It's the End of the Semester, But It's Not Goodbye!

The end of my second semester of college is finally coming to an end.  Although I created this blog specifically for this semester's english class, I have chosen to continue blogging for as long as I can.  It may not be weekly like I've done for academic reasons, but I plan to post as often as possible.

At the beginning of the semester, the word "blogging" seemed far out of my zone of interest.  But throughout these few months, I've grown to enjoy blogging.  In my experience, I can admit that the one thing I disliked about having to create a post was all of the research and time it takes to write a trustworthy and factual blog post that grabbed the attention of my audience.  But once I began to research and learn more information than I could have ever learned if I hadn't started blogging, I found myself indulged into my posts like nothing else.

Sometimes it was hard to figure out what to blog about when ideas started to run out from the top of my head, but after finding, reading, and interacting with other bloggers in my community, I learned that animal health and welfare is a vastly broad topic for anyone.  Ideas seemed to pile up quickly over time and my next hardest decision was to pick which idea I wanted to write about.

If any future bloggers decide to choose this topic or anything related to it, always know that new concerns come up everyday and add up to more issues that need to be addressed in the animal world.  Countless animal health and welfare bloggers are out there trying everyday to help the voices of animals be heard.  I plan to continue to do so as well through my blog and work.  One day, I will become a veterinarian and hopefully my outreach to society will continue to grow into something so much more than a college student trying to make her dreams and the dreams of animals come true.

It's been fun blogging with Professor Quinn and my class.  I hope for the best with everyone and happy blogging!

Scabies Not Rabies!

Image from: Ron Miller

I'd like to dedicate this post to my oldest dog and best friend, Buddy.  During a recent veterinarian visit, I've learned that he may have scabies.  I didn't have the slightest clue what scabies was other than the fact that it sounded like rabies.  As a dedicated pet owner and veterinary assistant, I believed that if I wrote a blog post on the disease, I'd better educate myself and others about it.  Also, obtaining more information on scabies can better prepare myself with handling Buddy if he does indeed have it.

What is Scabies?

Canine scabies, otherwise known as sarcoptic mange, is a skin disorder caused by tiny spider-like mites.  Scabies parasites are known as Sarcoptes scabiei (Smith, 2013).  Scabies is extremely contagious and can be transmitted through contaminated grooming equipment and kennels.  These mites burrow into the skin of dogs and cause a numerous amount of skin problems.  Scabies can be transmitted to humans from an infected dog and can also be transmitted to other household pets.

Which Animals Are Targeted?

According to Drs. Foster and Smith, "Canine scabies can infect all ages and breeds of dogs. While it prefers to live on dogs, this particular mite will also infect cats, ferrets, humans, and fox. Cats, fox, and humans all have their own particular species of mite within the Sarcoptes family. Each species of mite prefers one specific kind of host, but may also infect others".

Causes

"The most common cause of mange in dogs is exposure to another infected animal, as the mites quickly move from animal to animal. Kennels, animal shelters, dog parks, groomers and veterinary clinics have a high exposure rate of mange due to the close proximity with animals that are infected. The exposure generally occurs about two to six weeks before the first symptoms of mange are displayed" (petMD, 2013).

Diagnosis

Diagnosing scabies can be very difficult and frustrating.  A scabies diagnosis is made by examining samples of skin scrapings under a microscope.  Sometimes the mites aren't identified so to confirm diagnosis, a veterinarian may recommend a scabies treatment as a test.  If the test is positive, the scabies diagnosis is confirmed (WebMD, 2013).  Usually if food allergies, chiggers, and bacterial infections of the skin have been ruled out, a veterinarian will inspect the dog's skin for any invasive microorganisms followed by a treatment test.

Image from: dog-health-today.com

Symptoms

As stated by petMD, some of the most common symptoms of scabies include:

• Intense scratching
• Skin rash
• Crust in the affected area
• Hair loss

One can observe skin rashes and small red bumps or blisters, especially in areas like ear, abdomen, elbows, chest and hocks (Buzzle, 2013).

Treatment

Scabicide, a drugs used to kill itch mites, is generally used to treat dogs with non-seasonal sarcoptic mange.  Scabicidal shampoo can be used on dogs to kill all living mites on the skin (petMD, 2013).  Topical antiseptic ointments can also be used to treat skin lesions or bumps on the skin from scabies.  Remember, scabies treatment should only be conducted on veterinary supervision to ensure optimal and safe results.  If a dog develops bacterial and/or yeast infections, they need to be treated along with the scabies because the infections may be caused by damage from the disease.

