The Preventive Vet

Halloween is just around the corner, and what a fun time of year it is. For those of you with pets though, you should be aware that, as with many holidays, there are certain pet emergencies which occur more commonly on and around Halloween. And so, ‘All Hallows Eve’ may not be as fun a time for your cats and dogs.

However, if you’re aware of the potential for these emergencies and take the easy steps provided here, you’ll be far more likely to have a Halloween full of fun and great memories with friends and family, rather than one full of memories of a night (and a sizable chunk of change) spent in the local animal ER.

Do you like to dress your pets up for Halloween? Many people do. But keep these tips in mind when choosing their costume to keep them safe and out of the ER.

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If you have pets, you’ve likely experienced fleas at some point. They’re miserable little buggers, aren’t they! Thing is, they’re even worse then you’re likely aware.

Sure, fleas cause your dog or cat to chew, scratch, roll, and otherwise feel miserable, but did you know that fleas also transmit disease - both to your pets, and to you and your family? Indeed they do… and some of these diseases can have very significant health consequences too. This is especially true if you or someone else in your home has a suppressed immune system.

People and pets wind up with a suppressed immune system typically either from a disease (HIV/AIDS, diabetes, certain cancers, and others) or from medications (certain chemotherapy drugs, and immunosuppressive drugs used following organ transplant or for treating rheumatoid arthritis & other immune-mediated diseases). Young children also have a degree of immune compromise until their immune system fully matures, and immune function typically decreases with advanced age - meaning that young children and the elderly are also at increased risk of the significant consequences from flea-transmitted diseases too.

Here’s a sampling of diseases that fleas can transmit to or cause in your pets:

• Flea allergic dermatitis - severe itchiness
• Anemia - low red blood cell count (fleas suck blood, thats what they live off of)
• Bartonellosis
• Plague
• Tapeworms

And here’s a sampling of the conditions that fleas can transmit to or cause in you and your family:

• Bartonellosis (a.k.a. ‘Cat Scratch Fever’, and no - I’m not talking about the Ted Nugent song!)
• Plague - Yup, THAT Plague!
• Murine Typhus

As you’re now hopefully appreciating, the prevention and eradication of fleas on your pet and in your environment really isn’t just about your pet’s comfort - though that should be reason enough. It’s also about your general health and safety, as well as that of your family and your pets too. Interested in finding out what you need to know to prevent or eradicate a flea infestation on your pets and/or in your environment? Then read on…

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