by Roy Faulkner DVM | Oct 15, 2014 | Zoonotic Diseases
Ebola is all over the news. A dog was euthanized in Spain because the owner came down with Ebola. This has created a controversy. The bottom line is we don’t really have enough facts and research to really make an educated decision. It would have been nice to have quarantined the dog so we could have gotten more information about the potential danger, if any. Below is an article created by Veterinary News Network (VNN) which will provide some information for you.
Can Ebola Virus affect our Dogs and Cats
www.MyVNN.com
• For the past several months, countries in West Africa have been experiencing an outbreak of illness caused by the Ebola virus. People infected with this virus usually show a fever, headache, muscle pain, weakness, vomiting and diarrhea, followed by dysentery or blood in the diarrhea and abdominal pain. It is basically a viral hemorragic fever.
• Sadly, although recoveries can happen they are rarew and up to 90 percentage of people who test positive for Ebola will die. There is currently no cure. As with many diseases, the only treatment is supportive care, such as rehydration and treating any direct symptom as best as possible.
• With the recent news that a second person has tested positive for Ebola here in North America even after taking all the precautions of a health care worker in a major hospital, many people are becoming alarmed about the transmission of the disease especially considering the uncontrolled migration of people through our southern border and other unidentified viral infections that are known to have come to our contry via this route.
• Further, with the euthanasia of the an infected patient’s dog in Spain (and the outrage that caused around the world), the concerns of the Ebola virus are not limited to protecting only people, but also whether or not our pets are at risk of infection or could possibly transmit the disease to people or other animals.
• Here is what we know at this time; precious little research has been devoted to whether dogs or cats can become infected with Ebola, consequently facts are known. At least one study has indicated that dogs can become infected with the virus, deveop a titer, but the dogs in the study did not demonstrate transmission. (http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/11/3/pdfs/04-0981.pdf).
• However, even though dogs do develop antibodies to the virus, at this point there is no evidence that dogs actually get sick or even show symptoms. What’s more important though is that there are no documented cases of dogs passing the virus to humans. And it must be emphasized – this is true AT THIS POINT, as wse are early in our experience with this disease outside of Africa.
• Because no studies of this particular virus have been done on a large scale in dogs and cats, we are simply in uncharted territory and do not know. Because of this we all have to be vigilant and watch for these general signs and get out pets treated immediately.
• Both the CDC and all veterinary health authorities, public health agnencies and epidemiologists and microbiolobists are on alert around the clock, it is important to understand everything is being done to monitor populationis of people and all animals for unusual signs and even testing where necessary.
• If your pet is sick or shows any symptoms such as fever (usually seen as lack of appetite), vomiting, diarrhea etc., you should see your veterinarian immediately and we’ll make our best effort to get a diagnosis and treat your pet.
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by Roy Faulkner DVM | May 7, 2014 | Uncategorized
Have you heard there was a National Dog Bite Prevention Week?
Yes, the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) National Dog Bite Prevention Week in 2014 is from the 18th of May until May 24 and the purpose, as always, will be on informing people about preventing dog bites.
Well, the the majority of these attacks can be greatly reduced. Who gets bitten the more often? Of course kids! Therefore, educating kids needs to be the job of the parents, especially if there are dogs in the family.
With 70 million dogs in the United States, there’s got to be a significant number of dog bites. How about 4.5 – 5 million dog bites occur every year. About 20% of these dog bites need a doctor’s attention. That is 800,000 every year and half of those are kids. Senior citizens are the next most common group suffering from a dog bite. Children are frequently more seriously traumatized. The offending dog is usually familiar to the victim. The dog bites often occurs during routine daily involvement with the dog.
So what ideas can we provide to help reduce this significant problem? Listed are ten steps someone can do.
Do some research and homework about different breeds
Among the most important things is to do some research about different breed personalities and behavioral trends prior to selecting a dog for the family. Don’t adopt or get a pet based on impulse for emotional factors, feeling sorry for the dog or guilty. Don’t let someone force a pet on you. This generally turns out badly. Particularly if this is your first dog. Learn what to try to find in an animal. Speak to a vet, a reliable breeder, at least someone in the veterinary or pet care field. Iindividuals who have had years of experience handling and working with different canines. If you are not alone, the other people, specifically grownups, have to be on the same page completely. Do not permit kids to make the selection. You have to look at your household situation and see if the dog fits (sex, breed, size, activity level, personality, type of coat, monetary dedication, etc.) into your lifestyle.
