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So after the Flooding and Rains we get the Critters: Fleas and Ticks
When you have a problem with fleas you have a lot of choices. Some things you need to consider is the scope, the degree of infestation and your time frame. Other things to consider are your dog’s age and weight if that is a factor, your yard, your pocket book, where your dog(s) live –in or out? One of the more difficult decisions for some of you will be whether you want to go all natural or use chemicals or a little of both. For most of us the issue is kill the flea – NOW! (None of this applies to the pregnant dog, lactating or very small puppy) If you have a reason to remove fleas immediately there is a product called CapStar that says “The fast-acting formula begins to work within 30 minutes and will kill nearly all adult fleas within 4 hours of administering to your pet. The effects of the tablet lasts up to 24 hours.- http://www.petco.com/product/105391/Capstar-Flea-Tablets-for-Pets.aspx The major problem with a quick kill is the progeny. Capstar addresses adult fleas but stresses you need to follow up with long term treatment. You can give another Capstar once a day. I would be concerned about the non adult stage fleas but this may be what you need. This product says it can be put on a 4 week old puppy if it is heavier than 2 pounds. Shampoos There are a lot of shampoos for flea treatments out there. If you have a puppy, always check the age and consider the weight of your puppy, especially if it is a small dog like a Toy breed. When in doubt call the manufacturer. Many folks will bathe their dog and then treat them with a month long treatment. This is a little bit of a double whammy in my opinion. There shampoos that offer to kill and repel fleas, too. Repellants Lemons are a natural repellant as in Joy dishwashing soap with lemon. Wiping your dog down with a halved lemon is suppose to work as is other measures to create a spritz of lemon juice. There are many natural choices but whichever treatment you choose last days not weeks. Dog’s Age Be more careful with older and younger dogs with all this, read labels carefully. Pregnant and nursing dogs are often out of the loop with anything but mild, natural material. Always check with your vet first. Degree of Infestation This year is suppose to be spectacularly bad for having fleas and ticks. I would tell you that as soon as possible and when product will stay on the ground for a week without being washed away, treat your yard. It is important to initially treat the yard about 10 days after the first treatment. There is a lot about longer active products but my experience has been treat often in the spring (now) and the population will be much more manageable. Sometimes we have late blooming fleas in August and again, a back to back treatment is necessary. I have almost an acre in the city. More than one year I have had to spray up to 4 feet along my fence and house with malathion and use something like Sevin in the yard. Fog in the house if you can or spray and vacuum areas of concern. Being vigilant, following directions and repetitive usage initially to destroy the adults, eggs and hatchlings will when the day but it is a multi-front attack: outdoors, the dogs, indoors if they are indoor pets. Check your pets often. Chemical or Natural This is an individual issue because we all want the job done but how we feel about chemical vs. natural solutions may be a dividing factor here. I’m OK with chemicals. I am less OK with Natural methods which is why I called my friend, Patty Jicha (Eeeka). Patty lives in Wisconsin, southwest of Milwaukee. She is a Havanese breeder, extraordinaire! We have bought a dog from her and she has bought one of our dogs. We went to visit with her and she has visited here with us. Patty has many great qualities but a couple of them include her doing things very well, no partly well done things for her. One of her other really good qualities is her kindness and willingness to talk to anyone and answer questions about Havanese, natural solutions to things and so forth. Patty does things par excellence so I trust what she tells me about treating her dogs and things like flea treatments with a more natural solution. She also offers her own line of product as well as information about other products such as Wondercide, which works well for her. I would encourage anyone to contact her (262)565-7588 or contact via email: www.youngliving.org/patriciajicha. If you want to see her dogs look them up @ So Cute Havanese www.socutehavanese.com When the weather warms up I treat my yard and then again 10 days later and watch for any growing problem to indicate I need to treat again. I normally use Frontline Plus on my dogs but at the moment I thought I would try Comfortis. It is a