Did you know the adult fleas that you see on your pet and that prompt you to seek veterinary advice account for a mere 5% of a flea population during an infestation? The other 95% of the population are comprised of the immature stages of the flea life cycle (eggs, larvae, and pupae) It may surprise you to know that these immature members of the flea population predominantly dwell in your living space and not on your pet. When they reach maturity, your pet will once again provide these new adults with a food source and the energy needed to produce more offspring. For this reason, simply killing the adult fleas alone will not eliminate the problem. Instead, a multimodal approach must be made to control the situation. Area sprays such as Knockout are available at Raritan Animal Hospital to treat carpeting and furniture while adulticides such as Capstar are available to kill the adult fleas visible on your pet and provide them with immediate relief. The predominate tool in overcoming the lifecycle of the flea is to practice year round prevention. This goal is achieved by giving your pet monthly flea preventative in the form of oral medication such as Sentinel or through the use of topical preventatives such as Frontline and Revolution. Providing your pet with these medications monthly will work to prevent and treat both the visible and invisible members of the flea population.

      Heartworm disease has long been a topic discussed by veterinarians and clients regarding their canine companions, but seldom has its implications in cats been addressed. Today we are finding that heartworm disease is very much a hot topic in the feline world.

     A heartworm infection can occur regardless of whether a pet is kept predominately indoors or outdoors. This is because mosquitoes carrying the disease can easily make their way into the home and find a pet to infect. Infection takes place when a mosquito carrying microscopic heartworm larvae bites a cat or dog. The larvae enter through the bite wound where they develop in the tissues. Immature worms then enter a blood vessel to migrate. In dogs, the worms make their way to the heart, where they mature and produce more larvae. In cats, the immature worms more often make their way to arteries of the lungs. While in dogs the population of heartworms produced is often high, cats often develop a much lower burden of adult worms when infected. Despite this lower burden, the effects of their presence still weigh heavily on a cat’s health.                  

     Typical signs of heartworm disease in cats include difficulty breathing, coughing, lethargy, vomiting, and collapse. Within the lungs and associated arteries, the adult heartworms cause an inflammatory reaction. The respiratory signs associated with such reactions are referred to as Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease (HARD .)  Often, blood tests and radiographs of the chest are necessary to help the veterinarian diagnose a patient, as signs of heartworm infection in cats can often be mistaken for asthma or allergic bronchitis.                  

     While treatments are available to cure canines of their worm burden, there are currently no medications to treat cats infected with heartworms.  However, options are available to control feline heartworm infections and their associated symptoms. For example, the routine use of heartworm preventatives can inhibit the further development of larval worms in infected cats.  Another available option is the use of steroids to control the inflammatory response brought on by the disease. 

     With treatment options being limited, the best medicine for heartworm disease is prevention. Various heartworm preventatives are available for cats including both monthly oral and topical formulations.  Interceptor is a monthly oral preventative that can be used by both canine and feline patients. Revolution is a popular topical preventative applied to a cat’s skin monthly for protection. These products are highly effective in their ability to provide protection against heartworm disease and provide treatment for additional parasites as well.  Talk to our veterinarians today about heartworm disease and making sure your pet is protected.

Visit the link below for a helpful handout on Feline Heartworm Disease:

Feline Heartworm Disease Handout

      As pet owners seek higher levels of care for their pets, costs associated with veterinary care increase.  Only a small proportion of our patients currently have coverage with pet health insurance.  Below are some commonly asked questions and answers to help you decide if pet health insurance is right for your pet.

How does pet health insurance work?

With most pet health insurance plans, you may visit any veterinarian to seek medical care.  (There are no in-network or out-of-network veterinarians.)  When completing your veterinary visit, you will give the staff an insurance claim form to be filled out and returned to you.  A copy of the insurance form, along with a copy of your receipt from the visit, will need to be faxed to your insurance company.  Once allowed coverage is determined, a check will be mailed directly to you.    

Are there deductibles?

Yes.  Amount of deductibles vary by plan and company.  In most cases, a small deductible, such as $50, is applied to each visit. 

How is coverage determined?

Some pet health insurance companies have allowable amounts based on medical diagnosis or surgical procedure.  Others have blanket 60/40 or 70/30 coverage.

What is my cost for annual insurance?

