Author Archives: Dr. Lonna Nielsen

April is Heartworm Awareness Month across the nation. This disease is prevalent in all parts of our country since dogs travel often with their owners. When I started practicing over 35 years ago, pet owners had to give dogs a daily tablet to protect against heartworm disease. We only did prevention 3 seasons since mosquitoes are not a concern in the winter months. Every dog had a heartworm test in the spring. As you can imagine the spring schedule was intense because if they came in for the heartworm test, they wanted to do everything at the same time. During my senior year of veterinary school my last rotation was a preceptorship for the 6 weeks before graduation. That was a huge plus looking for jobs because I was able to start in April and help during that busy season. My first job was in St. Cloud, Minnesota at Granite City Pet Hospital. It was a newer practice with a seasoned veterinarian who was growing his business and needed assistance. My husband and I both visited the area and after our interviews we both were given a thumbs up that we would have jobs waiting for us if we accepted. Dan would move from Farm Credit Services in Perry, Iowa to continue his role with them in St. Cloud, MN. I would begin working as a veterinarian under the supervision of the current owner until passing my National and State boards. As it worked out, we spent the next 12 years in the St. Cloud area.

Today Heartworm prevention looks very different. For instance, cats are a secondary host for heartworms and causes lung disease if exposed. We never had options for cat prevention until recently. Now there is a product called Revolution Plus that protects cats against heartworms as well. We now have an annual injection called Proheart 12 for all dogs over 12 months of age to prevent heartworm disease. This new product has allowed owners to focus only on flea and tick prevention at home. We do heartworm prevention year-round because these products do not stop infection on day 1 when given. They are slowly released over the course of the year and knock down the larva as they mature. Also, so many are traveling with pets that many exposures are happening as people seek warmer climates. The winter even here in Iowa has changed enough that we have ticks year-round now. Prevention is key when it comes to protecting our pets against these diseases.   

April 1-7^th is International Pooper Scooper Week. Who would have known there would be a week for this. The week is designed to encourage people to pick up poop after their pet(s). There is a concern about pet waste contaminating the water supply and surrounding environments. Poop broken down by the sun can still spread intestinal parasites to other dogs that sniff in the location of the decaying stool. Some dogs tend to eat poop so by being a good canine pet owner and removing their waste we can prevent other diseases from occurring. Many cities have ordinances that fine people for not picking up after their pet(s). I have seen fines anywhere from $100 – 1000 for failure to comply.  The city of Winterset has an ordinance stating in section 3.1304 and 3.1305 about clean up and penalties associated with dog poop. The fines start small but increase over time for multiple offenses. If you need some light reading material before bed, check out Chapter 13, pages 131-132 in the following link:

• View the Winterset Municipal Code

April 2^nd is Ferret Day. A lot of people do not think of ferrets as pets. Any owners I have known over the years, if they have one, they have multiples. They are inquisitive and can be very entertaining as you watch them explore the world around them. Care is often centered around spay and neuter. There are no vaccinations specifically for ferrets, but we use the canine distemper vaccination and rabies for dogs and cats if needed. Some people want to descent a ferret to reduce odor. It is important to know they will still have a musky odor since the skin has glands that secrete oils as well.

April 11^th is National Pet Day. Is there ever a day that our pets are not front and center?  2006 was the first year this holiday was recognized. The founder, Colleen Paige, wanted to celebrate the joy that pets bring to our lives but also raise awareness for all the pets waiting in shelters to be adopted. She also was the founder of National Dog Day and National Cat Day.  Think about posting a photo of you with your pet(s) on Thursday April 11^th to recognize the joy and health benefits you receive from your pet(s).

April 14-21, 2024 is National Dog Bite Prevention week. For years I would spend a day each spring at one of the 3 different schools in our county discussing Dog Bites and how to prevent them. It was part of the Health and Safety Fair funded by Madison County Cares and Madison County Health Care System. It ran for 12 straight years but then Covid hit. As with many programs, it was never scheduled again. I have kept my poster hoping that one day there will be a place to share this valuable information again. The misunderstanding is that only certain breeds are dangerous. Over 30 different breeds of dogs have killed people. Most of the injured are children and most bites happen with a dog that is familiar to the victim. Please teach your children to ASK to pet a person’s dog. HOLD OUT THEIR HAND to let the dog sniff them before approaching any closer. If the dog growls or raises a lip or snaps they will be farther away to react and avoid serious injury. Those two simple things can reduce the incidence of dog bites.

