Prevention is the best medicine:
While many of us are limiting expenditures during these tough economic times, skipping your pet�s yearly exams is not the place to do it. PREVENTIVE care is the best and most cost effective way to keep your pets healthy.Specifically, preventive health care includes essentials like physical exams, vaccinations, dental care, and parasite control. The following paragraphs will show you how some of these routine services can save you money and your pet�s health in the long run.Complete wellness exams and annual routine blood screening tests are an excellent way to detect underlying problems before they become full-blown medical issues requiring extensive medical and/or surgical care. After age seven, as most cats and dogs are considered as seniors, wellness exams are recommended on a biannual basis.Vaccines aid in the prevention of several potentially life-threatening diseases such as Rabies, Distemper (feline and canine), Parvovirus, Canine Influenza, and Feline Leukemia. In our area, vaccination against Lyme disease in the dog has been proven to significantly lower the incidence of this debilitating, sometimes chronic, and occasionally fatal disease.As our pets age, periodental (gum) disease is often a cause of dental pain, loose teeth, and an ever-present source of bacteria that can enter the bloodstream and travel throughout the body. This can result in disease affecting their hearts, livers, and kidneys and significantly shorten their lives. In recent years, dental care including cleaning and polishing teeth, root planing, and even removing teeth that cannot be saved has been shown to dramatically increase both the longevity and quality of life for our pets. Parasite control helps to prevent serious vector-borne diseases such as Heartworm disease, Lyme disease, Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, Tapeworm infection, and many others. Not only is this class of disease a serious health issue for our pets, but some of them can be transmitted to humans when �hitching a ride� on your pet. We cannot over-emphasize the importance of flea, tick, and heartworm prevention as well as routine fecal testing to make sure no pet goes unprotected.As noted, all of the diseases mentioned above can be prevented. In health care, an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure.
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Rye Harrison Veterinary Hospitals' Policy on Canine Influenza Virus.
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Just like the human "flu," canine influenza is highly contagious. In fact, unless a dog has already had the illness and recovered, virtually every dog exposed to the virus will become infected.
Most dogs regardless of breed or age, are at risk for canine influenza. However certain venues and activities can raise your dog's risk of canine influenza virus even higher.
One of the higher risks occur when large numbers of dogs are in close proximity to one another at boarding kennels, dog shows, etc. In an effort to ensure the health and well being of all our canine patients, RHVH will now require immunization against canine influenza prior to coming in for boarding.
While the canine influenza vaccine does NOT prevent the virus, it has been proven to significantly reduce the severity of influenza and the length of time the dog is sick. With this in mind, this policy will be in effect ONLY during peak holiday boarding times such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, New year's and February vacation, etc. when we are at full capacity for housing our borders. The initial vaccine requires 2 doses, 2-3 weeks apart, followed by annual revaccination.
If you plan on boarding your dog with us during these busy holidays, please call and make an appointment a month in advance for the canine influenza vaccine.
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Shedding of the virus by an infected dog begins before the clinical signs are noted and, on average, will last 5 days. The virus is spread by aerosol transmission of respiratory secretions via sneezing or coughing. Direct contact with the respiratory secretions or contact with freshly contaminated surfaces will also serve as a source of exposure.
Being a relatively new virus, most dogs have never been exposed to CIV (canine influenza virus). They therefore lack natural or aquired (from previous exposure or vaccination) immunity to protect them from the virus. Consequently, most dogs exposed to the virus are likely to develop clinical signs of the infection.
Signs of CIV infection typically develop within 2-3 days of virus exposure. The clinical signs of CIV infection are similar but may be more severe to those of 'kennel cough'. Lethargy, anorexia, nasal discharge, low grade fever and a persistant, dry non-productive cough are common clinical manifestions of the illness. Some dogs may develop pneumonia. The presence of secondary bacterial infections can exacerbate the severity of the illness. Cases of severe pneumonia, pulmonary hemorrhage, and death which were noted in early outbreaks of the disease, appear to be uncommon in the pet population.
Treatment is supportive in nature, similar to treatment for 'kennel cough'.
In May 2009 the USDA approved a killed adjuvented whole virus vaccine produced by Intervet. A field trial performed in 700 vaccinated dogs failed to demonstrate any side effects.
Efficacy trials have demonstrated the vaccine to significantly reduce the severity and duration of clinical signs of illness and reduce the amount of and duration of virus shedding. The vaccine will not prevent infection. vaccinated dogs may still show mild clinical signs.
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