What is my veterinarian checking for when they analyze a fecal sample?

Fecal samples screen dogs and cats for common intestinal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, giardia, and coccidia.  These parasites are found in the environment and their eggs are microscopic and require special centrifugation and floatation to be detected.  Transmission occurs when a dog or cat ingests a parasite egg.   This can occur when picking up items in the yard, licking their feet after being outside, or licking our shoes after we walk inside.  The parasites then live in the gastrointestinal tract where they reproduce and make new eggs, which re-infect the environment.  Most dogs with intestinal parasites are not showing symptoms at the time the parasites are detected.

How often should I have my pet’s stool checked?

We recommend two negative fecal examinations for all puppies and kittens or newly adopted pets.  For all adults, we recommend having a stool sample checked at least once per year, and twice per year in patients who spend a lot of time outside or go to dog parks or daycare.

How can I prevent my pet from getting infected with parasites?

One easy way to prevent parasite infestation is to regularly give your pet monthly heartworm preventative.  Interceptor and Sentinel prevent infection of roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms, and Revolution (for cats) prevents infection with roundworms and hookworms.  However, it is still important to have annual fecal exams in pets receiving heartworm prevention to detect other intestinal parasites such as coccidia and giardia.

Why should I care if my dog has intestinal parasites?

There are two main reasons that intestinal parasites are important.  In dogs and cats, parasitism can result in symptoms such as weight loss, diarrhea, and failure to thrive.  Many of these same parasites that can infect dogs and cats can also infect people. Infection with parasites can cause people to have gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea, or can spread throughout the body and cause problems such as blindness.  Children are at greatest risk of parasitism because they often do not wash their hands well and may place unwashed hands into their mouth.  It is particularly important that anyone with small children have their pet tested regularly for parasites and be on a monthly preventative.

        While many new puppy owners are aware that their new pet needs to be vaccinated, many don’t fully appreciate how much of a presence these illnesses still have within the canine population. One virus still thriving today is the parvovirus.

       This troublesome virus was first discovered in 1967 and has undergone some mutations over the years. Current strains of the virus have a tendency to affect puppies and dogs under one year of age. It is an extremely contagious virus and is spread through contact with feces from an infected dog. As a result, the virus is more likely to be contracted at parks, kennels, shelters, and pet stores. The virus is able to survive in contaminated areas for up to as long as 9 months if they are not properly cleaned and disinfected.            

        Symptoms of the virus include anorexia, lethargy, vomiting, fever, distended abdomen (pot belly), dehydration, and bloody diarrhea.  While these symptoms are also characteristic of other medical problems, parvovirus should be considered when the patient is a puppy with an incomplete vaccine history.

        Diagnosis of parvovirus is made by testing the feces for the presence of virus antigen with the aid of the Parvo ELISA Snap Test. Further diagnostics can also include a complete blood count (CBC) which will show the patient’s white blood cell count and any signs of anemia, as well a chemistry panel to evaluate protein and electrolyte levels within the blood. The virus is known for targeting rapidly dividing cells, such as those in the bone marrow and lining of the intestines. This results in a drop in the white blood cell count as well as a deterioration of the lining of the GI tract.

        Successfully treating a patient with parvovirus involves hospitalization. While in hospital the patient will receive intravenous fluids to counteract dehydration as well as to correct any electrolyte imbalances. Patients are also given intravenous antibiotics to prevent secondary infections of the GI tract or septicemia. Infected patients can also benefit from administration of anti-emetics to relieve nausea.  These treatments, coupled with attentive nursing care from the hospital staff, provide the best chance at a good outcome for the patient.

       Parvovirus is a preventable virus. Puppies should be vaccinated against the virus as early as six to eight weeks of age. Until vaccines are complete, it is best to limit a puppy’s exposure to “high traffic” dog areas. Annual boosters for the virus help to maintain a dog’s immunity throughout adulthood. While dogs and puppies can recover from the virus with proper care, up to 35% of cases can result in death when not caught early and treated properly. Talk to our veterinarians about protecting your dog from this devastating disease.

        We are proud to announce the addition of the Pet Portal Service provided by Vetstreet to our hospital website. This new service is available to all our clients with a valid e-mail address. One pet portal is provided per client. This portal includes all pets on file for that client. Please note that only one e-mail address can be linked to a portal at a time. With the pet portal service, clients will be able to access their pet’s most up to date vaccine history from their portal as well as medications recently dispensed. For clients who often travel with their pets and may occasionally need to seek veterinary care while on a trip, the pet portal can prove to be an invaluable tool. Clients can also use their pet portal mail to notify our staff of address and telephone number changes as well as any corrections that may need to be made to their pet’s vital information such as proper spelling of name, correct birth date, breed, etc. Once a portal is created users can personalize each pet’s profile with a photo. In addition to these services, pet portal users will receive a free online newsletter, personalized birthday wishes for each pet with animated e-mail cards, and access to a library of informative pet articles. Get your VIP pass today; click here to create your pet’s portal.

       This spring we unveiled a new gallery on our hospital website to serve as a place for our clients to remember a lost canine or feline companion. In addition to the gallery this page will also provide grieving clients with outlets to help ease their loss as well as links to organizations accepting donations in honor of a lost pet with the purpose of aiding other pets and areas in the veterinary community.

                                                    MemorialGallery

     We would like to take the opportunity to welcome a new member to the reception staff,  Felicia Clarkson. We are excited to have her join our hardworking team at the front desk. We would also like to welcome our newest vet assistants Caitlin Saranczak, Amanda Cloke, and Sirrika Samuels. We know they will help to take excellent care of our patients. Last we would like to wish our best to two of our departing veterinary assistants Jessica Pogogeff and Teresa Lucibello. We would like to wish them luck and success in the future!

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

      Hill's Prescription Diets began it's journey within the walls of Raritan Animal Hospital and since then has made many important advancements in utilizing nurtition to help treat many health conditons in pets such as kidney disease, allergies, etc. Hill's recently unveiled their latest addition to it's collection of diets, Feline J/D. Feline J/D is a diet that helps cats suffering symptoms of arthritis. The diet has been clinically proven to help cats be more active in as few as 28 days. Feline J/D contains omega-3 fatty acids to help nourish catrtilage. It's controlled levels of phosphorous help to maintain kidney health in aging cats while high levels of carnatine promote lean muscle mass to prevent the added burden on joints by excess body weight. Talk to our veterinarians today to see if this diet might be right for your cat.

      We are also happy to announce that a new fatty acid supplement has been added to our pharmacy to replace DermCaps. Welactin is manufactured by Nutramaxx Laboratories, the company resposible for Dasuquin, a popular joint supplement for pets. Welactin comes in both softgels and liquid . The omega-3 fatty acids contained in Welactin help to promote healthy skin and coat as well as support healthy renal and heart function.

      Also new to our pharmacy shelves is Prostora, manufactured by the Iams Company, it is a dietary supplement containing beneficial bacteria Bifidobacterium animalis. The tablets help to build and maintain a healthy digestive system in pets and can even help to nutritionally manage pets suffering from diarrhea.

    Finally a product we currently carry, Denamarin, is now available in a new form. This popular liver supplement is now offered in a chewable form which may be a better option for some of our pet owners who find their pets difficult to pill. Denamarin chewables are 225 mg tablets that can be portioned for appropriate dosing. They are currently available in both a 30 count and 75 count bottle. Talk to our veterniarins today if you are interest in trying out this new form of Denamarin for your pet.

A few of the above mentioned products are available for purchase on our online pharmacy.

Click here to visit our pharmacy site now!

Fall 2008