A Path With Paws

Frequently Asked Questions about the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus and Pets

Updated November 6, 2009

These questions and answers are based on what is currently known about the virus, and will be updated as we get new information.

Q: Can my pet get the 2009 H1N1 virus?
A:Until recently, we had no reason to believe pets could be infected with the 2009 H1N1 virus because it is very uncommon for flu viruses to jump between species. However, on October 9, 2009, a USDA laboratory confirmed 2009/H1N1 infection in a ferret. The ferret’s owner had recently been ill with the flu. Ferrets are more susceptible to infection with influenza viruses, so this was not altogether surprising. At this time, there are no reports of the 2009 H1N1 flu virus being transmitted from a ferret to a person.

On November 4, the Iowa State Veterinarian and the Iowa Department of Public Health announced that a pet cat was confirmed infected with the 2009 H1N1 flu virus. The cat’s owners were ill and the cat developed respiratory symptoms shortly afterward. The cat has recovered and there is no evidence at this time that the cat passed the virus to any people.

Pets that live indoors, especially cats, tend to have close contact with their owners – after all, that’s why we have pets – and that increases their chances of being exposed to diseases. The best advice is to always follow common sense guidelines when dealing with animals (for example, washing your hands). In addition, it’s more important than ever that pet owners keep a good eye on their pet’s health and consult a veterinarian if their pet is showing any signs of illness. Keeping your pets healthy reduces their risk of becoming ill.

Q: I’ve heard about ferrets and a cat getting the 2009 H1N1 virus. Should I get rid of my ferret or cat so my family is protected?
A:Certainly not. This is not cause for panic and extreme measures. You are much more likely to catch the flu (any type of flu, including the 2009 H1N1 flu) from an infected person than you are from an animal. So far, all of the pets infected with the 2009 H1N1 virus became infected from being around their ill owners. The main lesson here is that if you’re feeling ill and have flu-like symptoms, you should probably limit your contact with your pets (and other people, for that matter) until you are feeling better. As always, if your pet is showing signs of illness, it should be examined by a veterinarian.

Q: The 2009 H1N1 virus has infected poultry. What about my pet bird? Can it be infected?
A:We know it can infect poultry, but we don’t know if it can affect other birds (including pet birds).

Q: What symptoms would I see in my dog or cat if it developed H1N1?
A:So far, there haven’t been any reports of dogs infected with the 2009 H1N1 flu virus. Based on what’s been reported, ferrets and one cat – and probably dogs, if they can become infected with the virus – have shown signs of respiratory illness. These signs can include lethargy, loss of appetite, fever, runny nose and/or eyes, sneezing, coughing, or changes in breathing (including difficulty breathing).

Keep in mind that dogs currently have their own flu virus, the H3N8 influenza (canine influenza) virus, going around. So far, this flu virus has only been spread from dog to dog. Dogs infected with the canine influenza virus show the same symptoms as dogs with kennel cough – fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, coughing, and maybe a runny nose. For more in-depth information on canine influenza, view our canine influenza backgrounder.

Q: How serious is this disease in dogs or cats?
A:We don’t yet know. There haven’t been any reports of dogs infected with the 2009 H1N1 flu virus, and there has only been one cat confirmed to be infected. The infected cat recovered from its illness.

Q:Should I keep the people in the house who have respiratory disease away from the pet and vice-versa?
A:Until we know more about the risks of spreading the virus from person to pet, pet to pet, or pet to person, it’s a good idea to limit contact between an ill family member and other family members and pets. If your pet is ill, contact your veterinarian.

Q: Is there a vaccine that can be used for pets? Can the human H1N1 vaccine be used for pets? What about the canine influenza vaccine?
A: There is not a licensed and approved 2009 H1N1 vaccine for pets. The human H1N1 vaccine should not be used for pets. The canine influenza vaccine, which protects dogs from the H3N8 flu virus, will not protect pets against the 2009 H1N1 virus and should not be used in any species other than dogs.

Q: Someone in my home is ill and may have the 2009 H1N1 virus. Should we board our pet(s) until this person has recovered?
A: That decision is really up to you. Your pet may have already been exposed to the virus by the time the family member starts showing symptoms, so it might not be best to uproot your pet, possibly stressing them, and put them in another environment. If you’re worried your pet may become infected with the influenza virus, treat your pet like you would any other family member – follow good hygiene when you come in contact with them, and limit their exposure to ill family members.

