SPRING 2011 NEWSLETTER
1st Annual MUTT STRUT! Dog Walk & Fun Fest Thank you for helping us raise over $22,000
Ticks
You and Your Pets By Alaire Smith-Miller DVM The season for ticks has begun, as soon as things start to thaw, the ticks are among the first parasites to wake up. For many years, this area of Pennsylvania was blissfully free of ticks. Our climate made it harder for ticks to thrive here, so they had not made it their home in large numbers. Now, we have been invaded. The first tick I will talk about is the deer tick, the one mainly responsible for Lyme disease. Ticks are arachnids, part of the spider family. Deer ticks are one of the tiniest ticks. An adult tick, after feeding is the size of an apple seed. A nymph, or baby tick is only the size of a poppy seed. They have a complex life cycle.
tance. It attaches and feeds on a mouse or other small creature, gets its meal then drops off and grows into a nymph. This little tick may now have caught the lyme disease bacteria from its first meal on an infected mouse. Mice carry the bacteria but are not affected by it. Nymphs are the main cause of lyme disease in humans. They are so small they are hard to find and can transmit the disease when they get their next meal, from you, your dog or thier usual hosts, another mouse. These life stages like to live in leaf litter and debris on the forest floor or other brushy protected places.
The time that this tiny nymph phase is most active is August/september The tick hatches from an egg in the in this area. spring. The first stage called a larva The nymph then moves on to be an is the size of the period on this sen- adult. These ticks climb high up the grass and weeds, up to 3 ft high to jump on their favorite host, deer, or again on to you, your dog, or your horse. In this area the adults are most active in October/ early November and again in March. This form is not responsible
for a large number of human lyme cases, as it is larger and most people find them and remove them. However for dogs and horses, with their thicker hair they are still a threat. 50% of adult deer ticks in lyme disease areas carry the bacteria. In order for the bacteria to infect a dog, horse or person, the tick needs to be feeding for 36 hours or more. As you can see your best defense against catching lyme disease is to remove the ticks quickly. The symptoms of a lyme infection in a dog generally start a week or two after being bitten. The symptoms can be very vague. Many dogs will be lethargic and stop eating or get very picky. Some will seem as though they have chills and fever and will shiver on and off. Many dogs will then develop a lameness or an overall stiffness when moving like they ache all over. Dogs do sometimes get the ‘bullseye “ rash that people can get but you can’t usually see it. Dogs and people that love to hike and camp in the woods or fields are at risk, but you can pick these ticks up in your own back yard. Activities like cutting firewood, gardening, or just playing in the yard can get a tick on you or your pet. Any dogs that herd or work in the outdoors are also at increased risk. Get in the habit of checking yourself and your dog after every outing. This is a habit in the more southern parts of our country where ticks have always been a part of life. Here in Pa, we need to be aware and start checking !! Ticks like to be mainly around the ears, jaws and shoulders of a dog, but can be found anywhere.
ACS Board of Directors
There are products that help keep ticks off, or if they do jump on they die while feeding and fall off before getting a chance to transmit the bacteria. Frontline, Revolution and Advantix are three that all help prevent both
fleas and ticks. There are a few brands of collars available that help if you have a major problem. Over the counter collars and spot ons are generally ineffective. One of the best things you can do is make your back yard safer by creating a boundary that ticks won’t like, keep things mowed close around the edge and keep brush and weeds trimmed back. You can also create a barrier of wood chips around the edge of the yard. Next: more about tick bourne diseases
Carrie Carroll Chairperson Monty Hughes Board Member Megan Stratton Board Member Erie Chase Treasurer Jacqueline Greulich Board Member Shery Sevier Board Member
Executive Staff Joan Smith-Reese Executive Director Rachel Higham Community Liaison Contact jsmithreese@ animalcaresanctuary.org
(570)-596-2200
About this NEWSLETTER
Cat Isolation &
Quarantine Although we will be launching a small capital campaign later in the summer, we were in the process of “reflooring” our “Special Needs Cat Room” and it seemed like the perfect time to complete the construction of a quarantine area and isolation area for the cats. Many of our cats suffer severe respiratory problems as well as other chronic illnesses. A large percentage of our cats are geriatric and need special accommodations. By having this dedicated space we can provide
Design work done by Adam Potter Adam is part of our Canine Care Team, and an Art Institute Associate graduate for Graphic Design. For more information about Adam’s design services. CONTACT potter_adam7@yahoo.com or call (570)-423-4289
the best individual care and improve their quality of life. Kittens and cats that are surrendered need to be in quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. This gives the veterinarian team an opportunity to perform all of the medical screenings as well as establish any issues such as nutrition, behavior and temperament. The cats are also spayed and neutered during this time.
Mary’s
Story
On a brisk March morning at ACS, Mary, a pit-bull mix that had been living with her sister, Martha within the kennel walls since November 2003, finally left us to live in her new home. For nearly eight years Mary lived here, never giving the canine care team members any difficulty; she was easily one of the most adoptable dogs that was awaiting a forever home. She passed the test with dogs, cats, and kids, making her one of the easiest dogs to work with at ACS. But she was passed by over and over again. By the time ACS began its adoption program, Mary was already a mature adult, thus deeming her difficult to place. During a routine spay, our vet made a grim discovery. Mary had cancer throughout her body. The staff at ACS decided that we simply could not allow Mary to live out her days in the kennel, so we vowed to find Mary a home. An article was run in the local newspaper displaying a beautiful picture of Mary along with her story, and shortly after we were face to face with the woman who would change the life of one dog forever. It was an instant connection. Mary rested her head in the lap of Terry Browning. Terry, with tears in her eyes nodded her head indicating to us, that Mary was finally going home. Since then, Mary has flourished! She has a genuine place in the Browning home, alongside her dog friend, Artie. The Browning’s are to be commended for their compassion, patience, and conscious decision to open their home and their hearts to Mary. Although they understand that their time with her may be limited, their love for Mary is not, and they are very happy with their decision to bring her into their lives. Mary has brought much love to their family.
P.O. Box A East Smithfield, PA 18817