From the Jackson, MS Clarion-Ledger.

West Nile little threat to cats and dogs, but watch for these signs
Dr. Mark Russak • Special to The Clarion-Ledger • April 15, 2008

With West Nile virus spreading across the United States, many pet owners are worried about their pets getting infected. So far, most West Nile virus infections have been identified in wild birds and horses.

Although the virus can infect dogs and cats, the risk of illness is extremely low.

West Nile virus is spread by mosquitoes and causes encephalitis (dangerous swelling of the brain). The virus is transmitted when mosquitoes feed on infected birds. The now-infected mosquitoes may then transmit the virus to humans and other animals through biting.

The virus can't be transmitted directly between animals or from animals to people, except when a mosquito is the transmitter.

The risk West Nile virus poses to pets is very small even when they have been exposed. The few pets in the United States that have become sick with the virus were usually already ill with other problems. Dogs and cats are generally thought immune. Elderly and young dogs and those with compromised immune systems are at higher risk.

Symptoms in infected dogs are similar to signs exhibited by horses: depression, lower appetite, difficulty walking, trembling, holding the head in an abnormal position, circling and convulsions.

It is important to contact your veterinarian if your pet shows any of these signs.

There is currently no vaccine available for dogs and cats. As with people, the best way to prevent your pet from contracting the virus is to reduce the risk of mosquito exposure.

Prevention tips:

Keep pets indoors during early morning and evening hours when mosquitoes are more active to reduce the risk of mosquito bites and possible exposure.

Prevent your pet from coming into contact with dead birds or squirrels that may have been infected with the virus.

Use only mosquito repellents that are approved for use in pets, and check the label to determine if the product is pet-safe. Many insect repellents that are designed for human use contain a chemical that can cause serious illness in pets. To be 100 percent safe, ask your veterinarian for a recommendation.

In the event that pesticides are sprayed in your area, keep pets indoors during spraying.
It is important to be informed but do not be overly concerned with this uncommon disease. Be more cautious if your pet is very young, elderly or already has a chronic disease.

Dr. Mark Russak is an associate professor of primary care at Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. E-mail him at russak@ cvm.msstate.edu.

I was very excited to see this story online this morning. As I've mentioned before, deafness can be a problem in my breed, English Setters, and in Dalmatians, but it also occurs in other breeds and in mixed breed dogs. A dog who is uni-laterally deaf (deaf in one ear) can live a mostly normal life as a wonderful pet, but if you have a dog who is deaf in both ears it will take a lot more dedication on the part of an owner to overcome his difficulties and help him lead a good quality life. A clinic like this one, where they can test to see if a dog is deaf, can take a lot of the guesswork out of wondering if your dog is deaf or if he has some other problem.

If your dog is nonresponsive to your commands — if he seems to ignore you, if he doesn't react to sounds that you and others hear, if he doesn't even come for the rattling of his supper dish — you may want to consider having his hearing tested. A bilaterally deaf dog needs some special attention because he doesn't have some of the coping abilities that other dogs have. He won't be able to hear a car headed his way, or another dog barking at him. He can become a wonderful pet, but it helps to know what you're dealing with. Deaf dogs can learn hand signals and "read" them like other dogs know your voice. So, if you have a deaf dog, or one that you suspect may be deaf, don't despair. There are lots of things you can do to help the situation and help your dog live a great life. But having his hearing tested is the best place to start to make sure what the problem is.

I had Blue tested recently at the University of Tennessee and he passed with flying colors. The test only takes a few minutes and it's very easy for the tester to perform. The vet puts little electrodes near the dog's ears and sends a signal to the dog's brain. He watches the results on a monitor to see if the brainstem is receiving the signals. This is the BAER test (Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response). A tester with the right equipment — such as at the clinic described below — can perform it on a dog at just about any age over a few weeks old. Some vets prefer to have puppies/dogs sedated, but they can also be wide awake for the test.