April 27, 2024 is World Veterinary Day. This celebration takes place every year the last Saturday of April. It was established in the year 2000 to celebrate those in the veterinary profession. They wanted to acknowledge not only the veterinarians but also the staff that help keep our pets healthy and disease free. Did you know that the first veterinary college was opened in 1761 in France? If interested in learning more about the World Veterinary Association or how you can celebrate World Veterinary Day follow this link:

World Veterinary Day (April 27th, 2024) | Days Of The Year

April 30^th is National Therapy Animal Day. There seems to be a lot of confusion about service dogs, therapy dogs, or emotional support dogs.  In April 2017 I wrote a blog about these terminologies hoping to help people understand the difference.

Is This a Service Animal, Therapy Animal, or Pet? Winterset Veterinary Center Blog

There is a place for therapy dogs trained and certified to help people during a crisis or illness. Please do not try to pass your personal pet off as a therapy or service dog or cat. When people do these things, it makes it more difficult for those who truly do need their service dog or therapy animal to go to public spaces with them.  The following link shares more information about National Therapy Animal Day if you are interested in celebrating this event with a special therapy dog or cat.

National Therapy Animal Day

Multiple other holidays are in the month of April that you can look up in the attached link. It is difficult to list them all. I just decided to touch on a few of them.

National Dog Day and 150+ Other Pet Holidays to … Happy Spring and Happy Easter to all my readers. Get out and enjoy the warm weather and sunshine. Only 6 months before the first frost shows up again. Got to take advantage of these longer days. Easter seems early this year. Looking at past history, Easter usually falls on a Sunday between March 22^nd and April 25^th. Good thing the flowers started early too.

February was an amazing month for weather. Feel that spring has come early but here come March. The old saying: “In like a lamb out like a lion,” should be considered. With the new month comes a whole new set of days to celebrate critters in the animal kingdom. Let’s see how many days you can celebrate in March 2024 with the wide variety of pet holidays.

March 1:	National Pig Day National Welsh Corgi Day National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day Employee Appreciation Day (first Friday in March)
March 2:	International Rescue Cat Day
March 3:	World Wildlife Day If Pets Had Thumbs Day Tripawed Awareness Day
March 8:	International Akita Day
March 13:	K-9 Veterans Day
March 14:	World Kidney Day UK Dog Theft Awareness Day
March 15:	National Catio Day
March 17:	Saint Gertrude of Nivelles Day (patron saint of cats)
March 20:	National Westie Day World Sparrow Day
March 23:	National Puppy Day
March 25:	National Newfoundland Dog Day
March 27:	National Terrier Day
March 28:	Respect Your Cat Day
March 30:	Take a Walk in the Park Day

Interesting list of celebrations for the month of March. In honor of National Pig Day on March 1^st, I have posted a photo of our clients with their miniature pigs Flower and Daisy. I have fond memories of my days raising hogs on our family farm in the 70’s. My brother and I showed hogs in FFA and had great success with our Hampshire/Duroc cross. We had a farrow to finish operation for most of my childhood years. I was the county and district Pork Queen and traveled promoting pork around the state of Iowa and even got a trip to Southern California to promote pork. Monday night is the Pork Producers Banquet celebrating the benefits of our porcine friends. Whether as companions or livestock we are better off with pigs in our lives.  See you at the banquet!

March 3^rd Is If Pets Had Thumbs Day. WHAT? Where did this celebration come from. Seems thought has gone into if pets had thumbs would they even need us? They could get their own food, open their own doors, fill their own water bowls, and do many other tasks. I thought it might be a day to celebrate polydactyles like Cheetoe. I would call these THUMBS!

Never knew March 3rd is a TriPAWED Awareness Day for pets that are amputees. Dr Jim does this surgery 3-4 times a year for various reasons. Trauma cases are the most common reason a pet’s limb is removed. We also have situations where the nerves have been damaged by a trauma event and getting the sensation back is unlikely, so the decision is made to amputate. Bone cancer is another reason a limb is removed to reduce likelihood of the cancer spreading to other limbs. It is amazing how well tripawed dogs and cats do with day-to-day activities. I adopted a cat that had been run over and her paw had lost innervation to the front leg. Dr Jim amputated it and she still loved to run and hunt like the rest of them. She never wanted sympathy or special treatment. She just wanted to be treated like everyone else. The picture of Rose with her special friend shows how fun life can be as a tripawed! Rose has been a tripawed most of her life and brings such joy to all around her. She never misses an opportunity to explore her world when given the chance. Let’s flood Facebook with photos of our tripaws on March 3^rd. Today it is possible to have a prosthetic limb made for animals that lose a limb. How far we have come in helping our animals live life to its fullest.

