Anti-Docking Alliance (A.D.A.)
Campaign to end the docking of dogs' tails (and cropping of ears)
Anti-Docking Alliance (A.D.A.) |
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Campaign to end the docking of dogs' tails (and cropping of ears) |
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Have any of you heard of Neosporosis Canineum??????
Forwarding this very serious information From: AnneHellmuth@aol.com Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 11:35 PM Subject: NEOSPOROSIS - CANINUM Please read, VERY IMPORTANT !!!!! UPDATED...............
> I am writing this article in the hope that you may be able to print it and
help the awareness of this increasing, but unknowingly deadly parasite, that
is infecting our dogs.....our companions......our pets......
Have any of
you heard of neosporosis caninum??????
Well, up to this week I had not, but
I do know more about this now. UNFORTUNATELY Last Saturday we were having
a barbeque and invited just a small group of local friends.. My husband and
I went shopping to a very large chain of supermarket early in the week, and
as I am now disabled and walk with a stick, most of the time, I suggested that
we purchase some of the meat for the barby, for that weekend....... as I ca'nt
go shopping on my own ( that's why you dont see me at shows these days) and
basically killing two birds with one stone. Pardon the pun. We purchased many
items, but amongst them were two large packets of best lean minced steak, that
I intended to make my own burgers from... As they were large packs, and on arrival
home, did not know what to do for tea, so suggested spaghetti bolognaise....
as it is a quick and easy meal to make.... I took about one third of the mince
from one of these packets and put it in a pan...... all of the rest of the meat
was then frozen for the weekend. My Boxer then came into the kitchen and as
I had not starting cooking at that moment , I removed some of the mince and
gave it to her...about half the size of a golf ball. ...mmmmmmmm she loved it.
Then Stephen called her, and her mother and fed the dogs , whilst I prepared
the spag bol. > > This was Tuesday evening last week... then came Friday and
Cilla was starting to act strange. Hanging her head to one side, and slightly
falling as if she was drunk. Saturday she seemed to stabilise and I thought
a little better, and thinking she had an inner ear infection started her on
a course of Synulox 250 mg tablets three times daily, as the vet would. > >
By Monday she was worse so was rushed to the Vets........ I was so upset, I
could not remember half of what he said but he did say he was doing several
tests but one particular test that had to be sent away was one option, and the
possible cause if proved positive. . In either case, if it did come back positive
for neosporosis he would start her on the antibitics there and then, and he
said the Synulox I had given was good. > > She was a little better on Tues evening
so was allowed home.But still hanging her head to one side, and walking in circles
and then falling over. I thought she was at that point, blind, but my vet said
NO she wasn't, but her reactions were a lot slower than they should have been.
We continued with the drugs, then, Wednesday came and my Vet rang to say the
tests results were back and were positive. She was infected with neosporosis
caninum . We then racked our brains how she could get this awful desease.....not
virus! apparantly very few cases are reported, because it is masked by so many
symptoms... I only had a couple of days to read up on this illness and my worst
fears had now become a reality !! > > Neospora is a parasite that is ingested
from contaminted meat, that is fresh from infected herds, and from the consumption
it only takes 1-3 days apparantly for the parasite to attack the brain, then
work its way down the spinal cord, and infect all the major organs and muscles.......leaving
the dog paralised and blind...studies have shown on the internet, done at several
Universities that from the first signs of symptons, death or euthinasia is usually
within 7 days. .. other tests have shown that with medication it can leave the
parasite dormant indefinitely, but if paralysis has set in, then there would
be no improvement in the damage to the dogs muscle reactions, due to brain damage.
> At 9.30 yesterday morning I had to have my beautiful Cilla eathanaised, to
save further suffering. > > On reserching this, on the internet, it mostly appears
in cattle herds and clinical tests have been carried out at Liverpool University,
Sweden, and the USA. It is usually more common in Costa Rica, South America,
but is gradually showing up everywhere. There was also some concern with the
findings of some clinical tests showing a high incidence of women aborting their
babies mid term coming into contact with this problem, but I have not found
any further test results on this. > > Very few cases were reported last yr.
in fact DEFRA told me, there were NO cases in dogs, only cattle and that the
syptoms range from a weakeness and paralysis of the forelimbs, drunken type
behaviour, altered behaviour, blindness, head tilt, head nodding, tremours,
seizures,sudden death due to heart inflammation, pneumonia, skin abnormalities.
