Russ McCutcheon

Hundreds of millions of pets live with people who garden. It is important to be reminded of pet health concerns in the garden. WSU Master Gardeners always stress how important it is to read product labels before using any fertilizer, herbicide or pesticide.

I went to the local garden centers and read the product labels for brands of fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides commonly sold in this area. First, most labels warned “Hazardous to children and domestic pets.” Then the labels included these instructions:

o Wear long pants, long sleeves, shoes and socks and chemical resistant gloves.

o Wash your gloves before you take them off.

o Do not smoke, drink, eat, chew gum or use the toilet until you have washed your hands.

o Take off your shoes before you walk in the house.

o Change your clothing and immediately wash the clothing you wore when you applied the product.

These products are not supposed to be inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the skin. And, they can cause eye irritation.

The warning is serious for people who use the products, but even more so for pets. People, usually, don’t lick their feet, and pets consistently do. Pets also cannot remove their clothing; worse, they lick their fur coats and can ingest the herbicide or pesticide. They have small lungs, so inhaling product is potentially hazardous. All the labels stress how important it is to avoid skin contact. Dogs and cats touch the ground and the grass with skin-covered feet pads and their damp noses.

Fertilizers are salt formulations, and some animals are attracted to licking salty materials, so they contain warnings as well.

All of the labels give specific directions for application. Many of them state that pets and children should not be allowed on the lawn until a granular product is watered in and the grass is dry again. If the lawn is treated with a liquid product, the lawn must be dry before re-entry. Think of how deeply your dog’s feet sink into the grass when it walks, and check for dry grass carefully.

I have noticed people using products, and all the while the pet dog is supervising the spraying. Or the dog is in an adjoining section of the yard but still susceptible to product drift. Both dry products and ones mixed with water can drift when they are applied.

You can purchase a variety of slug baits. Slug bait should not be poured in little piles on the ground — especially Corry’s Slugo, which is made with a corn product that birds and cats and dogs find attractive to eat. Slugo and Ortho’s Bugeta contain the pesticide Memetaldehyde, a type of poison that is always lethal to dogs and will make cats sick.

Slug baits made with iron phosphate are still hazardous to animals. Slug baits should be used by placing them in containers that the slugs and snails can enter but other animals cannot.

Pesticide dust used in the vegetable garden contains harmful ingredients if the animal inhales it. Be sure your pets are inside when you apply products such as Bayer’s Complete Insect Dust for Gardens that contains Pemethrin, or Sevin Dust which contains Carbarl.

Another reason to read the labels carefully is that many herbicides and pesticides are toxic to fish. If you have a koi or goldfish pond, there is always the risk of drift as you spray or distribute the herbicide or pesticide. Naturally, none of these products should be used near a body of water or creek bed.

Notice also that some of the products are labeled as toxic to honeybees. There is a growing concern that some pesticides are implicated in sudden hive collapse and the death of millions of honeybees.

Happy gardening this season. Enjoy your pets in your yard, but keep them healthy.

A WSU Master Gardeners of Chelan County column appears regularly in the Home, Garden section. Bonnie Orr is one of five columnists featured.

Vets have advised against non-meat and non-dairy diets for domestic pets despite the increasing popularity of a vegan product designed to cover cats and dogs dietary needs.

Vegan Pet was developed by a Victorian health food maker to include the essential nutrients cats and dogs would miss out on in a vegan diet.

Derived from entirely non-dairy and non-meat sources and designed with the help of a Murdoch University professor, studies have shown it can provide the short-term dietary needs of domestic pets.

Although figures show a spike in the number of RSPCA call-outs to rescue injured foxes, a Tewkesbury charity specialising in animal rescue say numbers in Gloucestershire could be on the slide.

Martin Brooks, 48, has been working for charity Vale Wildlife Centre in Tewkesbury for 16-years and says the numbers of foxes needing rescue from urban areas has dropped.

This spring we have had to rescue around 30 cubs, last year there were more than 50, he said.

Their natural rural habitats are being destroyed by farmers and land owners, so more are being forced into towns to get food.

Some carry mange, that can be a threat to domestic pets and people. But they only become a problem when people feed foxes regularly and then stop. This encourages them to scavenge among their neighbours who then call us to help stop the problem.

