World Rabies Day

Dr. David Gagnon

September 28^th, 2016 marks the 10^th World Rabies Day.  The purpose of World Rabies Day is to “Educate.  Vaccinate.  Eliminate.”  Rabies is a disease that affects animals and people worldwide.  Rabies infections have been dramatically reduced with the advent of vaccines.  If a person or animal is exposed and becomes sick, rabies is almost 100% fatal.  The first case of human survival was actually right here in Wisconsin back in 2004.

Rabies is transmitted through saliva, which is why bite wounds from animals pose such a high risk.  The biggest rabies carrier in Wisconsin is the bat.  Last year, there was one cow who tested positive in Wisconsin, and I suspect it was exposed from a bat bite.  If you or any person you know is ever bitten by a pet, this animal would undergo a series of examinations by your veterinarian.  If your animal is up-to-date on his rabies vaccine, this is a simple 10 day examination period.  If he is not up-to-date, the quarantine period may be much longer and more involved.

While human rabies exposure is rare in the United States, there are an estimated 59,000 human deaths worldwide due to rabies, and most are from dog bites.  And while rabies is nearly 100% fatal, it is also nearly 100% preventable.  If these dogs were vaccinated before being exposed, they would not likely have been affected, nor would they be able to spread it to others.

What does rabies look like?  Most people imagine aggressive animals who are frothing at the mouth, and trying to bite people.  This is one manifestation, but truly, it can cause a number of behavioral changes because the virus affects the neurologic system.  Therefore, if you ever see an animal acting oddly, especially wildlife, do not approach it.  In vet school I was taught to “never trust a smiling skunk.”  This means if an animal (like a skunk, raccoon, bat, etc.) that usually doesn’t hang around people, is seen approaching humans and acting out of the ordinary, do not touch it; it may have rabies.

If you are ever bitten by an animal, immediately wash the wound, then seek medical attention.  If you wait to see if you get sick, you’ll only realize problems after it’s too late.  If the animal can be examined, that’s even better.  If not, or if the animal is suspected to have rabies, your doctor may require post-exposure prophylaxis, which is a series of injections to help your body fight off potential infection before the onset of clinical symptoms.

What if you have an indoor-only animal, like a cat?  It’s still important to vaccinate.  As mentioned above, the biggest rabies carrier in Wisconsin is the bat.  Bats have a knack for finding their way indoors, regardless of whether you have an old house or a new one.  I have experienced this once before, where a housecat was found playing with a bat indoors.  I sent the bat in for testing, which fortunately came back negative.  But it goes to show, that even indoor pets are at risk.  If all our pets are vaccinated against rabies, the safer they will be, and the safer we will be too.

If your pet is due for its rabies vaccine, or you’re unsure, please call the friendly staff at Kaukauna Veterinary Clinic to help schedule an appointment.  Let’s keep our pets healthy and safe!

National Check the Chip Day

Microchipping saves lives

Dr. Ronald Biese

Hundreds?  Thousands? Tens of Thousands?  Hundreds of thousands?

How many animal’s lives have been saved because they were microchipped?

It’s impossible to accurately tell how many animals have been saved with the advent of the microchip system in our beloved pets.  It is safe to say the number is many and if it’s your pet that is found through the system, it’s priceless and the only one you care about. 

 

The microchips were invented in the 1950’s, but didn’t become commercially available until the 1990’s.  The chip is a small device that is implanted under the skin over the back (between the shoulder blades) of pets.  This device can be used in any pet from birds, to reptiles, to dogs and cats.  They are guaranteed for 25 years (with the Home Again product our clinic uses).  The way they work is the following: Your pet unfortunately gets lost or runs away and is found by someone.  The person who found your pet must take him/her to a Humane Society, veterinary clinic, or many police stations (not all have scanners) to be scanned for a microchip.  Once the number of the chip is discovered, the owner of the animal can be found through a national database of microchip numbers.  You are then contacted about your beloved pet being found!  This is a national program and likely would work world-wide.  So, it is reassuring to know even if you travel and lose your pet, there is a good chance you will be reunited if he/she has a microchip implanted.  

So, it would be wise to have your pet microchipped soon if it has not been already.  To lose a pet and never find them again is horrifying, because you are left to wonder what happened to them.  

Home Again Microchip       National Homeless Animal Day 

Watch a veterinarian microchip a dog

Pet Fire Safety Day

Dr. Kurt Rossebo

Everyone has heard of silly days like National Eat your Jell-O Day (7/12) and National Hot Fudge Sundae Day (7/25), but also in July are All American Pet Photo Day (7/11), Pet Fire Safety Day (7/15), and National Mutt Day (7/31).  Now, unless you are a serious, die hard pet owner, you have never heard of these.  And quite frankly, does anyone really care??, except to just humor us?

Most of these days (and quite literally, there is a day for just about anything!) are just for fun.  You can take LOTS of photos of all your pets on 7/11, but don’t you have enough already? Can you ever really have enough photos of your pet?

