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8A Daily News – Saturday, October 6, 2012 healthPetsactivities & Parvo — It is a killer Pet Vet: Parakeet's limp may be due to kidney tumor Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV2), also known as Parvo, is at present the most com- mon infectious disease of dogs in the United States. Parvo will affect most members of the dog family (wolves, coyotes, foxes etc.), but it will not infect humans. This virus causes more heartache for pet owners then could ever be imagined. It is highly contagious, spreads rapidly, and is often fatal. The most vulnerable targets are young puppies with underdeveloped immune systems and unvaccinat- ed older dogs that have compromised immune systems. It appears that Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds, Pit Bulls, Labrador Retriev- ers and Rottweilers, as well as other black and tan breeds seem to be particularly prone to Parvo, and succumb faster with a lower chance of recovery than any other breed. It is also worth mentioning that the new remarkably virulent strain of par- vovirus (CPV-2c), dis- covered in the year 2000, is able to infect cats. However, cats vac- cinated against feline distemper can be con- sidered protected. This virus is spread from dog to dog easily by any contact with con- taminated feces. When a leg, and it's getting worse. By Jeff Kahler, D.V.M. The Modesto Bee (MCT) Chip has developed a pronounced limp in his left can offer a few possibilities in what might be causing the parakeet's problem. Of course, Chip needs to visit a veterinarian. But I showed no signs of limping, so she is suspicious he endured some type of trauma overnight. Trauma to the soft tissue of the leg, muscle, tendons, ligaments or a combination could be the cause. There could also be bone trauma involved as well as a combination of bone and soft tissue trauma. Bruising is relatively easy to spot in parakeets once the feathers in the affected area are parted. Bone trau- ma can sometimes be spotted during physical exam, most often when there is a complete fracture of one of the leg bones. If that were the case with Chip, however, he would likely not be using his leg. It may be neces- sary to take radiographs of Chip to determine bone trauma, even if it is obvious on physical exam. This will allow complete assessment of the injury and formula- tion of a plan to repair it. Another more grave possibility is a tumor. Parakeets Robyn reports that the previous evening Chip dog licks, sniffs, or has contact with the stool of an infected dog, he too will become infected. The virus is often brought home to your dog on shoes, hands, tires, etc. exceptionally hardy in the environment. Freez- ing will not kill the virus. If the ground is frozen outdoors, it is advisable to wait for a thaw before safely intro- ducing a new puppy. However, even those areas with good sunlight and warmth are consid- Parvo is ered contaminated for five (5) months. The most effective disinfec- tant against any virus (including Parvo) is bleach. Any area that is thought to be contami- nated and is easily cleaned should be thor- oughly washed with one part bleach mixed with 30 parts water. At least 10 minutes of contact time with the bleach solution is required to kill the virus. However there must be no organic material present for the bleach to work, so all feces, urine and vomit must be removed prior to disinfecting. To kill the virus in carpets, steam cleaning is rec- ommended. If your dog, especial- ly a puppy, begins exhibiting any of the following symptoms, do not delay seeing a vet- erinarian. The secret of surviving Parvo is rapid treatment. After 3-7 days from being exposed, one or all of these symptoms will show. The dog becomes lethargic and possibly feverish. If the dog usu- ally has high energy, this is the one of the surest signs that some- thing is amiss. A loss of appetite occurs. The dog will have vomiting and bloody foul smelling diarrhea. The vomiting and diarrhea are the most dangerous, because they quickly lead to extreme fluid loss which results in dehydration and malnu- trition. Shock and death subsequently occur. There are no effective antiviral drugs and so the dog's own immune system must generate the cure. Any treatments given are strictly sup- portive so the animal is kept alive long enough for his immune response to generate. Expect that, if the dog is to recover, he will be in intensive care with at least a 5-7 day stay at substantial expense. In addition, if the dog recovers, he will continue to be a risk to other dogs and will need to be isolated from them for a minimum of two months. prevention. The surest way to avoid infection is to vaccinate beginning when puppies are 6-8 weeks of age. The vac- cinations are adminis- tered in a series of shots, one given every 3 to 4 weeks until the puppy reaches 16 weeks. During this peri- od, they should not be allowed to be with other dogs or go to areas where other dogs have been until 2 weeks after they have had their last vaccination. Even though infection is unusual in