155 Rabbit Hemorrhagic Fever Outbreak in Texas

Finally, something that does not involve the Corona virus! It does involve another highly contagious and highly fatal viral disease of animals, specifically bunnies, both pet and wild species. It is not contagious to people (not zoonotic). Rabbit Hemorrhagic Fever is not new in the world but is new in the United States. Worldwide, there are 2 different strains, RHFV1 and RHFV2. The latest outbreak here in Texas is RHFV2, and it spread from New Mexico this month, mostly from wild rabbits because of the coronavirus has cancelled all the rabbit shows.

Who? We have several pools of rabbits in Texas. I mostly deal with individual pet rabbits, but some people raise rabbits commercially for show or meat or fur. There are Rabbit Shows just like there are Dog Shows. I saw hundreds of rabbits at the Fort Worth Stock Show in February. Wild bunnies, like jackrabbits and cottontails, are a slightly different species but are also affected by RHFV2. Currently, RHFV2 is limited to rabbits, domestic and wild, in the Texas Panhandle (Lubbock) and TransPecos (El Paso) parts of Texas


What? It is a virus from the calicivirus family (not coronavirus). For the symptoms, think Ebola for rabbits. This virus causes life threatening bleeding in a matter of days, from exposure to symptoms, and they die quickly by bleeding out.

“The time from infection to first signs of disease may be up to nine days. Affected rabbits may develop a fever and die within 36 hours. Infected rabbits may appear dull and be reluctant to eat; have congested membranes around the eyes; show signs of nervousness, incoordination or excitement; and/or make paddling movements. They may have trouble breathing. Upon death, they may have a blood-stained, frothy nasal discharge. Infection with the RHD virus causes lesions throughout internal organs and tissues, particularly the liver, lungs and heart, resulting in bleeding. Mortality rates range between 40% and 100% for RHDV/RHDVa and 5% and 70% for RHDV2.” Lisa Wogen, VIN, April 14,2020.

How? How did this virus get here? We are not sure, but it is in Texas now. For wild rabbits, it is easily spread through birds and lice and biting insects. For domestic rabbits (pets and rabbitries), it is easily spread from materials such as bedding, food, water, and clothing of handlers. If all bunnies “self-isolate” from others, they cannot catch it through the air. This is easy enough for pet bunnies, maybe hard for commercial rabbittries, but impossible for wild rabbits.

Where? Currently, it in just in far West Texas and the Panhandle. We fear it will spread in wild rabbits to the DFW area eventually. When it is here, we will have to think twice about letting house bunnies outside to play in the backyard.

When? Now is the best time to start strict biosecurity if you have bunnies or visit friends with bunnies. In Spain and France, there are approved vaccines for RHFV1 and RHFV2, but we do not have easy access to those. Vets in Texas are pooling together to get special permission to import vaccine, but we do not have a price or timeline yet. Stay tuned.


Why? We don’t think this was intentional or malicious, unlike the outbreak in Australia in the 1990s to control wild rabbits. It just happened.

This is big news in the bunny world. I will be “hopping” to stay on top of it!

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/fs-rhdv2.pdf
https://www.tahc.texas.gov/news/brochures/TAHCBrochure_BiosecurityRabbit.pdf
http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/rabbit_hemorrhagic_disease.pdf

https://tscra.org/viral-disease-confirmed-in-wild-texas-rabbits-die-offs-reported/


154 Ivermectin to Treat Covid-19?

Some of you may have heard or read about a study that showed some efficacy of using ivermectin to kill corona virus. I was excited when I first read the headline because I have gobs of ivermectin and its cousins (selamectin, moxidectin, milbemycin) in the form of chewable dog heartworm prevention and large animal products (Ivomec) in pour on and injection forms. Heck, I even use diluted cattle Ivomec when I treat little hedgehogs and mice for mites!

But alas, the article is very clear that they were only testing infected cells in a Petri dish with ivermectin, and that is not going to help us right now. So, don’t go crazy and order some cattle Ivomec and ask me the human dose.

Ivermectin is used in many species, including humans (which I can’t prescribe for) as a tablet for parasitic worms (intestinal strongyloidiasis and onchocerciasis) and topical formulations for the treatment of external parasites such as headlice and skin conditions such as rosacea.

