Animal Clinic | McQueen Animal Hospital

Fleas and Your Pet

Post published:November 17, 2020

Fleas are endemic to most of the places throughout the world, including here in Ontario. While thankfully fleas are not active in the outdoor environment during the winter months, your pet can easily become infested with fleas if they frequent the outdoors in spring, summer, and fall without and preventative medication protecting them.

If you suspect your pet has fleas, please feel free to give out clinic a call and book an appointment with us so our experienced veterinarians may effectively treat your pet and household environment.

Does Natural Flea Prevention/Treatment Work?

Unfortunately, there is no highly effective natural flea prevention product currently on the market.

For natural flea sprays to be effective, they need to be constantly applied, rendering them fairly useless. Methods like frequent monthly bathing can be somewhat effective in preventing flea infestations.

Something to always keep in mind is that “natural” does not necessarily mean “safe” and Non-toxic”. Many essential oils can be toxic to your pet, some create skin eruptions, dermatitis, or they can be toxic upon ingestion during grooming. Additionally, the strong odour of these products can irritate your pet’s sensitive respiratory system, all of this in addition to their poor efficacy.

Does Garlic Prevent Fleas?

This old wives tale has done more harm than good to many pets. Plants like onions, leeks, garlic, shallots, scallions, chives, all are part of the Alliaceae family and are actually toxic to cats and dogs. In addition to being toxic, garlic does not protect your pet from or kill fleas.

Flea Life Cycle

Fleas are notoriously difficult to get rid of, below are some facts which prove just how difficult a flea infestation can be to manage.

Fleas are very hardy and can survive a trip through the washing machine
Once adult fleas finish feeding on your pet, they hop off into your home (which is why its important to treat the environment as well as the pet!)
Only 5% of the flea population is adult fleas, the remaining 95% are eggs, larvae and pupae
The transformation from egg to adult can take just 12–22 days
A single adult flea can lay 50 eggs a day (2,000 in her lifetime)

The Best Way to Combat Fleas

The best way to avoid dealing with a flea infestation is to prevent it from ever happening in the first place! During the warm weather months here in Ontario (from March until November) it is advised that you have your pets on monthly flea and tick preventatives in order to prevent a flea infestation from occurring.

At McQueen Animal Hospital, we offer many veterinary grade preventative products in oral and topical forms which you can give to your pet in order to protect them from getting fleas (and many other internal and external parasites too).

Myths About Fleas

If only one pet has fleas in the house, or only one pet goes outside, you only need to treat and use preventatives on that pet
- This is FALSE! If you have a dog that goes outside and have cats inside, it’s a good idea to have ALL pets on flea preventative medication
“I’ve never had a flea problem before, so I shouldn’t worry about fleas”
- Fleas are present in most places in our world, and they are almost always present in the outside environment, all it takes is one of these fleas jumping on your pet and you could be dealing with an infestation

The best way to treat fleas is to treat every pet in the house and the household environment.

How to Find Fleas

Get a flea comb; you can purchase a flea comb at your local pet store and brush through your pet’s coat looking for fleas or flea dirt
Look for Flea Dirt; flea dirt is basically flea feces, it appears as black flecks, but once you place it on a damp paper towel it bleeds a red-orange colour (digested blood)

How to Treat Fleas

Do not waste your money on false, ineffective products. First consult with a veterinarian and purchase products accordingly.

Use an effective product which has studies to backup its effectiveness and is “licensed” to kill fleas
Understand hot to correctly apply or administer the product, this includes dosage intervals and routes of administration
Apply to ALL pets in the home
Treat the environment, at McQueen Animal Hospital we offer Siphotrol Premise Spray which is an environmental spray which kills fleas

Your pet needs protection from fleas and other internal and external parasites, and only you can provide them with that protection. Prevention is always the best medicine and ensures that your pet never deals with the discomfort of flea allergy dermatitis. Stay vigilant of your pet during flea season, and always consult your veterinarian if you suspect your pet has flea allergies or you would like to purchase some preventative medication.

McQueen Animal Hospital is proud to provide you with finest quality services in animal care in the Brampton region; we are located at 8975 McLaughlin Road, L6Y 0Z6 and are happy to answer any of your questions via phone at 905-455-7387.

Author: Jessica Wilkans, RVT at McQueen Animal Hospital

Common Houseplants That Are Toxic to Your Pets

Post published:September 30, 2020

A cozy home full of beautiful blooming plants is wonderful sight to many of us, but to our younger furry companions such a luscious indoor garden could be a risky scene.

Don’t worry, this article won’t make you chose between your four legged or four leaved friends as generally, mature cats and dogs will not munch on toxic house plants – so its safe to keep them around.

However, much younger puppies and kittens who can’t seem to keep their gnawing teeth off anything in the house might act otherwise. It is recommended that when you are puppy/kitten proofing your home, you educate yourself on the dangers some common household plants present and take precautionary actions as necessary. This is often as simple as moving the toxic plants in your home to rooms/heights which are out of your pets reach.

Below is a list illustrating some of the most common pet-toxic household plants:

Lilies

Many members of the Lily family are toxic to both dogs and cats. Common examples include the Mauna Loa (Peace Lily), Daylilies, Tiger lilies, and the Lily of The Valley which are all toxic to dogs and cats. Stargazer and Easter Lilies are extremely toxic to cats, but not dogs.