National figures from the RSPCA show around 5,500 foxes were collected by their inspectors last year, with around 50 per cent being put to sleep and the rest passed on to vets or dead on arrival.

In 2006, 217 foxes were admitted to RSPCA rescue centres but by 2010 – the figure had jumped to 302. Numbers dropped back to 273 last year across Britain.

Although it is hard to confirm population numbers, it is believed more than 33,000 foxes exist in urban areas, with a further 225,000 living on the countryside. Last year, 81 cubs and 17 adults were released from wildlife rescue centres.

Foxes are amazing animals but they can be like Marmite – you either love them or hate them and they can cause neighbourly disputes, added Mr Brook, assistant manager at Vale Wildlife Centre.

We were called out to deal with a fox cub in Prestbury this week, around six weeks old, but when we arrived it had a broken jaw. It could have been hit by a car so we had to euthanise it.

It is unusual for foxes to get into homes, but it can happen as they are natural scavengers.

An attack on deer in Dursley and Woodchester Park earlier this year was blamed on a big cat on the loose. But DNA tests taken by experts from the University of Warwickshire revealed the killings were the result of a fox attack.

An RSPCA spokesperson said: It is hard to get exact figures of fox related call-outs in Gloucestershire as they do not get categorised on our records.

Our nearest fox rescue centre is in Cheshire so places like the Vale in Tewkesbury provide a vital service and a safe haven for injured foxes in that area.

While some may consider foxes pests, many people like seeing them in their gardens and consider them a vital part of British landscape.

A lot of people take great pleasure in seeing foxes wandering around, and enjoy the idea of wildlife thriving in a seemingly hostile urban environment.

Those worried about their presence or who consider them a nuisance sometimes suggest that relocating or destroying foxes that are present in one part of town is the answer. However, this will simply encourage other foxes to move in from other areas and take their place.

The most humane and long-term solution to discourage foxes is to remove or prevent access to the things that are attracting them to the area, like food and shelter.

RSPCA guidelines on foxes state human contact should be kept to a minimum to avoid unwanted attention in future.

Despite fears over attacks on pets, a study in Oxford of fox droppings proved only eight out of 2,000 over a seven year period had signs of cat fur. In an urban area, a fox could overlap the territories of 100 cats, so reports of attacks are rare.

Foxes may approach cat flaps as they smell food within the house, rather than because they are looking for a cat.

The animal polarises opinion. With some saying foxes pose a serious threat to livestock, others prefer to leave food out for the animals and in extreme cases – adopt them as pets. The Citizen wants to find out how the urban hunter fares in Gloucestershire.

If you have any interesting stories of urban foxes mixing with mankind, or photos and videos showing their mysterious movements please let us know by emailing them in to nick.webster@glosmedia.co.uk or by calling 01242 278079.

The board of health is sponsoring its annual rabies clinic for cats, dogs and ferrets on Saturday, March 24, from 9 am – noon at the Animal Hospital of Orleans at 65 Finlay Rd. The vaccination fee is $10 per animal. Microchipping will also be available for $20. Cats and ferrets must be in a carrying case and dogs must be on a leash. Domestic pets have been identified as a link between rabies and humans and state law requires that all dogs, cats and ferrets, six months or older, must be vaccinated against rabies.
For information please contact the Orleans Health Department at 508-240-3700, Ext. 450, between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm

