Happy Month When Summer Starts!
Between the challenges of COVID-19, and the coldest, windiest spring I can recall, it is hard to believe summer is finally just around the corner! And don’t forget that Heartworm Season officially starts JUNE 1st! You can give your dogs (and those cats who spend a lot of time outside too!) their first preventative on June 1st, and every month up to and including November 1st.
Dr. Chisholm’s Summer Tip #1: Treating minor bee sting reactions!
If your dog or cat is prone to minor reactions to bee/wasp stings, then you can safely reach for some Benadryl (diphenhydramine). Quick-dissolve oral tablets are the easiest to administer. Check the label as it is available in several strengths. The doses we have listed below are using 25mg tablets.
Dose: 2mg per kilogram (1mg per pound) every 8 hours for 1 day.
If things aren’t calming down after 3 doses, it is time to see the vet.
Ex: Labrador retriever ~30kg (66 lb). Dose is 2mg/kg x 30kg = 60mg. Give two 25mg tablets.
Ex: Beagle ~10kg (22 lb). Dose is 2mg/kg x 10kg = 20mg. Give one 25mg tablet.
Ex: Chihuahua or Cat ~4kg (9lb). Dose is 2mg/kg x 4kg = 8mg. Give ½ of one 25mg tablet.
If symptoms worsen or fail to improve within 30 minutes of the first dose, or if there are any signs of swelling of the tongue or breathing difficulties, you can give the initial dose of Benadryl as you call the vet. This can be a sign that an anaphylactic reaction is beginning, and these can be fatal without intensive treatment.
Dental disease and our pets!
Similar to our own health, good oral health is key to maintaining the long-term health of our pets, by protecting their kidneys, heart and other internal organs from the constant bacteria that shower into the blood stream from dental disease. We would love to see your pet for a Complimentary Dental Exam so we can make a tailored plan for home-care, or veterinary care to make sure our pets live their longest, fullest, healthiest life!
Tobi came in to see us for her spay, and we found a tooth with enamel hypoplasia! This is where the enamel doesn’t form normally while the puppy is growing. Since teeth with no enamel will develop dental disease, Dr. Chisholm was able to remove that tooth before it caused any harm to Tobi! And isn’t she gorgeous?!
An update on COVID-19 test for pets
As we learn more about COVID-19 and its behaviour in our pets, the data available continues to indicate that cats and ferrets remain the domestic species at
the highest risk, with dogs being much more resistant. The risk remains very low that our pets can contract COVID-19, even if living in the home of a person with COVID-19, and there have been no reports at this time of pets being a source of the disease for their owners.
IDEXX, a large veterinary diagnostics lab, has developed a test to check for COVID-19 in pets. Of 5,000 tests that they have run on samples from dogs and cats that had symptoms of respiratory disease, not a single test came back positive. Again, showing that although possible, infection of our beloved cats and dogs is very rare.
In order to test our pets for COVID-19, they too need to meet a number of criteria:
1). Must be living with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19
2). Must be showing respiratory signs
3). A veterinarian has ruled out more common causes of the respiratory symptoms.
For more information check out this link to the IDEXX website:
https://ca.idexx.com/en-ca/about-idexx/covid-19-resources/
Stay safe everyone!