March 15^th is National Catio Day. I had to look this one up. It is thinking outside of the box to give your cat more stimulation about the outside world without ever exposing them to it. For instance, a glass box window that juts out from your house. When looking at it from the outside it appears your cat is suspended in the air. Enclosures that allow your cat to go out on the patio but never touch the ground. A sunroom that is set up for your cats to feel like they are in the outdoors. Look it up. You would be amazed at people’s creativity. Cats love to be able to climb up and look over their kingdom.

Saint Gertrude of Nivelles is considered the patron saint of cats. The history behind this is interesting. She lived during a time in Belgium (600 AD) when rats were a common pest. She brought cats into the monastery to control the rat population. In the 1980’s someone decided to make her a patron saint of cats. The day is March 17^th. If you are not Irish and have no interest in drinking green beverages maybe you can celebrate St. Gertrude of Nivelles Day with your favorite felines!  Follow this link for a beautiful prayer for your cat(s) from an article by CatGenie. 

Saint Gertrude of Nivelles: Patron Saint Of Cats

March 23^rd is National Puppy Day. If you ask me, every day is puppy day if you are lucky enough to have one. Wonderful to honor them with a celebration but from my point of view they bless us every day just by being in our lives. Whether your dog is young or old, big or little, bald or hairy, they all play a major role in bringing us joy, comfort, companionship, unconditional love, reasons to get outside and enjoy our unseasonably warm weather. That leads me to the next day to celebrate which is March 30^th – Walk in the Park Day. Our pets can keep us active by encouraging us to get outside and take a walk.  Let the sun fill you with warmth and your furry friend remind you of all the blessings in your life.  Happy Spring everyone!

LET’S MOVE ON FROM JANUARY. For me January is the longest month of the year. Not certain if it is the shorter daylight or the freezing cold, or like this year the blizzard conditions but I am very glad to put it in the review mirror. February being the shortest month of the year even though 2024 is a leap year is full of pet events. Our profession has done a great job of promoting February as Dental health Month for our furry friends. Let’s look at other fun events that this month holds.

• Dog Training Education Month
• National Cat Health Month
• National Prevent a Litter Month
• Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month
• Responsible Pet Owners Month
• Feb 2^nd: Hedgehog Day (Groundhog Day)
• Feb 2^nd: Golden Retriever Day
• Feb 3^rd: Doggie Date Night
• Feb 7^th-14^th: Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Week
• Feb 14^th:  Pet Theft Awareness Day
• Feb 18^th-24^th: National Justice for Animals Week
• Feb 20^th: National Love Your Pet Day
• Feb 22^nd: National Walking the Dog Day
• Feb 22^nd: National Wildlife Day (also celebrated in September)
• Feb 23^rd: International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day
• Feb 27^th: International Polar Bear Day
• Feb 28^th: World Spay Day

The most known celebration would be Groundhog Day on February 2^nd each year. I discovered while looking at the history of this event that Punxsutawney Phil and Polk County Paula (yes we have our own celebrity in Iowa!) are only right 40% of the time. If you use their predictions on how many more weeks of winter, you might be disappointed. The Farmer’s Almanac may be more reliable but even that has had a rocky road when it comes to predictions. I believe only the Creator knows and He smiles down as we place our hope in these traditions.

One day I do want to acknowledge in the month of February is Golden Retriever Day. I am aware that multiple breeds have a special day but this one holds a special place in my heart. Our coach shown here was our first family dog. Our kids grew up with him and he left a permanent mark on their lives.

Our first-born child, Jaclyn, chose to follow the tradition and got Ciggy 7 months before our granddaughter was born. It has been a joy watching July grow up with Ciggy. It has brought back many fun memories of watching her mom grow up with Coach. We are only 2 ½ years into this new relationship but they are very bonded. I decided to do a photo drop of Ciggy and July through the last few years. You will see not only that I have one of the cutest granddaughters but also that Ciggy has been an exceptional companion for her. From the moment she came home he has showered her with snuggles and wet kisses. Get ready for some adorable photos and some “Nene pride and joy”.

February 3^rd is Doggie Date Night. This could be a fun event during the cold days of winter to plan a special event with your dog. Maybe you could have a dog get together with friends. Maybe you could plan a date at the local dog park. Maybe taking them on a weekend getaway would help break the boredom of long winter days and nights. Lots of hotels are allowing pets access to certain rooms in their buildings. Most have outdoor areas for elimination. They have realized if they want to attract pet loving customers they need to be more open to their fur babies.

I would also like to highlight the February 20^th National Love Your Pet Day. Take a great photo of you and your pet or pets between now and then. On the 20^th post those photos and let’s show the world how important our animal friends are in our lives. If you have lost a pet recently, share a photo in memory of them. Tell us why they are/were important in your life. With all the negativity in our world lets flood social media with positive messages.

