I’ve written a lot about raw pet food in the past. Initially, the concerns were about Salmonella, since raw fed dogs and cats have high rates of shedding Salmonella, can get sick from it and owners can be infected (from the pet or cross-contamination from the food…always hard to sort that out).
More recently,
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has released new rules for importation of dogs less than 8 months of age for commercial purposes into Canada. The issues around canine importation have been increasingly prominent in recent years, and came to the forefront following an importation debacle in June 2020 that led to the deaths
Ivermectin is a commonly used anti-parasitic in animals, and it’s also used in people to treat some parasitic diseases. Additionally, it’s still widely discussed in some internet circles for treatment or prevention of COVID-19. That’s based on mainly anecdotes, some in vitro study, and very poor quality “clinical trials”.
It’s led to stories of people
I’ve had a blog writing dry spell lately (too much other stuff to catch up on), so I’ll jump back with a quick summary of some recent papers on SARS-CoV-2 in animals. There isn’t really anything surprising here, but it’s a continuation of what we’ve been learning and saying for a while.
I’ve taken a look back at some posts from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, to see how my thoughts have evolved, what I got right and what I screwed up. We have a lot of COVID-19 posts (starting from when we called it “novel coronavirus” or “Wuhan coronavirus” before the SARS-CoV-2 terminology existed).
I tweeted recently about the first report of the B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variant being found in animals, specifically in a dog and cat in Texas, which deserves some more discussion. Also a new pre-print article (i.e. non-peer-reviewed paper) was posted recently that will probably raise more concerns, so I figured I’d better write about that
We partnered with the Canadian Academy of Veterinary Dermatology to update our MRSP fact sheets for pet owners, including a new look, and a French translation! Access them using the links below, or on the Worms & Germs Resources – Pets page.
What is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius? (English)
Qu’est-ce que le Staphylococcus pseudintermedius résistant à
Here’s a pot pourri of reports of staphylococcal infections in humans linked to dogs. Specifically, they’re infections caused by Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, a common dog-adapted species of Staphylococcus. (If you get freaked out reading these, make sure you read the end of the post so you also get the context.)
I’m always on the lookout for good-looking, easy-access resources to help communicate (and to help others communicate) messages around safe and responsible pet ownership, which is how this blog got its start! I also don’t like re-inventing the wheel when I don’t have to, and I appreciate that many organizations have people with vastly better
Lyme disease vaccine is a non-core vaccine, meaning it’s not needed for all dogs in all areas. It’s an effective vaccine, and I’d consider it a reasonable vaccine to give to dogs in (or visiting) higher risk areas, especially when there might be owner compliance issues with tick preventive medication. Available tick preventatives are very
