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Scottsdale, AZ
480.330.4552
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Special Message About FAR & Mutt ‘n’ Mingle
Hey everyone!
It was TACO TUESDAY today up at West Addison. If you know me, you will know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE their tacos. They are so juicy and amazing! So my friend Eddie, Director over at Foothills Animal Rescue (FAR) and I had lunch and got some Taco’s today.We talked a lot about the rescue and pet sitting in Scottsdale.
Since West Addison is the place for Mutt N Mingle I thought it would be great to shoot a quick video to say hello to you. Did you know that FAR will accept all your household items you don’t want and sell them in their resale boutique? Awesome, huh? AND if you know anyone looking for some great items on a budget, FAR is the place to send them! In fact, Eddie was just telling me that they just received a whole estate worth of “stuff” from someone who passed away. Where are my bargain shoppers out there?
Anyways… here we are!
What You Need To Know About Distemper If You Have A Pet
Dr. Casey is Rocco’s vet. There are many reasons why I adore her and her practice, and here is just one of them. Backstory: This morning one 
of our employee’s puppies was diagnosed with distemper. She is so sad as she just lost of of her other puppies to this virus two weeks ago. As it is in the news recently, I thought it would be best to go straight to the expert. I emailed Dr. Casey this morning and six hours later I have the short and long version of what this virus is and what to look out for.
Short Answer:
Distemper is a virus, just like many other viruses, it is spread by contact with other dogs and/or excretions- just like the common cold in people. It will not infect people, cats, or most other pets, but can be spread to ferrets, coyotes, foxes or wolves.
The recent outbreak has affected the local Humane Society and Animal Shelter, but that means that it is in our environment! Dogs of any age can be infected if they are not current on vaccinations, but young and stressed dogs are the most susceptible. It is spread through contact with infected dogs – so dog parks, kennels, shelters and boarding/daycare facilities are all possible sites of transmission. The good thing is that with proper disinfection, the virus is easily destroyed.
Checking to see if your pet is current on his/her Distemper vaccine would be a very good idea! If he or she is not current- getting a booster would be highly recommended. If handled and administered correctly, the vaccine is extremely effective, almost 100%.
This virus starts out looking like a cold, but progresses to much more severe illness (including pneumonia, vomiting, diarrhea, thickening of the foot pads, and finally seizures). If your dog is coughing, sneezing, has green nasal discharge, fever or any symptoms- please have him/her examined by a veterinarian.
Don’t be scared, this virus has been around for a very long time, the vaccine was created in the 1950′s. So we know it well and do not believe that this new strain is resistant, it is just a particularly nasty version, meaning infected dogs are getting really sick.
If you are adopting a rescue pet (which I highly recommend), please keep him or her separated from your other pets for 10 days or so, to ensure that the new pet is not carrying any bad bugs into your home 
Longer answer:
Distemper Virus
Most of us have heard of distemper infection for dogs and gather it is bad. The basic vaccine for dogs is “the distemper shot,” which vaccinates against distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis, and some minor kennel cough agents. Luckily, this is all most people ever hear of distemper.
Symptoms begin with:
- Gooey eye and nose discharge
- Fever, which often comes and goes unnoticed
- Poor appetite
- Coughing and development of pneumonia
The virus is attacking interfaces of the body with the environment (the mucous membranes) and starts with the nose/lungs, hence the pneumonia, but it does not stop there. The virus moves on to produce:
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Callusing of the nose and foot pads (hence one of the old names for distemper – “hard pad disease”).
Finally, the virus proceeds to the central nervous system for its neurologic phase leading to:
- Seizures, classically starting with snapping or tremors of the jaws that progress to convulsions of the whole body. This distemper classic sign is called a “Chewing Gum Seizure”.
- Seizures are not the only distemper sign by any means. Tremors, imbalance, and limb weakness all may occur. Signs may progress to death or may become non-progressive and permanent. Recovery is also possible.
This means that the some dogs appear to recover only to break with neurologic disease 1 to 3 weeks later. Younger puppies or individuals with weak immunity often die during the mucosal phase while stronger individuals may have relatively mild mucosal signs and not appear ill until the neurologic phase strikes. This makes determining when we are “out of the woods” very difficult!
