Scary Critters On Your Pets, What To Expect This Scary Season | KLBK | KAMC


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LUBBOCK, Texas – Parvovirus is high during the fall months in Lubbock, according to information provided by Lubbock Animal Services on Tuesday. LAS recommended vaccinating pets and preventing untreated animals from roaming dog yards or parks.

LAS said its most common health problems for puppies and kittens include parasites, like worms, and transmissible viruses, like parvovirus. Parvovirus is often found in large populations of young unvaccinated puppies.

Megan Schroll, deputy director of Lubbock Animal Services, said the parvovirus lives in soil and can infect an entire backyard and front yard, “So it is very important to keep puppies indoors until they are ‘they are fully vaccinated. “

Symptoms of parvovirus include bloody diarrhea, lethargy, loss of appetite, bloating, and abdominal pain. LAS uses stool samples to test for parvovirus.

The animal shelter reminds residents of ectoparasites, a creature that lives on the skin of another living being. Raw!

Ectoparasites include fleas, ticks, and mites.

Fleas can be seen by the human eye, but they are quick and good at hiding. One way to tell if a lighter colored animal has fleas is to look for something that looks like pepper flakes in the fur, which is flea droppings.

When your pet has fleas, it is necessary to treat not only the animal itself, but also the house and yard. Dr Eila Machado said a misconception is that pet owners don’t need to treat or prevent fleas and ticks during the winter months. However, fleas can lay eggs in the house and survive for several months.

If your pet is itchy and scratchy to the point of losing hair or if the skin is crusted, Lubbock Animal Services recommends taking your pet to the vet to make sure they don’t have fleas or fleas. mites.

Animals with flea allergies are more likely to suffer from hair loss and crusty skin, Schroll said.

“Fleas are getting more and more resistant every year,” said Dr Machado.

Mites are microscopic, often found on the ears of stray kittens. They will scratch their ears, bleed and scab.

Mange is a kind of mite that is mostly found on dogs. They look like spiders under a microscope. Dr Machado called them “cute” followed by “[they] dig into the dog or cat‘s skin layer where they like to live and feed.

Unfortunately, dust mites are also transmissible to humans, which is another reason why it is so important to follow preventive care and treatment.

Ticks are visible and come in a range of sizes, from “tiny like a freckle” to fully sip, almost the size of a grape, “said Dr Machado, veterinarian at Lubbock Animal Services.

Prevention drugs recommended by veterinarians are so effective that, if used correctly, your pet will not be infected when bitten by a sick tick, according to Dr. Machado. And the tick will die.

Many preventive drugs and treatments require monthly doses, often given topically or orally.

Schroll said the price of treating animals for disease, pests and diseases far exceeds the cost of prevention.

To put it in perspective, depending on where you go, you could pay $ 20 for a vaccine against thousands to treat the disease, Dr. Machado said.

The second most common infectious diseases are Bordetella and kennel cough. Dogs with kennel cough cough, sneeze and runny nose, according to Dr. Machado.

Giardia is an organism that likes moist environments, such as streams and soil. Many species of Giardia exist, and some can infect both dogs and humans. However, Giardia is not as common in Lubbock as the desert lacks moisture. In addition, the sun’s ultraviolet rays kill many of these microorganisms, Dr Machado said.

The animal shelter recently had an outbreak of Giardia. Staff at the shelter wanted to warn pet owners as it still exists in Lubbock.

In addition to vaccination and other forms of prevention, neutering and neutering pets can protect against certain illnesses, cancers and illnesses, Dr Machado said.

She described the practice as’ twofold ‘, saying,’ It helps reduce the number of unwanted animals in Lubbock, and it also contributes to the health of the animal itself. “

Dr Machado added that vaccinating your pets increases herd immunity among the stray animal population.

Lubbock Animal Services is partnering with PETS Clinic in Lubbock, which offers low-cost veterinary care in case someone struggles to afford preventative care and treatment for their pets, Schroll added.

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