PLEASE wake up regarding the very devistating Parvovirus.  Be educated so you may attempt to protect your animals.  Knowledge IS power! Although these Parvovirus’s are not really new it is still worth looking up and taking precautions for them. There is also a 3rd Strain that is well on its way here if it isn’t already. It could easily account for the numerous outbreaks that vets do not seem to be able to identify.

Two new viruses are emerging as threats to canine health worldwide: canine respiratory coronavirus and canine parvovirus type 2c. The May 15, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association contained a news item about these two diseases.

Canine parvovirus is one of the most common and deadly infectious diseases of dogs. It causes vomiting, diarrhea, and blood cell imbalances. A vaccine against the virus has existed for years and is in widespread use. The vaccine was designed to prevent the older, more common strains of parvovirus. Fortunately, the vaccine appears to offer some protection against the new type 2c strain of the disease as well.

Coronaviruses cause the common cold in people. A common form of canine coronavirus has been known for a long time as well. This virus causes diarrhea in dogs.

Now, a new type of coronavirus has evolved in dogs. It causes acute respiratory symptoms (kennel cough) in affected animals.

CPV is a relatively new disease that appeared in the late 1970s. It was first recognized in 1978 and spread worldwide in one to two years. The virus is very similar to feline panleukopenia (also a parvovirus); in fact, they are 98% identical, differing only in two amino acids The early belief was that the feline panleukopenia mutated into CPV. While this has not been formally proven, the strong similarity to feline panleukopenia makes this the most popular theory; however, it is also possible that CPV mutated from an unidentified parvovirus (similar to feline parvovirus (FPV)) of some wild carnivore.

Two additional strains of canine parvovirus CPV2a and CPV2b were identified in 1979 and 1984 respectively. Most cases of canine parvovirus are believed to be of these two strains, which have replaced the original strain, thus making the present day virus different from the virus originally discovered  though indistinguishable by most routine tests. A third type, CPV2c (a Glu-426 mutant), has been discovered in Italy, Vietnam, and Spain.

Dr Steven Halsteads letter follows:

August 7, 2008

Dear Michigan Veterinarians:

An investigation by the Michigan Department of Agriculture's (MDA) Animal Industry Division identified three Brucella canis (CB) positive "designer" dog breeding facilities in Missaukee, Osceola, and Wexford counties that provided small cross-bred lap dogs to pet shops and individuals throughout the state. Authorities also found two Van Buren County purebred dogs imported from a kennel in Indiana to be positive for CB. Indiana animal health officials are following up in that state.

We expect you may be contacted by clients about canine brucellosis and may also have clients that breed dogs or own breeding kennels. Here is information to bring you up-to-date on Brucella canis in Michigan:

MDA will be educating small dog owners, individuals who may have come into contact with infected breeding dogs, pet shops, animal shelters, and pet food retail outlets about the risks of canine brucellosis.

MDA recommends small breed "designer" dogs from kennels in Missaukee, Osceola, and Wexford counties be tested for B. canis.

Brucellosis,(including canine brucellosis) is reportable to MDA.

MDA will quarantine an infected kennel. Euthanasia of breeding animals is recommended. A testing program can be used, but it is expected the kennel would need to remain under quarantine for several months. Testing is at the owner's expense.

 Infected pet animals are handled on an individual basis. Euthanasia is recommended, especially in breeding situations, but spay/neuter and appropriate antibiotic therapy may sometimes be an option.

Spaying and neutering minimizes the public health threat.

Dog breeders and kennel owners should be reminded about bio-security. Isolation of new animals, good sanitation and routine brucellosis testing are key elements to a good bio-security program.

 Dogs imported from other states are required to have a health certificate.
 
 

Acute pancreatitis results from sudden inflammation of the pancreas and is characterized by activation of pancreatic enzymes that can cause the pancreas to begin digesting itself. The pancreas lies in the upper abdomen alongside the first portion of the small intestine (called the duodenum) and between the stomach, liver and right kidney. It produces bicarbonate to neutralize stomach acid and several enzymes that facilitate digestion.

The cause of acute pancreatitis is poorly understood, but predisposing causes include obesity, high fat diet, liver disease, infection and recent abdominal surgery. Acute pancreatitis can range in severity from mild to life-threatening. The body’s reaction to the inflammation often determines the severity and prognosis. Acute pancreatitis can cause compression of the bile duct and clinical symptoms of biliary obstruction (jaundice).

Treatment of acute pancreatitis must be individualized and based on the severity of your dog’s condition and other factors that must be analyzed by your veterinarian. Treatments may include:

* If your dog has mild acute pancreatitis, outpatient treatment including withholding of food and water for a short time to rest the pancreas may be recommended. Your veterinarian may also recommend subcutaneous administration of fluids, drugs to control vomiting, and, in some cases, antibiotics to prevent of control bacterial infection.

* If pancreatitis is moderate or severe, hospitalization likely will be recommended and additional tests and treatments will be performed.