When ivermectin was first approved for use in dogs as monthly Heartgard tablet (not even the chewable), it was a really big deal, because before that we had only had daily DEC ( Diethylcarbamazine= liquid Dirocide or chewable Marmaduke tablets) and it tasted nasty. Some good old boys figured out the ingredient, ivermectin, was in the horse paste, and started giving it to their dogs, based on the weight compared to a horse dose. It was highly inaccurate, and some collie type dogs have a weird genetic mutation (MDR1), that makes them VERY sensitive to ivermectin class drugs and other drugs, and these “horse doses” caused neurological signs, seizures, and death. True story. The research finally revealed that dogs need a super tiny dose to prevent heartworms (about 1.5% as much as the deworming dose/# for horse), and it was safe for all dogs, even those with MD1 mutation.

Veterinarians will be closely watching the research of why a dewormer will kill a virus, and I pray we find a simple, inexpensive cure for this darn Sars-Co-2 virus soon. Until then, don’t eat your dog’s heartworm prevention. He needs it more than you do.


https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/product-safety-information/fda-letter-stakeholders-do-not-use-ivermectin-intended-animals-treatment-covid-19-humans

153 Tiger By the Tail

As you may have heard over the last few days, one tiger in the Bronx Zoo in New York City recently tested positive for Sars-Co-2 ( the virus that is causing Covid-19 illness in humnas). It really did. And that contradicts what we have generally thought about this corona virus.

I have spent a lot of time this week learning more about this situation in animals. This virus, Sars-Co-2, is new but the first one (Sars-Co-1) that caused SARS in early 2000s has been extensively studied in animals. First, animal get many corona viruses themselves. Dogs and cats have at least 3 that I have clinically seen, so they aren’t rare. They are as common as “the common cold”. Some cause respiratory symptoms, some cause gastrointestinal symptoms.

Researchers over the last 15 years have been seeing if the human Sars-Co-1 could infected animal species like dogs, cats, horses, and ferrets. It can. It rarely goes to dogs, occasionally to cats, and easily to ferrets. So it stand to reason that the new coronavirus could theoretically be transmitted to those species.

Tigers are in the same animal family as domestic cats. The Bronx Zoo cats were not in close proximity to a known infected human, but must have come in contact through the bars to an asymptomatic human zookeeper. One zookeeper noted that several cats has upper respiratory symptoms, and the decision was made to anesthetize ONE to test, out of an abundance of caution. So one tiger did test positive, and we assume all would have but weren’t tested.

So cats (all types) CAN contract the corona virus from humans. That is confirmed.

But can cats be carriers and spread it back to humans? That is the big question and several veterinary laboratories have been doing extensive ( >5000 tests) on cats, dogs, and horses worldwide since February to see if we have any positives in the population. All tests have been negative so far, and they think they have a very specific test. The test by Idexx isn’t available commercially where a vet like in me in private practice can order it, but if the situation changes, it might be.

So YES CATS CAN BE INFECTED from humans (reverse zoonosis), but we don’t believe them to be INFECTIOUS TO HUMANS.

We kind of already knew that after the 2 positive house cats in Europe (that were in households with sick humans) recently. Both of those cats has respiratory symptoms but neither required hospitalization.

Scarier still for my practice with ferrets, is that FERRETS are MORE susceptible to coronaviruses than cats.

In conclusion, if you are sick, stay away from your pets, especially cats and ferrets. Let someone else take care of them. And if we see a sick cat, we will assume it is a cat virus, keep it away from other cats, and maybe run some cat virus panels before we even think about Sars-Co-2.

https://www.idexx.com/en/about-idexx/covid-19-resources/

151 Coronavirus Anxiety can be Contagious to Dogs and Cats

Many vets are getting phone calls from clients who are concerned that their pets are “acting out” in this time of anxiety. This would be completely normal whenever owners are experiencing anxiety or depression themselves. And it would be surprising if any pet parent who is watching the news isn’t experiencing stress,anxiety,fear, or depression. I have been using Fear Free Techniques to manage fear, anxiety and stress in pets for over 3 years now with fantastic results.

