterinarian is a must. (You’ll need to be there for a preflight health certificate anyway.)

Want more? Read the entire Pet Connection for this week, or download the PDF file just the way we send it to our client newspapers!

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