Visit us often to find out what's happening at the Pinegrove
Animal Hospital and for updates on new developments in the
world of Veterinary Medicine.
If you would like
to provide your name, email address, and type of pet(s)
we would be happy to email you any news bulletins that could
potentially impact your pet's health. Simply email your
information to petnews@pinegrovevet.com.
Ticks and Lyme Disease in Pets
Ticks
are arthropods related to spiders, insect-like in appearance,
and feed on the blood of animals, including humans.
The tick Ixodes scapularis, commonly known as the
"deer tick" or "black-legged tick",
is the primary carrier of the agent that causes Lyme disease
in eastern Canada. In the wild, and before deer ticks
have ingested blood, they are the size of a sesme
seed. Different species prefer different types of
animals. On occasion, a tick will bite a person instead
of an animal.
Lyme disease may occur whenever a human or an animal is
bitten by a deer tick infected with spirochete bacteria,
Borrelia burgdorferi. The habitats associated
with Lyme disease are wooded sites, especially hardwoods,
and places with diverse wildlife, especially white-tailed
deer and small mammals. The primary carrier tick,
Ixodes scapularis (IS), may be found in many parts
of Nova Scotia. However, the only area in this province,
to date, where it has been confirmed that infected IS ticks
have become established is in the Lunenburg area.
In addition, not all ticks carry the spirochete B. burgdorferi.
The likelihood of encountering infected IS ticks is much
greater in the area surrounding the town of Lunenburg.
For several years now, IS ticks from this area have tested
positive for B. burgdorferi. During 2005, in Lunenburg
County approx. 25% of small mammals (mice, squirrels etc...)
were infested with BLT's, both larval and nymph stages.
A slightly larger number of small mammals showed infection
with B. burgdorferi. Prior to 2006, there have been
4 cases of Lyme disease confirmed in humans. All cases
lived in an area near Lunenburg.
Numerous clinical syndromes have been seen in domestic animals,
including limb and joint disease, neurologic, cardiac, and
renal abnormalities. Lyme disease is most commonly
diagnosed in dogs and people. On occasion, the disease
may be found affecting cats, horses, and cattle. Some animals
that contract the disease display no symptoms.
Canines:
Most
infected dogs never show any significant signs of Lyme disease.
In endemic areas, up to 90% of dogs may be infected; however,
only 5 - 10% of these become symptomatic. Most dogs
resolve clinical signs spontaneously; but, some exhibit
multiple, clinical episodes. Lameness, mild fever,
anorexia, lethargy, depression, and swollen lymph nodes
constitute the most common syndrome. Renal Borreliosis
(Lyme disease) is a rare occurrence in dogs, and is usually
fatal. The latter syndrome is characterized by uremia,
hyperphosphatemia, and severe "protein-losing"
nephropathy.
Felines:
Even
in endemic areas, cats seldom develop Lyme disease.
Steps
for Tick Removal
The pet owner may find ticks during routine grooming, especially
after a run through tall grass or in wooded, shrubby areas.
As well, during the course of a routine physical examination
by a veterinarian, ticks may be found unattached, or attached
to the skin. Attached ticks should be remove, as follows:
1.
If possible, wear latex gloves when handling an engorged
tick.
2.
Use tweezers or forceps to gently get hold of the tick as
close to the skin as possible.
3.
Without squeezing the tick, pull slowly to allow the tick
to release its mouthparts prohibiting breakage within the
skin. Avoid "jerking it out"
4.
Avoid twisting or turning the tick because this alone may
cause mouthparts to break off. Note: If the
head or any part of the mouthparts are lost, species identification
of the tick becomes more difficult; and the risk of the
bite becoming infected increases.
5.
Once a tick has been removed, clean the bite area with soap
and water, then disinfect the wound with an antiseptic cream.
Wash hands with soap and water.
How
NOT to remove a tick
DO
NOT try to remove a tick by covering it with grease, gasoline,
or by using some other substance; or, by the application
of a hot match or cigarette. These procedures only
serve to irritate the tick and cause it to spit up contents
of it's stomach into the bite site.
Do
you know what is in your pet toys???
You
know your dog loves to chew and play with stuffed toys.
Recently in a vet clinic in Northern MN a clients dog ate
her child's teddy bear and became very ill. The veterinarian
had opened the dog up to remove what she thought would be
a normal intestinal obstruction, and what she fund was a
"huge gelatine type mess". There was no living
intestine left from the stomach to the colon, as the gelatine
caused the tissue to die and become black. Unfortunately
the dog would have to be put asleep.
The
veterinarian proceeded to call the manufacturer of the Teddy
Bear on a quest to find out what the gel was. It turns out
that stuffing in children's toys contains chemicals for
flame retardants and mite control. It is designed to become
a gel, and is highly toxic. With further research the veterinarian
found that these chemicals are to discourage bacterial growth
and can also be found in comforters and bedspreads.
Please
be careful with what toys you give you pets!
This
information was provided by University of PEI
If
you have any questions please feel free to contact us.
Early
Puppy Socialization
Most puppies are not in the
hands of owners until age seven weeks or more. Breeders,
therefore, play an incredibly important role.
Veterinary behaviourist Ian
Dunbar has suggested that a primary criterion for breeder
selection be the location where the litter is whelped. He’d
like to see all litters reared in a relatively high-traffic
area of the home, such as the kitchen or family room. No
kennels, garages or back rooms. The reason? To provide the
benefit of constant passive exposure to household sights
and sounds: appliance noises, conversation, TV, people walking
around, vacuum cleaner, etc., from day one.
Dunbar has also urged puppy
buyers to be smart shoppers and request quantification of
socialization efforts from breeders, i.e., how many new
people per day puppies have met and in what demographic
categories. If the number is low (e.g., the family members
and a few friends or neighbors), move on.
Another intriguing snippet
of research that points to ultra-early intervention is the
work of Carmen Battaglia on early puppy stimulation. He
found that neonates that receive mild, specific tactile
stimuli on a daily basis grew up to be more stress-resilient
as adults. This finding begs for replication and expanded
research to determine what exactly, breeders could be doing
to further optimize early environment for the puppies they
produce.
As far as training goes,
there is a lack of research regarding optimal ages to start
or complete various tasks. In spite of this, there is still
a strong and fairly widely held feeling that earlier is
better. It has been demonstrated that puppies aged two or
three weeks can learn, so the ideal starting age may creep
downward even more from the current “begin the day
you bring your puppy home.” Once again, this points
to the vital role of breeders in the education of puppies.
Puppy classes for puppies
aged seven to 11 weeks are gaining momentum. Two factors
are driving this. One is the increasing sense of urgency
to exploit the earlier-is-better dictum. And, if authorities
who postulate an end to the socialization period at 12 or
14 weeks are correct, the urgency is even greater. The other
factor is the increasing evidence that the disease risk
to puppies attending classes isn’t as great as once
feared. Epidemiologist and veterinary behaviorist R.K. Anderson
and veterinarians at Purdue University, among others, have
said that not only do the behavioral benefits outweigh the
risk of exposure to pathogens in a puppy class, but that
the disease risk of a properly run class means 1) all puppies
are healthy and have had an initial vaccine against parvo,
distemper and Bordatella; 2) puppies are not walked to class
on the ground outside, where they may encounter feces of
unknown-quantity dogs; and 3) the puppy class premises are
kept clean.
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