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Planning for Natural Disasters: What about the dogs?
Vaccinating your dog
A snapshot of Dogslife data
On the road with your dog!
Planning for Natural Disasters: What about the dogs?
In communities throughout the world, the health and wellbeing of people, animals and the ecosystems we share are intimately linked. We depend on healthy ecosystems for such things as water, air, prevention of diseases, and on healthy animals for food, labour, and companionship. While these essential and complex relationships sustain human life, they can also put people at risk.
Veterinarians Without Borders/Vétérinaires Sans Frontiéres (VWB/VSF) is a Canadian non-governmental organization (NGO) that helps in the development of community-based approaches to public and animal health, to create a healthier, more sustainable world. Understanding the importance of engaging people where they live, VWB/VSF established a branch in Latin America in 2009 to begin the work of helping communities in South America address some of the negative interactions arising as a direct result of the millions of street dogs that are often owned, yet allowed to roam as they please without supervision. Few of these dogs are vaccinated against common diseases such as rabies, distemper and parvovirus and these diseases are often fatal in the dogs themselves.
Less than one year after opening the new branch, Chile experienced an earthquake of 8.8, and a tsunami that reached heights of up to 20 metres in some locations. Being located close to the epicentre, VWB/VSF along with the support of a University of Edinburgh, School of Veterinary Medicine post-graduate student and other local partners and universities answered a call for help in diagnosing and halting the spread of a disease that was killing domestic dogs in a small coastal fishing town that had been about 80% destroyed in the disaster. In the absence of local resources to identify the disease, we brought field kits to diagnose distemper and parvovirus and corresponding vaccinations to help contain the outbreak. Just over 50% of the dogs tested had positive results to distemper, and a number of them were showing signs typical of this disease such as mucous discharge from the eyes and nose, wheezing and coughing, fever, and some had very advanced stage neurological signs such as seizures.
We already know that there are certain risks to human public health following natural disasters, and these risks depend on factors such as the magnitude of damage to the infrastructure and availability of essentials such as safe drinking water and nutritious foods, as well as the pre-existing state of health, vaccination and nutrition in the affected population. This outbreak highlighted the possibility that these risks are probably the same for our companion animals as well. The lower the number of vaccinated animals in a population, the lower the immunity of the population in general will be, and when you add to this a state of chaos, injuries from the disaster, stress, lack of food and water and completely novel groups of dogs mixing together and having to establish new states of dominance, it would seem logical that we could expect to see disease outbreaks in populations where these diseases already exist.
What can we do?
VWB/VSF together with other partners and collaborators are working to increase awareness about the risks to animals themselves as well as the risks they can potentially pose to humans, before, during and after natural disasters. A large part of this awareness and education includes promoting responsible pet ownership at all times, which includes regular vaccinations, sterilization of pets to reduce the number of unwanted puppies, keeping pets enclosed in a kennel or backyard and providing care and shelter for them following disasters.
For more information on these and other programs in Latin America please visit: http://www.vwb-vsf.ca/english/chile.shtml
Many thanks to Elena Garde DVM, MSc(c) of Veterinarians Without Borders / Veterinarios Sin Fronteras-Canada for this article.
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Vaccinating your dog
All dogs are susceptible to infectious diseases that can be picked up from the environment. Certain bacteria and viruses can make dogs very unwell, but fortunately vaccination of dogs to the more common diseases reduces their susceptibility to contracting them. The most common infectious diseases we can vaccinate dogs against are Canine Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Leptospirosis and Kennel Cough.
Canine Distemper is a viral disease that is contracted through contact with bodily fluids such as the saliva, urine or faeces of infected animals (other dogs or foxes) or through droplets in the air that dogs breathe in. Symptoms of Canine Distemper include discharge from the nose and eyes, salivation, vomiting and diarrhoea, coughing, laboured breathing, and loss of appetite. Dogs suffering these symptoms are likely to become dehydrated and lose weight. The pads of their paws become thickened and crack hence the term ‘Hardpad’ is often used to describe the disease. Sometimes a dog’s nervous system is also affected. Infected dogs may have fits and show a distinct change in personality and behaviour. If Canine Distemper is not treated, it can be fatal.
Hepatitis is a virus that causes an acute liver infection and also affects the kidneys. Tell-tale signs comprise a tender abdomen, jaundice, fever, coughing, vomiting and loss of appetite. Hepatitis is contracted through the dog’s mouth and nose from contact with an infected dog’s saliva, blood, urine or faeces. Most dogs recover from Hepatitis but the infection can still be passed on in the urine even after the dog is better.
Parvovirus is a very infectious virus that affects the intestines. Dogs become lethargic, lose their appetite, begin to vomit and have diarrhoea, and suffer from dehydration and a fever, sometimes infection can be fatal. Parvovirus is passed from contact with infected dogs’ faeces and can survive in the environment for many months. Puppies are most at risk from the virus which can also attack the heart muscle and respiratory tract leading to difficulty breathing and heart failure in severe cases.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that, on entering the bloodstream, infects and enlarges the liver and damages the kidneys and blood vessels. Indications of Leptospirosis are vomiting and diarrhoea, fever, loss of appetite, lethargy and jaundice. Dogs become infected from contact with the urine of an infected animal such as a dog, rat or fox. This could occur through direct contact with the infected animal, or indirectly from their urine in soil, grass or in water (e.g. a puddle or river). The bacteria could also enter a dog’s bloodstream through cuts or open wounds on the dog. Left untreated, the disease could prove terminal. Leptospirosis affects humans too (transmitted mostly through contact with contaminated water) although it is relatively rare.
