Dangerous Wildlife?

Comments Off

WARNING!

I saw this wildlife warning the other day at the Vet’s Office, they can indeed be on the lookout for food and your pets could be that meal. Other wildlife can carry disease and also attack, squirrels can be quite aggressive if they are hungry and of course Javelina’s can also be temperamental when cornered or frightened. This is also the season in AZ for rattlesnakes and spiders so please guard your pets and children. Animals often look all crudely and those looks can be deceiving, they can turn on you in an instant. If that animals bites you and you can’t locate it, you may have to have those rabies shots and those are scary. They can also be dangerous for pets, coyotes can jump fences and birds of prey can swoop right on in and grab a small cat or dog.

wildlife

Bubonic Plague right on our doorstep in New Mexico

Comments Off

“New Mexico reports second human case of Plague of 2013 in Torrence County Girl” Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium, Yersinia pestis. It is found in animals throughout the world, most commonly rats but other rodents like ground squirrels, prairie dogs, chipmunks, rabbits and voles. Fleas typically serve as the vector of plague. Human cases have been linked to the domestic cats and dogs that brought infected fleas into the house.

“Squirrel with bubonic plague closes campgrounds in Angeles National Forest – July 2013‘

So did you think that Bubonic Plague was a long forgotten disease, or how about Hanta Virus, Lyme disease or Rabies? Every once in awhile these little diseases pop up around the U.S. and we all need to remind ourselves of their potential to kill.

Rub marks where rats are getting into the structure.

What is Rabies?

Comments Off

What is Rabies?

Rabies is a deadly viral infection that is mainly spread by infected animals. Rabies is spread by infected saliva that enters the body through a bite or broken skin. The virus travels from the wound to the brain, where it causes swelling, or inflammation. This inflammation leads to symptoms of the disease. Most rabies deaths occur in children. Untreated, rabies can lead to coma and death.

Can snakes cause rabies, the answer is no – only warm blooded animals carry the virus. You can still become sick from a wound caused by a snake, just make sure to clean the wounds really well. Rabies causes about 55,000 human deaths annually worldwide. 95% of human deaths due to rabies occur in Asia and Africa. Roughly 97% of human rabies cases result from dog bites.

In the Southwest, rabies shows up mostly in bats followed by skunks. However, it is estimated that fewer than 1% of bats carry rabies.

What is the best advice – stay away from sickly looking animals, don’t touch or handle wildlife. There is a reason why they are called wildlife…