new tablet for killing fleas and preventing infestations. It does not say anything about ticks so we’ll have to see and there are some side effects. There is a product that has been out there forever called Adams Flea and Tick Spray available at Walmart. I like this product and use it now and then for spot outbreaks on the dogs until I can begin with the yard, again. There have been some troubles with these multi-kill products like heartworm preventative with flea killer, etc. I’m not so comfortable yet with these products. They are expensive and I just wonder about addressing more than one issue with a poisonous solution. Are there multiple poisons or have they come up with one for all? Is it more concentrated to kill a variety of parasites? Does it really last 30 days? Let me know your opinion and what works for you! I have never had much luck with flea collars. Fleas and Ticks I wanted to provide you with a little extra oomph or inspiration to get on this issue. I found Cesar Millan has a wonderful chart comparing fleas and ticks. Just what I was looking for! I wanted to share with you a few things I found interesting: Fleas have many fewer hosts than ticks who can live on birds, snakes, rodents, deer and opossums to name only a few. An adult flea can live for more than 3 months but a tick can live up to 3 years! Fleas can lay up to 280 eggs a week for several weeks where a tick can lay possibly 1000s of eggs at one time. Then the tick dies. (No wonder!) Fleas can transmit tapeworms where ticks can transmit bacterial infections that can be quite serious and potentially deadly along with the possibility of Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The CDC has a list of 14 tickborn diseases (http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/). For more information go to http://www.cesarsway.com/flea-and-tick-awareness/The-Differences-Between-Fleas-and-Ticks The only flea I have found on one of my dogs did not act like a flea. It did not run away from my finger. It snugged down to the skin and it took me several minutes to pry this hardy thing off my dog more like a tick. I am concerned if this is a hardier flea and how bad the season will be. Act now. Best Wishes.
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 Finally You Got Your New Puppy Home - 2 weeks later.
Are you thinking the ‘honeymoon is over’ or “What have I done?’ Maybe something more drastic like ‘Where did that sweet little puppy I bought go and where did this mini-creature from h- come from?’ with only the drooling features and red, glowing eyes missing. Buyer’s Shock Surprise! I bet you did not think that when you brought home the eight week old puppy you spent all of maybe an hour with would be a first rate terror. The same pup the breeder has spent all the rest of that time with is now your growing Precious. So, no wonder you may feel out of the loop when you get your puppy home and viola! after a short time your puppy has become a horror. The good news here is you can! handle this and if you can’t – well there is way too much help available out there for you not to find what will work for you and your life style. Basics Let’s get some basics down: 1) Your puppy did not turn into a monster overnight. 2) You have work to do so take a deep breath and breath out s-l-o-w-l-y. Take a self- inventory. Many of you have raised children (a plus) or had a parent who understood and conveyed the meaning of “No” to you in all its colors. Basic understanding here: You are boss – pup is not. Got it? In my house it’s about who is the biggest – well never mind, but I win. The second thing you must come to understand is what you actually have. Some people think they can take a puppy home and have rosy time of it. Many times ‘not happening because they don’t understand what they have. Big mistake. What they have is: a baby dog. You’d be surprise at how many people don’t get the ‘baby’ in this. The actual term for these puppy issues is ‘pediatric behavior problems’. Sounds almost human doesn’t it? As parents of human babies we refer to the same period as ‘Terrible two’s’, ‘toddlers’ or that problem vacuum called ‘adolescence’, ‘tweens’, ‘teenager’ and other behavior stage titles. The point is: you have come into your puppy’s life after the birth and the ‘swaddling’ time just to meet the ‘Terrible Two’ stage or ‘Terrific Threes’ as some overly happy therapist would put it. Actually, it does help enormously if you do take a look at some of these normal antics with some humor. It is the same as if you brought a child home at two years of age with whom you have visited with for say four hours, total. You have done this with your puppy and you haven’t had the experience of the day-to-day realities. It’s O.K. and manageable. There’s help. Problems Here’s the short list just to be up front about