Senior Spotlight

As our beloved furry family members age, we have to deal with many of the problems that come along with being a senior citizen. Although cancer can occur at any age, we diagnose it more in senior pets. There are a wide variety of different types of cancer that can occur in dogs and cats. One of the more common types that we diagnose is lymphosarcoma. It commonly presents as enlargement of the lymphnodes, most commonly, the ones under the jaw, behind the knee, and by the clavicle.

Meet Cody. He is Dr. Sara Shaw’s 12 year old Labrador. He was diagnosed with lymphosarcoma the first of October, 2021. Dr. Shaw took him to the expert oncology team at MedVet where he successfully received six months of chemotherapy. He completed his chemo protocol and was celebrated by the entire oncology staff.

 Cody is now in remission, and our hope is that he will stay in remission to live a longer, healthy life.      

Often, when we find cancer, severe skin disease, eye disease or neurologic disease in your pet, we need to refer to a specialist. There are several different speciality hospitals in the valley that have the best specialists in the state. We utilize them for our own pets as we trust them completely. Dr. Shaw and Cody would like to thank the entire Oncology staff at MedVet including Dr. Katie Wright, Dr. Lisbeth Ambrosius and Dr. Lori Cesario.

Intestinal Parasites

Intestinal parasites in dogs and cats are very common. We see it in puppies and kittens, and in pets that go hiking, camping or are allowed to roam outside. Parasites are transmitted through oral-fecal contact, through water contaminated with feces, or through the placenta and milk of a mom dog or cat to her babies. 

Roundworms are the most common of these intestinal parasites, but we also see animals infected with hookworms, tapeworms, giardia and coccidia. Most of these worms have the potential of being transmitted to humans, so diagnosing, treating and preventing reinfection is even more important. 

Many infections do not show symptoms, however, below are some of the symptoms that you might see in your pet.

Because of the prevalence of intestinal parasites in dogs and cats, and because of the potential for human transmission, the veterinary profession and the Center for Disease Control recommend using a heartworm prevention in your pets monthly that also deworms them intestinally. Additionally, it is recommended to have a fecal test performed every 6-12 months. Puppies and kittens should be dewormed at least once a month for the first to 6 months of their life.

Please bring a fecal sample every year when you bring your pet for her vaccines so we can make sure she does not have one of these parasites. 

We want to thank you all for allowing us to care for your furry family members. We are allowing you to come into the clinic for appointments and we are no longer requiring masks. 

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Happy Spring,
Love, Jack!