Another year is upon us, and we’re taking the time to look back and appreciate some of our favorite moments from the previous year. So, without further adieu, here are our top blogs of 2023:

1. Is It Time to Grow Fruits and Vegetables for Your Dog?

If you have a green thumb, you’ve probably considered growing some fruits and vegetables for your family—including your dog. We’ve got great news for you. Many fruits and vegetables are safe for your pups, and you can grow them right at home. Check out this blog to learn more about safe produce for pets and how you can use your own yard as a growing ground for some of these nutritious treats.

2. How to Help a Feral Cat

It can be hard not to immediately run up to an animal in need, but that response can be detrimental to you both. This blog gives you some helpful (and safe) tips on what you can do to help a feral cat. You don’t have to completely avoid a feral feline, but there are ways you can help while protecting yourself and the animal. 

3. Is Heartworm Disease in Dogs Really that Dangerous? Sadly, Yes

Your vet encourages you to give your dog a monthly heartworm preventive for a reason. Unfortunately, heartworm disease can cause significant health issues for your pet, including lung disease, heart problems, and even death. This blog teaches you more about the dangers of heartworm disease for dogs and why it is so important to prevent it. 

4. Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye) in Dogs

Pink eye is no fun. Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, is inflammation around the eye that can cause pain and irritation. Unfortunately, our dogs can’t use their words to tell us when something is wrong. Luckily, this blog helps you spot the signs of conjunctivitis in dogs so you can get them the help they need when they need it.

5. Some Bunny Loves You: The Best of Pet Rabbit Care

Rabbits are their own animals who require specific care (that is often different from what dogs and cats need). Whether you already have one or you are considering adding one to your family, this blog can help you provide the best care. From diet to enclosure and exercise, get the tips you need to keep your bunny in hippity hoppity shape. 

The team at Shiloh Veterinary Hospital is committed to providing you and your pets with top veterinary care. Our mobile veterinary hospital makes it easier than ever to get the care you need for your pets. We’re excited to embark on the New Year together! 

The post Shiloh Veterinary Hospital’s Top Blogs of 2023 appeared first on Veterinary Blog for Los Angeles - Shiloh Veterinary Hospital.

Flea infestations can be a real headache for your pet and for you. 

Not only do fleas cause discomfort and itchiness for your furry friend, but they can also lead to other health issues—hair loss, hot spots, anemia, skin infections, and more. And fleas can cause allergic reactions in some pets, further exacerbating the itching and scratching.

For you, flea infestations can be a pain to deal with. Fleas can quickly spread throughout your home if left unchecked, and flea bites are itchy and uncomfortable for humans too. 

As a pet owner, it’s important to be able to spot the signs of a flea infestation and get rid of these pests promptly. This post will discuss the symptoms of a flea infestation and offer tips on how to treat fleas on kittens, puppies, dogs, and cats.

Signs of a Flea Infestation

The first step in treating a flea infestation is to recognize the signs. These are common signs of flea infestation in pets:

• Excessive scratching: Fleas feed on your pet’s blood, which causes them to itch and scratch.
• Red or irritated skin: Red bumps or sores on your pet’s skin could indicate a flea infestation.
• Flea dirt: Flea dirt is a term used to describe flea feces. It looks like black specks on your pet’s skin or fur. If you notice flea dirt on your pet, it’s a sign that they have fleas.
• Hair loss: Persistent scratching can lead to hair loss, so keep an eye out for patches of missing hair.

Treating Fleas on Dogs and Cats

A range of flea treatments, including topical and oral medications, are available. Talk to your veterinarian before administering medications to your pet. 

Topical treatments: Topical treatments are applied directly to your pet’s skin. Follow the instructions carefully and only use cat-specific or dog-specific products as appropriate.

Oral medications: These medications are administered to your pet in pill form and kill fleas from the inside out. 

Treating Fleas on Kittens and Puppies

Kittens and puppies require special attention. Some flea treatments aren’t safe for young pets, so ask your vet for recommendations. 

Allergies in Dogs and Cats

Is your dog or cat constantly itching and scratching? It could be a sign of allergies. Allergies in pets can be caused by several factors, including food, pollen, and flea bites. 

If you suspect your pet has allergies, talk to your vet to determine the cause and appropriate treatment. These are common signs of allergies in dogs and cats:

• Itching and scratching: Pets with allergies may scratch and bite themselves excessively, leading to red and irritated skin, hair loss, and infection.
• Sneezing and coughing: Pets with allergies may exhibit symptoms similar to humans with allergies, such as sneezing and coughing.
• Runny nose and eyes: Allergies can cause your pet’s nose and eyes to become watery and inflamed.
• Ear infections: Pets with allergies may be more prone to ear infections, which can be caused by bacteria or yeast.