Kennel Cough is a very contagious illness and easily spread. The symptoms include sneezing, nasal discharge, a cough, and sometimes a loss of appetite. In the same way as we may contract flu, Kennel Cough is picked up in the air, from contaminated surfaces or direct contact. Areas in which a there are a high density of dogs (e.g. boarding kennels or shows) are commonly where dogs become infected with Kennel Cough.
To protect your dog from diseases such as these, your vet can administer vaccines. Vaccines contain harmless strains of bacteria and viruses which the dog’s immune system builds up a resistance to. This means that if the dog comes into contact with any harmful bacteria or viruses, they are more likely to be able to combat them. Vaccinating your dog reduces the risk of them becoming unwell and vaccine certificates are often required if you are taking your dog to boarding kennels, shows or training classes and are mandatory when travelling abroad with your dog.
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A snapshot of Dogslife data
Over the first nine months of the Dogslife project, the website received over 6000 unique visitors, and on average approximately 28 new members join the project each week. Puppies are on average 119 days old when they are registered, and the distribution of their coat colours and the ratio of males to females is almost identical to that of the population registered with the Kennel Club over the same period of time (see Figure 1).
Sometimes illness risk depends on where a person or pet lives. The reasons may be complex including weather, pollution and a host of other factors. With the majority of Dogslife dogs we can pin down their rough location using their owner’s postcode. As we analyse the data we will use these rough locations to see if there is any geographical pattern to illness and injury. In the mean time, we can show you where the Dogslife dogs are registered and the distribution of coat colours and gender. When we look at this data we have to be careful as humans are notorious for seeing patterns when they don’t exist. We’ll be using clever statistical techniques to check out any hints of illness clustering we may find. See what you think about clustering of coat colours and genders of the Dogslife population on the maps below.
Every time a new dog is registered on the Dogslife website we record the date so that we can track recruitment of puppies to the project. As you can see from the graphs below, the number of new dogs joining each week varies a little but overall the recruitment has stayed reasonably constant after the initial build up from July to August in 2010. There was a minor dip in the winter; we’re blaming the snow!
Dogslife hope to recruit around 1500 Labrador Retrievers within the first year and plan to continue recruitment for a second year, until June 2012. Through regular updates on the health and lifestyle of dogs over their lifetime, Dogslife will be able to analyse incidence and risks for common diseases as well as identifying potential risk factors for rarer conditions.
Over 80% of active participants have completed at least one data entry in the last three months. Huge thanks go to everyone who joins Dogslife and keeps their dog’s record up to date; the contribution and commitment of our members is crucial to the success of the study and finding out what keeps dogs healthy!
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On the road with your dog!
Travelling with our dogs is commonplace, whether going for a walk, trip to the vet or on longer journeys, for example going on holiday. If you are planning to drive with your dog for the first time, you can help prepare them for the journey by letting them in and out of your vehicle before setting off anywhere so that they can become familiar and at ease inside it. You may wish to put their bedding and favourite toy in the vehicle so they feel at home.
It is important to consider where in your vehicle your dog will be safest and most comfortable. While making sure they have plenty of space to move and turn around, it is imperative to secure your dog and train them not to howl or bark so they do not distract the driver or unsettle other passengers. Depending on the type of vehicle you have, there are different ways of keeping your dog safe during the journey. Commonly a dog guard is fitted so that the dog stays in the boot, but a cage can also be used and for dogs travelling in the back seat, harnesses are available which attach to a seat belt. A secure dog will lessen the chance of injury to themselves or a passenger in case of an accident.
Before taking the initial journey with your dog, bear in mind that they may become stressed or anxious and could suffer travel/motion sickness. To help prevent them becoming unwell, try not to over-feed them prior to travelling in case they feel nauseous. It may also benefit your dog to take them for a walk beforehand so that they are more relaxed (take care not to over-exercise however in case they get too hot or dehydrated). In driving with consideration and accelerating and braking gently, you will make the journey as comfortable as possible for them and the chances of ill effects are minimised. Starting with short journeys to fun destinations (e.g. to the park) and building up travel time gradually will give your dog time to adjust and they are more likely to have a positive experience and be happy to travel again.
In warmer weather, it is vital to ensure good ventilation in the vehicle at all times by using the air conditioning or opening the window slightly (opening the window too much risks them putting their head out and causing themselves an injury!). Keeping your vehicle cool and making sure that fresh water is always available will stop your dog from overheating and dehydrating during the journey. Never leave your dog alone in a vehicle since the temperature can rise very quickly and dogs can suffer from heatstroke which in severe cases can prove fatal.
If you are planning a long journey with your dog, it is worthwhile considering your route carefully, checking the latest travel information in case of delays and allowing for frequent stops. Both you and your dog will appreciate a break to stretch your legs, go to the toilet and have a drink and something to eat! By taking your dog’s lead, you can let them out of the vehicle safely if you stop in a busy place and keep them beside you. Be sure to take your dog’s feed, any medication and enough water in case you get stuck in traffic or break down. It is also advisable to check your roadside assistance cover will help with your dog in the event of a breakdown.
Wherever you are going with your dog, keep a collar and tag with up to date contact details on them at all times. You may wish to consider getting them microchipped in case their collar gets lost, as this will make it easier for your dog to be returned to you if they go missing in an unfamiliar location.
For more information and advice, please visit: http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/1074
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There will be another prize draw at the end of June so don't forget to come back to Dogslife (www.dogslife.ac.uk) and update your dog's record to be in with the best chance of winning!
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