Archives for October 2016

Want to dress your pet up as something really scary for Halloween? Find a flea costume. Fleas are tiny little creatures that can cause some scary problems for your pet – and for you. Here are the scary facts:

Scary Fact 1: Fleas can cause disease in your pet:
• Flea Anemia. Did you know that a dog or cat that doesn’t scratch could still be suffering from blood loss due to fleas? If a pet isn’t scratching, it might be that they’re just not allergic to the flea bites, but they’re still getting bitten. Kittens, puppies, and older animals are particularly susceptible to what’s called ‘flea anemia’.
• Flea Allergic Dermatitis. You may see places on your dog or cat where they have gnawed and scratched their fur and skin. Many times, these mean that your pet has an allergy to fleas. The first step to a cure is getting rid of the fleas from the pet and from your home or yard. Topical medicines and oral steroids and/or antibiotics are usually prescribed to help with the itching. We may also recommend your animal wear a cone until their skin clears up.

Scary Fact 2: Fleas can make humans sick, too. Bartonella is a bacteria that cat’s catch from the saliva of fleas. Kitten or cats can carry the bacteria for months without any symptoms at all. When a cat licks, scratches, or bites a human, however, the bacteria is passed on to humans. Lab blood work will confirm Bartonella which requires antibiotic treatment. In the United States, most cases happen in the fall and winter and usually affect kids, probably because they’re more likely to play with cats and be bitten or scratched.

Scary Fact 3: Fleas don’t die off in the winter. It’s true that fleas can’t live for prolonged periods in freezing weather, but there are lots of places that stay plenty warm for a flea all year long.

It’s not all frightening, however. You and your pet have lots of options for preventing fleas. Simparica®, Trifexis®, Capstar®, Apoquel®, Vectra 3D® are at the top of the list, but talk to us. We’ll help you sort through the options and come up with a non-scary solution for you. And that’s a fact!

Sparkle Cat Rescue is hosting the first of what they hope will be a yearly CatChat Workshop to provide helpful tips and resources for community (stray/feral) and owned cats. Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 15, from 1 – 3 pm at Burlington City Park’s Homebuilder’s Building.

Our own Dr. Sharon King will be speaking and answering questions on topics regarding the general health of personally owned, feline pets. Catherine O’Donnell of Sparkle Cat Rescue will provide demonstrations on how to set traps and advice on Trap-Neuter-Return. She’ll be giving one on one demonstrations at the end of the event.

Kathy Hawkins of Sparkle Cat Rescue will demonstrate how to bottle, syringe, and tube feed orphaned kittens or kittens whose mom will not nurse them. Renee Bartis, certified feline master groomer will be one of our presenters on the health benefits of feline grooming. Burlington Animal Services director, Jess Arias will be present to speak about the new shelter project.

Other rescue organizations are being invited to have their information on site for the public to take home with them and learn about their programs.

This event is free and open to the public. We hope to see you there!