by Dr. M.J. Wixsom | Sep 13, 2021 | Creepy Crawly Parasites
Oh, my, I itch! I got into a batch of chiggers yesterday, and I’m not happy about it! They can be anywhere outside. They love moist, grassy fields, forests, and even lawns. They are often where animals travel like lakes and streams. Chiggers are in the same family as...
by Dr. M.J. Wixsom | Nov 16, 2020 | Blog, Creepy Crawly Parasites
It is parvo season. One of the local rescues has had a few pups at the vet and it is fall. ‘Tis the season. Parvo is a very common disease year-round, but spring and fall seem to be even worse. Puppies are most commonly hit, but that is only because dogs get it the...
by Dr. M.J. Wixsom | Nov 9, 2020 | Blog, Creepy Crawly Parasites
After doing a bit of yard work, I am reminded that while ticks are not my favorite animal, they certainly are amazing. Like many animals, ticks start as an egg. The tick that hatches from the egg is a larva and only has six legs. Counting legs is one of the ways to...
by Dr. M.J. Wixsom | Mar 16, 2020 | Blog, Creepy Crawly Parasites
The recent rains will produce swarms of mosquitos. Getting the pups out of the truck, I paused and slapped my arm. A mosquito died from the single slap. As I removed them from my arm, I thought it would be a banner year for mosquito born diseases and heartworms. But...
by Dr. M.J. Wixsom | Oct 21, 2019 | Blog, Creepy Crawly Parasites
I had a shingles vaccination Saturday. My shingles vaccine reaction started that afternoon. A vaccine is a weak or small part of the disease that trains the immune system. The idea is that it prepares the body to fight the disease without the disease symptoms. I do...
by Dr. M.J. Wixsom | Aug 13, 2018 | Blog, Creepy Crawly Parasites
Last week, Matt drove me to Charleston to get a yellow fever vaccination. I need a booster vaccine, because this fall, I am going to northern Uganda in Africa to vaccinate and neuter village dogs, and yellow fever is one of the vaccines that I needed to get updated....
