Epidemiologic features of pet evacuation failure in a rapid-onset disaster.

OBJECTIVE: To describe epidemiologic features of pet evacuation failure after a hazardous chemical spill in which residents had no warning and only a few hours notice to evacuate. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SAMPLE POPULATION: Pet-owning households that evacuated from a hazardous chemical spill with (n = 119) or without (122) their pets. Procedures-Evacuees were surveyed by mail. RESULTS: 261 of 433 (60.3%) dogs and cats in 241 households were not evacuated. Of the 241 households, 119 (49.4%) evacuated with their pets, 98 (40.7%) evacuated without them but later attempted to rescue them, and 24 (10.0%) neither evacuated their pets nor attempted to rescue them. Pet evacuation failure was most common in households that thought the evacuated area was safe for pets. Risk of pet evacuation failure increased in households with many animals, low pet attachment and commitment scores, and low levels of preparedness. Cat evacuation failure was associated with not having cat carriers. Nearly 80% of households that evacuated with their pets found accommodation with friends and family. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Pet evacuation failure was common and jeopardized pets' health and well-being. Logistical challenges to transporting pets were substantial contributors to pet evacuation failure, whereas not knowing where to house a pet was only a minor concern. Most pet owners seemed self-reliant and acted appropriately towards their pets. Such self-reliant behavior by pet owners should be encouraged prior to disasters as part of an evacuation plan for households.     

Improvement to the subjective well-being of pet ownership may have positive psychological influence during COVID-19 epidemic

The COVID-19 epidemic and government intervention measures may have adverse effects on people's mental health. To explore the influence of pets on the intervention of people's psychological problems during the COVID-19 epidemic, an online survey was carried out between April 9 and April 29, 2020. A total of 756 participants replied to this questionnaire. Mental health variables were assessed, and the comparison of behavior changes among pet owners and pets on positive mental well-being during COVID-19 epidemic. Comparative analysis was performed; compared with individuals without pets (n = 575), pet owners (n = 181) had a higher prevalence of insomnia (p = 0.006). Living in Wuhan city was a risk factor for people with psychological stress (p < 0.05). Dog owners exhibited lower than average scores of insomnia and uncertainty of infection than cat owners (p = 0.004). People with more than one pet exhibited lower than average scores of depression than having one pet (p = 0.040). For analysis of psychological effects of pets on people, the role of pets in subjective feeling and positive psychological changes of pet owner was significantly different. Pet owners relieve that psychological pressure through behavioral changes towards their pets in early stage. Pets provided positive subjective well-being and psychological effects for their owners.     

Diseases transmitted from pets to man: an evolving concern for veterinarians.

Pets are not a major source of human infections but they can transmit certain diseases to man. This transmission usually is complex, requiring close contact with pets or their excretions and frequently involves a breach of sound hygienic practice. In some instances, pathogens of animal origin are acquired inadvertently because infectivity can persist after evidence of gross contamination has gone. Veterinarians participate in controlling zoonotic diseases by encouraging rabies vaccination and hygienic treatment of pet feces and urine, by supporting community efforts toward responsible pet ownership and by advising on precautions for handling sick animals. It is recommended that veterinarians discourage the keeping of wild or exotic animals as pets and excess fondling of pets (particularly by children and pregnant women). Clients and kennel workers should be advised to use caution with animals that have aborted.     

Emergency and critical care of fish.

The keeping of fish as pets is a hobby that has experienced increasing popularity over the past decade. The hobby has also become more sophisticated in recent years and a growing number of veterinarians are gaining clinical experience and knowledge in the area of pet fish medicine. The opportunity to apply this knowledge to a pet fish problem can be a rewarding experience. This article focuses on managing acute and critical problems of pet fish at times when veterinary intervention is required within an emergency time frame.     

AAHA senior care guidelines for dogs and cats

This paper provides a working framework for enhancing the well-being of senior pet dogs and cats. Approaches to screening the medical status of senior pets are described in detail, with particular emphasis on establishing baseline data in healthy animals, the testing of clinically ill animals, and assessing senior pets prior to anesthesia and surgery. The management of pain and distress and the application of hospice and palliative care are addressed. Advice on ways to approach euthanasia and dealing with end-of-life issues is also provided.     

Additives in pet food: are they safe?

