We're passionate about bringing this technique to general practice because it allows dogs and cats to have frequently performed procedures with significantly less pain, up to 65% less pain, and a much quicker recovery time. They normally recover in 10 to 14 days, wear the cone of shame, and be kept quiet on a short leash or in a kennel. This type of procedure allows them to heal well enough within one to three days to return to normal activity. So it is very beneficial for your dog. That's why clients are interested in this type of procedure, which is commonly done with humans.

Another big thing that I think is a barrier for clients is the fact that these types of procedures can only be done when they are referred to a specialist. They would be more willing if it could be done where they're most comfortable, like with their primary care veterinarian. If it requires a referral, they are less inclined to do it. We're able to help more dogs with these types of procedures because we can do it in a more comfortable environment at Summer Creek Animal Clinic, where clients are used to being.

It's a surgical technique using specialized minimally invasive surgical equipment to access the abdomen of a dog or cat. It allows us to access the abdomen through very small incisions to insert equipment that has high-resolution magnified cameras. This way, we can see what's happening on a large screen outside of the abdomen without making large incisions. It is beneficial because you can get a closer look at the abdomen's organs because you're using magnifying equipment. So it's better than looking with the naked eye. With laparoscopic techniques, you can get to areas of the abdomen that are much more difficult to look at from the outside. Depending on the technique, you make very small incisions, insert various equipment through your ports, and look around the abdomen.

When we're talking about an exploratory laparoscopic procedure, we're using this minimally invasive technique to look at all the different organs in the abdomen. For example, we may get a liver biopsy in the front part of the abdomen. We get to look closely at the liver and all its different lobes with this equipment. We can look at the gallbladder, kidneys, which are close to the stomach, and the intestines in a lot more detail than we could with a large incision. A less invasive technique allows us to investigate better. That's what an exploratory laparoscopic procedure is.

That's a great question because it comes up a lot when a pet is diagnosed with fleas or ticks, and the owners are concerned that they have them in their environment. If other unprotected pets are in the environment, the answer will almost always be yes. The most important thing when you have a pet with fleas or ticks is not the environmental treatment. It's making sure that all the pets in the environment are on good monthly prevention year-round. This is the case in environments similar to Fort-Worth, Texas. If you're in a different climate, you will have to have a discussion with your veterinarian about if prevention needs to be done year-round, which is mostly the case. So the first step is getting all the pets on flea and tick prevention. That will ensure that the food source of the fleas and ticks is unavailable. They won't be able to feed, and they will die, so they can't reproduce.

It doesn't mean that environmental treatment isn't helpful. I still encourage it, particularly with fleas because they set up shop in the environment very quickly and to a large degree. I recommend focussing on environmental decontamination in addition to flea and tick prevention. It doesn't necessarily involve using a lot of pesticides. I encourage clients to do a thorough cleaning like vacuuming any area that is shaded, for instance, the carpet under the couch, couch cushions, and washing the dog and cat bedding. Doing deep cleaning and vacuuming multiple times a week to try to get all the eggs out of the carpet, rugs, and bedding will help speed the process along, but only in conjunction with having pets on prevention.

People often say they don't need prevention because a pest control company comes out monthly or quarterly. In my experience, that is completely inadequate at ensuring that you won't have a flea problem, especially with our climate. That won't provide enough coverage to be sure that fleas don't set up shop. Firstly, you won't be able to treat every nook and cranny of the house or the yard. I'm not a big fan of that kind of treatment for fleas and ticks. It's not wrong, it just won't be enough. It gives you a false sense of security. If you want to do pest control services, great. It's unnecessary to do that if your pets are on good flea and tick prevention.

That comes up a lot these days. Some remedies supposedly have an effect on killing fleas. I don't know of any that have a long duration of action to prevent them, but it may be out there. The problem with those things is not that they're for sure ineffective, there is just not any good research to support using something like essential oils as flea prevention. There are also potential risks involved, like if your pet ingests too much of it. The short answer is that I can't recommend any options that are definitely going to be effective or safe. When we're looking at products, particularly FDA-regulated products, we can be confident to a certain degree that those products have been tested and will be safe and effective. Even the over-the-counter products have at least been tested for safety concerns.

It depends on the product you are using. For example, topical products and flea and tick collars, especially the cheap ones, can cause intense skin reactions. There's always a risk even with better quality products because every patient is different and will react differently. There will always be a risk of skin irritation or reaction. Another thing that most people are aware of is the neurologic side effects. That's how these products kill fleas and ticks, so the concern is whether it will cause neurologic side effects in a pet. We tend to see these problems with cheaper, over-the-counter products, but there will still be a risk even with the best products.

The biggest concern is the neurologic side effects. Have a discussion with your veterinarian to decide on the best product for your pet, taking into consideration their history, breed, and physical exam findings. One thing that would lead me to decide on a different product than I would typically choose is if your pet has a history of seizures, which could increase their risk of certain side effects. That being said, I have seen dogs with a history of seizures staying on these products without it having any effect on their seizures. So it won't cause your dog to have seizures, but those are the clinical aspects to consider when making a decision.

Generally speaking, no. If you have a severe tick infestation and you have to manually peel ticks off, that could get uncomfortable. But, it's not often painful. Flea and tick baths used to be a big thing 10 or 20 years ago, but that has fallen out of favor because products and preventions that kill them have gotten so good. We don't typically recommend any sort of dipping for severe flea or tick infestations in our hospital. We just start the animals on prevention that will kill them as quickly as possible. That is the mainstay of both treatment and prevention.

The reason that the flea life cycle is important to understand is that knowing where the products work within this cycle is helpful. Does it kill the adults, the eggs, or the larva? Where in the life cycle is it effective? I can think of one product that only has an insect growth regulator. That means that it will prevent the eggs from hatching, but it won't do anything for the rest of the life cycle. For instance, it won't kill adult fleas. Generally speaking, if we are looking for something that will treat and prevent fleas, we want something that will kill the adult quickly. That's how you make sure that the fleas won't feed and reproduce. Even if you don't have fleas in your environment, it's common for fleas to make their way into the environment through humans, especially here in Fort-Worth. They catch a ride on our pant legs, or wildlife can get into the yard. So you do need a product that will kill adult fleas before they multiply.

If your dog has fleas or ticks, the most important thing to do is to get a recommendation from your veterinarian regarding which product would be good for them. Nowadays, oral flea and tick preventions, which are prescription-level products, are used. The reason for this is that they are so effective at killing fleas and ticks as well as preventing them. There's a lot of online information that talks about how dangerous these products are. That is not the case. They have to be FDA-approved to be prescribed and used, which means they have to go through rigorous testing. With many of these products, there are risks involved, making your decision of which product to use all the more important. It needs to be a decision that you and your veterinarian make together.

We typically use oral flea and tick products in dogs. With all the thousands of doses we do yearly, we rarely see any problems. These products have very low risks and extremely high effectiveness. Unless your dog has an underlying issue, we recommend these products. Fortunately, there are other quality products to consider as well.