HOPING to have yourself and your pet vaccinated against Covid-19 soon? While we can all be justified from wanting to get vaccinated against the dreadful disease that brought the whole world down to its knees, pet owners don't need to have their dogs or cats vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, at least not right away. 

William Karesh, executive vice president for health and policy at EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit that tracks emerging diseases in animals, said that "cats and dogs don’t play an important role in the maintenance or transmission of the disease to humans" and therefore don't warrant a vaccine from a public health standpoint.

Russia, however, was reported by Reuters to be nearing completion of its clinical trials on a COVID-19 vaccine for mink and pet animals such as dogs and cats. Russia's Federal Center for Animal Health said to have started work on the vaccine after it was determined that animals could be infected by Covid-19. The vaccine, which is expected to finish undergoing clinical trials in January 2021, is aimed at rabbits, cats, mink and other animals.

In the United States, Zoetis, a veterinary pharmaceutical company, is also working on a vaccine for mink and pets. The company said their clinical trials showed cats and dogs exhibiting strong immune response to the antigen designed to protect them against infection. All pet vaccines in the US, however, must first have the approval and licenses from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) before they could be sold commercially. USDA has not approved any Covid-19 drug for pets yet. 

HOW come our once active dogs could suddenly become lame? Guest authors Dr. Pranav Anjaria and Dr. Varun Asediya (BVSc & A H) from the College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry of Anand Agricultural University, in Anand, Gujarat, India explain the causes of lameness in dogs, what signs dog owners should keep an eye on, and how this often painful condition in dogs can be prevented and treated.

Lameness refers to an inability to use one or more limbs properly. Most often it is associated with pain or injury. 

CAUSES
The most common etiology of acute or sudden lameness in dogs are: 

• PAW INJURY
  

1. Foreign bodies, like glass, nails, sticks, thorns, plant matter, etc. may injure the paw. They make it uncomfortable to walk and can lead to infection. 
2. Insect and animal stings or bites can also cause limping, also lacerations, broken toenails, burns, frostbite, and bruising may lead to tenderness in walking. 
3. A sign that your dog may have something stuck in his paw is that it will start licking it. 

• JOINT DISEASE
  

1. Osteoarthritis
   
2. Dysplasia,
   
3. Patellar luxation,
   
4. Ligament disease,
   
5. Intervertebral disk disease
   
6. Osteochondritis dissecans (OCd)
   
7. Infections like Lyme disease 

• BONE DISEASE

1. Hypertrophic osteodystrophy 
2. Pan osteitis
3. Osteosarcoma

​

• INJURY OR TRAUMA

1. Broken bones
2. Fractures
3. Sprains
4. Dislocations
5. Ligament tears
6. Joint trauma 
7. Spinal injuries

• NUTRITIONAL IMBALANCES

SIGNS OF LAMENESS IN DOGS

• Pain
• Unusual gait while the dog is walking, runs or climbs stairs
• Swelling of limb
• Loss of muscle mass
• Obvious break or dislocation
• Unusual posture when standing, sitting or lying down
• Reluctance to exercise or perform normal activities such as climbing stairs
• Dragging or scuffing paws
• Confusion, trembling or falling over
• Grating sound when joints move

DIAGNOSTIC TESTS

• X-rays of the bones and joints are used to diagnose fractures and dislocations. They are also helpful in distinguishing bone growths from soft tissue swellings.
• A bone scan (also called nuclear scintigraphy) is an imaging technique that uses radioactive isotopes injected into the body and X-ray equipment to form a picture of the bone and surrounding tissue. These scans are especially useful in diagnosing bone cancers and determining the extent of their spread. 
• A CT scan or MRI may be of benefit in special circumstances, particularly with tendon, ligament, and muscle damage, but the availability and cost of these studies limit their usefulness. 
• Synovial fluid is a viscous joint lubricant that contains hyaluronic acid. The fluid can be removed using a sterile needle and syringe. Analyzing this fluid helps determine the cause of joint swelling. Normal synovial fluid is clear and pale yellow. Blood in the fluid indicates a recent joint injury. Pus indicates joint infection (septic arthritis).

