Other Problems for Pets in
our Desert:
Valley Fever (Coccidioides immitis):
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Dog, presented with severe weight loss
and a lump on the hock (shown). Positive blood testing
and a needle biopsy helped to confirm a diagnosis of
Coccidioides immitis infection
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What is it?
Valley fever is caused by a fungus which
grows in the soil of our native desert environment. The fungus
causes a disease commonly called valley fever because it occurs
throughout the Sonoran desert valley.
How does
my pet get this disease?
The fungus is inhaled into the
lungs and can spread to just about any part of the
body.
Do all exposed
pets become ill?
No, many pets, like people, will
become infected and quickly develop immunity having
never shown signs of disease. However, some pets (dogs
and cats to a lesser extent) will develop the disease
and we see clinical signs from the growth, spread,
and location of the fungus in the body.
What are
the signs of infection?
Some signs seen in dogs are respiratory
disease, limping, inner eye infections (uveitis), skin
lesions (wounds, lumps) and seizures. Some dogs will
not show any specific sign of infection, but the owners
notice that they are lethargic and often have a decreased
appetite.
Does it occur
in cats?
Cats less commonly develop disease
from the organism but they can become infected. They
can show the same signs as dogs, but will often have
open draining lesions from bone infections.
How do you
diagnose the disease?
Diagnosis is via an antibody
(blood) test specific for the organism. Scanning radiographs
may be helpful depending on the body system involved.
Radiographs (x-rays) will often show inflammation and
enlarged lymph nodes on chest films but definitive
diagnosis still requires a blood test.
What is the
treatment?
Once infection is confirmed treatment
can begin. Treatment for this infection should always
be considered a long term process of at least a year.
Typically, we'll start medication after the diagnosis
and recheck the blood titer every 3 months until negative.
A titer is a measure of the patient's immune response
to the infectious organism. It is not an actual measure
of the organism. However, a declining titer often correlates
with an improvement in clinical signs (outward signs
of illness) and resolution of the infection. Antibiotics
are not useful in treating this fungal infection. Specific
antifungal medication is needed. The more common medications
are Ketoconazole, Fluconazole and Itraconazole. All
the medications commonly occur in a pill form and are
given once or twice daily by mouth. In the past the
medications were cost prohibitive, but now they are
widely available at many pet pharmacies at a reasonable
price. All "azoles" can elevate the patient's
liver enzymes with continued use so liver values should
be a routine part of screening. Ketoconazole tends
to be the least expensive of the group and is widely
used. Fluconazole is able to cross into the central
nervous system and is the only drug used to treat "central" valley
fever infection (typically the seizuring pet). I'll
often start pets on Fluconazole because in my experience
it seems to have fewer side effects. But, all pets
are different and many will respond well to Ketoconazole.
Regardless of the drug used it is important to monitor
the appetite and advise your veterinarian if a loss
of appetite or vomiting is noted. As I've said, treatment
for this disease is long term and you should not expect
to quickly see an improvement. Often it is weeks before
improvement is noted. You should not, however, see
a progression of the disease.
How can I
prevent infection in my pet?
Unfortunately, there is not a
vaccine to prevent this disease. The best we can do
in the valley is to reduce the risk factors for our
pets and respond quickly to signs of disease. It is
also important to realize that many pets will live
all their lives in the valley and never become ill
from this organism.
What are
some factors that increase the risk of exposure?
- Dogs that spend a lot of time
outdoors
- Hiking/ hunting - Dogs that spend a lot of time in the native desert
environment .
- Dogs that like to dig
- Dust storms
- New Developments
Summary:
- caused by a fungus that grown in the soil
- infects both dogs and cats
- is inhaled into the lungs
- can infect any part of the body
- often see limping, coughing, respiratory distress, eye infections,
seizures and weight loss
- diagnosis is via blood testing and radiographs
- treatment is with an azole type of drug
- treatment is long term (at least a year)
- regular blood testing of the liver is needed while on these medications
Tick Fever:
What is it?
The disease of dogs commonly called tick
fever is actually ehrlichiosis caused by a rickettsial infection
with E. canis.
How does
my pet get it?
