K-9 Companion Pet Services

Pet Safety: Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus, Otherwise known as Bloat

Bloat can be deadly. Is your dog at risk?

Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GVD), commonly known as “bloat” in dogs, is a very serious and dangerous health condition. Bloat occurs when a dog’s stomach becomes abnormally enlarged or distended. Stomach torsion is the abnormal positioning of the stomach which is caused by the stomach’s rotation about its axis, i.e. twisting of the stomach. Bloat usually leads to torsion, although torsion can occur without bloat. Chronic gastric volvulus (ongoing mild torsion) may not cause typical signs of GDV, but should be suspected in dogs with intermittent vomiting, weight loss, mild bloating, rumbling sounds in the bowel (borborygmi) and/or belching.

Facts about bloat:

• Dogs weighing more than 99 pounds have an approximate 20 percent risk of bloat.

• In a study done by the Perdue University Research Group, headed by Dr. Lawrence T. Glickman, the Great Dane was  the number one breed at risk for bloat.

• In 1993, a statistical study involving 134 dogs with gastric dilation and volvulus was conducted by the School of  Veterinary Medicine in Hanover, Germany. In this study, 66.4 percent of the bloated dogs were male and 33.6  percent were female.

• Most dogs with bloat are between the ages of 7 and 12 years old.

• When combined with the complications of GDV, bloat is a leading cause of death to dogs, second only to cancer. While  the exact cause of bloat is still unknown, some evidence suggests a familial association.

• A risk factor associated with death following surgery for bloat is when the dog has exhibited clinical signs of bloating  for greater than six hours before seeing a veterinarian.

Information provided by The Veterinary Information Network.

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K-9 Companion Pet Services offers disaster tips for pet owners

Preparing for disasters can save your pet’s life

Disasters can happen anytime, anywhere and can take many different forms.  If a disaster strikes, do you have a disaster plan?  K-9 Companion Pet Services encourages all pet owners to create a disaster plan.

Planning for disasters is the best way to protect your family, and as a pet owner your disaster plan must include your pets.

Allison Cardona, director of disaster response for the American Society for the Protection Against Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), said that most people don’t believe that a disaster could ever happen to them, but people need to know what natural disasters are possible in their geographic regions, have a disaster plan in place and practice their plan.

If a hurricane is about to make landfall, there isn’t time to figure out what to bring and where to go.  People should already know where they are going and have the supplies on hand.

“The best way to survive a disaster is to prepare for a disaster,” Cardona said.  “People need to research pet-friendly hotels and shelters and create portable disasters kits for all the people and all the pets in their family.”

When disasters strike, people can be displaced from their homes for just a day or for several weeks.  It is essential to a pet’s well being to compile the following supplies in a portable container and keep the container in an accessible location:

• A crate for each pet that is large enough for the pet to stand up and turn around in.

• Food and water dishes.

• A file on each pet that contains health history, vaccination dates and a recent photo.

• A leash and collar with all pertinent information on the tags readily available. This will include pet’s name, rabies tag and contact phone number – remember to include your cell phone number since you will not be at home.

• An ample supply of food, water and medication for the pet with specific feeding and medication instructions written out in clear handwriting.

• Remember that you can not predict Mother Nature. You may be evacuated much longer than you had originally thought. Pack enough supplies for an extended stay. If you don’t need them, great! You can keep them on hand in case of another emergency situation.

• A muzzle and harness is a good idea in case behavior becomes less than desirable for the place you are staying. The pets may be put into close contact with many new pets they do not know and they may have to be cared for by people they do not know.

• Flashlights, batteries, trash bags, baby wipes, newspapers and paper towels should be included if pets either get sick or go to the bathroom while in their crate.

It’s best to also formulate a plan in case disaster strikes while you are away from home and cannot reach your pets.

“Ask someone who is already familiar with your pets, especially their hiding places, to care for your pets if you are unable to reach them,” said Cardona.

Someone could be a trusted neighbor or a professional pet sitter.  (Your Company’s Name) is a member of Pet Sitters International, the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters.  PSI members have access to the most extensive benefits, including PSI’s Accreditation Program which includes extensive and thorough training on disaster planning.

Whether evacuation is necessary or not, be sure that pet’s stick to their normal routine to help restore normality. Cardona suggested that a comfort item (a favorite toy or blanket) be brought for each pet to help them relax and adjust to their new, temporary environment.

Once returning home, Cardona suggests that pets be allowed time to acclimate themselves to their surrounding since things could be extremely different from the last time.

“Start small, allow pets to explore small areas with supervision and then gradually expand the area,” advised Cardona.

A proactive approach to disaster planning is the best way to ensure the safety of everyone and every pet.

Visit www.petsit.com, www.aspca.org or www.hsus.org for more information on disaster planning.

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What is a zoonotic disease?

According to Webster’s College Dictionary, it is any disease of animals communicable to humans. Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimate that 75 percent of all emerging diseases in the world today are zoonotic. That includes mad cow disease, bird flu, West Nile virus, monkey pox, SARS and more. Unfortunately, the bioterrorism threat of anthrax is also a

zoonotic disease. The risk of pet sitters contracting illnesses from their companion animals is low.

