Monroe Chat

I suppose I could have just googled this, but thought I would put it here instead.

Like humans, can pets get viruses as well? And when you have more than one...can they pass them back and forth between one another?

TIA

I believe they can ...... however, I don't know names, etc.... Will await C&C response - very interesting topic!

From my Microbiology and Biology classes, as well as a pharmacology and immunology classes, viruses ARE transferrable. However, some viruses/bacteria/illnesses don't affect certain species and/or organisms. For example, monkeys get a disease called SIV - Simian immunodeficiency virus. AIDS is a variant of this. We can't get SIV, but we can get AIDS (duh). Mad Cow disease is transferrable to us, but is in fact different. So basically, if you have more than one pet, and one gets sick, the others are likely to follow if they're the same type of animal. What kind of symptoms?

How very interesting!!!! Cheers jkmcelwain

This is not the exact same article that I read a couple of weeks ago, but the contents are the same.

http://www.examiner.com/x-22578-Newark- ... -Swine-Flu

The H1N1 Virus, better known as Swine Flu, has become a major concern in our country. This intensified version of influenza has been spreading among people for months now. With this growing epidemic brings concern if our pets can also catch the virus.

Luckily, you can leave your worries behind. It is extremely unlikely that your pet will catch the Swine Flu. According to Dr. Louise Murray, Director of Medicine at the ASPCA's Bergh Memorial Hospital in New York City, "At this time there is no data demonstrating any risk of dogs and cats contracting this strain of the virus."

The pig is the only animal that may be susceptible to catching the H1N1 Virus, but so far, no fatalities have been reported. To ensure their safety it is recommended that healthy pigs do receive vaccinations for Type A Influenza.

Be aware, dogs still can catch a strain of the flu known as H3N8 Virus, which cannot be spread to humans. Symptoms are similar to that of the human flu including runny nose and a fever. The most common flu virus' among cats are the A Feline Herpes Virus and Feline Calici Virus. Similar symptoms may occur such as sneezing, and red, puffy eyes.

The good news is, just like humans, after the flu runs its course your pet will be back to their old selves, which is usually in about 10 days. Provide them with plenty of TLC during this time and ensure that you visit your vet so that they can tell you the best regime specified for your pal. Also, be sure to isolate your sick pet from others in the house as the flu will spread from cat to cat or dog to dog.

I know that salmonella is easily transferable from turtles to humans. This is the main reason that parents are strongly cautioned from getting their children pets.

We had contemplated getting my Son a Turtle as he was obsessed by Turtles (the Ninja kind ) but after much research we discovered that they can indeed pass along lots of 'yuck' - It simply wasn't worth the risk!!

When I was a child, myself and two Sisters had terrapins (for want of a better term they were miniature turtles) I recall not being allowed to actually touch them (probably for the above reason) but enjoyed them all the same....

Thanks to those of you who responded.

I spoke to the vet the day of posting this and found out the puppy's didn't have a virus at all. Still...the information of knowing they can get virus's, and pass them to one another is very helpful.

I had spoken to different people about what brands of food they use and what brands they don't. What I was using fell under the category of one they didn't use.

Wanting them to have the best possible, I switched their food. This was what caused the symptoms, I was thinking might have been a virus.

The vet told me as long as they were eating good, were healthy, and I wasn't feeding them table scraps, (which I never have) to stick with what I had been feeding them.

Once I switched back...problem solved.

I had thought this might be the problem since they hadn't been sick until I switched their food, but at the time I posted this I was a bit beside myself having 2 sick puppy's.

Thanks again.

We use beneful. It's cheap and the vet says its good. Their are better foods out there, but if you look at the ingredients, you're paying for the name on most of them. Occasionally we'll get one of their "wet" meals as a treat. Silly dogs...

Brandy I am SO sorry I overlooked this! Nothing worse than 2 sick pups at the same time. UGH! I hope they are ok now.

Yes, virus's can be spread between human and animal and animal to animal. H1N1 comes to mind as does Ebola & AIDS. A few other zoonotic diseases carried from animal to human are tapeworms, giardia, rabies, ringworm, salmonella, hookworm and toxoplasmosis, etc.

There are reports of a nasty new dog-flu going around and some vets are seeing an increase in pet poisoning and bladder/kidney stones. If you feed your pet dry, consider adding a small amount of canned food each day - especially for cats who sometimes drink little water.

Switching a pets diet should be done very gradually or it could get pretty messy! The cats eat a special veterinary diet for the kidneys (over $50 a bag!) and we feed Stitch Pedigree chicken with vegetables. He gained a pound in the past year but it's fun watching him pick out the chicken flavored pieces and spitting the rest out on to the floor!

