What should I do when my cat arrives home after its operation?
After arriving home, you should keep your pet warm and comfortable by providing a soft clean bed, ideally in a quiet and draft-free room at approximately 68 -72°F (20 –22°C). Unless otherwise instructed, your cat should be given ample fresh water. After a few hours, a small amount of food may be given. Please keep your cat indoors overnight, or longer if instructed, and allow the use of a litter tray. You should discourage any jumping or activity that will cause excessive stretching of the wound, especially during the first few days post-operatively.

My cat seems very sleepy, is this normal?
Your cat has been given a general anesthetic or a sedative. These drugs can take a number of hours to wear off and may cause some patients to appear drowsy for a day or so. Over the next day or two their behavior should return to normal, however if you are at all concerned, do not hesitate to contact the hospital.


Why has my cat’s foreleg been shaved?
This is usually where the anesthetic or sedative was administered. Additionally, many cats receive fluids through an intravenous catheter and the arm must be clipped to place the catheter. There may also be a small dressing or bandage on the leg. If so, this can be removed the following day unless otherwise instructed.

My cat has developed a slight cough since the operation. Is this anything to worry about?
Your cat may have had a tube placed in their trachea (windpipe) during anesthesia. This can occasionally cause mild irritation and a slight cough. If so, the cough will diminish over the next few days; however, should it persist or worsen, contact the hospital.

What should I do if my cat is licking its wound or chewing the stitches?
It is only natural that your cat may try to clean the operation site by licking. If this becomes excessive, there is a danger of the stitches being pulled out or infection being introduced into the wound. If you have been given an Elizabethan-type protective collar to prevent the cat chewing, please ensure it is used. If not, contact the hospital and ask for a E-collar. Not surprisingly, many cats find these collars strange at first and will attempt to remove them. However, after a short period most pets will settle down and tolerate wearing the collar. Once accustomed, it is better to keep the collar on all the time, rather than to take it on and off. It only takes a few seconds of unobserved chewing for a cat to undo its stitches or damage the surgery site. If your cat does succeed in removing any of its stitches then please call the hospital as soon as possible.

What should the incision look like, and when should I be concerned?
The incision should normally be clean with the edges together and the skin a normal or slightly reddish-pink color. In pale skinned cats, bruising is often seen around the surgical site. This may not appear until a few days after the operation and in some cases can seem excessive in comparison to the size of the incision. This is due to seepage of blood under the skin edges and is normal. In some cases a small amount of blood may seep intermittently from a fresh incision for up to twenty-four hours, especially if the animal is active.

Please contact the hospital if you see any of the following at the surgical site:

1.    Continuous drainage, seepage or a large quantity of blood.

2.    Intermittent blood seepage continuing for more than twenty-four hours.

3.    Any swellings, excessive redness of the skin or discharge.

When do the stitches need removing?
In general, most skin stitches or sutures are removed seven to fourteen days after the operation depending on the type of surgery performed. You will be instructed when is the most appropriate time for your cat.

When can my cat resume normal activities?
This will depend upon the type of operation your cat underwent. In the case of a minor procedure involving a small incision, some restriction of exercise should be maintained until a few days after the skin stitches are removed. However, if major operation has been performed or a large incision is present a longer period of convalescence will be required, which may involve keeping your cat house-bound for a number of weeks. Your veterinarian will give you detailed instructions on how long you should restrict your cat’s activities following surgery.

If you have been given any medication:

Please READ THE LABEL CAREFULLY and ensure that all medication is administered as instructed. If you are experiencing any difficulty in treating your cat, please contact the hospital for advice.
 

What is meant by castration or neutering?
Neutering and castration are the common terms used to describe the surgical procedure known scientifically as orchidectomy or orchiectomy.  In this procedure, both testicles are removed in order to sterilize a male cat.

Why should I have my cat neutered?
Neutering is very beneficial to the health of the cat, especially if performed at an early age. Following puberty, which occurs at approximately eight to nine months of age, the male cat often develops a number of undesirable behavioral changes. He will become territorial and start to mark areas, even inside the house, by spraying urine.  This urine has a particularly offensive odor and is difficult to remove. As the tomcat reaches sexual maturity, he will start to enlarge his territory, straying ever farther from the house, particularly at night. It is for this reason that many of the cats that are hit by automobiles are non-neutered males. By increasing the size of his territory, he increases the likelihood that he will come into contact with other cats and will get into fights for territorial dominance. Inflicted fight wounds can result in severe infections and abscesses. Diseases such as FIV and FeLV, which can cause AIDS-like syndromes and cancers in cats, are spread through cat bites, these cats are most commonly affected by such incurable diseases. Last, but not least, neutering prevents unwanted litters and the needless deaths of tens of millions kittens and cats each year.

