Managing your pet's needs.
Here's a look at some of our recommendations for routine wellness testing and answers to some top questions.
Why does my pet need a yearly wellness exam?
Our veterinarians here at Mostly Cats recommend bringing your pet in for a wellness exam at least once a year, even if the pet is healthy. Bringing your pet every year even if you don't see any symptoms creates a baseline where your veterinarian can notice small changes. Some pets, especially cats, are very good at hiding their symptoms. Veterinarians are experts and can detect things that the owners can not.
Why does my pet need heartworm testing if they are on monthly preventatives?
The American Heartworm Society (AHS) recommends at least once yearly testing for dogs. Heartworm prevention works by retroactive protection. For example, if you dose your pet on the first of the month, that dose covers any infection your pet was exposed to in the previous month, instead of the current month. So if you miss a dose and don't notice right away, enough time can lapse for the tiny susceptible baby heartworms to mature past the level where the heartworm preventative medication can work.
This yearly testing is important and should be included in your prevention plan. Remember, if there are undetected heartworms in your dog's heart and lungs, they will cause irreparable damage that can lead to heart failure and other dangerous consequences.
The AHS recommendation for testing cats is more complicated. We will help you decide what heartworm testing is appropriate for your cat.
Why does my pet need a yearly wellness exam?
Our veterinarians here at Mostly Cats recommend bringing your pet in for a wellness exam at least once a year, even if the pet is healthy. Bringing your pet every year even if you don't see any symptoms creates a baseline where your veterinarian can notice small changes. Some pets, especially cats, are very good at hiding their symptoms. Veterinarians are experts and can detect things that the owners can not.
Why does my pet need heartworm testing if they are on monthly preventatives?
The American Heartworm Society (AHS) recommends at least once yearly testing for dogs. Heartworm prevention works by retroactive protection. For example, if you dose your pet on the first of the month, that dose covers any infection your pet was exposed to in the previous month, instead of the current month. So if you miss a dose and don't notice right away, enough time can lapse for the tiny susceptible baby heartworms to mature past the level where the heartworm preventative medication can work.
This yearly testing is important and should be included in your prevention plan. Remember, if there are undetected heartworms in your dog's heart and lungs, they will cause irreparable damage that can lead to heart failure and other dangerous consequences.
The AHS recommendation for testing cats is more complicated. We will help you decide what heartworm testing is appropriate for your cat.
Do I need to worry about heartworms?
One of the most important internal parasites of dogs (and less publicized for cats) is the heartworm. Heartworm larvae ride along inside a mosquito. When a mosquito carrying larvae bites your pet, your pet may be infected. These baby heartworms travel around in your pet's blood and mature along the way, finding a cozy spot to reside in the heart or vessels of the lung. Untreated dogs will progress to congestive heart failure. In cats, many common feline respiratory issues have been linked to heartworms, and the first sign of heartworm in cats is often death.
Protect your pets and family with proper parasite control. We can help keep your pets parasite free!
One of the most important internal parasites of dogs (and less publicized for cats) is the heartworm. Heartworm larvae ride along inside a mosquito. When a mosquito carrying larvae bites your pet, your pet may be infected. These baby heartworms travel around in your pet's blood and mature along the way, finding a cozy spot to reside in the heart or vessels of the lung. Untreated dogs will progress to congestive heart failure. In cats, many common feline respiratory issues have been linked to heartworms, and the first sign of heartworm in cats is often death.
Protect your pets and family with proper parasite control. We can help keep your pets parasite free!
What are wellness blood tests, and what do they test for?
Wellness screens include complete blood counts (CBC), serum chemistry profiles, and other tests more specific to individual patients. For example, a CBC lets us check the number of red and white blood cells, showing us anemia and flagging certain things to watch for, like increases in white blood cells, which can indicate infection. We also measure clotting cells called platelets. Measuring platelets is especially helpful if your pet needs any type of dental procedure or surgery. Serum chemistry panels open a window on several organ systems and help detect diseases such as diabetes and kidney disease. Abnormalities can trigger additional testing, allowing us to identify disease processes early, when many diseases are more treatable. Even if your pet seems normal, this type of testing is critical for continuing good health.
