There are more than 850 veterinarian hospitals across the country. Banfield Pet Hospital, the largest system of vets in the country, has released its “State of the Pet Health 2014,” which details trends in canine health after analyzing data from more than 2.3 million dogs.
You can give the complete report a read, but here are the highlights:
– Giardia, the microscopic parasite that attaches to the lining of the small intestine of infected dogs, is most common in Kentucky, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Kansas – something to keep in mind if you’re traveling for training or hunting this fall.
– Kennel cough, the highly contagious respiratory infection that you protect your dog from by getting the bodetella shot before boarding, is most commonly found in Kentucky, Utah, Florida, Texas and South Carolina.
– Parvovirus, the highly contagious, and potentially deadly, virus which attacks the dog’s gastrointestinal tract, has the highest prevalence in New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Arizona and Mississippi.
– Lyme disease, the tick-borne disease that can infect dogs, cats and humans, has the highest rate of infection in the northeast, specifically New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Make sure you have your flea and tick preventative applied and up to date if visiting those deer-infested states!
– Canine dental disease is most common in Minnesota, Nebraska, Colorado, Washington and Idaho.
Check out the full report for more details than you’ll ever need or, for some quick fun, check out the interactive map, where you can click on your state and see such stats as canine population, most common names and breeds, common diagnoses and average lifespan of dogs in the state versus the rest of the country.