Monthly magazines are at a disadvantage when it comes to breaking news; we send an issue to press at least a month before the date that will appear on its cover. So, usually, we don’t even try to disseminate news. But the following items are of such importance and continuing relevance that we are going to break our standard rule.
Canine Flu
An entirely new, highly contagious, and sometimes deadly strain of influenza is sweeping the country’s canine population. Immunologists studying the flu strain have identified it as a variant of an equine influenza; scientists have never before witnessed an influenza virus “jumping” from horses to dogs. The first cases were reported in Florida, which has a large equine population and lots of Greyhound breeding and racing facilities.
Most dogs who become infected with the respiratory illness will experience a milder form of influenza, with symptoms that are similar to those of kennel cough, such as a persistent cough, low fever, and listlessness. However, some develop a more acute disease with clinical signs of pneumonia. Immediate veterinary care, including antibiotics and fluids, will be needed to save the life of a dog with severe symptoms, such as a high fever, secondary bacterial infection, and nasal discharge. Among the latter group, the mortality rate is 1 to 5 percent.
Because this is thought to be an entirely new virus, no dogs have any natural immunity to it, so virtually all dogs who are exposed to it, no matter their breed or age, will become infected. About 80 percent of the dogs who contract the illness will develop symptoms, although all the exposed animals will be capable of transmitting the virus to other dogs.
The virus is airborne; dogs can become infected from contact with anything that an infected dog sneezed or coughed on.
As we went to press, canine influenza had been found in states all across the country. Stay alert to any signs of illness in your dog; take her to a veterinary clinic if she shows signs of fever or coughing.
Hurricane Forces Pets to be Left Behind
Like you, we were saddened and enraged by the news of thousands of people being forced to leave their pets behind when they evacuated from the September’s hurricane zones. Though the many relief efforts undertaken in recent months to help the abandoned animals have been admirable, many thousands of these rescues would have been unnecessary if more people could have taken shelter with their pets.
Fortunately, many efforts are underway to change local, state, and federal laws and policies to allow people to bring their beloved dogs, cats, and other pets with them in evacuation vehicles and into shelters.
The Humane Society of the United States is urging Congress to quickly enact legislation that addresses the needs of the animal victims of disasters. The Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act, H.R. 3858, requires state and local emergency management agencies that receive federal funding to make plans for people with pets or the disabled who rely on service animals to safely evacuate along with their animals in the event of a disaster.
Five U.S. Congressmen introduced the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Three Dog Bakery of Kansas City, Missouri, has started hosting fund-raising events in support of legislative efforts to enable the concomitant rescue of people and their animal companions in disasters. The company is also selling T-shirts (with profits supporting the efforts above) emblazoned with the message, “Leave No Man Behind; Leave No Pet Behind.” See www.threedog.com or call (800) 4TREATS for more details.
