Congrats to DC Weimaraner Rescue

The DC Weimaraner Rescue raised over $4000 for the rescue so far!  Folks came from NC, SC, TN, PA, NJ, DE, MD, VA and DC! You guys ROCK!  Dogs ranged from 14 years to 10 weeks!

We are so excited that their rescue did so well.  It is not too late to help your local or favorite Weimaraner Rescue.  CLICK HERE to help.

 

Momma, what is Circovirus?

Circovirus in Dogs FAQ

October 3, 2013 

Canine circovirus infections have been documented in dogs with vomiting and diarrhea. The distribution of the virus in the U.S. is not yet known, but dogs infected with circovirus have been reported in California and circovirus may be associated with recent illness and death of dogs in Ohio.

Listen to our podcast (Sept 23) about the Ohio investigation.
Guidance for veterinarians

Q: What are circoviruses?

A: Circoviruses are small viruses that have been known to infect pigs and birds. They are also known to survive well in the environment once shed from affected animals.  Porcine circoviruses are very common throughout the world. Porcine circovirus 2 can cause postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome in 2-4 month old piglets, resulting in weight loss, poor growth and high death rates. Although porcine circoviruses were first identified more than 30 years ago, there is still much unknown about the viruses. Circovirus can also infect birds, causing beak and feather disease in psittacine birds (such as parrots, parakeets, budgies and cockatiels), infectious anemia in chickens, and deadly infections in pigeons, canaries and finches.

Q: What is canine circovirus/dog circovirus?

A: The circovirus identified in dogs shares more similarity to porcine circovirus than to the avian circovirus, but it is not the same as porcine circovirus. This canine circovirus was first reported in June 2012 as part of a genetic screening of canine samples for new viruses (Kapoor et al 2012).  Circovirus was detected in 2.9% of canine sera collected for routine serological testing.  In April 2013, a similar virus was detected in a California dog that presented to the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine for worsening vomiting (containing blood) and diarrhea. PCR tests on dogs with and without clinical disease indicate a prevalence rate of between 2.9-11.3%.  The data suggest that this new virus, either alone or as a co-infection with other pathogens (disease-causing organisms, such as bacteria and viruses), might contribute to dog illness and deaths. However, the authors also reported that circovirus was identified in the stool of 14 out of 204 healthy dogs, suggesting that infection with circovirus does not always result in illness.

There is still much to learn about this newly identified virus, including its role in disease.

Q: Are the dogs in Ohio infected with circovirus?

A: No. Circovirus was suggested as a possible cause of illness and death of dogs in several parts of Ohio in late August/early September 2013, but it is no longer being considered as the primary cause of the illnesses.  Circovirus was detected in the stool of one ill dog in Ohio, which is the first time the virus has been identified in Ohio, but this does not mean that circovirus has been confirmed as the cause of any of the recent illnesses. The Ohio Department of Agriculture continues to investigate the illnesses, and this will take time.

Q: Are the dogs in Michigan infected with circovirus?

A: As of October 3, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has been investigating illnesses similar to those observed in Ohio. The investigation will take time, and at this time they are not confirming that circovirus is involved.

Q: How are dogs being infected with circovirus?

A: The route of infection is still unknown, but the basic principles of viral spreading suggest that direct contact with an infected dog or its vomit or diarrhea would present a higher risk of infection. However, many viruses can be spread from animal to animal through the use of shared bedding and equipment or through human contact with an infected animal prior to handling of an uninfected animal.  In pigs, circovirus is spread through the manure and through contact with respiratory secretions.

Although some of the dogs showing clinical disease were recently boarded or at doggie daycare facilities, this should not be taken as an indication that this virus is only spread at boarding kennels or that boarding your dog or taking it to daycare will result in infection. Any parent who has taken their child to daycare knows that a high concentration of children in an area can increase the spread of colds and other illnesses; the same thing can happen when dogs are gathered in an area.

Q: Are there other diseases that are similar to circovirus infection?

A: There are many potential causes of vomiting and diarrhea, so the presence of these signs does not mean your dog is infected with circovirus. For example, vomiting and diarrhea can also result from infection with canine parvovirus, canine enteric coronavirus, Salmonella bacteria, canine distemper virus, Campylobacter bacteria, Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin A gene bacteria, and Cryptosporidium and Giardia species (both of which are single-celled parasites). Even a simple “dietary indiscretion,” such as getting into the garbage or overeating rich foods or treats, can result in vomiting and diarrhea. Not all of these problems are life-threatening, and many cases of diarrhea and vomiting resolve with simple treatment.

If your dog is showing signs of illness, contact your veterinarian to get the correct diagnosis (including any necessary laboratory testing). Even if it turns out to be something minor, you can have peace of mind knowing that your dog’s health is not threatened.

Q: What should pet owners do?

A: If your dog is vomiting or has diarrhea, contact your veterinarian. Dogs with diarrhea and vomiting could have a range of diseases, some of which can be life-threatening unless diagnosed and treated early. Prompt treatment of vomiting and diarrhea, regardless of the cause, gives your dog a better chance of a quick recovery and can also cost you less in the long run – delaying veterinary care can mean that your veterinarian has to treat a dog that’s much more sick than he/she would have been if seen earlier, and that costs more. In the small number of cases so far, prompt veterinary treatment was critical to a good outcome for that dog.

Although we still have a lot to learn about this circovirus, there’s no cause for panic.  We know that dogs infected with circovirus don’t always become ill, but we don’t know how much of the virus they may shed in their stool or how much risk these dogs present as sources of infection for other dogs. Theoretically, it’s possible, and that’s one of many reasons why it’s so important that you pick up after your own dog and avoid contact with stool from other dogs when possible.

