Common Pet Problems on Okinawa

Heat Injury
Heat injury is a condition characterized by extremely high body temperature and collapse. It is a potentially fatal emergency requiring immediate attention. The cause of heat injury is exposure to very high temperatures. A dog locked in a closed car or chained outside in the sun is a typical victim.
Body temperature is regulated by the hypothalamus (a part of the brain) which adjusts body temperature by creating changes in blood vessels, blood circulation, and respiration. When the environmental temperature is very hot, these mechanisms for maintaining normal body temperature eventually are exhausted and the animals' body temperature rises. This is bad because high body temperature can cause damage to the liver, kidneys, the nervous systems, and result in abnormal clotting of the blood. Cardiac arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) can also occur.
A dog's reaction to this increase temperature is panting which helps lower their body temperature by the evaporation of moisture from the tongue. The problem with this natural process is the dog can then become severely dehydrated if they don't have access to water. Humidity also plays a role in the development of heat injury. When the humidity level in the environment is high, moisture evaporates very slowly from the panting dogs tongue. Thus, the dog is unable to cool itself effectively, and the body temperature rises. Heart disease, obesity, poor conditioning, and lack of water are other factors that increase the possibility of heat injury. The initial signs of heat injury include:

• Panting and restlessness
• bright red gums
• fast heart rate
• rising body temperature
• vomiting
• diarrhea

As heat injury progresses convulsions, coma, respiratory arrest, and death may occur. The normal body temperature for a dog is 99.5° to 102.5°F. With a heat injury, temperatures may reach or exceed 105.5°F.
If you suspect your dog has suffered a heat injury, SEEK EMERGENCY TREATMENT IMMEDIATELY. For treatment, the animals' body temperature must be lowered immediately. Cool fluids are given intravenously (through the vein) and cold baths are administered. Steroid medication is given to prevent shock and swelling of the brain and antibiotics are given to prevent bacterial infections.
After lowering the temperature and the patient is stable, a thorough evaluation should be performed to detect kidney or liver damage, blood clotting abnormalities, or other internal problems. Heat injury is easily prevented by taking the following precautions:

• Do not leave your pet unattended in the car
• Do not leave your pet outside without a shelter and several bowls
• Always provide your pet with cool water

 
Habu Snakes
The venomous snakes present on Okinawa that you should be concerned with include the Okinawan Habu, the Hime Habu, and the Sakishima Habu. A fourth snake, the Akamata, is not venomous, but it is very aggressive and bites readily when disturbed.
Habu snakes on Okinawa can be distinguished by the following characteristics:

• Their color is either yellow-green with dark blotches that alternate on the back (Okinawa Habu), dark brown or gray with more dark blotches along the back (Hime Habu), or with yellow-orange marks that alternate on a dark-gray back (Sakishima Habu)
• Heads are triangularly shaped
• Eyes have elliptical (vertical) pupils
• Their faces possess a pit organ that looks like a large nostril between the eye and the true nostril. They use these pits to detect heat that is generated by warm-blooded animals, allowing the snake to hone-in on its prey
• They have long, needle-like fangs that can inject a hemotoxic venom which increases bleeding and can cause tissue damage

The Akamata has yellow/orange/reddish bands that alternate with dark patches. Akamatas do not have fangs, venom, pits, or triangular heads, and the pupils of their eyes are round instead of elliptical. Habu snakes are active at night. During the day they hide in heavily vegetated areas, in caves, tombs, rock piles, and among tree roots. All of these snakes will bite at any time of day or season if disturbed. Bite symptoms include the following:

• Strong, throbbing pain;
• Marks of the fangs with blood oozing from site
• Marked swelling. If no swelling is present within 10 minutes after the bite, either no venom was injected or the snake was not venomous
• Bruising of the skin around the bite that may spread rapidly

For large amounts of injected venom the victim may have:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Disorientation
• Low blood pressure
• Irregular breathing

If bitten, the following emergency first-aid measures should be taken:

• Calm the animal. Many snake bites do not involve the injection of venom. However, if venom was injected, then it is important to reduce movement of the bitten limb as much as possible. Excitation increases the heart rate, causing venom to move through the body quicker than normal.
• Apply a towel or cloth firmly around the bite site. This will slow the bleeding and also slow the spread of venom throughout the bitten area. Do not apply a tourniquet! A tourniquet can pool the venom in one area causing increased damage to surrounding tissues.
• Elevate and immobilize the bitten limb, if possible. This will also slow the bleeding and the spread of venom.
• Seek medical attention immediately. Due to the destructive nature of the venom, disfigured limbs or muscle damage may occur if medical treatment is not received quickly (within 2-3 hours). Do not attempt to make an incision or "suck out" the venom!