I cannot forget to mention Feb 28^th World Spay Day. Since 1988 I have been in the veterinary profession. When I began practicing, we often did wait to spay/neuter cats and dogs. I am seeing a trend in the current pet owner population to wait. These decisions are for various reasons, and I will not go into those here today. I want to comment that the behavioral issues and health implications of waiting needs to be factored into the decision to wait. Dogs and cats that are left intact are going to be more “worldly” in their mannerisms. They are constantly distracted by the environment around them and less tuned into their humans. This is instinctive and they cannot prevent it. If you are questioning whether to spay/neuter early or delay, speak with your veterinarian. The resources are great online to educate yourself about this topic. Your veterinarian would be an even better resource. Most breeders have experiences that may impact their preferences. Friends and family as resources can be helpful but don’t rely only on what others say or think. Make these important decisions for yourself and your pet based on what situations are happening in your life. Our world has shelters that are overcrowded with adult dogs and cats that come from all walks of life. Be a responsible pet owner and avoid unwanted litters by spaying your dog or cat.

January weather has been less than normal but what a great opportunity to travel safely over the holidays. I have been mulling over what my blog topics should be this year. I have covered many different subjects over the last 7 1/2 years. Interesting to note that the “Hacking Cats” blog has had one of the highest hits on the great wide web! Guess we know what gets cat owners frustrated or concerned regularly.

I was looking for topics and discovered there are over 150 different pet holidays in a calendar year. I was curious to see what all those could be. January alone has 8 days designated as a pet holiday along with being labelled “Walk Your Dog month and “National Train Your Dog” month. Each special event has a website you can explore to get involved. The information is designed to help strengthen the bond between your dog and family. I have never heard a client say they regretted training their dog or going for walks with their dog. Both activities help your dogs and yourself stay healthier which improves everyones quality of life.

I will list the celebrations that are coming up in January. It was interesting to see the variety of celebrations that you can participate in this month. I was just curious about some of them so will highlight those here. Feel free to do your own research to learn more about these days in January.

• January  2nd  – National Pet Travel Safety Day
• January  5th   – National Bird Day
• January  8th   – National Labrador Retriever Day
• January 14th  – National Dress Up Your Pet Day
• January 21st  – Squirrel Appreciation Day
• January 22nd – National Answer Your Cat’s Question Day
• January 24th  – Change a Pet’s Life Day
• January 29th  – Seeing-Eye Guide Dog Birthday

Each of these has their own website giving history about the celebration. January 29th commemorates the date “The Seeing Eye” was incorporated in Nashville, TN in 1929. This organization is the oldest existing guide dog school in the world. New Jersey is the location of the current campus that includes not only administration and training centers, but also houses an adult breeding center with puppies that are kept there until 8 weeks of age. These puppies are monitored early for behavioral and physical concerns that could prevent them from being guide dogs for the blind. Not all puppies that begin the program graduate. This is one reason, of many, that it is not recommended that you purchase a puppy and have it trained. One person who did that exact thing stated, “After spending over $20,000 to train a service dog for my son we were left with a very expensive pet.” Be cautious if a trainer indicates they can train your puppy to be a service dog. It is not that easy and failure rates are high even with dogs from an organization like The Seeing Eye.

January 21st – Squirrel Appreciation Day – Never knew there was a day to appreciate squirrels. Many people and dogs get frustrated with squirrels. They are mischievous and crafty – acrobatic and entertaining all at the same time. There are 3 types of squirrels listed on this website worth noting: flying squirrels, tree squirrels, and ground squirrels. Ground squirrels include the chipmunks, groundhogs, marmots, and prairie dogs. Flying squirrels are unique in that they are nocturnal and difficult to see as they glide from tree to tree. Be sure to put out some extra corn to honor these creatures Sunday, January 21st.

National Bird Day is on January 5th. I had difficulty finding much history on this celebration but activities surrounding this day include birdwatching, studying birds, and even adoption. A bird owner must be prepared for screaming, biting, continual clean up, special dietary needs, and social interactions on a daily basis. Some birds can like parrots and Macaws can live 35-50 years. You thought a dog or cat required a long commitment.

During this long month of winter get out and celebrate one or more of these occasions. There are many species of birds that winter here in Madison County. Bundle up and head outside to see and listen for squirrel and bird activity. Dress up your pet on January 14th and post a picture on Facebook for all to see. Let’s enjoy this month as the days are getting longer and we are one day closer to spring.