The longer a tomcat sprays and fights, the less likely neutering will stop these behaviors.

When should I have my cat neutered?
In most cases, it is recommended to neuter your cat before the onset of puberty. Puberty normally begins between six and ten months of age. The actual age chosen for castration will depend upon the preference of your veterinarian. Many veterinarians recommend castration at around five to seven months of age, although it is becoming more common to perform this procedure at an earlier age, such as two to three months, in an attempt to control overpopulation. Please contact your veterinary hospital for further details regarding their specific sterilization policies.

What does the operation involve?
Your cat will undergo a general anesthetic. You will need to withhold food for twelve (12) hours prior to surgery. However, your pet should have free access to water during most of the pre-operative fasting period. Your veterinarian will advise you how long to withhold water before surgery.

In male cats, both of the testicles are removed through a small incision in the scrotum. Since the incisions are very small, and since stitches may cause irritation of the sensitive skin of the scrotum, it is rare for the incisions to be sutured.

What surgical complications could arise?
In general, complications are rare during castration surgery, however, as with all surgical procedures, there is always a small risk:

Anesthetic complication

It is always possible that any pet could have an adverse reaction following the administration of any drug. Such cases are impossible to predict, but fortunately are extremely rare.

One potential danger arises from the cat not being fasted properly prior to anesthesia. It is essential that all instructions are strictly followed.

In addition, any signs of illness should be reported to your veterinarian prior to an operation.

Post-operative infection

This may occur internally or around the incision wound. In most cases the infection can be controlled with antibiotics.

What adverse affects might neutering have on my cat?
In the vast majority of cases no adverse affects are noted following neutering. In certain cats, notably the Siamese breed, the hair that grows back over an operation site may be noticeably darker, believed to be due to a difference in the skin temperature. This darker patch may grow out with the following molt as the hair is naturally replaced.

The veterinarian may also examine a sample of the material from the ear canal under the microscope. This is called ear cytology and is very important in helping the veterinarian choose the proper medication for your cat. Some cats have such a heavy build-up of debris that sedation is needed to cleanse the canal and examine it completely.

How are ear infections treated?
The results of the otoscopic examination and cytology tell the veterinarian how to properly treat your cat. If there is a foreign body lodged in the ear canal, the cat can be sedated so that it can be removed. Specific medication can be prescribed for bacteria or fungi; sometimes more than one type of infection is identified and this situation requires the use of multiple medications.

An important part of the evaluation of the cat is the identification of underlying disease. If this cannot be done the cat is less likely to have a positive response to treatment; the cat may respond temporarily but relapse when the medication is discontinued.

Since primary ear infections are uncommon in cats, should I be concerned that something else is going on?

Normal cats are very resistant to ear infections. Finding otitis externa in a cat signals us to look for an underlying cause such as an ear mite infestation, an unusual shape of the ear canal or for a disease affecting the cat’s immune system.

What is the prognosis?
In the cat nearly all ear infections that are properly diagnosed and treated can be cured. However, if an underlying cause remains unidentified and untreated the outcome will be less favorable.

My cat’s ear canal is nearly closed. Is this a problem?
Closing of the ear canal occurs when an infection becomes severe and chronic. There are medications that may help shrink the swollen tissues and open the canal in some cats. However, some cases may eventually require surgery.

How should I apply medication to my cat’s ear?
It is important to get the medication into the horizontal ear canal or lower part of the ear canal. The cat’s ear canal is shaped like an “L” and careful attention must be given that you apply the medication into the entire ear canal. This is best done by following these steps:

Gently pull the ear flap straight up and hold it with one hand.

Apply a small amount of medication in the vertical canal or upper part of the ear canal while continuing to keep the ear flap elevated. Hold this position long enough for the medication to run down to the turn between the vertical and horizontal ear canal.

Put one finger in front of and at the base of the ear flap and put your thumb behind at the base.

Massage the ear canal between your fingers and thumb. A squishing sound tells you that the medication has gone into the horizontal canal.

Release the ear and let your cat shake its head. If the medication contains a wax solvent debris will be dissolved so it can be shaken out.

