Fleas

I am sure we spend about 50% of our time on a daily basis talking about fleas.  Heck, they are everywhere!

Here are some high-points:

• Fleas don't jump off one dog and onto another.  They stay on a dog until the are full of blood, jump off to lay eggs. So, your dog doesn't get fleas from those pesky neighbor dogs. 
• The most common vector for fleas is the opossum.  He comes through your yard at 3 AM shaking off fleas and flea eggs which infest your yard.
• The flea life cycle is about 8 weeks. So, if you can treat your dog(s) for 8-10 weeks and they don't get out in the yard for re-infestation, you can eradicate them in your home using the dog as bait.
• Flea control comes down to two options:  a topical product or an oral pill (Comfortis).
• We like and use both approaches. Comfortis is very popular.  As to topicals, there are so many out there nowadays, it is confusing, even for the veterinarian.  I like Vectra and that is what I use on my own dogs.  Generally speaking, for small dogs Comfortis is the choice.  For large breeds, Vectra is the way to go.  FYI, Comfortis doesn't get ticks while Vectra does.
• Other steps like vacuuming and discarding the full bag outside; professional exterminators, etc. are also tools to use.  In my experience, it is nearly impossible to eradicate fleas from your yard or under your house because of continual re-infestation by small mammals, e.g. the opossum.
• According to researchers at universities,  all the topicals work about the same. The key is continual application for at least 8 weeks. To buy one ampule at a time is normally counter-productive.

Tapeworms

Tapeworm infection is one of the most common situations veterinarians diagnose on a daily basis. Typically, the owner reports seeing "worms" in their dog's stool.  It is unusual to find evidence of tapeworms on the typical microscopic examination done in veterinary clinic laboratories.

The immature tapeworm (called a "proglottid") looks kinda like a piece of rice in the stool or even crawling around the dog's rear end.  A dog can get a tapeworm from eating a rodent or rabbit but, in my experience, that is quite rare. 99% of the tapeworm infections we see are the result of fleas.  Yes, the flea is the vector for the common canine tapeworm.  Essentially, the dog bites at a flea, swallows it, and a tapeworm hatches out inside the dog.

So, the first step around treating for tapeworms is to beef up flea control. Flea control is a whole 'nuther topic which I will post on at a later time.

If your dog is diagnosed with tapeworms, there is a special drug that treats them. The common dewormers sold over the counter, normally, won't touch them.  The drug is available in an injection (my preferred method) and a tablet.

While the appearance of tapeworms in a dog's stool is repulsive, I am not aware of any research that documents that the parasite actually hurts the dog.  On the other hand, who wants a hard-hunting dog to have tapeworms?

Ear Infections

For all practical purposes, ear infections fall into four categories:  yeast infection, bacterial infection, allergies or a combination of the three.

Optimally, the veterinarian will culture the discharge in the ear or at least do a swab of the ear and examine that swab under the microscope to determine the exact cause.  However, there are times when this isn't possible due to financial restraints or other issues.

So, we often use a "shotgun" approach....a medication that will treat both yeast and bacteria along with a corticosteroid to decrease the inflammation in the ear secondary to allergies.  In addition, if the doctor determines that allergies are the underlying cause, injections or oral meds may be used to treat that problem.

Ear infections should not be ignored nor should they be treated with over the counter stuff either.  This can make things much more complicated and expensive once the dog gets to professional help.  Chronic ear infections can cause loss of hearing, disfigurement, and expensive surgery if ignored.

There are a myriad of combination products available for ear infections in dogs and your veterinarian will know the ones that work best in your area.

So, if you see head-shaking, a foul-odor from your dog's ears, or a serious discharge, a visit to the vet is in order.

Large Kennels

Many of my clients own a large number of dogs.  One kennel has 60 bird dogs!

Their needs, from a veterinary standpoint, are much different than the client who owns one or two dogs.

So, I provide them with a Large Kennel Program.  For $100, they get a week by week schedule around steps to take to prevent diseases in their kennel.

I even provide them with sources of medication that will save them money  (they don't have to buy these drugs from me).

If you have interest in such a program, let me know and I will detail one specifically designed for your kennel situation.