E. canis is transmitted by the
bite of an infected tick transmitting the organism
in its saliva. Not all ticks are infected with E.canis
and not all tick bites result in infection with E.
canis. However, only one infected tick is needed to
infect a dog with this disease.
How long
after a bite does disease occur?
Time of disease varies greatly.
Signs can occur as early as 3 weeks after a bite or
the disease can remain hidden and not show up for months.
What kind
of disease does it cause?
E. canis can cause a reduction
in platelets which leads to bleeding. Nose bleeds and
other superficial bleeding is common. Infected pets
can also become anemic (lowered red blood cell number),
can develop joint disease with swollen and painful
joints, lymph nodes (glands) may become enlarged, central
nervous system can become infected, eye infection or
intraocular bleeding can occur, depression and weight
loss are common. Dogs may exhibit a fever.
How is it
diagnosed?
Tick fever is diagnosed by a blood test.
How is it
treated?
If ticks are present the pet and environment
should be treated to eliminate them. The disease is treated with
a medication called Doxycycline or other medications in that
same class. We'll often treat for 3 weeks and then retest with
a PCR (DNA) test to confirm that we have eliminated the organism.
Most pets respond well to treatment. The development of joint
disease carries a less favorable prognosis and in addition to
the above medication these pets often have to be treated with
prednisone to reduce the inflammatory/immune response.
How do
I prevent infection in my dog?
The key to preventing infection is in prevention of tick bites. Ticks
are common in Arizona and I recommend that all pets be placed on
some type of topical treatment monthly. Frontline and Revolution
are commonly used topical prescription products. Ticks are active
just about any time it is above freezing in the valley. If your pet
was infected from your yard you should also have the yard and or
house treated on a regular basis.
Will my other
dogs become infected from an infected dog?
No, the disease is only spread
through tick bites and not from dog to dog.
Can
people get this infection?
No, unlike lyme disease, this
is an infection of dogs. This is essentially not
a disease of cats with infection
being very rare.
Heatstroke:
Heatstroke is a disease condition
that can develop in any animal due to exposure to high environmental
temperatures. Signs include excessive panting and drooling, agitation,
whining, respiratory distress, dark gums, vomiting and collapse
due to shock. Heatstroke can lead to brain damage and death. As
always, the best way to treat heatstroke is to prevent it altogether.
If your dog starts to develop heat stress doesn't wait. The pet
should be taken to the veterinarian immediately.
I don't recommend that any dogs
be kept outdoors during the Arizona summers. However, if your dog
is kept outdoors ensure that the dog has: 1) shade 2) constant
source of water kept in the shade. Dogs will often tip their water
bowls and can potentially be left outside without water. Some ways
of providing a constant water source are to:
1. Purchase an automatic water
delivery system. There are many types available through pet shops,
internet retailers, and often at horse feed stores.
2. Provide a water trough
too large to tip over. I've found that using the large hard rubber
cattle feed tubs often works well. The tubs are widely available
at local horse feed stores and fairly inexpensive.
Parked
cars and dogs don't mix:
Heatstroke quickly occurs in dogs that are left in parked cars. Even
on what we may consider to be a "nice" spring day in Arizona
, a parked car will quickly become too hot for your dog. Pets can
suffer life threatening hyperthermia in just a few minutes. Factors
that contribute to heat stress are:
Short noses:
Dogs with short squashed faces are called brachycephalic breeds.
Pugs, Bostons and Bulldogs are just a few examples of brachycephalic
breeds. The short nose decreases their ability to cool themselves
making these breeds extremely sensitive to heat stress and they
will progress to heatstroke much quicker then other breeds of
dogs.
Thick
Coats: A thick coat of fur will no more
protect your dog from heatstroke then wearing a thick winter
coat in the heat of summer would protect you. Thick coated
dogs will quickly develop heatstroke. If your dog spends
a lot of time outdoors in warm weather, it is often advisable
to have the pet shaved yearly to keep them cooler.
Obesity: Larger
dogs and obese dogs are better insulated and are very susceptible
to the heat.
