Valley Veterinary Clinic

12/28/2024

HPAI-associated pet food recall info for veterinarians Washington State Department of Agriculture sent this bulletin at 12/27/2024 03:55 PM PST Share / View as a webpage State Veterinarian's Office December 27, 2024 Voluntary Recall of Northwest Naturals Brand 2 lb Feline Turkey Recipe & Frozen Pet....

11/19/2024

NEWS
RELEASE
November 19, 2024

Washington State Veterinarian issues warning on Equine Herpes Virus in Spokane County


Vigilance, biosecurity urged to prevent spread of disease
From the Office of the State Veterinarian – Over the weekend, the equine community in Spokane County was met with unfortunate news as two horses succumbed to the neuropathogenic strain of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) otherwise known as Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM). This contagious, often fatal disease of horses has prompted the Washington State Department of Agriculture veterinarians to issue a warning for those who recently visited a local arena where other horses were present.

Two Spokane equine premises are under official quarantine with veterinary oversight. Horse owners who have commingled horses are encouraged to self-quarantine their horses and refrain from any transportation for the next three weeks to prevent the potential spread of the virus. The arena has closed temporarily to ensure a decreased risk in spreading this deadly virus.

Washington Assistant State Veterinarian, Dr. Ben Smith, emphasized the importance of vigilance during this period, stating, “The virus incubation period is highly variable and can be as long as 14 days.”

Precautionary measures such as isolating newly purchased horses or those returning from shows and seeking veterinary assistance if a horse exhibits a temperature of 101.5 or higher are strongly recommended.

Additionally, practicing good biosecurity measures, such as avoiding nose-to-nose contact between horses and not sharing equipment, is essential to protect all horses in clinics, races, and competitions. It is vital for horse owners and enthusiasts to remain vigilant and cooperative in implementing these protocols to prevent further outbreaks within the equestrian community.

EHV-1 is a common respiratory virus of horses, but the neurologic form causes Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) that can present with various symptoms, including fever, decreased coordination, hind limb weakness, and lethargy. These signs should not be taken lightly, and immediate veterinary attention is crucial. Taking temperatures twice a day can help with early detection and improve outcomes for exposed or infected horses.

The state veterinarian has approved the use of an experimental immunomodulator drug that has shown promising results to prevent the shedding of EHV-1 virus and protect exposed horses. Horse owners should contact their veterinarian for more information.

Work with your veterinarian to keep your horses up to date on vaccination. Although there is no vaccine for EHM, EHV-1 vaccines may be cross protective. Horse owners are urged to remain observant and proactive in safeguarding the health and well-being of their animals during this challenging time.

For more information on EHM and biosecurity visit the Equine Disease Communication Center and the Equine Disease Association for more information respectively.

The WSDA website was updated with a new blog post for your review: What Horse Owners Need to Know about Equine Herpes Virus.

09/20/2024

Our original number is up and running again. You can reach our office by dialing 509-997-8452. Thank you for your patience, we appreciate you all:) And thank you Methownet for taking the reins on the phone situation.

07/08/2024

Starting August 1, 2024, if you travel to Canada with your dog, the requirements for reentry into the United states will change. Below is an outline of the new requirements:

Travel Checklist for U.S.-vaccinated dogs

Step 1: Recommend to begin 60 days before travel out of the United States to allow sufficient time to prepare for travel
Verify dog will be at least 6 months old on day of travel back to the United States.
​​Get your pet microchipped or have your veterinarian verify their microchip number. Make sure the microchip number is listed on all veterinary records.
​​Visit veterinarian to get your dog their rabies vaccination (or booster) before travel.
Your dog must be at least 12 weeks (84 days) old when it gets its first rabies vaccination.
Make sure your dog’s rabies vaccination will be valid (not expired) for the entire duration of travel.

Step 2: Recommend to begin 30 days before travel out of the United States
Contact your veterinarian to have them complete either:
the Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form, or
the USDA endorsed export health certificate if your dog will be only in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries and will return from the country listed on the certificate or that documents a valid rabies vaccination issued in the United States (if your dog will be in a high-risk country, this option is available during the transition period [which will expire on July 31, 2025])

Step 3: 2-10 days before travel back to the United States
​​Print a copy of the Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form or USDA APHIS-endorsed export health certificate from USDA.
Take a photo of your dog and complete the CDC Dog Import Form.
This form requires you to upload a picture (jpg, png, gif files only) of your dog showing its face and body.
Dogs that will be less than one year of age at time of return to the United States should have the photograph taken within 10 days before travel.
Ensure you enter your dog’s microchip number into this form correctly. This is very important.
Submit a corrected form if any of the information on this form changes.
Print a copy of CDC Dog Import form receipt you will receive in your email and travel with it.
CDC recommends you travel with at least 2 copies of this form in case the country you are visiting keeps one copy for their records. You will need to present this form for re-entry into the United States.
​​Finalize travel arrangements with the airline or transport company.

Step 4: Day of travel back to the United States
If traveling by air, present the following to the airline before boarding your dog:
CDC Dog Import Form receipt and
Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form or USDA APHIS-endorsed export health certificate
Arrive at the location on CDC Dog Import Form receipt
Present the following to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer:
CDC Dog Import Form receipt and
Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form or USDA APHIS-endorsed export health certificate

For full details see:

Starting on August 1, 2024, dogs entering or returning to the United States must meet new, specific requirements depending on where they have been in the 6 months before entering the U.S. and where they received their rabies vaccines (if required).

12/21/2023