The application can be downloaded on iTunes online store for as little as $3.99 and is distributed by the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. CUPetHealth, the iPhone application, allows pet owners to track what and how much they feed their cats and dogs. Caregivers simply input the daily diet of their pets and note their pets several lifestyle variables. The application will then take these two factors into calculation in order to determine the appropriate number of calories each day. Once that is calculated, it will respond with “overfeeding”, “underfeeding” or “appropriate”.

The application has pre-installed a ready-made list of food from which the pet owners are able to choose from. Or they also could enter additional food items that has not been included in the list yet. In addition, the app electronically tracks companion animals’ vaccinations, including heartworm, notifying the owner when it’s time to re-vaccinate or administer another heartworm pill.

The application is compatible with the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Click the image below to go to the application page.

This report has sent shock waves around the world. Cats are outraged and calling the survey a hoax. They are united in their bid to claim the title as the top tasting pet. Calls are coming in to Cat Central from all around the world with offers to be tasted.

There is no denying that cats have been the preferred host for fleas for many years. The Global Council Of Fleas has issued a press release saying that they have no intention of making any mass migration to the new pet of choice. Although, they have been feasting on both parties for a number of years.

Why have the worms turned?

This is a question that has veterinarians perplexed and dog lovers outraged. It could be that the cat, not renown for its energetic lifestyle, has an increasingly high cholesterol level. This may be passed on to the worms as they feed and causing health issues with the worms. Or it could be that quality of food being fed to cats is deteriorating compared to the fine cuisine of man’s best friend.

Dogs, while proud of their new label, have been voicing some concern over just what this announcement means to them. They are wondering if this added pressure will result in more food or less work hours. According to the International Council of Working Dogs they will be holding industrial action if there isn’t a corresponding rise in living conditions.

The Ferret, once thought to be the most worm infested animal on the planet has at this stage refused to comment. It is suggested that the Ferret Bureau of Internal Affairs is looking into the matter.

It could be said that dog owner is the one most likely to come under scrutiny in the immediate future. Should dog owners allow their beloved pets to fall prey to potential worm infestations?

While it is all very well worms stating that dogs are their preferred tasting host, this does not benefit the dogs in anyway. Some worms in particular can be devastating to the health of a dog.

Heartworms in particular are not as lovable as their name may suggest. They have developed a taste for the heart of dogs. One heartworm is not going to cause too much damage, but an infestation of heart worms feeding on the heart of your much loved dog is going to leave it heartless.  Which if you know anything about anatomy is more than just a slight inconvenience. It will prove fatal.

Heartworms are not the only predatory worm that will, when in sufficient numbers, cause extreme stress to a dog. The common hookworm also has invasive behavior not unlike that of a terrorist organization. Keeping these invaders at bay will certainly make your dog much happier and healthier in the long term.

So dog owner, and animal lover, it is time for you stand up against this invading worm army and say your pet is NOT for dinner. We don’t care how good they taste, they will be the main course for any parasitic worms.

I know this may cause you to receive some flak in this politically correct age, where saying “no” is not allowed, and choosing dog health over that of worms may be considered discrimination if not speciest. But enough is enough. The worm has turned once too often.

Pinworms are of the roundworm family and are peculiar to people. They will not survive in the intestinal tract of cats or dogs so they cannot be transmitted by the family pet.

The common misconception is that pinworms inhabit the homes of dirty people or people who have dirty pets. This is untrue. Pinworms are highly contagious, especially in places where children come into contact with other children – like schools. An infected child that scratches their itchy anus can get eggs under their fingernails. These eggs can be transferred to door handles, clothing, bed linen, furniture, faucets, and food. Because the pinworm eggs are resilient they can survive for several days waiting to be picked up by another host and swallowed.

Usually the host person will notice little effects, and may not realize they have been infected at all. In severe cases, or with young children, the symptoms of pinworms may be more noticeable. These symptoms will include an itchy anus most noticeable at night when the worms are active. The itching may even be enough to cause disrupted sleep patterns.

