Dog Care
Dog Fleas & Ticks
Most of us think of fleas as the tiny bugs that make our dogs itch and scratch. While there is some truth in that statement, fleas can be a severe problem for your dog and your home. They can enter your home through your dog and multiply quickly. Within a short period of time, your home can become infested with these tiny bugs. Ridding your home of a flea infestation can be costly and time-consuming.
Medical Issues and Fleas
Fleas can not only make your dog miserable from itching and scratching, but they can also cause serious illness. Some of the medical issues caused by fleas are:
- Skin problems – Fleas can cause allergy problems for your dog and can also cause skin infections. A skin infection may require antibiotics to help your dog recover.
- Anemia – Fleas suck blood to survive, which can cause anemia (a low red blood cell count) that affects their immune system and can make him or her more susceptible to other diseases. A young puppy is small enough that a few fleas could suck enough blood from them to cause them to die.
- Tapeworms – Your dog can become infected with tapeworms if they eat an infected flea while licking or grooming themselves. Tapeworms are parasites that live in your dog’s intestines.
Animal Health Center, Opelika, Auburn, can help rid your dog of fleas and can help prevent fleas in the future. Call us today (334-745-0060) and let us help free your dog of fleas.
Ticks
Ticks can easily attach to your dog as he or she walks through tall grass or wooded areas. Ticks can carry deadly diseases like:
- Lyme disease
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever
- Ehrlichiosis
- Babesiosis
Ticks can easily go unnoticed and cause your dog serious problems. If your dog is outside in tall grass or wooded areas, you need to inspect them for ticks regularly. If you discover a tick on your dog, please call us at 334-745-0060 as soon as possible.
Dog Care
Dog Lab Tests
Animal Health Center, Opelika, Auburn, hosts an in-house laboratory where we can process your dog’s lab samples. Our in-house lab provides fast turnaround times and accurate results without us having to send samples off to a third-party lab for findings that could take days and delay treatment. Rapid results mean prompt treatment, and prompt treatment can be the difference between life or death.
Your dog is part of your family. Our in-house lab allows us to provide the ultimate care to your canine companion.
Our in-house laboratory is equipped to handle the following laboratory tests:
- Heartworm testing
- Urinalysis
- CBC (Complete Blood Count)
- Electrolyte evaluation
- Blood chemistry panels
- Cytology of skin and ear samples
- Pancreatitis test
Convenient
If your dog is ill, time is often of the essence. Our in-house lab allows us to achieve quick results to ensure the health and well-being of your dog. In situations where turnaround time is not as important, the outside lab provides a wide variety of the most sophisticated testing available for pets. It has board-certified specialists available for consultation on laboratory test results.
Less Stress
Waiting for tests can be stressful for you and your family. Our quick turnaround helps alleviate the pressure you may be under.
Knowing that Animal Health Center is familiar to your dog and has his or her health history is another benefit of our in-house lab.
You can have confidence that your dog’s health is always in our best interest.
Call Animal Health Center, Opelika, Auburn, today (334-745-0060) to schedule an appointment. Our caring veterinarian and staff look forward to helping your dog live a long and healthy life.
Dog Care
Dog Heartworms
Heartworm disease is prevalent throughout the US. However, statistics show heartworms are more prevalent in southern states. Interestingly, a dog will contract heartworms through an infected mosquito. It only takes one bite from an infected mosquito to pass heartworms to your dog. If you have more than one dog, heartworms cannot be transmitted from one infected dog to another. However, an infected mosquito could certainly transmit the disease to both dogs.
Heartworms do not always manifest symptoms in the early stages. However, if left unattended and untreated, heartworms can cause sudden and unexpected death.
Signs of Heartworms
When heartworms begin to cause symptoms, these are the typical signs you will notice in your dog:
- A persistent cough
- Fatigue
- A decrease in appetite
- Loss of weight
If your dog exhibits any of these signs, please contact us (334-745-0060) immediately for an appointment. We will perform lab tests such as a complete blood count and urinalysis. If we discover that your dog does have heartworms, we will begin treatment to eradicate the heartworms. Typically, the treatment course will last for several months. We will monitor your dog’s progress to ensure your dog is completely free of heartworms during that time.
After treatment, we will keep your dog on heartworm prevention to impede re-infection.
Heartworm Prevention
It is essential to consult your veterinarian when making preventive care decisions for your dog. This is true for a variety of reasons. There are many over-the-counter products on the market today that range from ineffective to outright dangerous. Our veterinarian is trained and qualified to help you make the best decisions regarding preventive care and treatment of any health conditions your dog may develop, especially when it comes to parasitic infections.
Regular checkups help ensure your dog is not infected with heartworms. Call Animal Health Center, Opelika, Auburn, today (334-745-0060) if you suspect your dog may have heartworms or to schedule a regular checkup for your dog.