“It’s only the second week in July, and already the summer . . . → Read More: Heatstroke YouTube video from AVMA]]> AVMA CEO Offers Advice On How To Protect Pets From Heat Stroke During Summer Heat Waves

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has released a video warning pet owners about the record heat being experienced across the country. The video can be viewed here, YouTube, and http://www.avmamedia.org.

“It’s only the second week in July, and already the summer of 2010 has produced record-setting heat waves in many cities, including New York, Boston and Washington, D.C.,” said Dr. W. Ron DeHaven, chief executive officer of the AVMA. “When the heat rises, it can be a dangerous time for pets.”

Dr. DeHaven explains in the video that many pet owners don’t know that pets are even more susceptible to heat stroke during a heat wave than we are. This is because the vast majority of pets in America have fur coats, don’t sweat and can only pant or drink water to cool off.

“Signs of heat stroke include hard panting, staggering gate, rapid heartbeat, listlessness, restlessness, dark red or purple gums and tongue, and vomiting,” he explained “If you suspect your pet has heat stroke, put a cold towel around their neck, get them into an air conditioned car and get them to the veterinarian as quickly as possible.”

Cars also pose significant summer dangers to pets.

“In the summer, a car parked in the sun can become deadly. Never leave your pet, or a child, in a car in the summertime. Even with the windows cracked, a car’s inside temperature can increase as much as 40 degrees in an hour,” Dr. DeHaven said. “This means heat stroke, and possibly death, can come within just minutes.”

From July 31 through August 3, thousands of AVMA members will meet in Atlanta, Ga., for the 147th AVMA Annual Convention. The professional meeting will include over 1,000 hours of informative sessions on veterinary medicine and news in public health, zoonotic disease and other important issues, as well as a performance by the rock group Train.

Source:
American Veterinary Medical Association

Researchers in the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine have found that clopidogrel may be a safe . . . → Read More: Plavix for dogs]]> ..as Alternative Treatment For Dogs At Risk Of Thromboembolic Disease

Companion animals that have a long-term need for anticoagulant drug therapies may soon find help in a top-selling antiplatelet drug marketed to humans: clopidogrel, commonly known by the trade-name Plavix.

Researchers in the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine have found that clopidogrel may be a safe and effective treatment for dogs that need long-term anticoagulant therapy. In addition, it may offer a safe alternative to NSAIDs for treating dogs at risk of thromboembolism due to concurrent therapeutic use of corticosteroids.

Other than aspirin, there are currently no approved antiplatelet drug therapies available to prophylactically treat companion animals with known or suspected hypercoagulability. Anticoagulants such as heparin, which must be administered by injection, are often used instead, but for patients who need long-term treatment, the researchers on the study said many animal owners are reluctant to administer injectable drugs to their pets.

In addition, critically ill dogs are at risk for thromboembolic disease, including pulmonary and aortic thromboembolism, both of which are associated with severe illness and death. Dogs that develop thrombosis and are subsequently treated with thrombolytic agents are at a substantial risk of hemorrhage or metabolic instability.

The researchers wanted to evaluate clopidogrel as a potential treatment for dogs with hypercoagulability due to excessive platelet activation. Clopidogrel, which is only available as an oral therapy, has been safely administered to cats, rabbits and calves, but little has been published about its effects in dogs.

In a study of healthy dogs, researchers found that most dogs had a significant inhibition of platelet function within three hours of receiving clopidogrel. All of the dogs in the study tolerated the drug well and showed no evidence of bruising, hemorrhage or other adverse effects.In addition, platelet activity returned to normal levels within approximately seven days after the drug was discontinued, which is similar to the response found in humans.

The researchers caution that their study only provides data on the effectiveness of clopidogrel in healthy dogs, and not on dogs that are critically ill or receiving other drugs. Further pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies in critically ill canine patients are planned, in addition to studies evaluating this drug in healthy horses.

The research team included Benjamin M. Brainard, VMD, assistant professor of critical care in the UGA veterinary college; Stephanie A. Kleine, DVM, of Georgia Veterinary Specialists;Mark G. Papich, DVM, MS, a professor of clinical pharmacology at North Carolina State University; and Steven C. Budsberg, DVM, MS, a professor of orthopedic surgery in the UGA veterinary college. Their study is published in the July 2010 issue of The American Journal of Veterinary Research.

The study was funded by a First Award Grant, awarded to Dr. Brainard from the Morris Animal Foundation. These grants provide research funding for young faculty to act as principal investigators in areas that advance research in companion animal and wildlife health.

Source:
Kat Gilmore
University of Georgia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 2, 2010 – Merrick Pet Care, Inc. of Amarillo, Texas is recalling 86 cases of its 10oz “Beef Filet Squares for Dogs” pet treats (ITEM # 60016 . . . → Read More: Merrick Pet Care Recalls Beef Filet Squares]]> Merrick Pet Care Recalls Beef Filet Squares 10oz Bag (Item #60016 Lot # 10084TL7 Best By March 24, 2012) Because Of Possible Salmonella Health Risk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 2, 2010 – Merrick Pet Care, Inc. of Amarillo, Texas is recalling 86 cases of its 10oz “Beef Filet Squares for Dogs” pet treats (ITEM # 60016 LOT # 10084TL7 BEST BY MARCH 24, 2012) because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products. People handling the treats can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the chews or any surfaces exposed to these products. Consumers should dispose of these products in a safe manner by securing them in a covered trash receptacle.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers immediately.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian immediately.