Ways Pets Act Out

Seeking attention
Destructive behavior
Not being able to settle down
House soiling
Aggression
Depression

Things Pet Parents Can Do

Keep a normal routine for yourself and pets
Stay calm yourself
Lots of exercise-go for a walk (if allowed); throw the ball in the backyard
Give your pet at least an hour alone for their “me time”
Try to stay on the same diet, feed at the same time
Calming OTC pheromones like Adaptil for dogs and Feliway for cats that can be purchased online

Things Vets Can Do To Help

Behavioral consults over the phone/telemedicine

Medications for anxiety like Trazadone for dogs and Gabapentin for cats

And lastly, plan proactively for your pets care in case you get sick and someone else has to care for your pets temporarily. Decide who the caretaker would be and write down what your pet eats, when they eat, what are three favorite treats, what medications they tske, and special habits they have. Try to keep two weeks worth of food and 30 day supply of meds.

Our pets can give us great emotional support at times of high stress like this, but we have to be there for them too. Give them a hug- as long as it doesn’t stress them out!

150 We were still open!

Yes we are still open! That seems to be the Number One question my staff is getting on the phone. We are using “Curbside appointments “ like most vets. I am using telemedicine to examine the patients. So far we have “seen” dogs, cats, and even a rabbit!

We are doing grooming ( until the city , county or state says we can’t), but no boarding.

Dr Frank Pena is here in person on Fridays.

We are filling medications, medicated diets, and doing lab work. It is now fully Spring so it is very important to keep those dogs and outside cats on heart worm, flea, and tick prevention.

We are referring truly sick pets that need hospitalization or surgery to the Center for Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Care at 2700 Lake Vista Drive on Hwy 121 near Costco. They are open 24 hours a day. 972-820-7099.

In the vet news: a cat in Belgium who lives with a corona virus positive owner has tested positive. That makes 2 dogs and 1 cat in the whole world. In the US, my laboratory company  Idexx, has run thousands of Covid-19 tests on dog and cat samples with no positives. Should the need arise to tests pets, they are ready to go. I don’t think it will happen, unless this darn virus mutates.

Until something changes, we will be open and ready to serve your pet needs, while staying safe. Let’s all use this time to slow down, reconnect with our new 2 legged and 4 legged families, while staying healthy. We are in this for the long haul.

149 Open with Curbside Appointments

Here at Garden Ridge Animal Hospital we have decided to stay open with curbside appointments so we can serve the pets and still maintain social distancing. And lots of sanitizing.

Curbside appointments work like a “drop off” but the human stays in the car. We use phones to communicate and pay. We are still getting our supplies from our distributors and prescription foods and can still fill prescriptions. And we work closely with our online pharmacy, Vetsource, to make online shopping easy and convenient.

We are close to rolling out a Telemedicine option for minor illnesses. Stay tuned.

We are getting a lot of calls about if COVID-19 is zoonotic. We have no evidence that it is, but the one 17 year old Pomeranian in Hong Kong that tested positive back on February 24 was just released after 2 negative tests. Then went home, died, and no autopsy was performed. It is very easy for this virus to linger in droplets one an animals fur or feathers and allow transmission person to person just like a door knob or light switch. Don’t let pets be around a coughing person.

148 Covid 19 and Garden Ridge Animal Hospital

As this pandemic reaches the US, Texas, and now Dallas, I have four concerns:

1) This is an airborne human virus. We are ramping out our sanitation even more than usual. I am sure no one wants to get sick or infect their loved ones. People might not have symptoms and still be infectious. Please don’t be offended if we not only sanitized the exam table, but also the chairs, doorknobs and light switches. I won’t be shaking hands or hugging people for a while. We will have Clorox wipes out for clients to use at the checkout counter, and our credit card Point of Sale Debit terminal can use “tap” as well as chip insert, if your phone or card is enabled. I want our clients to be assured we are doing everything we can to keep our hospital virus free.

2) We might be short staffed if we get sick. We are a small business and will soldier on. We might have to get creative (telemedicine) for rechecks and refills of medicines. If we have to close temporarily, we will post it on the website- www.gardenridgevet.com

3) We might have future drug shortages. The AVMA is monitoring the manufacturers closely, but there could be interruptions in our supply lines. If your pet is on a prescription medicine or diet, you might try to keep a 30-60-day supply at home “just in case”.

4) There might be fears that dogs (or cats?) might be “carriers” of the disease. As of March 4, 2020, there was one asymptomatic dog in Hong Kong that has tested positive twice whose owner is sick with Covid 19 . Pet hair could certainly carry this aerosolized virus around. If you get sick, it is recommended you let another family member take care of the pet and avoid contact.