And you can celebrate your mutt on 7/31.  “Mutts” seem to outnumber purebred dogs lately, especially if you throw in all the “designer” breeds out there now – Teddy Bears, Bugs, Doodles, Cockapoos, Puggles, Shepskies, Morkies, etc.

But a serious day is Pet Fire Safety Day.  You don’t have to celebrate it, but you should think about it just in case.  Would I be able to snatch up all my cats if a fire started?  Where do they hang out?  What about birds?  They are really sensitive to smoke.  If you let your dog out the door, would it just run away?

Even if you have never heard of any of these days, we’re sure you celebrate your pets every day… and we know everyone has thought of what to do in case of a fire… just in case.

 Prevention Tips to Keep Pets from Starting Home Fires  

Kaukauna Veterinary Clinic Celebrates World Pet Memorial Day

Dr. David Gagnon

June 12^th is World Pet Memorial Day.  Being pet owners, we’re lucky enough to have enjoyed the company, companionship, and love from a pet.  Of course the more typical pets, such as dogs and cats, are commonplace in American homes.  Many people have other animals they consider pets, whether horses, chinchillas, birds, or anything in between.  Regardless of the kind of animal, our pets are often a significant source of joy in our lives.  Being a veterinarian, my interest in pets began at a young age, and this unraveled into a lifetime dedicated to the prevention and relief of animal suffering.

As any pet owner knows, or will come to know, nobody lives forever.  Most of our companion animals don’t live much longer than a decade or two, and some unfortunately leave us far sooner than that.  As difficult as it is to say goodbye to our pets, providing the service of euthanasia is a responsibility that I take seriously and I consider myself fortunate enough to perform.  Euthanasia, though never easy, allows our pets to pass away peacefully and with dignity.

June 12^th is a day dedicated to the memory of our lost pets.  I’ve found that my memories of past pets tend to be very good.  My last moments with them were spent in times of old age, illness, or suffering, though my thoughts never really go back to those last minutes together.  The beauty of a long life filled with experiences and memories, is that those good times are what I recall.  My first dog Holly, a black lab mix who joined my family when I was just a tot, was one of the sweetest girls around.  She would never devour her rawhide treats, but rather just hold onto them and enjoy her new treasure.  Ella, on the other hand, was a little stinker who would chirp rather loudly at us when she had to go outside to do her business.  My very first memory of her was when she came home with us, only weeks old.  Then came Louis.  What a stud.  He had the nose of a true bird dog, and would run hard all weekend long until his feet nearly bled, all with the goal to sniff up birds.  Then there was Maggie.  What a sweetheart.  She wanted nothing more than to snuggle up next to our feet.  Some of these dogs lived to ripe old ages of 14 or 16, while others developed problems much younger at the age of 6 or 9.  All were loved, and none will be forgotten.

Now I have Solomon.  He’s almost 3 years old, and we’ve already shared joys and frustrations together.  Really the frustration was during puppy hood, but now he’s outgrown some of those immature behaviors and we’ve become best friends.  We cuddle at home, go for car rides, hunt, camp, and hike together.  He’s my shadow.  I realize his time on earth is limited, and I hope the time to say goodbye will only come several years from now, but his memory will live on leaving nothing but a smile on my face.

Solomon

 

This is a day to think back on the good times with your best friend.  Perhaps look at some old photos, share stories, or just crack a smile recalling some funny little behavior, like when she would always hop around when you made a bag of popcorn.  This is why we get pets.  They’re a huge source of happiness, and it’s a wonderful honor to spend our time with them while we can.

June is Adopt-a-Cat Month

Dr. Ronald Biese

For families that wanted a pet cat 20 years ago or more, often obtained them from a family or friend that lived on a farm.  The typical barn kitten that came to the veterinarian was full of fleas, worms and often Ringworm (a fungal infection on the skin).  Nearly all of these barn cats had an upper respiratory infection causing frequent sneezing and a very goopy nose.  Tincture of time and some medications usually turned them into healthy cats.  Occasionally they would die of a serious, irreversible viral infection.  

Today is very different when it comes to obtaining a family kitten or adult cat.  Most are acquired via a rescue or humane society.  June is National Adopt-a-Cat Month.  There are hundreds of animal shelters in our country that work tirelessly to help our four-legged friends.  Many of the people at such facilities actually volunteer their time to help care for sheltered animals.  Many shelters now have veterinarians on staff or work closely with local veterinarians to put sound medical protocols in place to keep these animals free of disease.  This involves treating them with medicine for upper respiratory diseases they still get today, deworming them, and treating any wounds, etc. 

Rescues/shelters also minimize stress as much as possible which can lead to disease.  This is done by housing them differently than they used to.  They are often in comfortable rooms versus a stainless steel cage.  The theory is to keep them as comfortable as possible to make them a good pet, and to minimize diseases they can get from stress.  This approach has worked very well. 

If you are in the market for a cat, check out many of the local rescues or the humane societies, and you will be sure to find the right cat or kitten that fits your family.  Cats and kittens can be very entertaining in the home.