MyPet Educationtt

28/10/2024

✨ Myth or truth? ✨

20/04/2024

💓 Breast cancer in cats 💓

💓 Breast cancer affects the mammary glands of cats 10 years and older. 🐈‍⬛
Unfortunately majority of the mammary tumors found are cancerous and can spread to the lymph nodes and lungs. 🫁

💓 Breast cancer is suspected when a lump or swelling is noted on the mammary gland(s).

💓 Your Vet will recommend tests to determine the type of breast cancer present and if it has spread elsewhere in the body.
💓 Surgery (removal of the gland/s) is the treatment of choice.

✨N.B. Routine Vet checkups should be done for older pets to screen for diseases such as cancer, diabetes, liver and kidney issues, arthritis etc.

👩🏻‍⚕️Speak to your Vet today about breast cancer in cats! 🫶🏻

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14/04/2024

🪻April is Heartworm Awareness Month! ❤️‍🩹

🦟🩸Mosquitoes transmit the disease to pets during a blood meal. 🩸🦟

🩸Mosquitoes pick up larval forms of the worm called microfilariae from sick dogs and transfer them to healthy dogs & cats.

🩸The larvae travels to the heart where they grow into adult worms and reproduce to form more microfilariae. The microfilariae returns to the bloodstream where it awaits ingestion from another mosquito.

❤️‍🩹 The presence of worms in the heart causes inflammation, scarring and inability of the heart and lungs to function efficiently.

Common signs of Heartworm disease in pets include:
❤️‍🩹 Coughing
❤️‍🩹 Exercise intolerance (inability to run, tire more easily on walks.
❤️‍🩹 Difficulty breathing
❤️‍🩹 Caval syndrome & sudden death

Treatment is available (for dogs only) but risky. ❣️Prevention is key! ✨

Monthly Heartworm prevention is strongly recommended especially in mosquito prone areas like T&T. 🇹🇹

Heartworm preventatives comes in different dosage forms e.g. tablets/chews, topicals and injections.
Speak to your Vet about the different options available. 👩🏻‍⚕️

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06/03/2024

A message from Dr. Sue Rabbit Vet 🐇

Rabbit tip Tuesday

06/02/2024

🦷 February is Pet Dental Health Awareness Month! 🪥✨

Did you know that pets suffer from dental disease too? 🐕🐈

Dental disease is caused by accumulation of bacteria (plaque) at the gum line. 🤢
If the plaque is not removed (by regular toothbrushing/cleaning), it can harden overtime and form tartar.

The presence of plaque can cause gingivitis where the gum line appears red and inflamed. The gums may also bleed. 🩸
If gingivitis is not addressed early (by regular toothbrushing), the disease can progress to periodontitis (where other structures of the tooth is affected).

This condition is painful and can lead to tooth loss.

N.B. Tartar (cream/brown, hard substance on tooth) cannot be removed by toothbrushing. A dental cleaning (scaling) by a Veterinarian is recommended. 👩🏻‍⚕️

🦷 How to prevent dental disease? 🦷

🪥 Brush your pet’s teeth regularly i.e. atleast twice weekly!
Regular water or pet toothpaste only should be used.

Toothbrushing can begin as early as 8 weeks old (to get your pet accustomed).
Please note that your pets will start changing their baby teeth around 4 months old. At 6-8 months old, they should have all their adult teeth (permanent teeth) and brushing is now necessary.

🪥There are other dental cleaning options available e.g. dental wipes, treats, drinks and toys, but these are not as effective as brushing the teeth!

✨Ensure to check that the product used is VOHC approved to guarantee teeth cleaning!

🪥 Schedule regular professional dental scaling by your Veterinarian, especially for pets 3 years and over.

✨🪥 The goal standard is brushing! 🪥✨

📱For more info, contact us at 868 327-0705!

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03/02/2024

You’ve asked for it! 📣l
Veterinary Services are NOW available!!! 🐕‍🦺🐈🎉

✔️ Consultations & Exams
✔️ Vaccinations (shots) and deworming
✔️ Tick & flea management/prevention
✔️ Skin & ear diseases
✔️ Wound care
✔️ Blood tests
✔️ Surgeries
✔️ Emergencies & more!

📞 Contact us via call or WhatsApp at 868 327-0705!

✨New posts coming soon! Stay tuned! ❤️

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07/05/2023

☀️ Heatstroke in Dogs ☀️

Heatstroke occurs when body heat production exceeds its ability to lose heat.