A good, nutritious diet is essential for the health and well-being of our domestic pets. Today, most pet dogs and cats are fed highly processed food bearing little resemblance to canine and feline ancestral diets. Additives are included in processed pet food to provide nutritional benefits, ensure food safety, and maintain the desirable features of colour, flavour, texture, stability and resistance to spoilage. This paper reviews the safety of various additives in processed pet food. Labelling, safety assessment, and ethical concerns regarding existing toxicity testing procedures are also considered. The adequacy of testing for many additives and the scientific basis for determining safety are questioned. Additives can be synthetic or ‘natural’ although the distinction can be blurred when naturally derived substances are synthesised in the laboratory, or extracted using a high level of physical and chemical processing. Although additives play important roles in processed food production, updated strategies and technologies may be required to establish their safety in the pet food industry.     

Future directions in training of veterinarians for small exotic mammal medicine: expectations, potential, opportunities, and mandates

Small exotic mammals have been companions to people for almost as long as dogs and cats have been. The challenge for veterinary medicine today is to decipher the tea leaves and determine whether small mammals are fad or transient pets or whether they will still be popular in 20 years. This article focuses on pet small-mammal medicine, as the concerns of the laboratory animal are better known and may differ profoundly from those of a pet. Dozens of species of small exotic mammals are kept as pets. These pet small-mammal species have historically served human purposes other than companionship: for hunting, for their pelts, or for meat. Now, they are common pets. At present, most veterinary schools lack courses in the medical care of these animals. Veterinary students need at least one required class to introduce them to these pets. Currently, there are no small-mammal-only residency programs. This does not correspond with current needs. The only way to judge current needs is by assessing what employers are looking for. In a recent JAVMA classified section, almost 30% of small-animal practices in suburban/urban areas were hiring veterinarians with knowledge of exotic pets. All veterinarians must recognize that pet exotic small mammals have changed the landscape of small-animal medicine. It is a reality that, today, many small-animal practices see pet exotic small mammals on a daily basis.     

Euthanasia & thanatology in small animals

The study of thanatology has recently taken on increased importance in the field of veterinary medicine. Today, the roles of companion animals have expanded to include beloved pet and family member, provider of social and emotion support, and in the case of service dogs, provider of assistance to owners with special needs. For these reasons, companion animals have taken on greater significance within their human families. Their deaths can be as painful and difficult for their families as the death of human family members. Veterinarians are tasked with working in concert with the pet owner, throughout the lifetime of the pet, to promote the pet’s health and well-being. In critical and or terminal situations, it is the veterinarian’s role to educate the owner so that informed decisions regarding treatment options or a decision to euthanize the pet can take place. In veterinary medicine, euthanasia means to end life painlessly. Veterinarians and owners, working in partnership to make subjective and objective assessments on the pets quality of life, produce the best results. For the veterinarian, the medical approach (including: clinical history, physical exam, laboratory tests, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment) can assist in assessing the pet’s physical health status, any potential treatments, and the likely short and long term outcomes. The owner’s role in the partnership is to subjectively assess overall behavioral changes and the pet’s quality of life. Once owners have decided to euthanize their pet, there are still more factors to consider: where to perform the procedure, which family members will be present, and how the remains will be handled. The veterinarian can do everything possible to minimize any anxiety for the pet during the euthanasia, including administration of a tranquilizer prior to the procedure. The veterinarian will allow the pet’s family time to say goodbye and educate them on what to expect when their pet dies. There is a possibility that other pets that lived in the same household may also experience distress at the loss of their animal family member. The veterinarian can let the owners know what signs may be signaling depression or anxiety in that pet. The grieving process is extremely personal and people must be allowed to grieve in the way that helps them deal with their loss. Veterinarians need to be careful not to minimize the owner’s loss or grief. The owner will count on the veterinarian’s guidance and expertise when making decisions affecting their pet’s well-being. Making an informed decision can help assuage any guilt about opting for euthanasia when done in the best interest of the pet.     

益生菌在宠物中的应用

随着我国宠物数量的增多,宠物粮的需求量也随之增加,其品质将直接影响到宠物的健康与生长发育,这使得宠物粮的品质受到宠物行业的广泛关注。益生菌是一类对宿主有益的活性微生物,能够改善肠道微生态平衡,增强机体免疫力,从而保证宠物健康生长。本文主要总结了益生菌在宠物行业中的应用效果,为其在宠物食品中的应用及其健康生长提供基础。     

Risk factors for pet evacuation failure after a slow-onset disaster.

