EDITOR’S NOTE: Paws for Thought is a veterinarian column penned, on an alternating basis, by contributing writers Dr. Janice Mitchell of Island Animal Hospital and Dr. Darren Stinson of Scott Veterinary Services.
Invisible and Barely Visible Pet Health Concerns for this Summer
by Dr. Darren Stinson
To begin, I wish to thank Dr. Mitchell and the staff of the Expositor for the opportunity to contribute to the Paws for Thought column.
Recent real time developments in veterinary healthcare in Northeastern Ontario prompted me to provide an update on some common and not so common health risks for your pet.
Let’s talk about some invisible risks. A clinic in Sudbury recently diagnosed a dog positive for heartworm disease. Thorough investigation of this case and the dog’s history revealed that this pet came to Ontario from Tennessee in December of 2016. Prior to being adopted this dog had a negative heartworm test in December 2016. This pet was placed on Revolution last summer (2017) based on the negative test from 2016. So how did this dog get heartworm?
All of this is easily explained. In order to get a positive heartworm test, there must be adult worms in the dog’s heart. This takes over six months for larva injected into the dog from the mosquito to grow into an adult worm that can be detected by the test. This suggests that the dog contacted heartworm in 2016 in the US and explains why the test in December 2016 was negative.
The primary concern is that this dog has infected any mosquitoes that bit it last summer and if the environmental conditions were correct last summer other dogs including wild canids could have become infected by being bit by those mosquitoes that had bit the positive dog.
A really good example of how new diseases can be introduced rather innocently through importation of pets.
This importation of pets has resulted in a new invisible “bug.” Recently, Dr. Mitchell had a great article about a new and emerging disease in Ontario called canine influenza. As mentioned, there was an outbreak in the Muskokas. My concern here is that both the Muskokas and the Island are significant tourist destinations and it is conceivable that we may see cases of this disease here this summer as the tourists and their pets arrive. If your dog is in contact with tourist pets all summer long then you may wish to consider vaccination against canine influenza.
Another invisible critter is Blastomycosis, a soil fungus that causes pneumonia, among other illness in pets and people, is likely to return this spring and summer. Unfortunately there is no vaccine. Early detection, diagnosis and treatment is the key to managing the disease. This is because we cannot see this fungus so how do we keep your pet away from it short of keeping it in the house or live in a bubble. My advice, let your pet be a pet. If your pet contracts blasto, with increased awareness, hopefully it is detected early and managed successfully.
The visible and barely visible parasites that we need to be on the continued look out for are fleas and ticks. Last year, like the year before, presented us with many many dogs and cats affected with fleas and ticks. There seemed to be a corresponding increase in cases of lyme disease in our dog population as well. When I started my career 26 years ago here in Mindemoya, when you found a tick on a pet it was a clinic stopping event to call everyone over to see it as they were so rare; now it is almost a daily occurrence. I have not seen ticks like I saw last year in my entire career. Thankfully we now have very effective prevention products to keep you pet flea and tick free.
Many of these new and emerging diseases, in my opinion, are a consequence of environment changes. Our environment is becoming able to support creatures, visible, barely visible and invisible, that it could not in years past. Your veterinarian’s role is to be aware and be constantly looking out for these diseases and disease causing agents so to be able to provide the best advice on control, prevention and early diagnosis and treatment if needed. Contact your veterinarian if you have any questions about any health issues with your pet.
Here’s to hoping that each and every one of you and your pets have a fun filled safe, and happy spring and summer.
