HEALTH - Canine Flu H3N2 Discovered in Florida

(pexels.com)

The H3N2 flu virus, which first struck the US in 2015, has spread to Florida with the initial cases discovered in late May.

The dogs testing positive were either at a Perry, Georgia, dog show from May 19 to 21 or the Deland, Florida, dog show the next weekend — or were exposed to dogs that had been at those shows.

University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine officials hope to create “community immunity” and as such are encouraging dog owners to vaccinate their pets to prevent the spread of the virus.

“The more dogs in the community that we can vaccinate and build up community immunity, the better chance we have at keeping this virus out of the community,” Dr. Cynda Crawford, an assistant professor of shelter medicine at the college, said at a press conference.

“It’s all about using vaccines to build a wall, an immune barrier, in the community that will stop the virus from entering. Vaccination is still the primary tool we have.”

The virus was present in about 30 other states before appearing in Florida.

“This is a highly contagious virus to dogs, just like influenza virus is to people,” Crawford said. “There is an eminent threat for dogs to be exposed to this virus in this state now.”

The H3N2 canine influenza virus is an avian flu virus that adapted to infect dogs and is different from human seasonal H3N2 viruses.

Canine influenza H3N2 virus was first detected in dogs in South Korea in 2007.

According to the AVMA, Canine influenza is spread via aerosolized respiratory secretions (via coughing, barking and sneezing) and contaminated objects (kennel surfaces, food and water bowls, collars and leashes) and people moving between infected and uninfected dogs.

The signs of this illness in dogs are cough, runny nose, and fever, but not all dogs will show signs of illness.

The severity of illness associated with canine flu in dogs can range from no signs to severe illness resulting in pneumonia and sometimes death.

While death is not common, it is important for owners with dogs exhibiting symptoms to seek veterinary treatment to prevent issues like pneumonia.

HEALTH - Vaccine Debate Part Two: The Controversy

Vaccine controversies are almost as old as the practice of vaccination itself, at least on the human side of the issue.

Common misconceptions about human vaccines include the idea that the immune system may be ‘overloaded’ by multiple vaccines, that ‘natural’ immunity is better than the immunity given by vaccines, or that vaccines cause other issues, like autism.

These misconceptions lead to something researchers are calling “vaccine hesitancy,” and the World Health Organization (WHO) guest-edited a special edition of the journal Vaccine in August of last year addressing this issue.

According to WHO, vaccine hesitancy “refers to the delay in acceptance or refusal of safe vaccines despite availability of vaccination services” and it’s a big problem for global human health.

It’s also not a new problem.

(historyofvaccines.org)

Smallpox vaccination in the UK started in the early 1800's, with mandatory vaccination legislated in The Vaccination Acts of 1853 and 1867.

Two anti-vaccination Leagues were formed shortly thereafter, and their rallies and public demonstrations, including the Leicester Demonstration March in 1885, resulted in exemptions for “conscientious objectors” in the 1896 Vaccination Act.

That’s old history, but it’s a story that continues to play out today.

In fact, an overview of anti-vaccination movements over the last two centuries by the National Centre for Biotechnology Information found that the arguments haven’t changed significantly in the last two hundred years, and theorized that they likely won’t change anytime soon.

And there is a link between anti-vaccination rhetoric and vaccine hesitancy in humans, and pet owner refusal or delay of vaccines in dogs and cats.

Fears about over-vaccination, vaccine toxicity, and other issues all impact pet owners’ willingness to vaccinate their pets.

These fears about vaccination are not new in the pet world. In the early 1930's, shortly after the introduction of the canine distemper vaccine, many pet owners refused the distemper vaccine for fear of vaccine-caused illnesses and these fears echoed anti-vaccine sentiment among humans. 

Dr. Danny Joffe, National Medical Director for Associate Veterinary Clinics says, “Unfortunately, there are lots of ideas out there, and they haven’t been proven or  based on science. The one thing we can say is that dogs are living longer than they were 20-30 years ago, and the reason they’re living longer is a combination of good veterinary care, including good vaccination, and proper nutrition. We’re finding the balance between protection and over-vaccinating. The benefits of vaccinating way outweigh risks.”

And there are risks, just like with any medicine or medical treatment.

Some studies have linked vaccination to joint problems such as arthritis in dogs, and this is part of why vets have moved from vaccination every year to vaccination every three years for many vaccines.