OBJECTIVE: To determine risk factors for pet evacuation failure during a flood. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SAMPLE POPULATION: 203 pet-owning households in a flooded region. PROCEDURES: Persons under evacuation notice because of a flood were interviewed by use of a random telephone survey. RESULTS: 102 households evacuated with their pets, whereas 101 households evacuated without their pets. Low pet attachment and commitment scores were significantly associated with a greater chance of pet evacuation failure. Risk of pet evacuation failure and lower attachment and commitment scores were also associated with pet management practices prior to the disaster, such as dogs being kept outdoors most of the time or owners not having carriers for their cats. More than 90% of owners made housing arrangements for their pets without assistance. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Predictors of pet evacuation failure are usually present before a disaster strikes and are potentially modifiable. Mitigation of pet evacuation failure should focus on activities that reinforce responsible pet ownership and strengthen the human-animal bond, including socializing dogs, attending dog behavior training classes, transporting cats in nondisaster times, and seeking regular preventive veterinary care. Most pet owners are self-reliant in disasters, and this behavior should be encouraged.     

Husbandry and Medical Care of Callitrichids

Callitrichids, marmosets and tamarins are small Central and South American nonhuman primates. All are considered threatened in the wild and many are on the endangered species list (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora: Appendix 1). Because of their small size and anthropomorphic appeal, people are interested in owning callitrichids as pets. Hand-raised bottle-fed babies are quite charming until sexual maturity, at which time they often become aggressive and unpredictable to humans, including their owners. Consequently, people should be discouraged from keeping callitrichids as pets. If a veterinarian is consulted about callitrichids by a potential owner before purchase, it may be possible to offer encouragement toward a more suitable pet (e.g., ferret and sugar glider).     

Potbellied pig husbandry and nutrition.

Vietnamese potbellied pigs, when appropriately cared for, make excellent pets for some people. However, their proper housing, care, and training is more challenging to the average person than that required for most traditional pets, such as dogs and cats. Failure to feed and house the pet pig appropriately results in the most common health and behavior problems. The obese, intractable pet pig gives little pleasure to a pet owner and appears to lead a very poor-quality life, frequently leading to the pet pig being given away or worse. Preventing health and behavior problems is easy if pet owners are armed with correct information early, either before or immediately after their acquisition of a pet pig. A veterinarian prepared to share this information can save the lives of many pigs as well as keep clients happy and coming back.     

Retention of provided identification for dogs and cats seen in veterinary clinics and adopted from shelters in Oklahoma City, OK, USA

Personalized identification (ID) tags that contain contact information for the dog or cat owner can help assure lost animals are quickly reunited with their owners. The authors have previously reported that while the majority of pet owners stated that ID tags were very important, only a third responded that their pet wears an ID tag. The objective of this study was to evaluate if providing and putting on the pet a free collar and ID tag during an owner's visit to a veterinary hospital or spay/neuter facility increased the likelihood that the pet owners would actually keep the identification on their pet at least 6-8 weeks after they were placed on the pet. A second population of dogs and cats that were adopted from animal control and humane society shelters were also studied to assess retention of a collar and personalized ID tag. Telephone follow-up occurred a mean of 8 weeks after the tag was applied. Retaining and using the tag significantly increased for the veterinary group with 13.8% reporting their pets were currently wearing an ID tag pre-intervention, and 84.3% reporting their pets were currently wearing and ID tag post-intervention. Of the dogs and cats that were adopted, at follow-up 94% of owners reported their pets were currently wearing an ID tag. Approximately 5% of those who participated in the post-intervention survey lost a pet and recovered that pet because of the ID tag. This suggests that ID tagging is an effective method to potentially decrease stray intake into shelters and return pets home. The data also support placing tags and collars directly on pets as a method to retain those ID tags and collars on the animals, thus increasing the likelihood they will be returned home if lost or during a disaster.     

Evaluation and use of pet foods: general considerations in using pet foods for adult maintenance

Questions regarding pet animal nutrition are probably among the most frequent queries encountered by companion animal veterinarians. Given the plethora of pet food products available and the amount of advertising used to promote them, it is not surprising that pet owners have concerns as to what they should feed their pets. This "practical" review of pet foods and feeding is designed to assist veterinarians in making nutritional recommendations to their clients, with respect to feeding normal adult pets at maintenance.     

Genotypic characterisation and cluster analysis of Campylobacter jejuni isolates from domestic pets, human clinical cases and retail food

The genetic similarity of Campylobacter jejuni isolates from pets, compared to human clinical cases and retail food isolates collected in Ireland over 2001-2006 was investigated by cluster analysis of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) fingerprinting profiles. Comparison of the PFGE profiles of 60 pet isolates and 109 human isolates revealed that seven (4.1%) profiles were grouped in clusters including at least one human and one pet C. jejuni isolate. In total six (1.6%) of 60 pet and 310 food profiles were in clusters with at least one food and one pet C. jejuni isolate. The detection of only a small number of genetically indistinguishable isolates by PFGE profile cluster analysis from pets and from humans with enteritis in this study suggests that pets are unlikely to be an important reservoir for human campylobacteriosis in Ireland. However, genetically indistinguishable isolates were detected and C. jejuni from pets may circulate and may contribute to clinical infections in humans. In addition, contaminated food fed to pets may be a potential source of Campylobacter infection in pets, which may subsequently pose a risk to humans.     