Q: Can my pot-bellied pig get the 2009 H1N1 virus and give it to me?
A: To date, the 2009 H1N1 virus has not been reported in pot-bellied pigs. However, the possibility of human-to-pig transmission of the virus warrants extra caution by pig owners. After all, pot-bellied pigs are considered swine, and therefore may be susceptible to the virus. For the time being, a cautious approach would include all contact between your pig and anyone who is ill or has recently been exposed to an ill person. Remember that pot-bellied pigs can become ill from a number of causes, and keeping your pig healthy and free of disease helps protect your pig as well as you. If you have a pet pig and it appears ill, consult a veterinarian immediately.

Here is the direct link to the page.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Yesterday the veterinary community got the first confirmation that a cat had been officially diagnosed with H1N1 (aka swine flu) . So far this is the only case and the cat caught it from its people, not from other cats. The cat has recovered from its illness and has no permanent problems from being sick.

Here is the official release and the link to the American Veterinary Medical Association website for new releases on H1N1

At this point we do not know if this will continue to be an issue in cats or how sick cats will get with H1N1 . In fact we have very little information to go on. There is no vaccine for cats and I do not believe there will be.

H1N1 has not been documented in dogs although has been isolated in one ferret and possibly in another. One of these ferrets has died, the other one is recovering.

The vaccine for H1N1 in people does not prevent infection or transmission of H1N1, it just reduces severity, so getting vaccinated for H1N1 does not protect your cats from exposure.

My best advise at this time is to be extra careful with hand washing if you have the flu and keep stress to your cat as low as possible.

I will update you as more information becomes available.

2pm update – just found out that the ferret with confirmed H1N1 is recovering. There is another ferret who died but it is not confirmed that it is from H1N1 yet although suspected.

11/19/09 update – more cats and ferrets have come down with H1N1. There are still very few cases and most animals are recovering well. One cat has however died of suspected H1N1 infection although it has yet to be confirmed. Please follow the AVMA page linked above for further updates.

With the holidays approaching, I wanted to share some of my favorite cats books. I have to admit I am drawn to the many cat mystery books out there.

Catwings
Some of my favorite books ever, the catwings series, are write for children but also can melt the heart of an adult. Ursula LeGuin is one of my favorite authors but I have to admit that some of her best books are those that she has written for young adults or children.

In the Catwing books she introduces us to a family of four kittens who are born in the slums but happen to have wings and not just ordinary wings but fuzzy wings! These four books take us through their adventures as they try to find a place of their own in a world where they can be truly accepted and loved for who they are. Ursula’s words are beautifully written and the illustrations in these books make you want to reach out and cuddle these special kitties!

“Yet even though LeGuin’s stories are not sentimentalized, neither do they shock or brutalize in their truthfulness. Rather, as she makes danger and loss and injury and fear and all the passages of life seem natural and unavoidable, LeGuin also lets us see that life can still be well-lived, and individuals can still act rightly and lovingly and bravely, and can bear with dignity whatever losses come. Not a bad set of truths for children to learn in a couple of gentle, well-told tales.” – Orson Scott Card

These books are a purrfect gift for cat lovers of all ages!

The Joe Grey Mysteries
I love Joe Grey! Who wouldn’t love a talking cat who solves mysteries and occasionally also orders cavier from the deli, charging it on his person’s credit card. Joe Grey is an ordinary tom cat who one day discovers that he not only can talk but can also think like humans. This comes as quite a shock to him and even more of a shock to his bachelor owner Clyde. So what is a smart talking talking tomcat to do? Why turn to crime solving!

With the help of his friend Dulcie, another cat who discovers she can also talk, he turns to solving murders in the village he lives in. Like most long running murder mystery series there is the small problem of why so many people die in such a small town. Unlike many murder mysteries this series is very well written by Shirley Rousseau Murphy and quite entertaining to read. I have fallen in love with these books and with Joe Grey.

Shirley is able to keep the books fresh and witty by introducing new characters and problems and weaving ancient cat legend and folklore in throughout the stories.

While these books can be read in any order, it is the most fun to read them in order starting with Cat on the Edge.

This series is by far the best in the number of growing animal crime solving books!

The Catswold Portal

A wonderful fantasy people about a race of beings, The Catswold, who can change between people and cats, The Catswold Portal was an early novel written by Shirley Rousseau Murphy who later wrote Joe Grey. I read this book after reading many of the Joe Grey books and really enjoy how it tied into the legend of the Joe Grey series. A exciting tale of adventure and of the forces of good and evil. Did I mention that all the women of the Catswold race have calico hair?