adult dogs, boosters are recom- mended to insure con- tinued protection. There is some thought that annual vaccination is not necessary, especial- ly when adult dogs are considered low risk. Therefore, do not be surprised if your veteri- narian switches to a 3- year schedule for your adult dogs. The best treatment is show a higher incidence for development of kidney tumors called renal adenocarcinomas than do other avian species, and these tumors can lead to leg lame- ness. The reason for this is directly related to the size of the mass. When the tumor is smaller, there are usually no apparent symptoms. But when it reaches a certain size, it can put pressure on nerves leading to the leg. In Chip's case, if he does have this disease, the tumor would involve his left kidney. The sudden onset of his lameness may reflect the fact that the tumor size has reached a point at which nerve impingement has occurred. Radiographs will show whether Chip has a tumor. tumor. If Chip has a bruise, it might resolve on its own. We can treat Chip with anti-inflammatory medication to help him with pain while his body heals. Bone trau- ma might require a bit more intervention, possibly even some surgery but, again, with proper treatment and pain management, he can likely heal. Certainly, we hope Chip is not dealing with a kidney Jeff Kahler is a veterinarian in Modesto, Calif. Questions can be submitted to Your Pet in care of LifeStyles, The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto CA 95352. Animal Island: Old dog needs more time out cocker spaniel has always been perfectly housed trained. Now, however, it seems that he needs to wake us up at 4 in the morning to be let out and fed. I tried to just ignore his requests as we do let him out at 11 p.m. before we go to bed, and in the past he was quite content to wait until 7. But if I do not let him out at 4, then we wake up to a mess on the floor. Any advice? A: I can offer sympa- Q: Our 10-year-old good dog who provided us with security and looked after all our smaller animals. At 13, he does not have much time left, so we'll cut him a pass and be more atten- tive to his needs in his golden years. Again, the best treat- ment is prevention. An ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure. Ronnie Casey is a volun- teer with Providing Essen- tials for Tehama Shelter. You can read her blog, Mutts & Moggies, at red- bluffdailynews.com. Basketball Fusion Increase your vertical jump, agility, speed, and coordination. Focus on shooting mechanics, ball handling, and foot work in this 7 day camp. Tune up your game and have your best season yet! October 9th Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:00-5:00 pm -30th Troy Lalaguna CSCS Instructed by Tehama Family Fitness Center www.tehamafamilyfitness.com 2498 South Main St Red Bluff 528-8656 ( 7 sessions) At Tehama Family Fitness Center Cost: $80 thy, but not a solution. Garfield, my 13-year-old shepherd mix, is doing the same thing. We feed him dinner around 6 p.m. and let him out quite a few times after that until we go to bed around 10 p.m. For the past 6 months, at 4 a.m. he gives out a few polite barks. If we do not let him out, there is an early morning mess by our back door. Since Garfield is 100 pounds, Wee-Wee Pads by the door won't solve the problem. The vet did all sorts of diagnostics. He said nothing was physically wrong, but at his age Garfield just does not have the bladder and bowel control he had when he was younger. A doggy door that Q: My 1-year-old male neutered Siamese cat has taken up the habit of eat- ing plastic and wool he finds in our house. At first he would just pick up bits off the floor, but now he actively searches for them. It seems that they pass out in his stool. Why does he have such an odd behavior? We feed him high-quality dry food, so he is never hun- gry. allows your dog to go out at his convenience might work. (We have so many other cats and dogs that all the in-and-out traffic would create other prob- lems.) Garfield was always a Senior Special $ 900 Street Barber Shop Oak 527-8111 • 335 Oak St. Next door to the State Theatre A: I have seen this happen to quite a few Siamese and other Orien- tal breeds. There is no scientific answer. It must have something to do with boredom and lack of a natural diet. The cats of my youth never did this when they were outdoors all day, climbing trees and eating mice. It seems the commercial diet we give them just does not seem to satisfy them. Feeding such a cat a diet of a quality canned food twice a day _ as much as he wants at first _ seems to satisfy his appetite and oral fixation more than the dry food. At first the cat will eat a large amount of the canned food, but after a few weeks, the amount will level off as the cat feels more satisfied. Adding a bit of cooked chicken or turkey burgers and some mashed up steamed veg- gies to the canned food will provide more roughage and possibly satisfy the cat even more. However, you are still going to have to help the cat resist temptation by being sure there is no plastic or wool around.