Doggy Dundee

Guard Your Doggy, Cat, and Self – Against Giardia

G’day Mates! Well, it’s not real good news when there’s an outbreak of Giardia in communities. Tough part is, Giardia can be transmitted between pets and people. Doggy Dundee hopes to educate you to help you protect you and your pet.

What’s Giardia and Why Should I Care?

Here’s the science stuff from Vin.com. “Giardia is of the genus of a protozoan parasite that is infectious to both humans and pets all over the world.” Well, that stopped me cold! Yes, humans and dogs and cats! It’s not often a widespread issue, but this parasite may begin to be seen in larger number of cases in particular communities, and then it’s a real issue! Of course, even if it’s just your pet that happens to get it, Giardia becomes a real issue for you. (The image of Giardia shown is courtesy of Germs and Worms Blog)

Giardia can be passed from pets to humans, and from humans back to pets. The pesky parasite lives in a host’s intestines, but those pesky cysts that break away in stool  can survive in the outer environment; while, usually,  this is for only a short period, “…if it is cold and wet the cyst can live for many months…ready to infect a new host.”

Two more problematic aspects of doggy Giardia are that: (1) the incubation period can be 5 to 12 days (in cats, 5 to 16 days), so it’s really tough for you to peg the time or place of the infection (Frantic folks may “assume” to know, but you really don’t); and (2), Giardia shed organisms intermittently, making it difficult to detect. 

How Is  Giardia Transmitted?

Contaminated water is the most typical source of infection (i.e. keep dogs away from bowls used by other dogs). But transmission can then be like the proverbial snowball. As examples, dogs (or cats) may walk in another dog’s stool residue or roll on grass/dirt (more…)

SPAY/NEUTER YOUR PETS

G’day, Mates!  It’s not “cute and cuddly” for Doggy Dundee to see a box of puppies (or kitties)  being given away (or sold) outside of a market or on a street corner. I gave a good lecturin’ to two guys giving away a box full of furry kitties outside Tark’s Market in Talent, Oregon the other day.  Why?

 First, it means the pet owner wasn’t responsible and ended up with an “unwanted” litter. Second, it means that at least half of  “unwanted” pups/kits will be carried home by people who also won’t “spay/neuter” and so that young puppy/kitty will be, unfortunately and painfully, having its own many  ”unwanted” litters, which, in term, over several future years adds up to hundreds of thousands of unwanted animals born every year. That means more strays, and more shelter dogs and cats, ferrel kittens, sick animals (infecting other animals), and just plain hungry, or mean, animals bred down the line.

Here’s some stats per an SPCA website. They state that, “These statistics as to how just one litter can result in hundreds to thousands of unwanted pets:

So, people, make life easier for pets and everyone, and “Just Say Yes” to spay/neutering your pet. Even if you adopt a pet from a boxed give-away, be responsible and have the pet checked by a vet, so a diseased pet can receive proper care and not infect other animals. (Parvo, mites, giardia, and other illnesses require immediate care). Then, when it’s old enough, spay (female) or neuter (male) your doggy or kitty. 

Doggy Dundee volunteers at an animal shelter, and know the result of this human neglect and human stupidity. (Yup, no pulling the punches on this one, and I don’t care if you have a Ph.D. , if you don’t spay/neuter, you’re a dolt! More info about SPAY/NEUTER MYTHS HERE.

G’day, Mates!  Shelters, vets, and other organizations across the country are partnering during February’s National Spay and Neuter Month to make it easier for pet owners to ”just say ’no’ to pet pregnancies.” From February 1 through 28, 2010, SNYP and FOTAS are partnering on a Prevent a Litter month campaign in which people can purchase a discounted certificate for a pet spay/neuter procedure.

Where To Purchase Discounted Certificates?

Pet Country in Medford and White City; the Ashland Grange CO-OP; and at all Medford Mini Pet Marts.

Pay just $25 for a cat spay or neuter certificate, or $65 for a certificate to spay or neuter a dog up to 60 pounds. (Note: For dogs over 60 lbs., a pet owner who has paid for the discount certificate will just have to pay an additional $10 fee to the vet at the time of the dog’s surgery). Click on SNYP for more info, and continue reading to learn about the health reasons you should spay/neuter your pet…

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Finding Stray Dogs = Meeting A Neighbor

G’day, mates!  Not all dogs go stray coz their owner’s a dolt. Sometimes mistakes happen – and a perfectly well-mannered and cared for dog can suddenly decide to “carpe diem” and make a dash, squeezing through an inch of almost-about-to-close doorway.

Doggy Dundee got a chance to meet one of those marvelous “dogs that got away” – A neighbor came huffing over, “Have you seen our dog, Shay?” Truth be told, these folks were so quiet I’d never even known they owned a dog! I assured the owner that “she be right” (it’ll be fine/work out, in Aussie), and said I’d help her find the stray dog. So, the owner ran one way down the street, and I turned the other way, soon hailing a couple girl skateboarders, and asked if they’d spotted a stray dog, and those kids laughed and pointed behind a bush behind me where, sure enough – what a beaut! – Shay was sniffing about. Called the stray pointer, who bounded out to greet me right nice. Then hailed the owner, and we ended up having a nice meet and greet, so, thanks to Shay going on a walkabout, Doggy Dundee’s made a nice cobber (eh…that’s ‘friend’ in Aussie).