Q. I have been giving my dog a flea bath every week, why does he still have fleas?

A. As you have learned, flea shampoos are not an effective method of flea control. Flea shampoo will kill the fleas on your pet, but it has a residual affect, so if put in the same environment he will have more fleas on him in short time. The adult fleas live on your pet and ingest blood when they feed. The black specks in the hair coat of a flea infested animal are flea feces- digested blood. When animals with severe flea infestations are bathed, the water can actually turn red as the flea feces dissolve. After the female has ingested a blood meal, they lay eggs(white specks) which fall off your pet as he walks around- just like taking a salt shaker full of flea eggs and shaking it around the house and yard. Those eggs hatch into larva, then pupa and then immature adult fleas which jump on your dog and start the cycle all over. The only way to control fleas is to use a product that breaks the life cycle. One example is Comfortis, which is a tablet given once a month(with food) which kills adult fleas very quickly, preventing them from reproducing. By stopping the life cycle, there are no new flea eggs being deposited in the environment, so over a period of 6-8 weeks, all the immature fleas in the environment will be eliminated as they hatch out and get on your pet. Ideally, an effective flea control is begun on all animals in the household as soon as the weather warms up, before an infestation occurs. By doing this, you will not have a flea problem.

Q. My dog hates to have his nails clipped. What can I do?

A. This is a very common problem. Many dogs do not like to have their feet handled. Because they resist nail clipping it becomes a struggle, which in turn makes it more unpleasant for your pet, which causes him to resist even more and then you have an escalating cycle which is upsetting for everyone involved. We have had very good experience with animals that resist excessively, by having the owner administer a tranquilizer 45 minutes before nail clipping. The tranquilizer reduces anxiety, thereby reducing the struggle, which makes the whole experience much more pleasant for everyone and does not reinforce the negative experience. Over a period of time, the pet becomes less apprehensive and eventually does not need the tranquilizer. Puppies should begin having their feet handled at an early age to get them accustomed to the experience.

Q. Is it really necessary to give heartworm prevention?

A. Heartworm disease is a very serious condition commonly seen in this area. Heartworms are spread by mosquitos. When a mosquito bites a dog infested with heartworms, the microfilaria(immature heartworms) are ingested by the mosquito with the blood meal. The microfilaria develop into the infective stage over the next 5-7 days and are then passed on to another dog by the infected mosquito. This infective stage slowly develops into 6-8" adult heartworms in the dog's heart over the next 6 months. Early in a heartworm infection, or if only a few heartworms are present, there are no symptoms, however, if not detected and treated, the dog will eventually end up with congestive heart failure due to the blood flow resistance these large adult heartworms cause. Diagnosis is with a simple 10 minute blood test, done in the office. If the test is negative, the pet can be safely started on a monthly preventative. If positive, it can be treated. An added benefit is that some heartworm preventatives also control intestinal worms, some help control fleas, and some do both.

Q. I have treated my dog/cat for earmites but he shakes his head. Why can't I get rid of the ear mites?

A. Actually, it may not be earmites. First of all, people often assume the head shaking is due to mites, when it may actually be a bacterial or yeast infection. An examination will need to be done to determine the cause of the problem. Ear mites can be eliminated with proper treatment, but all pets coming in contact with each other will need to be treated. Unless it is a long standing infection with secondary changes, most bacterial infections can be cleared up with appropriate treatment. Chronic infections with secondary tissue changes can be much more difficult to clear up. Yeast infections are often related to allergies and/or food hypersensitivities and can be a recurring, frustrating condition.

Q. My puppy had a parvo vaccination when I bought him, so why did he still get parvo?

A. There may be several factors involved. First, it takes 10-14 days for an animal to develop immunity following a vaccination. Secondly, puppies under 14 weeks of age may have enough maternal antibodies to interfere with the vaccination. That is why we administer a series of vaccinations each one given 3 weeks apart starting at 6-8 weeks of age and continuing until the last dose at about 14 weeks of age. Also, the exposure could have been so massive that it overwhelmed the puppy's immunity. Because the virus persists so long in the environment, puppies should not be taken to parks and other areas where they may be exposed to the virus until they have completed the entire series of vaccinations.