Your vet may recommend antihistamines, steroids, or other medications to help alleviate your pet’s symptoms and can help you identify and avoid the allergens causing the problem.

With proper care and attention, you can help keep your pet free from fleas, and parasite prevention can help avoid any repeat infestations. Please let us know if you have questions about treating flea infestations or preventing them altogether. We’re always here for you at Shiloh Mobile Veterinary Hospital.

The post How to Spot Signs of a Flea Infestation on Your Pet  appeared first on Veterinary Blog for Los Angeles - Shiloh Veterinary Hospital.

It is absolutely reasonable to question every vaccination, medication, and preventive method recommended for your companion animal. Indeed, that’s the very essence of responsible pet ownership. Heartworm disease in dogs has the potential to cause severe lung disease, heart failure, organ damage, and can even be fatal. Together, we can ensure your dog has every possible protection against heartworm-carrying mosquitos and other parasites.

Don’t Look Away

Microscopic worms deposited in the bloodstream by an infected mosquito sounds like something from a science fiction/horror movie, but the truth is scarier than fiction. Dogs are considered ideal hosts for these parasitic worms known as Dirofilaria immitis, meaning the conditions inside a dog’s body are hospitable to the worms. This internal environment allows the worms to mature, mate, and produce offspring inside the heart, lungs, and surrounding blood vessels. 

Shocking and Terrible

Mosquitoes are incredibly stealthy and often pass unnoticed until well after they initiate a bite. Even a quick blood meal can be enough time for a mosquito to pass the microscopic worms into a dog’s bloodstream. A newly infected dog may not show symptoms of heartworm disease for several months. By then, the worms have matured, released offspring, and completed the life cycle. 

Worm Burden

Heartworms can live between 5-7 years in an ideal host. By then, they can measure between 6-12 inches in length, resembling cooked spaghetti noodles. The average “worm burden,” or number of “healthy” adult worms, is 15 worms. That said, there have been cases of a worm burden being over 200!

Heartworm Disease in Dogs

Symptoms may be harder to detect in dogs with low worm counts, but can be obvious in dogs that have a lot of worms, have been infected for a length of time, or previously enjoyed strenuous activities. Owners may start to notice the following red flags:

• Coughing
• Fatigue (even after an easy activity)
• Weak-looking appearance

These symptoms require immediate veterinary examination and diagnostic testing. If left untreated, heartworm disease in dogs will progress to the point of irreversible damage to the heart, kidneys, liver, and lungs. Heartworm disease can be fatal in dogs. 

Testing and Treatment

Blood tests can detect the presence of adult female heartworms, as well as microfilariae (immature worms), given around 6 months after a bite, to determine if adult worms are reproducing inside the host. Testing should always be completed prior to starting (or re-starting) a dog on their heartworm preventive medication. A preventive medication can actually cause anaphylactic shock or death in a heartworm-positive dog as the worms suddenly die off inside them.

Heartworm disease can be treated in dogs, but with numerous medications, X-rays, and other diagnostics, it is often an arduous and expensive process. Surgical removal of large worms is another option, but has its own set of risks. 

Prevention Is the Key

Most prescription heartworm preventive medications are given orally or topically, once a month. There is also an effective injection, administered in our office every 6-12 months. It is recommended that dogs receive permanent, year-round heartworm prevention medication to reduce the chance of contracting this terrible disease. Remember, all it takes is one small mosquito bite to rock the boat of your dog’s health and wellness.

As always, please reach out to us at (818) 614-9929 with any questions or concerns. Shiloh Mobile Veterinary Hospital is always here for you!

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Protecting your pet from external and internal parasites (and their associated diseases) is every pet owner’s responsibility. But there are some misconceptions about parasites in the city and whether or not they are a threat to our pets. 

The team at Shiloh Veterinary Hospital is here to address the facts about parasite prevention in LA and what you can do to better protect your furry loved one.

External Parasites

External parasites are the ones most people think about and try to avoid. Especially in the spring and summer, mosquitoes are out in droves, along with other creepy-crawlies. Since the Los Angeles area doesn’t experience the deep freeze of the eastern and northern states, parasites are a problem year-round.

Parasites in pets weren’t as big a problem (prior to the 1970s) for a few reasons, the first of which being an increase in warm winters. Because we are traveling more between states and countries, we bring back parasites that perhaps weren’t as prevalent in our area before. 

Regardless of the reason, there are a few common pests that cause harm to pets (and people).

