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Volume I, Issue II August 2005 IN THIS ISSUE •
Rabies – Protecting Pets, Livestock, and Yourself •
Senior Wellness Screening (A Special Offer in
September) •
Bovine Vaccination Meeting and Dinner - Pfizer |
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September Heartworm Clinic at Healing Springs Sept. 22 & 23 Heartworm disease is fatal but easily prevented. A simple blood test can detect the presence
of larvae in the blood. Call 276-236-5103 to schedule and appointment to check your dog
for heartworm disease. During the clinic the test will be given for only $10. Healing Springs will rebate the $10 back
when you purchase a 12-month supply of heartworm preventative. |
Rabies – Protecting Pets, Livestock and
Yourself As you may already know, multiple cases of confirmed
rabies have been identified in our area. Rabies is a fatal disease. Unlike most animal diseases, the rabies
virus can attack all mammals, including humans. Having your pets properly vaccinated and
addressing livestock quickly will protect your household and the community. How
Rabies Affects Humans: As with all mammals, rabies is fatal in
humans. Once a full-blown case of
rabies develops, there is no cure.
People who believe they have been bit by a rabid
animal or otherwise exposed to rabies should seek help immediately. If humans receive immunization within two
days of a bite, rabies will be prevented. There are no documented cases of a human
developing a full-blown case of rabies when the vaccine has
been delivered promptly and appropriately. Recognizing Rabies in Animals: Infected animals can take
between one week and eight months to show clinical signs. The virus kills its host by working toward
the brain and causing destruction and swelling of the nerves. Once neurological signs are visible, the
disease progresses very quickly.
Animals demonstrating signs of rabies usually die within a week. Signs of rabies vary but generally include
depression, apprehension, nervousness, biting or snapping (sometimes at
hallucinations), muscular incoordination, seizures,
paralysis, salivation or frothing at the mouth, and dropped jaw or inability
to swallow. The one and only test for
rabies requires that a vet sever the animal’s head and send the head to a
sate laboratory. There is no way to
test for rabies without killing the animal.
However, state and local officials often use isolation to rule out
rabies in pets. |
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How
Rabies Spreads:
Rabies sets up in the salivary glands of mammals. Primarily rabies spreads when infected
animals bite other mammals or when uninfected animals eat the carcass of
infected animals. It can also spread
when infected saliva contacts the mucous membranes of other animals (as may
happen when two cats hiss at one another).
Wildlife such as skunks, raccoons, bats, and foxes make up the most common
rabies carriers. Vaccination: There are no documented cases of vaccinated
animals contracting rabies. However,
after a suspected exposure, there are some preventative measures to take. If you believe your animal has been exposed to rabies, contact Healing Springs Animal
Hospital right away. They are on-call
for your emergencies 24/7. Cats and Dogs: Kittens and puppies should receive their first
rabies vaccination after 12 weeks of age and before 6 months of age. They should receive a rabies booster one
year after the initial vaccination.
After that, cats and dogs should renew their rabies vaccinations every
three years. At Healing Springs,
rabies vaccinations cost only $8.
Owners who bring in cats and dogs for scheduled puppy/kitten care and
annual examinations will receive these vaccinations as a matter of
course. Large Animal: Large animals such as horses and llamas should
receive rabies vaccinations at six months and then yearly. While farmers may find rabies vaccination
for market animals to be cost prohibitive, people
keeping goats, cows, and other livestock for pets should protect these pets
against rabies. At Healing Springs,
large animal rabies vaccinations cost only $10. Does
Limiting Pets per Household Prevent Rabies?: No. Licensed
and tagged pets are rabies vaccinated and do not spread rabies. Limiting the number of pet licenses per
household will actually limit the local population’s ability to adopt and
vaccinate pets that otherwise could spread rabies. Furthermore, having vaccinated pets around
your home may discourage rabid animals such as skunks and foxes from entering
your property. |
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Senior Wellness Screening |
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The
veterinary industry as a whole is focusing on improving quality of life for
older dogs and cats and on extending those lives. The most important new tool in this
enhanced effort is the senior wellness screening. To understand the value of the senior
wellness screening, it may be helpful to first cover the definitions of clinical vs. subclinical. |
During September, HSAH
will partner with Antec
Laboratories to offer Complete Senior Wellness Screenings for $99. This includes a geriatric physical, geriatric
blood profile, and complete urinalysis. |
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A
clinical condition is one that is
plainly evident from history and physical signs. For example, a dog that shows a high
temperature, lack of appetite, and low energy suffers from a clinical
condition. The pet is sick. A subclinical
condition is one that can only be detected
through testing. Many conditions such
as diabetes, kidney problems, and thyroid problems develop slowly over
time. The pet is not
sick, but will develop a problem later in life. Through routine geriatric screening,
problems can be identified before they become
full-blown clinical conditions.
Through diet, exercise, environmental changes, or medication, future
problems may be avoided or lessened. Just as with humans, the aging cat and dog
becomes more prone to certain disease processes. The leading geriatric conditions for dogs
and cats include diabetes, arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease,
constipation (cats only), prostate problems (dogs only), dental problems,
thyroid dysfunction, cataracts, deafness, renal disease, urinary tract
infections, hypertension, and tumors. We
must bear in mind one big difference between pets and humans – pets age faster. In
humans, most people consider the senior years to begin at ages 56 to 60. However, much of the increased screening
that doctors recommend for humans begins in the late middle ages, 42 to
45. Vets recommend that annual senior
wellness screening begin at 7 to 8 years of age for cats and dogs. This corresponds to late middle-ages
in humans and to the ages when many problems start developing in pets. Large breed dogs live shorter lives, so
their annual screenings should begin at 5 to 7 years of age. As a general guideline, cats and dogs will
benefit most from senior wellness screening when they have reached the last
25% of their life expectancy. Healing
Springs’ new senior wellness screening involves more testing than the typical
focused exam and lab testing. The
broader range of testing will help ensure that developing problems are identified before they become clinical
conditions. The physical will include
orthopedic testing, central nervous system evaluation, vital signs, pain
assessment, dental assessment, skin evaluation, organ palpation,
cardiopulmonary evaluation, rectal palpation (in dogs) and more. A urinalysis including sediment examination
will help identify developing kidney problems or a pre-diabetic state. Blood testing will evaluate 13 different
measures in dogs and 14 measures in cats.
At
Healing Springs, the senior wellness screening costs only $125. To help raise awareness of senior pet
health issues, Antec Laboratories is discounting
their senior geriatric profile blood work.
Healing Springs will pass on that discount to clients and offer the
senior wellness screening for only $99 in September. |
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Bovine Vaccination Meeting and Dinner Dairy
and beef farmers, mark your calendars.
On September 19, Healing Springs Animal Hospital and Pfizer will hold
a seminar on Bovine Vaccination Protocols.
Dinner begins at |
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The Animal Health
Bulletin is a FREE service of Healing Springs Animal Hospital (276) 236-5103 Galax, VA 24333 Visit our website at
www.HealingSpringsAnimalHospital.com |
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Administrative: Request and article topic. Click
Here. To ask questions about a
specific pet, call Healing Springs at (276) 236-5103. You
have permission to forward this bulletin in its entirety to a friend. If
you did not receive the Animal Health Bulletin directly and would like to
begin receiving them, simply e-mail us at the link below. Healing Springs Animal Hospital provides
the Animal Health Bulletin free of charge to all residents of surrounding
counties. When you subscribe, please
provide your name and address. The
Animal Health Bulletin is developed and distributed with the assistance of Brazzell Marketing Agency. © BMA 2005 |
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