RABBITS

RABBITS

Rabbits are becoming increasingly popular pets so it is important to understand their environmental and nutritional requirements rather than just expecting them to fit in to an artificial situation.
Most rabbits live between 5 and 8 years. Most are kept in outdoor hutches, although many are now kept as house pets. Hutches should have a dry and draught free nesting area and a larger open area for exercise, bedding should always be provided with paper, wood shavings, or straw.
Adult pet rabbits should be fed primarily on grass or hay which should be freely available, no more than 1/4 cup of commercial rabbit pellets per 5lb bodyweight daily should be offered in order to try and prevent obesity. The rabbit is a herbivore, the plant material ingested is broken down in the caecum in the large intestine by several different types of micro-organisms which produce essential proteins, vitamins and fatty acids to be absorbed by the rabbit. The rabbit does this by reingesting some of the material once it has passed through its bowels. A generous amount of fibre is required within the diet (18-24% crude fibre) to promote good, regular intestinal movement and minimise intestinal disease. Diets low in fibre can cause an increased incidence of intestinal problems, and high starch diets will allow the proliferation of toxic bacteria. A dietary supply of vitamins A, D, and E is essential. Bacteria in the gut synthesise vitamin K and the B vitamins in sufficient quantities. Rabbits fed on grain or hay should be provided with a trace mineral salt lick. Sudden changes of diet should be avoided.

Vaccination of cats

Vaccination of cats

Cats are now the most popular pets in Britain, far outnumbering dogs. They now live longer than ever before and enjoy better health than they ever have; many cats will live to 15 years of age, a few will exceed 20 years. To keep them healthy and active for as long as possible it is important to ensure proper care, nutrition and observe routine health checks and vaccinations

Vaccination of cats can be carried out against feline leukaemia virus, cat flu, rabies, feline infectious enteritis and Chlamydia.
We recommend routine vaccination of kittens against feline leukaemia, feline infectious enteritis and cat flu from 9 weeks of age, with the second vaccine at 12 weeks and thereafter annual boosters.
Rabies vaccination need only be given if you intend taking your pet abroad

Avian Influenza

Avian Influenza

Avian influenza is flu infection in birds. The disease is of concern to humans, who have no immunity against it. The virus that causes this infection in birds can mutate (change) to easily infect humans. Such mutation can start a deadly worldwide epidemic

Causes

Historically, avian influenza viruses infected pigs and mixed with pig influenza viruses. The viruses exchanged genetic information, which led to the formation of a new virus. This new virus could then infect humans and easily spread from person to person. Previous flu pandemics (worldwide epidemics) have started this way.The first avian influenza virus to infect humans directly occurred in Hong Kong in 1997, during an avian flu epidemic on the island. This outbreak was linked to chickens and classified as avian influenza A (H5N1).Since the Hong Kong outbreak, the bird flu virus has spread across Asia, and in October 2005 was discovered in poultry in Turkey and Romania. So far, hundreds of people have been infected by H5N1. Many people have died.The wider the area over which the avian flu virus spreads, the greater the chances of a worldwide outbreak. There is tremendous concern that H5N1 poses an enormous pandemic threat.Farmers and other people working with poultry, as well as travelers visiting affected countries, have a higher risk for getting the bird flu. Handling an infected bird can cause infection. People who eat raw or undercooked poultry meat are also at an increased risk for avian influenza. Highly infective avian flu viruses, such as H5N1, have been shown to survive in the environment for long periods of time, and infection may be spread simply by touching contaminated surfaces. Birds who recover from the flu can continue to shed the virus in their feces and saliva for as long as 10 days.Health care workers and household contacts of patients with avian influenza may also be at an increased risk of the bird flu.

Symptoms

SymptomsSymptoms of avian flu infection in humans depend on the particular strain of virus. In case of the H5N1 virus, infection in humans causes more classic flu-like symptoms, which might include:
Cough (dry or productive)
Sore throat
Fever greater than 100.4°F (38°C)
Difficulty breathing
Diarrhea
Runny nose
Headache
Malaise
Muscle aches

Signs and TestsIf you think you have been exposed to avian influenza, call your health care provider before your visit. This will give the staff a chance to take proper precautions that will protect them and other patients.In February 2006, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved a new, faster test for diagnosing strains of bird flu in people suspected of having the virus. The test is called the Influenza A/H5 (Asian lineage) Virus Real-time RT-PCR Primer and Probe Set. The test gives preliminary results within 4 hours. Older tests required 2 to 3 days.Your doctor might also perform the following tests:
Chest x-ray
Nasopharyngeal culture
Blood differential
Auscultation (to detect abnormal breath sounds)
Other tests may be done to look at the functions of your heart, kidneys, and liver.

