Many people believe rabies to be an elusive, rare virus that’s only found in the heavy northern bush but rabies is actually all around us! In fact, 288 cases of rabies were confirmed in Ontario in 2016, a large proportion of which were found in the west GTA. Rabies is a virus that’s spread to any mammal [...]
When we think about parasites that infect our pets, many of us believe them to be completely treatable. Indeed, while some parasites are easier to eradicate, some parasites are very difficult, if not impossible, to eliminate. One such parasite is called Echinococcus multilocularis (EM), a species of tapeworm that affects our pets and us and is almost always fatal! EM is [...]
Please join our clinic family and fellow clients and their furry owners for nutritious and delicious snacks on Saturday, June 3rd from 1-3pm to help raise funds for OVC’s Pet Trust Fund. This charity has done amazing things for veterinary medicine, including researching disease and developing new diagnostics and treatments in virtually all areas of veterinary medicine. Their [...]
Heartworm disease is a serious parasitic infection caused by worms invading the greater blood vessels of the heart and lungs. Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes, which acquire the worms by feeding from infected wildlife or domestic animals. When a mosquito ingests blood from an infected animal, the mosquito also consumes tiny worms (called microfilaria). These microfilariae develop inside [...]
This is one of the most talked-about parasites addressed in our Clinic lately and for good reason! Pervasive, sneaky, and practically villainous, these bugs are technically part of the arachnid family, but these parasites aren’t your innocuous, household spider. Unlike mosquitoes, ticks are much hardier, surviving and remaining active throughout winter. In fact, these parasites will crawl from [...]
These threats are a very common occurrence amongst our pets. Intestinal parasites are a wide variety of organisms, each of which has a unique genetic makeup, lifecycle, and method for invading the body. Left untreated, parasites cause damage to the gastrointestinal system and even other parts of the body. Some very common (meaning, we generally identify positive cases daily) [...]
This is a newly recognized parasite in the GTA. Lungworms are two different species of parasitic worms (Angiostrongylus vasorum and Crenosoma vulpis) that infect dogs. The organisms infect the heart and lungs and are spread by eating infected frogs, sniffing or licking slugs, snails, or the gooey trails these creatures leave behind. Once inside the body, these parasites [...]
These common external parasites are one of the more obvious parasites we see on our pets. Fleas are tiny insects (about the size of the eye of a sewing needle) that live on warm-blooded animals and feed off their blood. Fleas are often thought of as an annoyance and not as a serious threat but fleas were responsible [...]
While not a parasite, this organism causes a devastating infection, called leptospirosis, to both animals and humans. Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease, which means you may contract the illness from your pet! Leptospira bacteria are shed through the urine of infected animals (mostly wildlife). Common carriers are skunks, raccoons, squirrels, and foxes. The bacteria generally find their way into soil and [...]