We are a caring team working to consistently provide high quality health
care to our patients and superior service to our clients.
In this world of fast food, poor service, the rationing of health care,
electronic receptionists, and lives full of hurry, we all appreciate the
rare occasions when we receive superior service by caring people. It's
especially important to us to receive quality, compassionate health care
for our family.
Being pet lovers ourselves, we are well aware of how important pets are
to their people and realize that many owners view their pets as family
members. We take our practice mission and the principles we operate by
seriously and therefore we continually work to provide the type of
practice for our clients and patients that we desire for our own pets.
While we utilize the latest medicines and "high tech" equipment, we
continue to provide personal and friendly service. Rest assured that at
Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital there are always dedicated well-trained
professionals caring for your beloved pet. Let us know anytime we can be
of help to you.
H.M.McCollum, D.V.M.
Fleas and Flea Products
With the relatively mild winter we've had, now is the time to get
started in the fight against fleas. We have several exciting new
products to combat fleas. The newest product we have is Revolution,
which in addition to fleas, also kills ticks, sarcoptic mange mites, ear
mites, and heartworms. It comes in a liquid and must be applied directly
to the skin. During heartworm season (year round in Tennessee due to our
high mosquito population) it must be applied every month. It is licensed
for use in puppies and kittens older than 6 weeks of age. Revolution is
a prescription product so we must have examined your dog or cat within
the past 12 months in order for us to dispense it. We also recommend all
dogs not currently on heartworm preventive to be tested for heartworms
before starting preventive.
Other flea treatment choices include Advantage and Frontline. Both of
these products are also in liquid form and are applied directly to the
skin. They also need to be reapplied every 30 days. Frontline is also
effective against ticks. Both of these products are safe to use in young
animals; however, puppies need to be older then 7 weeks to use Advantage
and 12 weeks for Frontline; kittens need to be older then 8 weeks to use
Advantage and 12 weeks for Frontline.
Fun Flea Facts:
*In 30 days, 10 female fleas can produce 4,000 new fleas. In turn,
assuming half are females, that 4,000 can produce 80,000 fleas in 30
days.
*Fleas can jump 300,000 times without stopping. They can jump 50 times
their length vertically or horizontally, and with a take-off
acceleration of 50 times that of the space shuttle after lift off (140
g's).
*Fleas can remain frozen for a year and then survive.
*There are more than 1000 species of fleas in the world, with 238
species in North America.
*Fleas, ranging in size from hardly visible to 1/3 inch long, have been
the transmitters of killer diseases such as bubonic plague and typhus.