To reduce risks of snake bite, be careful when engaging in outdoor activities and in areas where snakes are likely to hide:

• Do not allow your pet to roam freely (cats should remain indoors in Okinawa)
• Do not explore caves or tombs, especially during the winter.
• Remove piles of debris that rodents and snakes like to hide within, like rock or wood piles.
• Keep grass neatly cut and shrubs trimmed off the ground.
• Keep lights lit at night outside the home to help repel snakes.
• If snakes are seen or if action is needed in your area, call the local Provost Marshal's Office for assistance.

*** Adapted from "Habu Snakes Head for Hibernation", written by Lt. Daniel Szumlas, Ph.D. 3rd Medical Battalion, 3rd FSSG.
Heartworm Disease
What is a Heartworm? Heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) is a fairly large worm up to 14 inches long that, in adulthood, lives in the heart and pulmonary arteries of an infected dog. Dogs acquire this infection through mosquito bites as mosquitoes readily pick up larval heartworms from infected dogs and carry them to new dogs. Some geographic areas have severe heartworm problems while other areas have none. In order for the parasite to establish its presence in an area, the following conditions must be met (Okinawa meets all of these requirements):
• Types of mosquitoes capable of carrying larval heartworms must be present
• The weather must be warm enough to allow heartworm larval development within the mosquito
• There must be infected dogs in the area
• There must be vulnerable host dogs in the area
The adult heartworm is fairly large, several inches in length, and it prefers to live, not in the heart, but in the pulmonary arteries. It swims into a cozy tubular artery, where it is massaged and nourished by the blood coursing past it. In the pulmonary arteries of an infected dog, the worm's presence generates a strong inflammatory response and a tendency for blood to inappropriately clot. If enough worms are present, the heart must work extra hard to pump blood through the plugged up arteries.

Microfilariae (First Stage Larvae): With adult male and female worms present, mating begins to occur. Heartworms do not lay eggs like other worm parasites; instead they give live birth and the baby worms are called microfilariae. Microfilariae are released into the circulatory system in hope that they will be slurped up by a mosquito taking a blood meal and carried to a new host. Microfilariae may live, up to 2 years within the host dog in whom they were born; if after this period a mosquito has not picked them up, they die of old age. Microfilariae may also be transmitted across the placental barrier to unborn puppies if the mother dog is infected with heartworm. It is important to realize that such puppies will not develop adult heartworms or heartworm disease from these microfilariae; in order for a heartworm to reach adulthood, it must be passed through a mosquito.
Note: Heartgard and Interceptor, the main heartworm preventives available commercially, will kill microfilariae. Dogs on heartworm preventive, even if infected with adult heartworms, will not test positive for microfilariae.
Within the mosquito's body, the microfilariae will develop into the stage capable of infecting a new dog. How long this takes depends on the environmental conditions. In general, it takes a few weeks. A minimum environmental temperature of 57° F is required throughout this period. The process goes faster in warmer weather.
Heartworm prevention can be purchased at the Okinawa Branch Veterinary Treatment facility if your dog has a current heartworm test. Heartworm tests are conducted annually along with vaccinations.
While in Okinawa, your pet should remain on heartworm preventative year-round. Animals that are not on preventative routinely test positive for heartworms. Heartworm disease is treatable; however, it is very expensive and can be dangerous for the animal.
Adapted from "Heartworm: The Parasite", written by Wendy C. Brooks DVM, DABVP. The original article can be found at: http://www.veterinarypartner.com

Ticks
Ticks are skin parasites that feed on the blood of their hosts. Ticks like motion, warm temperatures from body heat, and the carbon dioxide exhaled by mammals, which is why they are attracted to such hosts as dogs, cats, rodents, rabbits, cattle, small mammals, etc. The bite itself is not usually painful, but the parasite can transmit diseases and cause tick paralysis, which is why tick control is so important. (Removing the ticks leads to rapid improvement of the paralysis.)
It takes several hours for an attached tick to transmit disease, so owners can usually prevent disease transmission to their pets by following a regular schedule to look for and remove ticks. Treating the yard and outdoor kennel area, if any, is an important tool in the arsenal against ticks. There are products containing fenvalerate that can be used to spray the outdoor area, Fenvalerate is not harmful to the environment. During prime tick months in the summer, spraying may be necessary every 1 to 2 weeks.
If ticks are indoors, flea and tick foggers, sprays, or powders can be used. Inside, ticks typically crawl (they don't jump) up and may be in cracks around windows and doors. A one-foot barrier of insecticide, where the carpeting and wall meet, can help with tick control.
If your pet goes outside regularly, you can use some type of residual insecticide. Frontline (fipronil) and K9 Advantix II (permethrin) is a liquid applied to the skin between a dog's shoulders that discourages ticks from staying or implanting. A permethrin spray can be used on dogs (but not in cats, for whom it can be fatal) as a tick repellent and killer. Some people use a topical spray, but don't realize they should not use more than one insecticide or repellent. Doubling the amount of anti-tick product, or using two at once, may cause toxicity problems. DEET, found in many over-the-counter insecticides, is toxic to pets. Any spray insecticide labeled for use on clothing should not be sprayed directly on pets.
The best way to find ticks on your pet is to run your hands over the whole body: Check for ticks every time your pet comes back from an area you know is inhabited by ticks. Ticks attach most frequently around the pet's head, ears, neck, and feet, but are by no means restricted to those areas.
The safest way to remove a tick is to use rubbing alcohol and a pair of tweezers. Dab rubbing alcohol on the tick, and then use the tweezers to take hold of the tick as close to the dog's skin as you can; pull slowly and steadily. Try not to leave the tick's head embedded in the dog's skin. Don't squeeze the tick because it might inject some disease-causing organisms, such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa, or other agents, into the animal during the process.
Adapted from "Ticks: Arthropod Parasites", written by Becky Lundgren DVM, The original article can be found at: http://www.veterinarypartner.com