Well worth reading on its own or while working through the Joe Grey books!

The Mrs Murphy Series

A cat mystery series co-written by a cat?

I worked my way through this series awhile back and really enjoyed it. The cats and dog in this series also talk but not to the humans. This is yet another series of animals solving murders but unlike Joe Grey Mrs. Murphy, Tucker, and Pewter have more difficultly because of the language barrier. Mrs Murphy and Pewter are smart talking cats who live with their person Harry and Tea Tucker the corgi in a small town in Virginia. Together the three of them help Harry solve murders in the small town and protect Harry who tends to get into trouble.

Written by Rita Mae Brown and filled with interesting charactors such as Simon the possum and Harry’s ex-husband the local veterinarian, this is also a well written and delightful series of books.

Simon’s cat

Worth mentioning again, Simon’s cat, is absolutely delightful! By far my favorite cartoon cat and now with his first book. There are no words in this book but the drawings will make you laugh. This guy really knows cats! If you have ever been owned by a cat before this book is a must have.

Coming soon – some of my favorite dog books and other wonderful animal books

If you have a favorite animal book – please send it to me or leave it in the comments!

Once again I am reaching out beyond animals to address an issue dear to my heart. Referendum 71 is very important for many of my clients and many friends and it is important to me. This is a referendum about equality and about protecting those we love and brings up to the vote if it is right to discrimination against someone because of who they are.

The wording of this referendum is also confusing. A yes vote does nothing more than keeping a law that has already made it’s way through the state legislature. A no vote hurts families and says it is alright to legislate discrimination.

Many people are affected by this referendum both gay and straight.

How would you feel if the person you loved the most was hospitalized and you could not see them or be involved in their care? How would you feel if your partner was sick yet you could not take time away from work to care for them? How would you feel to welcome your newborn child but know that in the first month of their life you had no say over their care and they could be taken away from you at any moment if you partner became ill or died because your partner gave birth to them and you had to wait to legally adopt them?

How does this referendum affect our seniors?

Often seniors who are widowed or divorced will suffer serious economic hardship if they re-marry. Under Social Security, there is a ‘marriage penalty’ where seniors’ benefits are put in peril if they re-marry. For example, women who spent their working years as homemakers or in traditionally lower wage jobs often have to rely on a former spouse’s work history to receive Social Security benefits because benefits are generally based on 30 years of paid work experience. But if a senior re-marries after a divorce, she will no longer be able to rely on her former spouse’s work history to receive Social Security benefits. Once stripped of her Social Security benefits, she would face poverty and be forced to work well into her senior years to provide for her basic needs. Many seniors would also have to pay additional taxes on their Social Security benefits if they re-marry. Some elders end up sacrificing hard-earned health care, military or pension benefits if they re-marry. The domestic partnership law allows unmarried senior couples to have the legal protections they need, take care of each other, be able to provide insurance or take family or medical leave if a partner is gravely ill, and make critical decisions for one another in times of crisis, without losing benefits that for many may be their only source of income. They should not have to live in poverty in order to be together with the person they love.

Protect All Families

There are over 12,000 people in Washington state registered in domestic partnerships. These families live in every county, in all parts of the state. The domestic partnership law ensures that all of these families have the same protections and responsibilities as their neighbors, regardless of where they live.

Gay and lesbian families need domestic partnership laws to provide essential protections for their families. Committed couples who want to take care of each other should be allowed to visit each other in the hospital, take family and medical leave when a loved one is seriously ill, and have insurance coverage. By voting to Approve Referendum 71, you will vote to ensure that all families are provided the same protections under the law.

Families with children need the protections provided by domestic partnership laws, especially when a parent dies. By voting to Approve Referendum 71, you will vote to ensure that all children are provided the same protections under the law.

Seniors need the protections provided by domestic partnership laws. For seniors, domestic partnerships mean that their hard-earned social security, military or pension benefits are not put at risk. By voting to Approve Referendum 71, you will vote to ensure that all seniors are provided the same protections under the law.

Police officers and firefighters who risk their lives to protect our communities need domestic partnership laws if they are hurt or killed in the line of duty, so that their families are taken care of by their pension or workers’ compensation. By voting to Approve Referendum 71, you will vote to ensure that all of our communities’ first responders’ families are provided the same protections under the law.

This referendum is supported by a large and diverse religious community, see Faith leaders’ statement of support for Washington families and domestic partnership law and by a diverse group of northwest organizations.

