This morning I received another H1N1 influenza (swine flu) action alert from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

H1N1 update: Cat death in Oregon from presumed 2009 H1N1

November 18, 2009 – The Oregon state public health veterinarian has reported that a pet cat has died from presumed 2009 H1N1 influenza virus infection. The cat was one of 4 cats in the household and became ill approximately one week after a child in the household had a flu-like illness. It developed labored breathing and was presented to a veterinarian on November 4. The cat was not coughing or sneezing but had pneumonia. The cat’s condition deteriorated over the next 3 days, and it died on November 7. Samples were obtained and tested (PCR) positive for the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. Additional samples were sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) for confirmation and are still pending. At this time this is a presumed, not confirmed, case of 2009 H1N1 influenza infection.

The three other cats in the household also became ill with different degrees of sneezing and coughing, but recovered from their illnesses. Samples collected from these cats were negative for the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.

We continue to update our 2009 H1N1 influenza resources as soon as we receive and verify information. These resources are available at http://www.avma.org/public_health/influenza/new_virus/default.asp. We are also in the process of updating our “Frequently Asked Questions” document for veterinarians to include additional information about sampling and testing procedures, and anticipate the updated document will be posted within the next 24 hours. The document is linked from the H1N1 page or at http://www.avma.org/public_health/influenza/new_virus/new_flu_virus_faq_veterinarians.asp.

The messages to pet owners remain the same.

This is not cause for panic, but underscores the importance of taking pets to a veterinarian if they are showing signs of illness. This is especially important if someone in the household has recently been ill with flu-like symptoms.

Ferret and cat owners should remain vigilant.

To date, all of the sick pets became ill after a person in the household was ill with flu-like symptoms. There is no evidence to suggest that pets have or will spread the virus to humans or other animals.

Proper hygiene and sanitation measures should be followed to limit the spread of the influenza virus.

The web page mentioned in the action alert is a great resource for breaking developments in the matter of swine flu in pets. I recommend that you check it regularly if you are interested in the subject.

In practice, microchips have not yet lived up to the hype. Much of the gulf between expectations and experience is attributable to a lack of standards in the microchip industry. In short, it appears that economic considerations and attempts to corner the market by different microchip manufacturers have interfered with the purported goal of the devices: returning lost pets to their owners.

Proprietary technologies initially played a role in the problem. Each brand of microchip could be read only by scanners made by the same company. For instance, in 2001 a commonly available microchip scanner (manufactured by Home Again) could not read chips made by the company’s main competitor, Avid. When scanned, Avid chips would not display the unique code that was supposed to identify the pet. Instead, the scanner display would simply read “AVID”. I had to refer lost pets with Avid chips to a nearby facility with an Avid scanner.

This problem came to a head when a large chain of corporate veterinary practices decided to start using an entirely new type of microchip. This chip would not even register on most commercially available scanners. In other words, pets with the new chip would appear not to be microchipped when scanned with many devices.

A furore erupted. What if a lost pet with a family desperately searching for it were euthanized because an animal shelter’s scanner could not read its microchip?

This concern lead to the development of universal microchip scanners. These devices read all brands of microchips.

That’s a good start. But after a microchip has been scanned successfully, the chip must be matched to the person who registered it. There are several microchip registries.

For instance, when I scan my pal Buster’s microchip, the following information appears on the device’s screen:

473***1O43

(I have redacted a few digits from the code to protect my privacy)

This sequence of numbers and letters can be plugged into the appropriate database to reunite Buster with the people who would be frantically searching for him if he were lost. But there are several databases out there. Where to start?

Enter the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). The Association has launched a new web site, www.petmicrochiplookup.org, which will track the registry of a microchip and direct a good samaritan to the proper database. In theory.

I entered Buster’s microchip information into the site and retrieved the following:

[WebException: The operation has timed out]
System.Net.HttpWebRequest.GetResponse() +5314029
_Default.ImageButton1_Click1(Object sender, ImageClickEventArgs e) +1819
System.Web.UI.ImageClickEventHandler.Invoke(Object sender, ImageClickEventArgs e) +0
System.Web.UI.WebControls.ImageButton.OnClick(ImageClickEventArgs e) +108
System.Web.UI.WebControls.ImageButton.RaisePostBackEvent(String eventArgument) +118
System.Web.UI.WebControls.ImageButton.System.Web.UI.IPostBackEventHandler.RaisePostBackEvent(String eventArgument) +10
System.Web.UI.Page.RaisePostBackEvent(IPostBackEventHandler sourceControl, String eventArgument) +13
System.Web.UI.Page.RaisePostBackEvent(NameValueCollection postData) +36
System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint) +1565

Some day perhaps microchips will live up to their potential. I hope that day comes soon.