At Winterset Veterinary Center we have the joy of spending our days with creatures great and small. We lost a special one suddenly today when Furitoe wandered out into harm’s way and was instantly killed. He will be remembered for his extra large feet and fluffy furry hair coat. He was born in April 2020 and came with his brother, Cheetoe, to work in the Customer Relations department at Winterset Veterinary Center. He took his job seriously and made a point of sitting on people’s jackets, purses, papers to get attention. He would chew on zippers and strings forcing a hand to pet him. He found joy in greeting customers and their pets as they entered our building daily.

The staff at Winterset Veterinary Center were constantly entertained by his interest in flushing toliets, dripping water faucets, empty boxes, etc. He would suddenly appear out of a closed cupboard during an appointment to the surprise of everyone in the room. He was a great retiever of toys. Throw a toy and he would bring it back to you as many times as you were willing to throw it. He loved a good belly rub and a warm lap to sit on.

Furitoe and Cheetoe often gave us photo/video opportunities that we shared on Facebook with our friends. Many of these friends only became  friends because of how adorable these two brothers have been. The photos shown here are just a small sample of a day in the life of Furitoe. We are deeply saddened by his passing and he will be missed tremendously by his brother, Cheetoe and all the staff,  clients,  and Facebook friends of Winterset Veterinary Center. 

If you have a special memory you would like to share we would love to hear it. Furitoe lived his life fast and was full of joy each day that he was on this earth. We know we will see him again someday at the Rainbow bridge and look forward to that soft nose, extra large feet, and soft fluffy hair coat that made him so huggable and loveable.

Where has 2023 gone? Long ago I was told that time goes faster as we age. I now understand that concept. Of course, we know that scientifically time is consistent but boy there are times I swear hours turn into minutes. This blog will cover multiple items since lots has happened since the last blog.

FIRST, let’s have a quick note on the mysterious canine respiratory disease. I believe the news has covered this well over the last few weeks. Unfortunately, we do not have an exact cause or cure at this time. The veterinary community is working on cases and diagnostics and treatment for this new condition. What we do know is that dogs in close contact with other dogs can spread this by sharing bowls, coughing, sneezing, licking another dog. Therefore, activities where dogs gather in close proximity to one another can spread the disease. They believe it is not a virus so finding the right antibiotics for treatment is crucial going forward. Dogs cough for lots of reasons. Please do not jump to conclusions that your dog has this disease just because it coughs. The disease does cause lethargy, fever, nasal discharge, cough, and potentially pneumonia. These dogs are sick. The cough is persistent it does not come and go. For instance, there are dogs that cough only when they get excited or only when they have been laying down. This would not correlate with this mystery respiratory disease. If you are concerned about your dog’s cough, please contact your veterinarian to find out how they want to proceed with diagnostics and treatment. Give the veterinary profession time to explore this new disease and we will surely share our findings once we have concrete information about it.

SECOND,  we have had a successful launch of the Librela osteoarthritis injection. The November blog goes into more detail about this new mode of treatment. We have had a few clients that have returned for the 2^nd injection and have been pleased with the positive changes in their aging dogs. Comments such as – my dog is running and playing with the other dogs more, I saw my dog jump onto the couch again, my dog is getting up off the floor easier, etc. Our goal is to help dogs age more gracefully and with less pain. If you have seen changes in your dog’s mobility please consider a course of injections to see if LIbrela can help them. Let’s make life as easy as possible for them in their senior years.

THIRD, please continue flea and tick medication year-round. I realize in the past once the cold weather arrived we stopped. Well, this last summer we had 11 positive lyme disease cases. Compare that to only 1 case in 2022. A significant increase. Why you might ask? Our winters do not have snow on the ground like years ago. If there is no snow, the deer ticks are out and active. Our dogs are out in the woods and tall grasses with them. Let’s stop the spread of these tick borne disease by protecting our dogs all year long. Once a dog gets lyme disease, it’s body does not clear it after that. We see kidney disease in older dogs related to positive lyme cases. Protect your pets and keep them on flea and tick prevention.

FOURTH, with holiday gatherings our pets are at higher risk of poisonings. Finding chocolate goodies or packages with edible items is a common reason for a emergency call during this time of year. We also see higher cases of stomach issues from vomiting and diarrhea because of eating items we normally would not feed our pets. Please refrain from offering different food items to your pets during the holidays. No one wants to spend the holidays in the ER with your dog.

A few months ago, I wrote a blog introducing a new product for cats with osteoarthritis. This month I want to introduce a product for dogs with osteoarthritis. This product is called LIBRELA. It is a monoclonal antibody that blocks the receptors that lead to chronic pain in arthritic joints. The product for cats is called Solensia. We have had that for almost a year. Our clients have indicated their cats do feel better and are more active after receiving their monthly injections for arthritis.

