Hey everyone,
It's been a while since I posted, as usual, but not without good reason! We are very busy :) Things are going very well at PetWell. Our client base continues to grow and we are so pleased to continually visit with so many pet lovers.
I wanted to drop a line today to briefly discuss Zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic diseases are ones that are can be transmitted from dogs or cats to humans.
These include, but are not limited to:
Intestinal parasites:
Round worms
Hook worms
Intestinal protozoa:
Giardia
Fungi:
Ring worm
I am seeing a large increase in the volume of pets with these issues and I think that the reason for this is multifaceted.
First, there has been so much rain over the last year that these little bugs are more easily accessible in the moist ground and in puddles.
Second, with the advent of dog parks (it seems like there is one on every corner now:) so many pups are coming in contact with more parasites. These parasites are ubiquitous, meaning that they are everywhere and that they are constantly encountered, but they are certainly in higher concentrations in areas where there is a higher concentration of dogs.
There is no way to eradicate these bugs for good but we can minimize the chance of transmission (from dog-to-dog and from dog-to-human) by following a few simple rules.
1. clean up after your pup whether in the dog park, on a walk OR in your yard. dogs can actually reinfest themselves after treatment by sniffing their own droppings!
2. try to prevent your pup from sniffing droppings in the park and in your yard. I realize that this is nearly impossible but do your best to minimize the behavior.
3. practice good hygiene habits. This is especially true with puppies. We (veterinarians) typically assume that all puppies have worms. make sure to minimize face licking behavior, etc especially with children, elderly and immuno-compromised folks as worm transmission is more likely in these groups of people.
Now, before everyone gets upset and starts giving away their dogs for fear of catching worms from them let me qualify the above statements: This is simply information passed along for your own good. Zoonosis happens very rarely but we can make it even less common by following this advice...
Feel free to call or write with any questions
Dr B :)
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Thank you Dr. B for this informative article!
ReplyDeleteIn addition to Dog Parks, dog owners now have access to places like Doguroo where dogs have the opportunity to socialize together. Like human daycare for kids the benefits of group play are enormous for both parents and their dogs. However, with all that socializing, the opportunity for disease to spread is increased.
At Doguroo we do everything we can to minimize the potential for the spread of disease from using solid surfaces in our facility that are more able to be sanitized, to locating hand sanitizing stations within easy reach of our staff. Together with PetWell, we are also able to isolate symptomatic dogs and allow Dr. Berger to diagnose (or rule out) these types of contagious diseases quickly and efficiently.
Like most things, the best offense is a strong defense! With that in mind, we also strongly encourage parents NOT to bring their dog to a dog park or a place like Doguroo if they are exhibiting any symptoms of illness or even appear lethargic. This not only helps curb the potential spread of contagions but also protects a dog, whose immune defenses may be lowered, from contracting an opportunistic bug.