Whether you have a purebred or a mixed breed, deafness is a possibility, either through genetics, disease or injury. If you think your dog may have some degree of deafness, seek out a vet who can test your dog and find out if your suspicions are correct. If your dog's hearing is normal you can rule out deafness and see if there is some other problem. And, if you discover that your dog is uni- or bilaterally deaf, you can help him deal with it.

From the Dallas Morning News.

Dog hearing clinic opens at Ohio university
05:17 PM CDT on Saturday, April 12, 2008
The Associated Press

CINCINNATI – Sally Disney was worried because her dog Ginger was less responsive. Disney didn't know where to go for help until she heard about a new audiology clinic – one that provides hearing tests for dogs.

After having Ginger examined at the Bioacoustics and Canine Audiology Clinic at the University of Cincinnati, Disney now knows that her Shetland sheepdog's lack of responsiveness is caused by hearing loss and can work on ways to communicate better with her.

The clinic provides in-depth hearing testing for dogs while also researching ways to improve the diagnosis and non-medical treatment of their hearing problems. It also allows students planning to work in human audiology to train in techniques and equipment similar to those used for people.

"We also hope this clinic will lead to improved diagnostic techniques and treatment devices such as less expensive and more practical hearing aids for dogs that hopefully may help people eventually," said clinic director Peter Scheifele.

While some specialty veterinary clinics and veterinary schools screen for deafness, audiologists say the UC clinic in an academic health center geared to human needs is unusual.

UC's clinic is staffed by a veterinarian, audiologists, radiologists, a sonographer who does ultrasound tests, an animal trainer and others in animal science and bioacoustics, the science involving animal hearing and communication.

Staff members use tests including one that measures the timing of electrical waves from the brainstem in response to clicks and tone bursts played into the ear. Another one measures the inner ear's echo response to tones. If those don't pinpoint the problem, MRIs and ultrasound tests also can be done. The clinic also tries to determine the frequencies dogs can hear and the nature of the deafness.

"This way of using animals is truly pioneer work in audiology," said Jay Singer, chairman of the department of communicative disorders for the University of Rhode Island. "It's an exciting approach that provides tremendous training opportunities."

Scheifele also hopes the clinic will spur similar ones around the country and help establish veterinary audiology as a viable vocation.

"I would like to see veterinary audiologists working with veterinarians the way human audiologists work with ear-nose-and-throat doctors," Scheifele said.

Veterinarians welcome the idea of more hearing clinics.

"I don't have enough day-to-day need for that kind of expensive equipment in my practice, but having audiology clinics centrally located where we could refer dogs would be excellent," said veterinarian Pamela Mills Cone, who operates the Meadow Hill Veterinary Shoppe in Lebanon, Conn.

More of these clinics also could help raise the awareness of deafness and hearing problems in dogs, said Gary Beard, assistant dean for outreach at Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine.

Congenital deafness – deafness occurring at or near birth – has been reported in more than 80 breeds of dogs, according to George Strain, a professor of neuroscience at Louisiana State University's School of Veterinary Medicine.

Hearing loss in dogs can result from inherited genetic defects and from causes such as aging, drug toxicity, noise, infection and trauma.

Scheifele said studies show one of every five Dalmatians in the United States is born deaf, and dog breeders have become more aware of the genetic deafness potential. Breeders already have been contacting the clinic, and Scheifele also expects to test dogs servicing disabled people, police and the military.

He also wants to help pets and owners with the communication problems resulting from hearing loss.

"Hand signals for various commands, flashing yard lights when you want the dog to come in and actions like stomping your feet to create vibrations the dog can feel are some methods you can use," said Scheifele, who uses American Sign Language to communicate with Belle, his 4-year-old Australian shepherd.

The average cost for testing is about $75. The veterinarian has the owner give the dog a mild, oral sedative to prevent too much movement during testing. Electrodes are placed on their heads and small probes are inserted in the ears with results read by computer.

"Ginger was just fine," said Disney, who held Ginger's paw and petted her during the test.

Disney and her husband Dave rescued Ginger and don't know if something in her early years might have led to hearing loss, but are glad they had their Sheltie tested.