The impact of zoonotic diseases transmitted by pets on human health and the economy

In the context of all causes of human morbidity and mortality, or even within the context of all infectious diseases affecting the public health, pet-associated zoonotic infections are of moderate importance. The data documented in Table 1, however, indicate that they do exact significant human health and economic costs. If complete data were available for all of the infections shown in Table 1, the costs would be considerably higher. Moreover, most of these diseases are preventable through educating the public, particularly pet owners, of the zoonotic potential of these diseases, so that they may take precautions to minimize the risks leading to infection. These measures include appropriate health care of pets to eliminate infectious agents, reducing the number of uncontrolled, ownerless pets as well as unwanted or poorly supervised pets, preventing pets from soiling public places with their feces, excluding animals from areas where children play, enforcing leash laws, and promoting responsible pet ownership. Veterinarians, physicians, and public health agencies can aid in these efforts; ultimately, however, the responsibility lies with the pet owner.     

Pet ownership increases human risk of encountering ticks

We examined whether pet ownership increased the risk for tick encounters and tickborne disease among residents of three Lyme disease‐endemic states as a nested cohort within a randomized controlled trial. Information about pet ownership, use of tick control for pets, property characteristics, tick encounters and human tickborne disease were captured through surveys, and associations were assessed using univariate and multivariable analyses. Pet‐owning households had 1.83 times the risk (95% CI = 1.53, 2.20) of finding ticks crawling on and 1.49 times the risk (95% CI = 1.20, 1.84) of finding ticks attached to household members compared to households without pets. This large evaluation of pet ownership, human tick encounters and tickborne diseases shows that pet owners, whether of cats or dogs, are at increased risk of encountering ticks and suggests that pet owners are at an increased risk of developing tickborne disease. Pet owners should be made aware of this risk and be reminded to conduct daily tick checks of all household members, including the pets, and to consult their veterinarian regarding effective tick control products.     

Behavioral medicine as a part of a comprehensive small animal medical program

The rationale of incorporating behavioral medicine into veterinary practice is that it can expand the range of medical services offered, help obtain happier, more acceptable pets, and lead to longer pet ownership. In doing so, veterinarians should be able to increase their business both through an actual increase in pet ownership and retention and through increased services for individual pets. The range of services offered can differ from practice to practice but may include preventive, interventive, and ancillary services, as with other areas in contemporary veterinary medical practice. Each area of behavioral practice can be an economically feasible addition to veterinary practice from the perspective of medical services rendered, as a method of practice promotion, or as an area of public service. The choice depends on the level of competence of the practitioner, the practice philosophy, and the need for the services in a given service area.     

A survey of pet ownership, awareness and public knowledge of pet zoonoses with particular reference to roundworms and hookworms in Harare, Zimbabwe

A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was carried out in Harare to assess pet ownership and public awareness with regard to pet zoonoses. The questionnaire was designed to obtain information on pet ownership, health and welfare of pets, pet owners’ knowledge and awareness of pet zoonoses with particular emphasis on hookworms and roundworms. The results demonstrated that the proportion of pet owners who knew helminths as zoonoses in dogs (21.3%) and cats (1.1%) was low compared to rabies (95.7%) with ancylostomosis (4.3%) and toxocariosis (2.1%) being the specific parasitic zoonoses known to occur in dogs and toxoplasmosis (2.1%) in cats. More than 50% of the pet owners indicated that veterinarians never discussed the potential hazards of zoonoses or discussed it only when asked and 33% indicated that veterinarians initiated discussion of the subject whenever zoonoses were diagnosed in pets. Over 90% of the pet owners indicated that veterinarians should discuss zoonoses with them. Further investigations are necessary to determine the current prevalence of intestinal nematode infections in dogs and cats in the various regions of the country.     

Raw food diets in companion animals: a critical review

Feeding of raw meat-based diets to pets has become an increasingly popular trend amongst pet owners. Owners, who desire to provide the best for their pets, seek veterinary opinions about food options. This paper reviews and applies standards of evidence-based medicine to grade the available scientific literature that addresses the nutritional benefits or risks, infectious disease risks, and public health implications of raw, meat-based pet diets. Although there is a lack of large cohort studies to evaluate risk or benefit of raw meat diets fed to pets, there is enough evidence to compel veterinarians to discuss human health implications of these diets with owners.