All Posts by MakatiDogCat Hospital

0 Wanted: Responsible Pet Owners

I was talking with one of our clients one day.

We were discussing the characteristics of responsible pet owners.

On the flip side, we talked about those who aren’t so responsible.

That’s when she said “Kumuha pa sila ng aso” 

We found it humorous (and sad) that people will get dogs and cats worth a lot.

But they are not willing to spend time and money to keep them healthy.

This disheartens me a lot.

They only want to be known as the “owner” of an expensive pet.

This is a dismal attitude.

Pets are part of the family and should be treated as such!

Pet owners could prevent a lot of diseases by following health protocols.

This would include:

• Vaccinations
• Proper nutrition
• Consistent exercise
• Parasite control and prevention

Preventing some diseases is just too difficult.

But a lot could be!

If only more people could be responsible pet owners.

For the health needs of your fur babies, do give us a call at 0908-896-7113 or message us at makatidogandcathospital@gmail.com.

Dr. Sixto Carlos, DVM, MS, Diplomate PCCP
Makati Dog and Cat Hospital
Serving Pet Parents near Mandaluyong, Makati, and BGC

P.S.  I hope there will be more responsible pet owners in the world!

0 The Dangers Of Rabies

Rabies is a disease caused by a virus.

Any mammal can get infected.

It is found in ALL continents except for Antarctica.

It is so dangerous it will most likely be fatal once anyone gets it!

Reservoir animals in some countries would include a lot of wildlife like bats, foxes, raccoons, and skunks.

Domestic animals can also carry the disease.

In the Philippines, it is mainly found in dogs.

Next are cats.

Rabies Prevention Tips: What To Do To Lower The Risk

Sadly, our country is endemic to this disease.

Humans mostly get Rabies from dog bites.

We have been included in the top 10 countries where people get infected.

Because of this, there have been A LOT of rabies prevention programs for decades.

The goal is to eradicate this, although it is tough to do.

As responsible pet owners, we should all do our part.

Have all of your pet dogs and cats vaccinated for Rabies.

There are government programs that offer free rabies vaccination.

But why wait for this?

When you have a pet, make sure that it is part of your wellness program to get vaccinations against Rabies.

You will probably be saving not only their lives but also yours!

Have peace of mind.

Give us a call at Makati Dog and Cat hospital and have your fur baby scheduled for its Rabies vaccination.

You can contact us  makatidogandcathospital@gmail.com or at (Viber) 09088967114.

Make sure your pets are protected from this deadly disease!

Be social! Connect with us on Facebook and Instagram. Share your cute pet photos on our social media accounts and get featured!

Enjoy peace of mind,

Dr. Sixto Carlos, DVM, MS, Diplomate PCCP
Makati Dog and Cat Hospital
Serving Pet Parents near Mandaluyong, Makati, and BGC

0 Do You Want To Be A Vet?

I was recently invited to speak during career day in the Catholic Filipino Academy of Brother Bo Sanchez.

The topic was about Veterinary Medicine as a career.

I shared the different areas where Veterinarians can work.

This includes:

• Private Practice
• Education
• Research
• Public Health
• Industry
• Uniformed Services
• Regulatory Medicine

I also shared that I’m a fourth-generation veterinarian.

My great grandfather, grandfather, father, mother, two sisters, and a half-uncle are veterinarians.

It was fun talking to students and answering their questions.

Of course, I told them what I do in my practice.

It’s to take care of animals, specifically dogs and cats.

To prevent them from getting sick.

If needed, to treat them medically and surgically.

I hope that I was able to share a lot with them.

I wish I were able to make them understand the Veterinary profession.

Maybe I could inspire one or two to become Vets in the future.

By the way, we are hiring Vets right now and you or someone you know might be interested. Send your resume at makatidogandcathospital@gmail.com and fill this out: https://bit.ly/MDCHVetHiring

Be social! Connect with us on Facebook and Instagram. Share your cute pet photos on our social media accounts and get featured!

Enjoy peace of mind,

Dr. Sixto Carlos, DVM, MS, Diplomate PCCP
Makati Dog and Cat Hospital
Serving Pet Parents near Mandaluyong, Makati, and BGC

0 What Scares Veterinarians

It’s fun to be a veterinarian!