We are excited to offer this new product. It is a more natural form of therapy in relation to our non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs like carprofen or tramodol. This monthly injection does not have the same side effects that NSAID’s are known to cause over the months and years of usage. We will not have an immediate response on day 1 but over the course of the next 5-7 days improvements have been noted. The literature indicates the best benefits have been seen after 3 monthly consecutive dosages. It is important to commit to doing 3 months in a row to evaluate the positive changes seen in your dog’s mobility.

The following checklist is used to determine if your dog may be a good candidate for Librela. Sometimes these changes are so gradual that we do not recognize our dog may be dealing with arthritis. It is well noted that dogs are great at covering up their pain because they have such a high desire to bring joy to our lives. This product may be the right choice for you to bring back some pain free joy to their lives.

We are requiring lab work for our patients that have not had blood work in the last year prior to starting the Librela injections. Once we have done that, the injections are available to you monthly for as long as you feel your dog benefits from them. Most of our cat customers are showing signs of needing the next shot by 3.5 weeks. They get the injection and quickly start showing an interest in jumping up and down, climbing stairs, and zooming around once again. If you are tired of offering daily medications for joint pain or do not feel the medications are completely helping, maybe it is time to try a new approach. The research indicates most dogs and cats have some form of osteoarthritis by age 3-5. Imagine what the senior pets are dealing with in relationship to join pain and stiffness.

If you are interested in this new form of treatment for arthritis for your dog or cat, please reach out to us to set up an appointment. Let us help your pet have a more enjoyable holiday experience this year and be more active in 2024.

During this season we love to go out walking in the woods or wandering off the beaten path to enjoy the fall colors. The temperatures are perfect for our pets to enjoy the great outdoors. The challenge is the threat for us and our pets when it comes to tick borne diseases. We all think of ticks and fleas in the spring -summer seasons but the deer tick have a very active fall cycle as well. In May 2017 I wrote a blog called “Spring has Come”. The main focus was on the tick borne diseases of Lyme, Erlichiosis, and Anaplasmosis. These are the 3 main tick diseases we currently see in our canine patients in this area. If interested in reading more about those diseases, please follow this link to my previous blog.

As I stated in the blog 5 years ago, year-round prevention for fleas and ticks is needed. Our climate changes are creating a perfect opportunity for deer ticks to spread disease in all seasons. January and February of 2023 we had many days with no snow on the ground. Now don’t get me wrong, I am happy when there is no snow, but the deer ticks are even more excited about that. They will continue to be active and searching out hosts to continue their life cycle. I spoke with a taxidermist who indicated he must leave the deer in his freezer for 1 month before the ticks will be killed. Do you know of any other living creature that could sustain 30 days in a freezer?

In 2023 checking our client’s dogs for tick borne diseases, we have had 10 positive cases. That is 10 more than last year. This tells me we need to do a better job of tick prevention. These 10 cases were dogs of all sizes and some live within the city limits. If you live in Madison County, ticks are everywhere all year-round. Do not be fooled into thinking the weather has changed and we no longer need to do flea/tick prevention. WE DO NEED TO PROTECT OUR FURRY FRIENDS FROM THESE TICK BORNE DISEASES. The following images show the 3 common infections in our country. It is obvious that we are not in the heaviest infected regions but we are not far behind. Please protect each and every pet!

I am often surprised by people who move to Iowa and are not familiar with the tick-borne diseases. They have been made to believe that these tick diseases are no risk for their pets if living in Arizona or Montana for instance. I look at these maps and disagree totally with those statements. With people traveling across our great nation with their canines we are going to see these diseases on the rise in all areas of the country. Here in Iowa ticks have always been a threat to our dogs. In the last decade we have been fortunate to have new products that work better than the topicals of the past. These new oral products cover from their nose to their tail. No more sticky substances on their skin. No more issues with bathing or swimming. No more issues with grooming or thick hair coats that make it difficult to get the product to the skin. No more skin reactions from the topical products. A new generation of products that really can protect our furry friends.

My favorite product is Bravecto for flea and tick prevention. It is a 12 week chewable or dermally absorbed topical, if your pet is finicky, that goes internally. It has been on the market close to 10 years with minimal side effects. Over 250,000 million doses have been sold worldwide in 90 countries. Bravecto starts killing fleas previously on dogs within 2 hours and ticks within 4 hours. If a dog has Bravecto already in place ticks rarely attach and if attached quickly dry up. A flea will only bite once before dying which is great for flea allergic dogs who have major skin reactions each time the flea bites them. The chewable product must be given with a meal of food to help break it down to assure proper absorption for the 12 weeks. The topical product is applied to the skin and dermally absorbs. Once dry it can be removed through bathing and combing. The dog product is available in both forms, but the cat product is only topical. I think they knew cats will not typically eat something new when it is presented to them.