Dr. Joffe says, “Vaccines are biological, and there can be adverse reactions to any vaccine. We’ve shifted to vaccinating every three years, and that’s a more positive way to go.”

Humans can also experience adverse reactions to vaccination, particularly immunocompromised or otherwise vulnerable individuals.

Some of the fears are entirely unfounded. For example, vaccines do not cause autism, and that controversy is, itself, a complex and challenging issue that brings up questions of autism acceptance and stigma.

Other fears are less clearly wrong, and this is where questions of public health vs. individual autonomy become relevant.

Among both people and pets, herd immunity is a critical defense against the diseases that used to cost so many lives.

Think of canine distemper, or of polio. These are diseases that standard vaccination has drastically reduced. These vaccines are saving lives and by vaccinating the majority of the population, those who are unable to be vaccinated are more safe.

Public health professionals must weigh the risk of outbreaks and epidemics in the general population against the risk of an adverse reaction in a small percentage of the population.

Part three of this series will look at the question of herd immunity among pets and humans.

By Tiffany Sostar

Tiffany is a writer, editor, academic, and animal lover who came late to her appreciation of pets. At 18, a rescue pup named Tasha saved her from a depression and she hasn't looked back. She has worked as the canine behaviour program coordinator for the Calgary Humane Society, and was a dog trainer specializing in working with fearful and reactive dogs for many years. She doesn't have any pets right now, but makes up for it by giving her petsitting clients (and any dogs she comes across on her frequent coffee shop adventures) extra snuggles.

HEALTH - Vaccine Debate Part One: The History

(Variolation - pbs.org NOVA)

Vaccine history is unexpectedly fascinating and complex.

It is older than Louis Pasteur finding a vaccine (and cure) for rabies in 1885, older even than Edward Jenner’s 1798 use of cowpox to confer smallpox immunity.

Humans have been using infected material to inoculate domesticated animal populations, and themselves, for much longer than the practice has been documented.

The history of vaccination, and of the symbiotic interplay between human and veterinary medicine, offers insight into yet another way that our relationship with domestic animals enhances our lives.

Veterinary vaccines protect human health by limiting the spread of zoonotic diseases – those diseases, such as rabies, that can be transmitted from animals to humans – and there is a long history of the two fields of medicine learning from one another.

Farmers and nomadic herders, like the Tulani in Africa, have inoculated herd animals against diseases such as sheep pox for centuries. Animal inoculation was mentioned in the notes of European explorers and colonizers in Africa as early as the 16th Century.

There is evidence of human variolation, which is a similar type of inoculation via infectious material, in China at 1000 CE, and in 1706 a British minister learned of variolation against smallpox in Turkey.

Although the origins of the practice are not known, it is likely that human variolation was a result of applying successful veterinary techniques to human health care.

Variolation was effective but unpredictable. Smallpox variolation involved introducing infected human material taken from smallpox scabs or the fluid in pustules into healthy humans, often via an open vein. Although it offered solid immunity, there was a significant risk of post-inoculation mortality.

Smallpox vaccination, in contrast, used cowpox to inoculate humans, and this procedure, which was pioneered by Edward Jenner (1749-1823), was much safer. It was also less effective over time, and though the post-inoculation mortality rate was lower, revaccination was often necessary.

The history of smallpox vaccination perfectly demonstrates how human and animal vaccination have overlapped and intertwined.

Variolation likely started among animals, and was transferred to humans, and the development of vaccination as a safer alternative to variolation happened simultaneously among human and veterinary physicians.

The practice of vaccination itself went through multiple iterations including using humans as vaccine reservoirs, then back to using cows as the vaccine source, and many attempts to transport the vaccine outside of a living body.

This complicated interplay between human and animal medicine continues throughout vaccine history, and extends even into our current context.

Louis Pasteur expanded the understanding of viruses and vaccines, and worked with veterinarians and livestock farmers to develop his first two virus vaccines - against fowl cholera and anthrax. He eventually turned his attention to rabies, and this work would not have been possible without his collaboration with veterinarians.

These collaborations continue today.

When a disease affects both human and animal populations, sometimes the human vaccine comes first and sometimes the animal vaccine does, but there is always collaboration happening between the two fields of medicine.

The history of inoculation among both animals and humans extends further back than most people realize, and so do the controversies surrounding vaccine use.