We get to be with cute animals all day.

Kittens are so funny to watch!

You can stare at cuddly puppies the whole day.

This is one of our benefits, although there is a risk here.

We have a higher than usual possible exposure to rabid animals.

I’ve handled quite a handful of pet patients that have rabies.

The furious form is the type of rabies that people are more likely to be familiar with.

Rabid dogs with this type would bite anything!

And I MEAN ANYTHING!

These dogs bite cages, other animals, and even you!

But there is another form that is equally as dangerous.

This is called the “paralytic form.”

The patient is lucid and remains quiet.

The problem here is people are unlikely to think that the patient has rabies.

They become complacent and do risky things like touching the mouth of the patient.

In my practice, we had a case of a pet dog with the paralytic form.

Because of this, nobody thought of the patient having rabies.

Guess what?

When the patient suddenly died, we decided to have it tested.

It turned out that it had RABIES!

Too late!

Five of our hospital staff got exposed to the patient.

Luckily they all had pre-exposure vaccinations for rabies.

They also had post-exposure vaccinations to ensure they didn’t get it.

Although preventive vaccination and post-exposure treatments work, you still get some anxiety.

You keep on thinking that you might get it!

One scary feature of Rabies infection is that it is most likely fatal when you get it!

And our country is considered to be high risk for Rabies.

This is why you should get your pet dogs and cats vaccinated for this deadly disease.

Dogs make up most of the rabies infections of animals in the Philippines.

Cats make up a distant second.

Don’t endanger the lives of your pets.

Keep yourself from getting infected too.

Make sure you get your fur babies vaccinated today!

Send us a message at Makati Dog and Cat Hospital at makatidogandcathospital@gmail.com or call 09088967113 so we can schedule the rabies vaccination of your fur babies.

Make sure you, your family, and your pets are protected!

0 Are You Scared Of Vampires?

Twilight.

Interview With The Vampire.

Buffy.

Vampire Diaries

All the different stories about the legend of Dracula.

A lot of stories have been written about vampires.

People are obsessed with them.

Just check all the books, comics, movies, and TV shows that tell us stories about these bloodsuckers.

There are even documentaries about them.

But did you know that the mythology of vampires may have come from a real-world menace?

This threat to society comes from a virus-caused disease which is Rabies!

If you think about it, many of the peculiarities of vampires in legends are signs caused by rabid animals or people.

Signs like:

• Sensitivity to light
• Biting others
• Hydrophobia or an extreme fear of water

Rabies is a hazardous disease that is present in more than 150 countries!

It can virtually affect all warm-blooded animals, including humans.

Once any susceptible organism gets infected, it is most likely fatal.

According to the WHO, it kills at least 59,000 persons a year.

However, it is believed that this is an underestimation.

As veterinarians, we always think of the possibility of rabies infection on the animals that we handle.

Rabies: Should It Be Given Annually?

Especially in the Philippines, where we are considered a high-risk country for the disease.

We get regular vaccinations against Rabies to protect ourselves.

What about our pets?

Dogs comprise about 98% of the animals infected with Rabies in the Philippines.

Next in line are cats.

If they get infected with the Rabies virus, they will suffer horribly before they die.

In addition, they become dangerous for people and other animals.

That is why you must get ALL of your fur babies vaccinated against this disease.

Not only will you be protecting your pets, but you are also protecting yourself and your family from this horrible threat.

Rabies Prevention Tips: What To Do To Lower The Risk

Call us now at 0908-896-7113/  8896-6386 / 8896-2860 for an appointment so we can give you the protection your pet needs against RABIES!

Be social! Connect with us on Facebook and Instagram. Share your cute pet photos on our social media accounts and get featured!

Enjoy peace of mind,

Dr. Sixto Carlos, DVM, MS, Diplomate PCCP
Makati Dog and Cat Hospital
Serving Pet Parents near Mandaluyong, Makati, and BGC

0 Zika Virus: The Virus That Threatened The Rio Olympics

After finishing my graduate studies at UC Davis, where I earned my MPVM and Ph.D. degrees, I decided to make a difference in the world.

This led me to visit places like American Samoa and Puerto Rico.

I continued to do my research on human viral diseases of concern.