Please help give everyone the right to protect their families and be with their loved ones in times of crisis. Vote yes on referendum 71!

Update November 6, 2009 Referendum 71 has passed!!!

I just read a very interesting article in the Atlantic, Does Vacccine Matter? While I admit this article is three pages long, it is also one of the most comprehensive articles written on why flu vaccines may not really be helping us. If you have the time I highly recommend reading this. As many of you know one of my primary veterinary interests is in infectious disease prevention and proper vaccination and that carries over to the human world at times

Why is this an important topic?

For a few reasons.

Vaccinations have side effects and if a vaccine is not helping you it is probably hurting you. If we are doing more harm then good in vaccinating for the flu it would be good to know it.

Our government is banking on the fact that vaccination and antivirals will stop a deadly flu epidemic should be ever see one again like the flu epidemic of 1918. No true double blinded studies have been run on if the flu vaccine is helping us. Wouldn’t it be good to run these on a lesser strain of flu now so that we know if our vaccines are effective and can modify them if they are not?

In using anti-virals on non-deadly strains of flu we are creating resistance should we need them for more deadly strains. Anti-virals are also strong medicines with potential side effects including death. Once again we do not know how effective these drugs really are.

Today I read another story about a women thinking of giving up her cat because she was pregnant. It makes me so sad then our loyal companions are thrown away especially when there are many ways to have a safe pregnancy and keep the cat.

Please read this before considering giving up your furry friend just because you are pregnant and worried about toxoplasmosis.

We have all hear about the risk from toxoplasmosis to unborn fetuses and that pregnant woman should not get near cat boxes. But from there the facts often morph into fiction until suddenly pet cats are praying on your unborn baby’s soul and women are running to the shelter to turn in their fuzzy friends.

So here are the facts! I am not a MD so please bring this sheet to your doctor to discuss.

So what should you do if you are pregnant? Because toxoplasmosis is a very serious problem to fetal babies, this is a very important concern. There are many ways to be protected and keep your cat.

Here is another good article on toxoplasmosis transmission, Take These Precautions to Prevent Toxoplasmosis During Pregnancy.

Please pass this on to your friends and family and as always I am happy to answer any questions.

If you have ever been owned by a cat before, you have to check out Simon’s cat. This little guy makes me laugh and Simon Tofield who writes these videos has an amazing knowledge of cat behavior and sounds. Below is one of Simon’s videos.

Here is a link to the other Simon’s cat videos. And Simon’s Cat, the book also comes out in a few days.

Death is difficult…….

for those who are left behind. It is amazing to me how the passing of one small creature can make the world seem so empty.

This is a time of year I love. The way the light filters through the trees. The magnificent beauty of the colors and the crunch of the leaves under my feet. Fall is a time of transition and change. A reminder that nothing stays the same, and although quantum physics can’t explain it, that time moves in only one direction. To me fall also means losing many of the older animals I work with. Each life gone, a small hole in my universe.

I have an amazing job. How else to describe getting to work with these beautiful, kind and fuzzy beings. I am invited into people’s families and into their animal’s circle of care, to comfort and help. Many of these animals I work with for years. Seeing them age, seeing their people grow and change, seeing children grow up around them. It warms my heart to be part of this. And then seeing them die from this life.

In animals we get the opportunity to see all of life. When we first meet our animals they are like our young children and by the time they leave us, like our grandparents. This is a hard, we are not used to our children aging before us, and most of the animals I care for are like children. My clients carry few photos of people but they can pull out their phone or wallet and show you all their animals in a second.

I so appreciate the amazing being I have known and gotten to work with and while each passing is very sad I know that my life has been made fuller by being touched by all of them. The gentle noses, the wagging tails, the kind eyes and the gentle purrs. None are forgotten.

Sometimes I think I must have more guardian angels than the average person, however I think mine are mostly fuzzy. Thank you for touching my life.

Sometimes I get so caught up in my little world of very well treated dogs that I tend to forget about all the ones out there suffering. In Washington we are being given an opportunity to make a difference for those who don’t have the wonderful lives of the animals I know.

Thank you Margo for bringing this to my attention.

Washington state is considering an ordinance which would make it illegal to leave your dog chained outside continually. Here is a detailed article from the Seattle P-I written when the last ordinance in King County was going up for a vote, Law would prohibit pet owners from continuously confining dogs. This time we are trying to get this passed as a law for all of Washington State as there is nothing within the law to help these poor animals which are left on the end of a chain for their whole lives being denied the love and family they long for. Not only is this a sad and horrible life for these dogs but chained dogs tend to have more issues with aggression and are more likely to bite and harm children and other people. In fact there is a group called Mothers against dog chaining dedicated to this issue.

