In the past few months, I have been asked the same question multiple times while going over well care for both cats and dogs.
Is that really necessary?
It's one of those questions that you can't answer with just a simple "yes" or "no." The only well care we require for boarding, grooming or hospitalization are the core vaccines, bordetella, rabies and DHPP for dogs and rabies and FVRCP for cats. We do have other recommendations for well care (meaning to be done as preventative or early detection measures).
So in the next few blogs, I want to explain why we make the recommendations we do, and some of the common questions we get about them.
Is that really necessary?
It's one of those questions that you can't answer with just a simple "yes" or "no." The only well care we require for boarding, grooming or hospitalization are the core vaccines, bordetella, rabies and DHPP for dogs and rabies and FVRCP for cats. We do have other recommendations for well care (meaning to be done as preventative or early detection measures).
So in the next few blogs, I want to explain why we make the recommendations we do, and some of the common questions we get about them.
Fecal Test
This test uses a fresh sample of feces that we can collect at the clinic or you can bring a sample from home. We need to make sure it is a fresh sample, within 2 hours, otherwise put it in the fridge (I know that sounds gross) and get it to us within 12 hours. This test is sent off to our outside laboratory and it tests the fecal sample for internal parasites, including hookworms, whipworms, roundworms, giardia and coccidia.
Why? For all pets, internal parasites can cause blood loss, malnutrition, diarrhea, dehydration, weight loss and sometimes even death. In addition to the health concerns for your pet, there are health concerns for you and your family as well. The internal parasites are transmitted by accidental oral ingestion of parasite eggs, which means kisses on the mouth, petting your pet and then eating without washing hands, etc. Young children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems are at a greater risk.
Which pets are at a higher risk? All pets are at some risk. Cats that go outside and avid hunters are at a greater risk for internal parasites. Dogs who go to the dog park, hiking, camping and hunting are also at a greater risk.
What if my pet is indoor only? Even indoor only pets can get internal parasites. Certain parasite eggs can survive in soil for years, and all you have to do is step in the infected soil and bring it home on your shoes. Also, even if your pet is on a flea preventative, if they ingest just one flea they can get tapeworms.
If my pet isn't showing signs, why should I test? If you wait to perform a fecal test until your pet starts to exhibit signs (ie. diarrhea, vomiting or seeing segments in fecal matter), your pet will have been infested with internal parasites for a fair period of time. Roundworms can lay up to 100,000 eggs in one day and one hookworm can produce up to 20,000 eggs in a day. And by the time worms are visible, the parasites have already matured, laid more eggs and done the damage.
Plus, you may not even know your pet is infected with internal parasites because parasite eggs cannot be seen by the naked eye even if they are present in feces.
Why do a Fecal test if I deworm my pets? The broad spectrum dewormer that we use only kills hookworms, whipworms, and tapeworms. In addition to those internal parasites, the fecal test also tests for giardia and coccidia, which need a different type of medication to kill. Roundworms, which are another internal parasite tested for in the fecal test, needs two doses of the broad spectrum deworming, because the dewormer only kills the adults, so any eggs that have already been laid, need to be killed two weeks later after they hatch.
Why? For all pets, internal parasites can cause blood loss, malnutrition, diarrhea, dehydration, weight loss and sometimes even death. In addition to the health concerns for your pet, there are health concerns for you and your family as well. The internal parasites are transmitted by accidental oral ingestion of parasite eggs, which means kisses on the mouth, petting your pet and then eating without washing hands, etc. Young children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems are at a greater risk.
Which pets are at a higher risk? All pets are at some risk. Cats that go outside and avid hunters are at a greater risk for internal parasites. Dogs who go to the dog park, hiking, camping and hunting are also at a greater risk.
What if my pet is indoor only? Even indoor only pets can get internal parasites. Certain parasite eggs can survive in soil for years, and all you have to do is step in the infected soil and bring it home on your shoes. Also, even if your pet is on a flea preventative, if they ingest just one flea they can get tapeworms.
If my pet isn't showing signs, why should I test? If you wait to perform a fecal test until your pet starts to exhibit signs (ie. diarrhea, vomiting or seeing segments in fecal matter), your pet will have been infested with internal parasites for a fair period of time. Roundworms can lay up to 100,000 eggs in one day and one hookworm can produce up to 20,000 eggs in a day. And by the time worms are visible, the parasites have already matured, laid more eggs and done the damage.
Plus, you may not even know your pet is infected with internal parasites because parasite eggs cannot be seen by the naked eye even if they are present in feces.
Why do a Fecal test if I deworm my pets? The broad spectrum dewormer that we use only kills hookworms, whipworms, and tapeworms. In addition to those internal parasites, the fecal test also tests for giardia and coccidia, which need a different type of medication to kill. Roundworms, which are another internal parasite tested for in the fecal test, needs two doses of the broad spectrum deworming, because the dewormer only kills the adults, so any eggs that have already been laid, need to be killed two weeks later after they hatch.