Hot Pavement:
Our pavement, pool decking and desert sand become extremely hot in
the spring and summer months and dogs can and will burn their pads
if forced to walk on these surfaces. A good rule of thumb is that
if the surface is too hot for you to walk on with bare feet than
it is also too hot for your dog. Each year we see dogs that have
been hiking with their owners and have literally walked until they
burned their pads off. Injured pads require lengthy healing times
and are very painful to your pet. Never assume that your pet will
know when to stop if the surface is to hot. Most dogs will literally
stay with you until they can no longer walk. In the summer pets
should only be walked on cool surfaces (such as grass) and often
the best time to walk them is early morning or late night, but
realize that in the midst of summer it is often too hot for your
pet even during these times.
Sunburn:
Did you realize that your pet can become burned by the sun? Pets
with pale skin, white or pale hair coloration, thin coats and decreased
nasal pigmentation (pink noses) are just as susceptible to sunburn
as we are. These same pets are also at increased risk of cancer
from sun exposure. Even indoor animals can have an increased risk
of sun induced cancer. The classic example is the white coated
cat that spends all day sunning in a window sill and later develops
ear tip or nasal cancer. The only way to protect your pets is to
limit their sun exposure either by sunscreens or avoidance of the
sun especially during the hottest part of the day. You most be
careful with sunscreen because certain type can be toxic to animal
and especially cats. Always consult with your veterinarian on what
types of products to use. A good rule of thumb is to avoid any
product containing zinc.
Sunscreen
recommendations:
- AVOID those containing zinc
- AVOID PABA ( para-amino benzoic acid ) containing sunscreens
- Use those containing salicylates cautiously
- Use a no tears baby sunscreen for pink eyelids, avoid direct
eye contact
- Use the highest SPF available on pink areas of the body
- On white dogs could try placing them in a T-shirt when out for
a walk
If your pet dose develop heat
stroke the most important aspect of treatment is prompt and early
care. The pet should immediately be taken to your veterinarian
who will typically hospitalize the pet and start IV fluids in addition
to medications. |
RESCUE LIST
Cats & Dogs:
AZ Animal Welfare League: (602) 273-6852, http://www.aawl.org/
Friends For Life: (480) 497- 8296
Arizona Humane Society: (602) 997-7585, http://www.azhumane.org/
AZ Rescue: (480) 598-9410, http://www.azrescue.org/flash.shtml
ASPCA: (602) 246-8280
Animal Benefit Club of AZ: http://www.animalsbenefitclub.com/
Animal Rescue Foundation (Tucson), http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/adoptafriend.html
LINKS ONLY:
Arizona Pet Shelter links: http://muttcats.com/shelters/arizona.htm
Rescue Guide Links: http://www.petwork.com/rescue_pets_az.html
Pet Love Shack, Links: http://www.petloveshack.com/Arizona.html
Dogs:
Small Paws of Arizona: (480) 464-1838,
(480) 357-8949
AZ Purebreed Rescue: (623) 465-0396, http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/AZ135.html
CABRA - all breed rescue: (480) 874-2511, http://www.cabra.org/
Small Dog Rescue: Sharon (480) 962-4791
Valley of the Sun Dog Resuce: Pitbulls & Staffordshire Terriers, valleyofthesundogrescue.com
Foundation for Animals at Risk (Tucson): http://www.faircares.org/welcome/
AZ Animal Assistance: http://azanimalassistance.com/
CATS:
CHARM: (602) 470-0131, http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/AZ21.html
AZ CATS: (602) 287-8824, http://www.azcats.org/
AZ Feline Network: special needs cats: (480) 483-3214, http://www.azfelines.org/
Hermitage No Kill Shelter: (520) 571-7839, http://www.hermitagecats.org/
Citizens for Scottsdale Strays, http://www.scottsdalestrays.com/adopt.html
EXOTICS:
Ferrets, Rabbits, Exotics: (480)
786-4329
The Oasis for birds/parrots: (520) 212-4737
Arizona Reptile Association: (480) 894-1625
Small Bird Rescue and Retirement Center: (480) 985-2121
Brambely Hedge Rabbit Rescue: (602) 443-3990
Avian Rescue: http://www.avianrescue.org/bc-az.html
WILD ANIMALS:
See wildlife page. |
