Posts in Category: Fleas Ticks & Heartworm

Heartworm disease is something most pet owners know about, but may only have a vague understanding of, overall. Public education on heartworm disease is lacking, and many pet owners are unaware that it is one of the deadliest diseases threatening our dogs and cats.

What Is Heartworm Disease?

Heartworm disease is caused by a parasitic worm, Dirofilaria immitis, which is transmitted via mosquito. Mosquitoes pick up heartworm from feeding on an infected animal. Dogs, cats, coyotes, wolves, raccoons, opossums, and other mammals can be infected with heartworm.

As we head into the cooler months of the year, many pet owners make the choice to save a little money on flea and tick control. Skipping your pet’s parasite preventions isn’t always the smartest choice, though, and Volunteer Veterinary Hospital is here to help explain why. 

No one likes an unwelcome house guest, and external parasites like fleas and ticks are no exception. Volunteer Veterinary Hospital has the information you need to kick flea and tick issues to the curb, and keep your pet health habits up to par. 

When you adopt a pet into your family, you generally are up for whatever comes along with taking care of your new ward. Most people, though, didn’t sign up to take care of any hitchhikers that might come along with their furry family members. Luckily, Volunteer Veterinary Hospital has you covered when it comes to identification, treatment, and prevention of the dreaded external parasite in pets.

Zoonotic diseases have been a growing concern for both humans and animals. We have heard a lot recently about these diseases that are transmitted from wildlife to people and pets. There is currently much more of a spotlight on diseases, particularly viruses, that mutate and affect other species. 

This is why the team at Volunteer Veterinary Hospital is here with some insight into how to protect everyone from these serious diseases.

Ticks are known to cause many problems, not the least of which is Lyme disease. Caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, Lyme disease is transmitted by the bite of a tick and affects dogs and humans alike. You may be wondering which dogs are at risk, and how do we treat and prevent Lyme disease in dogs. Stay tuned for a primer from your veterinary team at Volunteer Veterinary Hospital.

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In both human and veterinary medicine, we are faced with many illnesses that are outside the realm of our control. Despite our best efforts, some pets may develop one of those unpreventable disease. However, there are some illnesses that we can protect our pets from; heartworm disease is one of those that, with a little work and persistence, we can knock off the list!

What is Heartworm Disease?

Heartworm disease is a serious illness that we see too frequently in Tennessee. Heartworm disease is caused by the parasitic worm, Dirofilaria immitis; this parasite is transmitted from an infected animal to others through mosquito bite. It only takes one mosquito bite to transmit heartworm disease to your pet. Continue…

Talk about bad houseguests: Ctenocephalides felix, the cat flea, is a parasite found on both domestic and wild animals almost everywhere on earth. It’s hard to believe a creature smaller than the “a” on this page causes so much misery in animals and humans, but they do. Besides their “vampirism”, sustaining their life by drinking the host animal’s blood, the cat flea can carry everything from tapeworm to the plague. Continue…