Parasites

  Speak to ECVC about the most appropriate parasite prevention program for your pet.

A parasite is an organism that lives in or on another and takes its nourishment from that other organism, or “host.” Parasites may weaken immune systems and create a favorable breeding ground for disease. Additionally, some parasites are zoonotic, meaning that they can be transferred from to people.

Proper parasite prevention for your pet is important to keep them healthy and protected from potential disease. It is possible for an animal to become infected due to skipped or delayed administration of just one preventive dose, particularly in highly endemic areas.  We recommend annual testing after 7 months of age and year-round parasite prevention. Recommended testing for Intestinal parasites includes fecal test every year, at minimum, every six months is preferred.

What are common parasites?

• Fleas
• Ticks
• Heartworm
• Ear mites
• Round worms
• Giardia
• Coccidia
• Mange mites among others

Signs and symptoms of parasite infection may include:

• Allergic dermatitis
• Excessive scratching, licking or biting at skin
• Hair loss
• Scabs and hot spots
• Pale gums
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Anemia
• Weight loss
• Lethargy
• Difficulty breathing among others, including asymptomatic.

Heartworm

Heartworm
Heartworm disease is a serious, progressive disease. The earlier it is detected, the better the chances the pet will recover.  It is caused by foot-long worms (heart worms) that live in the heart, lungs and associated blood vessels of affected pets, causing severe lung disease, heart failure and damage to other organs in the body. Heartworm disease affects dogs, cats and ferrets amongst a list of other wild animals.  It is transmitted by the saliva of a mosquito. Our heart worm prevention protocols follow the American Heartworm Society’s guidelines.

Preventing Heartworm in dogs:
All dogs should be tested annually for heartworm infection, and this can usually be done during a routine visit for preventive care. Puppies should be started on a heart worm preventive as early as the product label allows, and no later than 8 weeks of age.

Recommend guidelines on testing:
Puppies under 7 months of age can be started on heartworm prevention without a heart worm test (it takes at least 6 months for a dog to test positive after it has been infected) but should be tested 6 months after your initial visit. Then tested again 6 months later and then yearly to ensure they are heartworm-free.

Adult dogs over 7 months of age and previously not on a preventive need to be tested prior to starting heartworm prevention.  They too need to be tested 6 months and 12 months later then annually after that.

If there has been a lapse in prevention (one or more late or missed doses), dogs should be tested immediately, then tested again six months later and annually after that.

Annual testing is necessary, even when dogs are on heartworm prevention year-round, to ensure that the prevention program is working. Heartworm medications are highly effective, but dogs can still become infected. If you miss just one dose of a monthly medication—or give it late—it can leave your dog unprotected.

Even if you give the medication as recommended, your dog may spit out or vomit a heartworm pill—or rub off a topical medication. Heartworm preventives are highly effective, but not 100 percent effective. If you don’t get your dog tested, you won’t know if your dog needs treatment.

Heartworm in cats:
Heartworm disease in cats is very different from heartworm disease in dogs. The cat is an atypical host for heartworms, and most worms in cats do not survive to the adult stage. Cats with adult heartworms typically have just one to three worms, and many cats affected by heartworms have no adult worms. While this means heartworm disease often goes undiagnosed in cats, it’s important to understand that even immature worms cause real damage in the form of a condition known as heartworm associated respiratory disease (HARD). Moreover, the medication used to treat heartworm infections in dogs cannot be used in cats, so prevention is the only means of protecting cats from the effects of heartworm disease.  –via American Heart Worm Society

What you can do to help reduce exposure and risk:
Reduction of exposure to mosquitoes through standard environmental control of mosquitoes and their breeding environments, and when possible, reducing outdoor exposure during key mosquito feeding periods is recommended.

Practice good sanitation protocols at home and when out with your pet.

Do not allow your pet to eat feces or drink standing water.

Regular testing with your veterinarian.

Speak to us about prevention, and the best options for your pet.

Does your companion animal need parasite prevention? Make an appointment today with East Chapman Veterinary Center and speak to your veterinarian about what preventative path is best for your pet. (714)633-9780

Feline Vaccines

East Chapman Veterinary Center is proud to offer PureVax Cat Vaccines to our feline clients. PureVax is currently the safest vaccine available for cats. To learn more click here.

Rabies Vaccine

The annual Merial PUREVAX® feline rabies vaccine protects cats against the rabies virus. This vaccine is non-adjuvanted and is currently the safest vaccine available.

Rabies virus is a fatal infection typically transmitted through bite wounds, open cuts in the skin or onto mucous membranes (i.e. saliva). There are two forms of rabies:

(1) a “furious” or “mad” form – clinical signs may include aggressive behavior, sudden change in behavior, attacking, biting, excitation, sensitivity to light, irritability or seizures.

(2) a “paralytic” or “dumb” form – present with signs such as weakness, paralysis, depression, lethargy or anorexia.

There is no treatment available once your cat is affected with the rabies virus and clinical signs are apparent.

It is a common misconception that indoor only cats do not need to be vaccinated against rabies. ALL cats, including indoor only cats, are required to be vaccinated against rabies. Some risks involved by not vaccinating against rabies include:

(1) There is a small, real potential for rabies to enter your household.  Wildlife such as bats or rodents may bring the virus into your household and expose your cat to the rabies virus.

