Tag: symptoms

Canine Travel Alert for Our Sunday Dog Lovers

Those traveling to the Midwest, meeting up with or hosting dogs from that area, should be aware of a serious epidemic of canine influenza that began in the Chicago area and has spread to Wisconsin, Ohio, and Indiana.

According to researchers at Cornell University, “… results from additional testing indicate that the outbreak is being caused by a virus closely related to Asian strains of influenza A H3N2 viruses, currently in wide circulation in southern Chinese and South Korean dog populations since being identified in 2006. There is no evidence that it can be transmitted to humans.”

These scientists add that this strain can also cause infection and respiratory illness in cats. Like our lovely friend Sophia.

They don’t know if the current canine influenza vaccine will protect your dog from this strain. If you are traveling to the Midwest or will be in close contact with dogs from this area, you should discuss prevention with your veterinarian. Be aware that vaccination for this disease is a two step process done a couple of weeks apart. So, if you are considering a vaccination, plan accordingly.

You should also know the flu symptoms. Cornell outlined what to look for, “Both Influenza strains can cause high fever, loss of appetite, coughing, nasal discharge, and lethargy. Symptoms may be more severe in cases caused by the H3N2 virus. Some infected dogs may not show symptoms at all.”

The last note about lack of symptoms is important because a dog without symptoms can still be shedding the virus and infecting others. So be careful about those sniffy greetings if you are in a zone with a canine flu outbreak.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Adapted from one of Penny's City Paws newspaper columns.
Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino illustration from istockphone.

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May 10, 2015
Canine Travel Alert for Our Sunday Dog Lovers

Those traveling to the Midwest, meeting up with or hosting dogs from that area, should be aware of a serious epidemic of canine influenza that began in the Chicago area and has spread to Wisconsin, Ohio, and Indiana.

According to researchers at Cornell University, “… results from additional testing indicate that the outbreak is being caused by a virus closely related to Asian strains of influenza A H3N2 viruses, currently in wide circulation in southern Chinese and South Korean dog populations since being identified in 2006. There is no evidence that it can be transmitted to humans.”

These scientists add that this strain can also cause infection and respiratory illness in cats. Like our lovely friend Sophia.

They don’t know if the current canine influenza vaccine will protect your dog from this strain. If you are traveling to the Midwest or will be in close contact with dogs from this area, you should discuss prevention with your veterinarian. Be aware that vaccination for this disease is a two step process done a couple of weeks apart. So, if you are considering a vaccination, plan accordingly.

You should also know the flu symptoms. Cornell outlined what to look for, “Both Influenza strains can cause high fever, loss of appetite, coughing, nasal discharge, and lethargy. Symptoms may be more severe in cases caused by the H3N2 virus. Some infected dogs may not show symptoms at all.”

The last note about lack of symptoms is important because a dog without symptoms can still be shedding the virus and infecting others. So be careful about those sniffy greetings if you are in a zone with a canine flu outbreak.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Adapted from one of Penny's City Paws newspaper columns.
Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino illustration from istockphone.

Related articles

Dog Flu Is Spreading In The Midwest

Give a Big "Thank You" to Your Dog Walker!

Petie Prances & Kicks Up His Heels with the Joy of Spring

May 10, 2015
Benny and the Salmon & Why You Shouldn’t Feed Raw Salmon to Dogs

I went looking for a photo of a dog with a salmon, so that I could share what I've learned about feeding salmon to dogs.

I was so happy when I found a great photo by Duncan Brown of Benny nose-to-nose with a beautiful salmon.

Each time I make a trip to Mayflower Poultry in Cambridge to pick up my order of ground meat and bones for our Westie Poppy's food, I stop New Deal Fish across the street to buy some great seafood. One day I mentioned that I could add fish as the second protein in my dog's diet and the fishmonger suggested I let him know and he could save scraps of salmon for me. (He was unaware of the problem, as I was, and was grateful when I shared the research with him on my next visit.)

Don't Feed Raw Salmon!

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remembered my friend Liz's warning about feeding raw salmon. I did a bit of research and, as usual, she was right.

Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine devotes a page to the topic of Salmon Poisoning.

They say:

"Salmon Poisoning Disease is a potentially fatal condition seen in dogs that eat certain types of raw fish. Salmon (salmonid fish) and other anadromous fish (fish that swim upstream to breed) can be infected with a parasite called Nanophyetus salmincola."

A list of symptoms and how your veterinarian would treat the disease is included on their page.

If you want your dog to have the benefits of salmon, which are many, make sure it is fully cooked. You can poach it in a bit of water, steam it, or sauté in olive oil. But, be sure it is cooked all the way to the center to kill any parasites and bacteria that might harm your dog.

(Here's Benny's beautiful face in another photo by Duncan Brown.)

A Bit About Mayflower's RAW Diet or BARF Orders.

I mentioned Mayflower Poultry at the start of this post. I've been feeding my Poppy with products from them for more than two years and have nothing but praise for this wonderful company and the great people who work there.

Each friday morning, Luis (that's his smiling face in the photo) grinds special orders for people who feed their dogs raw diets. You need to phone with your order in advance. I always call on Thursday of the week I plan to make food and pick up my freshly ground food after noon on Friday. Here's their BARF webpage.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: by Duncan Brown (Here's his photostream) and used under this creative commons license. Mayflower photos are courtesy of Mayflower Poultry.