puppy issues: aggression, barking, biting, boredom, chewing, crying, destroying things, digging, eating feces, escape behavior, excitability, garbage attack, growling, hyperactivity, howling, jumping-at, on, over or just up, mounting (humping), nipping, separation anxiety, sleep issues, teething, Velcro puppy, and wining. Rejoice in what you do not have to deal with and what you are working with can be dealt with successfully if not fairly quickly. With Havanese paper products of any kind must die! Ground Rules for He or She Who Will Rule There are ground rules with training: 1) do not punish if you miss the action or after the fact, 2) most often there is a reason other than ‘bad’ for the behavior, 3) there are some things that are actually age appropriate and normal although they need to be modified or re-directed, 4) your understanding of the root of their behavior is key to your response in accordance to your puppy’s age and for the youngsters especially: 5) hurting your dog such as kicking or hitting it hard teaches the wrong thing and does not successfully address the behavior issue. There are better multiple ways to teach your dog the behavior you want from him/her 6) your children do not innately have the experience or skill to correct their puppy and your puppy is NEVER a substitute babysitter. You need to help them ** both** behave or respond appropriately. Also another family pet will need to be monitored for responding well to your pup and visa versa 7) Consistency is the only way you will be able to train your pup. Erratic correction makes somewhat of a neurotic dog in my opinion. 8) Calm wins the day. Let’s face it that it’s not always possible to be calm but we can try for the puppies especially. Softly spoken is wonderful. No one ever had problems listening to a roar other than to cower maybe but something softly spoken or even whispered words require listening closer 9) For the younger puppies you can find alternatives for chewing fingers or other undesirable behavior by training your puppy to act with the ‘right’ choices you (of course) provide and reward with a small yummy. Mary Poppins had the sugar and medicine thing down. For instance if your pup absolutely must chew on a shoe, find an old tennis shoe you do not want and let that be ‘his’ shoe and the only shoe he can chew on, 10) Lastly, if you cannot find a working solution to your pup’s problem call the breeder, ask your vet – could be medically based or take a basic dog training class after you have researched classes nearby and have found one with good references. Teach family members what you have learned. As with any childish misbehavior the weakest link in authority will be targeted. Your goal is to establish a trust relationship based in love, limitations and experience. Light at the End of the Tunnel Training is an ongoing, day-to-day issue for puppies. Once you understand that a soft hand and voice with a treat or an available alternative choice can be a valuable training aid, you will be well on your way to having a well behaved dog. Your voice is your first and best training tool. A firm “No” can be a starting place when you add your puppy’s name (for attention) in front of ‘no’ and try to add what you what to identify as bad behavior such as chewing. EX: “Toby, no chewing!” and find an appropriate chew toy. You may not realize but dogs have two languages: dog and English if you speak English in the home. A dog named Chaser knew more than a 1200 words and working dogs have signals and words to correctly understand. The intelligence is a variable thing but in Havanese many are extremely bright and quick learners. With Havanese wanting to please so desperately, generally, a sternly spoken word will do the trick. You thought I was going to solve your pup’s issues here? Nope, sorry, get to work! I got you started! Some of the best articles that will go into detail about puppy problems and solutions can be found at http://www.fidosavvy.com/puppy-behavior.html or http://www.canismajor.com/dog/ frstyear.html. For a longer and more complete list of specific behavior issues and solutions look to https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior References: http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions /behavioral/c_dg_pediatric_behavior_problems?page=2 http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/12/23/worlds-smartest-dog-knows-words/ Chris H. was kind enough to forward a letter from her vet with Parkwood Animal Hospital of Friendswood, Texas. The letter announced a dog from Beach City, Texas tested positive for Canine Influenza the week of May 7. The Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services (HSPHES) was notified about the test results and the dog’s owner had moved from Chicago. Beach City is about 41 miles east of Houston.