Unfortunately, there no preventative measures that can be currently taken to prevent sarcoptic mange.  Also, if your dog develops scabies, limit contact with the dog during treatment to ensure that the disease is not transmitted to you.  If necessary, quarantine the dog until properly treated and healed.  Always take your dog to the veterinarian for regular exams and never try to treat any disease or infection unless prompted by a veterinarian.  

Works Cited:

Buzzle. (2013). Scabies in Dogs. Retrieved April 17, 2013, from Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/scabies-in-dogs.html

petMD. (2013). Mange (Sarcoptic) in Dogs. Retrieved April 17, 2013, from petMD: http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/skin/c_dg_sarcoptic_mange

Smith, D. F. (2013). Sarcoptic Mange. Retrieved April 17, 2013, from pet education: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2111&aid=764

WebMD. (2013). Dog Mange (Scabies). Retrieved April 17, 2013, from WebMD: http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/dog-mange-scabies

Are You Harming Your Pet Without Knowing You Are?

Image from: keepmefromharm

Sometimes it's difficult to know what's good for your pet and what isn't.  But how do you know if you're really keeping your pets safe? What are some of the things that you are doing that harms your pet unintentionally? And what can you do to help prevent harm to them? Many pet owners are unaware that the way they are taking care of their pet could be uncomfortable to them.  Knowing what can cause unintentional abuse to your animal can help to prevent any unintentional harm to your pet.  

"Unintentional cruelty is something that tops the list of animal cruelty. This can be prevented by educating people and making them aware of their animal's needs" (Animal Port, 2004).  One of the most common activities that pet owners do that can harm their pet is taking them along for a car ride.  Of course it's fine to take Fido out for a drive when the weather is nice and irresistible.  And who could pass up that glow in their eyes when they hear the car keys jingling?  In Charmaine Engelsman-Robins article, "Owners Unintentionally Killing Their Own Beloved Dogs: YOU CAN HELP", she states that cranking the windows down, leaving a bowl of ice water in the car, parking in the shade, or leaving the A/C running, do not ensure safety when leaving your pet in the car.  In fact, your dog can still die.  The best way to prevent any harm to your pet when leaving them in the car is to leave your dog at home if you know you will have to leave them in it.

Along with the danger of leaving your dog in the car is letting your dog hang out the window.  The truth is that your dog becomes susceptible to lung infections, inner ear damage, and injury from debris flying in the atmosphere when your dog sticks his head out of the window.  It's best to keep your dog harnessed or in a crate during trips, and never let him ride in the bed of a truck, as an accident could send him bouncing out (Home Security Source, 2011).

Image from: PCCA

Pet owners sometimes poison their pets unintentionally by giving them human medications or exposing them to household toxins.  Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) reports that in 2007, the top 10 claims of pet poisoning are with drug reactions (usually meant for human consumption) surfacing as number one, as well as:

• Rodenticide: used to eliminate rodents.
• Methylxathine: an ingredient usually found in chocolate.
• Plant poisoning: usually from tulips, hyacinths, poinsettias, azaleas, lilies, amaryllis, grapes, raisins, sago palms, and oleander.
• Household chemicals: cleaning supplies and toiletries.
• Metaldyhyde: found in snail bait.
• Organophosphate: found in insecticides.
• Toad poisoning
• Heavy metals: mercury, lead, iron, zinc, cobalt, and copper.
• Antifreeze

Keeping your pet away from anything that can be dangerous to them is extremely difficult.  Pets love to explore and gallivant around the house and their environment and sometimes they happen to end up in places they should not be in.  The best way to help keep your pet safe is to remove and secure anything that can harm them.  Locking up cleaning supplies and medications or removing poisonous plants can help establish a safe environment for your pet.  Your pet's safety means a lot to you as a pet owner so value it as you would for yourself.

Works Cited:

Animal Port. (2004). Animal Abuse Information. Retrieved April 3, 2013, from Animal Port: http://www.animalport.com/animal-information/animal-abuse-information.html

Engelsman-Robins, C. (2012, May 3). Owners Unintentionally Killing Their Own Beloved Dogs: YOU CAN HELP. Retrieved April 3, 2013, from Examiner: http://www.examiner.com/article/owners-unintentionally-killing-their-own-beloved-dogs-you-can-help

Home Security Source. (2011, June 28). Are You Causing Your Dog Unintentional Harm This Summer? Retrieved April 3, 2013, from Home Security Source: http://www.homesecuritysource.com/blogs/are-you-causing-your-dog-unintentional-harm-this-summer.aspx

Veterinary Pet Insurance. (n.d.). Veterinary Pet Insurance Data Reveals Well-Intended Pet Owners Unknowingly Poisoning Their Pets. Retrieved April 3, 2013, from PRNewswire: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/veterinary-pet-insurance-data-reveals-well-intended-pet-owners-unknowingly-poisoning-their-pets-57029522.html