Treatment for pinworms is not usually needed as children will often grow out of the infections, and the worms themselves cause no noticeable ill effects. However, your doctor can prescribe medication if the side-effects become problematic to the point of disrupting sleep.

The main thing to remember is that your beloved cat or dog is no the cause of pinworm infection, so you do not need to treat or blame them.

These blood-sucking parasites transmittes various diseases during this time of the year, including heartworms. Transmission of the worm is usually by a harmless single mosquito. A heartworm infected canine, such as coyote, fox, wolf or dog, is bitten by a mosquito and the baby heartworm is ingested with the blood meal. The microfilaria, which is the baby heartworm, matures in the mosquito and then injected into your pet as the mosquito bites it. It takes about 6 months for the heartworm baby to mature in the dogs and cats and within this period of time, it will also slowly migrate into the right side of the heart. Here, they can live for many years and grow up to six inches long.

If you have your dogs and cats regularly tested for heartworm infections, this disease can be caught early enough to have the parasite eradicated from your pet’s body before it causes your pet to experience heart failure, collapse and even death. As soon as the blood test of your pet turns out to be positive, the veterinarian will slowly kill the worms over time by injecting a controlled dose of arsenic poison into your pet’s body.

Heartworm cases usually surge during this season when mosquito population spikes. In Marion County alone, heartworm cases this year has reached twice more than during the same time this year. Several dogs have been tested positive for adult heartworms, while the owners were still trying to obtain the funds for necessary procedures for their pet’s health.

A heartworm preventive requires an annual test which costs only under $25. Depending on the weight of the dog and the severity of the case, hearworm treatment is about $700-$1,500. If your dog already has heartworms, it is usually much more expensive. However, preventative treatment usually will be as little as $50 – $150 a year. But preventative treatment will do your dogs and cats no good if they are already infected.

The current economy has definately taken a toll on people’s abilitiy to take care of their pets. The most heartworm cases in dogs are usually found in Florida, although cases have been reported in all 50 states. This is because the climate of Florida is just perfect for the mosquito population. There are more than 30,000 cases annually in Florida alone. These are only the ones that have been reported. However, many dogs just die withouto anybody understanding that the cause is heartworm.

The most frustrating aspect is that this fatal disease is actually quite easy and cheap to prevent but very expensive and difficult to treat. The economy is affecting the people’s ability to take care of the pet. There are so much more important things to pay for than to treat a dog dying of heartworm disease, such as food on the table for the owners, their mortgages and other obligations.

In this economy, it is smarter to prevent your dog from getting heartworm infection than to treat it. A heartworm preventive requires an annual test which is about under $25 a year. A six-month’s course of treatment will cost between $20 to $50 depending on the weight of the dog and the dosage of the medicine given. If you compare this to the typical cost of treatment of dogs with heartworm infection, which is between $700-$1500, the cost of prevention looks much more reasonable. For the sake of your budget and your pet’s health, it is always much better to prevent than to treat.

Pic Source: Veterinary Associates of Cape Cod

The Whipworm is a variety of the Roundworm family. Whipworms in dogs are more common than Whipworms in cats but cat owners should not be complacent. The worms have different strains for different species of host, but the worms can survive in a host other than their own.

The whip-like shape of the worm gives rise to its name. A mature Whipworm bores into the large intestine, its natural habitat, using the thin tail-like head and feeds off the blood of the host. It is this action that causes most of the irritation damage to the intestine causing …

The penetration of the intestine can cause increased luminal fluid secretion which in a large worm infestation may be such that the fluid is not adequately reabsorbed causing dehydration and diarrhea in the host.  It may also cause the loss of electrolytes and nutrients. You may also notice blood loss showing up as blood in the dog’s stools.

Although not common a rectal prolapse, where the lower portion of the colon becomes unattached and turns inside out protruding from the anus of the dog. This is fatal if not treated. It is caused by the Whipworms burrowing into the lining of the colon.

