Animal Health Solutions

25 Q1 2022 | Animal Health Solutions Insects aren't picky about who or what they bite. Insects like fleas and ticks can carry disease. In addition to the Lyme disease vaccine, pet owners should talk to their veterinarian about flea, tick, and heartworm preventatives. If pets are at risk, families may be too. Zoonotic diseases can be transmitted from animals to people (like rabies and leptospirosis). Even something as simple as not using flea and tick prevention on a dog can lead to ticks getting in the home. What do canine vaccines protect against? Thankfully, there are several safe and effective vaccines available for our dogs today. Some are specific to a single virus or disease, while others cover multiple issues, including: • Leptospirosis • Lyme disease • Bordetella • Canine influenza • Rabies • Parvovirus • Canine distemper • Canine parainfluenza • Canine adenovirus Are vaccines the best way to keep dogs safe? Vaccines have been and historically remain the most cost effective form of medicine we can deliver. Vaccines are a victim of their own success by reducing the incidence of disease pet owners have difficulty understanding the risk and severity of vaccine preventable diseases. It can often be hard to remember how horrible some diseases were before vaccines existed. Within the last century, the widespread use of vaccinations has prevented disease and millions of animal deaths. Protecting dogs with vaccines improves their quality of life — pet owners can avoid costly treatments for illnesses that could have been About the author Dr. Karen Stasiak is the Veterinary Medical Lead for Biologicals with Zoetis. She earned her DVM degree from the Ohio State University in 2001, a Master's degree in Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease from the University of Edinburgh in 2021, and a Master's degree in Nursing from the University of Cincinnati in 1994. Prior to joining with Zoetis, she was in private practice for 13 years, owning a mixed animal practice in Colorado. She received additional training in Comparative Animal Medicine and worked in laboratory animal medicine at National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine in Denver. She is also a neonatal nurse practitioner and worked in the newborn intensive care unit for 20 years. REFERENCES: 1. Plan Talk: Traveling with Animals. U.S. Department of Transportation. https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/plane-talk-traveling-animals. Accessed April 12, 2021. 2. Pandemic Travel: 2020 U.S. Traveler Deep Dive. https://research.skift.com/report/pandemic-travel-2020-u-s-traveler-deep-dive/. Accessed April 12, 2021. 3. Ten threats to global health in 2019. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/spotlight/ten-threats-to-global-health-in-2019. Accessed April 26, 2020. 4. Why Vaccinate Your Pets. Understanding Animal Research. https://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/news/animal-welfare-alternatives/why-vaccinate-your-pets/. Accessed April 12, 2021. 5. Weese, et al (2019) Emergence and Containment of Canine Influenza Virus A(H3N2), Ontario, Canada, 2017–2018. Emerging Inf Dis.,25, 1810-1816. 6. Iverson, et al (2021). Clinical, diagnostic, and epidemiological features of a community-wide outbreak of canine leptospirosis n a low-prevalence region (Maricopa County, Arizona. JAVMA, 258, 616-629. 7. Gober, M, (2020) Are Veterinarians missing key facts when making wellness recommendations? (Zoetis Data on File #18SOROTH-01-01, publication pending) prevented and lessen the risk of losing their pet to a preventable fatal illness. They're also protecting themselves, their family, and their friends from zoonotic diseases. Lastly, let's not forgot there are local and state laws that require certain vaccines. Encourage pet owners to think of their dog's vaccines as they would their own. The World Health Organization states that hesitancy to vaccinate is one of the 10 biggest threats to global health. 3 This is supported by the fact that there has been a 30% increase in the number of worldwide measles cases and a revival of the disease in places that had almost eliminated it. 4 This is an indicator of what can happen to the animal population when vaccinations are not maintained. It is important for pet owners to recognize the importance of vaccinating their dogs, not only for the pet's protection but their own. With this mobile world we live in, nothing is isolated to a single location anymore. We're all exposed to different and sometimes unexpected dangers. But we can easily protect our furry family members by talking with our veterinarians about vaccines and preventatives and keeping all vaccines current. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

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