Posts Tagged: dogs

1. Lex

Lex was a working military dog that went to Fallujah, Iraq, with US Marine Corps Cpl. Dustin J. Lee. Lex was wounded in an attack that killed his handler, but despite his own injuries, Lex refused to leave Cpl. Lee’s side. Lex had to be dragged away to be treated by medics. Lex was the first active-duty working military dog that was granted early retirement in order to be adopted. He was adopted by Cpl. Lee’s parents, Jerome and Rachel. Despite his mobility issues due to retaining over 50 pieces of shrapnel in his body from war, he still worked as a therapy dog visiting military veterans at VA hospitals and retirement homes. Lee was awarded an honorary Purple Heart and in 2008 was given an Award for Canine Excellence (ACE) by the American Kennel Club.

2. Rin Tin Tin

This German Shepherd, after being saved from the trenches of WWI, was the first ever canine movie star. He was found on a French battlefield by an American soldier Lee Duncan. After returning to the US, Duncan trained Rinty and he stared in a few small roles in some silent films. Rin Tin Tin’s first big break came in 1929, when he got the role in Warner Bros.’ “Where the North Begins.”

3. Appollo

A trained search and rescue dog named Appollo was on-site with his handler Peter Davis of the NYC Police Department within 15 minutes of the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. In the following days, over 350 search and rescue dogs and their handlers came to the Twin Towers site, and to the Pentagon, to search for survivors.

4. Smoky

Smoky was a Yorkshire terrier found in 1944 by an American soldier in the New Guinea jungle. After being Cpl. William A. Wynne’s partner for the next two years, she became something of a WWII mascot. She slept in Wynne’s tent, shared his rations, and followed him wherever he went. Smoky survived over 150 air raids on New Guinea and made it through a typhoon at Okinawa. Thanks to her keen sense of hearing and danger, Smoky saved Wynne’s life on multiple occasions warning him and his comrades of incoming fire. She was also the first therapy dog on record.

 5. Sinbad

Sinbad was a mixed-breed canine sailor aboard the US Coast Guard Cutter George W. Campbell. Sinbad served 11 years of sea duty in the Coast Guard, including combat in WWII. He was originally intended to be a gift for Chief Boatswain’s girlfriend, but the girlfriend’s apartment did not allow dogs.  Sinbad put his paw print on his own enlistment papers and was issued his own service identification number. He went on to be awarded the American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and the Navy Occupation Service Medal.

By Dr. Ashley Dawes

Most pet owners have heard a lot about heartworms from their veterinarian, friends, or commercials. Since we have seen a rise in heartworm disease in our area this summer, we would like to teach you 10 things that you didn’t know about heartworms.

1. Heartworms have long lasting effects even after the infection has been cleared. Dogs are the natural host for heartworms, which means that they live inside the dog, mature to adults, mate, and produce offspring. Dogs can carry several hundred worms in their heart, lungs, and arteries, which significantly impacts the dog’s health and quality of life even after the parasites are gone! Long lasting effects of heartworm disease is why it is so important to prevent heartworm disease rather than treat it after the infection has started.

Numerous heartworms in a dog’s heart and arteries

2. Cats cannot undergo heartworm treatment like dogs, so prevention is the only means of protecting them from this potentially fatal disease. Cats cannot handle the heartworm treatment that is administered to dogs. Cat heartworm disease is very different than in dogs, because cats are an atypical host and most worms do not survive to the adult stage.

3. Cats typically just have 1 to 3 immature worms, which means that heartworm disease often goes undiagnosed in cats. Heartworms in cats can cause significant damage, even though there is a smaller worm burden. Our feline friends experience what is called heartworm associated respiratory disease (HARD). Cats also have very small hearts, which means even 1 to 3 worms can cause significant damage.