Optimal treatment for your dog requires a combination of home and professional veterinary care. Follow-up can be critical. Follow-up for acute pancreatitis often includes:

• Administer as directed any Rx’s prescribed by your vet and contact your vet promptly if you have difficulty treating your dog.
• Follow dietary recommendations made by your vet. Dogs with pancreatitis often are placed on a low-fat diet and should not be fed table scraps.
• Consider a weight loss program for obese dogs since obesity may predispose to pancreatitis.
• Keep your dog under close supervision so that it cannot get into and eat garbage.
• Observe your dog’s activity level, appetite and watch for vomiting or diarrhea. Also, watch for signs of abdominal pain, vomiting, loss of appetite or other abnormalities.

We recently had a very strange event which I think we should share around the pet community: a young ( < 2 yrs) male Lab mix came into our rescue program with a ‘questionable’ background; may have been aggressive toward some children; then again, maybe not.

We kept him for a long while – months of fostering in our premier foster-home, no problems. We placed him carefully with a single middle-aged man who adored him. We also, as we do all our dogs, tested him for Lyme. He had it; we treated it. Case closed … or so we thought.

Everything went very well after adoption – the start of his obedience class, frequent alum-visits to clinics, etc., for over a year. And he truly adored his adopter.

Then … over 12 months post-adopt, Mojo became suddenly, erratically, and seriously aggressive. He literally attacked visitors to his home, people in the vet’s waiting room , etc. Terrifying … very sudden…totally inexplicable. He was returned to us with genuine heartbreak from a very loving adopter.

Mojo then went to our regular vet and was a totally different dog: bared teeth and growled at anyone who approached his kennel, lunged at other dogs when being walked, etc. We figured that whatever was happening with him, he had become un-placeable and started a TDC (tough-decisions committee) – something that is convened whenever euthanasia might have to be an option.

However … someone at the vet’s office said that perhaps we should re-test him for Lyme. Huh???? They had had a regular client of theirs come in recently with similar, out-of-the-blue aggression, and it turned out that Lyme was the culprit. It puzzled them, but seemed to be the case. “Okay,” we thought, “hey, we’ll try anything”. So we had him tested. Guess what? He was HIGH POSITIVE!

Fine. We started treatment while we continue to figure out what to do with him via the TDC. Almost immediately, once the antibiotics began, they Mojo we knew came back! He was himself again … bouncy, happy, a bit neurotic in a loving way, but not at all aggressive.

The staff at the vets was amazed, but all confirmed this change. We didn’t believe it; vets didn’t believe it … BUT a thorough search of the Internet turned up a number of studies (plus) anecdotal-observations indicating that in some dogs (and in some humans!) the primary symptom of their Lyme Disease can be sudden, irrational and serious aggression.

We’ve known for a while to check thyroid levels of dogs that show aggression that just ‘doesn’t fit’. Now we’ve added testing for Lyme as well. And we have (results not yet in) another dog, placed 12 months ago, returned because of sudden, out-of-the-blue aggression – he also tested high-positive for Lyme! We’ve started treatment – we’ll be monitoring his response.

So … plug this in to your protocols. It’s worth checking out. I spent the day with Mojo today … he truly is just the same dog we placed over a year ago.

Tracheal collapse (TC) is a common cause of airway obstruction in dogs. The condition was first described in dogs in 1941. The trachea (windpipe) is normally a rigid circular tube. Typically, if the trachea collapses, it is compressed from top to bottom, as opposed to side-to-side. The section that collapses is usually the part of the trachea that enters the chest, but it can occur anywhere, from the throat all the way down to the first part of the lungs.

TC is mainly a disease of toy-breed dogs of either sex. Any age dog can be affected, but the average age at which clinical signs first occur is usually six or seven years.

Dogs are brought to the veterinarian with a history of coughing for several weeks or months, although, less commonly, it may present as a sudden episode. The cause of the collapse is unknown, but there are probably several factors at play. Abnormal synthesis of the components that make up the cartilage found in the trachea is believed to be the cause of tracheal weakness. The weakened trachea flattens from top to bottom, obstructing the flow of air in and out of the lungs.

There are other possible causes of TC, such as congenital defects, chronic airway disease and trauma to the windpipe. In addition, the following may also contribute to TC:

• Extra-long soft palate
• Obesity
• Chronic bronchitis
• Pneumonia
• Congestive heart failure
• Respiratory irritants such as smoke or excessive dust

Once collapse has occurred, coughing will perpetuate further coughing by causing irritation and inflammation of the trachea. The irritated trachea will produce mucus and other secretions that further obstruct the airway. Medical treatment is undertaken to try to break the cycle of coughing, inflammations and excessive mucus production. If medical therapy fails, surgical therapy may be attempted.

Treatment for TC will not cure the condition. Treatment consists of medical management and/or surgical intervention. Approximately 71% of dogs undergoing medical management of TC show long-term resolution of clinical signs. As a result, medical management should be attempted first. However, if two weeks of medical treatment haven’t helped, or if clinical signs are very severe, surgery may be attempted. Many procedures have been tried, but the one that is currently in favor is the application of prosthetic polypropylene rings around the trachea. The overall success rate in significantly reducing clinical signs is 75 to 85%. Prognosis is better for dogs younger than six years of age. This procedure should be done by only an experienced surgeon.