SPRING 2011 NEWSLETTER, Ronald C. Bowen DVM
May 9th, 2011 by Laura
I think spring has finally arrived to Chicagoland. What a bizzare winter we had. Humans and pets are just worn out. According to Dr. Oz MD on tv, eighty percent of Americans are deficient in Vit D particularly in the northern U.S. where we have diminished sunshine.
HEARTWORM UPDATE 2011: 150,000 cases in the U.S. in 2011!
There are three reasons why heartworm disease is getting worse across the U.S. The first is mosquito’s are biting infected coyotes. I’ve had at least twenty clients who have seen coyotes running up railroad tracks. I know of two clients where coyotes attacked their pets. One was killed. There was a coyote that was in the Chicago loop on tv!
A second reason is dog adoption shelters generally have unscreeened outdoor runs. These shelters are being over runned with dogs and cats that are being given up by people losing their homes due to the economy. These dogs are not tested or put on preventative until they are adopted. Some of these candidates for adoption have heartworm disease, which infects other dogs through mosquito bites.
The third reason is because of our recession. Many pet owners think that heartworm disease is not a threat so, we’ll skip the preventative. This year the more unprotected pets there are, the more this disease will spread.
Scientists are predicting a heavy mosquito season this year due to our abundant rainfall. YOUR PET NEEDS A BLOOD TEST AND PREVENTATIVE MEDICATION BY MID MAY AND CONTINUED THROUGH DECEMBER. For those households that have been hurt by the recession, we have formulated DiroFlav, a honey flavored drop that is half the price of the commercially available products. Ask for a free dose month dose! Don’t take chances with your pet’s heart; prevention is simple and effective and 1/10 the price of chemotherapy and hospitalization.
LEPTOSPIROSIS: AN OLD DISEASE THAT IS RE EMERGING AND IS CONTAGIOUS TO MAN. Leptospirosis is another canine disease that is on the rise!
Most responsible pet owners keep their pets away from wildlife but the route of infection of this disesae is URINE. You may not know there is infected urine near your pets, but your pet does. Dogs are always sniffing, stepping in wet areas etc licking their feet or wounds. Thus is how the disease is contracted. If the disease is not discovered early, severe kidney disease developes and progresses to death in 1/3 of cases. THIS DISEASE IS CONTAGIOUS TO MAN AND CAN BE FATAL.
Vaccination is easy and safe and is imperative if children are around your pets.
ALLERGY UPDATE 2011: Two new medicines.
For pets who have spring allergy signs such as itching, ear infections etc, we have a couple of new treatments. Thymasone is a non-steroid pill that controls itching without the side effects of steroid such as excessive thirst, urination and hunger. Treatment response is about 50%. The second allergy and skin health product is Megaderm drops. This product is very tasty, concentrated and is ideal for fussy eaters. This is also good for shedding and dry skin cases.
Are you tired of $4.00 /gal gas prices ? The Conklin Company who makes our Fastrack products, originally was in the lubricant business. Their products will save you 10-15% on fuel costs. All you have to do is add it to your fuel tank. Dr. Bowen drives 84 miles a day from Beecher and saved $487 in fuel costs in 2010. (Gas was around $3.00) If you have an interest, e mail us or call the office at (708) 499-3595.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bowen
