Summer Safety Alert: Tick-borne Disease

The warm weather is finally here in Chicago. And along with the birds and the bees, ticks have woken from their winter slumber. These smaller, slow-moving cousins of the spider emerge from leaf-beds and wait for the next animal to walk by. They then latch on for a delicious meal of blood from its new host. This is both creepy and dangerous as many ticks transmit disease. Most notably, the Deer Tick can transmit Lyme disease. This bacterial disease is most likely to be spread during the months of June through September. 1 in 38 dogs in Cook County now test positive for Lyme exposure.

Lyme disease in dogs differs greatly from Lyme disease in people. In people, signs develop within the first few weeks of a tick bite and include rash, flu-like symptoms, joint pain, nerve and heart abnormalities. In dogs, the signs take much longer to arise – from several weeks to several months – and include joint pain and kidney disease. Luckily, if caught in time, Lyme disease in dogs can be treated with antibiotics.

Blood testing for Lyme disease is readily available. However, the test can only tell us whether the dog was exposed to Lyme disease. When a dog is Lyme positive, your veterinarian can help you determine whether he or she is actively infected. When disease is confirmed, antibiotics will be recommended.

If your dog spends time in a wooded area, or lives in a patch of the city where there are ticks, prevention is the key. This can be achieved either by vaccination and/or topical tick preventatives.

The most potent tick preventative we offer is Parastar Plus. This is similar to Frontline, which many dogs have used, but has an added ingredient that rapidly kills ticks. Parastar Plus cannot be used on cats.

We also offer a Lyme disease vaccine that is given on a yearly basis. For dogs encountering a heavy tick burden, the vaccine is a good idea.

Every dog’s situation is different and your veterinarian can help you determine whether Parastar Plus, the Lyme vaccine or both would be best for your dog. Feel free to call us or stop by our clinic, and we can help you decide.

February 2013 PPAH Furry Friends News

February is an exciting time at Portage Park Animal Hospital. We will be participating once again in theCook County Spay and Neuter Program (Save $40) and be offering a Dental Special (Save 10%).

If your pet has not been spayed or neutered yet and/or has bad breath and is in need of a good dental cleaning call us today to schedule.

Financing options available through CareCredit.

Does your pet have bad breath? It may be time for a dental

When was the last time you looked at your pet's teeth? Take a moment and flip the lip....
Did it look like any of the photos below? If so, you should schedule your pet to have their teeth cleaned, they may even need extractions.

Research shows that proper dental care is probably the most important thing you can do to add years and quality to your pet's life. Just like in humans, pets are susceptible to plaque and tartar build-up, which can lead to gingivitis and even periodontitis, a chronic form of the disease that can be painful. Whenever it is possible, preventing disease is preferable to treating it. 

 If your pet is not cooperating with you to look in their mouth, bring them by for a free dental consult. One of our dental specialists can evaluate your pet's teeth and let you know what stage dental cleaning they will require.

Our dental packages include IV catheter and fluid therapy, dental x-rays, scaling and polishing, pain medication (when required) and a dental care kit. Bloodwork is recommended prior to anesthetic procedures (additional cost).

We do dental cleanings Monday through Friday.

Call us to schedule a dental cleaning for your pet today! 

  

Remember prevention IS the best medicine!

Thank you for placing your pet's health and trust in us. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Roger Schrock 

Portage Park Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic

Do You Budget For Emergency Healthcare For Your Pet?

Insurance. It’s part of all of our daily lives –we insure our homes, our cars, and the health of our families. Insurance provides us with peace of mind, and you should have that same peace of mind when it comes to your pet’s health. When your pet is ill, our number one concern is getting him healthy again. But, for many pet owners, this concern becomes overshadowed by the financial burden of treatment for a sick pet. Often pet owners are forced to choose less effective treatment options, or in more unfortunate circumstances, no treatment at all, as a result of cost concerns. Veterinary Pet Insurance offers affordable plans that can ease the financial strain of your pet’s healthcare needs. Rather than worrying about the cost, you can concentrate on helping your pet get well and stay well, and rest easy knowing you helped to provide him the best possible treatment available. Put your pet’s health first –ask us about Veterinary Pet Insurance today.

Do you budget for emergency healthcare for your pet? Many pet owners do not. However, one chronic medical condition or emergency procedure can end up costing the same or more than several years of wellness care. Even the pet owners most attentive to their pet’s healthcare cannot predict how or when an accident may occur. In the unfortunate event that your pet is injured or develops an illness, what will you do? Sometimes, these unforeseen medical issues can require weeks or months of treatment. How will you pay? Unexpected medical expenses can require large cash outlays, which puts you in the uncomfortable position of figuring out where to find the money for them. Don’t let an emergency or medical condition catch you and your pet unprepared. Veterinary Pet Insurance is like a safety net for your pet. In a difficult time, having pet insurance can mean that money is one thing that you don’t have to worry about.

Like human health insurance, veterinary insurance will often exclude certain pre-existing conditions your pet may have. Treating pre-existing can be expensive. Younger pet will have fewer pre-existing conditions, so if issues do arise over time, your pet is more likely to be covered for them. On the other hand, older pets will often already have illnesses, and those could be excluded from coverage. Your secret weapon? Enroll as early as possible. Besides, pet insurance isn’t just for illness! Coverage is available for routine wellness procedures such as exams, vaccinations, and dental prophylaxis, and even some laboratory diagnostics associated with wellness care. We recommend two types of pet insurance: VPI and Trupanion. In addition to traditional plans ranging from preventinve service, illness and accident coverage, both of these companies cover chiropractic and acupuncture services that we offer. Over the course of your pet’s lifetime you could save hundreds of dollars on the high quality care you’d want for your pet regardless of the cost. And with high quality care comes the best reward of all –more time for you with your pets. Please call us for some more information!

Sincerely,

The Doctors and Staff at 

Portage Park Animal Hospital and Dental Clinic