Saturday, August 29, 2009

What Is The Rabies Disease


Rabies is a disease humans may get from being bitten by an animal infected with the rabies virus. Rabies has been recognized for over 4,000 years. Yet, despite great advances in diagnosing and preventing it, today rabies is almost always deadly in humans who contract it and do not receive treatment.

Rabies can be totally prevented. You must recognize the exposure and promptly get appropriate medical care before you develop the symptoms of rabies.

Where rabies is found: Human rabies is quite rare in the United States. Only 27 cases have been reported in people in the United States since 1990. Yet in some areas of the world (for example, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America), human rabies is much more common.

The incidence of rabies in people parallels the incidence in the animal kingdom. The great strides that have been made in controlling the disease in animals in the United States and in other developed countries is directly responsible for this decline in human rabies.

Although rabies in humans is very rare in the United States, between 16,000 and 39,000 people receive preventive medical treatment each year after being exposed to a potentially rabid animal. Some regions of the country have more cases of rabies than others do. Rabies in wildlife accounts for greater than 85% of animal rabies in the United States.

Animals that carry rabies: Raccoons are the most common wild animals infected with rabies in the United States. Skunks, foxes, bats, and coyotes are the other most frequently affected.

Bats are the most common animals responsible for the transmission of human rabies in the United States, accounting for more than half of human cases since 1980, and 74% since 1990. Rabid bats have been reported in all states except Hawaii.

Cats are the most common domestic animals with rabies in the United States. Dogs are the most common domestic rabid animals worldwide. Almost any wild or domestic animal can potentially get rabies, but it is very rare in small rodents (rats, squirrels, chipmunks) and lagomorphs (rabbits and hares). Large rodents (beavers, woodchucks/groundhogs) have been found to have rabies in some areas of the United States. Additionally, fish, reptiles, and birds are not known to carry the rabies virus.

For a human to get rabies, 2 things must happen. First, you must have contact with a rabid animal. Second, the contact must allow for the transmission of infected material, which will involve exposure to the saliva of the infected animal usually through a bite or scratch.

Contaminated tissue in the rabid animal includes saliva. Other potentially infectious tissue is in the brain or nerve tissue. The virus is transmitted only when the virus gets into bite wounds, open cuts in your skin, or onto mucous membranes (for example, into your eyes or your mouth). The virus then spreads from the site of the exposure to your brain and eventually spreads throughout your body's major organs.

Moreover, bites are the most common source of transmission. Scratches by infected animals are far less likely to cause infection but are still considered a potential source of rabies transmission. Bites or scratches are often not confirmed in cases of human rabies traced to bats. Therefore, treatment might be necessary after a close encounter with a bat.

In the 20 cases (since 1990) of human rabies associated with a bat, a definite history of a bat bite could be confirmed in only 1 case. It is unclear how the virus was transmitted in the other cases perhaps by an undetectable bite.

Rabies has rarely been transmitted by other means. Examples include inhaling a large amount of bat secretions in the air of a cave by 2 cave explorers and inhaling the concentrated virus in laboratory workers studying rabies.

Animals infected with rabies may appear sick, crazed, or vicious. This is the origin of the phrase "mad dog." However, animals infected with rabies may also appear overly friendly, docile, or confused. They may even appear completely normal.

Seeing a normally nocturnal wild animal during the day (for example, a bat or a fox) or seeing a normally shy wild animal that appears strange or even friendly should raise suspicion that the animal may have rabies.

Furthermore, the average incubation period (time from infection to time of development of symptoms) in humans is 30-60 days, but it may range from less than 10 days to several years.

Most people first develop symptoms of pain, tingling, or itching shooting from the bite site (or site of virus entry). Nonspecific complaints of fevers, chills, fatigue, muscle aches, and irritability may accompany these complaints. Early on, these complaints may seem like any virus, except for the shooting sensations from the bite site. Gradually, however, you will become extremely ill, developing a variety of symptoms, including high fever, confusion, agitation, and eventually seizures and coma.

Typically, people with rabies develop irregular contractions and spasms of the breathing muscles when exposed to water (this is termed hydrophobia). They may demonstrate the same response to a puff of air directed at them (termed aerophobia). By this point, they are obviously extremely ill. Eventually, the various organs of the body are affected, and the person dies despite support with medication and a respirator.