The Beef Filet Squares were shipped to distributors and retailers throughout the US. These individuals have been notified and have activated their recall procedures.

The treats are sold in 10oz plastic bags marked with “Lot # 10084TL7 Best By Mar 24, 2012” on the top of the bag and on a sticker applied to the bottom.

No illnesses have been reported to date. FDA collected a surveillance sample of “Merrick Beef Filet Squares for Dogs” (lot #10084TL7) which were purchased from a retail store. The sample tested positive for Salmonella.

Consumers who have purchased 10 ounce packages of “Beef Filet Squares for Dogs” are urged to return the unused portion to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-664-7387 M-F 8:00 – 5:00 CDT.
Company Contact:
Customer Inquiries: (800) 664-7387
Other Inquiries: James Witcher, COO (806) 322-2806

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 2, 2010 – United Pet Group, Cincinnati, Ohio is voluntarily expanding its recent recall of its Pro-Pet Adult Daily Vitamin Supplement tablets for Dogs . . . → Read More: United Pet Group Expands Recall of Supplements For Dogs]]> United Pet Group Voluntarily Expands Recall of Nutritional Supplements For Dogs to Include Additional Tablet and Powdered-Form Products for Dogs and Cats Because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 2, 2010 – United Pet Group, Cincinnati, Ohio is voluntarily expanding its recent recall of its Pro-Pet Adult Daily Vitamin Supplement tablets for Dogs to include additional pet nutritional supplement products for dogs and cats due to possible Salmonella contamination. The list of recalled products is provided below. The Food and Drug Administration is aware of this recall.

The recalled products are sold nationally at various retailers. The products include various United Pet Group Pro-Pet and Excel branded products for dogs and cats, and certain other private label brands of the same products. All of the affected products are in tablet and powdered form. These products are being removed from retail stores and consumers should immediately stop feeding these supplements to their pets. The affected products are those with expiration dates that include and are between “01/2013″ and “06/2013.” Products with expiration dates earlier than 01/2013 or later than 06/2013 are not included in this recall. The expiration date can be found imprinted vertically on the right side of the product label.

Laboratory testing has revealed that some lots of some of these products may be contaminated with Salmonella. The company is recalling the additional products out of an abundance of caution.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

People who handle these products can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with them or any surfaces exposed to these products. Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with the product should contact their healthcare providers.

Consumers who have purchased the affected products are urged to contact United Pet Group or the place of purchase for further direction. Consumers may contact United Pet Group at 1-877-399-5226, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm EST.

TABLE OF RECALLED PRODUCTS

Consumers Contact:
(877) 399-5226

Media Contact:
Carey Phelps (770) 360-5292

Ticks don’t fly, and they don’t blow in the wind. They live in tall grass and either crawl up or fall onto their hosts. People who spend lots of time outdoors in the summer are generally told to avoid ticks by wearing long clothing or spraying on lots of bug repellent, but Dr. Thomas . . . → Read More: Tick resources]]> Ticks as Predators

Ticks don’t fly, and they don’t blow in the wind. They live in tall grass and either crawl up or fall onto their hosts. People who spend lots of time outdoors in the summer are generally told to avoid ticks by wearing long clothing or spraying on lots of bug repellent, but Dr. Thomas Mather (Tick Encounter Resource Center, University of Rhode Island) says neither is the best method of protection.

“Those are the tips you typically find in women’s magazines,” he said. “We know people aren’t going to do this. They’re not going to want to wear long pants in the summer. They’re not going to want to tuck their pants into their socks.

“Most people don’t want to cover themselves with bug spray, and bug repellent with DEET really doesn’t work. It does a good job of keeping mosquitoes away. Not ticks, though. Just because it says it on the can, doesn’t mean it works.”

So how do you avoid ticks? Mather’s Tick Encounter Resource found that covering shirts, shorts (yes, shorts) and shoes, inside and out, with a bug repellent called permethrin does the trick.

Last year, Mather and colleagues did a two-day test using 15 volunteers, half with treated clothing, half with untreated clothing, and unleashed hundreds of blood-sucking ticks onto them.

What they found was that people in the treated clothing were 71 percent less likely to have living ticks attached to their clothing at the end of the test period. Dead ticks cannot transmit disease, Mather said.

They also found that ticks exposed to permethrin-treated clothing died within 10 to 20 seconds of contact.

The tough part, Mather said, is finding permethrin, which is commonly sold only in sporting good stores. Permethrin must be spread onto clothing 48 hours before it’s worn, and it is not recommended for spraying directly onto the skin.

Why So Much Interest in Lyme Disease?