If another medication is to be used apply it in the same manner.

When all medications have been applied, clean the outer part of the ear canal and the inside of the ear flap with a cotton ball. Do not use cotton tipped applicators, as they tend to push debris back into the vertical ear canal.
 

What causes dental disease?
The most common cause of dental disease in cats is due to tartar and calculus accumulation. As in humans, cats accumulate bacterial plaque on the surface of their teeth. If the plaque is not removed quickly, it becomes mineralized to form tartar and calculus. The bacterial products and decaying food stuck to tartar are one potential cause of bad breath.

Tartar is easily identified by its tan or brown color. It normally starts at the gum edge, especially on the back teeth called the premolars and molars. In severe cases, tartar and calculus may cover the entire tooth.

The accumulation of tartar and bacteria on the teeth surfaces lead to infection and gingivitis or inflammation of the gums. If the disease is caught at an early stage and a thorough veterinary dental scaling and polishing performed, most of the teeth and gums will have a full recovery. However, if gingivitis is allowed to persist untreated, then irreversible periodontal disease will occur. During this process the bone and ligaments that support the tooth are destroyed leading to excessive tooth mobility and eventual tooth loss. Infection around the socket causes the formation of pus and a foul odor and may spread deep into the tooth socket creating an abscess, or even more severe problems.

Once periodontal disease starts, the degenerative changes to the tooth and its support structures cannot be reversed. These changes also make it easier for more plaque and tartar to collect, resulting in further disease.

Is gingivitis always associated with dental disease?
A slight degree of redness seen as a thin line just below the edge of the gum may be considered normal in some kittens and adult cats with no evidence of dental disease.

Some cats develop severe gingivitis with minimal signs of accompanying dental disease. The affected areas may extend beyond the gums to other areas of the mouth, such as the throat or tongue. The cause of this condition is not fully understood but it is likely to be multi-factorial and may differ between individual cases. This condition is often very difficult to control and may require repeated or constant treatment, and its accurate diagnosis can involve extensive investigative procedures.

What are cervical neck lesions?
Cervical neck lesions result from a progressive destruction of the enamel resulting in slowly deepening “holes” in affected teeth. Once the sensitive parts of the tooth are exposed, these lesions are intensely painful, and the only proven available treatment is to extract the tooth. The cause of this disease is unknown; however, poor oral hygiene is suspected to play a role in the disease-process. (for more information, see handout Feline Oral Resorptive Lesions).

What should I do if my cat has signs of dental problems?
If you see that your cat has evidence of tartar accumulation, gingivitis or is exhibiting any signs of mouth pain or discomfort, you should take it to your veterinarian for an examination. You will be advised of the most appropriate course of treatment, which may involve having the cat’s teeth examined and cleaned under short-acting general anesthesia.

The rate of tartar accumulation is very variable between individual cats, and in some cases this may necessitate professional cleaning on a regular basis such as every six to twelve months.

Do not try to remove tartar from the teeth yourself using any form of metallic instrument. Aside from potentially harming your cat’s mouth or the cat harming you, you are likely to damage the tooth surface by creating microscopic scratches, which will provide areas for bacteria to cling to and encourage more rapid plaque formation, thus making the problem worse.

What can I do to help prevent dental disease in my cat?
The prime aim to help prevent dental disease is to keep the mouth as hygienic as possible and to reduce the rate at which tartar builds up on the teeth.

Recent advances in nutrition have resulted in diets that reduce tartar accumulation. Your veterinarian can give you specific dietary recommendations that will benefit your pet’s dental health.

The most effective way of reducing plaque and tartar is to brush the teeth. A number of toothpastes and brushes are available from your veterinarian that are specially designed for a cat’s mouth. With gentleness, patience and perseverance it is possible to regularly clean some cats’ teeth in this way. In addition, or as an alternative to brushing if this cannot be achieved, a range of antibacterial mouthwashes and gels can be applied to the teeth and mouth to reduce the number of bacteria present. Please ask your veterinarian for further details regarding available dental products for your cat.

Never use human toothpaste on cats, as these are not designed to be regularly swallowed and could cause problems.
 

1) Inappropriate elimination
A cat that urinates inappropriately could have any number of conditions associated with the behavior, including lower urinary tract disease, kidney disease, urinary tract infection, and diabetes mellitus. It can also be a sign of arthritis, which makes it difficult for cats to get into the litter box.

