Emergency Order Hours and Activities All of us at Kirkwood Animal Hospital are committed to doing our best in complying with the guidelines for minimizing COVID-19. During the mandated “Shelter in Place,” veterinary care is deemed an essential health service.

With recent news and actions focused upon containing the corona virus in humans, we wanted to address any owner concerns regarding the impact that COVID-19 might have upon your pets.

“My pet is not fat, he’s just big boned.”  Did you know that 45% of pet owners feel their overweight pet is an ideal weight?  Over 50% of cats and dogs in the US are overweight or obese.  So, how do you know if your pet is fat?

Heartworms are parasitic worms which live in susceptible host bodies (dogs and other canids, cats, ferrets and even sea lions and rarely humans) and are transmitted in a complicated life cycle via mosquito vectors. After infection, these worms can live in the arteries of the lungs and in the heart and cause inflammation and tissue destruction in those locations. 

Otitis externa, or ear infections, are common afflictions in any breed dogs.  Cocker spaniels and “floppy” eared dogs have higher tendencies have recurring problems with their ears.  Ear infections can be caused by any multitude of predisposing factors; including hygiene, bacterial infections, yeast infections, parasites, allergies, exposure to water, and foreign bodies.  Signs of oncoming ear infections can include redness, discharge, swelling and an odor. 

One of the most common reasons that cats and dogs visit their veterinarian is the constant scratching or licking that keeps both pets and owners awake at night and distracted during the day. For some pets, this can be a seasonal occurrence, but for the unlucky ones it can become a constant, year-long battle. Allergies form because of an over reactive inflammatory response to an antigen and usually presents as redness, irritation and inflammation of the skin and ears, although the eyes and nasal passages may also sometimes become affected.