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by Zoe Forward, DVM, Dipl. ABVP (canine/feline) Carolina Pets Animal Hospital   Fleas…those icky little brown bugs that infest your dog or cat when you lapse in flea control (or sometimes in spite of flea control). They are terrible this year, primarily because of the weather. We are seeing a huge surge in the number of flea infested pets in the past two weeks. So, I thought it time to parade out this old problem and remind you it is time to put that flea preventive product onto your pet. Fleas in this area spike in August and September and will be in high numbers until well into November. Indoor only pets are susceptible to infestations too. Newsflash on flea preventive products : The traditional Frontline Top Spot and Frontline Plus, and its knock-off fipronil-containing products are not working well in North Carolina. Most inexpensive grocery/pet store products will not work. What does work right now? Frontline TRITAK , which is the newest generation Frontline ...

By Zoe Forward, DVM, DABVP Carolina Pets Animal Hospital   It’s 90-degrees, your dog is panting heavily and dragging behind, but you’re almost done with your 2 mile walk. This scenario is flashing a big red **DANGER** sign. The only way for a dog to dissipate heat is by panting it off or sweat glands in their pads. Therefore, in this scenario your dog is highly susceptible to heat exhaustion or, even worse, heat stroke if it gets too hot. Heat stroke is a life-threatening (as in death) emergency. The best plan? AVOID THE HEAT. Exercise your dog in the cooler parts of the day (early morning or just before dusk).         What are the signs of heat stroke? It starts with restless behavior as your dog becomes uncomfortably hot. You will see heavy, sometimes labored panting, excessive drooling or frothing at the mouth, and red gums. This will progress to weakness and lethargy often to the point the dog cannot move or might collapse. Eventually, affected animals...

Interview by Zoe Forward, DVM, DABVP Hello Everyone!   I am so pleased to welcome Megan to our blog today. Megan is a registered veterinary technician who has been working in the veterinary medical field for over eight years. Originally from California, she lived for a while in Colorado Springs before settling here.   She’s been involved in canine search and rescue groups and performed veterinary technician relief work in Haiti. She enjoys the small town atmosphere, close client relations, and the high caliber of medicine practiced here at Carolina Pets.       Megan, what is your favorite part of the job? Of course I love working with animals, but I have to say I also really enjoy the medical aspect of the job. Being able to do everything from radiology to surgery and everything in between makes my job ever changing and unpredictable. I love it!     What advice would you give to anyone considering a career as a veterinary technician or veterin...

Posted by Zoe Forward, DVM, Dipl. ABVP (canine/feline) Information provided by the article written by veterinary dentist, Dr. John Lewis in Veterinary Practice News (Vol 25, No 7) An anesthesia-free dental cleaning sounds great, doesn’t it?   No anesthesia means lower risk.   But is it less risky? Sure the crowns of your pet’s teeth look great afterwards, but without anesthesia your veterinarian is unable to probe each individual tooth (there’s no way your pet will stay still to have this done), take dental x-rays or get a good look on the inside or back of teeth.   Therefore, this procedure barely scrapes the surface of dental disease….no pun intended.   Although the term “anesthesia-free dentistry” is commonly used to describe the practice of cleaning teeth without anesthesia, the American Veterinary Dental college prefers to use the term “non-professional dental scaling,” or NPDS, to describe these procedures. Why isn’t an anesthesia-free dental cleaning a goo...