Preventive Vet Services

A straightforward means of optimizing your pet’s health is to help defend them against the many parasites which can cause severe, and even life-threatening, health concerns. Critters such as fleas, ticks, heartworms, and other external and internal parasites can induce severe issues for your pets’ both short and long-term health. The best way to handle these issues is through the provision of routine checkups, so as to identify issues before they develop and become serious problems.

Though sometimes pets will reveal to us if they are in pain or distress, they will often attempt to disguise these symptoms from their human caretakers. The value of an experienced veterinary team is that they have the knowledge and training to check for these common issues and determine from there whether there is a medical concern. Should your pet display unusual behaviours, such as lethargy, excessive hunger, or lack of appetite, call our clinic and book an appointment to address the concern.

In order to ensure that your pet is as healthy as can be, especially during periods of pain or discomfort, an assessment is necessary to learn what is causing your pet’s situation. This is especially true when it comes to parasite management. With your pet’s best interests in mind, we always do everything possible to promote and maintain their health.

To issue a proper diagnosis, it is necessary to have your pet examined by a qualified and experienced veterinarian. The assessment itself begins by taking a look at your animal’s ears, eyes, and skin, as well as looking into other physiological systems including cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, neurological, and skeletal. From there, the vet will gain an understanding of whether or not there are any abnormalities. Additional testing includes urine and blood screenings in order to assess renal, hepatic, pancreatic, and general endocrine function, including the condition of the adrenal glands and the thyroid.

Depending on your pet’s situation, the veterinarian may suggest additional testing such as radiographs, endoscopies, ultrasounds, or biopsies. These tests provide a comprehensive understanding of the healthcare situation and allow the vet to take action to treat conditions and prevent worsening. Should you believe that your pet is displaying concerning behaviour, contact our clinic to schedule an appointment

Different Types of Internal Parasites

There are numerous sorts of internal parasites that can pose issues for our feline friends, including nematodes (roundworms) and cestodes (tapeworms). Common examples of these pests are:

• Toxascaris Leonina (known as intestinal roundworm)
• Toxocara Cati (often referred to as feline roundworm)
• Dirofilaria Immitis (often called dog heartworm)
• Dipylidium Caninum (also known as flea tapeworm) 
• Taenia (genus of tapeworm originating from livestock)
• Echinococcis (genus of tapeworm – often starts without symptoms)

Heartworms

Though this disease is infrequently found in cats, it is increasing in prevalence throughout certain parts of North America. Signs and symptoms of this issue are aspecific, though heartworm is known to induce coughing and quick breathing, sudden weight loss, and emesis; however, since these symptoms are often indicative of more common health problems, they do not definitively specify a heartworm issue. Sometimes heartworms will only be diagnosed post-mortem, noticed as a result of an autopsy, when these large worms, spanning between 6 and 14 inches, are found in the right ventricle of the heart and associated blood vessels.

Tapeworms

For a cat to get tapeworms there must be a transitional host like a bird, rodent, or flea, since tapeworms are not directly transmittable between cats and dogs. The most frequently seen feline tapeworm, Dipylidium Caninum, causes issues like stomach troubles amongst adult cats, though can have more severe ramifications with kittens, such as stunted growth. Kittens can become infected with these parasites, mainly through the consumption of raw, wild food – an issue that can result in intestinal blockage given the presence of enough individual tapeworms.

Hookworms

While many other types of parasitic infections are uncommon amongst felines, the genus Ancylostoma is easily the most common intestinal parasite for the feline species. At roughly ½ to 1 inch in length, these critters adhere to the small intestinal lining and feed on blood. Due to this sanguine consumption, hookworms commonly cause severe cases of anemia (iron deficiency). This species’ larvae enter the feline host by either consumption or dermally, usually through the skin of the feet. Since this impacts the dermis, secondary infections at the site are common, as well as skin irritations such as eczema.