(336) 855-5821
AAHA AccreditedPast Alerts
As we have only recently begun posting Regional Pet Health Alerts, we have no current history. As these Alerts are posted, we will list them here.
Current Alerts
Feline Vaccine Changes. (07/03/2007) We would like to inform you of a new vaccine available for our feline patients, and one which we are recommending that all cats be given for their protection at your earliest convenience.
Virulent Systemic Feline Calicivirus (VS-FCV) is a relatively new, more deadly strain of the traditional feline calicivirus, one of the two major respiratory viruses typically found in cats. The old strain will not protect against the virulent systemic strain, and although VS-FCV appears to be less common than the traditional virus, it has gained the attention of feline experts because it is much more severe.
Within days of exposure, VS-FCV can affect multiple organs and cause painful and devastating signs in infected cats. The virus is up to greater than 40% fatal to adult cats, even those previously vaccinated with the traditional FCV vaccine. VS-FCV is easily transmitted from cat to cat by anything shed by the cat, including hair, dander, blood, urine, feces and secretions from the eyes and nose. The disease can also be spread via objects such as clothing, tables, doorknobs, shoes and hands.
Rabies in North Carolina. Rabies still presents a problem for North Carolina as there have been an upward trend in documented cases with wildlife. Raccoons are the most common carrier in our area, and all pets should be discouraged from playing with wild animals. For more information on the history of Rabies in North Carolina, read this article from the Epidemiology in NC website. Knowing the problem and the risks is the best defense outside of vaccination.