Heartworm Prevention Made Easy

Trouble remembering to give that monthly Heartworm Preventative?  Do you still have heartworm pills or topical product left from last year?

Even missing one monthly dose for your companion can result in a heartworm infection!

Capitol Illini Veterinary Hospital now offers 6 months of Heartworm protection in one simple injection.  Ask one of our staff members or veterinarians about a Proheart 6 injection to protect  your dog.

What is Heartworm disease and how is my dog be exposed?  Heartworm Disease is a serious, potentially fatal disease transmitted to dogs by infected mosquitos. The larvae transmitted by the mosquito develops into an adult worm in the heart of the dog within 6 months. Dogs in areas with high levels of mosquitoes are especially at risk. No matter the time of year or whether your dog is indoor or outdoor; heartworm disease is a risk year round. That is why year round continuous heartworm preventative is so critical.

Symptoms of heartworm infection may go unnoticed during the first 6 months after transmission, and are only detectable by a blood test after 6 months. As the adult worms develop in the heart, your pet may begin to show clinical signs such as a chronic cough, lack of stamina during exercise, breathing difficulty or just plain not feeling well.

We at Capitol Illini Veterinary Services know you want to take the best care of your companion. Prevention of disease is preferable to treatment for a variety of reasons. Mainly to prevent damage to the heart and respiratory system which can be permanent and possibly fatal. Secondly; expenses, as prevention usually costs about 1/10 of the cost of treatment which takes 5 months and requires exercise restriction during the entire treatment period.

Our busy lives seem to pass by quickly and a month passes even faster. It seems as if it is always time to give that monthly medication again. What if you only had to rely on Capitol Illini Veterinary Services to remind you twice a year for heartworm Prevention?

What is ProHeart 6?  It is an injection that protects your dog from heartworm infection for a full 6 months.  This product, from Zoetis, uses Moxidectin in a slow release formulation that is proven effective in dogs of various breeds and sizes over 6 months of age.  It also treats hookworms, a common intestinal parasite at the time of injection.

So why not leave Heartworm prevention for your dog in the hands of the Veterinarians and trained staff members at Capitol Illini Veterinary Services. We will be happy to discuss heartworm prevention with you and see what will work best for you and your companion. Give us a call or email us at mypet@capitolillinivet.com with any questions or to set up an appointment for your dog's first injection of ProHeart6.

Capitol Illini Veterinary Services where “Healthy Pets Make Happy People” 

Author:     Clyde D Dunphy DVM  

February is National Pet Dental Health Month

February is National Pet Dental Health Month! Not only can poor oral hygiene lead to tooth decay, but if not treated, it can lead to more serious problems for your pets. Schedule an appointment today to have your pet’s teeth cleaned this February and receive FREE dental products from Capitol Illini Veterinary Services. 

Welcome Dr. James Cook

Capitol Illini Veterinary Services is pleased to welcome Dr. James Cook DVM DACVS PhD to our practice as a surgical consultant. 

After receiving his B.S. degree from Florida State University and competing for 5 years as a professional water skier, Jimi Cook completed his DVM in 1994, PhD in 1998, board certification in the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1999, and was selected as a charter diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation in 2010.  In 1999, he founded the Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory at the University of Missouri, which is an interdepartmental, interdisciplinary team of over 30 veterinarians, physicians, engineers, staff and students dedicated to the One Health-One Medicine concept for improving the lives of people and animals.  Dr. Cook has over 130 peer-reviewed publications, over $20 million in research funding, received numerous awards including America’s Best Veterinarian (2007), holds 13 US Patents and has seen 3 biomedical devices through FDA approval to human clinical trials.  He is currently Director of The Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory and the William and Kathryn Allen Distinguished Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery at the School of Medicine at the University of Missouri. He is also co-founder of Be The Change Volunteers ­a NGO dedicated to building schools in third world countries whose teams have built 23 educational facilities in 14 countries, providing educational opportunities to more than 4,000 students.

HELP MY DOG HAS GDV!!

Author: Christina Holbrook DVM

What is GDV?

·         Gastric dilatation and volvulus sometimes known as GDV or bloat is an emergency that results from severe gas and fluid and/or food distension of the stomach. There are generally two forms of this disease complex; simple gas distension of the stomach WITHOUT rotation or gas distension of the stomach WITH volvulus/rotation.

Who can get this disease?

·         Large and giant breed dogs are most commonly affected but the disease can occur in any breed or size of dog. If your pet has a first degree relative (mother, father, littermate) with a history of GDV the risk for your pet developing this condition is much higher.

