Rabies - Symptoms, Treatment and Pet Care
By Dr. Deborah Rodrigues DMello

One common question that people ask me is about Rabies. I thought I should share a little bit of the disease itself to help readers to know about the disease closely. Your questions, suggestions and comments are most welcome.

Rabies .. What It Is?

Rabies is not a curable disease. It is a viral disease caused by Rhabdo virus. Virus affects the nervous system of mammals. In the later stages the virus moves from the brain to the salivary glands and saliva. The virus can be transmitted through bite or direct contact with mucous membrane of the nose eyes mouth. It is fatal once symptoms occur. It is predominately seen in carnivorous wild animals but also seen in warm blooded animals including human being

Rhabdo virus is DNA virus. And is very sensitive to heat, light detergents ( including ordinary soaps), disinfectants and cannot survive for a long time outside the body.

Pathogenesis

The virus is carried in the saliva of infected animals. It cannot be transmitted by simple contact or through air .The virus cannot penetrate through intact skin or transfer by licking. Virus can be transmitted only by bite of infected animals.

· Virus multiplies in the muscle at the site

· Spread by the nerve fibres and not by blood

· Into spinal cord and brain

· Growth in brain causes nervous diseases and death

· Also enter salivary gland and is produced and excreted through the saliva

When the saliva comes in contact with a scratch abrasion open wound on skin it is a sources of transmission. Bites are high exposure specially bites to the neck and head. And carry highest risk.

There are false concepts that it can be transmitted by being in the vicinity, petting or handling such animals, contact with blood, urine and feaces of infected animal.

Carriers

Virus can infect any mammals like

· Cats

· Dogs

· Cows

· Horses

· Bats

· Foxes

· Racoons

 

Symptoms In animals

· Furious form

Excitability Viscous attacks

Biting Agitation

Restlessness Aggressiveness

Lack of fear Excessive salivation

Aversion to water (hydrophobia) Unable to sallow or drink

Dilated pupils Muscular dysfunction,

Coordination or gait irregularities Paralysis

Convulsion and eventually death within 10days

 

· Dumb form

No symptoms are exhibited or may display symptoms of general illness like

Avoidance of contact with human or other animals

Lethargy loss of appetite

Death

Some dogs howl for days, retreat to dark corners, and their hind legs give way. Symptoms of rabies vary greatly, sometimes animal’s shows classical symptoms of the diseases or sometimes no sigh at all and are suddenly found dead.

 

Differential Diagnosis

Unfortunately these symptoms are not characteristic of rabies only

Aggressiveness may be caused due to extreme pain, fear, confusion.

Salivation may be caused due to inability to swallow may be due to obstruction in throat, foreign bodies in teeth, or due to ingestion of irritating substance

Howling may be due to pain or hunger.

 

Symptoms in Human

Irritability Headaches

Fever Itching

Pain at the site of exposure Progresses in to paralysis

Spasms of the throat muscle Convulsion

Delirium And death

Once symptoms appear rabies cannot be successfully treated.

Incubation Period: time between the exposure and onset of the symptoms vary from 3-8 weeks

Person to person transmission is not possible but precaution should be aken to prevent exposure to saliva of diseased person

Treatment

Vaccination of pets is the best treatment

First Aid

· Cleaning of animal bite or scratch wound with liberal amount of water and soap

· Flushing mucous membrane with warm water

· If bleeding profusely apply pressure bandage or digital pressure

· Followed by Post Bite Vaccination Schedule 0,3,7,14,28, days in arm muscle after consulting you doctors

Rabies injection are not given in stomach muscle any more

1^st injection is an antibody to fight the virus and should be given in 24 hours of the bite

Rest injections are to ensure long lasting protection.

· Tetanus toxoid injection should be given within 24 hours

· Animal should be observed for at least 10days

· Testing can be done at National Institute Communicable diseases in Delhi, to check for antibody titre

Pets attacked by Rabid Animals

· If pet is not vaccinated and the attacking animal is rabid, Animal should be kept in isolation and vaccinated before being released

· If animal is regularly vaccinated Post Bite Vaccination Schedule should be followed

If you see a suspected rabies case

· Do not approach or provoke the animal

· Do not throw stones or sticks

· Disperse the gathering crowd to reduce stress to the animal and reduce risk

· Call appropriate authorities or local welfare organization

In case of house dog

· muzzle the dog

· Take him to a vet

Prevention:

· Vaccination of you pet dogs and street dogs in and around the colony

· Supervise your pets

· Fasten trash lids tightly as garbage attracts animals

· If you see any animal behaving strangely notify local authorities. Do not try to catch the animals yourself. Barking lot, looking odd, sniffing my dog, looking threatening should not be interpreted as strange behavior

· If any contact occur/ suspected get medical advise as soon as possible

· If your pet dog is vaccinated give it the booster vaccination

· If a person is bitten do not panic. Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water Get medical help. Post Bite Vaccination Schedule should be followed doses required are decided as per the type of exposure , location of the wound rabies vaccination status of biting animal

The efficacy and risk of prophylactic treatment.

