HOW OUR PETS CAN REDUCE OUR STRESSES AND ANXIETIES
By: Stanley Popovich
Animals and our pets can be a great way to reduce our every day stresses and anxieties. It is not easy to deal with our fears and anxieties, however, spending time with animals can makes us feel better. Here is a list of ways of how animals can help us to better cope with our fears, anxieties, and stresses.
Spending time with animals can be a great source of companionship. Whether you have a pet or go to your local shelter, spending time with an animal or pet can help us to feel better. Also many people talk to their pets and this can help us to get their problems out in the open. Animals can be of good company to all of us and can prevent the fear of being alone during our troubles.
Helping animals and other people through community service can be a great way to overcome our anxieties. There are many animals out there who could benefit from your time and talents. Doing something that will help your pet or other animals can give you a source of pride and accomplishment and also can lead to possible friendships with others.
Sitting around and accomplishing nothing will not make things any better whether its dealing with the fear of being alone or something else. Animals can help us to be active and to focus our energies on working with them instead of worrying about things that may or may not happen. This will prevent us from worrying about our current situation.
One of the ways to manage stress is to challenge your negative thinking with positive thoughts. Animals can help us to relax and help us to focus on the good things in our lives. This will help us to focus positively on any situation. Playing with animals can help reduce our fears and anxieties in any situation.
Animals can get our minds off of our problems. A person could do an activity with their pet or other animals that will give them a fresh perspective on things. Spending time with animals will get your mind off of the problem and give you the energy to do other things. Most importantly, playing with animals will give you the self-confidence that you can cope and that you can get through the day.
Remember that there are many ways that animals can reduce the stresses of our every day life, however, they are not a substitute of getting professional help. If your fears and anxieties become overwhelming, then you will need to talk to a counselor. The next time you feel stressed, spend some time with your pet or other animals and you will be better able to cope with your worries.
BIOGRAPHY:
Stan Popovich is the author of "A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods" - an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com/
Canine Heartworm Disease
What Is It?
Canine heartworm disease [also called dirofilariasis (dir-oh-filla-RYE-uh-sis) is a serious and potentially fatal disease of dogs. Long white worms, technically known as Dirofilaria immitis (dir-oh-fill-AY-riah im-MIGHT-iss), are the cause. Adult worms, which reach a length of 6 to 14 inches, live in the right side of the heart in the adjacent large blood vessels. A dog may have several hundred of them in its system, although the number is usually much less.
Occasionally canine heartworms are found in other animals such as foxes, skunks, horses, and cats. In a few isolated instances they have been reported in people as small disturbances in the lungs, having little or no effect on the person's health. Such cases are considered biological oddities.
What Does It Do?
Large accumulations of adult worms impair circulation of the blood, which can result in serious damage to a dog's heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. The important thing for dog owners to remember is that a great deal of damage can occur before any outward signs of heartworm disease are noticed. Although a dog can lead a nearly normal, healthy life with a few heartworms in its system, in advanced stages the disease may cause its victim to have difficulty breathing, cough, tire easily, become listless, lose weight or faint. If not detected and controlled with proper treatment, the disease can lead to congestive heart failure and death.
How Does a Dog Get Heartworm?
Heartworm infection is spread by mosquitoes. When a mosquito "bites" an infected dog, it takes up blood which may contain microscopic immature forms of heartworms called microfilariae. The microfilariae incubate in the mosquito for about two weeks, during which they become infective larvae. Then, when the mosquito bites another dog, the infective larvae are passed into the second dog, infecting it. The infective larvae migrate through the tissues of the body for about three months, then enter the heart where they reach adult size in another three months. The mosquito is the only natural agent of transmission for canine heartworms. As you might expect, heartworm infection is more common in areas where mosquitoes are numerous, and outdoor dogs constantly exposed to mosquitoes are the most frequent victims.
How Is It Detected?
The only way to detect heartworm disease in its early states in through a blood test. A veterinarian, using relatively simple diagnostic procedures, can usually detect the tiny heartworm microfilariae in an infected dog's blood. But occasionally, an infected dog will have adult heartworms but no microfilariae. In such cases an X-ray examination and other laboratory tests are needed to confirm heartworm infection.
Can Infected Dogs Be Treated?
Most dogs can be successfully treated for heartworms if the disease is detected early. The adult worms are killed with an organic arsenical drug given through a series of carefully administered injections. A few days after treatment, the worms die and are carried by the bloodstream to the lungs where they lodge in small blood vessels. There they decompose and are absorbed by the body over a period of several months. There is always some risk involved in treating a dog with heartworms. However, fatalities resulting from treatment are rare among dogs that are otherwise in good general health. The patient should be given a thorough physical and laboratory examination prior to treatment, and any other problems that might cause complications should be corrected before heartworm treatment begins. Following treatment, complete rest is needed to prevent lung damage from the dead and decomposed worms. Excitement and exercise should be avoided for at least a month, followed by gradual return to normal activity. After all adult heartworms are eliminated, another drug must be given to rid the bloodstream of microfilariae, which are not affected by the drug used to kill adult heartworms.
Can It Be Prevented?
Although no vaccine is available for heartworm disease, veterinarians have developed means of preventing infection. A small dose of a drug that keeps the infective larvae from developing into adult worms can be given during mosquito season. One preparation, a piperazine derivative available in either liquid or pill form , must be given by the owner throughout mosquito season, and continued 2 months after the season ends. The animal should be tested and found free of heartworms before the preventative program is started.
Like most animal health problems, canine heartworm disease still holds mysteries that veterinarians and other scientists are trying to solve. But adequate treatment and preventative procedures have been developed, and the conscientious dog owner, cooperating closely with his veterinarian, can keep his pet free from this disease.
