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Do you ever wonder where a word comes from? Rudolph Virchow introduced the word zoonosis at the end of the nineteenth century to explain human diseases caused by animals. It is a combination of two Greek words. The word for animals is zoon, and the word for disease is noson.
Worldwide, there are over 150 zoonotic diseases – diseases transferred from animals, such as dogs and cats, livestock, birds, bats, and more. Of those 150 diseases, 13 are responsible for 2.2 million human deaths per year.
Rabies is transmitted when saliva enters a deep wound, usually by a bite from an infected animal to another animal or human. Typical wild animals that can have rabies include skunks, raccoons, bats, and foxes.
The virus enters the peripheral nervous system and spreads to the spinal cord and brain. The time before symptoms occur is variable and can range from 2 to 8 weeks. Rabies can be present in the saliva for an extended period of time without an animal showing signs of the infection. Some animals have been known not to show symptoms for 6 months.
The bacteria that cause Leptospirosis lives in water or warm wet soil. It is most common in parts of the country that have warm climates and have high annual rainfall. But it can occur anywhere worldwide.
Leptospirosis can be transmitted in one of two ways:
It is a highly contagious disease – spreading from dog to dog very easily, as well as to humans. Typically, affected animals have a history of being in animal shelters, being in contact with stray dogs, or visiting either boarding or grooming facilities.
The disease is primarily transmitted by direct contact with the infected skin, but grooming instruments and kennels may harbor these mites.
This disease is treatable in both dogs and humans.
Typically, puppies are infected by their mother through the placenta or by their mother’s milk while nursing. Puppies and adult dogs can be infected by coming into contact with soil or dirt contaminated with larva or eggs. They can also become infected by grooming themselves following contact with infected soil. The soil can remain infective for weeks to months following the initial contamination.
Ringworm is highly contagious and happens when a pet or person comes in contact with another infected animal, person, or even surface. The fungus can live on skin, soil, surfaces, and other items such as clothing, brushes, towels, and bedding. If your pet is infected with ringworm, they remain contagious for about 3 weeks. Most adults with a healthy immune system are generally resistant to this infection. Children, however, can get ringworm not just from infected pets but other children and the outdoors. So, children, and those with compromised immune systems, should not handle a pet with ringworm.
To protect your dog from rabies, be sure to have them vaccinated based on your state’s laws. The first vaccine is given at 4 months of age, then a booster shot a year later. Then, depending on your state's law, it is given yearly or every three years. Also, be sure that all other pets in your household are vaccinated. Avoid contact with any wildlife that can be potentially infected with rabies. Use caution around other domestic animals if you do not know their rabies vaccine status.
It is not a realistic expectation to prevent exposure to Leptospira. Therefore routine vaccination for leptospirosis is recommended. The main purpose of the vaccine is to reduce the incidence and severity of infection. Unfortunately, it does not prevent subclinical infection (i.e., when your dog isn't showing any signs of the disease but has it) or urine shedding. Do not allow your dog to drink from pools of stagnant water (puddles, ponds, bowls outside storefronts), and ideally, avoid letting them play or swim in lakes and ponds where there is a heavy wildlife population.
To prevent sarcoptic mange from re-occurring, be sure to keep your dog’s environment treated for parasites. Use the recommended preventative treatments for your dog – some topical and oral flea/tick treatments are also effective at preventing sarcoptic mange. Be sure to keep your dog away from stray dogs. And ask your groomer and boarding facility what their sanitation protocols are.
Lastly, with regards to sarcoptic mange, you may need to have your dog tested for allergies to dust mites because 30% of dogs will test positive for allergens to them. This may require your dog to have allergy treatments.
To prevent your pets from getting hookworms or roundworms, the following is recommended:
To protect yourself from infection with these parasites, do the following:
The best way to prevent ringworm from affecting your dog is to help support their immune system and diligently decontaminate their environment. Some ways to do this are as follows:
The Pet InfoRx® is made possible, in part, through our partnership with AlignCare®.
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