147 Lessons from the Parvo Epidemic in 1970s

All the news about the human novel Corona virus outbreak is bringing back faint memories of the Canine Parvo Epidemic in 1978/79. Actually, dogs do get a Corona virus, mostly with mild GI signs like mild Parvo. It was never contagious to humans. Humans get a  respiratory parvo disease, called Fifths Disease, that has a rash like a face that has been slapped.

Way back in the dark ages of 1979, I was just being accepted in the Texas A&M Veterinary College, so I wasn’t in clinical practice yet. There was a mutation of a suspected feline or mink parvo virus, CPV2, that ran through dogs of all ages all over the world with severe vomiting, bloody diarrhea, shock, and death if not aggressively treated. It stripped the linings of the gut, allowed for bacteria to enter the bloodstream, caused septicemia, and wiped out the white cells that fight infection, which often lead to death because NO dogs had any immunity. It hit puppies and even old dogs, with a high fatality rate. Fortunately, Parvo is mostly an unvaccinated puppy disease. Many of us seasoned citizens remember with horror how devastating this disease was. And how bad it smelled.

First we discovered it was transmitted from the vomit and diarrhea, not airborne. We had to figure out the incubation (5-10 days), and how long the recovered dogs shed virus AFTER recovery(2-3 weeks!). We had trouble getting good confirmatory tests and the treatment (though mostly fluids and antibiotics for days) was expensive and cost prohibitive for many. Many dogs died. Fortunately, it didn’t affect people or cats. Some vets had whole parvo wards. I treated a 12-year-old dog for parvo in 1981 at vet school. We had a special Isolation Ward for highly contagious cases. We used a lot of bleach to disinfect cages, so we wore gloves and boots. We were worried about tracking around the hospital or bringing it home to our own dogs.

Initially, vets reached out to the only vaccine we had, feline panleukopenia. It was for the wrong species and didn’t work well. It was several years before we had good vaccines, that had lasting immunity. I remember when we vaccinated every 6 months for parvo. The technology for diagnosis took years to mature, but now we have a quick in-house swab test that gives us results in minutes. It still has flaws, and have false negatives early in the disease, or if the puppy is still nursing and has maternal antibodies. We even rarely see a false positive for a few days after vaccination. The virus had a few more minor mutations over the last 40 years, so we do see occasional outbreaks, but we have it mostly under control now. Some breeds seem more susceptible, like the Rottweiler, Doberman Pinscher, Labs, and Pit bulls.

I hope and pray we get this Covid 19 virus under control quicker than we did Canine Parvovirus. I am optimistic about improvements in testing, treatments, and vaccination. But I am realistic, so for now am focusing on sanitation and avoiding this novel virus in humans.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canine_parvovirus

146 Early Spring

The calendar still says February, but everything outside is saying it’s Spring. And that means bugs and allergies (for some). We are already seeing fire ants, and next will be the fleas and ticks. Ticks really don’t die in the Winter and in some parts of the country are worse than Spring for deer hunters.

So, this is a reminder to everyone who has pets that go outside- start you flea and tick medicines NOW. Don’t wait until you are picking them off Fluffy, yourself, or your children. The new modern class of oral insecticides (isoxazolines) like Credelio, Simparica, Nexgard, and Bravecto are effective, safe, and easy to give. Here at Garden Ridge Animal Hospital, we carry Credelio since it pairs with Interceptor for larger rebates and makes it the least expensive per dose. The other products are made by different manufacturers, are excellent as well, and I wouldn’t hesitate to use them on my own pets. If your dog is on Trifexis, remember that it kills fleas, heartworms, and many intestinal parasites, but NOT ticks. You can easiy order any of these products on our online pharmacy through VetSource. They are priced comparable to Chewy.

Topical flea and tick medicines like Frontline and Vectra also work but are a little less effective than the oral meds in heavy infestations. Just be very careful NOT to apply a dog product on a cat. It can be fatal. And make sure you have the right weight range on the box if it is an OTC product. When I used topical products years ago, I chose to apply just before bedtime so I wouldn’t be accidentally petting the dog and removing it with my hand.