In layman’s terms, these are diseases that have been causing (or have the potential) pain and suffering of people.

Sad to say, many of these are challenging to treat and prevent.

It takes a lot of effort to finally control them.

An example of this is the Zika virus.

Symptoms observed include joint and muscle pains, reddish eyes, headaches, and fever.

The worst that may happen is when a pregnant woman gets infected.

There is a big chance that her baby will be born with a defect called microcephaly or other brain defects,

This virus is the nightmare of all parents!

The Zika virus threatened the success of the Rio Olympics in 2016!

I provided the programmatic support of pregnant women and infants on the Zika virus. Thankfully, it helped in the control and eradication of the virus in certain areas.

Besides the Zika virus, there are a lot of other disease-causing organisms out there.

They may be controlled by sanitation, hygiene, isolation of infected, etc.

One promising way of finally making them disappear is the development of vaccines that will prevent people from getting infected in the first place.

To date, a lot of these vaccines are in development for the prevention of any possible resurgence of the Zika virus and other diseases.

Vaccination against viral infection is one of the main ways to prevent the spread of deadly diseases globally.

There are also a lot of vaccines used to prevent infection in dogs and cats.

Make sure that your fur babies are protected from deadly diseases like Rabies.

Call us at 0908-896-7113 / 8896-6386 / 8896-2860  to have your pets vaccinated against infectious diseases.

Dr. Paz Carlos

DVM, MPVM, PhD

0 “Do More OF The CEU Podcast”

I was interviewed by the members of the CEU Microbiology Society for their podcast.

They were university students looking for someone with expertise on parasitology topics of pets.

It was a fun interview for me, getting to see their reactions when I told them that – “I’m sure you already swallowed or ingested certain parasites!”.

I was asked to discuss these four parasites:

1) Toxoplasma

2) Tapeworms

3) Roundworms

4) Canine Heartworm

All in all, we were able to record four episodes.

I got this message after the podcasts were posted:

“Good morning, Dr. Carlos!

Do more of the CEU podcast!

I’m one of the committee members of the CEU Microbiology Society and I’ve listened to your “CEU Podcast” with the CEU microsoc on Spotify. 

Thank you so much po Doc for enlightening us with your expertise, particularly on the common pet parasites. 

I’d say that it was very insightful po since I’m a first-time dog owner. 

I just started taking care of Kylo, my pet shih tzu, this January (kaya saktong sakto po yung topic ng podcast po this season hahaha). 

Through this podcast po, I became more knowledgeable of the different parasites that I should look out for, including their mode of transmission, symptoms, and ways on how to prevent possible transmission to other pets and humans as well. 

Thank you po again Doc for sharing your knowledge with us through this podcast! Stay safe and healthy po!”

 – Krissy Reyes

Wow!

People were actually listening to the podcasts!

It made me feel good that people learned from what I shared.

They would know how to keep their pets healthy by preventing them from getting these parasites.

I had hoped that people would actually get something from these discussions and prevent suffering for their pets.

Keep your pets from getting infected with parasites! 

For more information, call us at Makati Dog and Cat Hospital at 0908 896 7113. You can also email us at makatidogandcathospital@gmail.com

Becoming a pet lover does not stop at having them as companions.

You should also be a responsible pet owner and learn how to keep them healthy.

Dr. Sixto Carlos, DVM, MS, Diplomate PCCP
Makati Dog and Cat Hospital
Serving Pet Parents near Mandaluyong, Makati, and BGC

0 Meet Dra. Carmen Ligaya Carlos

Hello!

My name is Carmen Ligaya Carlos and I belong to a family of veterinarians.

My parents, two siblings, and I all went to vet school.

My youngest sib took Business Administration.

I’m the oldest of four siblings. Although there are more; my parents, two siblings and I are vets.

My youngest sibling finished Business Ad (smart choice? Maybe, lol)

After completing vet school, I pursued medicine and became a licensed medical doctor.

I took my residency in Physical Medicine and rehabilitation and sub-specialized in Spinal Cord Injuries Rehabilitation.

Overall, choosing to become a doctor was a very good choice.

It was during my residency that I met my husband, Edward Santos, who is an outstanding orthopedic surgeon!

Vet and medical school had several similarities.

