Dog Flu Facts!!
Report: Mysterious Disease Is Flu Strain
By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, Associated Press Writer Mon Sep 26, 7:52 PM ET
WASHINGTON - A puzzling outbreak of respiratory disease in dogs has been tracked to a virus that has infected horses for decades - a transfer researchers say is rarely seen. The illness first drew attention sweeping through kennels of racing greyhounds in several states and has also been found in household dogs in some states. The flu kills between 5 percent and 8 percent of infected dogs.
Dr. Cynda Crawford of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine said at a briefing Monday. Some dogs get a cough, runny nose and fever while others show no symptoms at all. The flu can cause symptoms similar to the common illness known as kennel cough, Crawford said. But kennel cough is usually caused by a bacteria while the new illness is caused by a virus.
Dr. Brad Fenwick, vice president for research at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, said he thinks mortality from this flu is even less than estimated by Crawford. If infected dogs are treated, mortality can be much lower, Fenwick said in a telephone interview. While the new virus is easily transferred between dogs, Crawford said people should not panic. Owners of dogs that have a respiratory infection should keep the animal home for at least two weeks, she said.
Asked if dog owners should avoid kennels or other activities, Crawford said she plans to continue boarding her dogs when needed, walking them in areas with other dogs and entering them at dog shows. Fenwick agreed, adding that people should not use vaccines intended for horses on their dogs because the safety of the vaccines hasn't been tested in canines. As for transmission to people, Crawford noted that the strain of flu has been known in horses for more than 40 years and there have been no documented cases of it moving to people.
Nonetheless, Dr. Nina Marano of the Centers for Disease Control said the agency will monitor human exposure to the virus. Dr. Ruben Donis of the federal Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta called the transfer of a virus from horses to dogs "a very rare event of considerable scientific interest with regards to understanding influenza virus transmission across species.
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Donis said the researchers have identified between eight and 10 genetic changes between the virus in horses and dogs, and they speculate that these changes affect the ability of the virus to attach to receptors on cells.
The findings of the research team led by Donis were published online by the journal Science.
He said the research began in Florida and has since traced the virus to dog tracks in other states and to pets in Florida and New York and possibly Massachusetts. Fenwick, who was not part of the research team, said it is not clear whether the transfer occurred first from horses to the racing greyhounds or to house pets.
There are a lot more pet dogs around horses than racing dogs, he noted. The fact that it was first diagnosed in greyhounds could be because it spread to several animals in kennels where veterinarians were called in to treat the dogs. Since mortality is so low it may have gone largely unnoticed in pets, he suggested.
The published paper reported respiratory disease outbreaks in from June to August 2004 at dog tracks in Florida, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia and Kansas. From January to May 2005 outbreaks were reported at dog tracks in Florida, Texas, Arkansas, Arizona, West Virginia, Kansas, Iowa, Colorado, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
The research was funded by the Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering of the State of Florida
Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) In Dogs
Simon Harris
The canine distemper virus (CDV) causes a highly contagious disease in dogs known as distemper. Dogs who contract distemper
suffer damage to their gastrointestinal, central nervous and respiratory systems. Distemper is incurable and often fatal.
Puppies between the ages of three and six months are most susceptible to the disease, although older dogs and other carnivorous mammals can also contract distemper. At one time, distemper was the leading cause of death among puppies that had not been vaccinated. Since the distemper vaccine was created in
the early 60s, incidents of distemper and distemper related deaths have dropped considerably.
CDV is transmitted via airborne viral particles that dogs inhale. Infected dogs also shed the virus through bodily secretions and excretions. In this manner it is easy for an infected dog to cause the infection of another dog.
Distemper causes a multitude of symptoms that include various respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms to central nervous
system disorders. In fact, dogs that die as a result of distemper actually die from central nervous complications caused by the disease or from secondary bacterial infections.
