Volume XV, Issue 4, November 2011
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American Kennel Club Cautions Owners as Pet Thefts Continue to Rise;
State Lawmakers Consider Making 'Dog-Napping' a Serious Crime
The American Kennel Club® continues to remind pet owners to heed warnings about an alarming rise in "dog–nappings." State houses across America have taken notice and are proposing laws to toughen penalties for those who steal pets.
The FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC), which tracks stolen property nationwide, currently lists 200 stolen dogs, according to Steve Fischer, FBI Spokesperson. According to Fischer, "Dogs listed in our database must have permanent owner–applied serial numbers, such as those from embedded microchips. Unfortunately not all dogs have permanent ID, so we know this is only a fraction of the number of missing dogs."
"Each week I am reading about reports of pet theft from all around the country," said AKC spokesperson Lisa Peterson. "Some owners, desperate to find their beloved pets have contacted us, wanting to know what they can do to help get their ‘family’ members back. It’s not just about the financial value of the dog for any of these people. It’s an emotional attachment that can’t be replaced by getting another dog."
PREVENTION
In the Neighborhood
Don’t let your dog off–leash – Keeping your dog close to you reduces the likelihood it will wander off and catch the attention of thieves.
Don’t leave your dog unattended in your yard – Dogs left outdoors for long periods of time are targets, especially if your fenced–in yard is visible from the street.
Be Cautious with information – If strangers approach you to admire your dog during walks, don’t answer questions about how much the dog cost or give details about where you live.
On the Road
Never leave your dog in an unattended car, even if it’s locked – Besides the obvious health risks this poses to the dog, it’s also an invitation for thieves, even if you are gone for only a moment. Leaving expensive items in the car such as a GPS unit or laptop will only encourage break–ins and possibly allow the dog to escape, even if the thieves don’t decide to steal it too.
Don’t tie your dog outside a store – This popular practice among city–dwelling dog owners can be a recipe for disaster. If you need to go shopping, patronize only dog–friendly retailers or leave the dog at home.
Jean Dodds’ Vaccine Schedule
NEW FORM OF TICK-BORNE DISEASE
A new variant of erlichiosis has appeared in Wisconsin and Minnesota. It has not yet even been named. It is a threat to dogs and humans alike, just as are other tick-borne diseases. Fortunately it responds to doxycycline just like other TBDs do.
Here is more information: New England Journal of Medicine
KENNEL COUGH Heads Up/submitted by Donna Hess
There are several reports of local agility dogs that are getting kennel cough. ...I also heard there are also reports of it at local vets fordogs outside of agility... Based on when the agility dogs are showing symptoms, there is a very high probability that Kennel cough has been at several shows and/or classes, not just one place. Symptoms can include a harsh, dry hacking/coughing, retching sound in response to light pressing of the trachea or after excitement or exercise. Severity of coughing usually diminishes during the first 5 days, but the disease can persist (meaning it can be transmitted) for 10-20 days, even if dog appears fine after day 5.
Ettinger/Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine (4th ed. ed.), says Typical Incubation is 2-6 days, eg. You'll see symptoms 2-6 days after exposure. You'll also hear 5-10 days (Merck Vet Manual) and it can also be up to 14 days before symptoms appear.
The reason for varying range for symptom onset is because Kennel Cough is a broad term that covers many things, just like Flu for humans. So how fast symptoms appear will depend on what virus or bacteria caused it.
Exposure can be from more crowded areas, like a crating area (hence why its called Kennel Cough), but can also be from class and can even be from walks in the neighborhood. If you are not up to date on Kennel Cough and how to handle, here are some starting points to get more info.
http://www.barrc.org/pdf/Kennel%20Cough.pdf http://bakerinstitute.vet.cornell.edu/animalhealth/page.php?id=1091
Tagg tracking device uses GPS technology
submitted by Natalie Culver
If that dog or cat is wearing a Tagg pet tracker from SnapTracs, you'll know in an instant if he's gone missing.
Pet-tracking devices that use GPS (global positioning satellite) technology have been around for several years, but devices from Garmin ("Astro"), Zoombak and SportDOG have been clunkers - "big, heavy things that look like they were built in some guy's garage, that the animal won't like wearing and that run out of battery life quickly.
