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Dog Disease Risks


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The idea of this topic is for people to post information about the risks to dogs in different areas of France.

My personal experience is that whilst my local vets are excellent, they tend not to volunteer information – you have to ask them and to ask them you have to know about things. For example, I live in dept 37/72 and have been unable (so far) to find out if Heartworm is a significant risk or not. Sometimes, just knowing the French name for a disease can help people.

Before leaving the UK I checked with my vet about anything my dogs should be vaccinated against (in addition to standard stuff and obviously rabies) or any precautions I should take and they said nothing additional.

PIROPLASMOSE RISKS IN FRANCE

For example, the risk of Piroplasmose is published by Merial (the company that manufacturers the vaccine and can be found at http://fr.merial.com/pdfs/prevention/Leaflet_PIRODOG_tryp_ok_2_quest.pdf This link has a map of France and shows the risk in each department based on reported incidence.
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My labrador pup 'Oscar' also contracted Piroplasmosis last week. I live in the Aveyron area (dept 12),I had no idea what was wrong with him except that he was not his usual self, not interacting with other dog, not eating very much and generally lethargic. Then later in the day, I noticed that his ears were very hot, salivating excessivly, and shivering periodically.

I took him to the vet the next morning, he knew immediately what was wrong, did the blood test, then administered a very large injection, assuring me that Oscar would make a full recovery in 24 hours, which he did, thank God!

The vet asked me if Oscar's urine had changed to an orangey/brown colour, I said it had appeared more consentrated, verging on orange.

My vet has advised me to use Frontline every 3 weeks, on both dogs, and advised me to buy anti-tick collars which are effective for 4 months, (can't remember the name as I have discarded the wrapper) as he said he often sees me walking with the dogs along the river,(potentially high risk area) and to groom on return and check for 'ticks'that I could safely remove with tweezers and douse with surgical spirit, to place the doused tick between sticky tape and dispose.

I thought the 'tick season' was generally in the summer /autumn months, and not prevelant in the winter months, seems I've learned the hard way!

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I have one of those “tic-tac” devices (see http://www.livingfrance.com/instantforum/shwmessage.aspx?ForumID=19&MessageID=51746) I got from the vet (come in packs of two, one large one small). Before that I’d use a drop of Frontline directly onto the tick.

I also had previously thought that in the cold ticks could not be so active, but have been told by others that it is humid conditions that they love, so at the moment is a high risk time (under leaves, etc.).

Good luck with your pup’s recovery (sounds like you caught it in time).

I’m now starting to think more seriously about vaccination in addition to all the other precautions. I asked Merial (who manufacture the vaccine) about its actual reliability (even they say its not 100%) and they sent me some stuff in French which I cannot understand, so I have no idea it its 10% reliable (not so worthwhile level) or 90% (definitely worthwhile level). I have a resistance to pumping my pets full of drugs unless there is a real benefit.
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  • 2 weeks later...

Here in 32 our vet told us to use Frontline & tick collars.  The tick collars last 3mths (apparently) - he recommended using them all year round, but starting a new one just before spring & autumn when tick populations are at their highest.  Our dog Elsa, recovered from a bout of tick fever this autumn - fortunately she's normally a very bouncy (& hungry) dog, so the symptoms were obvious immediately, to us and to the vet who said cases were a regular occurence.  I know nothing about the other diseases mentioned though, where's the best place to get info., prior to asking the vet ?

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We too live on border of Aveyron, Tarn & Garonne and have had our dogs vaccinated against piroplasmosis (tick borne disease).  The local vet advised that the injection - Piridog - was approximately 80% effective BUT - most important - he had never known a dog which had been vaccinated to die in the rare cases where they contacted the disease.  He recommended that we should have the injections for our dogs as, coming from UK, they had no natural immunity.  The down side is that the injection cannot be given with the other annual jabs.  However, neither of our dogs had any ill effects from the jabs  - we also use Frontline every 4 weeks and obviously check for ticks.  As piroplasmosis can be be fatal and has a rapid onset I think it is well worth considering the injections.

Hope this information is of some use.

 

Maggi

 

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This is EXACTLY what our French vet said (apart from UK dogs not having immunity - our vet said French dogs did not have immunity either).  I chose not to vaccinate at the time due to the inconvenience of having the jabs done at a separate time to the annual vaccinations and not wanting to pump any more drugs into my dogs than was absolutely necessary.

Piro can be fatal if left untreated, certainly, but if you spot the symptoms and get to the vets quickly the treatment is both simple and effective.   One of my dogs has had it but a slight change in her character, not gobbling her food quite so much and not being a bully made me think and I went to the vets immediately.  Recovery was pretty much within 24 hours of the treatment. Knowing that there is a risk means that you look out for symptoms far more than if you were completely unaware.

Having said that, I may reconsider in the future!

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When I had my dogs "Tick & Taped" just before visiting UK for Christmas, I mentioned to the vet that I was going to get them "Priodog's" after Christmas and she said I should just use Frontline. I think I might just ignore her and get it done anyway. My vet previously suggested both Piroplasmose and Lyme and the cost was €300 (2 dogs, two sets of injections).
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Has anyone had any experience of leptospirosis? Yesterday I found out that a neighbour's dog had died of this. Very sad as she was a lovely border collie. They had recently arrived from another part of France. I looked it up on the web and it's a bacterial disease but it wasn't clear how animals catch it. Perhaps from infected rats or mice. Humans can get it too. I'm wondering whether we need to take any precautions against our dogs catching it. Pat.
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[quote]Has anyone had any experience of leptospirosis? Yesterday I found out that a neighbour's dog had died of this. Very sad as she was a lovely border collie. They had recently arrived from another part o...[/quote]

Pat

Sorry to hear about your neighbours dogs.  However, provided your dogs are up to date with their annual vaccinations you should not have any problems with this as the dogs are protected against this and distempter, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza and, here in France (with my vet anyway), rabies.  It would be interesting to find out if your neighbours were up to date with their jabs or not.

Nicola

 

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Leptospirosis is usually contracted through exposure to water, or food, contaminated with the infected urine of animals.  This tends to be by rats, but leptospira organisms have also been found in pigs, cattle and horses.  Early treatment with antibiotics provide a favourable outcome.
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Two common ways in which dogs can get leptospirosis are from swimming in infected river/ canal or from outside drinking bowls in which rats urinate (ugh!!). 

If there is a local river/canal risk your vet should know and may advise extra booster, and if you leave outside water bowls for the dog make sure you empty and turn upside down at night - obviously also wash out before refilling.

Maggi

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[quote]Two common ways in which dogs can get leptospirosis are from swimming in infected river/ canal or from outside drinking bowls in which rats urinate (ugh!!). If there is a local river/canal risk you...[/quote]

Aren't dog protected, then, if they have had the Leptospirosis jab?  I leave a bowl outside and it's rarely washed up or rinsed.  The dogs go outside to drink out of any old manky container rather than drink form their fresh clean water indoors!

 

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Generally speaking, yes they are protected if innoculated, but in some dogs the level of protection drops when jabs are due and unless you constantly test titre level it is difficult to know which dog.  Therefore, better safe than sorry.  I agree my own dogs like rainwater out of something grottty.  Incidentally, info from kennel days, unwashed water bowls are frequent cause of tummy upsets.

Maggi

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[quote]Generally speaking, yes they are protected if innoculated, but in some dogs the level of protection drops when jabs are due and unless you constantly test titre level it is difficult to know which dog...[/quote]

Whoops!  Thanks for that, the old bowl outside is definitely getting removed!
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