Pet Safe Rodent Control 7/15/11

Controlling unwanted rodents can be a real problem especially when you have your own pets to protect.  Many of the standard rodent pellets will have life threatening effects when ingested.  Finding safe and effective alternatives to pesticides is recommended if you have pets.  Prevention is always the best way to control rodents.  Ways of prevention include general housekeeping to be sure food scraps are cleaned up.  Keep pet foods stored in an air tight container.  If you have infestations that are not managed by standard rodent control options, contact an exterminator to discuss other options.

•    Fresh Cab All Natural Rodent Repellant
•    Multiple options for live traps where you can release the rodent far away
•    Multiple options for kill traps
•    Glue Traps though these are not very humane and house pets could potentially get their foot stuck on these.  Olive oil will break the bond of these traps.
•    Put steel wool or aluminum foil in any hole that could give rodents access

Dog Park Etiquette 6/24/11

Here are a few simple etiquette guidelines when taking your dog to the dog park.

•    Always follow the park’s posted rules
•    Check the park for potential safety hazards
•    Be sure your pet is current on all vaccinations
•    Supervise your pet at all times
•    Clean up after your pet (bags are not always provided at park)
•    Do not bring dog if they are or can be aggressive
•    Do not bring a dog that has not been spayed or neutered
•    Be sure your dog is playing well with others. A bully is never fun to play with.
•    Avoid giving treats or special toys to your dog while others are around. (This may cause a confrontation with other dogs, and is best avoided)
•    Avoid disciplining another persons dog, unless it puts another person or animal in immediate danger
•    HAVE FUN!!!

2010 Rabies Retrospective with attention to PEP 2/18/11

Rabies continues to be a fatal endemic disease in Minnesota, including in our pets. In 2010, three dogs and eight cats tested positive for rabies in our state, including one cat here in Washington County, and another in neighboring Anoka County. At least 47 other animals were tested as positive for rabies virus in Minnesota in 2010. So far in 2011, one cat (Chisago County) and three cows have tested positive for rabies. Each of these rabid animals came into contact with at least one human.

When someone comes into direct contact with a Rabies-positive animal, it is highly recommended that they get a series of shots to help prevent them from becoming infected. This series is called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). PEP is a set of four shots or vaccinations given over two weeks, and a shot of Human Rabies Immune Globulin (HRIG). The HRIG shot is based on body weight and given directly into the bite location; this can be up to 10 mL or two full teaspoons into the nerves along the bite!

In 2010, 49 people were recommended to get PEP treatment from contact with dogs and cats that ended up being Rabies positive, over four people per case. This is the number only for people where rabies was confirmed with the Board of Animal Health. The Department of Health recommends PEP treatment to many more people per year due to possible exposure where the animal cannot be tested for any of a number of reasons.

Rabies is almost always fatal. Prevention is the only reasonable option with this disease. There are many reasons to keep your pets current on their vaccinations:

1)    Keep your pet safe; losing a pet because of one missed vaccine would be heart-breaking.
2)    Keep yourself, family, friends, and everyone else safe.
3)    Rabies is painful emotionally. The risk of Rabies exposure to you and those around you is very hard and is added to the loss of your pet.
4)    Rabies is painful physically. The four shots may hurt, but the 10 mL of HRIG needs to be given along the nerve closest to the injury site. Ouch!
5)    Rabies is expensive monetarily. The cost of the veterinary visits, quarantine, doctor visits and lab tests for yourself and family, and the cost of the PEP regimen can easily cost thousands of dollars. Added to that is any cost from potential lawsuits from other people that were exposed.
6)    Rabies is a hassle. Both the Department of Health and the Board of Animal Health run investigations into each case.

So now that it is starting to warm up, stay alert when dealing with pets of unknown vaccination status and wild animals, and make sure that your pet is current on their Rabies vaccine!

NOTE: If you or someone you know may have come into contact with the saliva of a potentially rabid animal, consult your physician immediately for medical advice.

For more information on Rabies see our Minnesota Rabies Update from 10/12/2010, or visit the Minnesota Board of Animal Health website at http://www.bah.state.mn.us/diseases/rabies/index.html.

Written by Brendan Frost. Data from Minnesota Department of Health, Zoonotic Disease Surveillance and the Minnesota Board of Animal Health.

Minnesota Rabies Update 10/12/2010

Minnesota has always had a problem with rabies; this year is certainly no exception. There have been seven feline/canine related cases of rabies in Minnesota reported to the Animal Board of Health this year (five cases in cats, two in dogs)1. Most alarmingly, one of the rabies positive cases in cats was in August, here in Washington County1.

Rabies is a viral disease that affects all terrestrial mammals. The rabies virus is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal; bites are the most common mode of rabies virus transmission. The virus can be transmitted if a scratch, open wound, or mucous membrane of the eyes, nose, or mouth is contaminated with saliva from a rabid animal, this mode of transmission is far less common. While less common, this mode is still dangerous, last year (2009) a Minnesotan man was scratched by a rabid bat and ended up dying of rabies. The rabies virus can remain viable in the carcass of an infected animal for several days after death; cooler temperatures allow the virus to remain viable for even longer2.

