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Veterinary Preventive Medicine

Veterinary Preventive Medicine Lecture 3 Environmental Health and Animal Control Sabbatical – Denmark (’97-’98) Animal Control Most common area for vet employment in public health Mostly a local govt. responsibility

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Veterinary Preventive Medicine

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  1. Veterinary Preventive Medicine Lecture 3 Environmental Health and Animal Control

  2. Sabbatical – Denmark (’97-’98)

  3. Animal Control • Most common area for vet employment in public health • Mostly a local govt. responsibility • Large cities and countries usually have a full-time administrator (usually a vet) • Others use part-time vet advisors or administrators

  4. Animal Control • The involved vet is often on the board of health • Govt. and corp. practice rotation – • E.g. Detroit dog pound (dog pounds tend to be the ugly underbelly of the companion animal industry)

  5. Animal Control Officers • Public Health Justification • Zoonoses (rabies, Toxocara, lepto, etc.) • Sanitation • Animal attacks • Humane considerations • Requires diplomacy, people skills, patience • 12 million dogs & cats euthanized per year in U.S. (Arkow) • Between 1/10 and 1/4 of nation’s pets euthanized annually • See JAVMA 197:1134-1139

  6. The Population Perspective • “The pet paradigm often results in costly and superfluous attention for a tree, with disregard for the forest.” (Ott, JAVMA 197:1134-1139) • $8 billion – spent for individual animal medicine.

  7. Current Animal Control Issues • All hammered out at local level • Leash laws, pooper-scooper laws • Rural v. urban conflicts • Pit bull laws • Ethical issues of euthanasia of strays • No-kill facilities • Enforcing vaccination laws of dogs, cats • Animal ownership and zoning laws

  8. Epidemiology of Dog Bites • About 2 million reported bites per year • About 50% of kids 4-18 report at least one bite in their life • 1% of all emergency room visits • $30 million in health care (not including other costs)

  9. Dog Bite Fatalities in the U.S. • 1979-94, 279 U.S. dog bite fatalities (DBF) • About 18-20 per year • Human rabies: about 2 every year • ~ 600,000 dog bites per year requiring medical attention

  10. 1995-1996 DBF s (n=25) • 80% (20) are in children <12 yrs. old • 3 neonates, all on dog owner’s property, all involving 1 dog, all involving a sleeping child • 20% adults (ages 39, 60, 75, 81, 86) • 30% unrestrained dog off owner’s property • 22% restrained dog on owner’s property • 48% unrestrained dog on owner’s property • 36% involved only one dog • 100% of attacks by an unrestrained dog off owner’s property involved >1 dog (pack hunting instinct)

  11. DBF’s • Pit bull DBFs were twice as likely to be caused by strays as other breeds (1979-89) • Non-pit bull attacks were more likely to be defense of home territory • What do these statistics tell us about the dog’s motivation/instincts? • Defensive, territorial bites by individual dogs • Pack hunting behavior off the owner’s property • Predation of infants

  12. DBF’s • Is the legal view of dog attacks changing? • Pit bull or Rottweiler attacks in urban areas • Disposition of biting dogs • The problem with breed-specific laws – according to Dr. Stinson • Cat bites : • Poor surveillance, less tissue damage • Risk of P. multocida infection may be 10x higher than that of dog bite

  13. Measures for Preventing Dog Bites • Realistically evaluate environment and lifestyle and consult with a professional (e.g. vet, animal behaviorist, or responsible breeder) to determine suitable breeds of dogs for consideration • Dogs with histories of aggression are inappropriate in households with children • Be sensitive to cues that a child is fearful or apprehensive about a god and, if so, delay acquiring a dog • Spend time with a dog before buying or adopting it. Use caution when bringing a puppy into the home of an infant or toddler

  14. Measures for Preventing Dog Bites • Spay/neuter virtually all dogs (this frequently reduces aggressive tendencies) • Never leave infants or young children alone with any dog • Properly socialize and train any dog entering the household. Teach the dog submissive behaviors (e.g. rolling over to expose the abdomen and relinquishing food without growling) • Immediately seek professional advice (e.g. from vets, animal behaviorists, or responsible breeders) if the dog develops aggressive or undesirable behaviors

  15. Measures for Preventing Dog Bites • Do not play aggressive games with your dog (e.g. wrestling) • Teach children basic safety around dogs and review regularly: • Never approach an unfamiliar dog • Never run from a dog and scream • Remain motionless when approached by and unfamiliar dog (e.g. be still like a tree) • If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball and lie still (e.g. be still like a log) • Never play with a dog unless supervised by an adult • Immediately report stray dogs or dogs displaying unusual behavior to an adult • Avoid direct eye contact with a dog • Do not disturb a dog who is sleeping, eating or caring for puppies • Do not pet a dog without allowing it to see and sniff you first • If bitten, immediately report the bite to an adult

  16. Dog Breeds and Crossbreeds Involved in Dog-Bite Related Fatalities by 2-yr. Period – U.S. 1979-1996*

  17. Dog Breeds and Crossbreeds Involved in Dog-Bite Related Fatalities by 2-yr. Period – U.S. 1979-1996* *Source: MMWR, May 30, 1997.

  18. Companion Animal Industry • Small animal vets are part of this industry • Where is the quality control for our product? • We intentionally breed dogs with problems • Genetic defects requiring vet care • Too big, too small, too long, too short-faced, too floppy eared, too long haired, too big skin, etc. • Temperament – too aggressive, not sufficiently domesticated • Bred for how they look, not how they act (dog shows) • Dog-wolf hybrid. It took years of selective breeding to get a submissive dog that will not challenge humans as the head of the pack. The last thing we need is to introduce wolf genes into the gene pool!

  19. Legislative Mess: • Dog-Wolf Hybrid bills • Dangerous Animal Act • African lions sell for about $150 in Michigan

  20. Ferret Bites • Anecdotal accounts are nasty • Motivation/instinct: aggression, rough play, predation of infants • Each state is trying to decide if ferrets should be legal. Legal in MI as of Jan. ’95 • Are bite rates lower than for dogs? • Poor “reporting” • Less severe for adults • Rabies laws dictated euthanasia (until Dec. ’97) • A licensed rabies vaccine now available for ferrets. • The MDCH fought licensing – bites used to mean rabies testing for $200 each • Now a 10-day observation period is available for ferrets

  21. Horses: The Second Most Dangerous Animal • Oregon Study of Animal-related deaths (1983-1993): • 16 Horses (8 thrown, 4 kicked, 2 crushed, 1 dragged, 1 bumped heads) • 10 Wasps and bees • 4 Bulls • 2 Cows • 3 Dogs (2 pit bulls, 1 tripped over and fell down stairs) • 1 Mule (trampled) • 1 Sheep (54 yr. old hairdresser kicked by his sheep) • 1 Bison • 1 Ferret attack • 1 Lion • 1 Rattlesnake Homicides / Animal related deaths = 38

  22. Michigan Study Results: Human Deaths resulting from animal-related trauma in MI, 1987-1996

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