It might be spring, but flu season is far from over, especially for man’s best friend. A sudden outbreak of the Canine Influenza Virus has reportedly been spreading throughout the Chicago area over in recent weeks. According to Kimberly Cerny, the practice manager at Blum Animal Hospital in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood, veterinarians in the area have seen a “drastic increase in the number of severe upper respiratory cases coming into their practices and at Blum” within the past two weeks. Cerny says there have already been numerous confirmed cases of Canine Influenza, including two that were fatal. She attributes causes of the Canine Influenza outbreak to the higher amount of dogs boarding due to spring break and the number of dogs in doggie day care each day in the city. Last week, the Medical District Veterinary Clinic at Illinois reported a large number of coughing dogs in Chicago, most with a history of frequenting daycare, boarding facilities and dog parks. The facility said a vaccine for the influenza is "on the market" but has not been widely used because of "the low risk of canine influenza." Canine Influenza Virus causes an upper respiratory disease in dogs with symptoms closely mimicking those of Kennel Cough. Dogs show signs of high fever, increased respiratory rate and pneumonia in severe cases. Vets recommend avoiding dog-to-dog contact when possible and vaccinating dogs at high risk. The virus can survive 48 hours on hard surfaces and 24 hours on clothing.
Winnie, a cat found in a duffel bag that had been thrown into the Winnebago River 12 days ago has found her forever home, according to the Humane Society of North Iowa. Winnie’s story made headlines when a Mason City couple witnessed a man throw a duffel bag in the river and fished it out of the chilly waters. They discovered a live cat inside the wet bag. She was brought out to the Mason City Stray Animal Shelter (co-located and managed by the Humane Society of North Iowa) and was given the name “Winnie.” A few days later, a Mason City man, William Hill, turned himself for the heinous act and has been charged with animal torture, a simple misdemeanor under Iowa’s law. Winnie’s story of survival made it all the way up to Ken Avery, a man who lives in St. Paul, MN. In January, Ken lost his longtime feline companion to cancer. He had been waiting for the right time to bring a new cat into his life. When he heard Winnie’s story, he knew the time was now. Ken came to meet Winnie last weekend and thought she was beautiful. “Winnie deserves a good home where she is safe and happy. I knew I could provide her that home,” Ken said. Ken returned to the Humane Society of North Iowa today to finalize Winnie’s adoption and take her home. “We are so happy that Winnie is going home with Ken. She survived her horrific ordeal and is now getting a second chance at a happy ending,” said Sybil Soukup, Executive Director of the Humane Society of North Iowa. The Humane Society of North Iowa is a non-profit organization that serves a 9 county area in North Iowa and operates a no-kill rescue animal shelter in Mason City. In the past 25 years, HSNI has found loving homes for over 9000 abandoned, displaced, and neglected animals. For more information, please call the Humane Society of North Iowa at: 641-423-6241 or visit them online at: www.hsni.org.
Colorado wildlife officials say they believe someone dumped four or five pet goldfish in a Boulder lake about two years ago, and they have now multiplied to over 3,000 to 4,000 fish. Because the goldfish are a non-native species, they threaten Teller Lake #5's entire aquatic ecosystem, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill told ABC News today. "Dumping your pets into a lake could bring diseases to native animals and plants as well as out-compete them for resources," Churchill said. "Everything can be affected. Non-native species can potentially wipe out the fishery as we've put it together." Wildlife officials are seeking information on anyone who may have released the goldfish into the lake, she said. CPW is currently considering two solutions -- electroshocking the fish or draining the lake. "With electroshocking, you go in the boat and stun the fish to paralyze and collect them," Churchill said, adding that the shock doesn't kill the fish. "The fish could also be collected if the lake is drained." Either way, wildlife officials will likely take them to a raptor rehabilitation center, where the fish will be used for feeding, Churchill said. Although a few residents have expressed interest in collecting the goldfish to keep them as pets, Churchill said she doesn't want to encourage the practice. "I'm going to talk to Boulder County, who owns the lake to see what they think, but I don't want to send the message that collecting fish for personal fun is okay," Churchill said.
Police in Prince William County are warning residents that they might see some unexpected neighbors this spring. Coyotes have been spotted in the county often in recent years, and the number of sightings is only expected to increase as the human population grows, authorities said in a release Monday. Coyotes are mostly nocturnal, but have been seen during the day in urban and suburban areas. Authorities say that it's usually because they've been attracted to a food source or to areas under porches, decks and crawlspaces that would be ideal dens for their spring litters. Police offer the following tips to keep coyotes away:
Don't feed wildlife directly or indirectly, which can cause animals to lose their fear of humans.
Keep trash inside until it's about to be picked up, or keep it in an animal-proof bid.
Don't leave pet food outside, and keep any outdoor pet feeding areas clean.
Remove bird feeders when if you've seen problem species around them.
Close up all openings under and into your home and garage.
Clear fallen fruit from around trees.
Keep brushy areas in your yard cut down.
Keep small pets inside and on a leash when outside. Larger dogs are viewed as a threat, especially from January to June when coyotes are breeding.
Install coyote-proof fencing to protect unsupervised pets.
Remember that it's illegal in Virginia to trap and relocate an animal.
If a coyote or another animal is showing signs of rabies (stumbling, foaming at the mouth or aggression), call 703-792-6500 for an animal control officer and the police. For more information, click here:Prince William County Animal Control Bureau .