If thinking about a puppy, check out the parents, at least the mother of the puppy
Personality is a heritable trait. Exactly how does she react when you approach and touch her? Will she sit on command? Are you able to get her to rest on her side? Take the puppy and pick it up. Exactly how does it respond? Put the puppy on its back and side? Exactly how does it react? If it fights you, vocalizes or tries to bite, do not take it. You will have troubles in socializing it.
You must have human interactivity with the puppy
With that mentioned, make sure that your puppy is well-socialized. The ability to interact socially the pet is crucial in having a excellent and obedient animal. You need to work with your dog to comply with the essential commands such as sit, remain, rest, obey when you say no and listen to you when you call. The dog has to be comfortable walking on a leash (ie. – strolls with you in a calm way, does not drag you and is at hand). The most necessary thing you can do to prevent behavioral problems and reduce the threat of your dog biting somebody is appropiate socialization. If your dog has an obedient nature, you will substantially decrease the risk of biting someone and misbehaving. You will substantially lower the risk of biting somebody and misbehaving if your dog has an obedient nature.
Workout with your dog daily
Exercising your dog is also vital, especially in specific breeds. Dogs have energy that needs to be burnt on a regular day-to-day basis. Relying on the dog, the exercise could be long strolls or need to be more aerobic. Great regular workout likewise provides psychological stimulation for the pet and will make the pet better within the family.
Play properly with your dog
When anyone or the kids play with the dog, eliminate the play fighting or tug-of-war sort of games. This style of activity is over exciting and vies the pet dog against you. Don’t tease the dog with your hands. Offering your fingers, hands or arms in the animal’s mouth is saying to the pet it is OK to bite, even if it is in a playful manner. In addition, don’t ever place your dog in a circumstance where he/she really feels teased or endangered.
Leash instruction is required
As previously mentioned, you need to consistently utilize a leash when you walk your dog in public. You need to maintain control. You don’t have control, when your dog is dragging you along. Each family members need to have proper control when walking the dog, not just a single person. You ought to find out some obedience training if you have a serious problem when walking your dog.
Do not leave your dog outdoors by itself in the yard
Keeping a pet out in the fenced yard alone can lead to issues. Digging holes and jumping the fence are commonplace issues. You can get a few territorial and aggression problems if anotherpet is adjoining to your yard. This could undo the job you have already done.
Timely spaying and neutering can assist
Spaying and neutering are good things to do. Eliminating the hormonal impacts can reduce some natural aggression tendencies present among intact dogs. You really need to discuss the timing of neutering and spaying with your veterinary clinic.
Get yearly wellness and physical examinations
Regular wellness and physical examinations ought to be performed at a minimum yearly. If touched where there is soreness, dogs in pain from osteoarthritis could well potentially nip. Your animal medical practitioner can supply medication for arthritic pain.
Take time to educate and teach your kids
You should teach your children how to approach and act with not only your own pet but other dogs that they may run into. Be sure that they know not to just go up a pet and extend their hand to touch the animal. Do not go to hug a dog or grab the pet in any way. They should never approach a pet that is not on a leash and under an adult’s control. You really should never leave an infant or small child alone with any dog, even your own.
Watch the videos below to help teach your child about dogs:
Bell Shoals Animal Hospital
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Brandon, FL 33511
1.813.654.6600
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by Roy Faulkner DVM | Mar 23, 2014 | Behavioral
Pet Dog Training in a Few Easy To Understand Steps
There are numerous benefits to teaching your pet dog. Having fewer behavioral problems because your dog will be developing improved manners. This will in addition will offer you a more rewarding relationship with your buddy. Your pet will connect better with other people and youngsters. You will have the ability to take your animal with you to more places.
Digging
To stop an animal from digging in your backyard you will have to learn the cause. Some pets simply dig naturally; however, other pet dogs dig because they’re lonesome or want a cool place to lay down when it’s hot outdoors. If you let your animal stay in the backyard for hours with little attention, no interactivity, void of exercise or no cool place to avoid of the sun, you may be contributing to the problem.
