As mentioned in last week’s blog, spring is
a time for rejuvenation. It is also the
season that comes to life as new baby animals are born, like chicks, bunnies,
and other cute pets. With Easter
steadily creeping up on us, there may be some of you who fall under the spell
of the Easter Bunny and think that giving your kids a cute cuddly pet in their
Easter basket may be a great idea.
The truth is, spring and summer is the
perfect time to get a pet, particularly if you’ve chosen a puppy. The weather is nice and you won’t mind
spending time outdoors as you house train your cute ball of fur. But when choosing a puppy there is more to
think about than just how cute it is.
Buying a puppy means you need to do some homework. The type of dog you choose needs to work with
you and your lifestyle. Are you active? Do you like going to long walks? How large is your back yard? Do you or your
family members have allergies? Do you
like cleaning and sweeping to keep the dog hair at bay?
You also need to do your research on the
breeder or store you are looking to buy the puppy from. We often hear of puppy mills and genetic
issues with over breeding, but you also need to be aware of the potential for
infectious diseases. There are some diseases
such as Canine
parvovirus that are incredibly contagious and can be deadly to the
puppy. There are also some infectious
diseases that can spread from your cute puppy to you. Case in point, there have been reports of brucellosis
associated with dogs adopted from a rescue
in southwestern Ontario.
While it’s unclear how many dogs are infected or how they were infected,
the bacteria itself has been a concern for a while, particularly in imported
dogs and commercial breeders.
While brucellosis is required to be
reported under the Animal Health Act, it’s not a disease like Parvo or influenza
that spreads rapidly or can be picked up via casual contact such as playing at
a dog park. Instead, prolonged contact
is needed, so it is typically associated with breeding and kennels. Male dogs
infected with brucellosis develop swelling
of the tube located at the back of the testicle that stores sperm. Female
dogs develop an infection of the uterus which leads to difficulty getting
pregnant, or abortion in the late stages of pregnancy. Brucellosis
is a zoonotic disease that can be spread to humans from sick dogs. It’s not common and generally speaking pet
owners are not considered to be at risk for infection. Breeders and veterinarians who are more apt
to be exposed to the blood or other secretions of infected animals are at an
increased risk of developing an infection.
The good news is that Brucella
canis is relatively short-lived outside the body and is readily inactivated
by common disinfectants so management via cleaning and disinfection will help
reduce the chance of transmission.
Either way, whenever you’re dealing with a
sick animal it’s smart to play it safe and limit your kissing and close
cuddling until you know what your pet has and if it’s a risk to you and your
family. Frankly, since dogs like to lick
their nether, I don’t see any reason for a dog’s mouth or tongue to be anywhere
near my face!
Bugging Off!
Nicole
