Dr Craig attended the Veterinary Food therapy Training program at the Chi Institute on March 22^nd – 25^th. Food therapy is one of the modalities of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine and is the art and science of using selected food ingredients and/or herbs to feed each patient based on their disease process. Dr. Craig learned how food can be used as therapy for skin disorders, liver disease, kidney disease and GI disorders. Dr. Craig is excited to use this new knowledge in conjunction with acupuncture and herbal medicine to treat her patients.

What is Heartworm Disease? Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal condition caused by parasitic worms living in the arteries of the heart and lungs of dogs, cats and other mammals. Dogs and cats of any age or breed are susceptible to infection.

Infected dogs are the source of heartworm infection. The disease is spread by mosquitoes that become infected with microfilariae (baby heartworms) while taking a blood meal from an infected dog. Within the mosquito, the microfilariae mature into the infective larval stage. When the mosquito then bites another dog, cat, or susceptible animal, the larvae are deposited on the skin and actively migrate into the new host. For about 2 months the larvae migrate through the connective tissue under the skin, then pass into the animal’s venous blood stream and are quickly transported to the arteries of the lung. It takes a total of approximately six months for the infective larvae to mature into adult worms that begin producing more microfilaria. Adult heartworms can live for five to seven years in the dog.

Heartworms mature in the cat as well, but fewer worms survive to adulthood. While dogs may suffer from severe heart and lung damage from heartworm infection, cats typically exhibit minimal changes in the heart. The cat’s primary response to the presence of heartworms occurs in the lungs.

For further information about Heartworm disease, please visit: http://www.heartwormsociety.org/pet-owner-resources/heartworm.html

Dr. Godwin attended the 39^th Annual Conference of the Veterinary Orthopedic Society in Crested Butte, Colorado from March 6-10.  He attended lectures on the most up to date research and techniques in the use of stem cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma, post-operative rehabilitation, and knee surgery.  One of our goals is to be aware of the best practices in veterinary medicine.  All of our doctors attend conferences in areas of interest and importance, and bring that knowledge back to AMC.