Zoonotic diseases

A zoonotic disease is a disease spread between animals and people. These diseases are caused by viruses, bacteria, and fungi. We can contract them by handling an affected animal, but don’t worry the majority of these diseases are completely preventable. At Arvada Flats we take preventative medicine seriously to protect not just your pets but our community as well. With yearly vaccinations and annual visits we can prevent our furry friends from catching these pesky and sometimes life threatening little buggers.

The most common zoonotic disease is Giardia, a microscopic parasite found in contaminated water that will cause gastrointestinal upset. In order to prevent this disease we recommend annual fecal testing and to have your pet seen if they are showing any signs of diarrhea or vomiting.

The most well-known zoonotic disease is the rabies virus, we know how serious and life threatening this virus is as it attacks the victims brain. Unfortunately, there is no cure for animals infected with this disease and need to be humanly euthanized in order to protect the community. This is why the rabies vaccine is a mandatory vaccine for our animals. Could you imagine what could happen if we didn’t vaccinate for this? It would be a real life walking dead! Thank goodness for veterinarians ;)

Another zoonotic disease not so commonly known about is leptospirosis, a bacteria found in our environment that can be lethal to both dogs and humans. Leptospirosis is becoming more commonly found and it’s starting to become a threat within our own community, because of this we are recommending every dog be vaccinated for this disease.

As scary as zoonotic diseases are rest assured that Arvada Flats is here for you and takes your pets and families safety seriously. Please never hesitate to call our practice with any questions or concerns that you have regarding your pets health, if you think you may have contracted one of these disease please call your health care provider immediately.

Author: Jenna Dalton, VT