Ticked Off—New Info on Lyme Disease
Gretchen Wilson DVM
Blame it on global warming (warmer winters), less snow, increased deer populations, or natural tick population cycles; Lyme disease caused by a Borrelia species and spread by feeding ticks, is on the rise and has been for several years. Canines typically do not show symptoms of early infection as humans do. Instead, they commonly develop fever, lamenesses, arthritis, swollen and painful lymph nodes, and general soreness 2 to 6 months after contracting the disease. Less often, some animals go on to develop neurologic disease , severe, generally fatal kidney disease or heart complications.
This upsurge in Lyme disease cases was first noted in our clinic in 2004 with about 60 cases. In the ten years previous to that added together, we had not seen nearly 60 cases. In 2005, we saw double that number. This year, we already have diagnosed 41 positives for Lyme disease, many with the typical symptoms, some seemingly normal. The test only tells us that they are exposed and may or may not develop signs of disease.
The drugs used to treat Lyme disease remain the same as in recent years. However, the suggested dosage of doxycycline has doubled and the length of the treatment has increased. Current research indicates that the Borrelia organism may never be completely eliminated from the system, simply retreating into tissues like cartilage that have a poorer blood supply to carry the antibiotics. Here, it repeatedly changes its capsule components to evade the immune system of its host. Interestingly, the antibody defenses created by the dog in response to Lyme vaccines, only work within the tick itself. As the first antibody laden blood is ingested by the tick, these immune defenses interfere with functions of the Borrelia within the tick, blocking transmission to the dog.
Unfortunately, the Borrelia organism that causes Lyme disease has some new tick-born friends in our state with increasing numbers of cases as well. Our bumper crop of varying species of ticks is busily infecting animals (and people) with Erlichia, Anaplasmosis, Babesia, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever as well. These may cause different combinations of the symptoms of Lyme disease listed above as well as more cases of neurological disease, eye lesions, and bleeding and blood disorders. Some dogs are found to be positive for more than one of these diseases.
Short of moving out of the area, we do have some things that will greatly decrease the chances of infection with any of these organisms. First of all, limit exposure. Ticks come out of tall grass, so, if plausible, mow or spray areas frequented by yourself and your pets. Do not depend upon being able to find and remove ticks before the 24 to 48 hours of attachment thought necessary for disease transmission. Many animals are infected by immature forms or small species that are very difficult to see even in short-coated pets. Spray any attached tick with a tick killing product before removing it. You will be more likely to get all of the head. Veterinarians often have to finish removing embedded tick heads that have caused severe inflammation.
Begin to vaccinate as early as 9 weeks of age and yearly for Lyme disease in dogs, even if you do not think they will find ticks. We have had to treat Chihuahuas and poms and other small house dogs that owners thought were never exposed. For dogs or cats, as young as 8 weeks, use fipronil (Front-Line Plus®) spot-on treatment monthly, avoiding bathing or swimming for a few days before or after application. In the last couple of years, we have seen ticks all through the winter months. It is very important to continue application throughout the year, especially for outdoor pets. Most of the cases we are seeing now were probably infected during this past winter.
Remember that with fipronil, the tick needs to bite the dog to be killed. So, if your pet is in a severe exposure situation, also use a flea and tick collar containing amitraz (Preventic®) to repel ticks even before they bite (and before they are carried into the house, potentially exposing you and your family).
Veterinarians have a simple in-house test for Lyme and erlichiosis (also includes heartworm). By the middle of this summer, this test should also include anaplasmosis. This test diagnoses current infections in pets that are ill and symptomatic, but also is an important screening tool to let us know of a problem during the 2 to 6 months before signs of disease are likely to appear. This increases likelihood of successful treatment and may even allow your veterinarian to prevent the death of your pet. Remember that this article pertains primarily to dogs and somewhat to cats, but we hope all of you out there are taking proper precautions for yourselves as well!
Edgar Allen Poe—Died of Rabies?
When Poe, known for his ghoulish tales, was found unconscious on the steps of the Baltimore Museum in September of 1849, he was hospitalized with tremors, hallucinations, difficulty drinking, and delirium. He died shortly afterwards. Poe's symptoms may have also included anxiety, insomnia, and salivation. Many now believe that he had contracted rabies, probably from a bite or scratches from an infected cat, as cats were favorites of his. Do you put yourself in similar danger today?
Rabies is a viral disease spread by saliva and neural fluids of infected mammals, causing deadly inflammation of the brain. Rarely, it is air-borne in laboratories or bat caves and a handful of cases have resulted from tissue transplants. In humans, rabies incubates for 20 to 60 days while following nerve pathways toward the brain. Only during the early phase of this migration, are preventative vaccines effective. Once neurological symptoms appear, generally death soon follows, regardless of any treatments. Historically, rabies has been a footnote since a little before 1320 BC. In the exploration of the Americas, Spanish soldiers who died after being bitten on their toes while sleeping, were probably victims of rabid vampire bats.