The side effects of this new class of preventions, in the isoxazoline family, are few. Reports of seizure like activity are seen in 1 out of 10,000 dogs. Now don’t get me wrong- when that is your dog– you are worried. I had one of those dogs. I verified it with 2 doses of bravecto 3 months apart. Within 10-14 days after the dosage was given I saw a seizure. I then returned to a monthly topical. He was fine from that point forward. The seizures will not continue if you stop the product. I was disappointed I could not use the oral Bravecto since it has been such a great preventative for Winterset Veterinary Center for the last many years. My cats are on Bravecto and I love the 3 month duration. This makes it much easier to not miss a dose. We are all busy so the less we have to remember each month the better.

A close second to the Bravecto, is another isooxazoline product called Simparica Trio. It contains a heartworm and intestinal parasite prevention along with the flea and tick aspect of it. It must be given each month but is extremely successful preventing these tick borne diseases as well. It also is in a chewable format that dogs love.

I do not care what flea/tick prevention you use but please do it year-round in Madison County Iowa. If you find ticks on your dogs or cats that are attached and feeding, they are at risk for these tick-borne diseases. Once they are infected, they never clear the infection from their bodies. There are many other products besides those I have named here. Ask your veterinarian how to prevent tick borne diseases in your area. If we can stop the ticks from feeding on our pet’s we will stop the threat of tick-borne diseases in our furry friends as well. Do your part and start year-round flea and tick prevention. Enjoy the fall weather and beautiful colors.

May, 1988 was a big day in Dr. Jim’s and my life. This month commemorates our graduation from Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine as certified Doctors of Veterinary Medicine. At that time, we had completed 21 and 20 years of education. I had chosen not to get a Bachelor degree prior to being admitted to Vet School and was lucky enough to get accepted. I had known since age 10 that was my career choice and at 25 years of age, I had accomplished that goal.

My career path took me from Iowa to St. Cloud, MN right after graduation. My husband, Dan, and I spent the next 12 years in that area before returning to the Des Moines area in 2000. In 2004, we made the decision to move to Winterset and I reconnected with my classmate, Dr. Jim. He was going through some staff changes at WVC in 2007 and asked if I wanted a job. The rest is history and I have been here for 16 years.

As we enter veterinary school our education covers all species of animals. I had grown up on a farm and anticipated doing large and small animal practice. During my senior year of veterinary school, I started thinking about driving around the countryside in a blizzard. It was not appealing. I do not like to be cold. I am very directionally challenged. My days before GPS were often plagued with wrong turns and lost moments. How would I find these remote locations in the country? Staying in a climate-controlled building with heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer was a better fit. I also considered the physical challenges large animal practice would bring. During my early years of practice, a giant breed dog was extremely rare. Today a dog weighing > 100 lbs is much more common. I am starting to realize my limitations when wrestling with dogs on nail trims and exams who may not be fans of strangers checking them over. Always grateful when owners are willing to assist during these moments.

I asked Dr Jim to share a few words about himself and his 35 years at Winterset Veterinary Center.

I grew up on a farm in Carroll County raising cattle, hogs, corn and beans. After high school I went to ISU majoring in Agronomy and Animal Science. Not knowing which direction to go, I applied to vet school after earning my degree in Animal Science and was accepted into ISU college of Veterinary Medicine. I joined Dr. Ken Henrichsen here in Winterset in 1988, four years after he opened Winterset Veterinary Center. He retired in 2007, when Dr Lonna then joined me. I have been happily practicing medicine for 35 years now. How time flies. My son Samuel was born weeks after our move here—man he is getting old!

We have witnessed so many changes in the practice of vet medicine since we graduated from school! For me, the biggest (best) change was cell phones. When I started here, being on call meant staying home by the phone for emergencies. The cell phone meant that I could go sit in the bleachers to watch my kid’s activities or go to a friend’s house for the evening. I also could do so much more communicating than the Motorola two-way radio in my truck. Computers also helped immensely with better record keeping, communication, and accounting. Digital x-ray is so much faster, safer, and cleaner than the old films and developer tanks in the dark room. Technology continues to give us more excellent tools and medicines for diagnostics and treatments. We have also had to keep more detailed records for compliance for governmental regulations—not complaining, but we would be buried without computer tracing and memory. Dr. Lonna talks about how the importance of social media in making people aware of your practice is one of her biggest changes. It is important to have a presence through a website and other social media sites like Facebook. Many clients find us from their cell phone google search and not a yellow page ad in the local phone book. Does anyone even have those anymore?