Babesia
Infection occurs when a Babesia-infected tick bites a dog and releases Babesia sporozoites into the dog's bloodstream. A tick must feed for 2 to 3 days to infect a dog with Babesia. The young Babesia organisms attach to red blood cells, eventually penetrating and making a new home for themselves within. Inside the red blood cell, the Babesia divests its outer coating and begins to divide, becoming a new form called a merozoite that a new tick may ingest during a blood meal. Infected pregnant dogs can spread Babesia to their unborn puppies and dogs can transmit the organism by biting another dog as well.
Having a parasite inside one's own red blood cells does not go undetected by one's immune system. Infected red blood cells are identified and destroyed, which kills the Babesia organism; unfortunately if many red blood cells are infected this leaves the host with anemia, a lack of red blood cells. Often the host's immune system will begin destroying the uninfected red cells as well. Symptoms include weakness, jaundice, fever, and red or orange colored urine. At least 50% of patients will require blood transfusions.
Making matters worse is the fact that animals seem to get sicker than the degree of anemia would suggest, so that there is more to this infection than the actual destruction of red blood cells. If the acute symptoms are relatively mild or at least non-lethal, a chronic infection can develop. This is usually without symptoms but the dog may continue to be a source of infection to feeding ticks. Relapses can also occur with stress.
Young dogs tend to be most severely infected, especially Pit Bull terriers.
Signs of Babesia infection include lethargy, vomiting, orange or red colored feces, pale gums and collapse. If you see these signs in your pet, call the emergency line to have your dog seen as soon as possible. Your pet will have a full workup to include blood work and will undergo treatment to counteract the anemia caused by the parasite.


Fleas
Fleas are the most common external parasite of companion animals. Flea control has always been a challenge for veterinarians and pet owners because the majority of the flea population (eggs, larvae and pupae) are to be found off the pet in and around the home. The ideal flea control program utilizes products that target the various stages of the flea life cycle, not only the adult fleas on the pet.
Flea eggs are laid in the hair coat and are designed to fall off the host. They are resistant to insecticides, but susceptible to various insect growth regulators. Larvae develop in the host's environment and feed on adult flea feces (blood) that fall out of the hair coat of the pet. Larvae are susceptible to traditional insecticides, borates and insect growth regulators. Larvae eventually spin cocoons (often within carpet fibers) for pupation. Pupae are resistant to freezing, desiccation, and insecticides. Pupae can lie dormant for many months; they are stimulated to expupate as emergent adults by vibration, warming and increased carbon dioxide. Normally, expupation occurs when a host is near and the new flea finds the pet within seconds of emergence. Emergent fleas are fairly mobile and can survive a few days without a host, if in a suitable environment. New fleas begin feeding within hours of finding a dog or cat. Once a blood meal has been taken, the flea can survive only a short time if it is dislodged from the host. New fleas experience very high mortality on healthy adult hosts. Most fleas do not survive 72 hours on an animal that is itching and able to groom itself. Unfortunately, limited egg production does occur even on allergic animals.
Your veterinarian can prescribe effective flea control for your pet.
Side note: The flea is the intermediate host for the tapeworm. You can't have tapeworms without fleas.
Adapted from "Dermatology", written by Carol S. Foil, DVM, MS, Diplomate A.C.V.D., The original article can be found at: http://www.veterinarypartner.com


Other Species
Other species of insect, arthropod, and arachnids are located on Okinawa. Many of these small "bugs" can sting and cause allergic reactions. You may notice swelling of the face and or hives, which are localized swelling on the skin. These are common reactions to stings from insects.
Please call the appointment line for assistance.