Diagnosing distemper is difficult for a veterinarian to diagnose as blood tests are not helpful in detecting the presence of CDV. Successful diagnosis often relies on the
ruling out of comparative disorders whose symptoms can often suggest the presence of CDV.
Because there is no cure for distemper, treatment for the disease is supportive and a vet will attempt to treat the symptoms as best as possible. A clean, warm, and draft free
environment should be created and maintained to ensure the dog is as comfortable as possible. The eyes and nose should be kept
free of discharge, and medication to treat diarrhea should be administered. Dogs suffering from distemper must be given
plenty of fluids to help reduce fever and prevent dehydration. Other symptoms are treated as they appear if possible.
Like any viral disease, prevention is a much better and more successful option than treatment and the best option is vaccination during the early weeks of life. The distemper
vaccination creates a long lasting immunity to the virus, but it is not permanent. Annual inoculations are recommended to maintain the dog's immunity to distemper. Most puppies are given vaccinations that include distemper vaccine along with vaccines for several other diseases.
About The Author: This article courtesy of
Molera
The Chihuahua's molera (a.k.a. fontanel) is considered a breed characteristic and not a defect. Most Chihuahuas (80 to 90 percent) have a molera - a soft spot on the top of their head similar to a human baby's soft spot. But unlike babies, most Chihuahuas don't outgrow it. Although it usually shrinks as the dog matures and ends up between nickel -and dime-sized, it will not be a problem as long as you're gentle when petting or handling his head. In rare cases, the molera remains quite large and can be a sign of a serious problem called hydrocephalus.
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Heartworms alert - know the warning signs to save your pets health!
By: S.A. Smith
Has your pet recently been coughing, eating less, or being more lethargic than usual? If so, it is possible that your pet is infected with heartworms and may need immediate help and attention. Heartworms may infect a host for up to 2 years before any signs or symptoms are visible, and often when they are diagnosed it may be too late for some pets.
Heartworms are an infectious parasitic transmitted by mosquitoes that invades major organs in dogs and cats like the lungs, pulmonary arteries and heart. Heartworms grow and multiply within the pet body and can survive for up to 5 years. Heartworms cause damage and block smaller arterial vessels in your pets key organs leading to organ damage and a multitude of health complications.
The symptoms of a heartworm infestation are often difficult to recognize or may be overlooked or discounted as merely flu or
cough-like symptoms. Coughing, weigh loss, lethargy, rapid heart beat, poor coat condition, diarrhea and loss of appetite are common symptoms. Treatment to rid a pet of adult heartworms is a costly vet procedure and involves exposing your pet to arsenic
poisoning treatments to kill the adult heartworms - a procedure that can be fatal for aged pets or ones in deteriorating physical
condition.
The best approach to dealing with the risk of heartworms is through and active prevention program. Prevention is the key to controlling and avoiding the health problems associated with these highly contagious and common parasites. A simple oral medication administered once a month is all it takes to protect your pets from the damaging effects of heartworm infestation. For more specific information on treatment and prevention methods.
visit: http://www.pet-medicine-meds.com/heartworms.htm
S.A. Smith is a freelance writer, contributor, and editor of the
Pet Medicine MEDS resource site and can be reached at
Don't Let Ticks Ruin Your Dog's Good Time!
By Carolyn Schweitzer
Nobody likes ticks.
In fact, when it comes to ticks I can't think of a single redeeming quality. While you may see the occasional ant farm or flea circus, the tick competes with the cockroach on the "likeability" scale! Here's what you need to know to defeat them and prevent them from spoiling you and your dog's Summer fun...
What Makes a Tick "Tic"?
Did you know that ticks aren't insects? They belong to the same family as spiders (arachnids). That may explain why we humans find them especially unappealing!
The fact that it behaves like a tiny vampire makes the tick even more detestable. Technically, a tick is a blood sucking mite that can expand 20 to 100 times it's size as it feeds. (Gross). And ticks can spread Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, making them potentially lethal.