Healthystuff.org has been independently testing various consumer products for toxins over the last few years. Here is a bit of what the site had to say about pet toys.

HealthyStuff.org tested over 400 pet products, including beds, chew toys, stuffed toys, collars, leashes, and tennis balls. Since there are no government standards for hazardous chemicals in pet products, it is not surprising that toxic chemicals were found.

45% of pet products tested had detectable levels of one or more hazardous chemical, including:

One-quarter of all pet products had detectable levels of lead.

7% of all pet products have lead levels greater than 300 ppm — the current CPSC lead standard for lead in children’s products.

Nearly half of pet collars had detectable levels of lead; with 27% exceeding 300 ppm — the CPSC limit for lead in children’s products.

One half (48%) of tennis balls tested had detectable levels of lead. Tennis balls intended for pets were much more likely to contain lead. Sports tennis balls contained no lead.

Lead poisoning affects many systems in the body. Learning and cognitive difficulties are a common feature of lead poisoning. This means that my pal Buster, who loves playing fetch and no doubt has consumed ample lead from various balls, may have to give up on his dream of a Nobel Prize in economics.

Photo: I hope that’s a sport tennis ball. By Bruce.

Editor’s Note: Here is a list of toys, beds, collars and more Healthy Stuff has found with high levels of lead. Also see their list of pet products of medium concern.

National report — The number of rabies-infected cats was almost four times that of rabies-infected dogs in the United States in 2008, according to a new report from the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Cats may be more prone to rabies because they’re vaccinated less and roam outdoors unsupervised more often than dogs, the report suggests.

The data, collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, appears in a new AVMA rabies backgrounder published online in advance of World Rabies Day, Sept. 28. The report also covers the history of rabies and its prevalence around the world as well as clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment and euthanasia protocols for infected and possibly infected animals.

Most rabies infections — 93 percent — are seen in wild animals, according to the report, but most post-exposure rabies prophylaxis (PEP) in humans is administered because of exposure to rabid or possibly rabid cats and dogs.

Researchers also warn that imported dogs carry the threat of a resurgence of canine rabies variants in this country. They point to a rabid puppy that arrived from India in 2007, and a rabid dog from Iraq imported into New Jersey in 2008.

The complete study, “Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2008” appears in the Sept. 15 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

A quick visit to the American Veterinary Medical Association’s website provided hard numbers. In 2008, 49 states (Hawaii is rabies free) and Puerto Rico reported 294 rabid cats, 75 rabid dogs, and two people with rabies. Both human cases appeared to spread by bats. Both people died.

Bear in mind that these numbers are relatively small. Rabies is not common in developed countries. However, it is a major threat to humans and animals in some parts of the world. In these areas, dogs are the leading source of human rabies.

Chart: American Veterinary Medical Association.

Today I received the following action alert from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

2009 H1N1 influenza virus confirmed in Iowa cat

November 4, 2009 – A 13-year old cat in Iowa developed signs of a respiratory infection after several people in the household were ill. Preliminary testing was positive for 2009 H1N1 on October 29, and the results were confirmed on November 2. This is the first report of a cat infected with H1N1. The cat has recovered from its illness.

To date, this is the first cat confirmed infected with the 2009 H1N1 virus. Two ferrets, one in Oregon and one in Nebraska, have also recently been confirmed infected with the 2009 H1N1 virus. The Nebraska ferret died, but the Oregon ferret has recovered. To date, there is no evidence that the ferrets or the cat passed the virus to people.

The American Veterinary Medical Association and American Association of Feline Practitioners are reminding pet owners that many viruses can pass between people and animals, so this was not an altogether unexpected event. We are advising pet owners to monitor their pets’ health very closely, no matter what type of animal, and visit a veterinarian if there are any signs of illness.

The good news, of course, is that the cat recovered and that animals have not yet been shown to pass the virus to humans.

I will continue to relay to my readers all of the information I receive on feline or canine H1N1 influenza.

People’s knowledge of history is poor. Very few of my clients are aware that merely six hundred and fifty years ago fleas spread a disease (bubonic plague, also known as black death) that wiped out a third of Europe and changed the nature of society forever. Only in the last 80 years has the plague receded as the preeminent threat to human existence.

Now that in the United States plague isn’t the imminent threat it once was, many people view fleas as merely pests.

Indeed, fleas are pests. But they are much more than pests. They are vectors for many diseases other than plague in cats and humans.

A page published recently on the NAVC Clinician’s Brief website discussed some of the vague, creepy diseases that fleas can spread to your cat–and to you.

I suggest you check it out. Also, don’t forget to read what I have written about the parasites on my website:

http://drbarchas.com/fleas

Image: The little fella almost looks cute. Don’t be fooled: he’s deadly!

