Tail Talk with Dr. O’Hara

Year-Round Defense: A Veterinarian's Guide to Keeping Pets Parasite-Free

• Dr. O’Hara • Episode 3

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Let's Talk About Preventative Medicine For Parasites

Parasites pose a year-round threat to our pets, but with the right preventative strategy, we can keep our furry companions safe, healthy, and itch-free. Dr. O'Hara dives into the complex world of pet parasites native to Eastern Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, explaining why our region's climate creates the perfect breeding ground for these unwelcome guests.

The conversation reveals four primary parasitic threats pet owners need to guard against: intestinal worms, fleas, ticks, and the particularly dangerous heartworms. Each carries unique risks, from the cardiovascular damage caused by heartworms to the debilitating effects of Lyme disease transmitted by ticks. Dr. O'Hara shares a powerful story about a young dog who became unable to walk due to Lyme disease but recovered quickly once properly diagnosed and treated—highlighting both the severity of these threats and how effective early intervention can be.

We tackle common misconceptions, like the belief that winter provides a natural break from parasite prevention. Dr. O'Hara explains why year-round protection matters even during colder months and clarifies the substantial difference between prescription-strength preventatives and over-the-counter alternatives. The discussion takes a surprising turn when we explore how parasite prevention for your pet actually creates an important barrier that protects your entire household—those ticks riding in on your dog could easily transfer to your furniture, beds, and ultimately to human family members.

Whether you're a new pet parent or a seasoned owner, this episode provides practical guidance on choosing the right preventatives (oral for dogs, topical for cats) and understanding why quality prevention is essential for your pet's comfort and overall quality of life. Ready to upgrade your pet's parasite protection? Give us a call at Abingdon Animal Medical Center at 276-628-9655 or visit MyAbingdonVet.com to book your appointment today.

To learn more about Abingdon Animal Medical Center visit:
https://www.MyAbingdonVet.com
Abingdon Animal Medical Center
19586 Dennison Drive
Abingdon, VA 24211
276-628-9655

Speaker 1:

Welcome to Tail Talk with Dr O'Hara, where eastern Tennessee and southwest Virginia's favorite pets get the spotlight they deserve. He's the heart behind Abingdon Animal Medical Center, combining small-town charm with state-of-the-art veterinary care. Whether your furry friend purrs, barks or just steals your socks, this is the place for tips, tails and a whole lot of tail wagging.

Speaker 2:

Fleas, ticks and heartworms. Oh my, Dr O'Hara breaks down how to keep your pets protected year-round with smart preventative care. O'hara breaks down how to keep your pets protected year round with smart preventative care. Welcome back everyone. Skip Monty, co-host, slash producer, back in the studio with Dr O'Hara, his better half, jenny, and their third better third, bowie. Yeah, all right, welcome guys. How are you doing, skip? Doing well? Hope you guys are having a good day. Yeah, well, I am very excited about today's episode. I'm sure Bowie is as well, because when it comes to parasites, prevention is really the best medicine. So let's talk about preventative medicine for parasites and what can come of that, doc.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, there's like three main parasites I'd say we're trying to prevent, right? I guess you're trying to prevent intestinal worms, you're trying to prevent fleas and you're trying to prevent ticks. I would say those are the big things we're trying to prevent.

Speaker 2:

And we all know I'm sure most pet owners have had a lot of fun with one of those three at least.

Speaker 3:

unfortunately, and then there's the hidden one, which is, too, is heartworm right, Heartworm disease? We're trying to prevent that. That's kind of a thing that you don't want. That's spread by mosquitoes. When the mosquitoes take a blood mill off your pet they can transfer it if they're carrying the microflora there. So the cool thing is that most heartworm preventions prevent intestinal worms too, and that's why I really like it. If you take your monthly it's usually monthly oral heartworm prevention, You'll prevent that intestinal worms too.

Speaker 2:

I've personally had some experience with some kind of not heartworm, but the dogs, my beagles, were digging in the dirt and eating snails and apparently there was some kind of larva in the snails that they were eating that was causing horrible problems losing weight.

Speaker 4:

Oh my gosh yeah.

Speaker 3:

So some worms are intestinal worms they just kind of steal food, and others can cause pretty high pathology inside the intestinal lining, and so that's why you know you want to be on prevention, definitely want to prevent heartworm disease and definitely want to prevent intestinal parasites.

Speaker 2:

Well, speaking of heartworms, how do they actually? How do heartworms impact a pet's health long-term?

Speaker 3:

They can cause major cardiovascular issues within the heart itself and the lungs too and can cause just big-time cardiovascular issues and breathing issues and really actually if not caught early enough, can be pretty dangerous.

Speaker 2:

Well, what in East Tennessee, southwest Virginia? What are the most common parasites that you encounter?

Speaker 3:

Well, besides, then you know, we see a lot of intestinal worms and we can fix that with dewormers, that's okay A lot of fleas and ticks in this area. This is like a perfect climate for fleas and ticks to thrive. I mean, it doesn't get super crazy cold all the time, it's not scorching hot all the time. So ticks. One thing with ticks is, I'm finding in this area and that's why being on prevention for ticks is really important we're starting to see an uprise in Lyme disease in and that's one of the big things is, you know, a tick attached for 48 hours has the potential to spread Lyme disease onto your dog. And then Lyme disease causes kidney problems in dogs and joint problems in dogs, and then you're dealing with that.