RISK FACTORS

• Breed (size) 
• Overweight
• Frequent, strenuous activity

TREATMENT OF LAMENESS

• The treatment of the condition will depend on the diagnosis of the veterinarian. 
• Treatment forms that can be managed at home involve-
• For minor causes of lameness (sprain), restrict your dog’s exercise, or provide complete rest for a few days.
• If the exact cause is not known, reduced exercise together with anti-inflammatories and pain killers may be required to see if the lameness improves.
• Weight management if your dog is overweight.

In-patient treatment could involve:
For more serious causes like broken bones, slipped discs - orthopedic or neurological surgery is required.

PREVENTION OF LAMENESS

• Serious injuries such as being hit by a car or falling from a height can be avoided by keeping your dog on a lead until it is safe to let them off.
• Be aware of genetic issues that may affect some pedigree breeds.
• Keep an eye on your dog’s weight.
• Inspect their paws and pads regularly and remove debris if present.
• Limit how much you exercise a dog that is still growing to prevent joint problems.
• Elderly dogs need less exercise and if you notice them slowing down seek veterinary advice in the first instance.
• You may want to consider using nutritional supplements that contain glucosamine or chondroitin to help support the joints as the animal ages.

​Good news, cat owners! There is now a new diagnostic tool that can predict the deadly chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats before it's too late to make intervention and treatment.

Antech Diagnostics, a veterinary laboratory owned by Mars Petcare, has launched RenalTech that allows the accurate prediction of the disease in cats. The RenalTech™ tool is now available to veterinarians in the US. Veterinarians will now be able to create tailored proactive care plans for cats and work to delay the onset of CKD.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the number one cause of death for cats over five and affects 30-40 percent of all cats over the age of 10. It is a highly complex disease that historically has been difficult to diagnose. The current methods are only able to confirm the disease in a pet once significant and irreversible kidney damage has occurred, which makes any intervention and treatment challenging.

The RenalTech™ tool was developed from a research project led by Richard Bradley at WALTHAM that was published in Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Bradley et al., 2019). The project involved mining the veterinary records of more than 150,000 cats that visited BANFIELD® Pet Hospitals to create a biomarker of six common feline health measurements (creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, white blood cell count, urine specific gravity, urine protein, urine pH–along with approximate age) to predict CKD up to two years before traditional diagnosis. Access to large data sets allows data scientists to use computers to search for patterns that can predict an event occurring in the future. In this case, historic health records spanning 20 years from 750,000 veterinary hospital visits for over 150,000 cats were examined to hunt for changes that were characteristic of the pets that were known to go on to develop CKD, when compared to those who remained healthy. This approach also allows for these predictive patterns to be tested to determine how accurate the diagnosis is. For the RenalTech™ tool, they found the accuracy was greater than 95 percent.

​WALKING your dog regularly is good for you and your dog. Turn your walk into a workout! Concentrate on your posture, intensity and purposeful movements to increase calorie burn. 

Ideally, here's how you should walk your dog:
* Keep head up, look forward – not at the ground.
* Relax your head, neck and shoulders.
* Swing arms freely with a slight bend at the elbow.
* Engage your stomach muscles to support your back.
* Take a smooth stride: initiate from heel to toe.
* Walk fast enough to elevate breathing and heart rate.

As your dog's workout partner, your job is to also help your dog get the most out of his/her walk. Here are some basic guidelines to follow:
* Use a leash or vest. Keep your dog's head up.
* The back of your dog should be straight with fluid hind and front limbs movements.
* Discourage your dog from sniffing around or at least keep it at a minimum – this is a walking workout.
* Make your dog walk next to you and not in front of you.
* Walk fast enough to burn more calories.

As you start your walking routine, remember to:
*Wear bright or reflective clothes, especially at night.
* Plan your walk. Consider the weather and distance.
* Bring water for you and your dog, especially if the walk will be long.
* Bring pick-up bags to clean up after your dog.
* You can walk anywhere that is safe. Softer surfaces like grass and sand are better for the joints
* Walk together slowly for at least 5 minutes.
* Cool down for another 5 minutes by walking slowly.

The average dog and person spend more than 8 hours a day sitting or sleeping. To stay fit, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day for you and your dog. If you can't set aside that much time, split it up. 