Diagnosis
Unfortunately, diagnosing Distemper is not clear cut- it has many of the same symptoms of Kennel Cough or other viral infections. Also, recent vaccination can create false positives, so it can be frustrating to understand.
Because of this, distemper is a clinical diagnosis, which means that rather than confirming infection with a test that is negative or positive, the veterinarian must look at the whole picture: what symptoms are there, is the history typical, etc. The virus itself remains elusive so that positive test results are meaningful in confirming the infection, but negative results do not rule it out. The following are tests that can be used:
Distemper Inclusion Bodies
Distemper Antibody Levels
PCR Testing
Cerebrospinal Fluid Antibody Levels
Treatment
The treatment for distemper is all about supporting the pet- just like a virus in people. While this virus can be fatal, some pets do recover.
The fact remains that recovery from distemper is all about immunity and the only real treatment is supportive care while the patient mounts an immune response. If the patient has pneumonia, antibiotics are used on the secondary bacterial infections. Airway dilators are used as needed. Physical therapy is used to promote coughing. If the patient has diarrhea, fever or is not eating, intravenous fluids are used to prevent dehydration.
Distemper is extremely variable in its ability to produce symptoms and recovery occurs at any stage (some dogs only get a snotty nose, some have ALL the signs). This has led to assorted therapies being credited with effect when what was more likely witnessed was the natural removal of the infection by the pet’s immune system.
Neurologic distemper is particularly difficult to treat. Still, it is possible for dogs to recover with livable deficits even from neurodistemper; euthanasia is best left for progressive, incapacitating neurologic symptoms.
Prevention
The “distemper shot” is the basic immunization for dogs. It is generally combined with vaccine for canine parvovirus as well for parainfluenza, adenovirus 2 and sometimes coronavirus. Puppies are vaccinated beginning at age 6 to 8 weeks, and then every 3-4 weeks thereafter until age 16 weeks. The next vaccine is one year later. After that subsequent vaccination boosters are given every 1 to 3 years or based on antibody levels or depending on the lifestyle of the pet. Prevention is the best medicine- no one wants to get sick!
Hope that helps- distemper is a bad bug, let’s hope that we can stop a major outbreak with education and vaccination!
Dr. Casey can be reached at McDowell Mountain Animal Hospital 17050 N Thompson Peak Pkwy, Scottsdale, AZ 85255-2555
480-419-6300 http://www.mcdowellmtnvet.com/
Related articles
- Pet Health Alert: Distemper Cases Up (myfoxphoenix.com)
The Secrete to Finding The Perfect Pet Sitter In Scottsdale
Photo by: Urban Distortions
Given the recent turn of events with Amanda’s Pet Sitting in Scottsdale Az I thought it would be important to tell you all a little about how to choose a pet sitter, what matters in their credentials, what to be aware of, and what really doesn’t matter.
As a professional pet sitter in Scottsdale Az since 2002, I have heard it all. Often times we gain our best clients from their unfortunate horror stories in the past and we look forward to the opportunity to build their confidence in our company. Recently, there was a pet sitter in the news who pet sat for a family with four dogs and two died in her care.Unfortunately this happens more than you think and this just happened to be one incident that was in the news.
See the story here aired 1/11/12: http://www.azfamily.com/news/consumer/dogs-die-under-care-of-pet-sitter-137191423.html
Follow Up Story Aired 1/25/12: http://www.azfamily.com/news/consumer/3-On-Your-Side-confronts-pet-sitter-accused-of-neglect-138064403.html
How To Choose A Pet Sitter It is really quite simple. Go with your gut! It is not uncommon for pet sitting companies to charge a fee for the meet and greet that you can apply onto your first booking. These companies understand what their time is worth and this is a good thing for you! It shows they take their job seriously. Are they on time for your meeting? Did they answer the phone the first time you called or did they get back to your promptly? Trust your gut. If you want a pet sitter you can get a hold of while you are away them pay attention to how quickly they respond to you.
What matters in their credentials? Of course being bonded and insured matters, however knowing what company holds their insurance is even more important. Think about it. If something were to happen and they were to “disappear” how would you know who to call? How involved are they with the community? How long have they been around and is it their full time job?