· people handling animals over long term like vets should be regularly vaccinated.

Points to remember while vaccinating your pet

· Age: not before 12-16 weeks of wage

· Deworm: At least 2-3 day before

· Health: Normal eating habits, temperature

· Medication : animal should not be on immuno suppressants like steroids

How to avoid dog bites?

· Do not approach dog showing typical warning signs like snarling, stiff stance, ear laid back, and fur standing up.

· Train dog not to bite by teaching simple commands

· Do not play aggressive games like tug or war or wrestling.

· Do not leave children unattended with dogs

· Tell children to avoid strange and growling dogs

· Teach children not to take food away from dogs or hit them with stick and stones

· If dogs are fighting don’t separated them with hand, Spray them with water, yell at them or make loud noises

· Dogs should be on leash when taken for a walk

· Neuter you dogs, neutered dogs are less likely to bite.

I hope you found this information useful. I will talk to you shortly.

If you like this information, please feel free to pass it on to your friends or share it on your website or blog. Please maintain the links back to this blog.

I was thinking as to how I can reach out to all the people who’s got something to do with pets. There cannot be any better medium then the Internet. So this is it. Blogging will help us keep this interactive so you can ask me and I can reply to you and vice versa.

The main topic that we will be addressing through this blog will be pet care. How to properly care for your pet so that they can turn back and say Thank You.

Like humans, pet need attention too and it is up to us to fill this demand. They give us so much through their undivided love,  loyalty and honesty (although I’ll doubt that in case of cats yet they are so adorable, help us de stress ourselves and be our companions when we need one.

So friends join me by sharing your thoughts, experiences and knowledge to make this blog a truly helpful and valuable one to fellow pet owners.

Take Care,

Deby

Symptoms of Pain and Illness in Dogs
By Jennifer Bryant

dog owners, who recognize the early signs and symptoms of illness or pain in their dogs, will not only relieve their loved one’s suffering but may also be able to save themselves an expensive trip to the veterinarian. Not only is it important to recognize these signs early to relieve pain and suffering, but it is much more effective to treat an illness when it is detected early.

The dog owner should keep an accurate and detailed account of their dog’s symptoms to help the veterinarian correctly diagnose and effectively treat the dog’s illness or condition. Most canine illnesses are detected through a combination of various signs and symptoms:

Temperature, Respiratory Rate and Heart Rate

A newborn puppy will have a temperature of 94-97º F. which will eventually reach the normal adult body temperature of 101.5º F. at the age of 4 weeks old. Take care when trying to take your dog or puppies temperature as the thermometer can easily be broken off in the canine’s rectum. Also any form of excitement can cause the temperature to rise by 2-3º when the dog is actually in normal health. If your dog’s temperature reaches 105º or above OR 96º or below please take him/her to the emergency vet immediately!

An adult dog will have a respiratory rate of 15-20 breaths per minute (depending on such variables as size and weight) and a heart rate of 80-120 beats per minute. You can feel for your dog’s heartbeat by placing your hand on his/her lower ribcage just behind the elbow. Don’t be alarmed if the heartbeat seems irregular compared to a human’s heartbeat, it is irregular in many dogs. Have your vet check it out and get used to how it feels when it is normal.

behavior Changes

Any behavior changes that are not associated with a change in the household atmosphere, such as jealousy over a new pet or child may be an indication of an illness. Signs of behavioral changes may be:

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Fatigue

• Sleepiness

• Trembling

• Falling/Stumbling

If your dog shows any of these signs, he/she needs to be kept under close watch for a few hours, or even a few days, until positive signs develop or he/she has returned to normal. Do not try to exercise the dog or put him/her in any situation that may cause stress. Most veterinarians will want for you to keep track of when the symptoms first appeared, whether they are getting better or worse, and also whether the symptoms are intermittent, continuous, or increasing in frequency.

Pain

Dogs that are in pain will likely indicate that they are suffering by giving you clues as to where the area of discomfort is. For instance, a dog that has abdominal pain will continually glance toward their belly, bite or lick the area, and will not want to leave his/her bed. The dog may stand hunched over, or take the ‘prayer position’ which is when a dog gets down on it’s forelegs with the hind legs still standing, because of the pain in her abdomen area.

Dogs can not tell you that they are hurting or cry real tears but a dog may vocalize their pain in a different way. A dog that is hurt suddenly (such as being stepped on) will cry out or wimper in pain. This also happens when an external injury or internal injury (such as an organ) is touched. Whining or vocalization that is unprovoked may be caused from an internal injury as well. Some breeds of dogs (such as the American Pit Bull Terrier) have a higher pain threshold and need to be watched more closely for signs of pain. Breeds with a high pain tolerance are more likely to endure the pain without vocalization.