2) Changes in interaction

Cats are social animals, so changes in interactions with humans or pets can signal disease, fear, anxiety, or pain.

3) Changes in activity

A decrease in activity is often a sign of arthritis or systemic illness, while an increase in activity can be caused by hyperthyroidism.

4) Changes in sleeping habits

If your cat is sleeping more than normal (keep in mind that average adult cats may sleep 16 to 18 hours a day—though much of that is “catnapping”), it could be a sign of an underlying disease.

5) Changes in food and water consumption

Most cats are not finicky eaters. Decreased food intake can be a sign of several disorders, ranging from poor dental health to cancer. Increased food consumption can be caused by diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, or other health problems.

6) Unexplained weight loss or gain

Sudden weight loss can be a sign of hyperthyroidism, diabetes mellitus, or a host of other diseases. Obesity, on the other hand, can cause an increased risk of diabetes mellitus, joint disease, and other problems.

7) Changes in grooming

Patches of hair loss or a greasy or matted appearance can signal an underlying disease. Cats who have difficulty grooming often suffer from fear, anxiety, obesity, or other illnesses. An increase in grooming may signal a skin problem.

8 ) Signs of stress

Stressed cats may exhibit signs of depression, hide more, or spend more time awake and scanning their environment. These signs may indicate a medical condition, so it’s important to rule out physical ailments before addressing the stress behaviorally.

9) Changes in vocalization

An increase in vocalization or howling is often seen with an underlying condition like hyperthyroidism or high blood pressure. Many cats also vocalize more if they’re in pain or anxious.

10) Bad breath

Bad breath is an early indicator of an oral problem—studies have shown that 70 percent of cats have gum disease as early as age 3.

• Vomiting and/or diarrhea
• Pain, pruritus, alopecia at site of injection
• Hypersensitivity (e.g., hives, facial swelling)
• Respiratory distress, fever, lethargy
• A “lump” formation at the site of vaccination
— If lump persists, a fibrosarcoma may form (reported in felines).

• Immune-mediated diseases
• Thrombocytopenia
• Polyarthritis (joint inflammation and pain)
• Abscess formation
• Anaphylaxis and collapse, death (rare); more often reported in canines

FIP is a pyogranulomatous vasculitis. It is thought to arise through mutation of FCoV within the individual cat followed by rapid replication of the mutant virus and infection of monocytes and macrophages. Whether or not FIP develops, and the type of lesions that develop, is thought to be influenced by viral load and the cat’s immune response. Cats infected with FCoV are predisposed to developing FIP if they experience stressors such as surgery, re-homing, a visit to a cattery, etc. Some breeds (e.g. Bengal, Orientals, Birman) and individual lines within breeds appear more likely to develop FIP.

History and Clinical Signs

The majority of cases of FIP occur in cats less than one year of age, although it can affect cats of any age. It most commonly arises in multicat households, and particularly in purebred cats.

FIP can present with variable clinical signs, depending on the distribution of pathology. FIP has been broadly classified into two forms: effusive (wet) and non-effusive (dry), but these two forms just reflect different extremes of a continuum of clinical signs, being partly dependent on the cat’s immune response to the virus.

Initial clinical signs may be non-specific, such as pyrexia, lethargy, anorexia, weight loss or failure to thrive. Pyogranulomatous and vasculitis/perivasculitis lesions may develop in any organs such as the kidneys, mesenteric lymph nodes, liver, spleen, omentum and brain. The organs affected determine the clinical signs that develop. Ascites is the most common clinical sign. Other clinical findings may include dyspnoea (most commonly due to pleural effusion, rarely due to pyogranulomatous pneumonia), palpably enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes, renomegaly, ileocaecocolic/colonic lesions, ocular lesions (uveitis, iritis, hyphaema, keratic precipitates, chorioretinitis, retinal perivascular cuffing) and neurological signs (focal, multifocal or diffuse signs involving the brain, spinal cord and/or meninges). The most common neurological signs include ataxia, hyperaesthesia, nystagmus and seizures.
Specific diagnostic techniques

There is no definitive non-invasive ante-mortem diagnostic test for FIP. Currently, definitive diagnosis can only be made on histopathology of affected tissues demonstrating pyogranulomatous inflammation. Immunohistochemistry can confirm the presence of FCoV antigen in macrophages.

There are various clinical features and laboratory abnormalities that can arise with FIP, and the more that are present, the more likely that FIP is the diagnosis. A tentative diagnosis of FIP is therefore often made by first excluding other differential diagnoses, followed by searching for abnormalities that would be indicative of FIP.

