Posts Tagged ‘ani-meals’
Ani-meals Blog: Pets, Parasites and People
Courtesy Thomas Dock, Noah’s Brandywine Animal Hospital
Intestinal Parasite Awareness
“Be sure to bring a fecal sample when Fluffy comes in for her visit!”
How many times have you heard a veterinary receptionist, technician or even the veterinarian say that? Do you wonder why we have such a strong passion for seeing poop from your pet?
The answer to that question may not be the most appealing thing to you, but it does have a direct impact on the health of your pet AND of your whole family! Almost every puppy or kitten born into this world will come fully equipped with either roundworms or hookworms (or both) already living inside of them. These intestinal parasites are passed to the young animals from the mom through the placenta or through nursing and can be deadly to the young animal.
Adult animals will also carry these parasites, although there is much less danger to them. They tend to shed eggs from the parasites during times of stress. At the website, PetsAndParasites.com, you can track how prevalent these parasites are in your state and county.
But the bigger danger is actually to the two-legged members of your family. Both hookworms and roundworms are zoonotic, meaning they can be passed to humans from animals. We are not the normal hosts for these parasites, so their migration through our body can cause some serious issues, especially in children.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 15% of the population of the United States has been infected with roundworms. In rare cases, children develop blurry vision, eye pain or have even had an eye removed due to the presence of roundworm larva. Hookworm larva actually burrow into our skin and travel through the body in the connective tissue. This condition is known as cutaneous larva migrans and is reported to be extremely uncomfortable due to the itchiness.
What About Heart Disease?
Another parasite that causes significant issues for our dogs and cats are heartworms. Unlike intestinal parasites, these foot-long worms live in the hearts and lungs of our pets. Heartworms are spread by mosquitoes, and it just takes one to infect your furry friend. Sadly, many pets die each year from this preventable disease.
So, what’s the best thing to keep you and your WHOLE family safe? Just follow a few simple rules:
First, listen to what your mother said and WASH YOUR HANDS! This is a great way to keep any of the parasite’s microscopic eggs from finding their way to your mouth when you eat. Parents should take extra care to make sure children clean their hands, especially after playing with pets or running in the yard where animals might defecate.
Second, pick up your pet’s poop and dispose of it. The sooner you can get it out of the yard, the less chance the parasite eggs will have to hatch and release infective larva.
The Vet Recommends …
Third, keep your pet current on monthly heartworm prevention, every month, all year long, even in the cold winter months. These medications will help to control roundworm and hookworm infestations and limit the number of eggs shed into your yard and will stop the heartworm larva from growing up to be adult heartworms!
Finally, don’t be shy when it comes to checking your pets for parasites. We should check stool samples at least every 6 months, and although twice a year may seem excessive to you, both roundworms and hookworms have a life cycle that can be completed in less than a month. An annual blood test to screen for heartworms should also be done. These testing protocols help veterinarians find the nasty parasites before for your pets or family develop serious health problems.
Call Noah’s Brandywine at (317) 462-7818 to make a free appointment for your pet by July 1, 2022!
IT’S THE SEASON FOR PREVENTION!
This season, take as good care of your pets as you do yourself with healthy check-ups and preventative care. Thanks to a Meals on Wheels America grant, we’re able to provide pet food, adoption, vet services, grooming and boarding for Meals on Wheels clients. And great news, we’re partnering with Noah’s Brandywine Animal Hospital to help you go the extra mile for your pet through our new Ani-meals program!
Sign up your pet for an appointment for the FREE
MOW pet preventative package that may include:
• Annual physical exam and vaccinations
• Recommended bloodwork
(including heartworm test and health screening panel)
• Stool test to screen for intestinal parasites
• 1-year supply of parasite prevention
(including flea/tick, heartworm, intestinal parasite control)
Contact Noah’s Brandywine Animal Hospital at (317) 462-7818 to set up a FREE pet appointment.
Book today! Offer expires July 1, 2022.*
Call Meals on Wheels at (317) 477-FOOD for meal and pet food delivery questions.
*Must be a client enrolled in the Meals on Wheels of Hancock County program for complimentary pet care.
Keeping Seniors and Pets Together
PETSMART CHARITIES® AND MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA DISTRIBUTE MORE THAN $600,000 IN GRANTS TO SUPPORT SENIORS AND THEIR PETS
ARLINGTON, Va. / Meals on Wheels America
Meals on Wheels America is proud to announce that the Meals on Wheels Loves Pets grant program, supported by PetSmart Charities, has distributed $601,538 in grants to support senior nutrition program pet services nationwide. Funding will be used to provide Meals on Wheels clients and their pets with food, supplies, grooming and improved access to veterinary care, all of which can often present financial and physical challenges for older adults to manage on their own.
This partnership with PetSmart Charities is part of Meals on Wheels America’s strategic effort to combat social isolation and loneliness among seniors across the country and has helped nearly 17,000 Meals on Wheels clients remain at home to age in place with their beloved pets. This year, Meals on Wheels America and PetSmart Charities awarded grants to 79 local Meals on Wheels programs through the Meals on Wheels Loves Pets initiative.
One in four seniors lives alone and, for many of them, their pet is their closest companion. In fact, recent research made possible by PetSmart Charities and released in June shows that nearly 100 percent of Meals on Wheels clients receiving pet services report that their pet brings happiness to their life. Seniors with pets are less likely to exhibit depression, report feelings of loneliness and experience illness. However, clients with pets often face financial or transportation barriers to securing adequate pet care, and many may forgo their own personal care in order to provide for their pets.
“Having the company of a pet not only makes homebound seniors feel less lonely but also improves their physical and mental well-being, helping them to stay happier, healthier and more independent. Yet, nearly half of the clients receiving pet assistance from Meals on Wheels don’t have anyone else to help them with their pet needs,” said Meals on Wheels America President and CEO Ellie Hollander. “That’s why we’re so appreciative of our growing partnership with PetSmart Charities – it makes it possible for us to continue to invest Meals on Wheels Loves Pets grants in local Meals on Wheels programs in 31 states to provide critical supplies, care and assistance.”
“As an organization dedicated to supporting pets and the people who love them, PetSmart Charities is proud to continue partnering with Meals on Wheels America to help provide essential services to seniors and their pets,” said PetSmart Charities President Aimee Gilbreath. “We know there is a large population of seniors experiencing financial challenges caused by the pandemic and facing the difficult choice of caring for themselves or their beloved pet. This partnership helps ensure they won’t have to make that choice.”
For more information on Meals on Wheels America’s efforts surrounding older adults and their pets, please visit https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/connection. For more information on PetSmart Charities, please visit www.petsmartcharities.org.
ABOUT MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA
Meals on Wheels America is the leadership organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior isolation and hunger. This network serves virtually every community in America and, along with more than two million staff and volunteers, delivers the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that enable America’s seniors to live nourished lives with independence and dignity. By providing funding, leadership, education, research and advocacy support, Meals on Wheels America empowers its local member programs to strengthen their communities, one senior at a time. For more information, or to find a Meals on Wheels provider near you, visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org.
ABOUT PETSMART CHARITIES®
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is committed to finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. Through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities helps to find forever homes and families for more than 600,000 shelter pets each year. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the PIN pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses more than 90 cents of every dollar donated to fulfill its role as the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, granting more than $450 million since its inception in 1994. Independent from PetSmart Inc., PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization that has received the Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, a third-party organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 17 years in a row – placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org.
Follow PetSmart Charities on Instagram: @PetSmartCharities
Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs Find PetSmart Charities on
Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc