As Spring Blooms, Health Risks for Pets Loom
For pets, springtime can be a season of allergies,
parasites, and passionate meowing.
Written by: Leslie Wyant, DVM

After a dreary winter, who can wait to get out into that bright sunshine? It seems to get easier to rise out from under those warm bedcovers with each passing day. The birds singing their morning greeting and the flood of sunbeams urge those sleepy eyelids open. Your cat or dog is happy that you seem to have come back to life, just like the early blooming flowers.

But before you fling into spring head-on, take a moment to make sure you've taken the proper precautions to protect your pet's health. The season of baseball and sunshine and barbecues, spring is also a time of year that brings a lot of traffic into the veterinarian's office, for a variety of reasons. With responsible pet ownership, however, many potential health risks can be averted.

Spring fever

Have you noticed your female cat meowing excessively, acting very friendly, and contorting her back when she is stroked? Well, spring is the season of love for cats. The female cries to attract males, which may travel from up to a mile to "court" her.

Cats are seasonally polyestrus, meaning that they come in and out of heat multiple times from January through September until they become pregnant. Due to the lengthening daylight hours beginning in January, female cats begin to have heat cycles because they are photosensitive: their cycles are influenced by light. Additionally, the female cat will not ovulate unless she has mated with one or more male cats. It is possible for kittens from the same litter to have different fathers.

We recommend that you have your pet, whether it is male or female, neutered. This will not only cut down on the incessant crying and the number of tomcats gathering in your yard, but it also will allow the cat to lead a healthier life. A neutered cat is less likely to go out and roam, where it can be hit by a car or contract a fatal virus as a result of a cat fight. In addition, a significant reduction in the chance of mammary cancer is seen when females are spayed before their first heat cycle.

Too much spring in your step?

As soon as it starts to grow warmer, people tend to switch their exercise routines into high gear ... maybe because swimsuit season is just around the corner. Aches and pains often follow a rigorous workout -- discomfort that healthy people usually can manage, but that can be dangerous to smaller animals. An owner who makes the pet part of his or her exercise routine may be surprised to find that after a day of running in duo, the dog has difficulty moving. Dogs get sore muscles and joints just like humans. Stiff tendons and ligaments can suffer damage when overused, resulting in more severe lameness that may even require surgery.

To prevent these problems, make slow changes to the exercise routine that you and your dog follow. Gradually modify how strenuous the activity is and how long you both perform it. If you accidentally overdo it, you may need to take the animal to see your veterinarian for evaluation and treatment. Definitely consult the doctor before using any over-the-counter pain medications, as some of these can cause side effects in dogs and cats. Tylenol in particular should be avoided.

Parasites of spring

Spring also brings along the start of external parasite season. Ticks appear in the spring, with fleas following along later in the summer. Because ticks can transmit serious diseases to your pet and family, you should use preventative measures to avoid ticks. Contact your veterinarian for safe and effective products, many of which also prevent fleas.

Seasonal allergies

People are not the only ones affected by pollen and other airborne allergens. However, inhalant allergy symptoms in dogs and cats more commonly include itching, hair loss, ear infections, and dermatitis, or skin problems. Dogs and cats do not tend to get runny eyes and sneezing as much as human allergy sufferers. Depending where you live, your pet's worst allergy time may vary. Unfortunately, the spring is usually just the beginning of most allergy problems.

Sometimes, allergies can be managed by reducing the exposure to allergens, and by the use of antihistamine or other allergy medication and special shampoo therapy. In severe cases, it may be healthier for your pet to have its specific allergies diagnosed using allergy testing and treated with allergy shots. This approach can greatly reduce the need for medications that can have unwanted side effects. Veterinary dermatologists are specialized in allergy testing and formulating appropriate allergy serum.

Be prepared

Spring is a much-welcomed season but it does bring with it some health problems for animals. Knowing what to expect can help you and your pet enjoy the season to its fullest.

Article courtesy of VetCentric.com
Originally published March 25, 2007
Written by: Leslie Wyant, DVM
For more information on this article, please visit http://www.vetcentric.com