Lin Songtao 254238712@qq.com WITH many of us joining the ranks of pet keepers, these furry friends are playing an increasingly prominent role in our daily lives. To help readers better understand their pets and keep the creatures healthy and happy, Shenzhen Daily talked to Dr. Kong Debin from Puppy Town Animal Hospital to answer a few important questions. Kong is a State-certified veterinarian with more than 10 years of clinical experience. 1. What vaccines do pets usually get? Dogs must get combination vaccines against two, four, five or eight different diseases, as well as the rabies vaccine. Cats must get a combination vaccine against three diseases in addition to the rabies vaccine. 2. What illnesses do pets normally get and what kind of germs do they usually get infected with? Most times, pets get infected by bacteria or viruses that are not infectious to humans. Many bacteria and viruses are transmitted among a single unique species of animal. Dogs mainly get infected with canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus and mycoplasma. Cats mainly get infected with feline distemper virus, calicivirus, feline herpes virus, feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus, and they only exist in cats. Some zoonotic illnesses can also infect humans. Examples are Lyme disease, Ehrlichia and Flagellate, as well as parasites like roundworms. However, these viruses and bacteria are less infectious among humans. 3. How can we avoid getting infected by viruses or bacteria from pets? First of all, keep pets clean. Domestic pets must be groomed regularly. Second, give your pets regular healthcare such as deworming and physical examinations. You’d also want to watch out for other latent infections or diseases so that they can get early detection and timely treatment. 4. What kinds of symptoms to look for in pets before seeking timely medical attention? The most common symptoms to look for in pets are loss of appetite and lethargy, and some other signs such as coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, and more eye and nose secretions. In these situations, you must promptly seek medical attention. 5. Which groups of people are not suited to adopting pets? First, people with chronic diseases such as hypertension and heart diseases are advised against keeping large dogs because of their strength and the need to walk them outside regularly. Second, people with asthma or allergy should avoid keeping cats and dogs because the hair these animals shed can make their symptoms worse. When adopting a pet, people need to keep in mind their special needs. You can adopt a cat if you don’t have time to walk a dog. For those with physical challenges, a cat or a smaller dog would be a better choice than a large dog. 6. Can we spread our germs to the pets and how do we prevent such a scenario? There were rare cases, almost none, where diseases were transmitted from humans to animals. Such cases are basically unclear or undetected, at least with dogs and cats. No cases of human-pet transmission have been found, although wild animals like bats can contract zoonotic diseases. 7. What are the prerequisites for raising pets in Shenzhen? First, you must take care of pets and build a bond with them. Since many Shenzhen residents are commuters, you have to make sure that you’ve got time for them. Then, if you want to keep a dog, especially medium and large ones, you must have a larger house or living space. If you have a cat, your home should have enough light coming in and you must have time to regularly clean the litter. Last but not the least, you must be financially equipped to provide for them. 8. How do we care for pets in daily life? Daily care focuses on several body parts. Check their eyes and if you see secretions, use wet wipes to clean them immediately. Then, check the ears and pull out stray hairs if you see any. Using cotton swabs to regularly clean their ears, just like we do with our own ears. Brush your pet’s teeth regularly or there will be stones and bacteria forming on them. When pets lick people, they can spread the bacteria to the owners. In addition, check for abnormalities in their urine and feces, routinely brush or comb their fur, and check for parasites and skin problems. Some skin problems are contagious, such as cat ringworm and fungus. Likewise, walk pets such as dogs twice a day, pay attention to their daily excretions and have them groomed, vaccinated and dewormed regularly. | 