Dumb Cane

Dieffenbachia (more commonly known as Dumb Cane), is highly toxic to both dogs and cats. It is recommended that Dumb Cane is kept out reach of puppies and kittens as upon ingestion, severe irritation, breathing problems, and even death can occur.

Elephant Ear (Taro)

Elephant Ear causes a similar reaction to that of Dumb Cane (as they have the same chemical toxins). Ingestion results in oral problems such as drooling, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing.

Ivy

Common Ivy (including English and Devil’s Ivy) is harmful to both cats and dogs. It irritates their oral cavity, which results in vomiting and drooling.

Sago Palm

Every part of the Sago Palm plant is toxic to your pet, ingestion can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, and even liver failure.

Aloe

A beautiful leaf succulent often consumed by humans, but toxic to dogs upon ingestion.

Eucalyptus

While the strong sent of Eucalyptus and Eucalyptus oil (a favorite oil in household diffusers) is loved by many people, our pets don’t share the same feelings. The plant and its oils can be irritating to your pet, as it is toxic to both cats and dogs.

Author: Jessica Wilkans, RVT at McQueen Animal Hospital

Dental Home Care for Dogs

Post published:September 15, 2020

85% of pets have periodontal disease by 3 years of age.

85% is a stark percentage considering how severe periodontal disease is and how easy it is to prevent. Periodontal disease is a condition characterized by attachment loss of the tooth, this means that the oral cavity has become so diseased and overpopulated by bacteria that the tooth and alveolar bone (the bone that holds the teeth in place) have become structurally compromised. In severe periodontal disease, the alveolar bone begins to degrade, risking potential jaw fracture as it weakens.

Periodontal disease is not just an oral problem, in addition to causing severe pain and infection in many animals, it is a systemic disease. Periodontal disease originates in the animals mouth, but can compromise many body systems including the heart, liver, and kidneys.

Periodontal disease is unfortunately only treated by Dental Prophylaxis (which we perform almost daily here at McQueen Animal Hospital), but does it have to progress to that point? Routine dentistry is necessary to ensure your pet has a healthy mouth. Whether you have a dog or a cat, even a horse, just like you and I our pets need to undergo routine dentistry. However, there are many ways you can boost your pet’s oral hygiene at home.

Don’t forget to brush!

The #1 at-home dental care tip that every veterinarian recommends is brushing of the outer surface of your pets teeth. Brushing is the most effective way to maintain your pet’s oral hygiene at home. In animals with a healthy oral cavity, brushing every other day to three times a week is adequate, in animals with preexisting gingivitis, daily brushing is needed.

To properly brush your pet’s teeth you need the right tools; for cats and puppies, soft finger tooth brushes and small bristle brushes can be purchased, bigger brushes can be purchased for dogs. When it comes to tooth paste, special canine/feline tooth paste must be used; this is because our pets often ingest the toothpaste used so we offer safe, meat-flavored formulas. All of these materials can be purchased at McQueen Animal Hospital.

If you would like begin brushing your pet’s teeth, it is ideal to start out when they are young. Get them used to their mouths being touched and examined as puppies and kittens, and reward them with treats afterwards and during the experience. It is best to do this daily when they are young, you can even start off by rubbing their teeth with your finger to mimic the action of brushing. As they get older and more comfortable you may introduce a small tooth brush without toothpaste to their teeth, gently running it along their teeth. Once they get more comfortable with this, introduce toothpaste either on your finger or on the toothbrush.

Do not start out brushing your pet’s teeth with the intention of being as thorough as when you are brushing your own. Remember, when you are just starting out the most important aspect is to make the experience as least traumatic as possible and an overall enjoyable experience. If your pet has a bad experience with teeth brushing early on, this could make it very difficult to work on their oral cavity in the future.

If brushing your pet’s teeth is too difficult for you to achieve, a less effective alternative is to purchase the DentaChlor oral rinse from our clinic and simply rub this on your pet’s teeth with a dampened gauze.

Many other oral hygiene products are available on the market (such as dental pads, gels, and wipes) but always make sure that these products have research to back up their effectiveness and are approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council.

Use Dental Toys

An additional and effective way to clean your pet’s teeth is to use abrasive and bumpy chew toys to remove built-up tartar. Sometimes, canine/feline tooth paste can be inserted into kong-style dental toys to further clean their teeth. These kinds of toys can be purchased online and in pet stores.

Dental Diets

Prescription and store-bought dental kibble and treats can be purchased if desired; such as Hills t/d and Royal Canin dental which may be purchased in-clinic. These foods are specially formulated to have an ideal shape, size and texture in order to scrub the tooth’s surface and remove stuck on debris. Water additives are another option; these solutions are safe for consumption and can be purchased at our clinic. Dental water additives help to create and maintain an ideal bacterial biome in your pet’s mouth and freshen their breath.

There is a large misconception that things such a dental diets and chew toys can replace teeth brushing and dental prophylaxis, consider how your teeth may look if you were to stop brushing and instead only consumed crunchy foods at bed time and rinsed your mouth out with mouth wash. Dental prophylaxis and brushing is required to create and maintain a healthy oral cavity in your pet.

If you have any questions regarding proper oral hygiene in your pets and where to purchase any of the items listed above, please feel free to contact our team at McQueen Animal Hospital so we may help you form a dental health care regime specifically tailored to your beloved pet.

Author: Jessica Wilkans, RVT at McQueen Animal Hospital