This page is intended for general non-emergency questions. Please contact us with specific questions regarding your pet. Thank you!

Read the Questions and Answers from other patients here:

Q: Why should my pet be on flea control or heartworm prevention even if she doesn't go outside?

A: Fleas enjoy living inside- the humidity and temperature we keep our homes at is ideal. Fleas can hitch a ride on anyone walking through an infested area of shrub or grass.

Heartworms are transmitted through mosquito bites. During the wet season, mosquitoes follow carbon dioxide and often get inside the house to bite us and our pets.

Additional fact- A totally indoor cat once became infected with Rabies. Unknown to the cat's owner, several bats had nested in the attic and the cat caught and ate a sick (rabid) bat. This is a good reminder to keep your pet protected at all times, regardless of how much time they spend outdoors.

Q: My dog is old enough to be spayed now, but I heard that getting her fixed will make her fat and lazy. I don't want my dog to get fat! Why is this so important?

A: That is a very common question! It is true that when a pet is spayed or neutered, their body is no longer putting forth energy to create and maintain reproductive hormones and reproductive organs. In this regard, the pet's metabolism is slowed down some. However, overfeeding and lack of exercise are the primary culprits for the obesity epidemic in our pets. By feeding an appropriate amount of high quality food and exercising your pet regularly, this can be avoided. Be aware that every pet is different and that genetics can play a role in your pet's weight as well. It is best if you have a veterinarian help you assess how much to feed your pet, both before and after spaying or neutering and on a regular basis even after your pet finishes maturing.
In addition, there are many benefits to having your pet spayed or neutered. From a medical standpoint, spaying or neutering your pet can make them less likely to have some common medical conditions. For females, this includes breast cancer, and uterine infections, and for males, this includes some diseases of the prostate and tumors of the perianal area. Not only does the surgery help prevent or reduce sexual behaviors, such as marking territory and making your pet less likely to run away, it can also help with territorial and aggressive behaviors. So make an appointment with your veterinarian today to schedule this very important and benefical surgery!

Q: My dog had a heartworm pill when he was a puppy. My doctor told me I should give it to him every month. That seems expensive! Why does he need it every month?

A: Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially deadly disease that can affect the hearts and lungs of our canine and feline pets. This is not just a problem for puppies, but can affect dogs and cats of any age and breed. Even pets that spend all of their time indoors are still at risk for heartworm disease, because it only takes one bite from an infected mosquito to begin a heartworm infection. If a dog is infected with heartworm there are treatment options, but treatment is costly and potentially dangerous as treatment involves killing adult heartworms that are living in the dog's heart. The death of this parasite can potentially cause a severe anaphylactic reaction. Due to this potential it is always recommended that any dog receiving heartworm treatment be closely monitored in a clinic setting, under the direct supervision of a Veterinarian. Unfortunately, even though cats can be infected by heartworm, there is no safe and effective treatment at this time.

Prevention of heartworm disease is safe, easy, inexpensive and is the best option for your pet. Many Veterinary approved heartworm prevention products are available for our pets. Ask your East Orlando Animal Hospital Veterinarian to recommend a product for your pet that best suits your pet's lifestyle at your next visit.

The way heartworm prevention works is by killing the immature heartworm that circulates in our pet's bloodstream after they have been bitten by an infected mosquito. That means that when we give the monthly preventative it actually works retroactively, or backwards one month. This also means that if we are inconsistent with giving the preventative, we may leave our pets vulnerable to heartworm infection. If you had previously been giving heartworm prevention, but not consistently (once monthly) your veterinarian may recommend doing a simple blood test to check for heartworm infection in your pet. The reason for this test is to protect your pet from the potentially serious reaction that can result from giving a preventative medication to a heartworm positive animal.

In addition to preventing heartworm, many of our current heartworm preventative medications also contain agents useful in preventing many common intestinal parasites. Some intestinal parasites that affect our pets are potentially transmissible to people. For detailed information about the zoonotic concerns involving intestinal parasites in pets, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) atwww.cdc.gov/NCIDOD/DPD/parasites/ascaris/prevention.pdf

Please visit www.heartwormsociety.org for more information on heartworm disease.

Q: I have a 6 yr old min pin who has scratched himself bald on his back. No new food, no new treats no new shampoo or flea treatment. Will 1% hydrocortisone cream hurt him as a temporary itch stop?

A: Pets can abnormally lose hair and be very itchy from a number of different causes ranging from infection (bacterial, fungal) to external parasite infection (fleas, mites) to allergic reaction or other underlying medical conditions.
Here, in Florida, flea allergy hypersensitivity is often seen, and pets are frequently itchy in the area around the lower back, base of tail, and hind legs, although they can also be generally itchy all over the body.
I would recommend scheduling an appointment with a Veterinarian to determine the cause of your pet's itching and hair-loss. Your Vet may recommend additional diagnostic tests based on their physical exam findings that day. Your doctor will discuss these other tests with you at the time of your exam.
Hydrocortisone cream is a non-specific anti-inflammatory agent. While this cream may not hurt your pet, it will not treat the underlying cause of the itching. Hydrocortisone cream may reduce the severity of your pets itching, but make sure you wash your hands after you apply the cream. I do not advise this treatment as a long-term approach to treating the hair-loss or the itching you are seeing.