Whipworm eggs are passed from the host by way of the stools where they will inhabit the ground. It is extremely difficult to kill the Whipworms while they are in the egg cycle. Treating the ground is seldom effective. The best solution is to remove the soil from concentrated areas and replace it with fresh soil. It is because of the hardiness of the Whipworm eggs that treating your dog is recommended every month once an outbreak of Whipworm is found.

The most common treatments for Whipworm include

• Ivermectin
• Febantel
• Fenbendazole

Prevention is always better than cure and so keeping the living areas of your dogs clean and free from feces is essential. Having a run that is exposed to the sunlight also helps.

A happy healthy dog or cat is always going to have a greater immunity to Whipworm and other parasites and diseases.

Whipworm in dogs picture source

Whipworm infestation picture source

You may have noticed that your veterinarian will recommend giving pills to prevent heartworms but what the pills are doing is actually administering the cure on a regular basis. No matter how effective these pills can be, this cure for heartworm contains chemical insecticide and therefore it is toxic. The chemicals in the drugs can actually become the source of another disease.

The best way to keep dogs and cats away from the toxic heartworm medicine but still prevent them from being infected with heartworms is by using natural means and/ or alternative medicine. It will be more complicated than swallowing a pill but going through the few healthy steps that you will need to take will benefit your pet in different ways and even protect it against many different variety of diseases, not just heartworms. The following steps are:

1. Giving your pet a healthy diet

You may think that all pet food manufacturers have nothing but your pet’s best interest in mind. However, considering that pet food regulations allow them to use ingredients that you would never give to your pet, this is not always the case. The best diet for dogs is a meal consisting mostly of raw food and fresh water.

2. Improved Immune System

A healthy liver will remove waste and toxins from your pets system. It is the foundation of a healthy body. There are several factors that causes your pet’s immune system to weaken include frequent vaccination, commercial pet food and stress. We recommend you discuss with your veterinarian in order to make changes in these areas.

3. Strengthen your pet’s heart and blood circulation

The best way to keep your pet’s heart and blood circulation healthy and strong is through exercise and healthy diet. This is your number one defense against a number of conditions and diseases. Not only will you be protecting your dog from hearworm infection but it will also help prevent other common heart and circulatory system conditions, including heart attacks and aoritic stenosis.

Pic Source: Gibdogpetsuppliesblog.com

Ringworm is highly contagious and has no problem traveling between species. You can infect your pets with Ringworm as easily as they can infect you, or each other. Cats are the most common carriers of Ringworm but dogs also host the fungus. Many of your pets may carry the Ringworm fungus without showing any indication.

Once an outbreak of Ringworm occurs it is important to act quickly to isolate the cat or dog, and confine it to one area. The Ringworm fungus travels by way of spores which will transmit the disease when contact occurs. An animal dropping spores all around the house can infect anything or anyone who’s skin comes into contact with the spores.

Ringworm is fairly easy to treat when…

Ringworm is fairly easy to treat when caught in the early stages. Although the incubation period of Ringworm is 10-12 days before lesions develop so it will not be immediately obvious that your pet has contracted the fungus.

Treatment for Ringworm

There are a range of over-the-counter treatments that you can get to a mild infection of Ringworm.  They come in the form of lotions and creams and also drying powders. The active ingredients to treat fungal infections include  miconazole or clotrimazole.

It may be necessary to shave the infected area of fur from your cat or dog to effectively treat the lesions.  And if the infection has become more serious or will not respond to treatment your local vet can prescribe stronger solutions and in severe cases antibiotics.

A solution of bleach and water can be used to treat the bedding of your pet daily to kill any spores and prevent reinfection.  Keeping the bedding dry and aired will also help.

Cat with Ringworm picture source

Dog with Ringworm Image Source

The most commonly known symptom of Ringworm is a circular spot on the skin, however, many of these fungi do not produce the round spot. Ringworm can grow on skin, your scalp, or your nails. It is more likely to be found on children than adults, but is not restricted to children. The most common pet that will host Ringworm is your cat. Dogs also can carry Ringworm.

Ringworm is highly contagious and …

Ringworm is highly contagious and care should be taken to isolate cats or dogs with Ringworm from each other and from children. The transfer of the fungus is by direct contact and by contamination of items such as clothing or bedding.