There were differences and similarities in the subjects that I took for veterinary medicine and human medicine.

Of course, the main difference is the focus of medicine on humans and veterinary medicine delved into a wide selection of animals.

But, some things are similar between the two disciplines.

It was in Parasitology where I found a lot of parallelisms.

Parasitology is the study of organisms that infest or exploit others.

This study includes roundworms, tapeworms, flukes, ticks, fleas, and many others.

It was interesting that many of the parasites that can infest animals were also able to exploit people too!

Our fur babies may be harboring parasites which may also affect us.

We have to be careful of dog and cat worms like hookworms, tapeworms, and roundworms that may infect us too (scary!).

We can also get infested with fleas, ticks, and mites coming from our furbabies!

Wow!

Make sure you visit your veterinarian so they can give your pets preventives and/or treatments for these pesky parasites.

Not only will it protect your fur babies, but you and your family will be protected too!

Call now at 0908-896-7113 at Makati Dog and Cat Hospital to set an appointment.

We can check your pets for parasites and recommend treatments and preventives for everyone’s protection.

Dr. Carmen Ligaya Carlos

DVM, MD

0 My Viral Research At The University of California, Davis

I did A LOT of studies during my time as a researcher at UC Davis.

This included research on the following viruses:

• Hepatitis C Virus 
• HIV (Yup! The virus that causes AIDS)
• Human Influenza Virus
• Dengue Virus

All of them are diseases of concern for the human population.

They are the source of grief and suffering for several people.

Just think of HIV, the cause of AIDS!

It is responsible for the death of 680,000 persons in 2020.

While the Influenza Virus is not as deadly as HIV, it very contagious and infects hundreds of millions every season.

It causes coughing, sore throat, and fever.

It typically resolves by itself, but a significant number of individuals may succumb to this.

And of course, the Dengue Virus and Hepatitis C Virus, both cause a lot of diseases and are also deadly in certain circumstances.

We were able to collect a lot of information from these studies.

My goal was to help in the possible development of vaccines to control the said viruses.

When vaccines finally become commonplace, we can prevent much suffering and death in the world.

Vaccines play a big part in controlling several infectious diseases of the world.

Not only in humans but also for our canine and feline friends.

Deadly diseases may affect our fur babies. Pet owners should understand this.

Once they get infected, there is no cure, and they suddenly get very sick and may (or will) eventually lead to death.

A good example is Rabies.

The Philippines is among the top 10 countries with the highest incidence globally!

You can easily prevent your pet from getting it with a vaccine.

Book an appointment now at MDCH/CVC at 0908-896-7113/  8896-6386 / 8896-2860. so we can give your fur babies the proper protection for several diseases.

Dr. Paz Carlos

DVM, MPVM, PhD

0 Dog Heartworm Can Cause Long Term Lung Damage

Dog Heartworm

One night, I was discussing the causes and effects of lung damage with my sister.

Her name is Dr. Paz Carlos. She has a Ph.D. in Comparative Pathology, which she obtained from UC Davis.

She is very familiar with the process of several diseases among mammals. It includes humans and even man’s best friend, dogs.

I find it very interesting when she tried to explain this to me.   Even though we don’t see any symptoms, there are cases where the lung is already damaged.

Even though the disease-causing agent (in this case, Heartworm) has been removed, the damage is still there.

It may take a long time for the patient to fully recover.

There is even a possibility that the patient will not return to 100% health at all.

She continued to tell me that prevention is still the best way to go.

There are still diseases out there that are difficult to prevent.

Check out My Mom talked about Leptospirosis

In the case of Heartworm infection in dogs, there are already preventatives that will give 100% protection.

It is easily available and can be given or prescribed by a licensed veterinarian.

You can choose to give the monthly or yearly preventive for dog heartworm. It depends on which you prefer for your fur-babies.

Call us now at 0908-896-7113/  8896-6386 / 8896-2860 for an appointment so we can give you the protection your pet needs!

Be social! Connect with us on Facebook and Instagram. Share your cute pet photos on our social media accounts and get featured!

Enjoy peace of mind,

Dr. Sixto Carlos, DVM, MS, Diplomate PCCP
Makati Dog and Cat Hospital
Serving Pet Parents near Mandaluyong, Makati, and BGC