Vetsulin insulin is widely used in diabetic dogs (and, occasionally, diabetic cats). I was therefore disturbed to receive the following e-mail from the American Veterinary Medical Association.

FDA-CVM Issues Alert About Problems with Vetsulin® Porcine Insulin Zinc Suspension

November 3, 2009 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, in cooperation with Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, has announced that Vetsulin® may have varying amounts of crystalline zinc insulin, the active ingredient, in the formula. As a result, use of the product could result in a delay in action of the drug as well as prolonged action, which could cause difficulty in managing diabetic pets. Get more information on the AVMA web site, AVMA.org: http://www.avma.org/aa/vetsulin_091102.asp

If you administer Vetsulin to your pet, I recommend that you contact your veterinarian about this matter immediately. Unreliable insulin can lead to chronically high blood sugar in pets. Worse, it can lead to accidental insulin overdose. For information on the symptoms of insulin overdose in pets, go to my website:

http://drbarchas.com/insulin

People will leave Halloween candy unattended, in many cases just for a moment. Dogs will pounce upon and devour the candy, wrappers and all. I see the consequences of this every year, time and time again.

Fortunately, most Halloween candy contains milk chocolate (click the link to learn more about chocolate toxicity in dogs)–one of the least dangerous types. And many seasonal treats are made mostly of nougat, which isn’t technically toxic. The wrappers generally are harmless.

But any dog that eats enough Halloween candy is at risk of more than chocolate toxicity or an upset stomach. Each year I treat several dogs for pancreatitis after they devour a stash of sugary treats.

Pancreatitis is a life-threatening inflammation of an organ that is involved in the digestion of food. Dogs who recover from pancreatitis are at increased risk of diabetes later in life.

Have fun this Halloween. But watch the dog!

Influenza viruses are known for infecting multiple species–as the name would imply, swine flu developed in pigs and then spread to people.

This may lead pet owners to wonder: can cats and dogs catch swine flu?

The answer appears to be no. DVM Newsmagazine reports that there is no evidence cats or dogs can contract, carry, spread, or suffer illness from H1N1 influenza.

H1N1 influenza has been isolated from a ferret. Fortunately at this time there is no evidence that ferrets can spread the disease to people.

Although it appears we can rest easy about our cats and dogs catching swine flu, remember that cats are susceptible to an even scarier form of influenza: bird flu (also known as H5N1). Cats contract bird flu by preying upon or being fed raw bird meat. The virus does not appear capable of spreading from cat to cat. That is a good thing, since the fatality rate among cats infected with H5N1 appears to be 100%.

Fortunately, it is easy to protect your cat from H5N1. If you feed your cat commercial or cooked food and keep him indoors, his chances of catching bird flu are nil.

To answer this question I will rely in part on my own original research. I tested the corn-as-a-filler hypothesis personally.

When I was a freshman in college, dinner was served family style each night in the dormitory’s cafeteria. At that time I had not yet ascertained that I was destined to be a clinician rather than a researcher. Therefore I decided to undertake an experiment.

One night my table was served a portion of canned corn. A large volume was left over at the end of the meal. In the name of science I consumed the leftover canned corn. It amounted to at least two cups. In order to ensure the validity of my experiment, I took care not to chew the corn.

The next morning a scientific breakthrough occurred. I discovered, decisively, that unchewed corn is not digestible.

The key word, however, is unchewed. The outer husk of a corn kernel is not digestible by cats, dogs, or humans. Ground up corn is a different story.

I remember learning in nutrition class in vet school (and to answer, in advance, the skeptics who will bring up links between pet food companies and veterinary nutrition departments, I have this to say: give me some credit. You don’t think I’d see through that?) that corn is actually a good source of protein for pets.

When I was in Ohio (remember folks, it was Ohio. Not Hawaii, and certainly not Rio) on Iams’ dime, various Iams representatives pointed out that the price of corn has skyrocketed in the last year as demand for corn-based ethanol and other biofuels has taken off. They state that if corn were just a filler they would be wise to seek out a more economical filler.

I also asked about the future of grain-free diets. Dan Rajczak (head of Iams and and Eukanuba) states that the company is investigating these diets at their Louisville, Ohio research center. If their research shows these diets to be more optimal for pet health (and perhaps more profitable?), Iams may begin to move away from grains.

But enough about corn and grains. I also found out where the names Iams and Eukanuba come from. Iams is the last name of the company’s founder. Eukanuba apparently is something that young men in Dayton, Ohio would say when they saw an attractive woman about a century ago. In other words, Eukanuba means hot chick.

And that wraps up the Iams thread. Tomorrow the Vet Blog will be back to feline Q and A. Dog lovers, fear not. I’ll start adding in some dog topics again soon.

Photo: A scientific experiment waiting to happen! By Vassia Atanassova.