Speaker 3:

I had a patient not too long ago. This really young dog, a year old, came in and couldn't walk. It really couldn't. I was like this is so weird. We got to screen this patient. We got to do the tic titer test on this dog and, sure enough, it was Lyme positive. We got it started on doxycycline and I'm telling you, within a couple of days he was back to normal and doing well. He had to stay. He has to stay on it for a month.

Speaker 2:

I keep him on it for a month but he turned around really quickly. But it was really sad. He was so locked up in his joints from Lyme disease that he kind of hurt a lot. Wow, and can they?

Speaker 3:

fully recover from Lyme disease. Yes, we catch it early enough. That owner was pretty diligent, I mean. I think it just started the day it was really acute and it just started the day before we got it on. You get to catch on an early. They can make a full recovery for sure. Very good. If it lingers and becomes chronic it can cause some chronic arthritis and some chronic kidney issues. So it's something we wanna get on early.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely.

Speaker 4:

And one thing I think a lot of people forget to think about is that with ticks, having your pet on tick prevention also helps keep ticks from being spread inside of your home. So to yourself and your children that's really important, because otherwise they're riding in on your pet and then once they're done feasting on your pet, then they're walking around your house and they usually will get onto your bed or onto you and then that's how. So it's not just preventing it for your pet, it's also preventing it for those inside of your home.

Speaker 2:

For you? Yeah Well, are there. I know growing up in the South and I've got an aunt who's a horse trainer and she has said, you know, in the wintertime you don't have to worry about heartworm prevention, or you know, like if you're on a regular monthly regime. And is that true? Are there seasonal considerations for prevention?

Speaker 3:

Well, Skip, you know when I retire or what type of way I would recommend you stay on prevention every month. You know, right, there's some people who don't want to do that. You know, in the deep cold of January they probably think, hey, doc, there's not a mosquito in sight right now, and you know they might be right, but there's still intestinal parasites out there. I don't want you getting, and that's what I tell them. You're preventing intestinal parasites. You might as well just get the heartworm prevention too. And because it's the same thing and the season with the fleas and ticks, when I can see them all year round, sometimes I see them in the middle of winter, sometimes with fleas and ticks. So I mean I think you should do that all the time.

Speaker 2:

Wow, well, speaking of fleas and ticks, I know there's over-the-counter prevention you can get at Walmart or wherever. Are there differences between over-the-counter and prescription preventatives?

Speaker 3:

A hundred percent, skip. I mean the prescription stuff you have to get from your veterinary office works a lot better than the over-the-counter stuff. I'm not saying some of the over-the-counter stuff doesn't work. It may work a little bit. But what I find is it may work for, like it says, it's going to work for a month and it works for a week or two. It doesn't. And then you come in and you're pleased because you were thinking it was going to work for a month and you only actually got a week or two out of it.

Speaker 2:

I typically use, I. I forget the name of it, but you actually squeeze some of it out on the animal's back right below their neckline. Do you recommend that?

Speaker 3:

I recommend oral for dogs and topical for cats. Most cats it's topical prevention. Most of the time with dogs, I just like it to be getting their system. I know it's in there and you know. I think that oral pills and dogs work better.

Speaker 2:

So, oral for dogs, topical for cats, good to know. Good to know. One more thing.

Speaker 3:

Skip if he was talking about parasites, and the one I didn't get into was fleas. Fleas are a nuisance, because fleas and a lot of dogs cause severe allergies, and cats too. They can cause allergy. In cats it's the flea, it's the saliva in the flea. When they take a bite. It depends on how sensitized that patient is. It can set off a massive itchy reaction, hypersensitivity, which then leads to secondary bacterial infections, and so that's why flea control is really big too.

Speaker 2:

Well, and it can, it can really irritate. I mean, besides allergic reaction, it just irritates the crap out of them, right?

Speaker 4:

I can't.

Speaker 2:

Imagine being covered in those things.

Speaker 3:

And we talked about on previous casts, about quality of life. Right, that's what we're all about is the quality of that's life, and if you're itching and scratching and all that, how good is your quality of life in that moment? Right?

Speaker 2:

Absolutely, absolutely Well, dr O'Hara, thanks again. Appreciate your professional advice and it keeps our furry friends safe and itch free. So thank you for that. Thanks, jeff.

Speaker 4:

Thank you so much. All right guys.

Speaker 2:

And I'll look forward to seeing you guys on the next Tail Talk. All right, wonderful, thank you See you, then you guys have a good one.

Speaker 1:

Thanks for joining us on Tail Talk with Dr O'Hara. If your four-legged family member needs a checkup, a stylish groom or just a cozy place to stay, give us a call or text at 276-628-9655 or visit MyAbingdonVetcom to book your appointment. Abingdon Animal Medical Center a small town feel with state-of-the-art care and plenty of belly rubs.