Heartworm disease may be effectively prevented by daily preventative taken orally - diethyl carbamazine (DEC), or a 30-day one - ivermectin ("Heartgard") that is equally as effective.
First a blood test is taken by your veterinarian to determine that your dog is not already infected. The preventative should be continued from early spring until the end of December in Connecticut. Or it may be taken year round. DEC and "Heartgard" are 100% efficient in preventing heartworm disease if given according to directions. They are safe medications. Heartworm disease is very preventable but very difficult and dangerous to treat. Prevention is the answer.
Reprinted courtesy Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association.
Please note: The information provided here is meant to supplement that provided by your veterinarian. Nothing can replace a complete history and physical examination performed by your veterinarian. - Dr. Jeff
I greatly value your feedback. Please let me know what you think of this site and what you would like to see on it. drjeff@homevet.com
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Feline Heartworm Disease
Courtesy of Debary Animal Clinic
Information compiled from the guidelines recommended by the American Heartworm Society
What Are Heartworms?
Heartworms are parasites that live in an animal's heart. They are transmitted to dogs and cats when an infected mosquito injects heartworm larvae which penetrate through tissue, eventually reaching the heart. There it grows to maturity and reproduces.
Can Cats Get Heartworms?
We used to think that cats rarely got heartworm disease, but new studies have been done indicating feline heartworm disease is much more prevalent than previously thought. Cats can be infected at any age and most heartworm infections consist of 6 or less adult worms. Though the disease is much more common in dogs, cats are also prone to it. Due to the small size of a cat's heart, only 1 heartworm can cause significant illness.
What Are The Symptoms of Feline Heartworm Disease?
Signs of heartworm disease include, but are not limited to, coughing, lethargy, vomiting that is not related to eating, collapse, seizures and respiratory problems. Some cats show no early symptoms and can die without warning.
How Are Cats Tested For Heartworms?
Unlike dogs, testing for heartworms in cats can be very difficult due to the small number of worms usually present. The types of tests required to find out if heartworms are present include antigen (occult) testing with a small blood sample, x-rays, ultrasound, and angiograms.
Is There A Cure For Cats With Heartworm Disease?
At this time there is not an approved treatment for the removal of heartworms in cats, though different products are being studied. Veterinarians can, however, give infected cats certain medications to make them more comfortable.
Is There Preventative Available For Cats?
Fortunately, there is a new product that has been approved for cats which prevents heartworm disease. It is manufactured by the makers of canine "Heartgard" and is now available from your Vet by prescription only. Feline "Heartgard" comes in two sizes - up to 5 lbs. and 5-15 lbs. The heartworm preventative that is used for dogs is NOT for use in cats, since the dosages are very different. Because of this, please do not give your dog's heartworm prevention to your cat. The medication is recommended monthly and most Vets are not requiring cats to be tested before putting them on prevention. Kittens can be started on feline heartworm prevention as early as 6-8 weeks of age.
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Hot Weather Tips for Pets
ASPCA Pet Care @ www.aspca.org
In summertime, the living isn’t always easy for our animal friends. Dogs and cats can suffer from the same problems that humans do, such as overheating, dehydration and even sunburn. By taking some simple precautions, you can celebrate the season and keep your pets happy and healthy.
- A visit to the veterinarian for a spring or early summer check-up is a must; add to that a test for heartworm, if your dog isn't on year-round preventive medication. Do parasites bug your animal companions? Ask your doctor to recommend a safe, effective flea and tick control program.
- Never leave your pet alone in a vehicle—hyperthermia can be fatal. Even with the windows open, a parked automobile can quickly become a furnace in no time. Parking in the shade offers little protection, as the sun shifts during the day.
- Always carry a gallon thermos filled with cold, fresh water when traveling with your pet.
- The right time for playtime is in the cool of the early morning or evening, but never after a meal or when the weather is humid.
- Street smarts: When the temperature is very high, don’t let your dog standing on hot asphalt. His or her body can heat up quickly, and sensitive paw pads can burn. Keep walks during these times to a minimum.
- A day at the beach is a no-no, unless you can guarantee a shaded spot and plenty of fresh water for your companion. Salty dogs should be rinsed off after a dip in the ocean.
- Provide fresh water and plenty of shade for animals kept outdoors; a properly constructed doghouse serves best. Bring your dog or cat inside during the heat of the day to rest in a cool part of the house.
- Be especially sensitive to older and overweight animals in hot weather. Brachycephalic or snub-nosed dogs such as bulldogs, pugs, Boston terriers, Lhasa apsos and shih tzus, as well as those with heart or lung diseases, should be kept cool in air-conditioned rooms as much as possible.
- When walking your dog, steer clear of areas that you suspect have been sprayed with insecticides or other chemicals. And please be alert for coolant or other automotive fluid leaking from your vehicle. Animals are attracted to the sweet taste, and ingesting just a small amount can be fatal. Call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 if you suspect that your animal has been poisoned.
- Good grooming can stave off summer skin problems, especially for dogs with heavy coats. Shaving the hair to a one-inch length—never down to the skin, please, which robs Rover of protection from the sun—helps prevent overheating. Cats should be brushed often.
- Do not apply any sunscreen or insect repellent product to your pet that is not labeled specifically for use on animals. Ingestion of sunscreen products can result in drooling, diarrhea, excessive thirst and lethargy. The misuse of insect repellent that contains DEET can lead to neurological problems.
- Having a backyard barbecue? Always keep matches, lighter fluid, citronella candles and insect coils out of pets' reach.
- Please make sure that there are no open, unscreened windows or doors in your home through which animals can fall or jump.
- Stay alert for signs of overheating in pets, which include excessive panting and drooling and mild weakness, along with an elevated body temperature.