Some breeds are predisposed e.g. Brachycephalic breeds: Bulldogs, Boxers, Pugs, Boston Terriers etc but Heatstroke can affect any breed.

When a dog’s body temperature rises above 40°C, multi-systemic organ dysfunction can occur which can lead to death.

Some measures that can be taken to prevent Heatstroke includes:

💧Walking pets during cooler times of the day.
💧Ensuring your pet has access to clean, cool drinking water at all times.
💧Providing shade/ not leaving animals out in the hot sun, or confined in poorly ventilated areas especially during hours of peak sunlight (9am - 4pm).

👩🏻‍⚕️Talk to your Veterinarian today about Heatstoke in dogs!

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12/04/2023

Large pet birds includes: Macaws, Amazon parrots, Cockatoos and African greys. 🦜

⚠️ Feeding your parrot mainly sunflower seeds can lead to obesity and malnutrition. ⚠️

⚠️Sunflower seeds are high in fat and low in protein, vitamins (especially vitamin A) and minerals (calcium).

In this post, we have listed examples of what their diet should include.

Commercial pellets (similar to dog/cat chow but for birds) are made to include all the nutrients required by the animal.
Protein sources as listed should be offered if commercial pellets aren’t being fed.

Talk to your Vet today about your pet’s diet!

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N.B. We do not own the rights to the images present in this post. Images were used solely for educational purposes.

31/12/2022

Keep them safe this New Year’s Eve! 🎇🐕

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31/08/2022

Happy 60th Independence! 🇹🇹🎆

Reminder to keep your pets safe during tonight’s celebrations. 🐕‍🦺🏡

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06/07/2022

🔔 Reminder to get your fur babies vaccinated! 💉🦠

Vaccines (shots) begin at 6-8 weeks old and “booster shot” is given every 3-4 weeks until the animal is 16-18 weeks old.

N.B Depending on the age vaccines begin, the number of “shots” the pup/kitten will get may vary.

DM us to learn more or ask your Veterinarian! 👨🏻‍⚕️❤️

🔔 N.B. Adult dogs and cats should also be kept up to date with vaccinations.

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20/03/2022

Wellness exam in pets! 🗓✅

Wellness exams are done on ‘healthy’ animals. 🐶🐱
It involves a physical examination (check-up) and sometimes screening tests (blood and urine tests) to detect diseases early.
Early detection of disease assists in effective treatment and control.
Your Veterinarian will also advise you on diet, grooming, housing and overall care for your pet.

N.B. Puppies and kittens should be seen by a Veterinarian as early as 4 weeks of age and within the next couple of months during their first year of life. ✨
Geriatric pets should also be seen/monitored by your Veterinarian. ✨

✅ Animal wellness exams should be done 1-2 times per year.

Speak to your Veterinarian today about having your pets checked out! 🧑🏽‍⚕️🩺

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05/03/2022

On this segment of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): 💬❓
We have clients that commonly ask “Is my pet a good weight/size for their age?”

Truth be told, it’s difficult for Vets to class your pet as “too light or too heavy” based on their weight alone.
Remember there are different breeds of dogs and cats and many other factors that may come into play (e.g. diet, housing/environment, genetics etc).

Vets determine whether your pet is a “good weight” based on a system called Body Condition Scoring (BCS). ✨

BCS tells us if there is adequate body fat coverage over bony prominences on the animal’s body e.g. backbone, ribs, hipbones.
BCS range from 1-9 in pets where 1 is considered too light (malnourished animal) and 9 being too heavy (obese pet).

Based on the scale above, can you tell whether your pet is underweight/overweight? ❓

Speak to your Veterinarian today about Body Condition Scoring in pets! 👩🏻‍⚕️

Photo credit: 🐕🐈

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⚠️Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the images present in this post. The images were used for educational purposes only.

13/02/2022

Hey pet lovers! ❤️

Did you know Chocolate 🍫 contains ingredients that are toxic to dogs and cats?
These ingredients are caffeine and theobromine.
Signs (symptoms) of poisoning varies depending on the type of chocolate ingested, and the quantity (how much).