Fleas – Fleas are tiny insects that feed off the blood of their host, leaving their excrement on the skin and fur (this is usually the first thing a pet owner will see). These common external parasites can wreak havoc on a pet, as well as on their home and other family members, causing itchiness, skin problems, and flea allergies in some pets. Fleas also carry vector-borne diseases like Catch Scratch Fever and even plague (although rare)

Ticks – Ticks are actually tiny arachnids (spiders) rather than insects. They can easily hide in the fur while they feed off of their host animal, which they attach to to feed off of the blood. Tick diseases are transmitted to pets through wildlife hosts, like deer and racoons. Some ticks in the West carry serious diseases like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Lyme disease, and Canine Ehrlichiosis.

Heartworm – Heartworm disease has seen a spike among the dog population in Los Angeles. These parasitic worms  that resemble strands of spaghetti are transmitted through mosquito bites. The larvae develop in the heart and lungs, growing into adult worms and reproducing. This disease can be very costly to treat and can even be fatal, especially in cats.

Internal Parasites

Over the past few years, Los Angeles and the southern California area have experienced an alarming increase in internal parasites. In fact, an estimated 1 in every 8 pets are diagnosed with one of these internal pests. 

What are internal or intestinal parasites? 

• Tapeworm 
• Roundworm
• Hookworm
• Whipworms

These intestinal worms attach themselves to and/or feed off of the host in the gastrointestinal tract. Tapeworms are prevalent in cats and hookworms in dogs. Most puppies and kittens are dewormed when they are young because certain internal parasites are passed between mother to newborn.

Signs of internal parasites are:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Weight loss
• Gas
• Itching at rectum
• Anemia

Parasite Prevention in LA

Since these parasites can be serious, what can a pet owner do to protect their pets? It’s actually an easy answer. The best approach is to keep your pet on flea-tick and heartworm preventives, which can be prescribed by your veterinarian. At your pet’s annual wellness checkup, your pet will be screened for internal worms, including heartworm. 

Keep the yard and the community parasite-free by picking up pet waste. Avoid allowing your pet to eat fecal matter and drink from puddles, creeks, and public pet water stations. 

If you would like more information on parasite prevention in LA, please do not hesitate to call. 

The post The Facts About Parasite Prevention in LA appeared first on Veterinary Blog for Los Angeles - Shiloh Veterinary Hospital.

No matter where we live, parasites are everywhere. These tiny facts of life can range from gross (discovering worms in your pet’s poop), to frustrating (a flea infestation in your home), to downright deadly (a pet diagnosed with heartworm). 

Because fleas, ticks, heartworm, and intestinal parasites pose a risk to dogs, cats, exotic pets, and people all year long, pet parasite prevention is a critical part of your pet’s health care plan. 

Creepy-Crawly Disasters

Fleas – It only takes one or two fleas tracked in by a pet to create a full-blown infestation (fleas thrive in the warm, humid environment inside our homes). Not only can fleas transmit tapeworm and Bartonellosis (cat scratch fever), some pets are so allergic to flea saliva that even one bite can trigger severe itching, scratching, and hot spots on their skin.

Ticks – Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, and tick-borne encephalitis are just a few of the many diseases spread to pets and people by these eight-legged parasites. 

Heartworm – Heartworm is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito and is arguably one of the most serious threats to our pets’ health. The disease is expensive and difficult to treat in dogs, and, because no feline treatment exists, it is almost always fatal in cats.

Intestinal parasites – Whipworms, roundworms, tapeworms, and more can cause uncomfortable and sometimes serious side effects for pets. Not only that, some of these nematodes can even be passed to people. Fortunately, many popular heartworm preventive medications also include protection against intestinal parasites.

Practical Pet Parasite Prevention

Preventive care is crucial to your pet’s wellness and longevity, and parasite protection should be part of that plan. At your pet’s annual wellness appointments, your veterinarian will help you determine the appropriate parasite prevention protocol based on the type of pet you have, their lifestyle, overall health, and exposure risk. 

Exotic and pocket pets are not immune from internal and external parasites. Fleas, ear mites, lice, intestinal parasites, and more can take a toll on a small pet’s quality of life. Regular wellness care for pocket and exotic pets is a must in order to prevent and treat parasites.

Year-Round Protection

Just because the weather cools off (a little) during the winter months does not mean you can slack on your pet’s monthly protection. 

Fleas, ticks, and mosquitos do not go dormant, especially in our warmer climate. Failing to protect your pet year-round exposes them to the serious risk of vector-borne illnesses. Most flea, tick, and heartworm preventives are relatively inexpensive and easy to administer to your pet on a monthly basis.

It’s never too late to start your pet on a parasite protection plan! Contact the team at Shiloh Veterinary Hospital for more information, and to schedule an appointment for your pet.

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