On Line Learning & Contest
BE A WINNER! Read the Twice Yearly Exam
article and be the first person to call our office at
(314)383-4677 with the correct answer to the
question below the article and win a FREE prize.
Heartworm Disease-a problem all 12
months of the year
Heartworm disease may be a subject you have heard about in the past and feel is not too
exciting. We thought so too but there are a lot of new things happening. There seems to be a
significant increase of most insects and ticks in the past few years. The reason is unclear even
to experts in the field. There could be a number of factors including climate change, insecticide
resistance, evolving or mutating strains and many other factors. New research finds that rather
than staying in a small area that mosquitoes will travel up to three miles to find food.
Considering that a mosquito which has bitten on an infected dog will pass this infection on to
you dog, cat, or ferret it is critical that we provide protection for your pets. Someone else's
heartworm problem can easily become a life threatening infection for your pet. There are
currently several good monthly preventives available. If heartworms are not prevented they will
develop in the heart and can cause heart failure, respiratory problems, kidney disease and even
liver problems. There is an approved treatment for dogs but it is expensive, is not 100%
effective and often leaves them with some organ damage from the heartworms. Even worse
news there is no effective treatment in cats and ferrets. Unfortunately detection in the cat is
difficult and the fatality rate is quoted by various experts to be 20-40%. PREVENTION IS
CRITICAL!!!  Current research indicates that the medications become more effective against
heartworms after three monthly doses. The first dose may not be fully effective. When we start
heartworm prevention in the spring as mosquitoes begin to appear it will take up to three
months for the prevention to become its most effective. Because of this very recent research it
is quite important that we keep our pets on heartworm prevention 12 months of the year. There
are currently some significant discounts by the manufacturers so CALL TODAY and schedule to
get started, restarted or continue on heartworm prevention. (314)383-4677
BE A WINNER! If you are the first to call our office with the correct answer to the
following question you will win a prize. How often should your pet be examined?  First
two people with a correct answer receive for their pet a FREE Health Maintenance
Exam which is a $35.00 Value. Next two people get 50% off a Health Maintenance
Exam for their pet. The next four people get $10.00 off the Health Maintenance Exam.
Call (314)383-4677 to claim your prize.
Emergency Preparedness
If you want to buy in to the December 21, 2012 doom and gloom that the
Mayans have supposedly predicted  or if you just want to be ready in case a
tragedy like the Joplin tornado strikes it would be wise to do a few things.
Animals as well as people suffer in disasters and if there is a major event such
as in Joplin some preparations will be very helpful and potentially life saving.
You should have a supply of bottled water and non-perishable food items for
you and your pet sufficient to last for 5-7 days. Also fresh batteries, a good
flashlight, matches or lighter, warm clothes, blankets and waterproof rain gear
or a waterproof tarp would be good. Some basic first aid supplies should also
be stocked, such as bandage material, gauze, band-aids, Neo-Sporin, and if
possible a small supply of antibiotics.  A car charger may be needed for your
cell phone if normal electrical power is out. Insect repellent may be helpful as
well as some antiseptic such as rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and
disinfectant hand soap. For more information click on
State of Missouri Ready in 3 Website
Nutrition Notes-New information, news and comments
regarding what we feed our pets.
It seems that every week we get some new food touted as Natural, Holistic, etc which is
supposed to optimize the health of our pets. The unfortunate truth is that many new pet food
companies are started by people who have limited knowledge or resources for proper feeding
trials of their food. Just because something is NATURAL does not necessarily mean it is
beneficial. Poison ivy, mold, and rattle snake bites are natural but not necessarily beneficial to
you or your pet. Diets can be nutritionally complete and balanced for dogs and cats using an
appropriate mixture of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. These can be a combination of meat
and vegetable based items. Mainstream dog food companies such as Iams, Purina, Gaines,
and Hills not only formulate their foods to meet AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control
Officials) Guidelines, but also do feeding trials. Basically these diets do not work only on paper,
but also work in the real world. So the next time you are tempted to try ZIPPY ZEBRA, FLYING
FLOUNDER, PEPPY PLATAPUS, NATURAL FOO FOO or whatever cute new product is on the
market look on the bag or can or contact the company to verify that feeding trials have been
performed.
Below is a list of contacts for more information:
Iams 1-800-525-4267
Nestle Purina 1-800-879-4266
Safe handling of Pet Food-Wash hands before and after handling food or treats. Wash dog
bowls after each use in warm soapy water. For more information and tips contact the FDA at
FDA Website for safe pet food handling
Twice yearly physical exams are a very important monitor of
your pet's health. Your pet could be hurting and you may not
even know it.
Pets age much faster than people. The old adage of one year in a dog's life is equal to seven
human years is only partially true. Small dogs and cats live longer so one year is equal to
about five human years whereas very large breed dogs age the equivalent of ten human years
in every year of their life. A lot of things can change or go wrong in a year and pets often do
not complain. Normandy Animal Hospital has designed the history form you fill out on each visit
to reveal problems before they become chronic, incurable or life threatening. The Health
Maintenance Exam that is done on the recommended biannual visit includes a thorough
physical to find any problems and take appropriate corrective action in a timely manner. We
find medical issues on a substantial number of patients that the caregiver was unaware were a
problem.  We also review and specifically tailor for your pet all the preventive programs
necessary to keep your pet from getting sick from contagious diseases. We also try to
carefully manage our senior pet patients to optimize their quality and quantity of life. Schedule
an appointment today at (314)383-4677 to keep your pet happy and healthy as long as
possible.