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Are my pets at risk of acquiring West Nile virus?

Until recently, reports Jeff Bay, D.V.M., an internist at Rowley Memorial Animal Hospital in Springfield, a division of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals/American Humane Education Society (MSPCA/AHES), West Nile virus was limited to the Eastern Hemisphere, but it seems to be on its way to becoming endemic in the northeastern United States. Wild birds are the primary hosts for West Nile virus, which is passed among animals via mosquito bites. Although domesticated fowl and other birds, including household parrots, budgerigars, and cockatiels, are also susceptible to the disease, infection in domestic birds has not yet been reported in the United States. Infection in horses and humans has been reported in the Northeast, however. Mammals are, in general, less susceptible to the virus, although contact with the mosquito vectors may be extensive. In rare cases, species such as cattle, dogs, donkeys, gerbils, mice, pigs, rabbits, rats, sheep, and squirrels have acquired West Nile virus elsewhere in the world.

The virus typically infects the central nervous system and causes neurological symptoms. Clinical signs in birds include weakness, incoordination, abnormal head posture, circling, and convulsions.

Affected horses can show signs of lethargy, hind-limb weakness, incoordination, and convulsions. Although West Nile virus infection is rare in the Northeast, you should contact your veterinarian if you observe neurological dysfunction in any of your pets.

The best way to prevent infection is to limit exposure to mosquitoes. In pet birds or small mammals, this can easily be achieved by limiting their time out of doors. You can use mosquito repellants on a dog just as you would for a child, taking special care to avoid contact with the dog's eyes or mouth and to keep the dose and frequency of administration within those recommended by the manufacturer. A variety of methods help limit mosquito exposure to livestock species; consult your veterinarian for the method most suitable to your situation.

I have a four-year-old Lab mix that had a seizure last year. She became very rigid and glassy-eyed and couldn't walk. She had another one recently that lasted about six minutes. The next day she seemed like her usual self. What triggers these seizures and what can I do to prevent them?

# posted by Medical Information : 11:40 PM