Trifexis In The News

There has been some concern regarding Trifexis after a post that made on Facebook and was also picked up by the media. The post claimed that Trifexis was causing the death of some dogs and that is a serious accusation, so we had to investigate. We contacted Elanco, the maker of Trifexis and they were aware of these claims. They have researched these claims and have found that in each case, the autopsy's that were done by an outside source, found  that drug toxicity was not the cause of death. Elanco went above and beyond before releasing Trifexis. They tested the drug using 10 times the dose for 30 days and it did not cause a single death in any of the test subjects.  As with any medications there can always be side effects. The most common side effect is  possible vomiting and/or lethargy (sluggish, sleepy),  which subsides within 24 hours.  Trifexis is not recommended for dogs with seizure disorders.

We feel confident that Trifexis is safe and we will continue to recommend it. However, if you have any questions or concerns you can always call us at 573-471-4500.

Cat Ages From Cat Fancy Magazine

Q: Do cats age the same way as dogs? For example, our cat, Bob, is 2 years old. Does that mean that he is 14 years old in cat years? 

A: The notion that dogs and cats age seven years for every one year is a myth that's stuck around for years. If you think about it, some cats can live to be 18 or 19 years old. If they aged seven years for every one year, an 18-year-old cat would be equivalent to a 126-year-old person, clearly not very likely. In my practice, we have at least 10 cats who are over 20 years old, but there are certainly no 140-year-old people. The seven to one rule is just not true.

Cats age faster when they're younger, but this slows down as they get older. At 6 months of age, a female cat already can reproduce. At 1 year of age, cat bones fully stop growing. This occurs in people at approximately 24 years of age, give or take a few years. So, a 1-year-old cat is roughly equivalent to a 24-year-old person. From that point on, cats age approximately four years for every one year. While this is certainly not an exact science, the table below should offer a reasonable guideline as to how cats age compared to humans.

Cat Age     Human Age

6 months     15 years
1 year           24 years
2 years         28 years
3 years         32 years
4 years         36 years
5 years         40 years
6 years         44 years
7 years         48 years
8 years         52 years 
9 years         56 years
10 years       60 years
11 years       64 years
12 years       68 years
13 years       72 years
14 years       76 years
15 years       80 years
16 years       84 years
17 years       88 years
18 years       92 years
19 years       96 years
20 years       100 years

25

533

 Give us your 

Great News!!!!

This weekend we had three dogs that were lost but were later recovered by their owners. This scenario happens quite often this time of year in the spring with dogs getting loose.

Unfortunately, they did not have microchips. We scanned two of the three dogs and no microchip was found. Micro-chipping is a simple procedure that only takes a couple of minutes and will permanently identify your pet. It would have been faster to locate the owners if these two had been micro-chipped. Instead, the kind people who found them spent the day searching all over town. The company we use for our microchips provides lost dog insurance so if anything happens to your pet while it is lost a portion of the cost would be covered. The membership fee is relativity low per year for your peace of mind if your pet ever happens to get lost....

Last year a dog was found in Benton Missouri that had been lost for over a year. We scanned him for a chip and when one was found we were able to reunite him with his owner who lived in Western Kentucky. Stories like this make us believe in micro-chipping.

For more information contact our office at 573-471-4500.

Dr. Stephen A. Williams, DVM

  

April-Flea and Tick

IT'S SPRING and flea and tick season is fast approaching! We all know fleas and ticks are a huge nuisance to our pets but more importantly can cause serious disease. These diseases can affect both dogs and cats. Ticks are known to carry Lymes disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Ercholosis in dogs and Cytauzoon in cats. Hemobartonella can be transmitted by fleas and make our kitty friends very sick. Fleas can cause tapeworms in both canines and felines. Our goal is to control the the nuisance problem but also prevent disease. I recommend Trifexis in most patients for heartworm, fleas and intestinal parasite control. I recommend Vectra for tick control. Both are given monthly. Call us today and let's get your furry friends protected for summer. Let's keep them parasite free!

Dr. Becky Smith-Durham D.V.M.