Be aware of the companies that claim they are the best in their area by their own proclamation. Be careful of those who don’t offer up personal information about themselves on their website or social media. It is okay to take this to heart – these people could be sleeping in your bed with your pets! Relying solely on their credentials of being bonded, insured, and part of a national organization do not mean anything.
What doesn’t really matter are referrals from clients that the company gives you. Do you think they are going to give you people that are unhappy with their services? Also, hate to say it, but memberships in national organizations do not matter either. The way a company becomes a member is simply sending their dues in. So the company that is toting a national organization logo on the front page of the website, doesn’t tell potential clients anything. The organizations will say they have a code of ethics, although the policing of every member’s ethics is a pretty big task.
Bella and staff at our monthly Mutt N Mingles so we can meet the community!
OK so what DOES MATTER?
Ask them who in the community vouches for them? Do veterinarians? What sorts of community outreach are they involved in? Have they won any prestigious awards? Do they return your calls or emails quickly? Does their website and social communities tell you who they are authentically? These types of things can not be faked or bought. They have to be earned.
The next time you are looking for a professional to stay in your home with your pets – keep these tips in mind. This is the truth because I have seen it over and over again over the past 10 years. Bella’s House & Pet Sitting represents all of this and more. We may not be the cheapest, but our reputation and integrity speak volumes and ultimately every pet parent want their kids and home safe when they are away.
Shhh! I Know The Newest Pet Store In Scottsdale!
Hello everyone! I feel like a beagle with its nose down and tail up because I am hot on the scent of the newest …. Pet Gourmet! They are the newest pet food store in North Scottsdale and I have the pleasure of getting to know them this week!
Karen, Beth, Bella, Rica
Karen Miller, former owner of Grooming Elegance and previously grooming at Horizon Animal Hospital called me up to let me know her latest project! Soon, the Pet Gourmet will be opening a grooming section to their store and Karen will be heading it up. Karen invited me to come in and meet the owners and get to know the store.
Great news, huh?
Well, it gets better!
They are putting a spin on the “typical” experience in grooming. When you drop your dog off, they invite you to relax in the back of the store, on their big comfy couches and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea while you watch Karen work away through the large glass window. Pretty neat, huh?
The view into the grooming area from the lounge area... still under construction.
The owners are lovely people. All family owned and operated and even closed on Sunday’s. I have a LOT of respect for that. Do you remember the days when businesses were closed on Sunday’s? There will be more to come on the store as a whole after my next trip there when the grooming side opens up. In the meantime, here are some “construction shots” so you can get your tail wagging!
The Pet Gourmet is located at:
14700 N Frank Lloyd Blvd Ste 153
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
(480) 203-2499
Related articles
- Pet Taxi in Scottsdale is Affordable and Easy! (bellashouseandpets.com)
- What I Learned About Grocery Store Pet Food… (bellashouseandpets.com)
- 5 Reasons Why You Should Hire A Scottsdale Dog Walker (bellashouseandpets.com)
Is Tuna Bad For My Dog?
A few nights ago, we played Bella late night! I was up late and on Facebook, so I asked what questions you had for me. One of them came from Michelle who asked the following, Is Tuna Bad For My Dog?
Late night with Bella on Facebook
If I am not the expert who has studied in the subject, I never like to speculate. So, I went to on of our trusty resources who has ALWAYS been there for Rocco and our Scottsdale pet sitting clients when ever we have have a question. Dr. Casey is the veterinarian at McDowell Mountain Animal Hospital graciously responded to this question for us. Here is what she said:
Hey Bella
I am happy to help. Tuna is not at all bad for dogs (or cats). I don’t like it as a primary food source (it shouldn’t be ALL that the pet is eating) but can be given as a treat. Like all deep sea fish, we have to watch for too much mercury- the canned light tuna is lower in mercury than the albacore. The fresh stuff is also fine, just mega-expensive! So as a treat, tuna is fine! The only thing to watch for is an allergy- for some crazy reason my own dog reacts to fish (which is not a common allergy at all
I hope that this helps!
Dr. Casey
McDowell Mountain Animal Hospital
480-419-6300
So there is the answer! We are so grateful to have Dr. Casey to rely on whenever we have a question!