IMPORTANT ALERTS
Ticks/ Lyme Disease
Distemper Outbreak in Ontario
There has been a local outbreak of Distemper in Raccoons and Skunks. Although Distemper is not seen much in dogs any more due to regular vaccination programs (it is a serious fatal disease). Distemper is spread through contact with bodily fluids, (similar to Leptospirosis) and can be quite easily transmitted to our pets even without direct contact with an infected raccoon.A regularly vaccinated animal is at low risk of contracting the disease. We advise all pet owners to check the vaccination status of their pet and if they are overdue for distemper or other vaccines such as leptospirosis or rabies they contact their veterinarian.
An epidemic of potentially deadly Canine Parvovirus is sweeping through a neighbourhood in east Cornwall.
It’s difficult to pinpoint how many dogs have been affected because many go unreported but local authorities say the numbers are up. “We are seeing a higher number than usual these days,” says Dr. Adnan El Korchi of the St. Lawrence Animal Hospital.
“There’s at least 17 cases that I’m aware of,” adds local dog-owner and community advocate Heather Hurley
Dr. Adnan El Korchi examines a dog at the St. Lawrence Valley Animal Hospital in Cornwall, Aug. 6, 2014
One of those cases involved her friend and neighbour, Brittany Crowder, still grieving from the loss of her dog. “Two and a half weeks ago my puppy died,” she says. “She got sick with parvo.”
It is a highly-contagious disease, transmitted from dog to dog through their feces. Quite often the feces is very soft and runny and difficult to properly clean up. “It causes usually severe dehydration, vomiting, loss of appetite weight loss. And usually the dog dies just from dehydration,” says Dr. El Korchi.
It can be prevented with a series of vaccines, administered at 2, 3 and 4 months of age. Puppies between 2 and 12 months are most at risk.
Some people don’t get their dogs vaccinated either because of a lack of awareness or because of the cost. The shots can cost two to three hundred dollars.
That’s more than some in this east Cornwall neighbourhood can afford to pay. Brittany Crowder is warning her neighbours they can’t afford not to. “Because I see a lot of people out with their dogs like everything's OK. Whenever I ask does your puppy have their shots. Oh, no, no, no. I'm just doing this. Well I did that too and my puppy's dead now.”
CTV Ottawa
Published Wednesday, August 6, 2014 6:07PM EDT
Last Updated Wednesday, August 6, 2014 6:34PM EDT
Parvo Outbreak Again in Ontario!
In the last few weeks in areas surrounding Cornwall, Ontario another deadly outbreak of Parvovirus has happened. The puppies invovled were not vaccinated at the time of contracting the deadly disease and due to costs and conditions of the two puppies they were both humanely euthanized.
Parvovirus is a preventable disease cause by a virus that is highly contagious that affects the intestinal tract. The general symptoms of parvovirus are lethargy, severe vomiting, loss of appetite and bloody, foul-smelling diarrhea that can lead to life-threatening dehydration.
Parvovirus is extremely contagious and can be transmitted by any person, animal or object that comes in contact with an infected dog's feces. Highly resistant, the virus can live in the environment for months, and may survive on inanimate objects such as food bowls, shoes, clothes, carpet and floors. It is common for an unvaccinated dog to contract parvovirus from the streets, especially in urban areas where there are many dogs.
This deadly disease can be prevented by keeping your dogs and puppies up to date on vaccines and disinfecting areas that may have come in comtact with affected dogs.
Veterinarians have been tracking ticks that could lead to Lyme Disease longer than public health units and family doctors. According to one Ottawa veterinarian the disease is more dangerous to humans than animals.
The total number of ticks is growing,and mostly in areas in and around southeastern Ontario. They are burrowing bugs that nestle their way into the fur of dogs, according to veterinarian Jane Gates who also co-owns Fisher Glen Animal Hospital in Ottawa.
Gates says veterinarians have been studying and tracking Lyme Disease since the late 1990s as ticks were removed from dogs and sent in for testing.
Deer ticks, such as the one above, can carry Lyme Disease which is more dangerous to humans than to dogs where the ticks often live. (Victoria Arocho/The Associated Press)
Public health units have only recently started to study humans for Lyme Disease, something that’s received criticism from people like Myrna Lee Decou.
Decou’s daughter suffers from Lyme Disease, but the research in Canada is limited, according to the Ottawa mother.
“The people who are keeping the statistics are vets,” said Decou. “If you want to know how many ticks have bitten dogs and have Lyme Disease, in the Ottawa Valley you can find it … (vets have) much, much better ideas than … our public health units.”
The disease was first recognized in 1975 in Lyme, Connecticut, but almost four decades later it’s had made a “slow and steady march” upwards, according to Gates.
"More Dangerous in Humans than dogs!"
She said humans are more likely to get sick from ticks than animals, so she often warns the owner when she finds one.
“When I’m doing the screening test I say, ‘I’m doing this as much for you as I am for your dog because your dog’s not that likely to get sick,” Gates said.
“But if your dog is positive that means you’re walking in tick-positive areas and you need to be aware of that for yourself.”
Gates also said an Ottawa lab is collecting tick and Lyme Disease statistics to help map the spread. Ottawa Public Health officials are also testing ticks as it reported the highest number of local cases ever in 2013, with 47.
On Thursday, a private member’s bill from Green Party leader Elizabeth May arrives on the floor of a House of Commons committee. It calls for a national strategy to tackle the chronic condition of Lyme Disease.
Lyme disease Prevention Measures
-
Watch for ticks from early spring to late fall every year.
-
Avoid tick habitats such as tall grass, bushes and woods. Stay in the middle of trails, if possible.
-
Do a “tick check” at the end of every day spent outdoors. Carefully inspect yourself for any ticks, starting at your ankles and moving up. Take special care around your knees, armpits and head.
-
Blacklegged ticks are very small, particularly during the nymph stage, so look carefully.
-
Check children and pets as well.
-
Wear light-colored clothing, because it is easier to see and remove ticks
-
Wear long pants and a long sleeved shirt.
-
Wear closed footwear and socks
-
Tuck your pants into your socks.
-
Use an insect repellent that has "DEET". Always read and follow label directions.
(Source: Ottawa Public Health)
Rabies found in Raccoons in Hamilton
In recent news, there has been 4 confirmed cases of Rabies found in Raccoons in the Hamilton and surrounding area. The orignal case occured when two unvaccinated dogs came in contact with an infected raccoons while being transported by the local authorities. The dogs have since been quarantied for safety reasons and the raccoon has been euthanized. The Ontario Veterinary Medical Association reported this past week that another 3 more raccoons have been confirmed with the deadly disease and urges owners to update and/or vaccinate their pets.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/raccoon-rabies-3-more-cases-found-in-hamilton-1.3357644