How can I protect myself and other people when my pet has leptospirosis?

How can I protect myself and other people when my pet has leptospirosis? http://publich-health-vet.blogspot.com/

aha................ What should I do if I have been told my pet has leptospirosis?

What should I do if I have been told my pet has leptospirosis?

If your pet has been confirmed by your veterinarian as having leptospirosis, the appropriate action to take will depend on the nature of contact with your pet. Normal daily activities with your pet will not put you at high risk for leptospirosis infection. Types of contacts that are considered to be high risk include direct or indirect contact with urine, blood, and tissues of your pet during its infection. Assisting in the delivery of newborns from an infected animal is also considered a high-risk activity for transmission of leptospirosis.

If you have had these types of high-risk contacts with your pet during the time of its infection, inform your physician. If common symptoms, such as fever, muscle aches, and headaches, occur within 3 weeks after a high-risk exposure, see your physician. Tests can be performed to see if you have this disease.

regard,

rizaldoarbet@gmail.com

How do people and animals get leptospirosis?

How do people and animals get leptospirosis?

The bacteria are spread through the urine of infected animals, which can get into water or soil and can survive there for weeks to months. Humans and animals can become infected through contact with this contaminated urine (or other body fluids, except saliva), water, or soil. The bacteria can enter the body through skin or mucous membranes (eyes, nose, or mouth), especially if the skin is broken from a cut or scratch. Drinking contaminated water can also cause infection. Infected wild and domestic animals may continue to excrete the bacteria into the environment continuously or every once in a while for a few months up to several years.

If your pet has become infected, it most likely came into contact with leptospires in the environment or infected animals. Your pet may have been drinking, swimming, or walking through contaminated water. Because of increased building and development into areas that were previously rural, pets may be exposed to more wildlife, such as raccoons, skunks, squirrels, opossums, or deer that are infected with leptospirosis. Dogs also may pass the disease to each other, but this happens very rarely.

What pet animals get leptospirosis?

What pet animals get leptospirosis?

All animals can potentially become infected with leptospires, although cases of leptospirosis in cats are rare.

What are the signs of leptospirosis in pets?

The clinical signs of leptospirosis vary and are nonspecific. Sometimes pets do not have any symptoms. Common clinical signs reported in dogs include fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, refusal to eat, severe weakness and depression, stiffness, severe muscle pain, or inability to have puppies. Generally younger animals are more seriously affected than older animals.

What should I do if I think my pet has leptospirosis?

Contact your veterinarian immediately. Your veterinarian can perform tests to detect the presence of leptospiral antibodies or organism in your pet.

Is there a treatment for leptospirosis in pet animals?

Yes, leptospirosis is treatable with antibiotics. If an animal is treated early, it may recover more rapidly and any organ damage may be less severe. Other treatment methods, such as dialysis and hydration therapy may be required.

The time between exposure to the bacteria and development of disease is usually 5 to 14 days, but can be as short as a few days or as long as 30 days or more.

regard,

rizaldoarbet@gmail.com

What is leptospirosis?

Leptospirosis is a disease is caused by spiral shaped bacteria called leptospires. It occurs worldwide and can affect humans as well as many wild and domestic animals, including dogs and cats. The disease can be serious for both humans and animals. In people, the symptoms are often like the flu, but sometimes leptospirosis can develop into a more severe, life-threatening illness with infections in the kidney, liver, brain, lung, and heart. For more information on leptospirosis in humans, look at the following site:http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/DFBMD/diseaseinfo/leptospirosis_g.htm

Your pet can get leptospirosis too, and although this has not happened often, the disease has been diagnosed more frequently in the past few years. The information given here will show you how to protect yourself and your pets from getting leptospirosis and what to do if your pet does become infected.

regard,

rizaldoarbet@gmail.com 

Mitral Valve Disease

This term encompasses many heart diseases envolving degenerative thickening and progressive deformity of one or more heart valves - mitral valve disease, mitral valve degeneration, mitral valve insufficiency etc. Mitral valve disease is a serious heart condition caused by the abnormal function of the valve that separates the upper and lower chamber of the left side of the heart. This disease is usually associated with heart murmur that can be heard with a stethoscope. It commonly affects Miniature Schnauzers, Chihuahuas, Fox terriers, Cocker spaniels, Cairn terriers, miniature poodles, Bull terriers, Boston terriers, King Charles spaniels, Miniature pinschers, Dachshunds, Doberman Pinschers and Shetland sheepdogs. Males are 50 percent more likely than females to be affected.

The diseases may result from congenital defect of the valve, defects in the muscles and tendons that operate the valve, or inflammation of the heart. The disease usually occurs in older dogs, however it is seen in young dogs and may result in premature death. Symptoms may include exercise intolerance, weakness, syncope (passing out), coughing at night or at rest because of a build-up of fluid in the lungs, shortness of breath, and lethargy.

Mildly affected dogs can have a good quality of life for years. It all depends on when the diagnosis is made and when therapy is applied. There are many dogs with degenerative mitral disease that never progress to heart failure. While the prognosis for dogs with mitral valve disease at advanced stage is poor, some dogs may be managed with medications and low-sodium diet for a period that varies from case to case. There is no prevention for mitral valve disease. Early detection and appropriate treatment of the disease may improve the prognosis.

Cystinuria

Some dog breeds, such as Chihuahua, Dalmatians, Dachshunds, Tibetan Spaniels, and Basset Hounds are genetically predisposed to formation of cystine crystals (crystals formed out of amino acid called cystine) in the urine which eventually lead to stone formations in kidneys and bladder. These stones can cause irritation and infection.

Signs of Cystinuria usually include blood in the urine, difficulty and pain in urinating, and small frequent amounts of urine. If a stone completely obstructs the urethra and thus blocks the outflow of urine (more common in male dogs) this may cause kidney failure - vomiting, depression, loss of appetite.

Treating of cystinuria requires individual approach and lifelong treatment. In most cases special diets and increased water intake are recommended along with medications and surgery to dissolute or remove stones.

Recent studies show that cystinuria may be #1 risk factor for developing taurine deficiency in dogs. A deficiency of taurine (taurine is a product of taurocholic acid involved in emulcification of fats and occurring in the bile) can cause blindness and heart disease. Low-quality commercial foods are usually deficient in taurine.