SPOT - Stray Pets of Tehama

11/17/2024

If you are like me, family and friends are not the only ones who will be getting a little something special from “Santa” this year. Since pets are part of our family, they will also have “Christmas stockings” to fill. Speaking of which, and before I go any further with this article, I would like to ask you to help me, the Red Bluff Kiwanis Aktion Club, and the Tehama County Animal Care Center fill shelter dog and cat Christmas stockings. In the spirit of the season, we are asking for dog and cat toy and treat donations to fill the animals’ stockings, for them to have the happiest of holiday seasons. Should a family open their home to welcome one of these homeless animals into it, the filled stocking will be part of a wonderful beginning. Donations can be brought to the following locations no later than December 9, 2024: The Tehama County Animal Care Center, 1830 Walnut Street, Red Bluff; North Valley Services (Kiwanis Aktion Club), 645 Antelope Blvd, Suite 13, Red Bluff; and Express Employment Professionals, 243 S. Main Street, Red Bluff. Thank you in advance for helping us.

Fleas are an annoying part of cat ownership. Doing regular flea treatments typically protects the kitties from harm should a few fleas decide to hitch a ride, but when there is a heavy flea presence, they can seriously harm a cat’s health and even kill him if enough are present. Fleas drink blood, and a lot of fleas will drink a lot of blood. A healthy adult cat is not likely to die from them. However, in cats that are ill, underweight, very young (especially for those under 4 weeks old), or very old, flea anemia is often fatal. In fact, this year, I have had 3 foster neonates with severe infestations, one died as a result, and recovery for the others was extremely difficult.

Fleas progress through the stages of egg, larva, pupa, and adult. They feast on blood while laying up to 30 eggs per day. The eggs will hatch into larva between five days and three weeks later. Once the larva develops, it spins a cocoon and turns into a pupa. The adult flea will hatch anywhere from a few days to months later. The warmer the climate and the higher the humidity, the faster fleas develop. As newly hatched adults, fleas will latch onto a host and proceed to carry on their life cycle leading to possible flea anemia.

Do not rely on your own ability to determine if fleas are present. Only animals allergic to flea bites will itch from them therefore, if not allergic, an animal will not scratch. If the pet is effective at self-grooming, it may be hard to see any fleas, but even so, the best way is to look for “flea dirt”. Flea dirt resembles little black pepper-like specks that are typically roundish in shape and turn red or rust colored when moistened with water. These specks are bits of dried excreted blood left by fleas to feed the larva that will hatch. The best way to check is to run a flea comb, or your fingers, against the direction of the pet’s hair growth, parting the hair to get better visualization. Typically, fleas prefer the back portion of the pet around the base of the tail, as well as the groin area.

If you find flea dirt or fleas in your pet's fur, you will want to kill them quickly and thoroughly. Dawn® original dishwashing liquid is a great weapon. All you must do is prepare a regular bath, using the soap for the lather. The soap destroys the fleas' exoskeletons, killing them within minutes. After towel-drying the animal well, combing out with a flea comb should help you find and dispose of any remaining bodies. Start at the head and work your way to the tail. Have a dish of soapy water sitting alongside to quickly dunk and kill the fleas harvested. However, if the pet's flea problem is overwhelming, call your veterinarian. Bathing combined with flea combing does not provide long-term protection from fleas, but it is an excellent option for young or elderly debilitated pets.

Signs of flea anemia in cats and kittens are pale or white gums, increased heart rate, lethargy, breathlessness, lack of appetite with resultant weight loss, dehydration, weakness and ultimately collapse. Additionally, they may eat dirt or litter to compensate for the lack of iron. The treatment for flea anemia is dependent upon severity and the animal’s age, which can be problematic. Often the animal is too sick to tolerate the stress of a bath and too young or small for flea control products. In those cases, it is a judgment call, especially if the animal is going to die without any intervention. Even though adult cats can be treated for fleas using a variety of prescription medications, it’s important to know that many flea treatments are unsafe for small kittens. Therefore, please do not use any topical flea treatment unless advised to do so by a veterinarian.

Adult fleas will lay eggs in bedding, in carpet and anywhere the animal goes, so simply combing and washing him will not eliminate them. You will also need to clean and treat the environment with special attention to the bedding, toys and other objects that can harbor flea eggs, larvae, and adults.

Fighting Flea Anemia

11/13/2024

11/10/2024

🐾🐶 STRAY DOG 🐶🐾



This dog is currently at the Tehama County Animal Care Center, 1830 Walnut Street, Red Bluff, CA (530-527-3439). (https://www.co.tehama.ca.us/government/departments/animal-services/lost-found/lost-found-animals/stray-dogs/).

