<![CDATA[Peter Cooper/Stuyvesant Town Dog Owners Online Community - Health]]> http://www.pcvstdog.com/mybb/ Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:38:55 -0400 MyBB <![CDATA[East River Park Suspected Source of Leptospirosis Contagion]]> http://www.pcvstdog.com/mybb/thread-6.html Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:29:20 -0400 http://www.pcvstdog.com/mybb/thread-6.html
Leptospirosis is a rare and often fatal disease in dogs that can easily spread to humans. The largest source of contagion in New York City for the disease is stagnant pools of water contaminated with rat urine.

The disease is endemic in the rat population thoughout the year. However when it rises in domestic animals such as dogs there is often an environmental or manmade event that is exacerbating its spread. This is especially indicated when a handful of dogs acquire the disease in one area over a short period of time.

4 dogs have contracted the disease in the East Village in the past 4 weeks -- odd since the number of cases in New York City typically fall under a dozen per year. There are likely to be more cases that haven't been reported or saught veterinary care. Medical bills releated to leptospirosis typically run from $5-8,000.00.

One commonality that owner's of the infected dogs have mentioned is that they all visited East River Park. This leads dog owners to wonder if something is furthering the spread of the disease in the local area. It should be noted that Dr. Becky Campbell of Symphony Vets grew equally alarmed when she observed nearly a handful of cases on the Upper West Side in 2003. That event was traced back to the rodent population and stagnant water in Riverside Park.

The flooded dance oval in East River Park may be furthering the spread of the disease. It is a pond size basin located just north of the tennis courts in East River Park. The oval remains flooded with stagnant water 365 days a year.

Rats drink and urinate in it which can further the spread of leptospirosis throughout the surrounding rat population.

Dogs may acquire the disease from drinking contaminated water, licking their paws after they run through stagnant puddles or simply by getting it splashed in their mouths. They can also acquire the disease by coming into contact with infected rat urine on nearby grasses -- or by killing, rolling or eating a dead rat that carries the leptospirochete bacteria.

Stagnant pools facilitate the spread of the bacteria throughout the rodent population which increases the likelihood of contagion to domestic dogs and humans.

Noting that leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease that can pass from animals to humans, Cornell Diagnostic Laboratory Director Donald Lein said the infection can be an occupational hazard for people who work with animals. This used to be called 'milkers' disease. Our dog's are often the first to come into contact with leptospirosis when environmental vectors rise. This should be taken as an indication to rid the area of stagnant water to prevent further spread into the human population -- especially children.

The above information has been passed to veterinary specialists and the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation for further comment.

Dog owners are also advised that vaccination protocols for leptospirosis are extremely controversial and not advised at this time. There are four different strains of leptospirosis common in the U.S. Each strain requires a different vaccination. Immunity from the vaccines are short lived (5-8 months) and are the frequent source of adverse side-effects. The strain seen in the East Village is currently not known. Do not let your dog roam free and staying out of areas filled with rats and stagnant water are considered the best forms of prevention.

Dog parks with communal water bowls and pools are NOT conisidered likely sources of transmission since fresh water is frequently flowing.]]>
Leptospirosis is a rare and often fatal disease in dogs that can easily spread to humans. The largest source of contagion in New York City for the disease is stagnant pools of water contaminated with rat urine.

The disease is endemic in the rat population thoughout the year. However when it rises in domestic animals such as dogs there is often an environmental or manmade event that is exacerbating its spread. This is especially indicated when a handful of dogs acquire the disease in one area over a short period of time.

4 dogs have contracted the disease in the East Village in the past 4 weeks -- odd since the number of cases in New York City typically fall under a dozen per year. There are likely to be more cases that haven't been reported or saught veterinary care. Medical bills releated to leptospirosis typically run from $5-8,000.00.

One commonality that owner's of the infected dogs have mentioned is that they all visited East River Park. This leads dog owners to wonder if something is furthering the spread of the disease in the local area. It should be noted that Dr. Becky Campbell of Symphony Vets grew equally alarmed when she observed nearly a handful of cases on the Upper West Side in 2003. That event was traced back to the rodent population and stagnant water in Riverside Park.

The flooded dance oval in East River Park may be furthering the spread of the disease. It is a pond size basin located just north of the tennis courts in East River Park. The oval remains flooded with stagnant water 365 days a year.

Rats drink and urinate in it which can further the spread of leptospirosis throughout the surrounding rat population.

Dogs may acquire the disease from drinking contaminated water, licking their paws after they run through stagnant puddles or simply by getting it splashed in their mouths. They can also acquire the disease by coming into contact with infected rat urine on nearby grasses -- or by killing, rolling or eating a dead rat that carries the leptospirochete bacteria.

Stagnant pools facilitate the spread of the bacteria throughout the rodent population which increases the likelihood of contagion to domestic dogs and humans.

Noting that leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease that can pass from animals to humans, Cornell Diagnostic Laboratory Director Donald Lein said the infection can be an occupational hazard for people who work with animals. This used to be called 'milkers' disease. Our dog's are often the first to come into contact with leptospirosis when environmental vectors rise. This should be taken as an indication to rid the area of stagnant water to prevent further spread into the human population -- especially children.

The above information has been passed to veterinary specialists and the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation for further comment.

Dog owners are also advised that vaccination protocols for leptospirosis are extremely controversial and not advised at this time. There are four different strains of leptospirosis common in the U.S. Each strain requires a different vaccination. Immunity from the vaccines are short lived (5-8 months) and are the frequent source of adverse side-effects. The strain seen in the East Village is currently not known. Do not let your dog roam free and staying out of areas filled with rats and stagnant water are considered the best forms of prevention.

