When you think of a rabid animal, what is it that comes to mind? If you are like most people, you will think of rabid bats, raccoons, or even dogs. However, the idea of a rabid cat may not come up. A lot of cat owners wrongly assume that their kitty does not need a rabies vaccination, especially if the cat is kept primarily indoors.
If you are a cat owner, making sure your pet gets the vaccinations they need should be an important part of your care regimen for them. So, is getting a cat vaccinated for rabies important? Most veterinarians agree that a rabies vaccination is important for felines. Here's a look at some of the reasons you should have your cat vaccinated for rabies, whether they live indoors or out.
Rabies Is Still Highly Prevalent in the Wild
People often assume that because they don't hear as much about rabies, it must not be as prevalent as it once was. However, rabies is still an issue among wild animals; you simply don't hear as much about wild animals with rabies as you do about domestic pets with rabies.
Before 1960, the majority of rabies reports involved domestic animals, such as dogs, cats, and even livestock. However, with the ready availability of the rabies vaccination for domesticated animals after that point, things have changed considerably, and now 90 percent of rabies cases are associated with wild animals.
A 2015 study of rabid bats in counties across the country tested individual bat species for rabies in various places. The concluding results
show that rabies is still very much present in the wild in just about every location. Therefore, keeping your feline protected is very important no matter where you live or how much you hear about rabies occurrences.
Rabies Is Easier for a Feline to Contract Than Expected
Your cat doesn't necessarily have to be bitten by a rabid animal to contract the viral disease, even though this is a common assumption. Biting is the most common means of transmission, but all that technically has to occur is for the saliva of an infected animal to get into the system of an uninfected animal. This means that rabies could be spread to your cat from an infected animal if:
- The animal hisses and spews saliva into your cat's eyes.
- The animal drips saliva onto an open wound on your cat.
- The animal licks your cat and the saliva enters their mouth, nose, or eyes.
Rabies is not spread by any bodily excretion other than saliva. Yet saliva is emitted from an infected animal in various scenarios, which means rabies is much easier to contract than many cat owners expect.
Rabies Can Be Transmitted Quickly and Without Evidence
One reason house cat owners assume that their pet doesn't need the vaccine for rabies is because the cat is never outdoors. But even a house cat can slip out on occasion, and they often do. If your cat has not been vaccinated for rabies, there is always a chance they could contract the virus.
Because rabies is so easily spread to a cat, it means little interaction actually has to take place for your cat to fall victim to the virus. Therefore, even an indoor cat who slips out unexpectedly could have a chance encounter with an infected animal without you realizing anything has taken place.
In the end, rabies is a life-threatening virus that is easily passed on to domestic pets from wild animals. If you would like to know more about why a rabies vaccination is important for your feline, contact us
at North Suburban Veterinary Hospital.
When you have had a dog for many years, it can come as a shock when they reach about 7 to 9 years old and are suddenly considered to be a senior. However, this is an inevitable part of your dog's life.
If your dog is a senior now, there are many ways that you can provide them with care and support in their old age. The best way to care for your senior dog, though, is through preventative care.
Such care can make a major difference in your senior dog's quality of life. Get to know some of the preventative care steps you can take to keep your senior dog as healthy as possible.
Keep Up with Their Dental Care
Just like with humans, as dogs age, their teeth can become a problem. The teeth weaken as levels of calcium and other nutrients lower in the body with age. If you want to make sure your dog does not suffer from painful gingivitis, periodontal disease, or eventual tooth loss, you will need to keep up with their dental care.
At home, you can brush their teeth and gums once a day with a dog toothbrush and dog toothpaste. The easiest toothbrushes to use for dogs are often those that go on your finger like the finger of a glove. If your dog trusts you and is used to you touching their face and mouth, they will be more comfortable with such an option.
If you cannot brush your dog's teeth every day (if they do not cooperate and lock their jaws, for example), you can try dental support treats. These treats are designed to clean the teeth and freshen the breath.
Of course, you will also need to take your dog in for regular dental checkups and cleanings with your veterinarian. Experts usually recommend that dogs go in for full dental cleanings once a year at most because the procedure requires your dog to go under anesthesia.
Their teeth and gums will be scraped and cleaned, and the veterinarian will take x-rays of their mouth to ensure there are no major issues with the teeth or with the mouth as a whole. In order to avoid further anesthesia, during this procedure the veterinarian will also take care of any teeth that need to be extracted.
Along with preventing gum disease and periodontal disease, proper dental care can also prevent numerous other health issues. These health conditions include heart, kidney, and liver diseases, all of which can be linked to dental problems.
Watch Out for Signs of High Blood Pressure
Hypertension, more commonly known as high blood pressure, is an issue that many senior dogs face. It is important to look out for signs that your dog's blood pressure may be an issue so that their blood pressure does not have a major negative impact on their health or lead to cardiovascular failure.
Signs of high blood pressure include blindness, circling or general disorientation, bleeding from the nose, blood in the urine, bleeding in the eye, and seizures. If you notice any of these signs or symptoms in your dog, take them to the veterinarian right away.
To prevent high blood pressure in your senior dog, there are some steps that you can take. Avoid foods that are high in salt — including sodium and potassium chloride — because salt can cause blood pressure increases. Oftentimes this means switching to a senior formula dog food and avoiding table scraps and human food as much as possible.
You can also prevent high blood pressure by taking your senior dog in for regular checkups with their veterinarian. Ideally, you would want to take them in every six months — or at least once a year — for a physical examination. If you have noticed any abnormalities in your dog's body or behavior, you’ll also want to get blood work performed at this time.
With these tips in mind, you can be sure that you are giving your dog the preventative care they need to be as healthy as possible in their senior years. When you need a veterinarian in the Sterling Heights, MI, area, rely on North Suburban Veterinary Hospital.
Obesity can be just as big a problem for canines as it can be for humans, but many pet owners don't realize how serious a problem it can be. Just like you, your dog can suffer from serious health problems as a result of being overweight.
For example, dogs who are obese are at greater risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and problems with their liver function. Obesity can also affect your dog's lungs, restricting their ability to expand and making it more difficult for them to breathe. Then there are the quality-of-life issues: an obese dog will have less stamina, less tolerance for heat and a shorter life span.
Luckily, there are things you can be doing to prevent your dog from gaining too much weight and to cut their calories if they're already overweight. Take a look at some useful tips that can help you keep your dog's weight in check.