A rarer form of rabies, paralytic rabies, has been linked to vampire bat bites outside of the United States. In this form, the person who was bitten develops a paralysis, or inability to move the part of the body that was bitten. This spreads gradually throughout the body, and the person ultimately dies. Hydrophobia is less common in paralytic rabies than in classic rabies.

By. Alisha Dhamani

Monday, August 17, 2009

Diabetes and Gum Disease


Gum Disease is often called the sixth complication of diabetes. People with uncontrolled diabetes are especially at risk because diabetics are more susceptible to contracting infections.

A study in the November issue of the Journal of Periodontology found if you have poorly-controlled type 2 diabetes, you are more likely to develop gum disease than diabetics whose disease is well controlled. Other studies have suggested that if you have severe gum disease, you’ll be more than three times as likely to have fatal heart or kidney disease.* If you have type 2 diabetes you should be especially careful about your dental hygiene.

A two-way street

Diabetes can cause gum disease, and gum disease can worsen diabetes, making it harder to control blood sugar, and putting you at increased risk for complications. If you have diabetes, it is extremely important to maintain a regimen of excellent, regular oral care to ward off gum disease and the risks that come with it.

Diabetes increases the potential for infection in many of the body’s systems, including the mouth. Diabetics with poor blood sugar control often have gum disease more frequently and more severely, and often lose more teeth than diabetics with good control. Poor blood sugar control increases glucose levels in your saliva, feeding the bacteria in your mouth and setting the stage for gum disease.

Avoid smoking

Smoking is also a factor in gum disease. If you are a diabetic who smokes, and you’re over 45 years of age, you are 20 times more likely to develop severe tooth loss, bone loss and gum disease.

A checklist of symptoms to watch for

· Sore or bleeding gums
· Tooth Loss
· Poor wound healing
· Oral diseases and infections
· Cavities
· Tongue pain
· Dry or burning sensation in your mouth
· Things don’t taste right

Treatment for mild gum disease

If the damage is not yet advanced, a deep cleaning called scaling and root planning will remove tartar and infected tissue underneath the gum line. It will help smooth the teeth’s damaged root surfaces, allowing your gums to grow back close against the teeth, closing the little pockets where bacteria thrive. Your dentist might suggest a special mouthrinse or antibiotic to help in controlling any infection.

Keep in mind that scaling and root planing will only work if you stick to good daily brushing and flossing. If you fall down on that job, you’ll be going backwards as fast as the dental work brings you forward.

Treatment for advanced gum disease

You might need to have gum surgery. This would clean out the infected areas underneath the gums, then reshape or replace any bone that has been damaged. It would help you save your teeth from falling out or having to be removed.

As a diabetic, you’re at increased risk for many things, and tooth damage or loss is one of those things that you can prevent. Be very faithful in your daily dental hygiene and twice-yearly check-up and cleaning visits. Also, perhaps re-think your choice of dentist. Dentistry has changed out of sight in recent years, becoming much more technologically sophisticated.

By. Patricia Woloch

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Demodectic Mange



Does your dog seem to suddenly have small bald patches around his face, forelegs or eyes? He may be suffering from demodectic mange, which is caused by a tiny mite called Demodex canis. The naked eye is unable to see this tiny mite, so a trip to your veterinarian would be in order to properly diagnose the presence of the Demodex canis.

Every dog naturally has this type of mite on their skin, but in order to be diagnosed as mange, lesions must accompany the other symptoms. Puppies can get this mite from their mother, but the Demodex mite is not contagious between other dogs. This type of mange can affect puppies from three months up to twelve months of age. In the pores of the puppies' skin, the mite resides, but doesn't cause symptoms until some (unknown) point, they activate.

A puppy's immune system is not yet developed, so the demodex mites produce a substance that allows them to multiply once the puppies' resistance to their presence has decreased. As a dog matures, and his immune system is functioning properly, he is less likely to contract demodex mites and mange. The mite will usually disappear on its own for puppies, even without medication from the veterinarian.

Older dogs can also be affected, as their immune systems have sometimes already been compromised by other health issues. The prognosis for an older dog is taken a bit more seriously, but can be diagnosed and treated effectively.

If you see evidence of this mite on your dog, it is best to take him to the vet to confirm the presence of the Demodex mite. The veterinarian will determine if the dog indeed has the condition by scraping the skin or taking an biopsy.