Not all dogs are at risk for ticks. If Fido never leaves the yard, doesn’t walk around wooded areas, doesn’t go traveling/camping, and you have never found a tick on him, you probably don’t need tick prevention. But always be on the lookout. I have had many pet owners complain over the years that they suddenly got ticks in their yards/fences, and usually blame the neighbor. Ticks don’t hop and jump like fleas, but the do climb up on trees, shrubs, and fences and then “drop” on to pets. And many bugs hitch a ride on wildlife like squirrels, rabbits, possums, and stray cats that come into our yards when we aren’t looking.

Cat certainly can get fleas and ticks, but we just don’t see them on the pet as often because are such awesome groomers. Many times, I think the indoor/outdoor cat is the culprit that brings bugs into the house, where we then find them on the dog (or baby). We are using Revolution Plus on cats for topical flea and tick prevention, and it get some intestinal parasites, ear mites, and prevents heartworms from mosquitos! Bravecto also makes a topical product for cats.

So enjoy the Spring weather outside, but protect your pets.

145 Blog Review of Texas laws on Rabies Vaccination

I have been getting quite a few hits on my blog website about rabies vaccinations, and it’s been a while since I have written about it. Here is an updated review of Texas laws concerning Rabies.

All dogs and cats in Texas must be vaccinated for rabies by 4 months of age by or under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian using a vaccine licensed by the USDA. The vaccine must be approved for that species and given after the minimum age requirement and by the right route of administration. There are no exemptions to this requirement, even for medical reasons or by demonstrating measurable rabies antibody titers.

Animals should be boosted according to the recommended interval as established by the manufacturer, unless limited by local ordinances. Most rabies vaccines are boosted at one- or three-year intervals. For a USDA licensed triennial (3 year) vaccine, the typical interval is booster 1 year after initial vaccination, and then every 3 years. For a 1-year vaccine, boosters are given annually. As far as I know, all the local cities and counties recognize the 3-year vaccine interval.

What is the minimum age for dogs and cats to be vaccinated for rabies?This is usually regarded as 12 weeks. The sweet spot is to vaccinate for rabies between 12-16 weeks of age.

What vaccines does Garden Ridge Animal Hospital use? For dogs, I use Defensor 3 by Zoetis, approved for dogs, cats, and ferrets, has a 3-year label, and have use it for over 20 year with no problems. But for cats, I currently use Purevax Feline Rabies by Merial  since it is adjuvant free, but it only has a 1 year label. The non- adjuvant vaccine is recommended to reduce inflammation at injection site and prevent injection site sarcomas. No one wants their cat to get cancer because of a vaccine, but it can rarely happen. For ferrets, the Defensor 3 is approved with annual boosters.

What about very old pets or “inside only” cats? The law is clear that they must be vaccinated and stay vaccinated. Realistically, an inside only cat isn’t going to spontaneously get rabies, but if they bite or scratch a human a series of events will happen that puts your unvaccinated cat in rabies quarantine for 10 days, usually at a shelter. If a vaccinated pet bites a human, the quarantine time can often be served at home. All rabies vaccines are killed, dead, not alive. They seldom make pets even run a fever. The human rabies vaccine that I have been given is so safe I could get boosted even when I was pregnant. (Yes, vets are vaccinated against rabies)

What if my pet was vaccinated over 3 years ago, and overdue a booster? Upon receiving a single dose of vaccine, they will be considered current, and assigned the maximum vaccination interval based on the license of the vaccine.

Why does the state care about rabies vaccination and no other diseases like parvo and distemper? Rabies affects humans, is 99.9% fatal, no cure, and the other diseases don’t. We vaccinate pets to protect humans.

How does the state test for rabies in an affected animal that is euthanized? The head (brain) is sent off to the state laboratory. There is no blood test to confirm rabies for pet, livestock or wildlife.

How can I find out if my pet’s rabies vaccines are up to date? If you pet was vaccinated at Garden Ridge, we have record. You can access your pet’s vaccines history online through our Pet Portal, found on our website. You do have to log in the client number that is on your receipts, and then create a password. Many clients who board their pets elsewhere or use doggie daycare find the online portal convenient and always available.

For more information:
https://www.dshs.texas.gov/idcu/disease/rabies/vaccine/pets/
Actual legal state regulations; https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=5&ti=25&pt=1&ch=169&sch=A&rl=Y