Worms - A Serious Illness That Is Easy To Prevent

Feb 28, 2010

Different types of worms cause a variety of symptoms. These include:
-abdominal pain, respiratory distress, coughing, fever, inability to utilize food, potbellied appearance, intestinal obstruction, diarrhea, bloody/tarry stools, nervousness, weight loss, anal pruritis (itching that causes scooting), anemia (pale gums) and even death.[1,2]

These symptoms are also seen in other diseases, so it is important to consult a veterinarian if your pet has any of these symptoms.

This puppy has a pot-belly from roundworms.

Most of the worms are intestinal parasites, but heartworms are different and can be deadly. Heartworms get into the bloodstream (via mosquito bites) and are much harder to treat than intestinal worms after the animal is infected. A preventive treatment is needed for heartworms but fortunately the same treatment can be used as for intestinal parasites. A monthly dewormer will keep your dog free from both intestinal parasites and heartworms. Cats need deworming too, but not as frequently. Livestock also need deworming. Some breeds of dog need a special heartworm prevention medicine. So you need to consult a veterinarian on the proper dewormer to use.[2]

Hookworm and roundworm larvae can penetrate human skin and potentially cause a skin problem. No one should be barefoot for 5-7 days while a pet is being treated for hookworms or roundworms. [2]

Did you know that fleas are a source of tapeworms in your pet? Dogs and cats can also get tapeworms from ingesting an intermediate host, such as a rat or goat.

Worms are a serious source of illness in animals but are easily treated. A monthly dewormer helps keep pets and livestock worm-free and also prevents heartworms. On Statia, you can buy dewormers at the SEAWF building. See our home page for hours open.

[1]-Bayer Pocket Guide to Intestinal Parasites, available to read at SEAWF
[2]-Dr. G. B. Swanston

Statia Government Passes Dangerous Dogs Law

Jan 27, 2010

Effective Dec 2, 2009, St. Eustatius enacted a law that prohibits importing, breeding, selling or owning of certain breeds of dogs (including partial breeds) or any dog that is determined to be dangerous or aggressive. The law has 2 purposes. One is to prevent more of these dogs from being on Statia. The second is to prevent the existing dogs from doing any harm to people or other animals.

Exemptions

Owners of these dogs may keep the dog if they obtain a special exemption (ontheffing). In order to obtain the exemption, an owner must do the following:

• have the dog sterilized,
• obtain a microchip,
• ensure that the dog is properly confined,
• appropriately restrain the dog when outside of the owner's property.

A licensed veterinarian must certify that the dog is sterilized. The microchip number must be included on the exemption form. The exemption must be approved by the Lt. Governor.

The legislation provides details of how to properly confine the dog on the owner's property and restrain the dog when outside the owner's property.

A temporary exemption is also permitted for pregnant dogs and puppies younger than 6 months of age to delay the sterilization. The law states that the exemptions must be obtained within 13 weeks of the enactment.

List of Dangerous Dogs

The current list of breeds includes:

• 'Pitbull',
• American Staffordshire Terrier,
• Fila Brasileiro,
• Dogo Argentinano,
• Mastino Napolitano,
• Bullmastiff,
• Doberman Pincher and
• Rottweiler.

This list may be changed by the Lt. Governor.

Penalties

Penalties for not following the law are two months in jail or a fine of at most 5000 guilders. The government also has the authority to have the dog put to sleep if they deem it necessary.

View/Download the law

The Dangerous Dog Law in Dutch (330KB) is available here in a PDF file for viewing or downloading.

Statia's Canine Distemper Outbreak
An Update

Jan 9, 2010

What Happened

During the outbreak of Canine Distemper, we know of over 40 dogs with confirmed or suspected cases of distemper. Of those, 31 died (more than 70%). This is a very serious disease. We can be sure that there were others that contracted the disease, but we don't know how many. We also know that there were at least 2 dogs that were brought into Statia with distemper. The first caused the outbreak (we don't know what dog) and the second was brought in as a puppy, not fully vaccinated and died of the disease.

Current Situation

Thanks to the many people that quickly brought their dogs to be vaccinated, we prevented the disease from becoming wide-spread on the island. During the June to August time-frame, over 200 dogs were vaccinated. However, the dogs that survived the disease can be contagious for a number of months. Dr. Swanston asks that if you have a dog that survived, you should keep it away from other dogs for at least 6 months.

What to Expect in the Future

If we go for a couple of years with no outbreak, then we might be able to say we're free of distemper. However, consider that 2 dogs were brought to the island over a short time with the disease. That could happen again.

What You Should Do

First, have your dogs vaccinated annually.

Second, don't buy a puppy that is not vaccinated. Ask for the vaccination papers. Puppies should be with their mothers and litter-mates for 8 weeks before being separated. At 4 weeks they should have their first vaccination and at 8 weeks their second vaccination. Puppies that are separated too early do not develop important social skills. For instance, they learn from their litter-mates not to bite. Some full-bred dogs require additional vaccinations their first year. These vaccinations also prevent other serious diseases like parvo.

New Sterilization and
Adoption Program

Jan 9, 2010

SEAWF has set up a "Special Offers Fund" for 2010 to reduce veterinary prices of sterilizing Statia's dogs and cats. We're going to offer special discounts through the year for as long as we have these funds available. This will be done on a first-come, first-serve basis, so take advantage of these opportunities as soon as you can.

To encourage people to get their pets sterilized before the first litter, SEAWF is offering discounts to people who bring their pets for sterilization before 10 months of age. SEAWF will sponsor any dog or cat from 4-6 months of age for a $50 fee. Since this is a new program, we are also offering discounts for all dogs and cats from 7-9 months old for a limited time. Pricing is shown below.

We have set up a special Financial Assistance Plan for people who cannot afford the cost of sterilizations. Financial assistance is entirely at the discretion of SEAWF while our funds last and is also set up to encourage early sterilization of pets.

With or without financial assistance:
the younger you have your pet sterilized, the cheaper it will be.

If you adopt a dog or cat from SEAWF you can also have your pet sterilized for $50 regardless of age or sex.

	Full Price	7-9 months (limited time)	4-6 months old	Adopted From SEAWF	Financial Assistance
Female Dog	$150	$82	$50	$50	You Must Apply
Male Dog	$125	$70	$50	$50	You Must Apply
Female Cat	$100	$65	$50	$50	You Must Apply
Male Cat	$75	$60	$50	$50	You Must Apply

Note on Pricing: surgical complications may add a $20 charge. Examples include: pregnant, in heat, overweight, undescended testicle.