(2) There is a legal liability should an unvaccinated animal bite or scratch a person.

(3) Rabies is a fatal disease

FVRCP (Distemper) Vaccine

The Merial PUREVAX® feline FVRCP vaccine protects cats against three viruses: feline herpesvirus, feline calicivirus and feline panleukopenia. The initial kitten series includes vaccine administration every 3-4 weeks with the last vaccine administered after 16 weeks of age. This booster vaccine is administered at 1 year of age and then every 3 years. This vaccine is required for all cats.

Feline Herpesvirus

You may have seen this virus referred to as FHV-1 or Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (FVRCP). All cats are susceptible to an infection, particularly young kittens and immunocompromised cats. This virus can be very contagious and easily passed from one cat to another cat. It is transmitted by direct cat-to-cat contact, through sneezing over short distances or from environmental contamination. This virus is known to become latent in some cats hiding in the nerves of the head. These carrier cats may have long term infections that come out in times of stress or with treatment that suppresses the immune system. Common clinical signs are associated with upper respiratory infection signs such as sneezing, eye discharge and nose discharge (similar to the common cold in humans).

Feline Calicivirus

You may have seen this virus referred to as FCV (FVRCP). All cats are susceptible to an infection, particularly young kittens and immunocompromised cats. This virus can be very contagious and easily passed from one cat to another cat. It is transmitted by direct cat-to-cat contact, through sneezing over short distances or from environmental contamination. Common clinical signs associated with this virus include respiratory signs (sneezing, eye discharge, nose discharge), oral signs (ulcers in the mouth) and signs relating to the joints (lameness, stiffness). Recent outbreaks of a new, fast-acting, severe strain of calicivirus (VS-FCV) have been occurring and are associated with a high mortality rate.

Feline Panleukopenia 

This parvovirus attacks rapidly dividing cells in the body (intestine, bone marrow, brain) and can potentially cause very severe disease including death. When the virus attacks the bone marrow, the body cannot produce white blood cells to fight infections.

Clinical signs may include severe diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, fever, lethargy and anorexia. The immune system is often compromised and secondary infections may occur. This virus can be very contagious and is typically transmitted by the fecal-oral route but may be transmitted through any body secretions (i.e. urine, saliva, mucus, vomit). This virus is very resistant in the environment and may survive for over a year.

FeLV (Feline Leukemia) Vaccine

The AAFP (American Association of Feline Practitioners) has recommended vaccinating all kittens against FeLV in their first year of life. After the initial kitten series (2 vaccinations 3-4 weeks apart), this vaccine is administered to all cats 1 year later and then only to cats that spend any amount of time outdoors or are exposed to FeLV positive cats. A FeLV test is strongly recommended prior to vaccination.

Feline leukemia is one of the major causes of illness and death in cats. The feline leukemia virus is typically transmitted through saliva or nose secretions associated with mutual grooming, sharing food or water dishes, or biting. This virus has been known to remain latent in the bone marrow making diagnosis difficult. Most cats infected with FeLV will not survive to the age of 2-3. Clinical signs associated with a viral infection are not specific and may include immune-mediated diseases, tumors, bone marrow disorders (i.e. anemia or a low number of red blood cells, decreased production of white blood cells, decreased production of platelets), and secondary infections.

Vaccine Reactions

We use the safest vaccines currently available and have chosen the above vaccines and follow the current AAFP Vaccine Guidelines to minimize the number of vaccines we are administering to our patients and, to minimize the number of side effects to our patients. However a very few number of cats may still have a vaccine reaction. Below is a summary of these reactions ranging from mild to severe. If your cat has had a vaccine reaction please let us know. We will need to tailor a vaccine protocol specific to your cat.

Mild vaccine reactions – if they occur, may last for a couple of days after the vaccine is administered and may include:

• Mild decrease in activity
• Mild pain or soreness at the injection site
• Mild decrease in appetite
• A small lump at the injection site
• Mild upper respiratory infection

Severe vaccine reactions that occur within a few minutes to a few hours after vaccine administration. If you notice any of these severe vaccine reactions, veterinary attention is required IMMEDIATELY.

• Vomiting / Diarrhea
• Fever
• Difficulty breathing
• Swelling of the face
• Profound lethargy

Vaccine Reactions

Vaccine Reactions

We use the safest vaccines currently available and have chosen the above vaccines and follow the current AAFP Vaccine Guidelines to minimize the number of vaccines we are administering to our patients and, to minimize the number of side effects to our patients. However a very few number of cats may still have a vaccine reaction. Below is a summary of these reactions ranging from mild to severe. If your cat has had a vaccine reaction please let us know. We will need to tailor a vaccine protocol specific to your cat.

Mild vaccine reactions – if they occur, may last for a couple of days after the vaccine is administered and may include:

• Mild decrease in activity
• Mild pain or soreness at the injection site
• Mild decrease in appetite
• A small lump at the injection site
• Mild upper respiratory infection

Severe vaccine reactions that occur within a few minutes to a few hours after vaccine administration. If you notice any of these severe vaccine reactions, veterinary attention is required IMMEDIATELY.

• Vomiting / Diarrhea
• Fever
• Difficulty breathing
• Swelling of the face
• Profound lethargy