·         GDV can occur at any age yet is seen most frequently in animals 6.5 to 8 years old

·         There does not appear to be any strong evidence favoring an increase in prevalence in GDV between male and female dogs, one study showed a potentially lowered risk in neutered males in compared to unaltered dogs.

How do I know if my dog has GDV?

·         Severe lethargy or depression, your pet may be recumbent or not want to get up and move.

·         Vomiting or retching

·         Abdominal distension (belly may appear to swell)

·         Fast and shallow respirations

I think my dog is bloating what do I do?

·         If you think your dog may be experiencing symptoms of bloat, DON’T WAIT, TAKE THEM TO THE VET ASAP!!

·         Your veterinarian will likely take an abdominal radiograph (x-ray) to confirm the diagnosis and start treating this life threatening condition

What can I do to prevent this from happening to my pet?

·         If you own a breed that is considered to be at risk for developing GDV (large breed deep chested dogs) or if your pet has a history of a first degree relative that developed GDV you may want to consider having your veterinarian perform a surgery called prophylactic gastropexy

·         Prophylactic gastropexy (stomach tacking) is a surgical procedure where your veterinarian makes a permanent attachment of the stomach to the body wall to prevent the stomach from twisting in the event of a bloat. It is important to remember that the “pexy” surgery will not prevent bloat from happening.

·         Additional “non-surgical” recommendations to help prevent your pet from bloating:

o       Feed your dog a minimum of 2 meals daily lifelong to avoid overfilling the stomach

o       Restrict exercise and activity around the time of feeding

o       Don’t allow your dog to drink a large amount of water at one time. To prevent this when your dog is very thirsty, simply offer small amounts of water every 15 minutes until your dog is no longer thirsty

o       Consider spaying and neutering and not breeding those animals with a first degree history or family lineage of developing GDV.

·         Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to discuss this disease in greater detail and review the following links for more information.

This is Glacier a beautiful 1.5 year old female spayed Alaskan Malamute who had the prophylactic gastropexy surgery conveniently performed at the time of her ovariohysterectomy (spay) surgery.

Two incredible dogs Jazz and Maverick both survived their life threatening brush with bloat and intestinal surgery!

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=672

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=384

Holiday Pet Safety

“My pet would never eat food off the table!”

“My pet would never knock over the Christmas tree!”

“My pet would never bite someone!”

We all know our pets pretty well, but what we don’t always realize is that stress can make anybody do crazy things! When you have holiday guests or flashing Christmas lights or loud holiday music—or all of the above—at your house all at once, your pet may get stressed and frustrated, causing them to act out in unexpected ways. Most pet accidents are met with the statement, “He’s never done anything like that before!”

We recommend always making sure that your pet has a safe place to sit and relax during your holidays parties. Just like some people, pets need to get away from the action and de-stress, but most of the time they don’t know how to ask for their space. If your pet is comfortable in their crate, we recommend moving it into a quiet room and letting them spend some time resting during your holiday get-togethers. Your pet will be happier, and by extension, you and your guests will be happier! And holidays disasters will be prevented.  

It's National Pet Obesity Awareness Day!

Today is National Pet Obesity Awareness Day. Did you know that 7 pounds on a dog is similar to 30 pounds on you or I? It’s a good time to bring your pets in to either of our locations and have their weight checked and make sure they are eating a healthy diet!

WELCOME DR. ANTONINI & DR. MARCUM

This summer Capitol Illini Veterinary Services will have two new Doctors joining us! Our team would like to welcome Dr. Tom Antonini and Dr. Blake Marcum to our staff! 

Dr. Antonini is a Springfield native. He graduated from the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. Upon graduation, he practiced at an AAHA accredited mixed-animal practice in Canton, Illinois. He is interested in internal medicine and soft-tissue surgery and is looking forward to joining the Capitol Illini team. Dr. Antonini has two dogs, Doo and Jed and one cat, Bart. During his free time, he enjoys outdoor activities, reading and attending baseball games.

Dr. Marcum is originally from Southern Illinois and attended Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville where he earned a degree in Biological Sciences. He then went on to spend 4 years in Knoxville, Tennessee where he obtained his DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) from the University of Texas. After graduating, he continued his education by doing a 1 year rotating internship at the University of Illinois. Since that time, he has been practicing emergency and critical care medicine at a specialty hospital in the Chicago Suburbs. His interests include internal medicine, oncology and minimally invasive diagnostics in the like ultrasound and laparascopy. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time outdoors running, cycling playing frisbee golf. Dr. Marcum and his wife Lindsay share a home with their two dogs, Libby and Jack as well as three cats, Oscar, Simon, and Lucy. He is excited to be moving back to central Illinois and joining the Capitol Illini Family!