Diagnostic investigations that can be of value include:Ophthalmic examination: assessing for abnormalities as described above. Differential diagnoses include toxoplasmosis, FeLV/FIV, Bartonella, neoplasia, idiopathic immune-mediated uveitisComplete haematologyLymphopenia is common; a normal lymphocyte count makes FIP less likelyMild, non-regenerative anaemia is common in FIP but is also a common finding with any chronic illness.Serum biochemistryHyperglobulinaemia is common, and often marked. The albumin:globulin ratio is usually <0.8. Differential diagnoses include multiple myeloma (if monoclonal gammopathy demonstrated on serum protein electrophoresis), lymphoma and other inflammatory diseases, particularly lymphocytic cholangitis if liver parameters are also elevatedHyperbilirubinaemia (mild to moderate) is common and usually occurs in the absence of elevated liver enzymesLiver enzymes, urea and creatinine can be elevated, depending on degree of organ involvement.Thoracic radiographs: mainly to detect pleural fluid. If present, the fluid should be sampled, if possibleAbdominal ultrasound: to detect free abdominal fluid. If present, the fluid should be sampled. Other abnormalities may include mesenteric lymphadenopathy, hyperechoic mesenteric fat, irregular edges to the kidney/liver/spleenAbdominal/pleural fluid analysisIf any effusions are present, analysis of the effusion(s) is one of the most diagnostically useful assessmentsUsually, the fluid is either an aseptic exudate or a modified transudate, being highly proteinaceous with a relatively low cellularity, usually comprising neutrophils and macrophages. Albumin:globulin ratio is usually <0.4. If it is above 0.8, then FIP is unlikely. Differential diagnoses include lymphocytic cholangitis, congestive heart failure, lymphoma, septic peritonitisImmunofluoresence can be performed on the fluid to identify the virus within macrophages, which if present is considered to provide a definitive diagnosis of FIP.Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP). A concentration above 1500 µg/ml is supportive of FIP, but it can be elevated in other inflammatory conditions, and can be high in healthy cats infected with FCoVCoronavirus antibodies. Coronavirus titres do not distinguish between ‘normal’ coronavirus infection and FIP, but simply indicate exposure to coronavirus and are frequently positive in healthy cats. If the titres are very high (>1 : 16 000) this can be more suggestive of FIP. However, coronavirus antibodies are generally of limited diagnostic value since low or negative titres do not rule out FIP, and healthy cats that never go on to develop FIP can also have very high titres, particularly if they are living in multicat households. Caution must be taken to ensure that high coronavirus titres are not over-interpretedNeurological assessment/MRI/CSF if neurological signs are present. Such cases are best referred to specialists. Important differential diagnoses to consider in a young cat with neurological signs include metabolic disorders (e.g. portosystemic shunt), congenital neurological abnormalities (e.g. hydrocephalus), lymphoma (potentially FeLV-associated), other infectious aetiologies (e.g. Toxoplasmosis), idiopathic epilepsy, trauma, toxins, and nutritional abnormalities (e.g. thiamine deficiency)

Treatment

Sadly, FIP is still considered a fatal disease. Most cats with FIP (particularly if they are effusive) will deteriorate rapidly and should be euthanised as soon as their quality of life is reduced. A minority of cats with FIP will have a much more chronic course of disease with only mild clinical signs. In these cases, it is reasonable to treat palliatively with corticosteroids, and supportive treatments such as appetite stimulants (e.g. mirtazapine, cyproheptadine). Interferon is a controversial treatment that is recommended by some clinicians, although there is a lack of good evidence for any benefit. It is reasonable to try interferon in cases with a more chronic course of disease, if there are no financial limitations. Euthanasia should be considered once further clinical signs develop and/or the cat’s quality of life is significantly compromised.

The risk of FIP is always greater in multicat households, mainly due to increased stressors and higher viral burdens. General measures for controlling infectious diseases should be employed, such as only keeping small stable groups of cats (maximum 4–5 cats) housed together. Routine hygiene measures should always be taken with all cats to reduce the risk of FCoV infection. FCoV is readily inactivated by most household detergents and bleach. There is no value in isolating a cat with suspected FIP that lives in a multicat household, as the other cats will probably be infected with FCoV and are unlikely to have any higher risk of developing FIP than any other cat in a multicat household. It is recommended to wait 2 months before bringing any new cats into a household that has had a cat with FIP.

