I am Community Service Officer Gary Muraoka with the Gilroy
Police Department. With the warm spell this last week people need
to remember not to leave their pets in their vehicles. It may be 85
degrees outside but a locked vehicle can quickly rise to 110+
degrees inside.
Q: I am Community Service Officer Gary Muraoka with the Gilroy Police Department. With the warm spell this last week people need to remember not to leave their pets in their vehicles. It may be 85 degrees outside but a locked vehicle can quickly rise to 110+ degrees inside. Could you please remind the public to keep their pets safe and out of their vehicles when they go shopping? The safest place is out of the car on a leash or at home.
A:
I couldn’t have said it better. Too many people ignore the fact that the inside of a car can quickly become a death trap in warm weather. Even if you go into a store for a brief moment, the interior temperature of your car rapidly becomes intolerable. And all too often, someone stops in a store “for just a moment,” then becomes distracted and forgets to return promptly to their car. Leaving a pet in a hot car on a hot day is a prosecutable offense. Don’t do it. And remember, most parking lots are too hot for a dog’s feet anyway. Hot asphalt can blister footpads. So be smart and be safe. Leave your pet at home on a warm, sunny day.
Q:
I just read your column on roundworms. Could you please give me an idea of the risks of dogs and cats acquiring parasites from their food, including in cases where they are on a raw food diet? Any instances you know of personally?
A:
Interesting question, to be sure. Feeding a raw (uncooked) diet requires proper preparation and some common sense. Pet owners that feed raw foods should do some reading to avoid some serious pitfalls. Raw salmon and trout can transmit a contagious parasite, so they should never be in a raw food diet. Certain wildlife can contain parasites, but freezing usually rids this problem. Overall, parasitic problems are avoidable.
On the other hand, it’s certainly possible for pets eating a raw diet to pick up infections such as salmonella or E. coli., particularly if the ingredients aren’t fresh. And the greater issue for people who feed these diets is how to prepare their pet’s food properly so that it’s balanced in vitamins and minerals. Anyone who feeds a raw diet to their dog or cat needs to learn the nutrient requirements of their pet, and that takes some research.
Q:
Our veterinarian tells us that we should have a stool sample checked annually for our dog, Tera. She hasn’t been sick at all, so why should this be necessary?
A:
More and more, our little paradise here in South County is becoming more metropolitan. People from all over the country are moving into the area with their pets. And more people are purchasing pets from all over the world. Veterinarians are seeing puppies imported from anywhere in the United States, and even from Europe and Asia.
As a result, contagious parasites that otherwise were never found in our neck of the woods are showing up here. And, yes, they present some serious health risks. Hookworms, whipworms and, of course, roundworms are more prevalent than ever. And some of these, particularly roundworms, are a threat to the health of humans, especially children. Roundworm infections in children can be devastating.
Curiously, some dogs and cats can be healthy carriers of these organisms. An infected dog or cat can shed the infective larvae, but may not show any symptoms. So it makes sense these days to have a stool sample checked on a regular basis. Most veterinarians recommend this, especially for pets that live in a household where there are children or people whose immune system is not healthy. The test is easy and inexpensive, and it will give everyone some peace-of-mind, knowing they’ve done all they can to keep their environment clear of parasites.
