From the Desk of Nya and Einstein
We are happy to say that spring is just around the corner. The only bad thing about spring is the return of the BUGS. We want to remind all of you about the importance of preventing insect-borne disease.

The doctors at East Hilliard Veterinary Services use and recommend Frontline Plus® for control of fleas and ticks. Frontline has a 100% kill rate for fleas in less than 24 hours and kills four types of ticks. (Some products simply repel ticks.) It has been proven safe and effective even on puppies and kittens as young as eight weeks of age. Its waterproof qualities are unmatched. Swimming, self-grooming, and bathing will not stop the action of this product. It is a "spot-on" product that is placed on your pet's skin up over its shoulders. Frontline is absorbed quickly, then stored in and released slowly by the sebaceous glands. It is used just once a month during flea and tick season.

Heartworm prevention is commonly used year round in the central Ohio area, so many of you do not need this reminder. But, if you did stop using heartworm prevention for the winter, now is the time to restart. Heartworm disease is carried by the mosquito, so anytime your pet is outside (and we all occasionally get a mosquito inside, too) there is a potential for exposure to heartworm disease. The most common product used for heartworm prevention is Heartgard®. It comes in a chewable tablet form and is given to your cat or dog once every month. Another product which is becoming very popular is ProHeart®. It is an injectable heartworm prevention that your dog gets every six months. (It is not yet approved for use in cats.) It, too, is extremely effective in preventing infection from heartworm.

No matter which products you chose, now is the time to start protecting your pets from those nasty BUGS.

New Product Information
Virbac Animal Health (www.cetdental.com) has been making CET Chews for many years and they have been an aid in helping to reduce the buildup of periodontal disease-causing plaque and tartar. Now they have added CET HEXtra Chews to their line of oral health products. These rawhide chews are impregnated with a bacteria destroying agent called chlorhexidine. Chlorhexidine has a wide margin of safety and has been widely accepted by the veterinary profession for many years. Regular use of chlorhexidine helps to prevent the accumulation of plaque. The product is released into the oral cavity during chewing then binds to the plaque layer and is released for up to 24 hours, providing sustained antimicrobial action. It is available in petite, medium, large, and extra large sizes. CET HEXtra chews are a great first step in controlling periodontal disease. As Virbac says, "It is good to chew, better to rinse, best to brush." Speak with our staff about other ways you can improve your pets' chances of not suffering from periodontal disease and the general health complications related to the disease.

Hypothyroidism
The thyroid gland regulates the rate of metabolism. It is located in the neck near the trachea (windpipe) and is composed of two lobes, one on each side of the trachea. The thyroid gland is controlled by the pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain. If the thyroid gland is less functional than normal, the metabolism slows down. This disorder is called hypothyroidism. (The thyroid gland can also function more than it should and speed up the metabolism, a condition called hyperthyroidism. This is extremely rare in dogs but is seen fairly commonly in cats. Feline hyperthyroidism will be covered in a future newsletter.)

The clinical signs of hypothyroidism include:

• Weight gain without an increase in appetite
• Lethargy and lack of desire to exercise
• Cold intolerance
• Dry haircoat with excessive shedding
• Generalized weakness
• Very thin haircoat
• Increased pigmentation in the skin
• Failure to regrow hair after clipping or shaving
• High blood cholesterol

Meet Moby (Baker Street Born to be Wild) and Luna (Baker Street Bella Luna)
My name is Lisa Bennett, and I've been with East Hilliard Veterinary Services for almost three years. I'd like to introduce Moby and Luna, my kids. Moby and Luna are English Bull Terriers. You may remember seeing the breed as General Patton's famous dog, Willie, or as the "spokes-dog" for Budweiser in the 80's, and more recently for Target. My husband and I researched breeders and found a great couple in the Valley Forge, PA. area.We made three trips to their house during the spring and summer of 2000. The first visit was a question and answer session for both my husband and me, and the breeders. On the next trip we met Moby and his eight littermates. Then, on July 8, 2000, we brought Moby home. He has been a laugh-a-minute so we decided another bully would be twice the fun! During the summer of 2002, we made another trip to Pennsylvania to pick up Luna. Moby was meant to be my husband's dog, as he had decided he really wanted a white bull terrier, and Luna was supposed to be my dog. However, they decided this was not how it was to be. Moby is definitely a "Mama's Boy" and Luna is definitely "Daddy's Little Girl". Moby's best trick is his uncanny ability to sleep anywhere and in any position. Luna's best trick is doing aerial 360's on command. We plan on doing agility with both of them and continuing to show Luna in conformation.

We also have three cats: Mrs. Garrett, Chaseann, and Isabella.

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