New Equipment
Laser Surgery Makes Indian Creek Debut
This new year marked the addition of Laser Surgery capabilities to our practice. Though Cutting Edge Lasers we now have a 30 Watt Superpulse Surgical Laser. This new machine allows less bleeding and pain by sealing small vessels and nerve endings. This results in less discomfort and less need for heavier doses of pain control and more rapid recovery. We can do some procedures that were difficult to impossible with cold steel. We now only do our feline declaws with our laser.
Aquatic services
We now offer aquarium and pond fish medicine procedures for our clients. Time availability for site visits to ponds or aquaculture sites is limited and must be scheduled ahead of time. Diagnostics, therapeutics, water testing, medicine, anesthesia and even surgery are some of the services we provide.
Senior Canine News
Arthritis
In the last few years Senior dogs have had many new medications to help if they begin to show the slowing down and stiffening up caused by Arthritis. The medicines are from Pfizer is called Rimadyl, Etogesic from Fort Dodge, Deramaxx from Novartis, Metacam from Boehringer Ingelheim and several others. They are aspirin-like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications but are actually approved for dogs. Unlike their over-the-counter older generation products of which aspirin is still safest, these new products have much less chance of side effects and much greater potency for pain relief.
Senior Nutrition can also help, for example, IAMS new Eukanuba Senior Plus has glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate to repair joint cartilage, L-carnitine to maintain lean body mass and chromium to promote normal glucose metabolism as well as other Senior specific nutrition. The Glucosamine/ Chondoitin is also available as a capsule which can be a wonderful addition to either Rimadyl or Etogesic in some pets. The anti-inflammatory/analgesic controls the symptoms and the nutriceutical improves joint repair. Omega-3 fatty acids have been found useful in dogs and cats of all ages but especially with seniors they aid in many areas.
Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome
Some Senior dogs begin to show mental changes that lead to a less happy life and sometimes strain the bonds with their owners. These changes have been noticed but until recently veterinarians had to accept them as part of normal aging. However recent research on Parkinsonism and Alzheimer's disease in Humans has led canine researchers to discover a mechanism for the disease in dogs. What's more, there now exists medication to help control the process. The disease is called Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome and is caused by changes in the brain chemistry and deposits of inert substances both of which interfere with normal brain function. Pfizer has released the drug, Anipryl, a medication which stabilizes that chemistry and slows the process, sometimes even improving brain function
Arthritis & CDS Links
For more information on these subjects try the encyclopedia or one of the internet links below:
for the Pfizer drugs Rimadyl & Anipryl try http://www.petnet.com
for the Fort Dodge product Etogesic try http://www.ahp.com/fort_dodge/etogesic.asp
Flea, Tick & Heartworm Update
This year there are even more choices when it comes to parasite control for your pet. We will try to summarize your choices by species and parasite to give you a chance to make a reasonable choice.
Dogs
Heartworms
The choice for control of heartworms includes the oral once monthly products, Heartgard, Interceptor, Proheart and the combination product Sentinel which also helps with fleas. And then the new spot-on product, Revolution from Pfizer which does heartworms, fleas, ticks, some mange mites and perhaps some other indications not yet approved. We currently stock only Heartgard, & Revolution. The other medications can be ordered through our VetStore pharmacy.
Fleas
Flea products start with collars that in addition to adult flea insecticides, have extra growth regulators that sterilize the flea eggs to stop buildup of numbers in the environment. Spot-on products include Advantage(cats),Advantix(dogs), a flea only product that lasts 30 days. It will withstand twice monthly bathing and boasts the quickest flea kill. Then Frontline Plus is a flea and tick product that lasts at least a month for ticks, perhaps longer for fleas and is very water resistant. Revolution, the new spot-on product kills fleas for 1 month, although it may be somewhat slower but boasts a wide spectrum of other parasites it also controls. A once monthly oral product called Program is available, but it only provides growth regulation activity, i.e. egg sterilization and needs the use of other products to kill adult fleas. We believe this may prove inadequate in flea allergic pets. The combination oral product, Sentinel would show similar properties.
Ticks
The tick only collar called Preventic appears to give the best protection from all tick species. The active ingredient causes paralysis of the tick's mouth parts before it kills the tick, preventing attachment and even detaching previously attached ticks. Frontline Plus is effective in tick control and lasts one month. The dog only product called Advantix has the ability to do both fleas and ticks. Revolution has some effectiveness against ticks but is not as complete as the Preventic collar.
Cats
Heartworms
The once monthly oral product, Heartgard, is effective in heartworm prevention and will also control feline hookworms. The new spot-on product called Revolution is a once a month product that in addition to heartworm control also takes care of fleas, ear mites and some intestinal parasites.
Fleas
Both Frontline Plus and Advantage/Advantix are once a month products that kill fleas. Frontline also kills ticks. Revolution does kill fleas in addition to heartworms, earmites and intestinal parasites. The collars available can kill adults and provide growth regulation to sterilize the flea eggs. Program is available as both oral and injectable but the need for other treatment to kill adults remains a potential drawback.
Ticks
The only approved tick product for once monthly use in cats is Frontline Plus. Otherwise pyrethrin sprays and shampoos can be used to kill infesting ticks as needed.
Cost
Depending on the pet's weight and potential exposure, the cost effectiveness of the different products varies. The best course is to decide what parasites the pet might likely need protection from, and then look at the product or combination of products that provide that protection. Then the costs can be quoted to help in the final choice. Existing infestations of fleas can be more quickly controlled by adding additional products. Call for advice.
Product Links
We stock Advantage, Frontline, Revolution, Preventic, as well as flea combo collars, pyrethrin sprays and shampoos, and premise area treatments with both insecticidal and IGR ingredients. The other products are available through VetStore.
for Bayer's Advantage try http://www.nofleas.com
for Merial's Frontline try http://www.frontline.com
for Pfizer's Revolution try http://www.revolutionpet.com
for Novartis products (Program, Interceptor, Sentinel) try http://www.programpet.com
for Fort Dodge's Proheart6 try http://www.ahp.com/fort_dodge/proheart.asp