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November 23, 2014
Attention Boston Dogs! State Issues a Parvovirus Alert

This little terrier is bringing important news. Yes, we know, none of our canine pals likes to get shots but sometimes it's better than getting very, very sick.

Parvovirus Alert

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) has issued an alert for dog guardians about an outbreak of Parvovirus in Berkshire and Worcester Counties, “Dozens of dogs have been affected in these two areas, and several have died or had to be euthanized due to severe illness caused by the virus.”

Many BostonZest readers travel to those areas and dogs from there visit Boston. Given the highly contagious nature of the disease, we're devoting this week’s Sunday Dog post to this topic.

Parvovirus

In the alert, MDAR explained, “Parvovirus primarily infects puppies, but any unvaccinated dog can be susceptible. Dogs usually exhibit symptoms of gastrointestinal illness, including vomiting and diarrhea. Although dogs can recover from the disease if it is detected early and treated aggressively, it can be fatal. The virus is typically spread directly from dog to dog, but it can persist in the environment for several months. Dogs that have been infected and recover can remain infectious for several months.”

What to do

You should confirm with your veterinarian that your dog is protected from parvo infection. And, in light of this alert, you should also act quickly and seek emergency treatment if Parvovirus symptoms appear.

Titer Testing

To avoid over vaccinating their dogs, many people opt for titer testing after initial immunity to a disease like parvo is established. But, you have to be careful that your veterinarian specifically requests a “vaccine titer test” and gives you those results. Titer tests are also done to check if a dog has a disease and the two can be confused by a laboratory.

Be sure to ask if your animal hospital is following the current protocol established for vaccinating dogs. The American Animal Hospital Association publishes the current guidelines on their website.

As for the little guy up top, he has a vivid imagination. The needle is certainly not that big!

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a birthday or wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Artwork: istockphoto

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

July 7, 2013
Attention Boston Dogs! State Issues a Parvovirus Alert

This little terrier is bringing important news. Yes, we know, none of our canine pals likes to get shots but sometimes it's better than getting very, very sick.

Parvovirus Alert

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) has issued an alert for dog guardians about an outbreak of Parvovirus in Berkshire and Worcester Counties, “Dozens of dogs have been affected in these two areas, and several have died or had to be euthanized due to severe illness caused by the virus.”

Many BostonZest readers travel to those areas and dogs from there visit Boston. Given the highly contagious nature of the disease, we're devoting this week’s Sunday Dog post to this topic.

Parvovirus

In the alert, MDAR explained, “Parvovirus primarily infects puppies, but any unvaccinated dog can be susceptible. Dogs usually exhibit symptoms of gastrointestinal illness, including vomiting and diarrhea. Although dogs can recover from the disease if it is detected early and treated aggressively, it can be fatal. The virus is typically spread directly from dog to dog, but it can persist in the environment for several months. Dogs that have been infected and recover can remain infectious for several months.”

What to do

You should confirm with your veterinarian that your dog is protected from parvo infection. And, in light of this alert, you should also act quickly and seek emergency treatment if Parvovirus symptoms appear.

Titer Testing

To avoid over vaccinating their dogs, many people opt for titer testing after initial immunity to a disease like parvo is established. But, you have to be careful that your veterinarian specifically requests a “vaccine titer test” and gives you those results. Titer tests are also done to check if a dog has a disease and the two can be confused by a laboratory.

Be sure to ask if your animal hospital is following the current protocol established for vaccinating dogs. The American Animal Hospital Association publishes the current guidelines on their website.

As for the little guy up top, he has a vivid imagination. The needle is certainly not that big!

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a birthday or wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Artwork: istockphoto

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

July 7, 2013
Attention Boston Dogs! State Issues a Parvovirus Alert

This little terrier is bringing important news. Yes, we know, none of our canine pals likes to get shots but sometimes it's better than getting very, very sick.

Parvovirus Alert

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) has issued an alert for dog guardians about an outbreak of Parvovirus in Berkshire and Worcester Counties, “Dozens of dogs have been affected in these two areas, and several have died or had to be euthanized due to severe illness caused by the virus.”

Many BostonZest readers travel to those areas and dogs from there visit Boston. Given the highly contagious nature of the disease, we're devoting this week’s Sunday Dog post to this topic.

Parvovirus

In the alert, MDAR explained, “Parvovirus primarily infects puppies, but any unvaccinated dog can be susceptible. Dogs usually exhibit symptoms of gastrointestinal illness, including vomiting and diarrhea. Although dogs can recover from the disease if it is detected early and treated aggressively, it can be fatal. The virus is typically spread directly from dog to dog, but it can persist in the environment for several months. Dogs that have been infected and recover can remain infectious for several months.”

What to do

You should confirm with your veterinarian that your dog is protected from parvo infection. And, in light of this alert, you should also act quickly and seek emergency treatment if Parvovirus symptoms appear.

Titer Testing

To avoid over vaccinating their dogs, many people opt for titer testing after initial immunity to a disease like parvo is established. But, you have to be careful that your veterinarian specifically requests a “vaccine titer test” and gives you those results. Titer tests are also done to check if a dog has a disease and the two can be confused by a laboratory.

Be sure to ask if your animal hospital is following the current protocol established for vaccinating dogs. The American Animal Hospital Association publishes the current guidelines on their website.

As for the little guy up top, he has a vivid imagination. The needle is certainly not that big!

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a birthday or wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Artwork: istockphoto

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

July 7, 2013