Though rabies is still a prevalent disease in many other countries, routine pet vaccinations have markedly decreased but not erased this ugly killer in the United States. Preventative vaccinations in humans help to protect those who are unusually at risk by travel or significant exposure to animals. Rabies vaccinations in our pets are virtually 100% effective. Since rabies inoculations are mandated by law in dogs over 6 months of age, now cats whose vaccinations are often unregulated, have surpassed the canines in numbers of cases. Wisconsin law does not call for rabies vaccinations of cats, but the City of Ashland has stepped forward with its own regulation, requiring registration of cats which requires their vaccinations for rabies. Municipalities should publicly present available video coverage of the grotesque time-lapsed death of a human rabies victim. Then, cats and probably more horses would soon get the simple protection they need. It is sad that we require legislation to ordain what should be common sense.
Our main sources of rabies infection are now in wildlife—usually bats, skunks, raccoons, and wild canines. Small rodents and rabbits do not seem to be capable of transmission to other species but beavers, woodchucks, and groundhogs are. From 1990 to 2000, bats are blamed for 24 of the 32 reported cases of human rabies. Their bites are small and may go undetected. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) suggests that people should seek medical attention even if they only find a bat in the room when they awaken or in the room of an unattended child, disabled person, or intoxicated person. Be especially suspicious of bats that are active during the day, found in an abnormal place, or cannot seem to fly. Catch the bat for testing if at all possible. Instructions on the CDC website say to wear leather gloves, put a container over the bat, slide a cardboard under the opening, tape shut, and deliver to your local veterinarian or health department. Testing may save the trauma and considerable expense of rabies post exposure preventative treatment. Bats' voracious appetites for insects are extremely important to the ecosystem in many ways and so their eradication is not a valid answer to the problem.
Rabies is an issue in Wisconsin and here in Ashland! A bat bite caused rabies in the 15 year old girl who made news in Fond du Lac County in 2004 for being the first to survive rabies once the neurological symptoms appeared. Our clinic's last positive rabies case was a bat indoors, in a jacket sleeve, biting the unfortunate (and surprised) owner of the jacket. Protect yourself best by vaccinating your pets! This may also prevent euthanizing your pet or paying for fines and exams and an expensive isolation in the fairly common dog or cat bite incident. Even the cat that never leaves the house is susceptible to the rabid bat that gets in.
If you think that an exposure may have occurred from pets or wildlife, wash the wound immediately and call your doctor. Let the medical profession wade through the complicated protocols that decide what course of treatment, if any, should be followed. If you are curious and would like to learn more, there is a website that is fairly easy to understand. Check out the Wisconsin Rabies Prevention Flowchart. Shall we say Poe's "Nevermore" to the rabies that knocketh at our door?
OK for You (maybe)—Poison for Your Pet!!
Our pets often want to eat what we do and that can be unhealthy or even deadly. "Table scraps" are frequently too spicy or too fatty for them, causing vomiting and diarrhea and even life-threatening pancreatitis. Hot dogs, gravies, poultry skins, fat trimmings, and casseroles are common sources of such problems and also the accompanying obesity that seems to plague many pets and owners alike. However, there are a number of human foods which are surprisingly toxic to our good four-legged friends.
Xylitol is an artificial sweetener found in gum, mints, vitamins, baked goods, and beverages. Read your labels! It is much more rapidly absorbed in dogs than in people and will cause low blood sugar and sudden, severe liver disease. These can lead to vomiting, staggering, collapse, seizures, and death. Ingestion of as little as .008 oz. of the actual sweetener per pound of pet or let's say 5 cookies or 40 pieces of gum for your 25 pound dog, can kill.
Raisins and grapes can cause vomiting and diarrhea leading to rapid kidney failure within 24 hours. As few as 5 or 6 of these fruits can cause the death of some average cats or small dogs.
Onions and garlic are sometimes eaten as they are flavored with meat juices. Dogs and cats need to eat them in fairly large amounts to see problems. They can cause digestive upsets first and then, may progress to destruction of red blood cells, anemia, and in extreme cases, death. Many pets will treat themselves by vomiting anything so spicy on their own.
Chocolate and caffeine (methylxanthines) are deadly in fairly small amounts. Dark chocolate is a more concentrated source than the light milk chocolate. Your dearest dog only needs to eat .11 oz. of baker's chocolate per pound of body weight (or 2.75 oz. for that 25 pound Rover) to possibly die. It is not quite so bad with semi-sweet chocolate at .33 oz. per pound of pup (8.4 oz. for a 25 pound dog). Milk chocolate weighs in at 1 oz. per dog pound potentially lethal (25 oz. for a 25 pound dog). Symptoms of toxicity are seizures, urination, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Bread dough has yeast that ferments in the stomach and releases an alcohol (ethanol) causing alcohol poisoning. In the warm stomach environment, it also rises rapidly, causing extreme expansion of the stomach which leads to serious crowding of the lungs in the chest. The alcohol causes symptoms of drunkenness and the expansion of the dough in the stomach eventually results in unproductive attempts to vomit and difficulty breathing. Induction of vomiting must be done right away, before the bites of bread dough become too large to pass back out of the stomach.