The Demodex mite can cause localized areas, such as the head or legs, and sometimes over the dog's entire body, a lost of hair. These areas could appear red, scaly and crusty. You'll actually be able to see bare areas of skin. Surprisingly, this condition doesn't cause itchiness for the dog. Other times, Demodectic mange can begin as a localized infection and develop into something more serious. If your dog's skin is sore, crusty and oozing, the hair follicles are probably clogged with debris and the mites themselves. This level of mange requires specific treatment, which your vet can outline for you. It may include using an ointment around the eyes, giving him a bath with medicated shampoo, and giving him an oral medication as well. If your dog is experiencing lesions on his feet (in extreme cases, this is possible), your vet may recommend a specific topical medication to treat those areas.

Depending on the time a puppy contracts this mite, he could have it recur, even after successful treatment, up until the time his immune system is up and running at full tilt. The key is to catch the symptoms early and get treatment for your dog as soon as possible.

By. Joann Henry

Parvo Recovery Preventing Parvo Virus Naturally


In addition, over the years, the parvo virus has mutated into at least two different strains. Every case of canine parvo virus, or CPV, comes from these two strains.

Every different species has its own parvo virus and it cannot be spread outside of the species, so there is a human parvo virus, a canine parvo virus, a feline parvo virus, and so on. However, it can be spread by contact. For instance, if your cat would wander through your neighbor's yard and would pick up the virus on her feet, she can track it inside of your house and infect your dog.

Sadly enough, my neighbour's puppy contracted parvo virus. The puppy had all of the classic dog parvo symptoms, yet my neighbour really did not know what was wrong until he took the puppy to the vet. Once he did that, parvo treatment began immediately. After several days of intensive treatment for parvo virus, the puppy was free to come home. The puppy was lucky. Many dogs die from parvo virus before they can be treated.

The parvo virus works in two ways either through the intestines or through the heart. When a dog gets an intestinal infection, it is picked up by the animal through oral contact with contaminated feces. Simply put, your dog would have to come into contaminated feces from another dog. The intestinal dog parvo symptoms occur when the virus attacks the bone marrow, rapidly dividing cells in the intestinal crypts and the lymph nodes. This allows normally occurring bacteria from the intestines to enter the blood stream to make the animal septic. The virus can be shed in the stool for up to three weeks thus making this a very contagious disease for pets that have not been inoculated.

The cardio form of this infection is usually seen in puppies that are infected before birth or shortly thereafter. It is noteworthy that the cardiac form of CPV is not as common since the mother passes immunity on to her pups from birth. The parvo virus will then attack the heart in the infected puppy and death will occur shortly afterwards.

Dog parvo symptoms usually present themselves within 3 to 10 days of contact. They include the following: lethargy, vomiting, fever and diarrhea. The diarrhea can cause severe dehydration and secondary infections. The dog will not usually die from the virus but from a secondary infection.

Survival rate depends on how quickly CPV is diagnosed and treatment is begun. When the case is not caught early the best treatment option is an IV through which fluids are pushed to re-hydrate the animal more quickly, in addition anti-nausea and antibiotic shots may be given intramuscular.

The prognosis is good with proper care but an absolute death sentence without it. There have been a few reports that the human antiviral, Tamiflu, can be effective in treating CPV but there are no studies to substantiate this. A veterinarian will advise you to give your pet a parvo shot about eight weeks after they are weaned. With the prevalence of the virus and its ability to kill some precaution should be taken to protect your canine.


By. Villenoire

What is Parvo


Parvo virus was first identified in 1978 and within two years' it had spread all over the world. Over the years, the parvo virus has mutated into two different strains and there is evidence of a third strain present in Italy, Spain and Vietnam. Every case of canine parvo virus, or CPV, comes from the first two strains. Every different species has its own parvo virus and it cannot be spread outside of the species, so there is a human parvo virus, a canine parvo virus, a feline parvo virus, and so on.

Even though the virus cannot be spread from a cat to a dog or from a bird to a cat, they can spread the virus through contact. For instance, your cat wanders through the neighbor's yard and picks up the virus on her feet she can then bring it into your home potentially infecting any canines on the property.

The parvo virus works in two ways either through the intestines or through the heart. When a dog gets an intestinal infection, it is picked up by the animal through oral contact with contaminated feces. Simply put, your dog would have to come into contaminated feces from another dog. The intestinal dog parvo symptoms occur when the virus attacks the bone marrow, rapidly dividing cells in the intestinal crypts and the lymph nodes. This allows normally occurring bacteria from the intestines to enter the blood stream to make the animal septic. The virus can be shed in the stool for up to three weeks thus making this a very contagious disease for pets that have not been inoculated.