The most feared tick-borne illness is Lyme disease, which is spread by ticks so small that they often go unnoticed and is named for the Connecticut town where Yale researchers first traced the disease back to insects.

Marc Siegel, an internist and FOX News contributor, said other tick diseases don’t receive as much attention, and for good reason.
“They’re not as common as Lyme disease,” Siegel said. “It’s also because we tend to target certain health concerns in the media, and Lyme disease has gotten a lot of attention because we have a deer problem. And when people see deer, they think of Lyme disease.”

Unlike other tick diseases, Lyme disease is seen in most areas of the U.S. But it’s most common in the Northeast.

New England and Mid-Atlantic states average more than 17,000 cases of Lyme disease annually, according to the interactive map found on the Tick Encounter Resource Web site.

The Mountain region of the U.S. averages just 20 cases annually, while the Pacific region averages 104 cases.

If caught early, Lyme disease is curable, Siegel said. But if it’s diagnosed late, it can become a chronic condition.

“You have to weigh the enjoyment of being in the outdoors with the risk,” Mather said. “This is particularly important in the Northeast, where the black-legged tick is so common and Lyme disease can be debilitating and even cause death.”

Siegel said early detection, which will prevent Lyme disease from becoming a chronic condition, should be the focus.

People who find ticks on themselves should remove them immediately with a sharp pair of tweezers. Square tweezers will not do the trick, Mather said, because they are likely to leave a portion of the tick in the skin. Ticks should also be pulled straight out, not twisted.

Siegel suggested bringing the tick to a physician to have it tested for disease. “If it tests positive for Lyme disease, I always treat with antibiotics,” he said. “If it tests negative, you don’t have to worry about it.”

Five Tick Diseases to Watch For:

Lyme Disease: Spread by the black-legged or deer tick, this disease is most common in the Northeast. Symptoms include a circular rash at the site of the tick bite, tiredness and neurological and facial muscular problems.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: Common to the Southeast, symptoms of the disease include sudden onset of fever, headache and muscle pain, followed by development of rash. The disease can be difficult to diagnose in the early stages, and without prompt and appropriate treatment it can be fatal.

Ehrlichiosis: Common to the Southwest, this disease is spread by the lone star tick and is carried by dogs, cattle, sheep, goats, and horses. Symptoms include a fever and swollen lymph nodes.

Babesiosis: This disease is carried by deer ticks and is found most often in the Northeast and upper Midwest. Symptoms include a nonproductive cough, headache and increasing malaise.

Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis: HGA is increasingly recognized as an important and frequent cause of fever after tick bite in the upper Midwest, New England, parts of the mid-Atlantic states and northern California, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other symptoms include headache and malaise.

Dr. Thomas Mather, a professor of public health entomology and director of the Center for Vector Borne Disease and Tick Encounter Resource Center at the University of Rhode Island, said tick problems tend to have a regional focus.

“Kind of like how on The Weather Channel you’ll see a map and it will be hot in one region, stormy in another,” he said.

If there were a Tick Channel, and it showed a map of the country, viewers might see tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease, babesiosis and human anaplasmosis plaguing the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and upper Midwestern regions of the U.S., Mather said.

In the Southeast, you would see some Lyme disease and lots of Rocky Mountain fever. In the Ozark Plateau, home to states like Missouri and Arkansas, you’d see Rocky Mountain spotted fever and ehrlichiosis. In the Western region, there’d be more Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain fever.

Mather said the prevalence of tick diseases on a particular region depends on the types of ticks found there and the animals they most commonly feed off of. In the Northeast, for example, the black-legged or deer tick is most prevalent and feeds off of rodents and deer, carriers of Lyme disease.

The Western black-legged tick, like its name, is found in the West. It tends to feed on livestock, which carry Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

The American dog tick spreads Rocky Mountain fever in the Midwest and feeds off of dogs, cattle, deer, raccoons, and opossum.

The wood tick, found in the West, is the culprit that caused the Washington state boy’s tick paralysis. In the U.S., it’s rare to see this disease in humans, Mather said.

“You’re more likely to see it in animals,” he said. “You might have dog that shows a sudden lameness, and that could be tick paralysis. It’s more common in humans in Australia.”

The odd thing about tick paralysis, Mather said, is that once the tick is removed, the disease goes away and usually requires no further treatment.

Introduction Genetic Tests Genetic Counseling for Owners Genetic Counseling for Breeders Autosomal Recessive Disorders Autosomal Dominant Disorders Sex-Linked Disorders Polygenic Disorders/Complex Inheritance CLICK . . . → Read More: Genetic Testing and Genetic Counseling in Pet and Breeding Dogs]]> A must read presentation from the 2010 WSAVA Congress by Jerold S. Bell, DVM (North Grafton, MA, USA) including the following topics:

Introduction
Genetic Tests
Genetic Counseling for Owners
Genetic Counseling for Breeders
Autosomal Recessive Disorders
Autosomal Dominant Disorders
Sex-Linked Disorders
Polygenic Disorders/Complex Inheritance
CLICK FOR ARTICLE