Did you know that we offer PennHip screening here at Carrabassett Vet? “PennHIP is a radiographic screening technique to evaluate the laxity (or looseness) in canine hips and determine their risk of developing degenerative joint disease (DJD). PennHIP testing is accurate in puppies as young as 16 weeks of age. It gives an estimate of the risk for painful osteoarthritis (OA) and of canine hip dysplasia (CHD) later in life. With this information, preventive and palliative strategies can be recommended by the PennHIP-trained veterinarian.” Read more
There are a number of reasons why sterilization of your pet is appropriate, in fact, more so than leaving them in an unaltered “natural” state. Some reasons are for the benefit of society, some for the benefit of your animal. Over 1.5 MILLION unwanted dogs and cats are euthanized in the US every year. Breeding more animals adds to this toll, either directly by the animal you breed ending up in the unwanted population or indirectly by creating a cute puppy or kitten that is kept over one already waiting for a home. Any dog or cat lover should take this data seriously as it represents great suffering by our loved creatures. Read more
Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease in companion animals. Dogs, cats, and ferrets can get heartworms, but the disease is different in each of these animals. Many wild animals also get heartworm. Wild animals are important carriers of the worm. Read more
Prevention of tick bites and flea infestations is a job that starts in spring with the emergence of bare ground and ends after the ground has a good snow cover, but if the insects are already in our house, there is no natural end to the season. Thus, it is very important to the health and safety of both the household humans and the pets to be diligent in preventing tick and flea problems. As discussed in Blogs #2 and #3, ticks can carry some severe diseases and fleas are a confounded nuisance. Read more
Fleas seem like the bane of our existence when their populations get out of control. A female flea lays about 50 eggs per day, producing up to 2,000 eggs in her lifetime. So just one female flea can cause an infestation in your home or yard. This problem gets particularly bad in the fall and early winter after the females have been laying eggs in and near our homes for months. Sometimes we are unaware of how serious the problem in our homes is until our pets get effective flea treatment, leaving the humans as the next best host. Read more
With spring comes sunshine, balmy days, mud and pests! Ticks are out and looking for food as soon as there is bare ground and they live and reproduce outside until the ground is covered with snow again. Ticks are sometimes a serious problem. Dog Ticks, common everywhere, are frequently assumed to not cause disease in humans or pets, but this is an error. Read more
As with our human family members, our companion animals suffer several ailments, some fatal, that can
be prevented with vaccinations. Most but not all of these illnesses are specific to the kind of animal but
some can be transmitted from pet to human. These include rabies and leptospirosis, both fatal and
largely untreatable diseases. Read more