To our Clients:

Our goal is to provide thorough and compassionate care for you and your pets. Recently, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has made us aware that certain parasite diseases, which are communicable from pets to humans (zoonotic diseases), are occurring at unacceptable rates.

To help address this situation, a veterinary advisory group, the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) has been organized. The CAPC has created specific guidelines, which are intended to prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases, and also improve the health of our pets.

We will be implementing these guidelines in our hospital, effective July 1, 2006. The guidelines will include yearly screening tests for parasites, and regular administration of medications to help prevent parasites in our pets.

Our staff will keep you informed of when your pet's yearly screening test is due, and also advise you how to keep you and your pet free from any parasite related diseases. We also have informative brochures available from the CDC and the CAPC. Both organizations also have excellent, very informative web sites, which are listed below.

At your next appointment for your pet's yearly examination, we will collect a small blood sample, and we ask that you please bring a stool sample from your pet with you. Placing the sample in a zip lock bag or a small plastic container will work well. The fresher the sample is, the more accurate our test will be.

CDC website: www.cdc.gov
CAPC website: www.capcvet.org

We look forward to helping you and your pets,

The Staff of Cottage Lake Veterinary Hospital