Are you ready? Spring is springing and so are the fleas! I remember the days when we had to bomb the blahooey out of the house, and powder the cat and get a new flea collar and wash all the things (including the cat) just to try to keep the population down during summer. They…
Worms? In the eye? What? Gross! Yes, it happens. We recently diagnosed a pet with eyeworms, and fortunately it’s easily treated. Eyeworms (Thelazia spp) are most commonly found in large animals, though they can also be found in dogs, cats, and even humans! They are transmitted by flies (including the common house fly) that deposit the…
Earlier this year about 35 cases of Canine Influenza were confirmed in Los Angeles County. These dogs have all been quarantined, and there is no evidence so far of cases outside this group. While most of these dogs have recovered, this is an emergent disease, and officials are urging veterinarians and pet owners to team…
But isn’t every month Pet Wellness Month in a veterinary clinic? Of course it is, but we want to highlight something critical to ensuring your pet is healthy, which many pet owners miss, so we’re having a special month to promote it! You see your pet may look healthy; your pet may have passed the…
September is Celebrate Senior Pets Month here at Country Oaks! Dogs and cats are considered senior at the age of 7, much as we hate to admit it. (My eldest cat, Lockheed, is 9, and much on his dignity – when the other cats are watching.) Just like humans, senior pets often become prone to…
A Non-trivial Concern for Serious Pet-lovers We take for granted that we ought to do fecal screenings for intestinal parasites in puppies and kittens – the presence of worms in the darling little boops is fairly ubiquitous, and we want our new friends to be healthy and happy. But how often do we consider the…
Chagas disease may be making new headlines, but it’s been around for a long time. Discovered in 1909 by Brazilian physician Carlos Chagas, the tripanosomes – the microscopic organisms that cause the disease – have existed since before the continents separated. Cases in the southern United States have been documented for decades, though new areas…
Halloween will be here in a couple of days and it can be a dangerous time for pets. With that in mind here are 7 tips from the AVMA to keep your pet safe: Don’t feed your pets Halloween candy, especially if it contains chocolate or xylitol (a common sugar substitute found in sugar-free candies…
Ah, autumn coolness, and the rains have returned at last – with hope of more in a strong El Niño year. Thus begins the holiday season, full of gatherings and remembrance, decorations and good food and celebration. Our pets are part of the family and so we like to include them in all these things,…
Rattlesnakes are out to bask in the sun and help keep the world from being overrun by rodents, but they do not enjoy being surprised or stepped on by dogs or humans. This is generally not enjoyable for the pets or humans either. The best strategy is to avoid encounters altogether, but here are some…