Part two in this series will look at vaccine controversies, from anti-vaccination arguments in the 1880’s to today.

By Tiffany Sostar

Tiffany is a writer, editor, academic, and animal lover who came late to her appreciation of pets. At 18, a rescue pup named Tasha saved her from a depression and she hasn't looked back. She has worked as the canine behaviour program coordinator for the Calgary Humane Society, and was a dog trainer specializing in working with fearful and reactive dogs for many years. She doesn't have any pets right now, but makes up for it by giving her petsitting clients (and any dogs she comes across on her frequent coffee shop adventures) extra snuggles.

HEALTH - Ontario Rabies Numbers Continue to Grow

Ontario announced its first raccoon strain rabies cases in December 2015 and since then the number continues to grow.

Prior to this outbreak, the province hadn’t seen this type of rabies since 2005.

The latest update from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry states there have been a total of 121 cases of raccoon strain rabies and 2 cases of fox strain rabies cases since December 2015.

In the past week they reported five new cases - four from Hamilton (two raccoons and two skunks) and one case from Brantford in a raccoon.

The rabies virus infects the central nervous system, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death.

Pets can be protected from the virus through vaccination - which is legally required in Ontario.

Pet owners can also protect their animals by maintaining control of them to reduce their exposure to wildlife. It’s also important to report any stray or ill animals to animal control.

Rabies in humans is 100% preventable through prompt appropriate medical care. Yet, according to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 55,000 people, mostly in Africa and Asia, die from rabies every year.

In 2006 a group of researchers and professionals formed the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) whose mission is to prevent human deaths from rabies and relieve the burden of rabies in other animal populations, especially dogs.

World Rabies Day was founded by GARC and has grown every year, with hundreds of thousands of people participating in events on or around September 28th.

GARC uses a holistic model for rabies prevention that has proven to work and includes people, education, vaccination, access to treatment and monitoring results.

Their projects in Africa, the Philippines, India and elsewhere take them closer to their vision of a world free of human rabies.

HEALTH - Hamilton Low Cost Rabies Clinic Hosted by PetValu

Dr. Jeff Rabinovich, from the Bridletown Warden Animal Hospital, and his partners have successfully completed ten low cost rabies vaccine and microchip clinics in Ontario.

But due to the high incidence of rabies in the Hamilton area, Rabinovich has added an additional clinic this Sunday.

The initial clinics, done in partnership with PJ’s Pets, Pet Culture and HomeSafeTM, resulted in 929 rabies vaccinations and 360 microchip implants. All microchip implants included a HomeSafeTM package, providing the owner with lifetime protection for their animals.

The numbers are lower than last year, primarily due to the closing of PJ’s Pet Stores - the Hamilton and Brantford stores were unavailable this year.

Undaunted, Rabinovich found another partner to serve these areas.

“The Hamilton area is a known hot-spot for rabies in Ontario, and I felt I needed to try to help with low cost protection,” said Rabinovich. “Fortunately PetValu offered to host a clinic at their 801 Mohawk Rd West store, so we will be there this Sunday 1pm to 4pm rain or shine!”

The cost is $25 per rabies vaccine, $25 per microchip/HomeSafe™ registration combo, or $50 for both including HST (cash only).

There will be 200 vaccinations available, on a first-come, first-served basis.

PetValu

801 Mohawk Rd. West

Hamilton

1 - 4pm

Sunday, June 5th

Individuals attending the clinics have expressed their gratitude for the service and concern about where future clinics may be held.

With no definitive answer regarding new locations, Rabinovich promises to work hard at maintaining this service as it is the only way some owners can afford rabies protection.

HEALTH - Keep Your Dog Safe From Parvo

Veterinarians are cautioning dog owners to be mindful of their pet’s vaccinations – particularly puppy boosters, as there has been an increase in Canine Parvovirus this spring season - a highly infectious disease that is easily transmitted between dogs.

In 2016 there has been an outbreak in Alaska and increased incidence in Calgary and surrounding area.

According to Dr. Danny Joffe, national director of Associate Vet Clinics (AVC) who works out of the C.A.R.E. Centre in Calgary, AB, dogs who contract Parvovirus suffer an 80-90% mortality rate if left untreated.

