What greater gift than the love of a cat? -Charles Dickens

It’s the human-cat interactions that keep our bond strong with our feline family. And with the spring season upon us, it is important that we follow-up with their health and well-care check ups. We take care of each other. And with the spring season upon us, it is important that we follow-up with their health and well-care check ups. For outdoor cats, the threat of intestinal parasites are more prevalent in the warmer weather. If you haven’t done so already, start using flea and tick medication to prevent intestinal diseases. We offer heartworm testing and leptospirosis vaccines. Ask us the best way to keep your cats safe and healthy. Here at ABC Animal Hospital, we put your pets first. We want your family to enjoy the season — together.

 

Call ABC Animal Hospital to schedule your pet’s next well care visit and don’t forget to give us a ‘like’, ‘tweet’ and ‘follow’ on social media.

New Yorkers – Protect your Pets from Parasites!

Spring has finally come to NEW YORK and with it come fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes which transmit diseases to your pets. April is the time to start using heartworm medication. Flea and tick medication may be used year round depending upon where your pet travels. Tick populations and tick related illnesses will be higher this year in the New England area so preventative care is extremely important in keeping your pets safe.

Flea and tick infestations can be costly to treat and can also put your pets at risk to diseases such as lyme disease, erhlichiosis, and anaplasmosis. It’s safer for your pets and more economical to practice good preventative treatments against these parasites.

There are a number of products both topical and oral which are very effective in preventing fleas, ticks, and heartworm. You should speak to a trusted veterinarian for advice on appropriate parasite preventative medications for your pets.

In some instances your pets may need to be tested before the appropriate medication can be prescribed. At ABC we offer the Accuplex Canine PANEL which tests for heartworm, lyme disease, ehrlichia, and anaplasma. We can also help you decide which type of preventative medication would be most suitable for your pet. 

We sell Iverhart Plus, Frontline Plus, topical flea and tick spray, and flea and tick shampoo and can write you a prescription for the most appropriate medication for your pet. 

For more information or to make an appointment:

Call us at (212) 358 0785 ( we’re open 7 days a week)
Email us at doc@abcanimalhosp.com to have someone call you back

New clients can also register your pets directly on our website. You can also ask us a question about your pets through our website’s Ask the veterinarian page.

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A Tip for Ticks

If you visit upstate New York, Long Island, or anywhere in New England with woody or grassy areas, check yourselves and your pets for ticks immediately upon returning home. Pay extra attention to the groin, armpits, toes, ears, and around the neck.

As you can see in the photo above, ticks will change in size depending on their age and time of season. Ticks need to be attached for 24 to 36 hours to transfer pathogens so it is especially important to remove ticks as soon as possible.

Ask ABC: 4 common questions about Heartworm for New Yorkers

This is our first post in our ASK ABC series – addressing real questions we get from our clients.

1. What is a heartworm?

Heartworms are worms that live in the heart, lungs, and blood vessels of infected pets. They can cause heart disease, lung failure, and damage other organs in the body.

2. How can my pet get heartworms?

Mosquitoes are carriers of heartworms and can transmit it to your cats or dogs. They can live for several years in your pet, and cause long lasting damage even after the worms are removed.

3. How at risk is my pet from getting heartworms?

This depends on where you live and where travel with your pets. To see data on heartworms and other parasites in your area you can use parasitesandpets interactive map. New York’s map is shown below.

Risks of heartworm infection are higher than usual during mosquito season. This usually begins in Spring, from April until November. Heartworm protection is especially important for pets who travel to places with mosquitoes (wooded, gassy areas, upstate etc), or to states where there are higher risks for heartworm.

Screenshot from Parasitesandpets.com – interactive map for Heartworm data in New York County. As you can see: New York county has a low risk ( 1/125 cases), but there are counties close by that have a moderate risk.

4. How can I protect my pets from heartworms?

Early detection and prevention is key to protecting your pets. At ABC Animal Hospital one recommendation we give after examining a pet is an oral medication to prevent heartworm disease. We trust and sell Iverhart – a chewable medication. (We keep our prices competitive to make it available for all our clients). We provide quick and easy heartworm tests for your pets in-house so results can be provided almost immediately.

You can contact us at (212) 358 0785 to make an appointment for an exam and a heartworm test.

New clients can also register your pets directly on our website. If you have any medical related questions – you can ask us for free through our website’s Ask the veterinarian page.

We hope that this helped clear things up about what heartworms are, and how you can protect your pets. Let us know in the comments if there are any other questions we can answer, and please share this if you found it helpful.

*Disclaimer: This blog is meant only to offer general advice to pet owners. it cannot replace advice given to you by a veterinarian. Reading our blog does not establish a client-patient relationship between you and ABC Animal Hospital. If you suspect that your pet is sick, contact a veterinarian you trust for a proper examination. We can be reached at 212 358 0785.