"Now that we know she has severe hearing loss in one ear and milder loss in the other, and some of the levels of sounds she hears, we can do more to keep her safe and use more signs to communicate," said Disney. "It's what you would do to help someone in your family, and Ginger is definitely family."

If you have dogs you know how difficult it could be to give them medications. They hide, run, fake that they took their pills and later on spit them or they hold the pill under their tongue. Dogs can be very creative when it comes to not taking their pills. As a dog owner who care about your dog, you need to make sure that your dog take his medication and/or vitamins. If you want to learn more about how to easily give your dog it's medication read below.

Here it is:

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Title: How To Teach Your Dog To Take His Medicine
Author: Dr. Mayra Alfonso
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With todays advances in veterinary medicine, many dogs live long active lives, as with their human families when they get older it may become necessary to give your dog medication.

This can be either a trial or a little simpler, it is seldom easy!

Again as medicine advances more and more medications for dogs have a tasty flavor in a chewable tablet.  Some dogs will take these easily, however, there are some that have a bitter taste, and you must force your dog to take them.

As I mentioned earlier, some dogs can actually keep a pill in their mouth for a while and spit it out when you leave the room, yes, they can be very deceptive about this.

Always go to your dog when giving medication, if you call him to you to give it to him, he may begin to fear coming to you, especially if it is given at a specific time of day.  If you always call him at 7 a.m. and give him a pill, eventually he will stop coming to you at 7 a.m. even though he might still come to you at any other time of the day!

The best way to teach your dog how to take a pill, is by giving him/her some commands. To give your dog a pill, give your dog the sit command, use one hand to open the mouth, a command such as “open” may eventually make this process easier if you give your dog pills frequently.

Tip the head back and using the other hand drop the pill as far down the throat as possible, close the mouth and rub the throat, when the dog swallows the pill has been taken.

If he/she is an escape artist, try holding him with your knees behind his head.  If you are unable to give your dog a dry pill, try hiding it inside part of a piece of meat, piece of cheese or peanut butter, but be aware that a dog can and may separate the pill from the food.

It might be necessary to crush the pill, mix with sugar water and give it to him with a syringe, to do this, put the syringe in the side of the dogs mouth and squeeze the medicine in.

Cough syrups or any other type of liquid medication is given this way, and your vet will provide you with a syringe for this purpose.

A dog can be taught to take medication, it is a long process, don't loose patience with him, it is worth the work.

I hope you enjoyed the information I shared with you in this article. I know how frustrating could be to beg your furry best friend to take his/her pill and not been able to do much about it, every time they spill it out, now you have some tools on how to do it easy and relax manner.

Have a great "cool dog" day,

Dr. Alfonso

Here is the rest of the story about Bailey's whooping cough and my nightmare with the other dogs. I was telling you previously about my vet visit with Abbie and Bailey, when the vet told me that not only my three dogs, Madi, Abbie and Benjie were sick, but also my adopted dog, Bailey was infected.

I was in shock when I heard what the vet have just said to me. What do you mean Bailey is also sick? His answer was: "Bailey is not sick, she is infected with the whooping cough virus, and she passed the virus to all your other dogs".

Wow! That was all I could say. To make the story short, let me tell you that I have to treat all the dogs with antibiotics and bring them all back for a follow up visit with the vet. It was very costly, and definitively a learning experience.

To learn more about whooping cough and how to avoid the same thing that happened to my dogs to happen to yours, read below.

Here is your article:
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Title: My Dog's Whooping Cough Nightmare, Part 2
Author: Dr. Mayra Alfonso
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The condition commonly known as “Kennel Cough”or whooping cough is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases that dogs can contract. In most cases, the disease is not serious, and often resolves itself after one to two weeks. But, the treatment could be expensive, especially if you are treating more than one dog. The accepted medical term for kennel cough is tracheobronchitis, indicating a form of bronchitis that affects the dog’s trachea.

