Words Dr. Ashlee Albright, Peninsula Veterinary Hospital
Debunking Common Myths About Infectious Diseases In Pets
Pet ownership has evolved drastically over the past 50 years, with a shift from keeping working cats and dogs exclusively outdoors to living (and often sleeping!) with them indoors as cherished family members. In addition to living the good life indoors, today’s pets have access to better nutrition and modern veterinary care, which has allowed their lifespans to double or even triple compared to 100 years ago. Infectious disease prevention remains one of the simplest ways to set a pet up for a healthy life. Despite access to safe and effective vaccinations, parasite control and routine hygiene, misconceptions about infectious diseases and modern medicine persist. It’s my hope that debunking the following myths will help your own pets to live long and healthy lives!
Myth 1: Indoor pets and leashed dogs cannot catch infectious diseases
While indoor cats are kept safe from predation and traumatic events, tiny bacteria, viruses and parasites can still worm their way into the home from humans, contaminated objects or exposure to other animals in the home.
Rabies, for example, can be transmitted to indoor pets from bats that enter the home through windows. While this may be a rare event, the consequence of exposure is dire, with a 100% mortality rate in pets and humans once clinical symptoms appear. In 2019, you may recall two separate but notable cases of rabies on Vancouver Island: a rabid bat was found at a Central Saanich elementary school, and a young man contracted rabies from a bat in the Tofino area. Vaccinating all pets for rabies protects both pets as well as their humans.
Even leashed dogs can be exposed to a variety of bacteria, viruses and parasites. In addition to direct contact with other pets, common sources of infection include water, grass and soil. Fleas and ticks have evolved to jump or latch onto animal fur from shady areas such as grasses, weeds, bushes and leaf piles. Fleas remain alive and active year-round in Victoria while ticks become active and begin questing for a host as soon as temperatures rise above 4°C. Other microscopic viruses, bacteria and worms (such as parvovirus, leptospirosis, giardia and numerous intestinal parasite eggs) are easily ingested from contaminated fur and paws while self-grooming. Communal water bowls harbour harmful germs from shared saliva and nasal discharge and often develop a biofilm of bacteria (E coli, salmonella) that can make your pup very ill. Carrying your own fresh water and preventing your dog from drinking stagnant water is common sense disease prevention! And of course even your home water or food bowls can harbour microbes, so don’t forget to wash them often. Many of these germs and the diseases they cause can be deactivated by preventative vaccinations, sensible deworming and year-round flea/tick medications.
Myth 2: Vaccines are not safe
Decades of research and development has been invested into modern veterinary vaccines to make them safe and effective. The rates of adverse reactions to vaccines, while not zero, are extremely low (25 per 10,000 dog vaccines and five per 10,000 feline vaccines).
Myth 3: Older pets don’t need vaccines anymore
Senior pets are more prone to chronic medical conditions that make them immunocompromised. A weakened immune system puts a pet at a higher risk of serious complications from infectious diseases, many of which are preventable by vaccination.
Living in the temperate climate of Vancouver Island has sheltered us from many serious infectious diseases found in southern, tropical countries. Unfortunately, the immigration of companion animals through animal rescue organizations and changing migration patterns of birds due to global warming has facilitated the spread of otherwise foreign diseases to our region. We are now diagnosing pets who have never left Vancouver Island with tick-borne diseases such as lyme disease, anaplasma and ehrlichia. Being proactive by embracing evidence-based preventative medicine is more important than ever to keep our pets healthy and living their best lives.