Anytime I have had to change my dog's food (which I just had to do when I switched the puppy over to dog food), I put 1/4 dog food mixed with 3/4 puppy food for a week and then increased by 1/4 cup per week until I had her switched over to the dog food. These were my vet's directions to keep her from getting diarrhea. I feed my dogs and cat Iams & Hill's Science Diet. It's not very expensive - I don't even remember the exact amount off the top of my head - maybe $50 per bag, but that is a big bag and it lasts close to 3 weeks (but that is for 2 large dogs). My vet's philosophy on food is that you can pay now with good food or you can pay later in vet bills. Not that Iams or Science Diet is top of the line in food, but I was told that they were both good brands. I think it just depends on who you ask. When I spoke to the allergist when they thought my dog had food allergies (which turned out to be an allergy to "Frontline" brand flea treatment), he led us to believe that the only "good" food was what he sold in his office which cost $50 a bag for a small bag that only lasted 2 weeks for 1 dog.

Wifo - what type of symptoms was your dog exhibiting with the Frontline allergy?

catnipandcarrots wrote:Wifo - what type of symptoms was your dog exhibiting with the Frontline allergy?

She was just constantly scratching. This went on for a year. The vet would put her on steroid pills to help alleviate the itching, but as soon as she was finshed taking them it would come back. So then we thought she had dry skin and we started using special oatmeal-based shampoo and conditioner that we bought at the vet's office and, of course we were only bathing her about once every 6 weeks (we were keeping her shaved because she is a long-furred dog). Nothing seemed to alleviate her itching. The vet then determined through process of elimination that it had to be a food allergy so we started her on the special food (Duck & Potatoe - I cannot remember the brand name) that you can only buy at the vets office and it is very expensive for a small bag. Still she was scratching until she had raw spots, which then required antibiotics, ointment, etc....

Finally, I started charting everything I could think of (including anything we did to the lawn) on my calendar. I started noticing that she had about 4 days a month where the scratching seemed to lesson and it fell the 4 days prior to the day I gave her her next dose of Frontline. This was consistent for 5 months straight. Every other variable changed except that one. I spoke to the vet about it and she said that although allergies to Frontline are rare, it is possible. That was at the same time that we had a hard freeze and she said let's see how she does without flea treatment for the next few months.... She quit scratching. Let me say that prior to that, I never stopped flea treatment through the winter months.

Now I use "Revolution", which is both flea & heartworm and she is completely itch-free since we started it in March or April.

I prefer revolution too. However, I usually don'tmedicate for fleas. Just heartworm. Growing up my parents only did heartworm and I'd never even seen a flea until we went to a shelter for the first time. Just my $.02

I had subscribed to this topic and was getting notices in my inbox when someone responded. I see now there has been a few posts made I didn't know about. But at the same time...I should have looked.
It's been frustrating. I can't tell you how many brands of dry food I bought for the first puppy. Plus I didn't care to pay the price since I only had the one and a bag would last for a month. Without going through all this I will say the only brand the 2 of them will eat is Kibbles and Bits. I have heard this isn't one most like to feed their puppys, but so far the ONLY brand that doesn't give them the runs Also I do mix canned food with the dry food. It's the "only" way my oldest puppy will eat. And again...Pedigree, Alpo, you name it...they get the runs. The only canned food they eat that doesn't cause this is Ole Elroy. (another I have heard some people don't like) I guess these guys are just "low maintance." All I know...through a lot of trial and error, sick puppys, and the whole nine yards, this is what they like and works for them.

jkmcelwain...you say you don't medicate for fleas? Is this because your puppys are inside all the time?

My yard and all the neighbors yards are full of fleas. I always used Frontline on my oldest puppy and it always did the trick. The first time I took the new one to the vet, I was told he was too little for any flea meds. (only weighed 2 lbs at the time so he didn't recommend it) The last time I had him groomed, the groomer found 3 fleas on him He hadn't been scratching or showing any signs, plus I had been using a flea comb on him at least 3 times a day. (that's all I had at the time that made his coat feel smooth) I wished the floor could have just opened up and sucked me in. Anyway I left there and went straight to the vet. He weighed in at 5 lbs. (wasn't supposed to get that big and didn't seem like it to me) Anyway, they offered Advantage and Frontline. Said one was as good as the other. They had a "special" on the Advantage so I purchased it. Money down the drain. The first dose worked, but the second one didn't. So again I have learned through trial and error.
I know this is long...BUT...I met a woman in a store as I was buying some puppy pads and toys. She was a bit shocked when she heard I was only using the puppy pads "temporariily" to train him, because my hopes is to have him "go" outdoors.
Do others here prefer their puppys to only go indoors as well? I "assume" she does this to keep hers from getting fleas? Even though this wasn't mentioned...