Kennel cough can be caused by several airborne bacteria and viruses. It is generally accepted that most cases of kennel cough are caused by the bacteria Bordetella bronchiseptica but it has also been associated with the canine distemper virus (CDV) and canine parainfluenza. It is the general consensus of the veterinary medical community that in order to cause the illness, an animal must be virtually bombarded by multiple versions of these pathogens at one time. For this reason it is dogs that spend a lot of time around other dogs that are most at risk for the disease. Dogs that participate in dog shows or spend a lot of time in kennels are the highest risks for kennel cough.

The primary symptom of kennel cough is a dry, spasmodic cough which is caused by the inflammation of the dog’s trachea and bronchi. Coughing spells will often result in the dog coughing up a white and foamy discharge. Some dogs will also develop conjunctivitis – an inflammation of the membrane that lines the eyelids. Nasal discharge may also be present. In effect, the dog appears to have a very nasty cold or flu. As stated above, the disease is rarely serious and almost never life-threatening. Still, if you have seen any of these symptoms or have reason to believe that your dog has or has been exposed to kennel cough, you should consult your vet immediately.

Your vet will be able to diagnose kennel cough with a physical examination and medical history. The cough associated with the ailment is very characteristic and a simple massage of the dog’s throat can usually cause it to cough on cue. In some cases, such as if the dog is depressed or feverish or expelling a yellow or green discharge, the doctor may require additional diagnostic tests such as a complete blood count (CBC) and laboratory testing of microorganisms in the dog’s airway. These tests will help the doctor rule out other infectious diseases such as influenza, pneumonia, or canine distemper.

Immunization can help prevent kennel cough and is recommended. When kenneling your dog or traveling it may be required before your dog will be admitted. Effective immunization can be difficult, however, because the disease can be caused by so many different pathogens. Active prevention on your part can be accomplished by not allowing your dog’s toys or water and food bowls to be accessed by unfamiliar dogs. If participating in dog shows make sure that the area is well ventilated to assist with the expulsion of airborne pathogens.

Kennel cough is treated with antibiotics in most cases. Antibiotics will help prevent any secondary illnesses from developing while the dog gets over its case of kennel cough.

Wishing you a great cool dog day!

Dr. Mayra Alfonso

Have you ever had a dog with whooping cough? I had, and it was scary. You see, I always keep my dog's shots up to date, (even when I don't always agree with the excessive vaccination that dogs are exposed to-where I live it is required by law).

A while back I adopted a mixed hound dog, Bailey, we named her, from a pet shop. I paid the $75 fee they requested, bough her some new toys, a leash, a nice collar, and took her home.

Here is the rest of the story:
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Title: My Dog's Whooping Cough Nightmare
Author: Dr. Mayra Alfonso
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At the time I had three other dogs at home, and I tough I could give Bailey a nice home full of "doggy" love.

A couple of days after Bailey came home, one of my Shih tzu's, Abbie, started to cough. I have never heard something like it before, so I though Abbie had something stucked on her throat. So, I immediately took Abbie to the emergency clinic.

When the vet examine her, she does not notice anything wrong with her, and Abbie has just suddenly stopped coughing. The vet assured me that nothing was stucked on Abbie's throat, therefore we went back home.

As soon as we got home, she started coughing again. Since the vet have just told me that Abbie did not have anything in her throat, I waited until the following day, to take Abbie to her regular vet.

By the following morning, not only was Abbie coughing, but my other two Shih tzus, Madi and Benjie, where coughing too. Luckily, Bailey was not. Since I had to take Bailey for her initial vet exam, I decided to take Abbie and Bailey to the vet together.

I shared with the vet the whole story about Abbie, and how my other two dogs that where at home also, where coughing, but not Bailey.

The vet examined Abbie, and immediately told me that she had whooping cough. How could that be possible? I asked the vet. They all have their shots The vet explained to me, that even after dogs have been vaccinated for whooping cough, they can still get it. The most scary thing was that whooping cough is very contagious and my other two dogs at home, have already acquired it.

I asked the vet, how come Bailey didn't have it, and his response was: "She does, she is the carrier".

Take a look at my next newsletter, to read the rest of this story, and how you can protect your dog against whooping cough.

Wishing you a great cool dog day!

Dr. Alfonso