April 2011 350 Alexander Rd. Nakusp BC V0G 1R1 In this Newsletter: 250-265-4442 www.nakuspvet.ca Canine “Kennel” Cough It’s contagious, and it’s going around. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Canine Kennel Cough Tapeworms Rabies in Canada Birds and Windows Choosing a Puppy Tapeworms Tapeworms are common parasites of cats in our area, and we also see them in dogs occasionally. The tapeworm lifecycle requires an “intermediate host”, such as a flea, a rodent or a deer carcass, that carries the tapeworm to the dog or cat. Dogs and cats cannot get tapeworms from eating stool, and they don’t transmit them directly to each other. That means that if your cat has tapeworms, your dog doesn’t necessarily have them too. The cat may be getting the tapeworms from hunting rodents. On the other hand, if there are fleas in the house, both pets may have tapeworms. The flea tapeworm is so common, in fact, that if your pet has tapeworms you should look for fleas. Tapeworm segments can be seen in stool or stuck to the anus or tail. They look a little like a flattened grain of rice. They can be irritating to the anus. Treatment is simple: usually pills. There is also newer medication for cats that can’t be given pills. If cats or dogs eat rodents or raw meat you may wish to treat them on a regular schedule. Horses, sheep, goats, and cattle get different species of tapeworms. “Infectious Tracheobronchitis” is the technical term for kennel cough. It can be caused by a viral infection, or in more serious cases by a bacteria called Bordetella bronchiseptica — related to the bacteria that causes whooping cough in humans. Affected dogs will cough, but otherwise breathe normally. They sometimes cough very hard and end up retching and gagging. Most of the time, they still eat and drink normally and are active. Occasionally a dog will get very ill from a Bordetella infection. The name “kennel cough” comes from the fact that this disease is very contagious when dogs are close to each other (however, dogs do not have to be in a kennel to catch this disease). Keep affected dogs away from other dogs, and keep them well-rested while they recover. Any dog with a severe cough should be seen by your veterinarian. Bordetella can cause severe coughing for weeks or even months. We try to circumvent that by using specific antibiotics early in the disease. Sometimes a patient can have a similar cough from a heart or lung condition, and treatment is completely different. There are vaccines for several of the agents causing kennel cough. April 2011 350 Alexander Rd. Nakusp BC V0G 1R1 www.nakuspvet.ca Choosing a Puppy Rabies in Canada Number of rabies positive skunks in 2010: 60 Number of rabies positive bats in 2010: 48 Average yearly Rabies positive bats from BC: 13 Number of human deaths from Rabies: (since reporting began in 1924) 250-265-4442 24 Last Canadian human death from Rabies: 2007 Last BC human death from Rabies: 2003 % of total confirmed rabies cases that are - cattle: 5 - 11% - cats: 2 - 6% - dogs: 1 - 2.5% % Human exposure due to contact with rabid dogs or cats : 60% Source: Canadian Food Inspection Agency If a Bird Hits your Window... About half of birds that fly into windows are stunned but not killed. Some of these birds will have fatal internal bleeding, but some will recover. To give the stunned bird the best chance, place it upright in a small dark box in a quiet area. The goal is to give the bird a chance to rest and recover while being protected from predators. Open the box every 15 minutes to see if the bird flies off. If there seems to be an injured wing or leg, or the bird does not recover in an hour, bring the bird in to the vet clinic for examination or take it to BEAKS (Bird Emergency and Kare Society) in Castlegar. There is excellent practical advice on safeguarding your windows for birds at www.allaboutbirds.org (then search the site for “windows”) Adopting a new puppy is a big step. If you do some research, you have a good chance of making the right choice for your family, and for your new dog. Consider the kind of lifestyle you want to have with your dog. Do you want an active dog? A “portable” (small) dog? A quiet easy-going dog? An easy-totrain dog? An independent dog? Look at what the breed was bred to do: that tells you something about the character of the dog. Where will the dog spend time when you are not there? Do you have a safe place inside the house? Do you have a fenced yard? What do you know about the care the dog will require? Are you prepared for a coat that requires maintenance, for example? Where was the puppy raised? people and to other dogs? Has house-training been started? A good start in life will make things easier for you. Is it socialized to It is best to be able to see the puppy’s parents: Do they have the kind of temperament you want? If you can’t see the parents, especially if the dog is of mixed breed, it is hard to predict what the dog will turn out like. Alternatively, consider adopting an adult dog from the SPCA or a breed rescue. Adult dogs have established behaviour traits (as well as size!), so you know what you are getting! There is a great deal of web-based information available. Here is a good place to start your research: www.canadasguidetodogs.com/ newdogowner.htm