The most common rabies virus reservoirs (the host populations of the virus) in Minnesota are skunks and bats. Foxes and raccoons can also carry rabies, but a raccoon has not been confirmed as rabies positive in Minnesota since 19931. Dogs, cats, cattle, and other domesticated species account for fewer than 10 percent of reported rabies cases1. Squirrels, rabbits, mice, rats, and other small rodents can be infected with rabies, but they rarely either transmit the virus or die from it. Note that an animal or person cannot get rabies simply by petting an infected animal or by being sprayed by a skunk.

Rabies virus infects the central nervous system and leads to death. The clinical signs of rabies vary depending on the species of animal affected and the strain of rabies. Most animals show behavioral changes or neurological signs. Cats often are aggressive. Dogs show a variety of signs ranging from aggression to difficulty swallowing and paralysis. Some animals die rapidly without marked clinical signs. Signs of rabies in wild animals are extremely variable; some animals may become bold or aggressive, or act sick, while others may appear perfectly normal.
Early symptoms of rabies in humans are nonspecific, consisting of fever, headache, and general malaise. As the disease progresses, neurological symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, hyper-salivation, difficulty swallowing, and hydrophobia (fear of water). Death usually occurs within days of the onset of symptoms.
The clinical signs of rabies mentioned above are not necessary for the transmission of rabies. The rabies virus may be shed prior to the onset of obvious clinical signs, allowing potential transmission of the disease2. For this reason, animal bites from normal acting mammals must still be treated with caution.

If you are bitten by a potentially rabid animal or believe that you might have come into contact with the saliva of a rabid animal, consult your physician immediately for medical advice. Bites from bats can be very difficult to detect and may go unnoticed. If there is any chance that physical contact with a bat occurred (this includes finding a bat in the room of an unattended child, or waking up to find a bat in the room) the bat should be captured and tested for rabies. While rabies is a fatal disease if left untreated, there is safe and effective treatment if given soon after exposure.

For more information, please see the Minnesota Board of Animal Health website at http://www.bah.state.mn.us/diseases/rabies/index.html.

References:
1 Minnesota Board of Animal Health website: http://www.bah.state.mn.us/diseases/rabies/index.html. Accessed 9-24-2010.

2 Greene, Craig E. Infectious Diseases of the Dog and Cat, Third Edition. 2006. pp. 167-169.

Used with permission from the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, September 24, 2010

Windsource 10/12/2010

Environmental sustainability is critically important for our world and all of its inhabitants. We feel that it is imperative to do all we can to move toward environmental sustainability.
As part of our environmental initiatives here at Silver Lake Animal Hospital, we are pleased to utilize 100 percent renewable wind energy provided by Windsource® from Xcel Energy1. Utilizing Windsource is an important part of the larger goal of pursuing sustainable business practices. Windsource electricity is completely renewable, produced without greenhouse gas emissions and is certified in Minnesota by the Green-e Energy program2.
Our participation in Windsource is voluntary. Participation provides funding for the expansion of current renewable energy programs and supports a clean energy future. Windsource energy also allows us to help decrease dependency on fossil fuels and helps to support local rural economies.

1 Xcel Energy: www.xcelenergy.com
2 Green-e: www.green-e.org.

Influenza Update 12/2/2009

The Influenza A (H1N1) virus has been receiving a lot of attention lately. Erroneously referred to as swine flu, it is a form of influenza that is highly contagious between people at risk. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have named it Influenza A (H1N1) because of the structure of the virus. It is a new virus that was derived from a swine influenza virus and an avian influenza virus.

There have been a number of isolated cases of animals getting the H1N1 flu, generally with the history including exposure to a person showing flu-like symptoms (or confirmed to have had H1N1). These reports include a pig at the Minnesota State Fair, turkeys in flocks in Virginia, Chile and Canada, a ferret in Nebraska, cats in Iowa Utah and Oregon and a swine herd in Finland (in which 800 of 950 pigs contracted the disease, and all 800 got better in 1-2 days). All of the animals except for one cat survived the illness, and there was no evidence that any of the animals transmitted the disease to humans. There is also no evidence that pork or turkey meat can transmit the virus to humans. If you or family members develop signs of H1N1 flu, we recommend that you minimize your pets’ exposure to the ill person.  For further information, go to: AVMA-H1N1 Flu Virus Please do not hesitate to call us with questions at 651-748-1900.

Canine Influenza (H3N8)

Canine Influenza (CIV) is another Influenza A virus that is structurally different from the H1N1 Influenza A virus. It was originally reported in racing greyhound kennels and dog shelters in Florida, and has been reported in 30 states. It has not yet been reported in Minnesota. Dogs at risk are those in high density communal living situations, including kennels and shelters. There is no evidence that humans can contract CIV from dogs. Silver Lake Animal Hospital is not currently recommending CIV vaccination for our patients. As always, good hygiene reduces the potential for transmission of this virus. For further information, go to: AVMA-Canine Influenza Please do not hesitate to call us with questions at 651-748-1900.