Proper Environment
Develop an environment that is learning-friendly for training sessions. Get rid of interruptions such as kids, tv or anything else that can draw attention away from you. Kids enjoy to assist; nevertheless, they can be your greatest barrier while trying to train your canine. When distractions are eliminated you will not need to constantly refocus your animal to pay attention, and this leads to quicker and simpler training.
Much better Socialization
Socializing is an essential part of any canine training. You must attempt beneficial reinforcement when presenting your dog to brand-new people or children. Have the individual feed your canine a special treat when the visitor shows up. This is likewise reliable when greeting individuals in unfamiliar environments. In time, the your canine will connect satisfying new individuals with a positive experience.
Get your pet accustomed to being petted everywhere by touching all areas of your dog’s body. Make certain to include the toes, feet, belly, inside the mouth, ears, snout as well as the tail. Desensitizing your pet dog to being touched everywhere makes it simpler to condition your animal so it doesn’t assault a visitor who touches your canine in a place that your animal is not used to being touched.
Learning Tricks
If there is a technique you’d like your animal to be able to do on command, make certain you praise your canine whenever she or he does the behavior. This works well for behaviors that you are actively teaching, along with actions that your dog might do typically. For instance, if you think it would be enjoyable to teach your animal to “talk” whenever you ask, merely say, “talk,” and give a treat to your animal whenever the dog does the trick. Ultimately, he or she will discover the association between the phrase “talk” and the action of barking, and the advantage.
Repeating is important when you are trying to train your canine to follow a command. When she or he effectively follows your command, practice the command numerous times a day and be sure to provide your pet dog praise and a treat. Repeating will guarantee that your animal will follow the command and remember it in the future.
Get rid of the Hormonal Influences
Spaying or neutering your pet can avoid unwanted habits from ever beginning. Territorial marking, inappropriate soiling, in addition to hostility can be an outcome of sexual maturation. By neutering or spaying your pets, you can stop your pet dog, as well as cats, from wandering if they ever get out of your home by mistake. Neutering and spaying is reasonably painless with contemporary veterinary medicine anesthesia and pain management. Your animal will likewise profit from the wellness elements of spaying or neutering for life.
Conclusion
Behavioral training is vital for a well-mannered, positive, friendly, and mellow pet … and their owner! There are lots of and different pointers on pet dog training offered. You will discover some that work for you. So put a few of these pointers into practice and go have a good time with your pet!
Bell Shoals Animal Hospital
1401 Bell Shoals Road
Brandon, FL 33511
1.813.654.6600
Looking for a veterinarian and animal hospital in the Brandon FL area with professional and compassionate pet careo?
Call us for the best the veterinary pet healthcare in Brandon.
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by Roy Faulkner DVM | Feb 27, 2014 | Diseases, Prevention
Lyme Disease Vaccination in Dogs – Veterinarians Don’t Agree
The argument continues whether to immunize or not vaccinate for Lyme disease. If veterinarians can not agree, how does a client choose. Anytime a veterinarian chooses to make use of a vaccine, Lyme disease or other, the vet has to weigh the risks and advantages for the client. So what are some of the factors to think about.
Where does your pet live?
Living in an endemic location for Lyme disease needs to be thought about. In humans, 95 % of Lyme disease cases are discovered in 12 endemic states in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Upper Midwest. In a few of these areas, 70 % to 90 % of the healthy pet dogs have actually been exposed to Lyme disease. An essential element for avoidance in the areas is good tick control, which can decrease the risk for condition. Vaccination must be considered more frequently in a native to the island area.
Exactly how fantastic is the danger of severe disease, as soon as a pet is contaminated?
Typically, the threat of extreme disease, once the pet is infected, is low. It has actually been stated that less than 2 % of exposed dogs develop the more significant ailment, Lyme nephritis (kidney swelling). Likewise, co-infection (infection with more than one representative) appears to lead to even more significant health problem. There also could be a hereditary predisposition to the degree of inflammation produced from the illness. Retrievers and soft-coated wheaten terriers appear to a genetic sensitivity. In studies, less than 5 % of favorable dogs had arthritis, the most common ailment. These cases usually respond quickly to common and affordable antibiotics.
