Protecting Pets from the West Nile Virus
By: Monica Yantosh
Updated: August 29, 2012
According to veterinarians, cats and dogs are able to get West Nile virus. Many times, pets will not show symptoms even if they are infected, and will often get over it without the owner ever knowing.
"The dogs may have vague symptoms, they may be lethargic, they may run a fever," said Dr. Tim Polk, a veterinarian at Animal Medical Center in Lubbock. Symptoms in cats would be the same.
West Nile can happen, but not often. "It's rare, very rare, like a lot of the studies have shown a lot of the animals will contract it, be asymptomatic," said Polk.
Your pet could have had the virus, but you may never have known about it.
"In a healthy animal, I think the risk of getting West Nile is pretty low, but there's always that risk, just like with anybody else," said Polk, "they have it, gotten over it, and the owners never really even knew."
"If they're concerned, if they're not acting right, it could be numerous things, but if they're not acting right, lethargic, not eating, they need to get them to their veterinarian," said Dr. Tim Polk, a veterinarian at Animal Medical Center in Lubbock.
There are some simple steps you can take to help keep them protected. There are bug sprays you can use on them, but if you use it on yourself, don't use it on your pet. Make sure it does not contain DEET.
"There are sprays that you can use that have, certain products that repel fleas, pardon me, mosquitoes, that are safe for animals," said Polk. And make sure to re-apply any spray you use on pets, just like on yourself.
And mosquitoes can also carry heart-worm disease, so that's another reason to protect your pets from the bug.
"The dogs may have vague symptoms, they may be lethargic, they may run a fever," said Dr. Tim Polk, a veterinarian at Animal Medical Center in Lubbock. Symptoms in cats would be the same.
West Nile can happen, but not often. "It's rare, very rare, like a lot of the studies have shown a lot of the animals will contract it, be asymptomatic," said Polk.
Your pet could have had the virus, but you may never have known about it.
"In a healthy animal, I think the risk of getting West Nile is pretty low, but there's always that risk, just like with anybody else," said Polk, "they have it, gotten over it, and the owners never really even knew."
"If they're concerned, if they're not acting right, it could be numerous things, but if they're not acting right, lethargic, not eating, they need to get them to their veterinarian," said Dr. Tim Polk, a veterinarian at Animal Medical Center in Lubbock.
There are some simple steps you can take to help keep them protected. There are bug sprays you can use on them, but if you use it on yourself, don't use it on your pet. Make sure it does not contain DEET.
"There are sprays that you can use that have, certain products that repel fleas, pardon me, mosquitoes, that are safe for animals," said Polk. And make sure to re-apply any spray you use on pets, just like on yourself.
And mosquitoes can also carry heart-worm disease, so that's another reason to protect your pets from the bug.