Simple, common sense measures are in order, including the avoidance of contact with ill animals (and if your dog is ill, avoid contact with other dogs until your dog has fully recovered) and cleaning up after your pet passes stool. A healthy pet is more likely to have a fully functional immune system to fight infections, so keeping your pet healthy with good preventive care is also important.

Q: Is there a vaccine for circovirus?

A: Not at this time. This is a very recent development, and it takes years to develop vaccines and get approval for use in pets.

Q: What should kennels and doggy daycare facilities do?

A: Follow good hygiene and sanitation measures, as you should always do: don’t allow ill dogs to mix with others; clean and disinfect areas where ill animals have been, and regularly clean and disinfect all dog areas; and monitor dogs for signs of illness, and immediately report any signs of illness to the dog’s owner.

Q: If my dog has circovirus, can I become infected?

A: There is no evidence to date that this virus can be transmitted to you from your dog.

The AVMA would like to thank the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians for their assistance in creating this resource. 

https://www.avma.org/kb/resources/pages/circovirus-in-dogs-frequently-asked-questions.aspx

Weimaraner Quiz

The Weimaraner Quiz was created to help you in your decision to see if a Weimaraner is right for your family.  If you take the quiz and a Weim is perfect for your family you will then have another choice:  Do we find our Weimaraner using a Weimaraner Breeder or Weimaraner Rescue?

Weimaraner Quiz  “The Weim Quiz”

  
 

Sage Tails

http://www.sagetails.com/   https://www.facebook.com/sagetails?fref=ts  My Story.

In January of 2007, right after having my first litter of babies at age one, I was taken to an animal shelter. I did not understand what was happening to me at the time, or why I wasn’t allowed to stay with my babies, but it was probably better that I was removed from the place where I was staying, because the people who kept me were not nice.Something happened a couple weeks after I arrived, and I am not sure exactly what it was… but the shelter, which was very crowded, had an outbreak of some serious diseases, including distemper and parvo. Many dogs got very, very sick. The only way the shelter knew how to control the diseases was to put the animals to sleep, and over 1000 animals were scheduled to be put down; many of them didn’t even have the sickness, but the shelter didn’t have the room to take care of all of us.  The shelter called Jocelyn and Ronna at the Las Vegas Weimaraner Rescue to pick me up so that my friend Tucker and I would not have to be put to sleep.

(This is me the day they picked me up from the shelter. I was really sick)

(This is my friend Tucker the same day.  See how Tucker looks now at the bottom of this article)

When we were rescued, we were taken to the animal hospital – and that was when my very nice vet, Dr. Brooks, found out that I did have distemper. If you do not know what this disease is like, I will tell you. It is very contagious, and pretty much every dog that gets it will eventually die. For me it started like a cold, and then I got a fever. I lost a lot of weight because I didn’t feel like eating anything. I went from being 80 pounds to about 35 pounds. I just wanted to sleep all the time. I was very sad and very lonely because I had to be quarantined by myself. No one could visit me because if they touched me and then touched another dog, that dog could have gotten distemper too. The room I stayed in was about the size of a shower stall. I only had a few toys to keep me company, and a few times a day I would get visits from veterinarians or hospital workers after they got off work and were done with all the other animals for the day.

For a month, I stayed at that hospital. I was all alone, and sometimes I heard the doctors outside saying that there was no hope for me. I was so, so sad. Then I met an intern named Heather who did not want me to suffer alone. She asked if there was any way I could have hospice care because I only had a couple weeks to live. She contacted her sister, my momma, because she knew that my momma loved Weimies so much.

One night, when it was very cold and I was very tired, and my eyes were almost swollen completely shut, I had visitors come to see me. These were the first visitors who came to see me since I left the shelter.  I wasn’t sure I could stand up anymore, but Dr. Brooks helped me to stand up and I tried to open my eyes enough to see them. When I saw their loving faces, I wagged my tail so much because I could not bark to let them know I was happy to see them.  They even pet me and scratched me behind my ears. It was so good to feel them touching me like their pet. I loved seeing them, even if it was only for a few minutes. That night, after they left, I hoped and prayed that they could come back and see me and love me again.

The next day was St. Patrick’s Day. I have heard that it is a lucky day sometimes, and for me it was definitely my lucky day! I had a visitor again – it was my momma! I didn’t know it at the time, but she was there to bring me to her house as her foster child so that I did not have to spend my last days alone in the animal hospital. She did not know it then, but I wasn’t going to let some silly statistic about mortality rates dictate my life. All I needed was someone who believed that I was worth fighting for, and that someone was my momma and daddy.

They made me a special space in their house with a bed and a blankie and some toys. I slept a lot. Sometimes I would have accidents, but they never got mad at me. They would take me outside to go potty, being extra careful to keep me away from any other dogs. In the beginning, I could not walk by myself. Daddy would wrap a towel around my hindquarters and hold my back legs up while we went outside so I could get around. Every day my momma would hug me and kiss me and tell me I was beautiful. I loved them so much. And every single day, I vowed that I would get better because I knew that if I didn’t, it would break their hearts.

Much to their surprise, I GOT BETTER! I started walking on my own, gaining weight again, and I even barked! They loved the sound of my voice. Weeks passed, and I kept getting better. My nose cleared up completely, and Momma and Daddy took me back to Dr. Brooks for another checkup. Everyone was amazed at the results of the test, which defied all logic and showed that the distemper was COMPLETELY GONE! I was going to be okay! And best of all, I was not going to have to stay away from other dogs anymore! I thought it was the happiest day of my life… but that came a little while later, when the Las Vegas Weimaraner Rescue asked my parents if they wanted to officially adopt me, and they said YES!

I love that my forever family brought me through my saddest time in my life and gave me a wonderful home. They always call me “Baby” because to them, I am their baby. I will always be their baby, and I will be forever grateful that they adopted me.

Love,

Sage.