Exactly how effective is the vaccine?
Definitely not as efficient as various other vaccines. The vaccine appears to prevent infection in 60 % -86 % of the dogs vaccinated. Protection is not long lasting and booster vaccinations are given every 6 months or at least yearly.
Is the vaccine safe?
The vaccine does not seem as safe as the more common vaccines utilized today for various other illness. In a 1.2 million research of immunized pets, the Lyme vaccine produced even more after vaccination negative reactions within 3 days, than other vaccine. These reactions were judged as moderate. The responses were associated with swelling. In a research, 30 % of the pets with Lyme nephritis had actually been given the Lyme vaccine 2 weeks to 15 months prior to ailment. This also raises the concern whether to immunize retrievers and soft-coated wheaten terriers. They most likely SHOULD NOT be immunized.
Conclusions:
1. Tick control is necessary is helping to prevent the illness.
2. The majority of pets tested positive for Lyme disease are nonclinical.
3. Large bulk of confirmed cases can be treated with common and economical prescription antibiotics.
4. A lot of pets do not show signs of Lyme disease after vaccination, but the exact same holds true for naturally exposed pet dogs.
5. Lyme disease vaccine have a short period and trigger even more post vaccination unfavorable events.
6. The canines most vulnerable to Lyme disease (hereditary predisposition), which need the most security, should not be vaccinated.
Hopefully this offers some helpful details in making a decision to immunize for Lyme disease or not.
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by Roy Faulkner DVM | Jan 26, 2014 | Informational, Microchipping
Many pet owners love their pets as a member of the family. They would be devastated and heartbroken if their pet ran away or somehow got lost. Having a microchip implanted in your pet is a great way to assure that, in the event that your pet does run away or get lost, he will be returned.
Problems with Dog Tags that a Pet Microchipping Eleiminates
It is often required that pet owners have tags put on their dogs with the address and contact information for the pet’s home. The idea is so that if the dog is lost, anyone who finds it can contact the owner. There are quite a few problems with this idea. First, the dog might not have their collar on. If the tags have been removed for any reason, anyone who finds the dog cannot see the owner’s information. Secondly, with an increase in dog attacks, people who do not know a dog are less likely to get close enough to check the tags on a dog. They are much more likely to call the local humane society or pound.
Microchipping
The brilliant idea of placing a microchip into the skin of a beloved pet has been a routine practice for many years. A vet simply can inject a microchip, which is about as small as a grain of rice, into the pet’s skin. The microchip is then matched with the owner’s name, address, and phone number. In a way, the pet is linked to the owner with permanent tags.
How Does A Pet Microchip Help?
When a pet is lost, it often ends up in the pound. Most pounds or humane societies are equipped with a machine that can read the microchip beneath the skin. This allows for the pound to contact the owner. Many times lost pets can get mixed in with those to be euthanized, and, with no way to contact an owner, this can be the sad fate for many pets.
Microchipping allows for the pound or veterinary hospital to get in contact with the owner and to let them know they can come pick their pet up. This can be a great relief for the owner as well as the pet.
Things to Consider for Microchipping Your Pet
Well, with any advancement in a field, there are problems. There are pets that end up in rescues and are adopted into a new home. When they are adopted into a new home, the new owner might not be aware of the pet’s history. The pet might be linked to its previous owner, and when the pet is lost, the pound would then get in contact with that previous owner.
The good news is that you can update the new owner’s information and link it to the microchip. Many companies who do this, do it for free to owners who adopt through a rescue.
When deciding to own a pet, there are many things to consider. Microchipping is a wise decision that will insure that your pet remains a part of your family. It is the simplest and most efficient way to keep track of your pet and make sure he returns to you in the event he is lost. Do your pet a favor, get him microchipped. The quick, easy, and painless procedure could be the difference between reuniting with your pet, or losing him forever.
Bell Shoals Animal Hospital
1401 Bell Shoals Road
Brandon, FL 33511
1.813.654.6600
Looking for a veterinarian and animal hospital in the Brandon FL area with professional and compassionate pet careo?
Call us for the best the veterinary pet healthcare in Brandon.
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