“We see Parvo all the time – especially in the spring,” said Joffe, who stressed that the best way to protect dogs is not to skip out on those three initial puppy vaccinations and to follow up with the Parvovirus vaccine (which can now be administered every three years).

“For new puppy owners, that’s the first thing they want to do – show off their new addition – but that can be a really, really big mistake,” he said, adding that it is not advisable to take puppies in public or off-leash areas until after four months and  the initial three booster vaccines have been given.

The viral illness is spread through fecal-oral transmission and is frequently carried by coyote and wolf populations; most cases are in dogs aged six weeks to six months and if treated early enough, vets have a success rate around 95%.

Parvovirus rates can be higher in rural areas, where there is more exposure to wild dogs, both semi-feral and feral; southern Calgary has seen a spike in Parvovirus this season, likely due to higher exposures to urban coyote populations.

“Classic signs of Parvovirus include severe diarrhea often with blood and severe vomiting, followed by extreme lethargy,” said Joffe, adding that his clinic sees around 15 cases each year with spikes in the fall and spring seasons.

The AVC are comprised of some 75 vet clinics in four provinces (Alberta, B.C., Ontario and Quebec) with a mandate to ‘provide friendly and compassionate care’ for pets, including 24-hour emergency services.

One of the best methods of safe and efficient veterinary care for pets is the ability to provide emergency care staff with access to up-to-date information on pets.

Enter HomeSafeTM through PetLynx – the ‘supernet for pets and people’. For a single payment, HomeSafeTM offers a lifetime membership for owners to register their pets.

”A system like HomeSafeTM that allows owners to keep track of their pet’s vaccination history and due dates for vaccines (as well as other medical information) can only help ensure that pet’s vaccines are up to date.  A client can check at any time to tell when vaccines are next due,” said Joffe.

“For diseases like Parvovirus, prevention is much easier and much less expensive than treatment, and systems like HomeSafeTM can only serve to help maximize vaccine compliance.”

The benefits to registration include access to veterinary information; a universal passport for emergency care staff to access all veterinary info; and a network to help find your lost pet from anywhere in the world.

Learn more about how HomeSafeTM gives service providers and emergency personnel the resources needed to keep your pet safe, healthy, & comfortable.

By Lindsay Seewalt

Lindsay is an experienced journalist and mother of three whose heart and home is always open to a four-legged friend. With her Corgi, Angie, as household editor-in-chief, Lindsay gives back to the animal planet through the written word on anything and all ado about pets. She is passionate about topics regarding animal welfare and responsible pet ownership, which she aims to instill in both her readers and children to be compassionate animal lovers who are conscious and considerate that furry friends around the globe deserve a voice.

Over 100 Rabies Cases in Ontario

The latest update from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry reports 100 cases of raccoon strain rabies and two of fox strain rabies in the province since December 2015.

The most recent cases - nine reported last week - were all in the Hamilton area and all the raccoon strain. They were discovered in five raccoons and four skunks.

Pet owners are strongly encouraged to ensure their pets’ rabies vaccinations are up-to-date. In fact, rabies vaccines are required by law in Ontario.

Low cost rabies vaccination and microchip clinics, put on by Dr. Jeff Rabinovich from the Bridletowne Warden Animal Hospital, PJ’s Pets, PetCulture and HomeSafe™, continue this weekend in Peterborough, Milton and Burlington making it more affordable for pet owners to comply.

In the meantime, the Ontario government continues with its rabies control operations to contain the spread of the disease.

Strong Start for Ontario Rabies Clinics

In Ontario 331 dogs and 83 cats are now safe from rabies - at a very affordable price - thanks to three low cost rabies clinics last weekend.

As well, 152 pets have lifetime protection through the HomeSafe™ Return to Owner (RTO) service.

Dr. Jeff Rabinovich

The team of Dr. Jeff Rabinovich from the Bridletowne Warden Animal Hospital, PJ’s Pets, PetCulture and HomeSafe™ will continue to provide low cost rabies vaccines, microchips and subscriptions this weekend.

Clinics will be held at PJ’s Pets in Brampton May 7th from noon until 4pm, at Peculture in Waterloo May 8th from 10am until 1pm, and Petculture in Kitchener from 2pm until 5pm. See complete schedule here.

The cost is $25 per rabies vaccine, $25 per microchip/HomeSafe™ registration combo, or $50 for both including HST (cash only).

