March 2006 Newsletter

Lone Mountain Animal Hospital
March 2006 Newsletter

Pet of the Month
Congratulations to Geoffrey, our April recognized Pet of the Month. Geoffrey has a heart of gold and is always a joy to see at LMAH. Visit our website www.lmah.net to learn about how he proved that sometimes you can beat cancer.

Heartworm Disease
Spring is here and before long mosquitoes will be buzzing about. Dog owners across the country know about heartworm disease and how it is spread to animals by the bite of a mosquito. This disease results in adult heartworms growing within the animal's heart leading to serious illness and death.

While heartworm disease is currently in all 50 states, in Nevada we have been spared the epidemic numbers that other states have seen. Some factors are now causing veterinarians to be increasingly worried about heartworm disease here in Las Vegas. We do in fact have mosquitoes here in Las Vegas. Plus there are concerns about the great number of animals moving here from other parts of the country that may already have heartworm, such as those displaced from the hurricanes. Local microclimates may foster increasing mosquito populations with greater water, vegetation, and more favorable mosquito environments. Surely with time all these factors will contribute to an increasing problem with heartworm disease in the valley.

At this time dog owners need to become aware that heartworm disease CAN occur here. Proactive pet owners should talk to your veterinarian about heartworm disease and how to ensure your dog is protected. And for anyone that currently travels with their canine pals, you should absolutely make sure that he/she is on heartworm preventative. For more information call our doctors at 645-3116 or visit the American Heartworm Society's website www.heartwormsociety.org .

Easter Safety
Some very common seasonal items can pose a health risk to our animals. Read on to find out what you need to know to keep your pet safe.

- Keep chocolate out of animal's reach
When ingested in large amounts chocolate can be toxic to animals. Baking chocolate and the darker chocolates are most dangerous to animals. Mild toxicities will cause gastrointestinal upset while more serious toxicities result in seizures, heart arrhythmia and even death.

- Keep Easter Lilies away from cats
These beautiful seasonal flowers are dangerous to cats and can result in kidney failure. All it takes is chewing on one leaf to cause toxicity in cats. In fact many lily varieties are toxic, and all parts of the plant can be toxic when chewed on or ingested.

- Keep Easter grass out of pets reach
Cats especially find this decorative grass fun to play with. However, when ingested the grass can bind up the intestinal tract and lead to an intestinal blockage.