4. Clinical signs of heartworm disease in cats can be very subtle or very dramatic. Cats infected with heartworm disease may experience coughing, asthma-like attacks, periodic vomiting, lack of appetite, or weight loss. On more rare occasions cats may have difficulty walking, faint, have seizures, or develop fluid accumulation in the abdomen.

5. Infected mosquitoes carry teeny- tiny baby heartworms called microfilaria, which are transmitted to our pets when the mosquito takes a blood meal from them. Once the microfilaria is inside the host it takes approximately 6 months for the larvae to mature into adult heartworms.

6. Veterinary tests used to diagnose heartworms only detects the adult worms, which means it can be up to 6 months before you see a positive test. This is one reason why all dogs should be tested annually for heartworm disease.

7. Once heartworms are mature they can live for 5 to 7 years in dogs and up to 2 or 3 years in cats! Since heartworms can live for extended periods of time, each time our pets are bit by an infected mosquito this can lead to an increasing number of worms.

8. Dogs and cats aren’t the only species that can be infected by heartworms. Ferrets, sea lions, wolves, coyotes, foxes, and in rare instances, humans can also become infected with heart worms. Since wild life, such as foxes and coyotes, live close to urban areas they are considered important carriers of disease.

Ferrets can get heartworm disease too!

9. Heartworm disease is in all 50 states and most pets that are infected are mostly indoor pets! This is why prevention and annually testing for heartworm disease is so important.

10. Heartworm preventatives work by eliminating the immature (larval) stages of the heartworm parasite. This includes the infective larvae deposited by the mosquito as well as the following larval stages that develop inside our pets. Giving heartworm prevention late can allow immature larvae to become adults, which is poorly treated by monthly preventatives.

For more information about heartworm disease be sure to ask your veterinarian here at Dupont Veterinary Clinic or visit the American Heartworm Society’s website at www.heartwormsociety.org.  Also, for special offers on heartworm preventive, visit our homepage and click on “Special Offers”.

By Ashley Dawes, DVM

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Most pet owners have heard a lot about heartworms from their veterinarian, friends, or commercials. Since we have seen a rise in heartworm disease in our area this summer, we would like to teach you 10 things that you didn’t know about heartworms.

1. Heartworms have long lasting effects even after the infection has been cleared. Dogs are the natural host for heartworms, which means that they live inside the dog, mature to adults, mate, and produce offspring. Dogs can carry several hundred worms in their heart, lungs, and arteries, which significantly impacts the dog’s health and quality of life even after the parasites are gone! Long lasting effects of heartworm disease is why it is so important to prevent heartworm disease rather than treat it after the infection has started.

Numerous heartworms in a dog’s heart and arteries

2. Cats cannot undergo heartworm treatment like dogs, so prevention is the only means of protecting them from this potentially fatal disease. Cats cannot handle the heartworm treatment that is administered to dogs. Cat heartworm disease is very different than in dogs, because cats are an atypical host and most worms do not survive to the adult stage.

3. Cats typically just have 1 to 3 immature worms, which means that heartworm disease often goes undiagnosed in cats. Heartworms in cats can cause significant damage, even though there is a smaller worm burden. Our feline friends experience what is called heartworm associated respiratory disease (HARD). Cats also have very small hearts, which means even 1 to 3 worms can cause significant damage.

4. Clinical signs of heartworm disease in cats can be very subtle or very dramatic. Cats infected with heartworm disease may experience coughing, asthma-like attacks, periodic vomiting, lack of appetite, or weight loss. On more rare occasions cats may have difficulty walking, faint, have seizures, or develop fluid accumulation in the abdomen.

5. Infected mosquitoes carry teeny- tiny baby heartworms called microfilaria, which are transmitted to our pets when the mosquito takes a blood meal from them. Once the microfilaria is inside the host it takes approximately 6 months for the larvae to mature into adult heartworms.

6. Veterinary tests used to diagnose heartworms only detects the adult worms, which means it can be up to 6 months before you see a positive test. This is one reason why all dogs should be tested annually for heartworm disease.