The annual Orange County Rabies Vaccination Clinic will be held April 16-21. The cost of a shot will be $8 per animal. The clinic is sponsored by the Orange County Health Department in cooperation with Orange County veterinarians.
Every dog and cat must receive a rabies vaccine this year because Indiana state law and Orange County Animal Control Ordinance 2011-8 requires that all dogs and cats three months of age and older be vaccinated against rabies once a year. When properly vaccinated against rabies, domestic pets can act as an effective barrier between rabies in wildlife and its transmission to humans. Animals involved in a bite can be required for a 10-day quarantine at the cost of the owner if the pet is unvaccinated or its vaccinations are out of date.
On April 16, Dr. Brad Cooper will be giving vaccines from 6-7 pm at Orange County Animal Clinic, located at 656 North State Road 37 in Paoli. Dr. Kelly Kirk will be administering vaccines from 5:30-6:30 pm at Kirk Veterinary Service, located at 145 West Washington Street in Orleans. Dr. Bill McDonald will be vaccinating pets from 3-5 pm at McDonald Veterinary Clinic, located at 7749 East US 150, Hardinsburg.
On April 17, Cooper will be at the Orange County Animal Clinic from 6-7 pm Kirk will be at the Orangeville Community Building from 5:30-6:30 pm McDonald will be at McDonald Veterinary Clinic from 3-6 pm From 6-7 pm, McDonald will be at Bill Breeden?s residence, located at 6955 West County Road 75 South near Moore?s Ridge Church.
On April 18, McDonald will be at McDonald?s Veterinary Clinic from 3-5 pm
On April 19, Cooper will be at the West Baden Springs Fire Department from 6-7 pm McDonald will be at McDonald Veterinary Clinic from 3-5 pm Kirk will be at the Leipsic Community Building from 5:30-6:30 pm
On April 20, Cooper will be at Orange County Animal Clinic from 6-7 pm Kirk will be at Kirk Veterinary Service from 5:30-6:30 pm
On April 21, Cooper will be at Springs Valley High School Gymnasium from 10-11 am and at Orange County Animal Clinic from noon to 1 pm McDonald will be at McDonald Veterinary Clinic from 10 am to noon; at the Valeene Shelter House from 12:30 to 1 pm; and at Pine Valley Parking Lot from 1:30-2 pm Kirk will be at Kirk Veterinary Office from 11 am to noon.

Through the Placer SPCAs youth education programs, kids learn kindness and respect for all living creatures.

California Education Code requires that schools include the promotion of harmonious relations, kindness toward domestic pets and the humane treatment of living creatures in curriculum.

The Roseville-based animal shelter designed programs to meet this requirement, which they present in local elementary schools throughout Placer County, said Humane Educator Mary Terrell.

In addition, we know that children have a natural love of animals and we use that feeling to teach compassion, empathy and kindness toward animals as well as people, Terrell said.

Her organizations free programs include: dog safety, basic pet care, how to be caring and responsible to people and animals and what is a habitat.

For older kids, they discuss using positive reinforcement in training, why animals end up in shelters, and recognizing abuse and what to do about it.

Terrell recently presented on habitat to a third grade class at Sargeant Elementary School in Roseville. She first asked the kids to define habitat.

A habitat is a place where things can grow or live, said student Lanie Blomquist.

Terrell said a habitat is the best place for a living being – animal or plant – to exist, where the creature will thrive and have access to food, water and companions.

She wrote a list of habitats on the board: lake, desert, ocean, meadow, home, arctic and forest. The students identified where various animals are best suited to live. Sometimes, though, kids see animals outside of their ideal homes.

Terrell asked why animals leave their perfect environments.

Because were taking away their habitat, Evan Dennett said. The cities are doing it by building houses.

Lanie added that there might not be enough food in their native habitat so they must move.

What can we do? Terrell asked the kids. I see the potential for us to make a difference in the lives of these animals.

The class discussed how when trees are cut down in the forest, new trees must be planted. They said people should keep trash out of the ocean – especially plastic bags that will still be there 100 years from now. The point Terrell hoped to impart on the kids: Were each responsible for the world around us.

Sena Christian can be reached at senac@goldcountrymedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at SenaC_RsvPT.

Ringworm is one of the many diseases and parasites harboured by domestic pets that can be passed to humans. Your humble pooch and moggie are carriers of several potentially nasty infections and diseases that can call humans home, including giardia, roundworm, ringworm, tapeworm, toxoplasmosis, cat scratch fever, and visceral larva migrans which, at worst, can affect its unwitting hosts heart and brain.

Dr Warren Foreman from the Adelaide Animal Hospital said the best way to avoid infection was to follow worming and vaccination schedules and to practice good hygiene. Animals defecating outside can contaminate the garden or sandpit and can cause things such as migration of immature roundworms, he said. Tapeworm, while benign in dogs, can cause nasty cysts in people. The most important thing people can do, especially with their children, is to wash your hands.

