Verde Veterinary Hospital in Cottonwood, AZ 86326 is a full service companion animal hospital. It is our commitment to provide quality veterinary care throughout the life of your pet. Our services and facilities are designed to assist in routine preventive care for young, healthy pets, early detection and treatment of disease as your pet ages, and complete medical and surgical care as necessary during his or her lifetime. Dr. Jennifer Gummo-Wagner leads a team of four experienced veterinarians and skilled technicians who will welcome your pets into our care.
We understand the special role your pet plays in your family and are dedicated to becoming your partner in your pet's health care. We treat your pet as we would our own. Our goal is to practice the highest quality veterinary medicine and surgery with compassion and an emphasis on client education. Our entire veterinary team is committed to providing personal attention to the unique concerns of each individual pet owner and the needs of each pet.
MARCH AND APRIL ARE HEARTWORM PREVENTION AND TICK DISEASE AWARENESS MONTHS!
Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes. Although the mosquito is not our state bird (like Alaska and the midwestern states), we DO have mosquitos in the Verde Valley. They are especially prevalent along waterways and golf courses. Veterinarians in the area (myself included) once believed this low level of mosquitoes carried an even lower level of heartworm potential. Then, last year, we diagnosed several cases of heartworm disease, two cases within one month. Most of these dogs had ever traveled outside the Verde Valley. Suddenly that little heart sticker on the calendar that reminds me to give heartworm preventative each month looks like a neon sign.... No more "I'm too busy this week, I'll do it next week." Heartworm disease is so easy to prevent, so difficult and dangerous to treat that despite what is still a low risk, we recommend that pets be on monthly heartworm preventative year-round. As an added bonus, the ingredients in the heartworm preventative also act as a monthly dewormer, giving added protection against parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms. These worms can be tranmitted to us, with an especial risk to small children and immune suppressed individuals. As a parent, I'd urge you to discuss these diseases with your veterinarian and your pediatrician and to keep all dogs and indoor/outdoor cats on monthly preventative.
Ticks in this area can transmit several nasty diseases, which include Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis. A recent survey done by IDEXX laboratories showed that Arizona has one of the highest rates of Ehrlichiosis detected in the United States. Ehrlichiosis can range in symptoms from chronic, vague orthopedic, gut, or eye signs to spontaneous bleeding which may be life-threatening. We feel that it is particularly critical to know an animal's Ehrlichia status prior to surgery or dental extractions. Due to the sm
all size of ticks and the high incidence of disease, we recommend testing dogs in the Verde Valley for tick disesase each year.
In order to promote awareness of these lifethreatening diseases, we are offering our 4DX test at a promotional price of $30. This eight-minute blood test assesses for heartworm, Ehrlichia, Lyme Disease, and Anaplasmosis.
We are also stressing the importance of heartworm prevention to our clients for its role as a monthly dewormer. This is especially important for dogs that are free to roam a large property or dogs that hunt prey. Roundworms and hookworms, which are controlled by Heartgard, are zoonotic - they can be transmitted to people. Young children, the elderly, and immunosuppressed people are at highest risk for contracting these parasites. We urge vigilant use of Heartgard or equivalent heartworm medication in these households.
Learrn more about tick and mosquito diseases and their incidence in Arizona on this great website: www.dogsandticks.com
At Verde Veterinary Hospital, we are committed to your pet’s health, wellbeing and quality of life. Please ask your doctor about any concerns you have with your pet’s medical or behavioral issues.
Feel free to email questions to our doctors at the following address: verde@nvanet.com.
At this site, you will find information about our practice philosophy, our services, helpful forms to assist you and an extensive Pet Medical Library for you to search for additional pet health care information.
Thank you for taking the time to read about our veterinary practice and the services we offer. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Please contact us at (928) 634-7538 for all your pet health care needs.
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