Another clue to pain is a change in temperament. A dog that is in pain may show signs of aggression. Please take note of this before concluding that a dog has become vicious and let your veterinarian know so that the correct treatment can be administered. Also females in general (even humans!) have days when they are just in a bad mood for no obvious reason. Take note of days of times that these mood swings occur as well as any events that might have triggered them.

Other signs that your dog may be sick:

• Ears: discharge, debris, odor, scratching, crusted tips, twitching or shaking.

• Eyes: redness, swelling or discharge.

• Nose: runny, thickened or colored discharge, crusty.

• Coughing, sneezing, vomiting or gagging.

• Shortness of breath, irregular breathing or prolonged/heavy panting

• Evidence of parasites in the dog’s stool, strange color, blood in the stool, or lack of a bowel movement (constipation).

• Loss of appetite or not drinking as much water as normally would.

• Weight Loss.

• Strange color of urine, small amount of urine, straining, dribbling, or not going as frequently as normal.

• Bad odor coming from mouth, ears, or skin.

• Hair loss, wounds, tumors, dander or change of the skin’s color.

• Biting of the skin, parasites, scratching or licking the skin frequently.

The preceding article was meant to help educate you to the signs and symptoms of probable pain or sickness in your dog. If any of these symptoms occur over a prolonged period of time, please seek the help of a veterinarian. I hope that this article will help stress the importance of keeping watch over your dog’s health patterns and the importance of keeping an accurate, detailed health record for your veterinarian’s convenience.

About the Author:

Jennifer Bryant is a life-long lover of dogs. Jennifer loves and breeds American Pit Bull Terriers in her North Georgia home with her 2 young children. Her love of dogs has inspired her to create a website for herself (as well as other breeders) to advertise their occasional litter of puppies and to educate others with dog breed information and useful articles.

Bryant’s Red Devils Red Nose American Pit Bull Terriers

Puppies and Dogs for Sale.com

This article may be reprinted on your website, but the content and signature of the author must remain intact.

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Tips on Taking Care of Cats
By Crystal Chan

Cats can be extremely good companions. They are sensitive, private creatures, and they do not need constant attention from their owners in order to be happy. Cats do not require much supervised exercise and, consequently, they are excellent pets for the elderly and for people with busy lives.

Although cats are friendly and emotional by nature, they are noted for being unfaithful. Many cats have two or more homes and may develop a routine where they spend part of each day with different people. It is common for a cat to breakfast at one houses, lunch at a second and dine at a third; this can lead to obesity on what appears to be a normal diet.

Taking care of your cat means providing it with the lifestyle that suits its needs. Ideally, cats should be allowed to roam freely outdoors. This enables they get adequate exercise, and can satisfy their natural curiosity and develop their hunting instincts all at the same time. In urban areas, if you live in an apartment, it may be safer to house your cat indoors permanently. In this case, you will need to provide plenty of opportunity for play. Cats become bored easily, and a lack of stimulation may encourage the onset of listlessness and ill health.

In the household the cat will need a place of its own to rest and sleep,its own food and water, and a litter tray for hygiene purposes. If you want the cat to be house-trained, you will also need to make sure it can get in and out of the building easily. This may mean installing a cat flap.

While the financial outlay for cat equipment is low, the cost of the cat itself can vary from “free to a good home” to a substantial amount for a pedigree animal.Ongoing costs include feeding and vets’ fees. You may decide to put your cat in a cattery when you go on holiday, which will add to the cost of the trip.

1st-cat-care.com,Pet Cat Care for providing tips and information on how to take good care of your pet cats, adoption of cats and more …..

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Dog Care Tips: #1By Eric Hartwell

Basic Commands your dog needs to know

There are certain basic commands that are considered important for your dog to know to be considered a trained pet. The most common and basic of them all would probably be the command “sit.” I suppose this is one of the first things that you normally teach your dog. Your dog should also understand “stay.” He should know when he is not allowed to move or follow you around. It is important also that your dog understands when you say “no.” Knowing that what he is doing is unacceptable would make him stop every time you give the command “no.” “Down” is an essential ingredient on the basics of dog training.

Picking out a dog food

The best thing you could probably do would be to do your homework and research on the particular needs of your dog. Just like human beings, dogs need the right combination of vitamins, minerals, fats, carbohydrates and protein to keep them in tip top shape, to have energy needed for their various activities and for them to grow healthy and strong. It may not come as a surprise that many pet owners would choose the affordable ones, considering that these are hard times and often the budget is limited. You have to bear in mind though that you also have to take into consideration the importance of nourishment and nutrition to avoid future health related problems for your pooch.

Pet food manufacturers are exerting all their efforts to provide quality balance pet food incorporating them with the needed nutrition for a healthy pet. It’s a matter of you finding the right one for your dog because different breeds may require different needs.

Eric Hartwell oversees “The World’s Best Homepage” intended to be a user-generated resource where YOUR opinion counts. Anybody can contribute and all are welcomed. Visit us to read, comment upon or share opinions at the worlds best homepage or submit or use content at free content resource.

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