If your pet has ringworm make sure that you regularly clean the bedding of your pet. The fungus thrives in warm moist areas, so keeping your cat or dog dry and its bedding aired is essential in controlling the outbreak. Minor injuries such as scratches and scrapes should be treated to prevent Ringworm from infecting the area.

Symptoms of Ringworm that you should watch for include:

• blisters or areas of skin that are raised and itchy. Often they will be red in color and have sharply defined edges, with the outer ring being redder than the inner patch. It is the ring like appearance that gave rise to the name Ringworm.
• Nails or claws will become discolored when infected. They will become thick and eventually may crumble if the fungus is not treated.
• Bald patches are common on the coat of your cat or dog when Ringworm is present. They may also appear on the scalp of humans with the fungus.

Ringworm Image Source

There are many dog heartworm preventives out there on the market but only a few available for cats. In endemic areas, cats should also be given preventive medicine. Some of the preventives that are most common are as following:

Diethylcarbamazine tablets – Given on a daily basis to dogs which do not have microfilaria. There are side effects of this medicine which include headaches, weakness nausea and malaise. However, DEC is generally considered safe and reliable.

Ivermectin – Should be given once a month as preventives for dogs and cats. If accidentally given to heartworm positive dogs no reaction of any kind will occur. However in cases where the larval worms die too quickly, a shock-like circulatory reaction can occur. Therefore, because of this reason, it is recommended that the first dose be given under veterinary supervision. The dog will then be observed for several hours in case of trouble.

However, it has been reported that there are severe adverse reactions in Collies and Collie mixes after use of this drug. Some milder reactions are stomach and intestinal upset, irritability and stiffness.

Milbemycin Oxim based products – Given once a month which will clear microfilariae, suppress female worm’s ability to reproduce and kill L3′s and L4′s accumulated in the month prior to taking the medicine. This medicine will kill the microfilariae much faster than with ivermectin products. It is likely to cause a shock-like reaction where the dead larval worms clog the blood circulation as it they die too fast all at once. If your pet has a light infection, this may not be a problem but heavily infected dogs are recommended they not use milbemycin. Milbemycin is only meant to be used as preventives which means it is to be used in heartworm negative dogs.

Pic Source: VetRxDirect.com

If your infected pet is a cat, you have the choice to let the adult worms die without any treatment over a period of years. However you will risk the cat to become very ill and even die. Another option is to get rid of the worm right away. This, however, may cause your cat to end up with serious complications from all the worms dying simultaneously.

Your dog will need to go through a two steps treatment. The first step will kill the adult worms which is called the adulticide therapy. One way to recognize that this step is effective is the clotting of dead worms in the blood circulation. Your dog may run a fever; you will notice some vomiting, loss of apetite, some coughing, jaundice and also expectoration of blood. After the first step of treatment, the dog must not exercise for at least two weeks because of the clotting in the blood circulation.

This kind of treatment could also be done in cats, however, the risk of complications in the cat has been found greater than in the dog. And even within 12 weeks after this therapy, a cat should be given the antigen test again in order to make sure that all heartworms have been killed.

For dogs, a second step of heartworm treatment is required. The second step of the treatment is called filaricide therapy. This step is to get rid of the microfilaria which needs to be done within 3 – 6 weeks after the first step is done. Your dog will be given two different drugs: ivermectin and milbemycin. Please note the dog will be hospitalized  for this to guard against adverse reactions, including coma and even death. Potential severe adverse reactions are usually found in Collies and Collie mixes. For them, ivermectin should not be used in treating this disease. There is a third drug which is called levamisole which can be taken orally at home. However, it also has significant side effects.

Within 3 weeks after the second step of the treatment, a blood test will be performed to determine whether the therapies have been effective. If the test comes out negative, the dog is ready to start a heartworm preventive program.

Another way to treat heartworm disease in dogs is to have them surgically removed. However, this should be recommended for only critically ill dogs.

Pic Source: Green Brook Vet