Source: dogtread.com

TOADS are poisonous to dogs. Toads secrete poison from their skin glands which can cause dogs that tried to bite or swallow them to experience from mild to severe physical discomforts that could be life threatening if untreated.

Dogs don't need to eat toads to get their poison. A mere skin contact can send toad's toxins to the dog's mouth and gums, causing instant redness, excessive drooling, involuntary jaw movements and ascending paralysis.

If you are certain your dog has been exposed to a toad, immediately wash your dog's mouth with water and rub the gums with wet gauze. For severe toad poisoning, do this first aid procedure for at least an hour while you rush your dog to the nearest vet clinic. It will also help to induce vomiting if your dog is still conscious. 

A veterinarian will administer an antidote (atropine) with supportive therapy. 

It is less likely for cats to get toad poisoning because they seem to know not to mess with these nasty garden creatures. In case they do get a spray of toxin from the toad's skin, the same first aid procedure should be immediately administered to the cat. -- MetroPets

​​AT the recent Intrapets show in Tokyo, several companies exhibited pet products that are normally kept out of sight: pet toilets. But made automatic, some even fitted with data-collecting features, the new pet toilets and accessories gave the old standard litter box and dog pee mats their much-awaited upgrades so that they are now must-have products designed for pet loving homes.

First is the Wan-wan Meister which claims to be the world's first fully-automated pet toilet. Developed by Japan First Step Co., Ltd., the flat-bed toilet features self-winding absorbent sheets made from  special paper. It also has indicator lamps, a waste tray and sensors. 

​Designed for indoor use, particularly in small apartments or condominiums, the Wan-wan Meister automatically rolls away soiled sheets and brings forth fresh ones thanks to its built-in sensitivity sensors that controls the conveyor belt. The sensors work the moment the dog leaves the platform. 

This product allows a home, especially where a dog has to stay alone for hours, to stay tidy by cleaning after the dog with very minimal human intervention. However, the Wan-wan Meister comes with a steep price tag: JP¥188,000. (see related story)

Not to be outdone, Sharp Corp. also displayed its smart toilet for cats. Driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and IoT (Internet of Things) technologies, the Pet Care Monitor can analyze a cat's urine and frequency, body weight as well as detect health problems early on. It sends a report to the cat owner's smartphone.​

​Built-in sensors allow the Pet Care Monitor to gather relevant information, be it good or bad, which are to be analyzed by Sharp experts and their counterparts at Tottori University. For all these great features, the Pet Care Monitor is priced at 24,800 yen ($225), plus tax. Sharp will also charge users a monthly JP¥300 plus tax. 

Also making heads turn during Interpets is the patented Kitty Twist'r, a litter disposal system that makes cat poop its primary business. Michelle Yan, COO of Red Rocket Asia which makes the Kitty Twist'r, told MetroPets that they could guarantee a no-smell cat litter bin even if cat owners collect two weeks of cat poop there. 

 -- ​Who wants to store that many cat poop? Probably no one, but the Kitty Twist'r at least gives cat owners  a way not to keep using plastic bag every time they need to dispose their kitty's “No. 2”. Masking the almost unbearable cat waste stench are activated charcoals kept at the Kitty Twist'r cover. The active charcoal can last for up to three months. 

After every use, the Kitty Twist'r can wring the opening of its seven-layer plastic garbage bag so no bad smells can escape. 

For the convenience of not taking out the cat's trash daily, the Kitty Twist'r will set back cat owners around US$44.99. -- MetroPets

THERE'S this notion that if you are fat, chances are your pets are fat, too. Pet owners' own lifestyles and the choices they make for their pets play a huge role in determining their furry companions' overall health. 

A recent piece in The New York Times point to veterinarians' growing concern over pet obesity in the United States. The report cited how animal doctors are alarmed to find nearly half the dogs they see as overweight or obese. It's a problem made worse by how only few owners admit that their pets are overweight because of what they do or not do.

The alarming increase in pet obesity cases is happening not only in America but in other advanced economies, too, like Hong Kong. Cooped up in small apartments while their owners work long hours, thousands of pets in Hong Kong are reportedly on the heavy side because they have nothing to do while alone in the house but sleep and eat.

