Environmental Risks

Antifreeze Poisoning (Ethylene Glycol)

As the weather becomes colder, animals’ water sources begin to freeze. Any water containing antifreeze subsequently may become the only non-frozen liquid available to drink. Conventional antifreeze is very toxic.

Symptoms

• Depression
• Nausea and vomiting
• Wobbly gait
• Muscle twitching

Treatment

Veterinary care should be sought immediately if you suspect your pet has ingested any amount of antifreeze.

Parasitic Risks

1. Fleas
   During the winter months, fleas outside are killed by freezing. They may survive, however, by jumping on animals in the fall and being transported back to warm dens in the case of wild animals or our homes in the case of domestic animals.

   Throughout the spring and summer months, the flea population builds and reaches a peak in the fall. October and November are the worst months for flea infestations until the first real hard killing frost occurs.

   Symptoms

   • Itching
   • Hair loss
   • Inflamed Skin, especially in the rump area

   Diagnosis

   • See the moving fleas that are thin bodied, move rapidly and can jump rapidly out of sight.
   • See evidence of flea droppings on the pet which are frequently crescent shaped and black. When placed on wet paper, these black droppings will turn red from blood eaten from the animal.

   Treatment: Drugs of Choice

   • K9 Advantix® - A topical medication placed on the top of the neck. Over the ensuing 24 hours, it diffuses through the skin oils and kills fleas, ticks and repels mosquitoes for 1 month. Apply monthly. DO NOT USE ON CATS.
   • Frontline® - a topical medication used the same as Advantage® that kills fleas for 3 months plus ticks for 1 month. Use monthly to kill both fleas and ticks.
   • Advantage® - a topical medication placed on the top of the neck. Over the ensuing 24 hours, it diffuses through the skin oils and kills fleas for 1 month. Apply monthly. Wait 2 days to apply if the animal has received a bath to allow the skin oils to build up.
   • Program® - an oral medication that sterilizes the flea and makes their droppings lethal to immature flea larva.

   Treatment: Homemade Flea Trap

   Materials:

   1. Goose neck lamp
   2. Pie Pan
   3. Water
   4. Drop of dish detergent

   Place the lamp on the floor over a pie pan filled with water and add 1 drop of detergent. Fleas tend to jump toward heat sources and will fall into the water and drown.

2. Ticks
   As with fleas, the tick population builds throughout the spring and summer months and are worst in the late fall.

   Symptoms

   • Finding a lump on the pet anywhere on the body up to the size of a large bean. They attach with their mouths leaving their bodies freely movable. Small legs may be seen near the mouth parts.
   • Finding a typical inflamed area of skin where the tick has attached.

   Treatment: Drugs of Choice

   • Remove the tick with fingers or tweezers as close to the skin as possible.
   • Frontline® or K9 Advantix® as described for fleas above.
   Warning: Ticks are carriers of Lyme disease. We recommend all dogs be vaccinated for this bacterial disease.

3. Lyme Disease
   Since ticks carry Lyme disease and become epidemic in the fall, the risk of exposure to this disease increases. If your dog has not been vaccinated for Lyme disease, it is strongly recommended that you consider it.