Frightening isnt it? > > It can only be ingested from fresh infected meat, as
freezing the meat will kill the spores.... cooked meat will kill the spores.
As we eat very little meat ourselves, and never feed fresh uncooked meat to
our adult dogs , I can definitely say that it was the fresh lean mince steak
, that was the cause. BUT the lean minced staeak purchased was from the human
food chain, and not for animals....... so what are we eating ????? > > Neospora
can not use humans as a host so if ingested the stomach will kill the spores,
so dont worry there. That is why the human food chain has never alerted the
public. ........ it only affects, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, but has now moved
to dogs, and research on the internet suggests ALL dog breeders and owners be
aware of this parasite. From the onset of ingesting the spores, my dog was dead
within 8 1/2 days....... She was my constant house companion, and our hearts
have been ripped apart. How many of you, when in the kitchen, preparing the
evening meal, give some fresh meat to your dog... I have always cut bits off,
especially the fat, and that's the high light of their day, waiting for that
bit ! Please look it all up, its frightening to think that this is in the human
food chain. > Apparantly only one animal is inspected from each herd to be slaughtered,
but that's this counrty. A lot of meat now comes from other countries..... if
in doubt, still buy the meat, but FREEZE it before you intend using it for at
least 24 hrs. I dont wont to scare anyone into NOT feeding raw meat to your
dogs, and they do need it, but FREEZE it first please, for at least 24 hrs.
> > Cilla was 16 months and four days old, when she died. > > I have now contacted
DEFRA who were immediatly concerned, and their duty Veterinarian suggested I
contact the Food Standards Agency in London. They in turn were at a loss on
what to do, as this is not a common problem SO THEY THINK !!!, and then the
local Environmental Health Officer was alerted, and we spent several telephone
calls exchanging information, as he also was at a loss on what to do, and had
to keep going off and making other calls, and looking up journals. In the end,
the London office decided that as the mince was for human consumption, and I
fed it to a dog, they had NO jurisdiction. But advised me to alert as many dog
breeders, and canine press as possible, and to try to make Veterinarians more
aware of this parasite........ > > In the mean time I did have an apointment
with the Manager of the store in which the meat product was purchased, and I
went hand in hand with a folder of info printed off the internet, along with
photos of Cilla....... He was very sympathetic, and felt the matter urgent enough
to consult the meat technicians at his head office .......... and guess what?
They told him, they had never heard of neosporosis. He advised me further that
day that they were calling in a Microbiologist to deal with the matter further,
and I am now awaiting the findings of this consultation. > > The problem being
that it is masked by so many symptoms, that some Veterinarians may treat a dog
for a particular condition, but NOT THE CAUSE OF IT.... Therefore, if the dog
is NOT blood tested for neosporosis, then no one will know it is present, and
running the possibility of infecting close kennel companions, or even the pet
dog next door, through the garden fence, or the pet next to them in the Vets
itself. etc etc.....as so little is widely known of this parasite, do we really
know how it is transmitted? > > The reactions and emails I have been receiving
this week, from worldwide dog enthusiasts is enlighting, and my heartfelt thanks
goes out to everyone who has contacted us and I hope that we can all bring this
awful problem to the fore together . > > I have been involved with dogs for
most of my life, and have NEVER come across this problem or even heard of this,
but am now being told that a dog can also be infected from drinking stagnant
drinking water. But the main host is equine and bovine, so who is trasmitting
it to the water, flies? Or can it be air born? So little is known about this
parasite. I am writing this in the hope that someone out there, who has reserched
this in depth can please inform us all of the time bomb that is about to exploid,
or already has done so, but we just dont know it yet !!!!...... > > >From now
on, all of my dogs will be tested regularly, as it is said to be easilly detected
and treatable with specific antibiotics containing (?)sulphur. Having had first
hand knowledge of this awful parasite and what it can do to bring down a large
healthy Boxer bitch in a week, is frightening, and seeing her, the syptoms were
as if it were CJD...... as some have already pointed out to me, or (mad cow
desease) ! ... I never want to go through this again, with any of my girls,
and the reason why I am letting you all know about our Cilla. I do not want
her death to be in vain, but there may just be a chance here of helping some
dogs to avoid this awful death. > > Anyone wishing to contact me can do so on
AnneHellmuth@aol.com >
> ANNE HELLMUTH
> tele 01908 317380
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The Campaign Against the Docking of Dogs' Tails |
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