Ticks use their sharp mouth pieces to attach themselves to your dog's skin. Their favorite spots are the head, neck, ears, or feet. The scariest thing about them is the fact that ticks can go unnoticed. Tiny as they are, they can attach themselves to you or your dog without being seen or felt. And especially if your dog has a dark coat, ticks will often continue to go unnoticed until they're well engorged with blood.
At that point, you still may not see them, but you'll certainly feel them by running your fingers or a fine toothed comb through
your dog's coat. (I still remember finding one on our black poodle when I was a child. It looked like a small school bus, so I can only imagine how long it had been there! )
The Spring and Summer months are when ticks are most prevalent, but any time your dog has been in a heavily wooded area, she
should be checked. Ticks like wooded, grassy, and damp areas best. Two types of ticks are most commonly found on dogs--the brown dog tick and the American dog tick. But deer ticks and western black-legged ticks will feed on dogs too. Of course, the tick was captured before having a chance to feed. The average tick begins it's adventures approximately the size of a sesame seed. After making a meal of your dog's (or your) blood, it may reach the size of a small grape! ( I swear, the one I saw looked like a school bus...)
Aside from the risk of contracting Lyme disease or spotted fever from ticks, there's another concern: Too many ticks feeding on
a single dog can cause severe anemia or a condition called tick paralysis.
Does and Don'ts of Tick Removal
A tick can be spotted fairly easily against a background of pink skin or a light colored coat. Check your dog all over, but especially around the head and neck, ears and paws. Against dark skin and coats, ticks virtually disappear, so you'll have to feel for them. Another option is to run a fine-toothed comb or flea comb through your dog's coat to loosen ticks that haven't "latched on" yet.
Please pay special attention to the following:
Don't use your bare hands. Latex gloves will protect you from from the tiny organisms that live on ticks and spread disease. Do grasp the tick with a tweezers or forceps by the head and pull slowly but firmly, taking care not to leave any of it in the skin. Do clean the bite site with rubbing alcohol and apply antibiotic ointment. Don't hold a lit match to the tick or try to smother it with chemicals like kerosene or petroleum jelly. At best, you'll irritate your dog's skin and at worst burn it. The tick won't bat an eye. Do drop ticks into rubbing alcohol to kill them Don't attempt to flush a live tick down the toilet or drain, or throw it in the waste basket. It may crawl back out. (The thought of that gives me the willies!!)
How to Avoid and Prevent ticks
Control and prevention of ticks is especially important in avoiding diseases associated with them. What areas should you avoid? Wooded areas, tall grass, low brush, and damp areas are all attractive to ticks. They also are found in greater numbers in areas such as the Northeastern United States. No place is completely safe, though, since a person or animal can "give ticks a ride" from one place to another by carrying them on their skin, clothing or coats.
In parts of the country where the tick population is especially heavy and the risk of Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted
fever especially great, your vet may suggest your dog be vaccinated against ticks. Weigh the pros and cons with your vet if that's what he or she recommends. There are plenty of products on the market designed to repel and/or kill ticks. (Never use tick products designed for dogs on a cat -- it could kill her). Personally, I like all natural
products for controlling fleas and ticks. All conventional products designed to kill/repel fleas and ticks are poisons of one kind or another, and can pose some risk to your pet. Garlic tablets, herbal shampoos, and botanical oils are among your choices. There's also a spray to relieve hot spots and irritated skin.
No more ticks!
At last, you and your pet can stay healthy and tick-free. You dog will sure be glad you took the time to read up on ticks! Remember, natural products help your pets fight parasites better by keeping them strong, healthy, and toxin-free!
© 2004, Carolyn Schweitzer. Lifelong dog-lover, power-shopper, and former family dentist Carolyn Schweitzer is owner and editor
of Great-Dog-Gift.com where she offers a wide range of choices for dog gift shoppers, plus shopping and gift-giving tips. (Also
advice on dog care and feeding.)
Visit the site to view the full illustrated article and learn where to find natural tick control products.
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