Have you noticed that your veterinarian is busier than ever? The days of calling in the morning and seeing a vet in the afternoon have been replaced by a two-week (or longer) wait for an appointment. The reason? Blame it on the pandemic.
According to research published in the recent Packaged Facts market research report Pet Population and Ownership Trends in the U.S.: Dogs, Cats, and Other Pets, 4th Edition, more than half (54%) of American households have pets, representing a total of almost 68 million households. And while pet ownership was projected to grow about 4% over the last year, that number probably is higher because pet ownership jumped during the first few months of the pandemic as we looked for someone (or something) to keep us company.
Dr. Denise Chase of Pleasant Ridge Pet Hospital is one of those vets who has seen a strong surge in office visits. She says that’s why it’s more important than ever for pet parents to be front-line advocates for their pets’ health, especially during the summer months. It starts with flea and tick prevention as our animals spend more time outside.
“Fleas and ticks are generally preventable with the same 2-in-1 product,” she says. “There are a lot of good topicals and the monthly topicals work very well. The problem with them is the effectiveness does get reduced with bathing or swimming. So if you take your dog to the pool or the lake on a regular basis or if you bathe them often, those products are going to be a lot less effective.
“The new oral chewable products, it doesn’t matter if your dog gets wet. The chewables are wonderful, they last up to three months depending on the product you pick, and there are no worries with bathing. The only downside is they shouldn’t be given to dogs who have a seizure history. But otherwise, they are very safe and effective.”
She also mentioned flea and tick collars, specifically the Seresto brand which, through reports to the Environmental Protection Agency, has been linked to seizures in dogs. “What the veterinary industry believes at this point is that a lot of those reports of illnesses in dogs are because of knockoff, fake products. The original collar is safe and effective but if you’re buying them from a third-party website for super cheap, beware. You might not be getting the real thing. Make sure you get it from your veterinarian or a trusted online partner.”
If you suspect your dog or cat may have fleas, Dr. Chase says take a good look at your pet’s coat. “Hair loss on the rump is usually the first telltale sign,” she says, “it’s usually right over the tail to start with. And you can do a quick flea combing and find flea dirt, which is that little black residue that they leave behind. That’s easier to find than the fleas themselves.
“If you have any concerns about it, buy a flea comb which is a little fine-tooth comb you can buy at the pet store, run it through your dog’s coat and if you find that black debris, then you know you need to do something about the fleas. But all the newer products are very effective against flea prevention, there’s really no reason to have flea infestations anymore.”
Ticks now are becoming an even bigger threat to your pet, Dr. Chase says. “Ticks are a big problem this year. We always have ticks of course, but they are spreading Lyme disease in this area now, which is relatively new. We didn’t used to have Lyme disease in Ohio, but now we do and, in my practice, we’ve diagnosed three cases this season already.
“Ticks can spread disease very early in the season but it becomes more likely as you get later into the summer so it’s super important to prevent ticks as well as fleas.”
Another summertime caution for your pets is heartworm, which is transmitted by mosquitoes. “Heartworm doesn’t produce any clinical signs early on. It’s not until the disease is fairly advanced that they will begin to show signs,” she says. “Coughing is usually the first sign, followed pretty quickly by labored breathing, not feeling well and generally declining in condition.
“Ideally, we’d be diagnosing heartworm long before they’re coughing, and that’s why we do the annual tests. If we can catch it before they get to that point, then it’s a very treatable disease with minimal damage to the heart. If they’re already coughing, they’re going to be compromised for life.”
And just like 2-in-1 flea and tick protection, there are combination medicines that can protect your pet from heartworm as well as other issues. “Some of the oral products that are combination products like Trifexis are great for heartworm protection but it doesn’t kill ticks. There’s a new one called Simparica Trio which does do fleas and ticks and heartworm.”
Another danger to your pet during the summer? Being in a hot car. “And just cracking a window is not enough to prevent that car from getting really hot,” Dr. Chase says. “On a hot sunny day, that car can heat up to 120 degrees in 10 minutes or less. It is definitely not OK to leave the dog in the car.”
And while our cicada friends are starting to diminish in numbers, your dog still might find enough for a tasty treat during a walk. Dr. Chase says cicadas in moderation shouldn’t be a problem. “A little cicada snack here and there can be extra crunchy protein, but for dogs who eat a lot of them, it is possible it could cause issues. If the dog goes out and gorges on 100 cicadas, they could have a bloated stomach, they could have some abdominal pain, they could feel bad for a day or two if they eat a lot, just like eating a lot of anything.
“My suggestion is if your dog, like mine, likes to snatch up one here and there on a walk, that’s fine, but if they’re really going out and gorging on them, it’s probably better not to allow them to do that. You might even have to do a basket muzzle, a soft rubber muzzle they can wear. It doesn’t prevent them from opening their mouths or panting or getting a drink of water, but it will keep them away from cicadas on the ground.”
Dr. Chase has other summertime warnings for your pets, starting with water safety. “When people go to a lakehouse or have a summertime beach vacation with their dogs, I would recommend that if you’re taking your dog out on a boat on a lake, have your dog wear a life jacket. You don’t know what might happen. Dogs do unexpected things, they jump out of boats, or if the boat were to capsize, the dog should be protected with a life jacket.
“Also, there’s one vaccination that not every dog normally receives, the leptospirosis vaccine, which I recommend for dogs that are going to be swimming a lot in the summer. It’s a disease that is spread by wild animals, such as deer and raccoons. If they are near water and they are urinating around that water source, they are excreting this organism which lives in the kidneys and is excreted in the urine. And then dogs can, when they drink that water, ingest that organism and it’s a very deadly illness.
“It’s not a very common disease, thankfully, but we do see three or four cases a year in my practice and lake and water exposure is the primary way it’s transmitted. It’s worth asking your vet, if you’re going to be doing some hiking or fishing or camping or going to a lake where your dog is going to be drinking out of streams and lakes, if it’s worth getting that vaccine.”
And, with all these new dogs and pet owners outside in warmer weather, Dr. Chase says be especially careful at dog parks. “Dog parks are great, except that they’re very crowded in the summer and we do see a lot of injuries from dog parks when dogs get into a fight. It’s not that I don’t think you should take your dog to a dog park, but do so cautiously. It’s best to go to a place that’s not so crowded because if there’s 50 dogs running around it’s probably best to skip it that day.”
One more caution—you might think it’s fun to let your dog run free in the woods or along the water, but Dr. Chase says make sure your dog is well trained. “Off-leash activity, of course, is lovely and wonderful, but if your dog isn’t trained to recall, don’t let them go on the beach. A lot of people want to believe their dogs will always come back to them, but if they’re not really trained to do that, you can’t predict what they’re going to do.
“Dogs are instinctive, they’re going to chase their noses, they’re going to see something and run. If you’re in a strange place, it’s really going to ruin your vacation if you can’t get your dog to come back to you.”
Dr. Denise Chase is a 1994 graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She opened Pleasant Ridge Pet Hospital in August of 2000. Find out more at www.pleasantridgepet.com.
–Betsy Ross