7. Once heartworms are mature they can live for 5 to 7 years in dogs and up to 2 or 3 years in cats! Since heartworms can live for extended periods of time, each time our pets are bit by an infected mosquito this can lead to an increasing number of worms.

8. Dogs and cats aren’t the only species that can be infected by heartworms. Ferrets, sea lions, wolves, coyotes, foxes, and in rare instances, humans can also become infected with heart worms. Since wild life, such as foxes and coyotes, live close to urban areas they are considered important carriers of disease.

Ferrets can get heartworm disease too!

9. Heartworm disease is in all 50 states and most pets that are infected are mostly indoor pets! This is why prevention and annually testing for heartworm disease is so important.

10. Heartworm preventatives work by eliminating the immature (larval) stages of the heartworm parasite. This includes the infective larvae deposited by the mosquito as well as the following larval stages that develop inside our pets. Giving heartworm prevention late can allow immature larvae to become adults, which is poorly treated by monthly preventatives.

For more information about heartworm disease be sure to ask your veterinarian here at Dupont Veterinary Clinic or visit the American Heartworm Society’s website at www.heartwormsociety.org.  Also, for special offers on heartworm preventive, visit our homepage and click on “Special Offers”.

By Ashley Dawes, DVM

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 The 4^th of July is a time to prepare the barbecue and Oooh and Aaah at the “rockets’ red glare”. While this holiday may be one of our favorites, it can be a very dangerous or stressful time for our pets. It is important to consider how our pets may react during the 4^th of July festivities, especially during the fireworks show. Our pets may be content around a lot of people and commotion, but it is common for pets to become stressed or anxious during really loud noises, such as thunderstorms or fireworks. We at Dupont Veterinary Clinic have a few tips for you and your ‘fur family’ so you can enjoy a safe and happy holiday.

During the fireworks show it is best to keep pets inside where it is quieter and they can feel safe. If your pet is crate trained, keeping them in their crate with or without a blanket lying over the top can help them feel more secure. Drowning out the outdoor noise with a T.V. or radio turned on while your pet is inside can also be soothing for them. If your pet becomes anxious during thunderstorms or fireworks it is best to not encourage their anxiety. For example, owners should remain calm and go about their day so the pet doesn’t feed off of the owner’s anxiety. Often times if the owner is anxious, the pet will become even more anxious as they sense that there is something to fear. During the 4^th of July, numerous pets go missing each year. This is because they become anxious and try to flee, which is why keeping them indoors where they are safe is often best. Anti-anxiety medications can be very helpful to get anxious pets through this noisy holiday. Call or stop by Dupont Veterinary Clinic to speak with your veterinarian about whether or not adding anti-anxiety medications is right for your pet. Thundershirts are also helpful for pets during storms or fireworks as the snug-fitting jacket helps to swaddle and comfort your pet during times of stress. Thundershirts can be found at Dupont Veterinary Clinic, so bring Sparky by to find the right fit for him!

Fireworks aren’t the only hazard for pets at this time of year. S’mores left out by the campfire or food near the barbeque can also be dangerous for your pet as they can lead to stomach irritation or obstruction of their intestinal tract. Toxic foods for pets include chocolate, grapes or raisins, avocados, onions, alcohol, macadamia nuts, and xylitol (a sugar-free sweetener found in gum, some candy, and some foods). Glow in the dark wrist bands or necklaces, while not toxic, can cause significant stomach or intestinal irritation if ingested by your pet. If you’re barbequing ribs or Buffalo wings this 4^th, remember to keep the left over bones out of reach of your pets. These bones are often not digested and can cause serious stomach or intestinal blockage.

We hope these tips and tricks will help to keep you and your fur-kids safe and happy this 4^th of July. Please fee free to call Dupont Veterinary Clinic at 637-7676 to speak with your veterinarian about what is best for you and your pets over this holiday. We are always here to help.