Dog parks with communal water bowls and pools are NOT conisidered likely sources of transmission since fresh water is frequently flowing.]]> <![CDATA[Increased Scrutiny of Flea and Tick Control Products for Pet]]> http://www.pcvstdog.com/mybb/thread-7.html Wed, 27 May 2009 14:02:12 -0400 http://www.pcvstdog.com/mybb/thread-7.html from The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency- Pesticides: Health and Safety - Friday, May 15th, 2009[/center]
Quote:The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is intensifying its evaluation of spot-on pesticide products for flea and tick control due to recent increases in the number of reported adverse reactions in pets treated with these products. Adverse reactions reported range from mild effects such as skin irritation to more serious effects such as seizures and, in some cases, death of the pet.

Flea and tick products can be appropriate treatments for protecting your pets and your family’s health because fleas and ticks can transmit disease. While many people use the products with no harm to their pets, EPA recommends that pet owners take precautions when using these products. People should carefully follow label directions and monitor their pets for any signs of an adverse reaction after application, particularly when using these products for the first time. Also, before use of these products on weak, aged, medicated, sick, pregnant or nursing pets, or on pets that have previously shown signs of sensitivity to pesticide products, EPA recommends that a veterinarian be consulted. Additional safety tips are available for taking care of fleas and ticks on your pet.

Pets may experience adverse reactions from flea and tick control products, including spot-on treatments, sprays, collars and shampoos. However, the majority of reports to EPA are related to flea and tick treatments with EPA-registered spot-on products. Spot-on products are generally sold in tubes or vials and are applied to one or more localized areas on the body of the pet, such as in between the shoulders or in a stripe along the back.
List of Registered Products

EPA has provided a listing of EPA-registered spot-on flea and tick products http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/prodname-reg.pdf(10 pp, 63.45 K, About PDF). Since the chart previously located on this page reflected only a portion of the numerous pet spot-on products available, EPA felt that pet owners and consumers might be led to believe that only those products listed were the focus of concern. In fact, EPA is intensifying its evaluation of all spot-on products and is providing a more comprehensive list of these products.

EPA is not initiating a product recall of these products nor is the Agency suggesting that the products not be used. EPA recognizes the importance of the products in effective flea and tick control. EPA’s objective at this stage is simply to advise consumers and pet owners to exercise caution when using the products and to monitor pet behavior following their use, as some animals have experienced adverse reactions following treatment.
Regulatory Agencies are Taking Action

EPA is evaluating all available data and information, including:

* reports of adverse reactions,
* product market share,
* clarity of product use directions and label warnings,
* product ingredients, and
* pre-market safety data submitted to the Agency in support of registration of these products

This assessment may result in EPA action to require changes in the registration status of certain spot-on products. EPA will be working collaboratively with Health Canada to address this issue, as Canadian regulatory officials have identified similar concerns about the use of spot-on flea and tick products. EPA intends to update this page periodically to provide the public with the most current information on this issue.
]]> from The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency- Pesticides: Health and Safety - Friday, May 15th, 2009[/center]
Quote:The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is intensifying its evaluation of spot-on pesticide products for flea and tick control due to recent increases in the number of reported adverse reactions in pets treated with these products. Adverse reactions reported range from mild effects such as skin irritation to more serious effects such as seizures and, in some cases, death of the pet.

Flea and tick products can be appropriate treatments for protecting your pets and your family’s health because fleas and ticks can transmit disease. While many people use the products with no harm to their pets, EPA recommends that pet owners take precautions when using these products. People should carefully follow label directions and monitor their pets for any signs of an adverse reaction after application, particularly when using these products for the first time. Also, before use of these products on weak, aged, medicated, sick, pregnant or nursing pets, or on pets that have previously shown signs of sensitivity to pesticide products, EPA recommends that a veterinarian be consulted. Additional safety tips are available for taking care of fleas and ticks on your pet.

Pets may experience adverse reactions from flea and tick control products, including spot-on treatments, sprays, collars and shampoos. However, the majority of reports to EPA are related to flea and tick treatments with EPA-registered spot-on products. Spot-on products are generally sold in tubes or vials and are applied to one or more localized areas on the body of the pet, such as in between the shoulders or in a stripe along the back.
List of Registered Products

EPA has provided a listing of EPA-registered spot-on flea and tick products http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/prodname-reg.pdf(10 pp, 63.45 K, About PDF). Since the chart previously located on this page reflected only a portion of the numerous pet spot-on products available, EPA felt that pet owners and consumers might be led to believe that only those products listed were the focus of concern. In fact, EPA is intensifying its evaluation of all spot-on products and is providing a more comprehensive list of these products.

EPA is not initiating a product recall of these products nor is the Agency suggesting that the products not be used. EPA recognizes the importance of the products in effective flea and tick control. EPA’s objective at this stage is simply to advise consumers and pet owners to exercise caution when using the products and to monitor pet behavior following their use, as some animals have experienced adverse reactions following treatment.
Regulatory Agencies are Taking Action

EPA is evaluating all available data and information, including:

* reports of adverse reactions,
* product market share,
* clarity of product use directions and label warnings,
* product ingredients, and
* pre-market safety data submitted to the Agency in support of registration of these products

This assessment may result in EPA action to require changes in the registration status of certain spot-on products. EPA will be working collaboratively with Health Canada to address this issue, as Canadian regulatory officials have identified similar concerns about the use of spot-on flea and tick products. EPA intends to update this page periodically to provide the public with the most current information on this issue.
]]> <![CDATA[Nutro® pet food products investigation]]> http://www.pcvstdog.com/mybb/thread-9.html Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:09:35 -0400 http://www.pcvstdog.com/mybb/thread-9.html
via FDA Investigates Nutro - April 20, 2009.]]>
via FDA Investigates Nutro - April 20, 2009.]]>