Reader “SJaffe” writes to us, “Hi, Dr. Randolph, I foster a Cocker spaniel who is 12 years old. She is heartworm-positive and it’s just breaking my heart. I would love to do everything I possibly can do help her get through this. She doesn’t really have a cough but she breathes very, very deeply (with [...]
Janet writes with an easy question, “Do you have any information on how well Trifexis works -side effects, effectiveness, etc.?”Janet, our acceptance of Trifexis Heartworm Preventive/flea control was made easy by the fact that it consists of two ingredients with long histories of safety and effectiveness. Milbemycin oxime, the active ingredient in Interceptor Heartworm Preventive, [...]
“OK, if it’s important, we’ll go ahead and schedule,” said Griffin’s dad. There are very few things your pet’s doctor will recommend that aren’t “important.” In the present case we were calling our client after failing to obtain a response to two mailed reminders and several phone calls. At Griffin’s last visit, seven months ago, [...]
Last night we were blessed to have Dr. James Crisman, of Pfizer Animal Health, come to our South Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association (SMVMA) to speak on the topic of heartworms. Now, you might well think that there is nothing new to know about a parasite that has been recognized for well over one hundred years. Not [...]
Microfilaria are the offspring of adult heartworms. They are produced in massive numbers in canines infected with Dirofilaria immitis (the taxonomic name for the heartworm parasite). In some ways microfilaria can be worse than the adult canine heartworm. When large numbers of them die suddenly they can cause a shock reaction and death. That is [...]
Sometimes clients ask me, “What is the hardest part of your job?” The answer is easy, “Dealing with frustration.” Like today. A nice lady came to see us, escorted by her kind neighbor, who transported her and her daughter’s dog, Cuz. Cuz was having difficulty breathing. Right away in the examination I noticed that Cuz [...]
I got these two letters in the electronic mail from a mother who obviously knows how to rear a terrific and caring child. You surely recall the story of Brindle, discovered lost and nearly dying by little eight year old Tristan. Here is an update to the ongoing story of Brindle’s recovery. TRISTAN’S MOTHER’S FIRST NOTE Dr [...]
How sad. I saw the sweetest, most adorable Doberman today named Frieda. Unfortunately, Frieda was dying. Of neglect. Frieda was eight years old and became acutely ill this morning, began breathing hard and lost her appetite. Late this afternoon Frieda came in for an examination and we quickly saw that the prognosis was poor. She [...]
I saw two pit bulls today. Both had been off their heartworm preventive for quite a long time. One’s heartworm test came up positive, the other was negative. “Why?” you ask. Several factors are probably in play. The biggest is probably mosquito population in the vicinity of where each dog lives. Proximity to a swamp, [...]
SFO has it made. Bitty wants to know why. SFO (see Pet Names tab on the MyPetsDoctor.com home page for SFO’s story) and Bitty fell behind in their regular preventive care. As a result of not getting their Revolution every month they, and their family have gotten a severe flea infestation in the home and [...]
Yesterday we discussed a pet owner’s misconception that his pet, a dog in this instance, wasn’t at risk for heartworm disease because he was a mostly-indoor pet. Everything we will say today will apply equally to your canine and feline friends. We’ve known for nearly a century that dogs get heartworms. We’ve known for decades [...]
Today our morning was joined by a walk-in patient, a precious little Pomeranian named Bouncer. Poor Bouncer has been having problems with passing out. It has occurred four times in the past year. Physically, his examination was normal and his EKG was normal. His chest radiograph (X-ray) shows some enlargement of the right ventricle of [...]
Revolution is a monthly heartworm preventive for cats and dogs that also both controls and prevents fleas. MyPetsDoctor.com’s Dr. James W. Randolph recommends this Pfizer Animal Health medication for many of his canine and feline patients in his own private practice in Long Beach, MS. Heartworm disease is a life-threatening parasitic infestation for both species. [...]
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