Border Collie Corner SAM’S SCARY STORIES: HEARTWORMS
Hello, everybody!
Did you know dogs tell scary stories in the summer? Humans tend to save their scary stories for Halloween, but the real monsters for pets lurk in the summer: parasites. The parasite stories that scare me most are the ones about heartworms! Dogs can be infected with heartworms through mosquito bites. If a mosquito infected with heartworm larvae bites an animal, it can leave the larvae in their bloodstream. As the heartworm larvae grows, it migrates to the animal’s heart and lungs. Talk about terrifying! These parasites can cause heart failure, lung disease, and organ damage. While heartworms can be treated in dogs, the process can be difficult. Some dogs die during treatment. Even when the treatment is successful, heartworms can leave lasting damage on a dog’s organs, resulting in future health problems.
Last year, the Companion Animal Parasite Council found that across the whole country, Cedar Rapids had the third highest percentage increase in positive heartworm tests. When I heard this, I thought I would have nightmares for weeks! Fortunately, there’s effective heartworm prevention. A lot of dogs
SAY HELLO! Carol’s Return to Iowa
Many people who find themselves in the veterinary field were once the sort of kids who drove their parents crazy because they wanted to help every stray animal they came across. When Carolina do Carmo was a child, it was actually her mother who wanted to help all the strays. Born and raised in Brazil, Carol grew up watching her mother care for the stray animals in their neighborhood. This inspired Carol to become a veterinarian, so she could help more animals. Carol loves all animals, large and small, but she found her niche in small- animal medicine while in school. In 2015, during her time at university, Carol got a scholarship to study at Kirkwood Community College here in Iowa. She attended Kirkwood’s veterinary technical program for a year and a half. During that time, she fell in love with Iowa. Carol returned to Brazil in 2017, where she completed her veterinary degree at Universidade Federal de Lavras. After graduating in 2019, Carol returned to the United States with her husband and their cat, Nhonho. Though Carol completed veterinary school in Brazil, she’s not licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the United States just yet. She’s currently working to get her license in the U.S. In the meantime, Carol has joined the Petersen Pet Hospital team as a veterinary technician. At the moment, Carol and her husband have just one cat at home, and they all enjoy watching food-related TV shows together. But Carol is still the sort of person who wants to take care of strays. She’s looking forward to adopting more pets once she and her husband move into a bigger place.
Homemade Chicken and Cranberry Cat Treats Does your picky kitty turn up their nose at every treat? These homemade goodies are sure to delight even the most finicky of felines!
We’re thrilled to have Carol on the team. Her experience and skills will do wonders for the hospital. Join us in welcoming her back to Iowa!
Contact us! 319-743-0554
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