Zoonotic disease!

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 :)