The cardio form of the infection is most often seen in puppies that are infected in utero or shortly after birth. It must be noted that the cardiac form of CPV is less common since the mother usually passes immunity on to her pups from birth. The virus will attack the heart in the infected pup and result in death shortly thereafter.

Dog parvo symptoms usually present themselves within 3 to 10 days of contact. They include the following: lethargy, vomiting, fever and diarrhea. The diarrhea can cause severe dehydration and secondary infections. The dog will not usually die from the virus but from a secondary infection.

The survival rate depends upon how swiftly parvo virus is diagnosed and treatment is begun. If the virus is not caught early on, the usual treatment is given through an IV line in which fluids are pushed to re-hydrate the puppy or dog more quickly. In addition to giving fluids, anti-nausea and antibiotic shots may be given intramuscularly. Given the proper care, the prognosis is good, but if care is withheld your dog will die prematurely. Most vets will strongly suggest that your pet be vaccinated against parvo about eight weeks after a puppy is weaned.


By. Villenoire

Monday, August 3, 2009

The Canine Distemper Disease and How to Prevent It


I am sure we all want to protect our pets from disease and one common disease, called Canine Distemper is a worldwide problem and young puppies, in particular are the most susceptible and the most likely to die from the disease.

It is possible for humans to have a sub-clinical CDV infection although anyone who has had an anti measles vaccination, will be immunized as the two diseases are related.

Dog Distemper Transmission

The disease can be spread by coming into contact with the bodily secretions and nasal fluid from an infected animal but most commonly ingestion via airborne particles from infected animals i.e. breathing in the particles.

How can it be prevented?

All dogs and all breeds are at risk from Canine Distemper with older dogs who have not been vaccinated and particularly puppies being most at risk because their immune systems are still immature. There is no cure for CDV, prevention is the only viable solution and since development of the vaccine in the early 1960's there has been a substantial reduction in the number of fatalities, attributed to this disease. At one time Canine Distemper was the highest reported cause of death in domestic dogs.

Vaccination is the way to protect your dog and until your pet has been vaccinated, be careful where you take him. Since airborne ingestion is the most common form of infection, be especially aware in parks, dog areas, kennels, and grooming premises. Try to avoid exposing your dog to any animals that you are unfamiliar with, including wild animals as it is often the wild animal population that is attributed for the sporadic outbreaks of the disease. The Canine Distemper virus (paramyxovirus) also occurs in Ferrets, Foxes, Mink, and other carnivores.

Puppies, being particularly at risk can receive vaccination from 6 weeks and should be re-vaccinated every 3-4 weeks until 16 months old. Newborn pups prior to vaccination need to be kept away from other dogs and areas of possible contamination. Adult dogs should continue be vaccinated every year.

Speak with your vet about local issues and problems that can affect your pet.

Look out for Distemper in Dogs

Following ingestion, infections are replicated in the lymph nodes although dogs can appear to be quite normal for several days following the actual contamination and initial Distemper symptoms may include

• Loss of appetite

• Runny nose

• Watery eyes

• Diarrhea

• Cough

• Labored breathing

• Sore throat.

• Vomiting

The Treatment

There is no cure for actual Canine Distemper Disease but supportive treatments include controlling the spread and the severity of secondary ailments like vomiting, diarrhea, and fluid discharge.

Providing a warm and draft free environment with good nursing care will make the dog as secure and comfortable as possible.

Monitor for dehydration

The vet will probably use antibiotics and drugs to control any nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, pneumonia, twitching and spasm.

Recovery

Following recovery, an infected animal can still be a carrier and needs to be quarantined for a minimum period of 2 weeks to reduce the possibility of contaminating and infecting other animals.

Conclusion

Prevention and vaccination is the best option of all.

If during the course of treatment or convalescence the dog appears to respond well, you must avoid the temptation of allowing the animal outside, even on what might seem a mild day, as the colder air and ground can exacerbate its respiratory problems with possible dire consequences. This information was compiled for your interest because it is an extremely serious illness, and if you suspect Distemper in your dog you should consult with your Vet Practice immediately for help and treatment.

By. Cristian Stan