Cats, Dogs and COVID: How Safe Are Your Pets?

                    Cats, Dogs and COVID: How Safe Are Your Pets?

Nadia, a tiger at New York City's Bronx Zoo, tested positive for the corona virus. A few pet cats in the United States and some dogs  have  also tested positive.

The novel corona virus causing the current pandemic is thought to have originated at a live animal market in China, some people have wondered if they need to worry about their own pets.

 The good news is that any risk to humans from to pet is very low, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

  Humans with COVID-19 infections could pose a slight risk to certain animals, such as cats or ferrets. but not dogs.

 The basic thing to do is to stay safe and keep your pet safe. All personal hygiene protocol of hand washing, use of face mask is advised. The frequency of hand washing must be increased especially after handling your pet.

 When you take your dog out for walks its advisable to wipe the dog when you return paying particular attention to paws.

DISTEMPER VIRUS AND TIGERS.

Scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, Cornell and the University of Glasgow , from their research noted that tigers, lions and other wild carnivores, already under threat from poaching and habitat loss, are falling victim to Canine distemper, and could soon drive endangered populations to extinction. Canine distemper virus strikes wild carnivores of all stripes, including Amur tigers, -- also called Siberian tigers -- which roam the Russian Far East in ever-dwindling numbers.The team is urging a swift action to address the crisis by developing control measures for the virus, such as delivering a vaccine that is safe for these animals. They also suggest renaming canine distemper virus to reflect the wide range of animals that can carry the virus and suffer from the disease. These small endangered populations of carnivores face a lot of threats, but distemper can be the major factor that determines their survival. Studies show that in many cases, wild carnivores are not contracting the distemper virus directly from domestic dogs, but they are getting it from other wild animals that act as intermediaries. This makes controlling the virus exceedingly difficult, and efforts to vaccinate dogs or other wild carnivores may not offer protection for tigers or other large cats. The current distemper vaccines haven't been thoroughly tested in the wild species that need protection. While many vaccines appear to be safe, some may not be effective in generating long-lived immune defenses, The group discussed ways to test the safety and efficacy of distemper vaccines in captive animals as well as developing innovative means of immunizing wild animals with oral or aerosol formulations planted in bait or on marking posts. Renaming the canine distemper virus may be a right step , in part because the name is not a good reflection of its host range among carnivores. The virus can affect seals, tigers, bears and more. The term "canine" can lead to management efforts that place too much emphasis on controlling the infection in dogs, when other wild animals carry the virus to infect other species. materials from Cornell university.

Tiger befriends goat instead of eating it!!!

Animal activists have reportedly called on an animal park in Russia to separate a goat from a tiger that befriended it instead of eating it.The goat, since named Timur, was given to the tiger Amur (another name for Siberian tigers) as live food.The Far Eastern Safari Park, in the Primorsky region bordering the Sea of Japan and North Korea, said it gives predators twice-weekly meals of live animals."Tiger Amur knows very well how to hunt goats and rabbits," a keeper told the Siberian Times."But recently he came across a goat that he refused to hunt."Instead, Timur chased Amur out of his sleeping quarters, banishing him to sleeping on the shelter's roof. watch video here; http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-29/separate-tiger-and-goat-fans-urge/6984212

HOLLYWOOD AND PETS.

Hollywood glitz and glitter has extended to their pets.These stars love their pets silly,some keep rare and exotic breeds and others pay thousands of dollars to acquire these pets.The bottom line is they get first class treatment,just like their owners. read story here; http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/5-most-expensive-celebrity-pets-4929303