Why does my pet need a fecal check?
Many of our parasite control products cover intestinal parasites, but not every parasite. Even the most comprehensive coverage often doesn't include protozoal parasites or tapeworms.
We recommend fecal testing yearly for normal pets and more often if your pet is experiencing gastrointestinal upset, like vomiting or diarrhea.
Are intestinal worms a real threat?
These little internal parasites can be a big issue. Because they reside inside of pets, they can cause unapparent and insidious damage that can risk the lives of affected animals.
Intestinal worms, including hookworms and roundworms, can cause signs like vomiting and diarrhea. And sometimes your pet may show no symptoms at all. Hookworms and roundworms infect pets that come into contact with infected soil or ingesting infected feces. Intestinal parasites tend to damage the intestinal walls, where they attach, and their presence can cause inflammation. Young animals seem to be the most affected, and sometimes puppies and kittens die from an overload of intestinal worms.
Tapeworms are another intestinal parasite to watch out for. They come from fleas, not soil, and only veterinary dewormers labeled to remove tapeworms are effective. The good news: prescrition flea preventatives may also protect your pet from tapeworms.
Wellness screens include complete blood counts (CBC), serum chemistry profiles, and other tests more specific to individual patients. For example, a CBC lets us check the number of red and white blood cells, showing us anemia and flagging certain things to watch for, like increases in white blood cells, which can indicate infection. We also measure clotting cells called platelets. Measuring platelets is especially helpful if your pet needs any type of dental procedure or surgery. Serum chemistry panels open a window on several organ systems and help detect diseases such as diabetes and kidney disease. Abnormalities can trigger additional testing, allowing us to identify disease processes early, when many diseases are more treatable. Even if your pet seems normal, this type of testing is critical for continuing good health.
Why does my pet need a fecal check?
Many of our parasite control products cover intestinal parasites, but not every parasite. Even the most comprehensive coverage often doesn't include protozoal parasites or tapeworms.
We recommend fecal testing yearly for normal pets and more often if your pet is experiencing gastrointestinal upset, like vomiting or diarrhea.
Are intestinal worms a real threat?
These little internal parasites can be a big issue. Because they reside inside of pets, they can cause unapparent and insidious damage that can risk the lives of affected animals.
Intestinal worms, including hookworms and roundworms, can cause signs like vomiting and diarrhea. And sometimes your pet may show no symptoms at all. Hookworms and roundworms infect pets that come into contact with infected soil or ingesting infected feces. Intestinal parasites tend to damage the intestinal walls, where they attach, and their presence can cause inflammation. Young animals seem to be the most affected, and sometimes puppies and kittens die from an overload of intestinal worms.
Tapeworms are another intestinal parasite to watch out for. They come from fleas, not soil, and only veterinary dewormers labeled to remove tapeworms are effective. The good news: prescrition flea preventatives may also protect your pet from tapeworms.
Why should I care about fleas?
The biting, itching, the scratching- fleas can make pets miserable. And flea allergies are a common problem for our pets.
Fleas love to get indoors, where they can live year round. Their goal is to have a blood meal so that they can lay eggs and make baby fleas. We can recommend the safest and most effective prescription flea products available for your pets.
What about ticks?
Like fleas, ticks are a discomfort, an inconvenience and can be a health risk. Ticks can carry some serious diseass, and many regional. Tick borne diseases can make pets feel rottem- and some are even life threatening. We can tell you which diseases are prevalent in our area and recommend products to protect your pet.
The biting, itching, the scratching- fleas can make pets miserable. And flea allergies are a common problem for our pets.
Fleas love to get indoors, where they can live year round. Their goal is to have a blood meal so that they can lay eggs and make baby fleas. We can recommend the safest and most effective prescription flea products available for your pets.
What about ticks?
Like fleas, ticks are a discomfort, an inconvenience and can be a health risk. Ticks can carry some serious diseass, and many regional. Tick borne diseases can make pets feel rottem- and some are even life threatening. We can tell you which diseases are prevalent in our area and recommend products to protect your pet.