We have seen so many puppies come here and mature for long happy healthy lives and then come for the last visit. So many clients had kids grow up with mine, and now have their own families and pets or livestock that we now serve. I have had a very rewarding 35 years at the Winterset Vet Center. Dr Lonna has enjoyed her 16 years here and we want to celebrate these milestones.

Since the practice will be turning 40 years old next year, we have decided to have a big celebration on September 21, 2023, at St. Joseph Catholic Church. We will have the cattlemen and pork producers cooking up meat. We have ordered cookies from Bakery Unlimited. We will borrow an ice cream machine from our longtime friend, John LaFratte. We hope to see many of our clients and partners join us for this event. We could call it a customer appreciation event, but it is more than that. We have been together in community for the last 4 decades and want to celebrate our friendships and partnerships. We will start serving at 5:00 pm and hope to have everyone through by 7:00 pm. Come, eat, and share memories of our years together. We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, September 21st, at St. Joseph Catholic Church.

There are many changes that have taken place over the years for both of us. As you can see from the photos early on verses recently. The one thing that has not changed is our desire to treat our patients as if they are one of our own. We also cherish the relationships we have built over the years. One celebration could never be enough to thank each and everyone of you for entrusting us with your critters big and small.

STILL SHARP AFTER 35 YEARS AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE!

Cats are not small dogs! This is a statement that I have used many times over the years. They are unique in their health issues and aging concerns. This is very prevalent in therapies for osteoarthritis (OA). We have been using multiple different therapies for dogs for arthritis for years. Cats cannot be given many of those medications.  

What is OA? This impacts the joints of our dogs and cats often anytime after 3- 5 years of age. The cartilage is worn down and bone rubs against bone. This cartilage is a protective layer within the joints. As this layer is broken down the body attempts to stabilize the joint and lays down more bone. As you can imagine this new layer of bone causes pain with movement. This pain turns into chronic pain and our pets start laying around more. Sometimes we mistake this as a normal aging change. With less activity we see additional weight gain. With additional weight we have more painful joints. This creates a vicious cycle that limits a pet’s mobility and happiness. In September 2019 I wrote a blog about obesity and how that impacts OA: Obesity and Arthritis on the Rise — Is there a Connection?

Cats are great at hiding their pain. They will sleep more. Choose not to jump up and down from objects. Stop doing stairs or limiting those activities. Sometimes not using the litter box can be related to joint pain. The location of the box, the height of the box, a hood on the box, etc. are all things that may be impacting OA and cause a cat not to use their box. People are always aware of pain when they see a limp but with these other subtle changes the OA pain can be missed.

Up until recently for cats with OA we could offer diets with glucosamine. Supplements with glucosamine for daily administration. Adequan injections administered weekly to monthly as needed for joint pain. Corticosteroids which have multiple negative side effects over time for OA. None of these treatments were as beneficial or convenient as we would have liked for our feline patients. Let me tell you what has changed.

SOLENSIA is a new monoclonal antibody injectable formula created especially for our feline patients. It has been out since the first of the year. This is the first approved long term injectable treatment for osteoarthritis in cats. It is a natural form of therapy. In cats that have received the injections their owners are returning for additional injections each month. The owners have noticed that their cats are doing activities that they were not doing before the injections. It can take up to 1 week for the body to respond to the injection. The best response is often seen after 3 monthly injections have been given. We hope that this will improve the lives of our feline patients and their owners. No one wants to give a cat a pill and cats are often very suspicious of new foods offered with medications in them. The injection is seamless and as of now we have had no side effects reported. The most common side effects reported during the clinical trial were sensitivity at the injection site and vomiting. We have seen none of this since we started offering these monthly injections.

If you think your cat is showing signs of pain associated with arthritis, we highly recommend an exam with your veterinarian.  Discuss with them the signs and symptoms and determine if SOLENSIA is right for your favorite feline friend.  Some diagnostics may be recommended prior to starting the injections. The goal of ours is to help our feline friends have pain free senior years. One client indicated that the shots allowed her cat to jump up onto the counter once again. That was one behavior she could have done without. 😊

A little side note to our discussion today on cat OA. The same company that brought us SOLENSIA is set to release a similar product for dogs called LIBRELA. We hope to have it available sometime later this fall. We will certainly notify clients when available. With each passing year we find more effective and safer products to help our furry friends live long healthy lives. Our goal is to extend their lives and allow them to bring more joy into yours.

Stay cool and please drive safely as our kids head back to school.