Be sure to secure your sweets this Valentine’s Day! 💝

Speak to your Veterinarian about Chocolate Poisoning in pets! 🍪🍩🍫☕️

24/01/2022

Worming Out Dogs and Cats 🐕🐈

In simple terms, to worm out your pet means to give medication (tablet or liquid) by mouth to treat intestinal worms e.g. tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms. 🪱

Puppies and kittens can be wormed out by your Vet as early as 2 weeks old. 🐶🐱

It is recommend that older animals >2 months old, be wormed out every 1-3months depending on the animal’s lifestyle.
For example, an animal that is housed outdoors with other dogs/cats and allowed to roam the neighborhood, should be wormed out more frequently than an animal housed indoors alone.

⚠️The amount of medication (tablets/liquid) to give, depends on the animal’s weight.

Please speak to a Veterinarian before giving medication at home.
👨🏻‍⚕️

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21/01/2022

⚠️ Animals feel the heat from the sun too!☀️🔥

🚫DON’T:

❌ Tie cattle and small ruminants (sheep & goats) in direct sunlight without shade (trees/shed) and access to clean, cool water.

❌ Chain/tie dogs in the hot sun or in hot kennels/houses.

❌ Pet bird cages should not be placed in direct sunlight during peak heat hours of the day. (9am - 4pm | Trinidad time)

❌Leave pet store animals (puppies, bunnies, birds, hamsters, guinea pigs etc) in direct sunlight without shade, water and adequate space to move around.

Tip: If the sun is too hot for YOU, it’s too hot for THEM. 🥵

👩🏻‍⚕️Animals cannot directly tell us they are heat stressed but they can show us signs.

Remember the 5 Freedoms of Animal Welfare. 💙

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⚠️Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the images present in this post. The images were used solely for educational purposes.

17/11/2021

Roundworm Infection in dogs! 💩🪱

⚠️Disclaimer: Gross image on the next slide❗️

📸 This faecal image was taken from a 9 week old puppy, a few hours after it’s first deworming (worm out).

🪱 Roundworm Lifecycle:
Infected dogs pass roundworm eggs in their faeces.
The eggs can be accidentally ingested by healthy dogs. 🐶Once ingested, the egg develops into a larval form in the small intestines of the animal. Here the larvae migrate through other organs (liver, lungs) or remain in the small intestines, mate and produce eggs. These eggs pass out in the faeces of the animal and the lifecycle starts over.

Migrating larvae can become dormant (arrested stage) in adult female dogs. If the animal becomes pregnant, the larvae can “awake” and migrate to the pups in the uterus. Roundworm larvae can also be passed in the milk of nursing mothers to their puppies. 😦

N.B. Most puppies are infected from birth. ⚠️

The lifecycle of roundworms is similar in cats except that larvae cannot be passed in-utero to kittens. 🐱

Signs of roundworm infection includes: loss of appetite/not eating well, lethargy, swollen abdomen (big belly) and mucoid stool.

N.B Puppies and kittens can be dewormed (wormed out) as early as 2 weeks old.

Be sure to speak to your Veterinarian before administering medication at home! Some dewormers should not be used in animals less than 4 weeks old. 🧑🏽‍⚕️

Dewormers target (kills) adult worms in the small intestines causing them to be passed out in the stool (p**p). See image above. 📸

✨N.B. Dogs and cats should be dewormed every 1-3 months!

Speak to your Vet today about deworming your pets! ❤️

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📸 All rights reserved!

13/11/2021

✨Welcome to our new page segment, where we discuss frequently asked questions (FAQs) asked by clients! 😀✨
Feel free to like, comment and share! ❤️

The vaccines (shots) given to puppies and kittens within the first few months of life is know as the primary series of vaccinations. 💉

The number of shots your pet will receive depends on the age the first vaccine is given or started, and the selected interval (3-4 weeks) between each vaccination visit. 👩🏻‍⚕️

Vaccination begins when puppies and kittens are 6-8weeks old and continues every 3-4weeks until the animal is 16-18weeks old.
⚠️ But, it doesn’t stop there!

A 6-12 month booster is required, and then the animal should be vaccinated every year (annually) thereafter for the rest of its life. 😯

N.B. Your pet may not get the same number of shots in their primary series vs another pet (it all depends on the age the first vaccine is started) —> see the example given in our post!

It is important that vaccination begins at 6-8weeks old because this is around the time the protection offered from maternal antibodies (in colostrum 🍼) begins to decrease in the puppy/kitten’s body. This makes them susceptible to common diseases in their environment e.g. Parvovirus (dogs) and Herpesvirus (cats). 🦠

Vaccinations help prepare your pet’s immune system to fight off the real disease once encountered. 💪🏻

Visit WSAVA.org for more on vaccination guidelines in dogs and cats. 🌎

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