Drugs (over the counter and prescription) cause a variety of problems when eaten accidentally or when given as a treatment. Tylenol and ibuprofen are toxic to both dogs and cats, aspirin is toxic to cats and all are commonly misused. (Pepto-Bismol and Kaopectate have aspirin in them!) Always check with your veterinarian before using any drugs and realize that pet dosages may vary greatly from human ones if they are tolerated at all.
Alcoholic beverages are obviously not suited for our pets. It is not cute or intelligent to leave alcohol where pets can lap it or to offer any amounts to them. This is especially true of our very small friends. If you offer your 5 pound Yorkie an ounce of beer and you weigh 200 pounds, you will have given him a dose equivalent to your drinking 40 oz. of beer in an equal amount of time. That is binge drinking and we all know where it can lead.
Hallucinogenics (marijuana, cocaine, mushrooms, etc) can lead to rapid heart rates, confusion, incoordination, seizures, and death. Remember that body size has a lot to do with the amount necessary for a lethal dose. Yes, sadly, we occasionally see these cases.
When faced with the possibility of any of the above ingestions, involve your veterinarian in treatment decisions right away. Remember that minimizing time is extremely important and you may be asked to immediately induce vomiting by syringing or spooning hydrogen peroxide into your pet's mouth, tilting the head back slightly, and being very careful to do small portions at a time to allow normal breathing. Amounts vary and you may continue adding more until vomiting does occur. It generally takes about 1/8 to 2/3 cup in that 25 pound pooch. Unfortunately, alcohol is absorbed so quickly that by the time you know you have a problem, it may be already too late for vomiting to reduce absorption.
So, know what toxins are in your house and do not tempt fate by leaving them easily accessible by your "four-legged children". Keep some hydrogen peroxide and your veterinarian's phone number readily available. Notice any odd behaviors and investigate possible causes. Give those good buddies a big hug and know that you are doing your best to keep them safe and happy!
Treat Your Pet's Pain Without Surgery or Meds!
At one time, people and animals alike had to tolerate pain and just "buck up" to get through it. Now, we know that pain actually slows healing and we humans expect relief. Well, so can our pets! The new Class IV Therapy Laser penetrates deeply into tissues to bring amazing healing, decreased swelling, and blessed reprieve from chronic arthritis, acute trauma, surgeries, and miscellaneous wounds.
We have been using our therapy laser and seeing great results since October of 2007. Our clinic mascot dog, Chocolate, was our first volunteer. A 14 1/2 years old terrier mix, he is missing the cartilage in two places between vertebrae in his back. Before treatment, he cried out occasionally when navigating stairs and he walked slowly with an arch in his back. He did not eat well. Chocolate had been on a major pain relief medication for two years already before laser treatment. The day after only one five minute session, he seemed much improved. When he had completed the recommended 6 treatments, he seemed to be a new dog. Now, he runs up and down the stairs, plays, gets toys out of his box and shakes them. He can jump easily into his favorite chair and his appetite has increased greatly. We have our old dog back again, happy, healthy, and playful once more. He has not needed any oral pain medications since his six treatments in October. Perhaps your best four-legged friend is a candidate for this new kind of therapy.
What is the science behind this novel treatment? The therapy laser generates photons of light that penetrate deeply into inflamed joints, muscles, or wounds. Patients feel only a mild warmth. Tissue cells absorb photons and turn them into useful energy that stimulates increased metabolic activity, better oxygenation, and formation of healing enzymes. Faster metabolism and optimum chemical factors then result in quicker cellular reproduction and tissue repair. This light energy stimulates more rapid formation of new capillaries that speed healing and it activates lymphatic drainage to reduce swelling. Beneficial effects also occur outside the specifically targeted area. This laser light helps to strengthen immunity by activating immunoglobulins and lymphocytes which protect the body from disease.
Patients who will likely benefit from laser therapy are those in whom we can localize and target the damaged tissues. Hip dysplasia, back injuries that are either chronic or new, bad knees or elbows, are all candidates for laser therapy. In addition, strains and sprains, surgeries, and many types of wounds will respond to this treatment. Therapy laser applications in horses abound, especially where drugs are not allowed for performance competition.
Sometimes, a single therapy session is adequate. For more involved cases, the recommended protocol is to treat the pet three times spread within the first week, two times in the second week, and once in the third week. Then, repeat in six months as needed. We are excited to add this new dimension to our pain control regime. Stop by and visit with Chocolate and he will be happy to tell you more about it!