School’s back in session, so let’s get schooled, son! In our September 2017 Newsletter, The Meowing Vet highlights the key points that pet owners should remember from our August 2017 articles and provides a sneak-peek of our upcoming blog topics for September!
August served as National Immunization Awareness Month in the U.S., so read below for the top tips you should remember about preventable pet diseases. ask your personal vet for vaccine recommendations for your dog or cat.
Disease Spotlight: Canine Parvovirus
August 8, 2017
- Parvovirus (or “parvo”) is a serious viral infection that can cause not only severe gastrointestinal disease (vomiting and bloody diarrhea) but also severe immune system impairment in your puppy and adult dog. It can lead to death in some cases, even with appropriate treatment.
- Though parvo is highly contagious among all dog breeds, pitbulls, rottweilers, and dobermans are at increased risk of infection.
- Keep your puppies and adult dogs vaccinated against parvo to help prevent infection and spread.
- Though not the same virus that affects dogs, cats can also be infected by a feline parvovirus (also called feline distemper). If a pregnant cat is infected, she can pass the virus to her unborn kittens, who may be born with cerebellar hypoplasia (improper development of the cerebellum, the region of the brain that controls coordination and movement). Cerebellar hypoplasia causes life-long wobbliness. Keep your cats and kittens up-to-date on their vaccines to prevent this disease.
Disease Spotlight: Leptospirosis
August 18, 2017
- Leptospirosis (or “Lepto”) is a bacterial disease spread from the urine of infected livestock (cattle) and wildlife (mice). It can cause liver disease and kidney failure in dogs.
- Because it is a zoonotic disease, Leptospirosis can be contracted by humans, posing a serious health risk as liver disease and renal failure can also occur in humans.
- Signs of infection in your dog include lethargy, fever, vomiting, increased water consumption and urination, and muscle pain.
- Prompt treatment, involving IV fluid therapy and potent antibiotics, is vital to saving your pet. Liver injury and kidney failure may persist in some dogs despite appropriate treatment.
- You can help prevent Lepto infection in your dog (as well as yourself) with proper rodent control and annual vaccination for your dog if you live in a high risk area, such as a city. When outdoors, prevent your dog from accessing stagnant pools of water, especially after heavy rains, as these water holes can accumulate Lepto bacteria shed from rodents.
Disease Spotlight: Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV)
August 28, 2017
- The feline leukemia virus (abbreviated FeLV) is an untreatable virus spread among cats.
- FeLV transmission is most common in kittens and younger cats, outdoor cats, cats in multi-cat households, and un-neutered male cats.
- FeLV causes severe immune system impairment (leaving the infected cat susceptible to acquiring other infectious diseases), various blood cell disorders, and even cancer (such as lymphoma, leukemia, or fibrosarcoma development).
- FeLV infection may greatly shorten a cat’s lifespan. Following infection, 50% of cats will die within 2 years; 80% will die within 3 years.
- You can reduce your cat’s risk of FeLV exposure by keeping your kitty indoors and discussing vaccination with your veterinarian.
- Though rare, 1-2 out of every 10,000 cats vaccinated (against FeLV and/or Rabies) may develop a vaccine-associated sarcoma at the injection site, requiring surgery and sometimes additional treatment. However, the benefit of preventing FeLV infection in at-risk cats far outweighs this rare complication.
Preview of The Meowing Vet’s upcoming article topics for the month of September: (topics or order subject to change)
- September 8: Spaying & Neutering
- September 18: TBA
- September 29: Rabies Virus
When composing each month’s newsletter, it’s a great time to reflect on the amazing response to our veterinary website. Many thanks for your continual support of The Meowing Vet! The world needs more dog and cat owners like you! For more information, visit www.themeowingvet.com. And Don’t forget to subscribe to our e-mail notification list to keep receiving these newsletters.
xoxo
Maranda Elswick, DVM
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