What is the low down on this flu? The biggest danger from what I understand is that both strains of the virus in dogs is very contagious but the Chicago virus (H3N2) is like H3N8 on steroids. It moves faster and hits much harder with fever and the addition of secondary infections coming into play. Either virus presents itself initially as a cold until the owner realizes the dog needs to see a veterinarian. The actual incubation period for the Chicago virus (H3N2) virus is only a couple of days. By that time multiple other dogs may have been exposed while the more severely infected dog has developed the growing secondary infections associated with serious respiratory infections and has become much sicker. We are more familiar with Kennel cough and may not realize the seriousness and the speed and severity that this virus moves. The Chicago virus (H3N2) makes the dog very sick quickly. Should you take your dog in to be vaccinated? Will the H3N8 vaccine work? Is there any indication of it being required? Where and when did all this canine flu come from? Horses. It crossed species from an equine flu known as Type A H3N8 Virus. The virus in horses has been around for the past 40 years. In 2004 a dog version was confirmed and known as H3N8 /Canine Influenza Virus (CIV). It is now in 38 states including Texas and abroad. It was first found in Florida at the racetracks in greyhounds. By 2009 a vaccination was created for the H3N8 that may or may not be effective against a more recent second strain of CIV: H3N2, the flu outbreak in Chicago. A second strain known has H3N2 was only abroad in Asia, specifically Korea, China and Thailand until April 2015. Largely as a result of boarding dogs over the Easter weekend (April 5) more than 1100 dogs were first diagnosed with H3N2 in Chicago less than 6 weeks ago. As of April 15, six dogs have passed away. So far the virus has been identified in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin and now Texas (week of May 5). Chicago veterinarians report that H3N2 is more virulent than H3N8 and moves faster with fever. Normally dogs do not pass away with H3N8. There was no mention regarding how H3N2 moved from Asia to Chicago. This virus can be passed to other dogs up to 20 feet away. The dog strain of H3N2 is not transmitted to humans but humans can transmit by touching an infected dog, etc. and then their own dog. H3N2 has also been found in cats only in Asia but this article is concentrating on recent information regarding dogs, specifically. The fatality rate with H3N2 is about 3%. CIV CIV is an upper respiratory infection derived from Type A influenza. There are two strains of CIV: H3N8 (older) and H3N2 (almost immediate and more aggressive with higher fever). Both are very contagious and have a runny nose and cough but the mild goes away in 10 -30 days. All dogs exposed to CIV are infected and about 80% develop symptoms. More than 80% of the infected have the milder version. The severe affects less than 10 % of the infected and the mortality rate is about 3% for CIV. The more severe symptoms move immediately and include a high fever, trouble breathing, bloody cough, sneezing, anorexia, runny nose and sickliness/discomfort. It becomes extremely serious when other secondary issues develop such as bacterial pneumonia, etc. Comparing Kennel Cough and CIV Kennel Cough (KC) and CIV can occur anytime during the year and both are very contagious. They share similar symptoms. CIV and KC are both bacterial and viral. Initially they are spread by contact via infected dogs, crowded areas, airborne contaminates such as a sneeze or cough, unclean objects such as cages, clothing, and unsanitary practices. They both have mild and severe symptoms except KC coughing sounds more like a goose honking than a dog and the cough last a shorter time than up to the 21 days with CIV. Kennel cough was identified more than 40 years ago where CIV was identified in 2004. KC is from multiple sources where CIV is from the equine Type A H3N8. H3N8 is also a designation for the flu carried by birds and mammals. About 25% of dogs with CIV and KC do not show any signs of infection while being very contagious. The incubation period for CIV is a couple of days where KC has up to a two week incubation period. Symptoms H3N2 & 8: cough, fever, nasal secretions, sneezing, rapid or difficult breathing, loss of appetite, lethargy, anorexia and discomfort. With H3N2 a higher fever moves rapidly and there can be a bloody cough and other symptoms present themselves quickly and more intensely. The symptoms last longer than 2 days and one of the most serious threats is the development of secondary infections such as bacterial pneumonia with dehydration requiring antibiotics. Pneumonia is what changes this into a serious illness. It is very contagious before it is usually diagnosed. Puppies and older dogs are especially susceptible to these dangers. Treatment Isolate your dog. With a blood test your vet can confirm