Category Archives for "Ask Your Vet"

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

0 Leptospirosis: What I Learned While Working With BAI

I worked as a research veterinarian in the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).

This was before I became a small animal practitioner.

I am sure that many of you were not born yet as this was decades ago.

You see, we collected blood from cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, dogs, and cats.

We tested blood samples for bacterial diseases.

… and one of the important zoonotic diseases we studied was Leptospirosis.  This is caused by a spirochete, Leptospira.

We maintained about thirty serovars.  We used these for testing the blood samples using the micro agglutination test (MAT).

Leptospirosis can cause serious diseases in men and animals. 

Symptoms include high fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark-colored urine, and jaundice.

Leptospirosis can affect major organs like the brain, liver, and kidneys.  

Worse, this may lead to death.

Leptospirosis can infect your dogs. 

You can prevent transmission by vaccination.

To prevent infection of your fur babies with Leptospirosis, have them vaccinated regularly.

Call us now at  0908-896-7113/  8896-6386 / 8896-2860 to have your loved ones protected!

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,

Rhodora S. Carlos
DVM,  Dip.PCCP,  Fel PCVPH

0 My Advice For Vet Applicants

“Akala ko after graduation and passing the board exam, makakahanap ako agad ng trabaho.

… But then the pandemic came.

My Mom is hesitant to let me start working lalo na sa Manila.”

My advice to Vet fresh grads, underboard and new board passers is this:

LISTEN TO YOUR PARENTS.

Mag-ingat and take all the safety precautions saan ka man naroroon.

You see … Our society needs veterinarians and konti lang tayo in our profession.

Only 276 out of 720 passed the last Veterinary Licensure Exam.

So listen to your parents, they are looking after your best interest.

You need to take care of yourself, para when this pandemic is over, you can serve pet parents.

Meantime, use this time to check out the opportunities in our profession.

I invite you to check out the different pet clinics where you intend to start your practice.

Look at their websites, visit them on Facebook and Instagram.

Go one step ahead and message them on Facebook 🙂  (Explain that you are a fresh grad, underboard, or new board passer).

Now, here’s a QUICK TIP:  

If you want to create a good impression:

* Do not ask about starting salary?  

* Do not ask about company benefits?

* Do not ask about lodging and accommodation? 

Instead, ASK them these:

* What is their specialization or focus in their practice?

(Show your interest in their practice)

* What makes their pet clinic different? Or well-loved by their clients?

(Again, show that you are curious about them)

* Where can you send your portfolio or resume?

(Be one step ahead by submitting early!)

You can add more to these.  The thing is, you create the best impression by asking the right questions.

So if you are a Vet Fresh Grad, Underboard, or New Board Passer, please listen to your parents and stay safe.

Nasa pandemic pa tayo … pero be smart and use this time to check to be ahead.

I look forward to hearing from you!

PM me at Makati Dog and Cat Hospital FB Page 🙂

Enjoy peace of mind,

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

P.S.  In case you are wondering:

Yes, we offer above-average compensation at Makati Dog And Cat Hospital!

Yes, we have great benefits for outstanding performers!

Yes, we have a safe place for our provincial Vet applicants!

0 What We Look For In Vet Applicants

Hi, I’m Mina.

I’m with the HR Department of Makati Dog and Cat Hospital for 10++ years.

Part of my job is to review 3,000++ resumes submitted to us throughout the years.  

After reviewing more than 3,000++ resumes, I now see a pattern.

Qualified candidates GET IT.  

They do something different than the other applicants.

Can you guess what they do differently?

No, they do not submit the most beautifully designed biodata.  They did not come from exclusive expensive schools.  No, they do not have the most impressive work experience.

Qualified applicants know the importance of QUALITY TRAINING.

They highlight their training in their resumes.

To me, this shows that the applicant prioritizes training.  More importantly, the applicant is a life-long learner.

… And this is what we are looking for in Makati Dog And Cat Hospital.

So, why are we searching for applicants who focus on learnings?

We are doing this for ONE REASON:  

We give ABOVE-AVERAGE COMPENSATION to applicants who are passionate about learning.

You see, when we hire you, we help you build a strong foundation for your Veterinary practice.

Our Pet Hospital will be dedicated to your growth.  The more confident you grow, the more expertise you develop as a Veterinarian.

When you work with us, YOU will:

• Attend local and international trainings and learn FASTER 
• Work with a MENTOR whom you can ask and consult
• BE UPDATED on the latest trends
• Have tremendous career growth in knowledge and ACTUAL PRACTICE 
• Work in an ESTABLISHED and SAFE ENVIRONMENT

You will be working with our expert vets for our established clinics in Makati and Paranaque.

You see, we are not looking for ordinary Vet applicants.

We are HIRING VETERINARIANS who are life-long learners.

It does not matter if you are a Fresh Grad, Under Board, or New Board Passer.

What is important to us is you are serious about having a solid practice

If you think this is you, click here to APPLY NOW: https://bit.ly/MDCHVetHiring

0 I Hate Amputations!

I had to perform a hindleg amputation on a rescued dog.

Let’s call him “Hope.”

We saw that one of his hindlegs was terribly mangled, which had a terrible infection.

There was pus everywhere … and there was no other way to save the leg.

We decided to do an amputation from the hip down for the patient to survive.

I hate amputations!

Maybe it’s because I picture myself going through this.

Imagine what it would be like to lose a limb.

How does it feel like and what would life be after?

It’s even worse for animals because they have no idea why this happened to them.

They just wake up with lots of pain AND THEN miss a leg.

But it had to be done.

Think about it.

There are groups of people who check on homeless dogs.

If they see they’re not okay, they rescue the fur babies and make sure they get proper treatment.

Like Hope.

There are just too many stray animals in Metro Manila.

You can say there’s overpopulation.

Why is that?

It’s mainly because a lot of people do not have their pets spayed or neutered.

If left alone, dogs and cats would reproduce to unmanageable numbers.

Then they’re given away or left to fend for themselves.

Just like Hope.

He had it bad and needed to have an amputation.

Luckily someone saw him so he could get proper medical care.

Let’s all do our part to have fewer stray animals on the streets.

If you have a pet dog or cat, you can call us at our Hotlines: 0908-896-7113/  8896-6386 / 8896-2860.  Ask us how we can have them spayed or neutered.

Remember, if we all pitch in and do our part, there will be fewer fur babies suffering in the world!

Enjoy peace of mind,

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

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