Weston Veterinary Clinic

Information may not be reliable

November is Pet Cancer Awareness Month
Thanks to all the advances in human medicine, veterinarians are now able to diagnose and treat animal cancers. According to the American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA),"strong circumstantial evidence of cancer can be attained from x-rays, blood tests, ultrasonography, the pet's physical examination and medical history. Most cancers, however, will require a biopsy (a removal of a piece of tissue) for confirmation that cancer exists and to grade the level of severity from benign to aggressively malignant." These services are available for your pet at Weston Veterinary Clinic.
Our pets now live so much longer due to better diets, treatments and overall health, pet owners are afforded many more cancer options than even a decade ago. Common signs of animal cancer are available below. If your pet exhibits these symptoms or you have any health concerns about your pet, please don't hesitate to contact your pet's veterinarian at Weston Veterinary Clinic. Our staff is here to answer your questions, help you obtain reliable information and make sound decisions for your pet. For more information on pet cancer and signs to look for, please see the links below.
Just as in people, early detection is critical! This is why it is so important to have your pet examined regularly.

Adapted from Veterinary Practice News, October 2010
Leptospirosis is a waterborne zoonosis (infection shared between human beings and animal species) which occurs secondary to Leptospira spp. bacterial infection. Rural, urban, and suburban dogs may be at risk for Leptospira spp. infection, and clinical leptospirosis does occur in urban and suburban canine populations.
"There's good evidence to support an increase of diagnosed cases of leptospirosis in the U.S.," says George E. Moore, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl ACVIM, an associate professor of clinical epidemiology and director of the clinical trials group at Purdue University. "Wild animals have remained a reservoir for the disease, which then spreads to dogs and potentially to people. Lack of predators and increased food supply in suburban areas make wildlife concentrations eight to ten times higher per acre than rural areas."
In addition, "This isn't just a disease of large breeds or hunting dogs says Richard E. Goldstein, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, Dipl. ECVIM, an associate professor of small animal medicine at Cornell University. "Small-breed dogs are testing positive more and more. This is happening because of lack of vaccination and overlap of suburban living and wildlife."
Symptoms of clinical leptospirosis can vary and may include fever, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and other non-specific signs. The best way to determine whether your dog has been infected is through direct examination and consultation at your veterinary hospital.
Pet owners may not readily vaccinate their pets because of a perception that urban and suburban dogs are not at risk for infection. The best protection against leptospirosis is avoidance of exposure to contaminated water and soil as well as annual vaccination.
Please contact us at 781-899-5377 to determine whether your dog is properly vaccinated against Leptospira spp.
Where Tick-Borne Diseases Are Found
The following maps highlight the number of reported positive cases of Lyme disease in dogs across Southern New England. Because so many dogs go untested for tick-borne diseases, the actual number of dogs infected by ticks is likely many times higher than what is shown here. For more information on Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, visit dogsandticks.com.

A Microchip Success Story
June 11, 2010 - Bruce and Tina Whitemore found a stray cat in the beginning of March. They asked their neighbors, called the police and a local shelter to let them know that they found the cat; they could not find the owner. They named their new cat "Rose". After a few months they decided to bring "Rose" to the Weston Veterinary Clinic for a check-up. On June 11, 2010, they had an appointment with Dr. Storey. Dr. Storey decided to scan "Rose" for a microchip since she was a stray. She had a microchip!!!! Dr. Storey contacted Home Again and found "Rose's" owner. Within minutes, Paul Zerola along with his 2 year old daughter Sienna, came to pick up their cat "Charlie". "Charlie" had been missing since the beginning of March and the Zerola family feared she was dead. Thanks to the microchip, "Charlie" found her way home again! (pictured are Charlie, Charlie w/ Bruce Whitmore, and Charlie w/ his family)

** exclusive for our clients only, veterinarian relationship required, must be current on Heartworm testing. For a limited time.