whether your dog has CIV. It will probably be 4-6 months before a vaccine for H3N2 will be available. The H3N8 vaccination comes with a booster 2 weeks later and is not fully effective until after the booster has been given. The vaccination can possibly lessen H3N2 symptoms, shorten the length of time contagious, and possibly avoid the infection altogether. Note: This vaccination may be less effective or do nothing against H3N2. It is still a developing issue. There is no ‘cure’ after exposure for a virus, of course, but your dog can be given supportive care until the virus is gone. Please isolate your pet if you think he/she may have CIV. Talk with your veterinarian. Ask where to wait with your dog. Avoid crowded waiting areas or wait in your car. I recently spoke with my veterinarian, Dr. Pipes of Garland. He recommended getting the vaccine (H3N8) with the thought that it may lessen some of the effects of the H3N2 virus. It is not a quick option but a two part vaccine with a booster shot 2 weeks later. H3N2 is in Texas at this time. Best ways to avoid CIV: isolation, cleanliness, wash hands, disinfect, change & washing of clothes and avoid high risk places such as the vet’s or other high risk areas such as the groomers*, veterinarian office, doggy day care or other crowded places where there may be several dogs gathered. Do not wait in the waiting room of your veterinarian’s office if you believe your pet is infected. If there is not a room where you wait then wait in your car. Disinfect/wash your car your clothes, leash, kennel, dog bedding, etc. Summer boarding can present problems. Talk to your boarding facility director about what means they are instituting to combat this virus and talk with your veterinarian with any questions. Best Wishes, Lea R. I offer no medical advice or medical recommendations. This article is intended only for a beginning point to learn more about the canine flu H3N2 which recent hit the Houston area. Footnote: Just to confuse the daylights out of you, in the research I came across this headline: CDC predicts the H3N2 virus will hit East Texas. [For humans] Dated 9/4/14. So, look carefully at what comes up about H3N2 if you look further into this. Check the date & if it’s humans or what. http://www.ktre.com/story/26453987/cdc-predicts-the-h3n2-virus-will-hit-east-texas
References:
If you have too much time on your hands and happened to wonder what happened between H3N8 and H3N2 here is a quick glimpse of what I found: H3N1. Posted Oct. 15, 2014. H3N1 influenza strains recently seen in U.S. swine could pose risks for people and pigs, according to federal animal health authorities. https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/ Pages/141101q.aspx H3N2 A deadly dog flu is almost certain to make it to Ohio, according to local veterinarian Dr. Daniel Brauer of Dayton South Veterinary Clinic. When asked to rate on a scale from 1 to 10, his concern about H3N2, Dr. Brauer said, 12.”More than 1,000 dogs in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Georgia have been diagnosed with the canine flu strain. Six dogs have died after symptoms of a cough, runny nose and eyes, and fatigue. One piece of good news, said Brauer, is that dogs who’ve been vaccinated for the H3N8 influenza, seem to have built up an immunity to the deadly strain of H3N2. http://www.whio.com/news/news/local/deadly-dog-flu-h3n2-likely-to-hit- ohio/nkwnh/ H3N2V Influenza viruses that normally circulate in pigs are called “variant” viruses when they are found in people. Influenza A H3N2 variant viruses (also known as “H3N2v” viruses) with the matrix (M) gene from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus were first detected in people in July 2011. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swineflu/h3n2v-cases.htm H3N4 Avian Influenza Vaccine, H3n4 Subtype http://www.drugs.com/vet/avian-influenza-vaccine-h3n4-subtype-killed-virus-can.html H3N5. Fresno Dentist dies of H3N5 (Jan. 31m 2014) ‘a relatively new flu strain’ https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/united-states/seasonal-flu-2009-2014-including- h1n1-pandemic-2009-aj/california-ab/159376-fresno-dentist-dies-of-h3n5-flu [I didn’t know there was a Flu Trackers!] H3N6 Genomic analysis demonstrated that this H3N6 virus is a novel reassortant avian influenza virus with a gene constellation originating from multiple ancestors. http://genomea.asm.org/content/1/3/e00250-13.full H3N7 [Duck Flu] A/mallard/New Brunswick/00593/2010(H3N7) - Influenza ... www.fludb.org/.../fluStrainDetails.spg?.../20... H3N8 Canine Influenza (H3N8)The spring 2015 Chicago-based outbreak of canine influenza is a strain called H3N2, whereas this article is about a milder strain called H3N8. The vaccine for H3N8 is not thought to be effective against H3N2, which can cause a more severe case of influenza. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=2165&S=0&EVetID=3001644 |
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