With the upcoming closure of a large number of PJ’s Pet and Petculture stores, pet owners expressed their hope there will be new locations for the clinics in the future.

“One lady in for a microchip plus HomeSafe™ subscription, was in tears thanking us because this was the only way she would be able to afford this, and she really wanted the peace of mind afforded by chipping and registration,” said Rabinovich.

HomeSafe™ is North America’s only Automated National Online Registry and Lifetime Return to Owner (RTO) service for pets. Pet owners use any online device to maintain current information about their pet without charge during a lifetime of human/animal experiences.

Canine Parvovirus on the Rise in Calgary and Surrounding Communities

Veterinarians in Calgary and Okotoks are warning dog owners about a rise in incidence of the potentially fatal canine parvovirus.

The virus can be transmitted by any person, animal or object that comes in contact with an infected dog's feces. Highly resistant, parvovirus can live in the environment for months, and may survive on inanimate objects such as food bowls, shoes, clothes, carpet and floors.

"Animals can become lethargic, their appetite can become decreased so they'll be eating less but the most common signs that we see is vomiting and diarrhea," Dr. Brian McBride, Coach Hill Veterinary Hospital, told CTV.

Puppies and adolescent dogs are especially susceptible to parvovirus.

There is no cure for the virus and treatment can be quite expensive but it is preventable through vaccination.

Since the development of a vaccine, the disease isn’t as rampant but outbreaks do still occur - emphasizing the need for dog owners to keep their pets’ vaccinations up-to-date.

Ontario Low Cost Rabies Clinics: Timely with rabies outbreak

Dr. Jeff Rabinovich from the Bridletowne Warden Animal Hospital, PJ’s Pets, PetCulture and HomeSafe™ are coming together to once again offer low cost rabies and microchip clinics in Ontario.

Dr. Rabinovich is committed to the health of animals in the community - not just their physical health by providing affordable vaccinations, but also their well-being if they ever become lost.

Five years ago, he was asked to hold rabies clinics at two PJ’s Pets Centres. “We put together a plan that would account for staffing, public awareness, and low cost, while providing the public with affordable Rabies immunization, microchip implantation, and Petlynx (HomeSafe™) registrations,” Rabinovich told InfoStream.

Over the years, the number of clinics expanded. Last year 1,300 animals were vaccinated and 600 animals were implanted with microchips, and provided with lifetime subscriptions to the HomeSafe™ Return to Owner (RTO) service.

Clinics begin on April 30th this year.

PJ’s Pets and PetCulture are providing locations, logistics and promotion, Bridletown Warden Animal Hospital is providing veterinary services, PetLynx is supplying HomeSafe™ lifetime subscriptions and CDMV is providing competitive pricing for microchips. A collaboration that enriches the pet owner and public health experience.

The cost for these services is $25 per rabies vaccine, $25 per microchip/HomeSafe™ registration combo, or $50 for both including HST (cash only).

“In Southern Ontario that there has been an increased incidence in raccoon rabies. This may very well swell the numbers of people that seek vaccinations for their pets,” said Rabinovich.

Ninety-two rabies cases have been discovered - 90 of the raccoon rabies strain which hasn’t been seen in Ontario since 2005.

Since the beginning of April, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has distributed over 450,000 ONRAB rabies vaccine baits in the rabies control zones by airplane, helicopter and ground staff to combat the outbreak.

HomeSafe™ is North America’s only Automated National Online Registry and Lifetime Return to Owner (RTO) service for pets. Pet owners use any online device to maintain current information about their pet without charge during a lifetime of human/animal experiences.

Ontario Rabies Update

This week, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry updated the number of rabies cases in Ontario to 70 since the first case was discovered in December 2015.

This includes 51 raccoons and 19 skunks infected with the raccoon rabies strain.

Rabies (Lyssavirus) is an infectious disease that affects the central nervous system in mammals. It’s transmitted through the saliva when the animal “sheds” the virus. Rabies is not transmitted through the blood, urine, or feces of an infected animal, nor is it spread airborne through the open environment. Because it affects the nervous system, most rabid animals behave abnormally.

Historically, bats, foxes and skunks are the most common carriers of rabies in Canada, with coyotes and raccoons added to this list in the United States. It is believed this rabies outbreak in Ontario was caused by a raccoon that rode into Canada on a semi-truck from the US.