Heartworm is a preventable, but serious and potentially fatal, parasite that primarily infects dogs, cats and ferrets. It can also infect a variety of wild animals, including wild canids (e.g., foxes, wolves, coyotes), wild felids (e.g. tigers, lions, pumas), raccoons, opossums, and pinnipeds (e.g., sea lions and seals), as well as others. There have been…

What is Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD or FUS)? Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), sometimes called Feline Urological Syndrome (FUS), describes a variety of conditions that affect the bladder and urethra of cats. Cats with FLUTD most often show signs of difficulty and pain when urinating, increased frequency of urination, and blood in…

Most internal parasites are worms and single-celled organisms that can exist in the intestines of dogs or cats. The most common worms are roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms. Common single-cell parasites are coccidia and Giardia. What are roundworms and how are they spread? Roundworms are the most common intestinal parasite in dogs and cats in…

At some point in their lives, many pets experience discomfort caused by external parasites such as fleas, ticks, or mites on their skin or in their ears. These parasites can be extremely irritating to pets and can cause serious skin problems and can carry diseases. Although this provides basic information about the most common external…

If your pet may have ingested a toxin call Hancock Animal Hospital at 617-773-0008, or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center 1-888-426-4435 or www.apcc.aspca.org Every home contains a variety of everyday items and substances that can be dangerous or even fatal if ingested by dogs and cats. You can protect your pet’s health by becoming…

Controlling your dog’s pain is essential to his/her overall well-being. Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) are a class of drugs commonly used to control pain and inflammation in dogs and people. NSAIDs help many dogs lead more comfortable lives. What are NSAIDs? NSAIDs help to control signs of arthritis and pain, including inflammation, swelling, stiffness, and…

There have been reported cases of Canine PARVO infections in the Boston area. We STRONGLY recommending this vaccination for all dogs. Canine Parvovirus* The “Distemper” vaccination that we use is a combination vaccine that includes protection from Parvo. Dogs that are current with the distemper/parvo vaccination are at very low risk for contracting the Parvo…

We are seeing a significant amount of ticks on dogs this year with many having exposure to Lyme disease. This is some information on lyme disease: At this time we are recommending monthly flea/tick preventative, daily tick checks and the lyme vaccine for many canine patients. Ticks? Ticks are external parasites that feed on the blood…