Did you know? We carry a full line of veterinary prescription diets made by Royal Canin – the leader in pet food nutrition. There is a diet available for just about any disease that could affect your pet. Just as in people, dietary changes can go far in fighting the symptoms of diseases. These foods are basically in three categories: diets for disease, limited ingredient diets, and the Early Care line.

Disease Fighting Diets
An example of a diet fighting disease would be Royal Canin Urinary SO – considered by most to be the best diet to fight urinary tract disease in pets. It is so popular that veterinarians that don’t typically carry Royal Canin will include this diet in their arsenal. Another diet in this category would be Royal Canin Skin Support – a diet built with nutrients that help fight symptoms of skin allergies.

Limited Ingredient Diets
Royal Canin’s line of Limited Ingredient Diets (LID) are designed to help diagnose and avoid food allergies. Food allergies can cause anything from itchiness and rashes to ear infections to digestive problems. These allergies are typically caused by a protein source and have nothing to do with the quality or brand of the food. The LID diets are fed exclusively for one to three months to see if the symptoms resolve – confirming the diagnosis.

Early Care Diets
The Early Care line is geared to help avoid problems to which certain breeds are prone. For instance, large breed dogs prone to bone problems would benefit from Osteo & Digest. Certain small breed dogs prone to stone formation could avoid them with Skin & Stone. There are several varieties for adults, puppies and kittens.

For those of you that have purchased the Fort Worth City License thru us in the past, there have been some major changes to the program effective Jan 1st. First, veterinary clinics will no longer be able to issue them. The City of Fort Worth has provided us with envelopes to distribute to residents in order to request the tags by mail. Second, the length of the license will match the length of the Rabies vaccination (1 or 3 year). Third, the pricing has changed with an apparent emphasis on encouraging owners to microchip their pets. Neutered pets with a microchip ID will get a free license. Without a microchip ID, the fee will be $36.

MYTH #1 - Heartworms only affect dogs. - FALSE!
Not only dogs, but also cats, ferrets, wildlife, and rarely humans. Adult heartworms are less common in cats, but there is strong evidence that larvae (immature heartworms) can cause disease in the lungs of cats. Heartworm prevention is recommended for both dogs and cats.

MYTH #2 - My pet lives indoors and won’t catch heartworms. - FALSE!
Since heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes, even indoor dogs and cats are exposed to heartworms.

MYTH #3 - Heartworm prevention is only needed in the summer. - FALSE!
In our area, mosquitoes are present all year long.

MYTH #4 - Heartworms can’t be treated. - FALSE!
There is a safe & effective product to treat adult heartworms in dogs. However, the dogs are usually sick from the heartworms, there can be medical complications as the worms die, and the treatment is expensive. It makes much more sense to try to prevent the heartworm infection in the first place. (In cats, however, there is no safe treatment – making prevention even more important!)

MYTH #5 - Heartworm prevention is expensive. - FALSE!
Several brands of heartworm preventatives are available, including a six month injection. For added convenience, some products include flea medications. But basic heartworm prevention can cost less than $3 a month for small dogs to less than $6 for dogs up to 100 lbs. (And don’t believe the commercials claiming to have lower prices than vets – the prices at CRPH are often lower!)

Heartworms are a serious medical risk to pets, and we recommend all dogs and cats in our area be on heartworm prevention year round for their whole life.

Have you heard about the new chewable tablet that kills fleas for a full month? Comfortis® has quickly become the second most popular long-acting treatment for fleas. It starts working within 30 minutes, killing all of the fleas on the dog within 4 hours! When given with a full meal, this tablet will continue to provide this protection for a full month. Is it safe? You bet! When the same ingredient is used on Washington apples, they still qualify to be sold as organic! It is licensed by the FDA, meaning that it can only be sold by prescription. Call us today for more details.

At this time, we will be discontinuing Dental Health Month. Having a DHM has had the effect of pet owners delaying needed dental care. We have always waived the exam fee for the dental cleaning when the pet returned within 30 days for the dental services. In place of DHM, we will continue to waive the exam fee and add a 10% discount. This will be available year round following any exam.

Our daughter, Jessica, is on a team for the local Relay for Life annual fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. In an effort to support her team, we have begun collecting donations thru distribution of several pet products. We have gourmet dog biscuits ($1), pink ribbon loofah dog toys ($6-9), and Lupine collars and leashes. Lupine has quality products with a great guarantee – lifetime replacement, even if chewed! We’ll provide a free Lupine key ring with purchase of a leash and collar, while supplies last.

Thanks for your support for the ACS.