Here is a wonderful explanation by Cesar Milan on why dogs should not be tethered.

Here is the full text of the bill.

If you are in Washington state please take a moment to contact your legislator . To find you legislator, please visit find your legislator. If you are not in Washington state consider contacting your local government to see if they will address this issue in your area.

Here is a copy of the letter Margo wrote addressing some of the horrible situations she has seen in her work with animals.

Dear legislator,

First, I would like to thank you for taking the time to consider this
important issue.

Chaining a dog as a way of life is both cruel to the animal and dangerous to
humans, especially children. The dog most likely to attack and seriously
injure or kill a child is a chained, un-neutered male. For more on this,
please go to http://www.mothersagainstdogchaining.org/

As someone who has observed and tried to help a number of chained dogs over
the years, I can say I have yet to see a chained dog that has adequate food,
water, shelter or a remotely clean living area, let alone socialization,
exercise or vet care. Many dogs suffer profound neck injuries and even death
when embedded chains finally sever their windpipe. Most people seem to think
their dogs are somehow weatherproof as well.

Just a few examples of what I¹ve seen personally:

A young boxer who was chained because the owner said she jumped on his two
year old son. Inadequate food, water, shelter and feces everywhere. She was
kept out in sub-freezing weather, and you could see her visibly shivering.

A pit bull chained to a tree with no food, no water and no shelter. The
chain was so heavy she could only move her eyes.

Two pit bulls at another house, one chained to the front step, and another
chained to a doghouse in the backyard. There was so much mud, the dog
refused to leave the doghouse. Both were on extremely heavy chains.

A husky-cattle dog who was chained to a tree, and wrapped himself up so
tight he couldn’t move. The owner said,” Yeah, he does that.” Dirty water, no
food, and he couldn’t even get to his doghouse.

The German Shepherd whose owner would walk out the back porch and throw raw
hamburger into the dirt. The police ended up shooting and killing the dog.

The Saint Bernard who simply laid on his side in the dirt, never moving, the
picture of utter hopelessness and defeat.

The people who were in the P-I article earlier this year never cease to
amaze me, either.

The woman in Snoqualmie who got herself a young, high energy spaniel-lab,
which she sentenced to living on a chain because he’s hyperactive.

The couple in Maple Valley whose yellow lab is chained because he’s not
housebroken and he sheds. They refuse to re-home him.

The dog in Rainier Valley who is occasionally fed rice and has been chained
the last five years.

The fourteen year old husky mix who has probably been chained to that fence
in Enumclaw his entire life. His crime? He runs away.

All these people have abdicated their responsibility to properly exercise
and train their animals. It is simply easier to chain them and forget about
them, while blaming the animal for the problem(s) the human has created.

The man and his son in Maple Valley who are training attack dogs. The photo
showed a young pit bull in a plywood shack of a doghouse. They did have
enough money to crop the dog’s ears, however. (I’m giving them the benefit
of the doubt that they didn’t do it themselves with no anesthesia and a pair
of scissors).

The breeders and others who will yell and scream at you that it’s their
right to chain their dogs are merely keeping them as cheaply as possible
until they sell them and make a quick buck. They are no better than puppy
millers in the sense that they don’t care one iota about the well being of
the dogs, nor do they consider the possible damage the animal could do
if/when the dog becomes aggressive due to being kept chained and
Un-socialized.

I hope you will pass a real anti-chaining ordinance in the near future that
has, pardon the pun, teeth.

Sincerely,
Margo W.
West Seattle

My friend Rose just emailed to let me know that she still has openings in her Level 1 Reiki class offered on September 11 and 12th. Rose is an incredible reiki practitioner and has worked on three of my cats, one of my dogs and me. I always was a little skeptical about reiki before meeting Rose, not because I didn’t believe in energy work but because I had meet some practitioners who I wouldn’t want anywhere near me or my patients. Rose changed my mind about all of that.

When my cat, Ziggy, was dying last year her treatments were the only thing that made him feel better and she got us through a very difficult time with him. My animals love her work and it makes a large difference in how they feel. I could not recommend anyone better to learn this art from. Reiki is an incredible gift to be able to give your loved ones, both animal and human.

Here is the link to the class description, Reiki level 1.