If you think this is your dog, please call ASAP. Thank you!

11/09/2024

Back in 2021 I wrote about distemper, but it is again worth discussing since the Tehama County Animal Care Center has seen an uptick in the disease in the puppies that are being admitted. If you think your canine companion cannot contract canine distemper because the virus is not in Tehama County, I urge you to think again. It is one of the most highly contagious viral diseases of dogs, and its incidence has increased in the past decades. In fact, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (https://wildlife.ca.gov/ ) has reported an unusually high number of canine distemper virus (CDV) cases in wildlife populations throughout the state. Distemper outbreaks in wildlife in a specific area also pose an increased risk for distemper in dogs in that area. The virus drastically weakens a dog’s immune system and makes it difficult for him to fight off other types of infection, such as the equally devastating parvovirus which TCACC has also seen this year. Distemper is often fatal and, although there is no cure for it, the most important fact to remember is that it is easily preventable through vaccination!

While the Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) is not transmissible to humans, it can be spread by them if a person has it on their hands or clothing and then has contact with an at-risk dog. In addition, shared food and water bowls and equipment, such as grooming tools, can transmit CDV. Puppies and dogs usually become infected from the airborne dispersal of the virus through the sneezing and coughing of an infected animal, so the chance for contracting CDV increases when the risk of exposure is high. Because the CDV also affects wildlife populations, potential contact between wild animals and domestic dogs can facilitate the spread of the virus. The disease is found in dogs, ferrets, coyotes, wolves, foxes, skunks and the ever-present raccoon. Infected dogs can shed the virus for months, and mother dogs can pass the virus through the placenta to their puppies. Puppies younger than four months old, and dogs that have not been vaccinated, are easy targets to contract this deadly disease.

Typically, symptoms appear 7-14 days after the virus infects the animal but may take up to 6 weeks. Since it is a multi-faceted disease, it targets various organ systems all at the same time, thus adding to its severity. Early signs include fever, loss of appetite, and clear-to-green nasal and eye discharge. These signs can come and go, lasting only a few days at a time. As the disease progresses, symptoms become more serious and extensive. CDV can cause coughing, breathing difficulties, vomiting and diarrhea, and blindness. As the virus attacks the nervous system, dogs can show a progressive deterioration of both motor skills and mental abilities. Rhythmic muscle twitching can become so extensive that it totally disables the unfortunate pet. Partial and complete paralysis and seizures can also become factors as the disease progresses in severity. These seizures are frequently called “chewing gum fits”. As the name implies, it will look as if the dog is "chewing gum". The virus may also cause a thickening and hardening of the pads of the feet, earning the CDV the nickname of “hard pad disease.” Infections without symptoms are common, and dogs may spread the virus for weeks without showing any clinical signs. In addition, many dogs can also disperse the infecting virus for as long as 4 months after recovery. In dogs or animals with weak immune systems, such as puppies, death may result two to five weeks after the initial infection.

In order to diagnose the disease, your veterinarian will perform a physical exam and take the dog’s history, including vaccination status. He will also order antibody tests to confirm exposure and resistance, and various blood tests to evaluate organ function, as well as to rule out any infection, chemical imbalances or other diseases. In addition, while there is no cure for the disease, the resultant treatment for CDV will consist of supportive care to prevent secondary infections with the administration of antibiotics, to combat dehydration with fluid administration, and to control vomiting, diarrhea and neurologic symptoms with the administration of varied, multiple medications. The testing and the treatment are extremely expensive. Unfortunately, the overall prognosis for recovery is poor, with over 50 percent of the dogs that exhibit severe symptoms dying, despite intensive supportive care.

Effective distemper vaccination has been available since the 1950s and, prior to widespread vaccination, distemper would wipe out the entire pet dog population in towns. The distemper vaccine is one of the most rapidly protective vaccines available in veterinary medicine. Within hours of administering the vaccination meaningful protection can transpire, with complete protection occurring within days. For something so effective and relatively inexpensive when weighed against the cost, both monetarily and emotionally, of trying to save a canine companion, it is ridiculous to elect not to vaccinate, yet many do.

Something you can do to help prevent the spread of distemper, in addition to vaccinating your pet, is to keep pet food and water indoors. Outdoor feeding and drinking sources can attract infected animals who contaminate the bowls, transferring the virus to other animals.

Lastly, distemper can appear similar to rabies, therefore, you must be careful not to assume it is distemper.

Back in 2021 I wrote about distemper, but it is again worth discussing since the Tehama County Animal Care Center has seen an uptick in the disease in the puppies that are being admitted.