Some plans may cost as little as $150 per year.  Other, more comprehensive plans, will cost more, depending on options such well-care (for routine veterinary visits) or cancer care. 

Are there exclusions for pre-existing conditions?

Yes.  Once a pet has a disease condition, it will not be covered under the health insurance plan.  As a result, it is very important to have insurance coverage prior to the onset of medical conditions.

What companies are recommended?

Our practice has the most experience working with Veterinary Pet Insurance, or VPI. There are some new insurance companies, such as those offered by Purina, which also offer promise.

What are Microchips?

       Most veterinary microchips are no larger than a grain of rice. They are made of biocompatible glass that once implanted will not cause a reaction by the body. Each chip bears its own unique identification number. This number is revealed when the chip becomes activated by a chip scanner. At Raritan Animal Hospital, we implant pets with the AKC                                           Trovan microchip.

When Should You Microchip Your Pet?

       Pets can be microchipped as early as 6 to 8 weeks of age. Many pets obtained from breeders, pet stores, and rescue groups are already microchipped. Be sure to notify your vet of an existing microchip so that it can be scanned to ensure that it is functioning properly. Your vet can then enter the chip number into your pet’s medical record. If your pet does not already have a microchip, consider having one implanted at the time of their spay or neuter. Microchipping is not limited to puppies and kittens and should be considered even if your pet is already an adult.

Should Cats Be Microchipped?

        Since cats are less likely to wear collars and tags it is especially important to consider microchipping them. Even a strictly indoor cat can easily slip out an open front door and become lost.

Is Anesthesia Required To Microchip A Pet?

        Microchips are implanted using a hypodermic needle in the same manner as a vaccine is administered and therefore do not require your pet to be sedated. However, some pets hate needles no matter how small they are. In those cases an ideal time to consider implanting a microchip is when a pet is undergoing an elective procedure as mentioned above or during your pet’s next dental cleaning.

Are Microchips Mandatory?

         While microchips are not currently mandatory in the United States, if you plan on travelling, be aware that some countries require that your pet be implanted with a microchip in addition to being current on vaccinations.

Is It Necessary To Register My Pet’s Microchip?

         Registration is the key to successful pet recovery. In order for a microchip to identify your pet and ensure their safe return, it must be registered with a pet recovery database. At Raritan Animal Hospital we will submit your pet’s registration to the AKC Companion Animal Rescue Database as part of his or her microchip implantation procedure. Once your pet is registered, you can provide more detailed information about them such as medical alerts or additional contact numbers to reach you or a family member should your pet be found.

Who Will Scan My Pet If They Are Found?

         As more pets are being implanted with microchips, it is becoming the norm for all veterinary hospitals and shelters to scan found pets for microchips. If a chip is identified, that facility will contact the necessary registry database to help reunite that pet with it’s owner.

Does My Pet Still Need To Wear A Collar And Tags?

         Yes. While microchips are a permanent means of identification for your pet it does not eliminate the need for him or her to wear ID tags. Remember that often the first person to find a lost pet will not have access to a scanner. If your pet is not wearing tags, that person will most likely contact someone who can better manage a lost pet and has access to a scanner such as a nearby veterinary hospital or local shelter.

      Raritan Animal Hospital would like to welcome the newest additions to our staff! Dr. Patricia King, Dr. Kevin Hargadon, and Dr. Maryann Kuruvilla have joined our team of veterinarians. We welcome our newest veterinary technician Michael Toth. We also have a few new members joining our team of receptionists. Diana Blanco joins our main office staff while Amber Walden joins the Piscataway Animal Clinic Staff. Welcome to the team!

If you are interested in becoming a member of our team click below!

This summer we will be introducing a new photo gallery to the website for our clients to enjoy. The new gallery will allow us to update photos more frequently. We enjoy providing this feature on our website and hope its popularity continues to grow. Look for this gallery to arrive in early July!

Also, we have some new products to mention. First is VeggieDent Dental chews for dogs. These dental chews are a vegetable based version of the popular CET Dental chews and are an ideal alternative for our many canine patients with food allergies. Second, we now offer a product called the BD Safe Clip which clips and stores the needles from syringes for safer disposal. This product is a great alternative for our owners of pets requiring regular home injections and will be available on our e-pharmacy.

Fall 2008