Rabies is a fatal but preventable viral disease. It can spread to people and pets if they are bitten or scratched by a rabid animal. In the United States, rabies is mostly found in wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. In the local metro area we have all of the above (foxes less common). If you see any of these animals during the day then you should be suspicious.  In my home we recently had 2 bats in our high vault living room. The cat was the one who observed them and he tried to jump up and catch one. Horrors! . After locking the cat and dog in a back bedroom we opened all the doors and waited for them to find an exit. They flew fast and right past our legs and heads. We were scared! This was at night and we were  uncertain how to get them to leave. 40 minutes later they were gone.  Several years back in  Damascus there was a case of cat Rabies acquired from a catching a bat during the day. Scary scenario.

Prevention is easy. Vaccinate you dog or cats. The vaccine is required by 6 months of age in Oregon. The first vaccine is good for 1 year, the next year when given it has a 3 year duration and repeated every 3 years afterwards. Other states have different protocols.

If your dog or cat bites and is not current with the vaccine the person who was bitten can rightfully have the pet reported, quarantined and possibly tested. Testing is done by euthanizing the biter and immediately sending the brain to the State Lab. That’s right- euthanize your pet!  Keep your pet current on the vaccine schedule. 

 In 2004, a 15-year-old girl became the first known unvaccinated rabies survivor . Currently worldwide the statistic is 29 people. Treatment in people is complicated. Once a rabies infection is established, there’s no effective treatment. Though a small number of people have survived rabies, the disease usually causes death. For that reason, if you think you’ve been exposed to rabies, you must get a series of shots to prevent the infection from taking hold.

If you see a bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes especially during the day-stay away and keep your pets away! Danger may be present. 

What People Foods are Safe for my dog and cat? Often you are told “don’t feed people food!” However, there are safe foods which have food value. So, what are these foods? These fruits have great food value:

• Apples    Bananas
• Blueberries  Cantaloupe
• Cranberries  Cucumbers 
• Mangos   Oranges
• Peaches   Pears
• Pineapple  Pumpkin
• Raspberries  Strawberries
• Watermelon

Your pet can be introduced to these at an early age to “widen” their palate. I have never owned a kitty that liked Cantaloupe but I have had many clients who said their pet loves it! These are all foods low in calories , contain additional fiber and have unique minerals. If you have a diabetic patients you need to be careful with the higher sugar fruits ( example apples, strawberries).

Fruits to avoid:

cherries are toxic to cats and dogs

 grapes and raisins can cause kidney damage.

Citrus fruits like lemons, limes, and grapefruit as well as persimmons can cause an upset stomach.  Dr. Becky M

Next Post : safe vegetables

CBD is a great addition to pet care. It may help with seizures,  anxiety, pain, inflammation, osteoarthritis, allergies and cancer.  The process is cannabinoids produce effects in the body by interacting with cannabinoid receptors. Many clients ask me  my opinion. I have seen some animals (dogs) respond and others not so much. There really are no know harmful side effects ( unless THC is product > 3%). The main issue is dosing.

The FDA has not approved the CBD products  for pets (dogs)because there is no predictable outcome. There is no dosing that promises the expected results. For this reason it is a difficult issue. 

There are many manufacturers and the  actual product doesn’t always match what is in the bottle. A certificate of analysis should always be on the packaging.  

If you plan to try the CBD oil on your pets be certain there is no xylitol (toxic) or THC ( read certificate of analysis  less < 3%). Give the same amount every time for a trial period of 7 days. Write down your observations ( how long did it take to be effective, how long did it last, what was the actual improvement?). Then increase gradually so you will know the correct dose for your pet. The CBD is nonintoxicating cannabinoid found in cannabis and hemp. Your pet won’t get “high”.

My observations. When  a client says the gave their dog some CBD ahead of exam time for anxiety I can tell that approximately 50% of the pets did benefit.

Assessing CBD Products

• Domestically grown

• Organically grown, if that’s important to practitioners or clients

• Recent certificate of analysis that shows percentages of THC, various CBD molecules, other cannabis molecules, results for pesticide and heavy metal testing, and so on

• Easily accessible online or provided on request

• Understandable labels, including strength and doses per bottle

• Not in an alcohol base

• Details on carrier oils

• Details on other ingredients or possible allergens

This time of year we are all enjoying the best of Oregon. The outdoors!

As you and your dog (and cats) enjoy the outings please be prepared for tick control. There are 3  precautions:

Use appropriate tick kill products. For pets there are excellent oral flea/tick products such as Nexgard and Bravecto .  Nexgard is the ONLY product approved by the FDA to prevent Lyme disease infections by killing black-legged ticks. These are the ticks in Oregon. Topcial products include Revolution, Frontline and Advantix.

You can provide protection with the Lyme vaccination for you dog. It is a series of two and then once yearly. 

Lastly , check your dog when you are done hiking. Look around the ears, eyes , under the collar, in the “privates” and between the toes. Take a small toothed comb and do a thorough go-over.  Remember, bringing ticks back to your home will start a new seed site for ticks.

One of the local areas that has LOTS OF TICKS is Powell Butte. I love Powell Butte and it has been beautifully restored. However, this year there are alot of ticks. They come in cycles and it looks to be a bad year for ticks.