To minimize the risk of contracting an illness, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises pet owners to, “Practice good personal hygiene, keep pet areas clean, control disease carrying insects and get regular vaccinations and veterinary care for their pets.” According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) the most common zoonotic diseases you are likely to encounter are:

Salmonella

Salmonellosis is the disease caused by the Salmonella bacteria and is transmitted primarily by reptiles and the feces of baby chicks and ducklings. The CDC reports that 70,000 Americans contact salmonellosis each year from reptiles. Dr. Scott Stahl, a veterinary reptile practitioner

and past president of the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians advises people not to eat, drink or smoke around reptiles. Reptiles should also be restricted from areas where food is being prepared or eaten. “Reptiles tend to intermittently shed the organism,” said Stahl, “so a fecal culture may return a false negative. Once the bacteria are shed in droppings,

Salmonella may be found on the reptile’s skin, its cage, the floor and any other surface the animal

touches.” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns that elderly people, children less than 5 years old, people undergoing treatment for cancer, people who have received organ transplants

and people with suppressed immune systems are at a higher risk for all zoonotic diseases, especially bacteria-borne illnesses.

Ringworm

Ringworm is a fungal infection that affects the skin and can be easily spread from companion animals to humans. In pets, ringworm appears as a dry, scaly, itchy patch in the skin. In humans, it often appears as a round lesion with a scaly ring around the edge, accompanied by redness

and itching. The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine has reported that infected pets often come from households that have a large number of animals. This may also be true of pets that routinely come in contact with a variety of many different pets, such as those at dogs parks or

in dog play groups. The Cornell Feline Health Center advises, “Infected pets continuously drop fungus spores from their skin and fur. These spores, which remain capable of causing infection for many months, are difficult to eradicate from a household. To reduce environmental infection, confine infected pets to one room until they are free of infection, then thoroughly clean and disinfect the entire household.”

Roundworms and hookworms

Roundworm larvae can migrate through the body, damaging organs and tissue. They are known to damage the retina of the eye and cause blindness. Hookworm larvae migrate just under the skin and can cause inflammation and pain. And they can also eventually reach the small

intestines, where they attach themselves to the intestinal wall and live off of blood from their human host. Both roundworms and hookworms are common in companion animals and can be passed along to humans through fecal contamination. It is imperative to have yearly fecal exams

for your pets and keep parasites under control. Timely removal of fecal material in litter boxes, houses and yards is just as important to your own health as it is to your pet. Dr. Jim Humphries, president and news director for the Veterinary News Network states, “The most wide-spread zoonosis are diseases caused by parasites, such as common roundworms found in puppies

and kittens. The CDC estimates that more than 10,000 people in the United States annually test positive for roundworms and more than 750 will partially lose their vision. Worse yet, the raccoon roundworm are becoming more common. As humans move into formerly wooded areas and raccoons adapt to tolerate an urban lifestyle, infection with this parasite may become more likely. Unlike the more ordinary canine roundworms, raccoon roundworms have been known to cause death in humans.” Lower your risk you can lower your risk for contracting diseases with a single practice. Dr. Humphries advises, “The simplest action is to simply follow a rule common to restaurants, schools – and your mother – ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS! Routine and thorough

hand-washing has been shown to reduce the incidence of many bacterial diseases. In a similar fashion, hand washing after playing with pets or roaming the backyard will greatly diminish the possibility of picking up a nasty parasite, like roundworms.”

Cat Scratch Disease and Rabies

Even combined, the numbers of people in North America who are affected by zoonotic diseases is just a fraction of the number of people who are injured by their companion animals. Dog bites and cat-related injuries are far more common. The CDC reports that more than 4 million people are bitten by dogs annually and tens of thousands of people seek medical attention each year

because of injuries associated with cat scratches and bites. Cat Scratch Fever is a flea-borne infection that is transmitted to humans through a scratch or bite. It causes infection at the site of the injury and can result in swollen lymph nodes, fever and lethargy. Any cat scratch or bite should be treated seriously by thorough cleansing and disinfecting. If problems arise, consult a doctor for follow-up treatment and antibiotics.

Rabies

Rabies is a viral disease that is almost always fatal to humans and can affect any warm-blooded animal. It is usually transmitted via saliva through the bite of an infected animal, but can also pass from host to human via infected saliva or blood coming in contact with an open wound or mucous membranes. Due to strictly enforced government vaccination requirements, the incidence

of rabies in domestic animals had been partially controlled. The FDA reports that today, domestic

animals account for fewer than 10 percent of the reported animal rabies cases – and very few of these are companion animals. However, rabies in dogs, cats, horses and cattle has risen in some parts of the U.S. in recent years, most notably in the eastern and south central parts of the country. It is important to make sure that your pets are up to-date on their rabies vaccinations.

While post-bite treatments are effective and readily available, the best course of action is prevention – and that means vaccination. Other zoonotic diseases? Believe it or not, we have just dipped a toe in the disease-infested waters of zoonosis. There are also insect-born diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and ehrlichiosis. Other parasitic diseases include giardia,

leptospirosis or mange. And there’s always bird flu, monkey pox and the plague! But the chances of companion animals passing these diseases on to their own owners are slight. Vaccine protocols have greatly decreased many zoonotic diseases and similar strategic de-worming plans may help to stop zoonotic parasites as well. If you have any questions, please consult your veterinarian. Dr. Humphries concludes, “Educate yourself about zoonotic diseases. Don’t allow unfounded fears to dictate your happiness with your four legged friends.”

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