​Pet obesity brings with it a raft of other ailments, effectively shortening a pet's life expectancy. Common obesity-related sickness in cats and dogs include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis and other conditions that similarly occurred among overweight people.

Veterinarians recommend the following to help dogs and cats lose weight:
* Take pets' weight regularly to get an understanding of how much food they need to take daily.
* Cut back on treats and replace them instead with activities that stimulate their mind and body.
* Measure the dog or cat food and follow the minimum suggested amount on the pet food label.
* Discourage food begging especially if you know your pet has already sufficiently eaten its meal.
* Try to exercise your pet 15 to 30 minutes a day.
* Ask veterinarians about prescription diets designed for pet weight loss.
* Ask your veterinarian about other possible medical reasons for your pet's weight problem.

​THE influential Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), the largest animal welfare charity in the United Kingdom, is warning cat owners against feeding their cats solely vegetables.

Unlike dogs which are omnivores that can eat food of plant and meat origins, cats are carnivores and need more meat protein than dogs. However, there seems to be a growing trend that turns cats into vegans, which prompts the RSPCA to remind cat owners that such is deemed illegal under UK's Animal Welfare Act which requires owners to ensure that all their pet’s needs are met, including species-appropriate diet. 

Cats are strict carnivores and depend on some very specific nutrients that are found in meat including taurine, vitamin A and arachidonic acid. Forcing cats to become vegetarian could make them seriously ill in the long run. 

“Owners could be slapped with a huge fine or even a jail sentence if convicted under the Animal Welfare Act if the animal is very malnourished,” an RSPCA spokesman said. 

Despite the health and legal warnings, the number of pet food companies that develop and sell vegan pet food and non-meat alternatives products seem to be growing. They make pet food derived from soya, wheat, maize, rice and beet pulp with synthetic vitamins and amino acids naturally found in meat. 

Pet owners are advised not to extend their personal views on ethical diets onto their pets' food. Animal nutrition experts say a cat's diet must include at least 20 percent meat protein, oherwise feeding an inappropriate or incomplete diet becomes a welfare issue, said the RSPCA. -- MetroPets

Can't sleep? If you are a woman, the solution could be as easy as getting a dog as sleep buddy.

A scientific study called "An Examination of Adult Women's Sleep Quality and Sleep Routines in Relation to Pet Ownership and Bedsharing," studied 962 American women to find out how pet ownership affects their sleep. The respondents were women who sleep with at least one pet dog in their beds (55%) and women who shared their bed with a cat (31%).

The study underscored dog's natural or innate ability to comfort people and help them sleep soundly, as they often sleep soundly, too. In contrast, cats (like humans) are not peaceful bed companions and are known to disturb their ladies' sleep, frequently at the most ungodly hours, too. -- MetroPets

​DOGS have very sensitive ears which probably explains why they hate and are terrified of loud noises. Thankfully, dogs that are terrified of excessive and booming noises caused by fireworks and firecrackers, traffic, gun shots and other commotions can now take a new drug to calm them down. 

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the drug Pexion (imepitoin) for veterinary use. 

Pexion is used in some countries to treat epilepsy in human. For dogs with aversion to loud noise, Pexion can reduce it as established in clinical tests by the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. 

“The owners of 66 percent of dogs receiving Pexion scored the overall treatment effect as excellent or good, compared with 25 percent of dogs receiving the placebo,” said the FDA. 

To be available by prescription only, Pexion can be given to a dog twice daily starting two days before a known noisy event and until the actual occasion. One of the loudest and nerve-racking occasions for dogs are New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Dogs scared of fireworks are known to shake uncontrollably, pant, cry and hide. Hopefully with Pexion, dogs can also enjoy fireworks display with their owners.

But the FDA also warned to administer Pexion on dogs with caution and to monitor the dogs' reaction to it carefully In their tests, three of 90 dogs that received Pexion reportedly became aggressive by growling at a child and lacking self-control towards other dogs.

“Certain drugs used to reduce anxiety, such as Pexion, may lead to lack of self-control of fear-based behaviors and may therefore result in a change in aggression level. The label information accompanying Pexion notes the recommendation that owners should carefully observe their dogs during treatment,” the FDA said. -- MetroPets