Understanding Zoonotic Diseases
April 16, 2019
Getting sick is part of our everyday lives, but in most cases, individuals think about colds, flu, and other illnesses passed from one human to another. There is another category of illnesses that impact humans known as zoonotic diseases (zoonoses) that are passed from animals to humans. Working or volunteering at an animal shelter increases the chance of contracting one of these illnesses. To best protect yourself, your volunteer team, and visitors to the animal shelter, it is essential that you understand zoonotic diseases as well as educate volunteers.
How Zoonotic Diseases Spread
According to the Water Quality & Health Council, 60% of infectious diseases are spread by animals to humans. Zoonotic diseases can be spread through bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites depending on the disease. The most common ways these diseases find their way to humans include:
- Animal bites or scratches that break the skin.
- Insect bites from mosquitoes, ticks, or fleas.
- Coming in direct contact with animal fluids including urine, feces, and saliva.
- Consuming water or food that was contaminated by the animal.
- Coming in contact with something that was contaminated by the animal.
- Skin to skin contact with the animal.
- Inhaling germs or particles in the air.
Types of Zoonotic Diseases
There are currently 150 known zoonotic diseases with some being more prevalent than others. Take a look at these common types that your animal shelter should be conscious of:
- Plague: The plague is a bacteria that is spread by small animals including rodents and cats. The bubonic plague is spread by fleas and contracted by humans when bit.
- Leptospirosis: This is a bacterial infection spread by dogs in their urine.
- Cat Scratch Disease: The cat scratch disease is a bacteria spread by felines when they bite or scratch breaking open skin. In some cases, fleas have also been known to spread the bacteria.
- Lyme Disease: Lyme disease is a popular zoonotic disease that is spread by infected ticks attaching themselves to animals or humans.
- Tick Paralysis: Some ticks produce a neurotoxin that when transmitted to humans or animals can cause paralysis starting in the legs before spreading to other limbs.
- Rabies: Another well-known disease that can be deadly to humans which is why many areas require rabies vaccines for animals to prevent the spread.
- Toxoplasmosis: This disease is spread through cat feces and urine. It is especially harmful to unborn babies and linked to birth defects.
Preventing the Spread of Zoonotic Diseases
In an animal shelter setting, there are steps your volunteers can take to minimize the spread of zoonotic diseases including:
- Wear gloves when cleaning litter boxes or removing feces from the yard.
- Thoroughly wash hands after all contact with animals.
- Use insect repellent before spending time outdoors with the animals.
- Wear long sleeves and pants while volunteering to minimize scratches.
- Make sure all animals are seen by a vet upon intake.
If you haven’t trained your volunteer team on zoonotic diseases recently, now is a great time to schedule a training session.
Pets: A Varying Palette
September 11, 2018
I’m sure that everyone at some point in their pet’s life have heard that human food is not good for your them. Though there are certain spices and foods that you should avoid, not all human food is actually bad for your pet companion!
Think about it this way, your cat and your dog, they eat foods that are enriched with chicken, turkey, beef, etc. Well aren’t those all foods that we as humans eat? Have you ever taken a look in your pet’s wet food and noticed veggies? How about looking at the back of the food bag and reading the ingredients. I bet that you will find some familiar foods, some of which might be some of your favorites!
Not only do your dogs and cats have a wide variety with in their food, so do some of the not so average pets such as pigs, birds and lizards to name a few. Just like Humans our companions also have quote the varying palette.
Lizards, dogs and birds are predominately carnivorous , but it doesn’t mean that they won’t eat those healthy fruits and veggies. For example Apples are a great snack ( sans the seeds ) for your furry AND scaly friends in moderation. They are high in fiber and low in fat making for a yummy change up for the pets that you love. Another fruit that is has a dual purpose is watermelon. Not only is this good for your pet but it will also help keep them hydrated seeing as it is mostly water based. Watermelon is packed with vitamins that help with muscle and nerve function.
Lets not leave those veggies out either! Carrots are a favorite of dogs, lizards and birds because of the crunch that comes with it. They also promote great eye and skin health. Sweet potato is a base that is used in several brands of treats, but can easily just be cut up and fed to your pet raw. This is also a nutrient rich treat, and much healthier than white potato.
Here are a list of safe fruits and veggies that you can give your pets in moderation:
Spinach Green Beans Pumpkin Broccoli Brussel Sprouts Apricot
Cabbage Carrots Cucumber Celery Apple Mango
Banana Blueberries Raspberries Pear Cantaloupe Watermelon
Here is a list that you should try and avoid:
Cherries Grapes Raisins Lime Lemon Grapefruit
Persimmons Onion Garlic Rhubarb Mushrooms
When it comes to meat, you can never go wrong with added protein as a treat, or as an addition to meals every once in a while. What you want to look out for here is seasoning. You should never give your pet meat that has been seasoned. Most seasonings have adverse effects that could cause long term damage when ingested, so make sure you are paying attention! A great treat for any type of pet would actually be eggs! This is a tasty treat that has great benefits for your furry ( or scaly ) friends skin. This is generally something that you would not give your bird.
So next time you go to grab yourself a snack or cook dinner, go ahead and look what you are making and maybe surprise your pet with a new treat!