Summer is here and people’s pets have to deal with the heat and possible health issues that come with it, just like humans do. There are also illnesses that affect mainly animals, but can be passed on to humans, such as rabies. Dr. David Goodfriend, director of the Loudoun County Public Health Department, said that salmonella could be a potential problem, but that it wasn’t the main concern for veterinarians and doctors.
"Rabies is [the disease] we’re most concerned about," he said.
GOODFRIEND SAID that wild animals, such as raccoons and skunks, are the most common carriers of this disease. He explained that most raccoons found dead on the side of streets and highways probably had rabies otherwise they never would have gotten that close to where vehicles were circulating.
"In people it’s very rare," Goodfriend said of the disease, "in animals it’s common. Twenty to 30 animals in the last year came back positive with rabies [in Loudoun County]."
He also said that there were 23 cases of animals with rabies in the county in 2004.
Fortunately, he said that veterinarians and doctors "don’t see it much in domestic animals. People in Loudoun are very good at getting their pets vaccinated so they don’t get rabies."
Goodfriend also said that both animals and people can be vulnerable to Lyme disease. He called it a "significant risk" but explained that dogs can be vaccinated against the disease and cats can be protected from it with tick spray. "We see 100 to 150 cases of Lyme disease [a year] for people, but for animals we don’t know because veterinarians don’t have to report the cases," said Goodfriend.
BESIDES DISEASES and viruses there is, of course, the intense Virginia heat and humidity to deal with.
"Watch for heat stroke and strenuous activity [in pets]," said Toni Hawkins, a licensed veterinary technician at the Ashburn Village Animal Hospital. "Make sure they have lots of water, keep them hydrated and avoid strenuous activity. Watch the heat in the summer time. Don’t keep them outside for a long time."
She also warned against things that could scare pets such as fireworks and loud noises. Hawkins also recommended topical flea and tick preventions such as Frontline and Advantix, a liquid that can be rubbed into the animals’ skin.
LOUDOUN COUNTY Animal Care and Control Animal Shelter spokesperson Laura Danis also had a lot of advice to give about keeping pets outside in the summertime.
"Walk them on grass," Danis said, "because they can burn their feet on asphalt or cement [when it gets extremely hot]. When it’s around 80 [degrees] no problem, but when it gets up to 100 [degrees] it can get dicey. We never think about that because we’re wearing shoes. If you’re going out for exercise [with your pet(s)] do it in the early morning or late afternoon or evening."
She also said to use plastic water bowls for pets because "metal conducts heat so the water can get hot much faster [than in a plastic bowl]. Any pet that’s going to be outside needs shelter," said Danis.
"They need to be confined to your property, behind a gate or wire fence or by a tether," she said. "Keep your pets indoors as much as possible." She also said that the main vaccination the county enforces is for rabies for dogs, cats and ferrets over 4 months of age. Taking these precautions pets should pass the summer more comfortably here in Loudoun County.