seizures

Do you have a beautiful, full, dark green exotic palm tree as a houseplant? Do you have exotic palms as part of your landscaping? If you have pets or livestock that can access these plants you may want to rethink the use of them in your garden.

Did you know that rabies is responsible for the death of one person worldwide every 10 minutes? Children are affected by rabies more than every other age group with approximately 100 children, primarily in Asia and Africa, dying each and every day. In the United States, where there are strict requirements for rabies vaccinations in domestic animals, we still diagnose, on average, from one to three cases of rabies in humans each year.

Think toads are harmless? Do you think it’s alright if your dog or cat decides on a frog-leg snack? If you live in a warmer part of the world you might just want to rethink your position. Especially large or colorful frogs may be hazardous to the health of your pets. In fact, toads were responsible for the 8^th most common way pets were poisoned during 2007 in the United States.

Are there mosquitoes in your area? Have you ever been bitten by a mosquito? One mosquito bite and your cat can be affected by heartworm disease. It is just that easy for your cat to obtain this life-threatening infection. Fortunately, heartworm disease is completely preventable, yet less than 4% of the cats in the United States are given heartworm preventative on a regular basis.

According to both the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, pets are more likely to exceed recommended levels of lead exposure through household contamination rather than by pet toys. Pets and children may be exposed to lead contained in consumer products like lead sinkers used to weigh down fishing lines, the consumption of old paint chips, linoleum, certain paints used by artists, or the inhalation of lead dust when surfaces of older homes are scraped or sanded.

Heartworms or Dirofilaria immitis are a spaghetti-type worm that will develop in the heart and lungs of an affected feline. Heartworm disease in cats was first reported in 1920’s both in Brazil and in the U.S. Domestic and exotic felines may all become infected. Heartworms affect male and female cats in equal numbers.