Treatment

Different types of avian flu virus may cause different symptoms. Therefore, treatment may vary.In general, treatment with the antiviral medication oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza) may make the disease less severe -- if you start taking the medicine within 48 hours after your symptoms start.Oseltamivir may also be prescribed for persons who live in the same house as those diagnosed with avian flu.The virus that causes human avian flu appears to be resistant to the antiviral medicines amantadine and rimantadine. Therefore these medications cannot be used if an H5N1 outbreak occurs.People with severe infection may need to be placed on a breathing machine. Experts recommend that persons diagnosed with avian flu be put in isolation.Doctors recommend that people get an influenza (flu) shot to reduce the chance of an avian flu virus mixing with a human flu virus, which would create a new virus that may easily spread.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a vaccine to protect humans from the avian flu. Experts say the vaccine could be used if the current H5N1 virus starts spreading between people

Expectations prognosis

Prognosis depends on the severity of infection and the type of avian influenza virus that caused it. The current death rate for patients with confirmed H5N1 infection is more than 50%. The H7N7 avian flu outbreak in the Netherlands resulted in 89 confirmed human cases but only one death. An avian flu virus designates H9N2 infected 3 children in Asia; all three recovered.
Complications
Pneumonia and acute respiratory distress are seen with H5N1 infections. Infection with this virus may also lead to sepsis and organ failure.
Calling Your Health Care Provider
Call your health care provider if you develop flu-like symptoms within 10 days of handling infected birds or traveling to an area with a known avian flu outbreak.
Prevention
Travelers should avoid visits to live-bird markets in areas with an avian flu outbreak. People who work with birds who might be infected should use protective clothing and special breathing masks. Avoiding undercooked or uncooked meat reduces the risk of exposure to avian flu and other food borne diseases.

Vaccination of dogs

Vaccination

All dogs should be vaccinated routinely against five major diseases. These are Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus and Leptospirosis. Additional vaccination for kennel cough should be given if the animal is going to be mixing with a large population of other dogs (e.g. at dog shows, kenneling etc) and rabies vaccination should be given if traveling abroad, indeed this

is a prerequisite for the Pet Travel Scheme.

Puppy vaccination starts from 6 weeks of age with the second injection at 10 weeks, if dogs are at high risk of parvovirus infection a parvovirus booster should be given at 20 weeks old, thereafter annual boosters are required. Pups should not be allowed to mix with other dogs until

at least 12 weeks old or 5 days after the second injection, whichever comes soonest.
Kennel cough vaccination has to be administered at least 5 days before exposure to a high risk situation such as entering kennels. It provides protection for 6 months after which time booster vaccination should be given.

Rabies vaccination is only required if traveling abroad. Normally one injection is sufficient to induce immunity against infection. If the Pet Travel Scheme is being used then blood testing 30 days after vaccination is required to prove that the immune response is adequate, if this is not the case then repeat vaccination is required.

Vaccination is an extremely low risk method of protecting against serious, often fatal disease. Adverse vaccine reactions are very rare and of much less importance than the nature of the illnesses from which these vaccines protect

EQUINE INFLUENZA

EQUINE INFLUENZA

Equine influenza occurs as an epizootic, viral disease characterised by a tracheobronchitis in adult horses and a primary viral pneumonia in foals. Horses of all ages are susceptible but infection is most common in young (<3>

INCIDENCE

Worldwide occurrence as a major disease of economic importance. Extensive use of killed vaccines has reduced the severity of clinical disease and degree of viral shedding but when new antigenic variants emerge, explosive outbreaks of disease can occur.
Large amounts of virus are aerosolised due to the frequent cough. Short incubation period (1-3 days) with viral shedding for about 10 days. Rapid transmission of virus over long distances make isolation virtually impossible

CLINICAL SIGNS

- Cough - sudden onset; group affected; harsh and dry
- fever, dullness, lethargy, anorexia
- bilateral, serous or mucopurulent nasal discharge
- increased respiratory rate and harsh respiratory sounds
- ± conjunctivitis/muscle stiffness/limb oedema.

Signs are less severe in vaccinated animals. Rare complications occur including bacterial bronchopneumonia.

DIAGNOSIS

Based on history and clinical signs, virus isolation form nasopharyngeal swabs and paired serology samples

TREATMENT

Rest, minimum 3 weeks.
Reduce environmental dust/moulds.
antibiotics prophylaxis.
antiflammatories to reduce fever and muscle stiffness.
+/-bronchodilators and mucolytics to ease respiration.

CONTROL

Outbreak

virtually impossible, aerosol transmission over hundreds of yards.
strict rest and isolation of affected cases.
cease training of susceptible in contacts.
vaccination of healthy in contacts.
Vaccination should be carried out, firstly with 2 doses 3-6wks apart then 6mth booster followed by annual boosters.

Respiratory diseases of sheep and goat

Respiratory diseases in goats and sheep
Afrika

Respiratory diseases are diseases affecting the nose, windpipe and the lungs. Production in animals is greatly reduced and death may result

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