Common Misconceptions
Wild animals survive the cold because they have hair/fur to protect them and so can your pet. T or F ?
The truth is, many wild animals don't survive hte cold. Having to deal with the ever-changing environment is a major reason why the life span of wild animals is only a fraction of the life span of a well cared for companion animal. Maybe your pet will survive the cold tonight, but this could result ina weakened immune system, thus allowing your pet to become ill.

Please provide a temperature controlled environment when the thermometer dips.
During the winter months, fleas and heartworms are still a risk to your pet. T or F ?
The mild winter climate of our region provides only small windows of inactivity for fleas, mosquitoes (the carriers of heartworm disease),and most other unwanted parasites. Dogs commonly aquire severe heartworm infestations when skipping a couple of monthly heartworm preventative peills during the winter months. And have you checked your pet for fleas lately? If you are not following a comprehensive flea destruction program, your pet has fleas!
Drought conditions decrease the need for vaccinating and deworming cattle herds and thus allow ranchers to save money by cutting back on such programs. T or F ?
Drought conditions can dramatically increase the number of paracites within the gastro-intestinal tract of cattle. This paracite burden will increase the amount of feed and nutrients required to maintain good physical condition. Thin cows will have weaker immune systems making disease more likely. Deworming and vaccination will lower feed requirements and reduce sickness - ultimately saving many dollars in expensive medical treatments.