Ms Chancellor and her boys learned their lesson the hard way. When I rang the breeder to say the kitten had developed cat flu symptoms she told me not to take him to the vet and came around that night with human fungal creams, eye drops and amoxycillin. I took him to the vet the next morning.

The tiny kitten, named Rusafee, which had developed a serious case of cat flu not long after going home with the Chancellors, was also found to have internal bleeding and, after serious efforts to keep him alive, was sadly put down this week.

Nicky Hocking, from Ingle Farm no-kill pet sanctuary Save the Furry Ones, who also tried to save Rusafees life, said she took in many animals bought from backyard breeders.

There are shonky backyard breeders out there selling four-week-old kittens, she said. We have a cat at the moment with terrible respiratory problems from a backyard breeder and a Manx cat with no bowel control because of interbreeding.

Kerriann Campbell, executive manager of animal operations at RSPCA SA said buying a dog or cat from a disreputable source could result in heartbreak and expensive vet bills for the owner.

KUALA LUMPUR: SUGAR gliders, which have been enjoying popularity among pet enthusiasts, may soon require special licences to be kept as domestic species here.

Currently, the nocturnal creature is not covered under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 [Act 716] and the International Act 2008 [Act 686].

However, the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) records show that the number of sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps) being imported is on the rise as more people are keen to keep the species as pets.

Department director-general Dr Zaaba Zainol Abidin said they were taking steps to protect the animal by including it in the First Schedule of the act.

This is because sugar glider is an exotic species, to control the importation of the species into the country and lastly, to control the ownership through licensing,

We also want to protect the species from the illegal wildlife trade, which is quite rampant, said Dr Zaaba.

The New Straits Times learnt that the proposed First Schedule had been forwarded to the Attorney-Generals Chambers for review. Once the revised schedule is gazetted, keeping sugar gliders or breeding the species will require a licence from Perhilitan.

The species is not protected under existing laws.

There are 8,936 sugar gliders registered with the department.

Although sugar gliders are not yet listed as an endangered animal, the species had been identified as one of the most commonly traded wild animals in the illegal pet trade.

Its relatives, such as the Leadbeaters Possum and the Mahogany Glider, are in need of great conservation efforts as they are two family species facing extinction.

The sugar glider is protected by law in South Australia, where it is illegal to keep them without a permit.

Dr Zaaba said that the department reviewed periodically the types of animals that are permitted to be kept as domestic friends every year.

We do an in-depth study on the species and check to see if they are listed as endangered or is on the brink of extinction before making a decision to allow such animals to be kept at homes.

He added that prior to taking home an animal which is listed as exotic, a person would be subjected to various requirements.

We do not allow certain types of animals to be kept in condominiums, taking into account the animals safety as well as the wellbeing of others, he said, adding that the review was extremely important.

Some of the animals which had been banned as domestic pets are the American bullfrog and the red deer.

Dr Zaaba said while the red-eared slider, a common kind of tortoise species seen at homes, is large in number here, it had already been banned from being imported into the country.

The species, to begin with, is not a locally available breed and the ban took effect last December.

However, we will only monitor and not take action against those already here.

Dr Zaaba added that the species could create chaos to the ecosystem and thus, its import had been halted.

Dr Zaaba said those who wanted to know more about the kinds of animals banned from being kept as pets could refer to the Fifth Schedule under the Wildlife Conservation Act. It can be downloaded from Perhilitans website.

(KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – South Korea has issued a rabies alert after a dog tested positive for the potentially deadly disease, the countrys farm ministry said on Saturday.

The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said a dog on a farm in Hwaseong some 55 km south-west of Seoul, tested positive for rabies. Local quarantine officials have been ordered to inoculate all domestic animals in the vicinity of the farm and to conduct decontamination.

Also called hydrophobia, rabies is a contagious zoonotic disease, meaning it can be passed from animals to humans. It is usually contracted when domestic pets or livestock come in contact with infected wild animals such as raccoons.

Thanks to comprehensive inoculation, South Korea reported no rabies cases from 1985 through 1992, but a case was reported in the mountainous Gangwon Province in 1993. Isolated cases have since been reported, primarily near the demilitarised zone that separates South and North Korea, with four cases discovered in 2011.

