(music). As you can see, we are talking pets today.
Specifically, pet health. Now you might say, "My dog looks fine. He's not sick. I don't
see any fleas on him. So we're good." But, when it comes to certain health risk, out
of sight is definitely not out of mind. In fact, by the time you notice certain problems
with your dog, it could be already too late Here to explain is veterinarian, Rick Marrinson
and, of course, he brought a beloved pooch. Good morning.
Good morning. How are you? Great, thank you. This is a special guest.
This is Otter. Hi Otter.
She's about a year old, mixed-breed, rescue dog.
Oh! And one of my three.
One of your -- (Laughter), you have two more at home?
I have two more at home. Man's best friend. We have a four-pound toy
poodle, Ruby, and my girls adore her. But let's get right to it, Doctor. You know, there's
a lot of invisible health risk that we don't know about that are, let's say Doggie Dangers.
What are those? Well, today we're specifically concentrating
on parasites both internal and external. And you're absolutely right. These are dangers
that most pet parents are not necessarily aware of.
And what kind of threats do these insects hold?
So, we have several. Heart worms would be a big one.
Huge. Carried from dog to dog by mosquitoes. Infect
the dog and actually grow six to twelve inch long worms inside the heart.
Wow. And what are some of the symptoms that we should be looking for?
Weightloss, coughing, trouble breathing, and up to and unfortunately including death.
Now, I'm always taking my Ruby to the vet, and my girls help me whenever we get the card
that says Bring Ruby. Isn't that enough? Well, it's a great start.
Okay. And certainly your veterinarian needs to be
part of that process. But you can't let it stop there. There's all kinds of things you
need to be doing at home in order to protect yourself and your dogs from these unseen pests.
Alright, so walk me through it, what can we do at home to protect our pets?
Alright, so what we're going to talk about today is parasite prevention, and the key
here is prevention. We don't want to be waiting until there are symptoms and problems involved.
So, monthly medication that is administered to prevent heart worms, intestinal parasites,
and fleas. And is this for someone that, let's say, in
Florida it's very warm, as opposed to let's in Alaska. You know, is the climate a big
difference? The challenges can be a little bit different
geography-wise, but nobody is immune. So, every dog needs to be protected every single
month no matter where you live. So, it doesn't matter where you live.
Or what time of year. Or what time of year because they tell you
also seasons have a big part in terms of their health.
Potentially, they can, but you know we've seen this where even places where you wouldn't
suspect there would be a problem in the winter months, there's still a risk.
Alright, so now we know that no matter what, 365, every day all year long.
And the good news is you don't have to do it everyday.
You don't have to do it everyday. Alright, so let's talk about this treatment.
Once every 30 days. Awesome. What treatment is this?
So, what we're talking about today is Sentinel Spectrum.
Okay. This is a product that will cover six different
parasites all in one monthly tablet. Okay, and this is right here?
That's what this is. So, you have difference ones for different
pounds. Yes. And so there's four different sizes.
So based upon the weight range of your pet, then there is the product that you would give.
Heart worms, all the intestinal parasites: hook worms, round worms, whipworms, tape worms,
and fleas. So, it really gives you a peace of mind.
A very broad spectrum. And how do you administer it to the dog?
So, it's orally. It is a flavored chew. So, the dog will think it's a treat.
Oh. There is a key with this particular product.
You want to make sure that you give it with food because it helps the absorption of the
medication. But it's very well tolerated, it's incredibly safe, and more importantly
very effective. Can we give Otter one today?
We timed this so Otter is due for this right now. So, we're going to give it to her while
we're on set today. So, it comes in a package. Each box has six doses.
Okay. And each dose is individually wrapped.
Alright, I'll peel it off for you. Okay. So, if you'll just take where that cut
is right here on this edge. There you go. Peel that right apart.
Okay. Oh, she already knows. She already knows. And she doesn't realize how good this is for
her. Ready? You ready? Very good girl.
Oh, she's so good. Now, again, she's chewing it with no problem.
She's deciding. She's deciding. She's playing with it. You
know, they have to kind of just know what they're having. She's enjoying it now. You
mentioned with food, so it is kind of easier to hide it in there.
Not necessarily that you have to hide it, but part of the medication is absorbed along
with other ingredients from their diets when there's fat in the food. And there it goes.
And she thinks she's having a treat and not realizing how good this is for her. Again,
it covers what again? Heart worms, hook worms, round worms, whipworms,
tape worms, and fleas. In one pill?
In one pill. So easy.
And what makes this the most unique is the way it works against fleas. It is the only
product on the market that is specifically designed to break the life cycle of the flea
instead of kill the flea. And that's what stops your household from having infestations.
So, your dog goes out in the world, picks up two fleas, brings them home. Two fleas
are not going to turn into 2,000 fleas. And that I heard a friend of mine endure,
and it was a nightmare. It is a nightmare.
For the entire family. That's right.
And more important, to the dog. You want more?
No, once a month. Once a month.
So a great way to keep them healthy. That's right.
Thank you so much. I do appreciate it, and I really appreciate your time. For information
on Sentinel, where do our viewers go? So, www.VirbacPets.com, and for more information
on parasites, go to PetsAndParasites.org. Thank you so much. I appreciate your time.
You're welcome. Thank you. Thank you for coming this morning.
She's so sweet. And, of course, if you'd like more information, you can head to our website,
TheBalancingAct.com. We're also on Facebook and Twitter.
(Laughter). She likes me now. (music).