An American Animal Hospital Association Accredited Member
An elite group of only 14% of North American Animal Hospitals  
Adjacent to Route 9   Easily accessible to Dutchess and Ulster County
Alan E. Schwartz DVM   James Debitteto DVM ABVP  Louise-Anne Morin DVM
235 South Ave Poughkeepsie NY 12601 845-473-0358
Dr. S' Page  
It's a really bad flea season.
Actually flea season runs from mid summer through December and is dependent
on the weather .
When we have a wet and warm spring and summer, the fleas thrive. And that's
what we have now. Keep in mind that the only way we know that we have a flea
infestation is by seeing actual fleas on an animal or seeing  the "flea dirt", a salt
and pepper looking mixture which is really eggs and excrement of the flea.
Many people will say that they don't have fleas because their animals are not
itching. But the majority of the animals with fleas don't mind them. They have to be
allergic to the bite of the flea. And mostly with the allergic animals, you won't see
the fleas because the pets are so itchy they over self groom themselves and eat
most of the fleas.
Prevention is the rule and the once monthly topical products as Frontline, are safe
and effective, and work for ticks as well.
Also keep in mind that any animal with fleas also has tape worms, since the flea
carries the tape worm egg and larvae  when the pet eats the flea it gets tapeworm.
Quite a horror story!
At any rate, if you suspect fleas just call our office. The front office staff is very
knowledgeable.
Check out Healthypet.com
The American Animal Hospital Association
pet owner's website. We are accredited
We were 20 feet from this girl!
Unfortunately there is no month you can stop
tick prevention! It is recommended year round.
Dutchess County has been number one in
Lyme Disease in the country!
As well, vaccinate your dog for Lyme and test  
once yearly for Lyme, Ehrlichia, Anaplasmosis
and Heartworm.
Feline Heartworm Disease

Yes...it is a disease and the verdict is in from the experts that cats, indoors as well,
get heartworm that is transmitted by the mosquito. The symptoms are deceiving
because they can be as misleading as intermittent vomiting, diarrhea, mild
coughing, asthma type signs, and intermittent lethargy. At the worst, cats can have
a sudden death syndrome from the allergic reaction  to the heartworm itself.
We now have a cat specific instant heartworm test that we are recommending
every year, just like with dogs. We are also following the recommendations of the
Heartworm Society and recommending year round heartworm preventative, just
like with dogs, since the Hudson valley is considered a heartworm endemic area.

Just call the office for the test. As well, we will be updating our feline patients when
they arrive for their annual and semi-annual visits.


Home Again Anti-Migration Microchip

If you haven't micro chipped your pet yet, do it! It's mostly pain free and will give you
piece of mind if your pet gets lost. It goes to a national registry and includes lost
pet medical insurance coverage for free! It also includes a 24/7 emergency
medical hotline.
Compassion Veterinary Health Care Center