Star Dog Training

02/04/2025

https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/coyotes-mating-season-aggressive-pennsylvania/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0wRhvg1tcUOaDuhwqPJ7gIWSSlv97IW4qt6H5FZyDtmY07Z6vpYAF4ROE_aem_UNBzEZ87X0ZkiAO8EBah8A

February is mating season for coyotes, which means you could be seeing more of them in and around your neighborhood.

01/15/2025

Ticks are still active during the winter. Don’t get too lax on your checks.

𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬! While we may tucker down during the colder temperatures, our four legged friends are still going outside. As they sniff and walk around, they have a chance of encountering a tick. Ticks will remain under the leaf litter during colder temperatures and without significant snow coverage, risk for exposure during winter months remain a concern. Continue to practice tick prevention and check for ticks!🐕🐎
Found a tick?! Submit your tick for testing at ticklab.org/test-my-tick

01/01/2025

Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy, and Blessed New Year! Looking forward to meeting new faces and tackling new challenges!

12/30/2024

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐋𝐚𝐛 𝐓𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐰𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝! While Lyme disease is the most common tickborne pathogen with over 𝟓𝟎% of ticks carrying the bacterium, there are other tickborne pathogens. Ticks commonly carry many tickborne pathogens with 𝟖.𝟒% of ticks carrying more than 1 pathogen, referred to as a co-infection. Here is a summary of the tickborne pathogens present in the tick population of Pennsylvania for 2024.
Found a tick?! Submit your tick for testing at ticklab.org/test-my-tick

12/30/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15kbVFcFxS/?mibextid=wwXIfr

While at the Texas Pet Sitters Conference recently, we had the chance to hear from Dr. Roy Madigan, a veterinarian, and the principal scientist in the Canine Chagas Treatment Study.

We felt it imperative to share with our clients, and our community, the surprising information we learned.

Chagas disease is a parastic disease that is spread by kissing bugs. Similar to heartworm disease, animals can become infected with Chagas if they're bitten by, or ingest, a kissing bug.

The symptoms of Chagas can show up in a variety of ways. For less severe cases, lethargy, decreased appetite and weight loss may present. In more severe cases, you may see fluid in the abdomen, heart failure, vomiting, and unfortunately, sudden death.

Dr. Madigan estimates that up to 23% of companion dogs in Texas currently are positive for Chagas (compared to about 3.3% that are heartworm positive).

Chagas tends to attack the heart tissue, and is a progressive disease. The most common symptom seen when this happens is arrhythmia. It is also known to attack the brain.

Testing for Chagas is not common. The pet owner usually has to seek it out. There is currently a reliable test called "ELISA" that costs around $120.00. Dr. Madigan tells us that by next year, a new version will be available that will cost around $35.00 and will include a heartworm test. It will be readily available to all veterinary practices. They are currently awaiting approval from the FDA.

The treatment for Chagas is in a pill form and lasts for 12 months. Dr. Madigan reports that while it is 100% effective, it does not fix the harm that has already been done to the body by the parasite.

Our best defense against Chagas is preventative action. Pyrethroid insecticides will kill kissing bugs. Oral flea and tick medicine will kill Chagas.

If you see your pet with a kissing bug, do not squish the bug. Use a plastic baggie to capture it (don't touch it!) and contact https://kissingbug.tamu.edu/contact/ for instructions on how to submit it for testing.

It takes up to three weeks for a pet to test positive after exposure to Chagas, so don't immediately get your pet tested.

It is not only dogs who get Chagas. Cats also are affected. Chagas is the number one cause of seizures in cats.

Humans can also get Chagas. If your pet tests positive, every pet in the house should be tested, as well as all humans.

Antibodies are not effective at preventing reinfection, so a vaccine is not an option. Researchers are currently working to develop a slow-release injectible to protect pets.

Our takeaways:

*Chagas is impacting more pets than most people know. If your pet is showing unusual symptoms, ask your veterinarian to test them for Chagas. The sooner it is detected, the better off your pet will fare.

*Chagas is a treatable disease.

*Be aware of your enviroment. Keep your yard clean. Turn off outdoor lighting. Bring pets inside at night. Remove piles of rocks, leaves or wood near your home. Keep vegetation trimmed regularly. If you find a kissing bug, submit it for testing.

*If your pet tests positive for Chagas, test ALL your pets. Also, test all humans in the house.

For more information, please visit https://kissingbug.tamu.edu and www.vidapharmacal.com

12/25/2024

From our home to yours, Merry Christmas!

These toys are a HUGE hit - West Paw for the win! The pups would like to wish everyone a Pawsome Christmas! ⛄️🎄🐕

12/25/2024

Star Dog Training wishes you and yours a Pawsome Christmas. Have a blessed and safe day.

12/18/2024

Hard to believe it’s been SEVEN years today since I brought this crazy, adorable puppy into my home. Kai is such a great dog, she loves nearly everyone and most all of the dogs she meets. I love having her to work with me. She is now healed from her injury and so excited to start going places with me again. I missed having her at my side. Happy GOTCHA DAY, Kai. Mommy loves you! ❤️

11/28/2024

11/28/2024

Star Dog Training wishes you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving. So much to be grateful for every day. 🐕🐕‍🦺🐩

11/12/2024

🔬𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐝. Have you seen a tick that looks like a grape or raisin? You may have even found them on your living room floor. When ticks fully engorge with blood, they increase 10x their original size making it challenging to identify them. Once ticks reach this engorgement, they will detach from the host on fall to the ground. Here is a guide comparing unengorged to engorged for the three common adult ticks in the northeast USA.
𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀 - Shield is decorated with a horseshoe white/cream color.
𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗱 (𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗿) 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀 - Black shield and legs.
𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀 - White dot at the base of the shield.
Found a tick?! Submit your tick for testing at ticklab.org/test-my-tick

11/10/2024

🚨𝐀 𝐁𝐈𝐆 𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐀 𝐃𝐎𝐆 𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐊!📣 During the fall, tick bites by the adult blacklegged (deer) ticks are the most common. In southern areas of the USA, some Lone star tick activity may occur, but the dominant tick is the blacklegged (deer) tick! We hear daily, of both medical and veterinarian professionals, saying"𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬". During the fall, 𝟵𝟵% of tick bites are adult blacklegged (deer) ticks and the bigger it looks actually indicates the tick has been attached and feeding. 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 do not throw the tick away! Over 𝟱𝟬% of the adult blacklegged ticks are carriers of a tickborne pathogen. 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 & 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀. ❌
👉Submit the tick for testing at ticklab.org/test-my-tick

10/28/2024

Be careful out there, folks! Peak tick season. Protect you and your dogs against those little buggers. Yuck! Cedarcide and Wondercide are my top choices!

🕷 𝕋𝕚𝕔𝕜𝕤 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕦𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕓𝕖 𝕒 𝕓𝕦𝕣𝕕𝕖𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕗𝕒𝕝𝕝! While enjoying the nice weather and trick or treat festivities, remember ticks are lurking!🧟‍♂️
Found a tick?! Submit your tick for testing at ticklab.org/test-my-tick

10/26/2024

🥰

10/23/2024

Guess who is SEVEN today?! Hard to believe. Kai has a birthday on this spectacular fall day. Thought it fitting to capture her in the freshly fallen leaves. Happy 7th Birthday to my beautiful, crazy girl! Mommy loves you. 💖🐾🦴

10/20/2024

This pretty girl has an injury to her left hind leg, so she needs to take it easy. Kind of difficult with a crazy Czech GSD! Ugh. Hoping we can get it healed up without surgery. Please send some healing thoughts our way. 💖🙏