Breeding households are the highest risk environments for FIP. Owners of kittens obtained from a breeder should be encouraged to inform the breeder if their kitten has developed FIP so that the breeder can monitor the situation. If a breeder is having multiple kittens going on to develop FIP then consideration should be given to:Identifying high FCoV shedders in the household, using reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR screening of faeces. However, the value of this is controversialEarly weaning and strict isolation and hygiene measures to prevent FCoV infection of the kittens. Again, effectiveness is controversial and the negative effects on socialisation need to be consideredEvaluation for genetic involvement. Some individual tom cats and/or queens may produce higher proportions of kittens that go on to develop FIP and if this is identified, consideration should be given to stopping breeding with those individuals.

Currently the only guaranteed protection against FIP is preventing infection with FCoV. Being a ubiquitous virus, this is extremely difficult to achieve unless a cat is bred in a FCoV-free household and is kept indoors with no other cats, or only other FCoV-free cats. At present, there is a vaccine available for FCoV in the USA and some European countries, but not the UK. The efficacy of this vaccine is very controversial and most cats will already have been infected with FCoV prior to vaccination, in which case it is unlikely to be of value.

What if it doesn’t get better?

Sadly the prognosis for cats with FIP is very poor and most cats will need to be euthanised fairly soon after diagnosis.

The low-cost option

If there is enough clinical evidence to justify a diagnosis of FIP, then given the grave prognosis, euthanasia should be considered early on in the course of the disease. In cases where there is not enough evidence to diagnose FIP, or if there are financial limitations on performing further investigations, then supportive treatment and monitoring is usually a reasonable choice. In most cases of FIP, there will be progression of clinical signs in a relatively short space of time, and the diagnosis may become more certain as further clinical features develop

When should I refer?

Referral to a feline medicine specialist may be a consideration in any cat where FIP is a differential diagnosis but where the practitioner is unable to find enough evidence to be certain about the diagnosis, or when advanced diagnostic techniques (e.g. MRI, CSF analysis) are required. Referral is also indicated if an owner wants a specialist opinion prior to making further decisions (e.g. regarding further investigations or euthanasia) or breeders want to discuss any implications on their breeding programmes

How common are ear infections in dogs?

Infection of the external ear canal by bacteria or yeast are one of the most common types of infections seen in dogs. We call this otitis externa.

Some breeds, such as Cocker Spaniels and Miniature Poodles, seem more prone to ear infections, but they may occur in any breed.

What are the symptoms of an ear infection?

A dog with an ear infection is uncomfortable, its ear canals are sensitive. It shakes its head trying to get the debris and fluid out, and it scratches its ears. The ears often become red and inflamed and develop an offensive odor. A  black or yellowish discharge commonly occurs.

Don’t these symptoms usually suggest ear mites?

Ear mites can cause several of these symptoms, including a black discharge, scratching and head shaking. However, ear mite infections generally occur most commonly in puppies. Ear mites in adult dogs occur most frequently after a puppy carrying mites is introduced into the household.  Sometimes ear mites will create an environment within the ear canal which leads to a secondary  infection with bacteria and yeast (fungus). By the time the dog is presented to the veterinarian , the mites may be gone, but a significant ear infection remains.

• Be sure that all vaccinations are up to date, including kennel cough for dogs being boarded.
• For people traveling east of the Rockies and south of the border to the States, a rabies vaccination needs to be done within the last year.
• If traveling to the States, Oceanian, Winnipeg or any other heartworm-infested area, arrange for your dog to be tested for heartworm. If negative, you can put your pet on a preventative before you leave. Don’t leave home without it. Heartworm is spread during mosquito season. 
• For pets prone to car sickness, check in with a veterinarian long before traveling so that should you need to use an anti-vomiting or sedative you can practice to see that it works for your pet.
• If leaving pets behind, do not forget to make arrangements with your pet sitter and with the veterinary clinic as to what your wishes are in the case of an emergency or an unexpected health problem.  
• Ticks-in areas of tall grasses and trees where squirrels and deer abound, beware of ticks on your dog as they can spread Lyme disease. The longer the tick is on the pet, the greater the chance of transferring the organism. Tick collars are available and so is a vaccine.
• Giardia-if your pet is not vaccinated for Giardia, be sure to let him or her only drink bottled or tap water while traveling as the protozoa, Giardia (causative agent for beaver fever), is transmitted by contaminated water sources.