Deworming
Drontal kills hookworms, adult roundworms, whipworms and tapeworms and is recommended for adults every 6 months for all pets, and every 3 months for avid hunters. For dogs on Sentinel, which in addition to being a heartworm preventative, also kills hookworms, whipworms and roundworms, we give Praziquantal, which just kills tapeworms, instead of Drontal.
Why not only deworm if the fecal test comes back positive? We recommend deworming in conjunction with fecal tests because one of the most common parasites, tapeworms, do not float well for fecal test, and even if the pet has visible tapeworms it may show up as negative on the Fecal results. This parasite is easily eradicated with the Praziquantal dewormer, however, which is why we deworm in conjunction with Fecal tests.
Why not only deworm if the fecal test comes back positive? We recommend deworming in conjunction with fecal tests because one of the most common parasites, tapeworms, do not float well for fecal test, and even if the pet has visible tapeworms it may show up as negative on the Fecal results. This parasite is easily eradicated with the Praziquantal dewormer, however, which is why we deworm in conjunction with Fecal tests.
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i have a question about vaccines. human beings over the age of 2 do NOT get yearly boosters. seriously, other than a tetanus shot every 10 years or maybe a flu shot, when was the last time YOU had a immunization at the doctor? Why then do pets need annual boosters? It is my GUESS that they most probably don't but that this is a tool to get the animal in for a thorough and professional physical exam. Now obviously I have no issue with the exam, there are many things as an owner that I would have missed that my vet was easily able to detect and treat. I do look forward to your response, I am not trying to be argumentative, just honestly inquiring.
ReplyDeleteThank you for comment; I know it’s difficult to understand the whole vaccine thing.
ReplyDeleteFirst, you noted that people maybe get a flu and get tetanus shots every 10 years. I think many people this year understood the importance of the annual flu vaccines and the problems that can occur when they don’t get them, as everyone rushed to get help because of an epidemic. Secondly, the tetanus shot that people get every ten years isn’t typically given to companion animals at all. The rational used for not vaccinating animals, would mean people shouldn’t get this vaccine, because animals don’t.
I believe that it’s a very dangerous thing to equate people with other domestic animals. People are not dogs, dogs are not cats, cats are not horses and there are some things that are good for one species that can be deadly to another. There are some similarities, as we are all mammals, but there are also important differences.
Another point to consider is our differing risks of disease. People are taught at a young age how to prevent infections. We wash our hands instead of licking them off, we don’t typically sniff and lick strangers’ private parts or eat feces as dogs do that can lead to the spread of diseases like parvo virus and they do not regularly fight with others that could be infected with immune diseases. For example, we have very strict information protecting ourselves against HIV and AIDS. Cats do fight and can come in close contact with FELV or FIV positive cats and could contract these diseases if they are not vaccinated.
This being said, I don’t think that vaccinating every animal for every disease is appropriate and sometimes titer tests can be utilized to ensure when a vaccine is needed. Unfortunately these titers are very expensive and the research is still ongoing for the accuracy of these tests. At OVVC, we do perform these titers if owners request. Typically, the titer for FVRCP is $94.50 and the vaccine is $13.41, Rabies titer tests are ~$150-$220, and the vaccine is $15.10 for a 1 or 3 year vaccine. I, personally, get a titer annually for myself to determine if I need to have my rabies vaccine boostered. Yep, because of the increased risk in my job, I am vaccinated against this deadly disease; others in the normal population may not be vaccinated, but as noted above, I may be in contact with unprotected patients (because some owners don’t vaccinate) that could bite and infect me!
I also believe in evaluating the lifestyle of a pet when deciding which vaccines need to be given and the frequency. This helps to reduce the risks associated with vaccines (and there are some to be sure). Just as I do not believe in vaccinating if not needed, I do not think that stopping vaccines is in the best interest in our older pets as immune systems are not as strong as they age therefore (without titers to evaluate their immunity), they could actually be more susceptible to diseases. If they are not exposed, then some vaccines may not be needed, but we shouldn’t just think that they are too old to need them any more.
Many people think rabies is not needed in indoor cats however, we see several rabid bats in Oregon each year, and recently there was one in an apartment in downtown Portland. Rare, yes, but deadly, and do you think for an instant that your indoor cat would leave an odd acting bat alone if it were found in your house—mine wouldn’t, they freak out when they see a fly!
I wholeheartedly agree that the most important thing for our pets are regular exams. I can’t tell you how many times I hear that a pet is healthy, yet when I examine it I find a health problem. Some of these are tragic. For this reason, I don’t give vaccines without an exam. I even recommend semi-annual exams (even if vaccines are not due), because their life spans are different from us. A semi-annual exam for a dog or cat can be the equivalent of 2-5 years for a person. This is not really that often when you think that they cannot tell us what they are feeling.
I hope this answers your questions.
-Dr. Chris Lipscomb