Monday, January 14 2013 4:23 PM EST2013-01-14 21:23:17 GMT
Hi! My name is Zeus and I am a 2-month-old Newfoundland mix puppy. I made the long journey from a shelter in Alabama to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.
Hi! My name is Zeus and I am a 2-month-old Newfoundland mix puppy. I made the long journey from a shelter in Alabama to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.
In recent years, veterinarians have stepped in to provide a quick, cost-effective place on the Internet for owners to have their questions answered and get solid advice no matter the time of the day.
In recent years, veterinarians have stepped in to provide a quick, cost-effective place on the Internet for owners to have their questions answered and get solid advice no matter the time of the day.
Writers from mystery novelist P.D. James to science-fiction icon Ray Bradbury and numerous others have at least one thing in common: They all love cats.
Writers from mystery novelist P.D. James to science-fiction icon Ray Bradbury and numerous others have at least one thing in common: They all love cats.
Along with the admonitions about caffeine, lunch meat and wine, many pregnant women are told they should get rid of their cats because of health risks.
Along with the admonitions about caffeine, lunch meat and wine, many pregnant women are told they should get rid of their cats because of health risks.
When I was little, I used to run around the house with a mouthful of toothpaste foam saying, "Look, I have rabies!" I thought it was funny at the time, but rabies is no laughing matter.
As a fatal virus that kills 50,000 people worldwide on a yearly basis, "rabies" is a word that can, and should, make people leery.
Cat owners, in particular, should take notice: Cats are the domestic animal most commonly diagnosed with rabies in the U.S.
It is found in many species of wildlife -- with hotbeds of infection in certain populations of bats, skunks, foxes and raccoons -- and has been identified in every U.S. state except Hawaii. As humans encroach further and further into wilderness regions and increase the exposure risk, rabies cases in this country have increased.
Rabies can be passed from any affected animal to humans. Between 30,000 and 40,000 preventive post-bite treatments are administered in the U.S. on a yearly basis. Once the virus reaches the nervous system, there is no cure.
The main way for humans and pets to stay safe is for pet owners to ensure that their pets are vaccinated against rabies, but many cats remain unvaccinated for a variety of reasons.
Cats may or may not be required by law to be vaccinated for rabies, depending on the jurisdiction. In addition, many cat owners are nervous about vaccinating their cat due to the correlation between certain vaccinations and sarcomas in a small number of cats.
The best way to make a plan for your cat's vaccine schedule and disease prevention is to have a discussion with your veterinarian about the risks and benefits of vaccinations depending on your cat's lifestyle and health status.
Dr. Jessica Vogelsangis a small-animal veterinarian from San Diego. When she's not at work or with her family of two and her four-legged creatures, you can find her blogging about life with pets at PawCurious.com. Dr. Vogelsang's blogs have previously appeared on The Daily Cat.
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