Animal Services must maintain the public health and safety through enforcing state and local laws and ordinances related to domestic animals, as well as monitoring diseases from certain wild animals. To accomplish this, Animal Services partners with many community members.

One such partner is the Florida Department of Health, which includes the Manatee County Health Department. The Health Department is also concerned about the exposures of domestic animals from other animals, whether they are wild, stray or domestic pets.

Animal Services and the Health Department work together to assure the public is protected from exposure to diseases spread from animals. A particularly important disease is rabies.

Rabies is a deadly disease caused by a virus. It is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal by way of a bite or scratch from the infected animal. The virus affects the brain functions of the infected animal.

Over the past 10 years, the statistics for Manatee County indicate 24 wild animals have tested positive for rabies. Most of these positive tests came from raccoons and bats. Otters and bobcats were also included in those totals. Fortunately, Manatee County has not experienced a positive rabies diagnosis in a domestic animal for decades, but this does not mean it couldnt happen at any time.

Each year the Manatee County Health Department investigates about 650 to 800 animal bite cases. The purpose of investigating these animal bite cases is to determine whether the person or animal who was bitten or scratched was exposed to the rabies virus, and, if so, receives the proper prophylactic treatment.

The only method to positively determine if an animal is infected is to test the brain tissue of the biting animal. Unfortunately, this means the animal must be euthanized (put to sleep) to collect the sample. The most common method used to determine the possibility of a rabies exposure, and often used when domestic animals are involved, is to quarantine the animal for 10, 45 or 180 days, depending upon the circumstances. During that time, the animal is observed for the signs of rabies.

Animals with rabies may show strange and unusual behavior. A friendly animal might become aggressive or begin to exhibit neurological symptoms. The animal may not be able to eat, drink or swallow. It may drool, (because they cannot swallow) or become paralyzed. The animal may die dur

ing the quarantine period. All these signs are an indication the animal may have the virus. If the animal dies during the quarantine period, it is tested for rabies.

The majority of animal bites involving domestic animals permit a home quarantine. A home quarantine is when the owner is responsible for confining the animal and reporting any changes in behavior or health.

If a human or an animal is exposed to the rabies virus, rabies immunoglobulin and post-exposure prophylaxis should be administered within 10 days of exposure.

Humans can be exposed to rabies from the saliva of an infected animal. When a person is bitten or scratched, sometimes by a claw, and the skin is broken, it is an exposure to the virus.

Animal Services and the Manatee County Health Department investigate all reported animal bites to ensure the bite victim who has been exposed to rabies is offered assurance that the animal in question is not rabid, whether it is through quarantine or testing. Animal Services partners with the Health Department to capture bite animals and, in most cases, quarantine the animal for observation. Wild animals, if captured, are humanely euthanized and the brain tissue is sent to the Department of Health lab for rabies analysis. Animal Services also oversees local ordinances that require dogs, cats and ferrets to be vaccinated against rabies. The rabies vaccination is the best defense to protect animals from rabies.

You can protect yourself, your family and your pets from rabies by following a few simple steps.

1. Vaccinate your pets.

2. Keep your pets on a leash and supervised when outside. Dont let your pets run loose.

3. Do not approach animals acting unusual or in a suspicious manner.

4. Do not feed wild or stray animals.

5. Take steps around the house to avoid attracting animals that might be looking for outdoor food sources by covering trash cans and by feeding your pets indoors.

6. If you or your pet are bitten or scratched by any animal, do not examine injuries with your bare hands, use gloves; wash the area with soap and water to remove any saliva from the attacking animal. Call 911 or seek medical treatment immediately for you or your pet. This way, the exposure will be reported to the Health Department.

7. Bat-proof your home — ANY exposure to a live bat is considered an exposure to rabies

8. Make sure your pet has a Manatee County license. You can see your veterinarian for your pets rabies vaccination, license certificate and tag. For additional information, contact Manatee County Animal Services at 941-742-5933 or the Manatee County Health Department at 941-748-0747.

Kris Weiskopf, chief of Manatee County Animal Services, writes this weekly column for the Bradenton Herald.