[avimal]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Do you really mean rabid? As in a dog suffering from rabies?

A dog suffering from rabies, as far as I know, must be killed. A dog suffering from rabies is going to lead to other animals and humans contracting the disease. It is unlikely that everyone nipped/licked/bitten by this dog would go for emergency immunisation. Rabies is a horrible way to die, and, once developed, there is no cure.

Shouldn't have to say this on an Indian animal thread: isn't everybody here aware of rabies and its risks? Maybe not: I know of an NRI doctor who died of it. A friend of a friend is as close as I ever want to get to rabies.

So, if you really have rabid dogs, you have a huge problem, seriously needing a fix.

But if you just mean a bit crazy and threatening... maybe you still have a serious problem. But echoing others: try to find an organisation who will approach the problem with methods other than slaughter.

We are trying to reach out to govt agencies and NGOs. Is it possible to figure out if dog has rabies? Are there specific symptoms? There are 5-6 stray dogs keep roaming here and we did not worry much till this recent incident. Rabid dog was finally killed but we are not sure if other dogs are also affected. We need to do lot of work to avoid such incident in future.

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by carboy

It's been a really long time since municipal corps stopped doing that. At least in Bombay. Maneka Gandhi started her fight against killing strays in the late 80s, early 90s, I think. And she was successful.

Municipalities were told to neuter them instead of kill them. The problem with that is that it needs far more resources and is far more expensive than killing strays. So mostly they don't do much.

I mentioned mad / rabid dogs - there is no option other that killing that animal as AFAIK rabies in dogs is not curable.

For regular strays, I already listed what I would suggest and myself practice.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by avimal

We are trying to reach out to govt agencies and NGOs. Is it possible to figure out if dog has rabies? Are there specific symptoms? There are 5-6 stray dogs keep roaming here and we did not worry much till this recent incident. Rabid dog was finally killed but we are not sure if other dogs are also affected. We need to do lot of work to avoid such incident in future.

This is a complex subject, and I'm not qualified. I think that sometimes it takes a blood test, which may not even be practical. Rabies or not, I can sympathise with anybody wanting to get rid of an aggressive or dangerous dog.

In our place, it is more like 50 or 60! I exaggerate, but not by that much. Each street section has its five or six. In the night they all mix. Sometimes they party; sometimes they fight. Being a night bird myself, I hear the noises, and think I would not like to be out there. And I wouldn't. Really. Dogs in packs in the night really can be dangerous. In the day, though, they fade into the scenery, and most interaction with people is of the "I'm just glad you're not kicking me" kind.

I'm not a dog person (I take in the cats that arrive and tell me they live here) and I don't get involved, positive or negative*, with the dogs on the street. But I dread someone deciding that they are enough of a threat to get them killed, because that does happen in these parts.



*But I'll talk to anyone: regardless of species

[esoticoreventon]

Originally Posted by avimal

We are trying to reach out to govt agencies and NGOs. Is it possible to figure out if dog has rabies? Are there specific symptoms? There are 5-6 stray dogs keep roaming here and we did not worry much till this recent incident. Rabid dog was finally killed but we are not sure if other dogs are also affected. We need to do lot of work to avoid such incident in future.

If you use Facebook, do look for the group "The Pound" and post about the same over there, but make sure you mention the problem exactly. I think the organisation CUPA might be of help. But are you sure the dog was rabid? The signs of rabies are pretty awful, the dog would be in a horrible state if he was rabid!

[archat68]

Rabies is not curable. There is no diagnostic test for confirming the diagnosis. The diagnosis of rabies is done by testing tissue collected from brain after killing the affected animal or human. In case of any animal exposure who is suspected to have rabies, take immediate post exposure vaccination.

Don't take any chance, rabies is not CURABLE.

BTW rabies infected animals rarely survive more than 5 days after showing symptoms of rabies. That is why doctors ask to watch the animal for 10 days after a bite. If the animal survives, he doesn't have rabies. Killing the infected animal is humane as they are going to to die surely but after suffering a lot. Also there is chance of infecting other animals/ human.

[ritz3645]

Originally Posted by avimal

.

One animal might be manageable than other. What one will choose if he has to live with either frogs or snakes.

My one and a half months experience of Banglore is the city with highest percentage of animal/nature loving population. You should also understand why every temple in Banglore has a dedicated area for the snake God. I am with the majority as am a animal lover.

You see we all grow from a child to be a parent of a child. Like we talk about learning curve, it is a learning curve where we learn why an individual (kid/human/animal) is behaving the way it is.

I have seen dogs, monkeys, peacocks attacking for no reason. One rabid stray attacked a kid in our layout without any instigation just 4 days back. If someone had not intervened in time

I am not getting in an argument by saying wild or domesticated animals do not attack. I will give a simple example of personal space. No individual young or old, human or animal tolerates violation of his/her personal space.

You see this is the basic start and then the turmoil builds up from here with threat perception.

I am not sure of how long the poster of the message has been in the property. As house ownership itself is a learning curve where families and neighborhood develop issues over time. I will not be surprised if some one in neighborhood gets a pet dog. Especially in a city like Banglore where highest nos of pets are the desi native breed. The best lesson I have learned is not to be in any group demanding action. As people have their own motives.

Every municipality in India including Banglore have competent people and health department is active of stray menace and Rabies issue.

Dog bite and rabies are stages.

My own pet dog bit me once in 2005 while teasing his leather bone. And I have done the expensive rabies shot. And ten years prior to me younger brother got bit by another of our pet dog and he did the excruciatingly painful stomach injection regime, as Govt Hospital

Even animal handler learns and this is why they become handler.

Parent concern is valid but there will always be animal interactions (domesticated or wild) in a individual's life. Any no one blames the kid or animal but parent.

Another way to look at it is skills.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Just for the record, rabies inoculations are now no longer expensive or painful. Anyone who handles animals should have them. The pre-exposure course should be repeated every few years, but I have not found anybody who can tell me how many years!

It is more or less true that animals do not attack for no reason. We might not understand their reason, or think it reasonable. 99% of all the dogs I pass by or meet in life like or ignore me: Once in a while, one will be aggressive, sometimes for no reason that Ican see. Probably a territorial thing. Or simply dislike-on-sight! Can't win 'em all!

Which is not to claim that animals, even the ones we come close to every day cannot be dangerous. Some of them might even want to eat us. And some, when the pack/mob thing gets into them, behave as badly as... humans!

[raihan]

Originally Posted by pramodkumar

Thanks for the concern, The baby is not here with me, she is with my wife at my inlaws place. The reason I asked this was because, I was thinking wont that affect the car? because I heard fleas love the carpet. What did you do to get rid of the fleas ultimately?

Pramod

Well there was nothing I could do but endure the bites(they are terrible) as we didn't want to spray the whole house! They eventually subsided on their own.

Better take them in an auto if their infestation is severe.

I have a new cat now who doesn't seem to have this problem but time to time I get the flea lotion applied to him at the vets place. I take him in my own car by the way.

[carboy]

Originally Posted by ritz3645

My own pet dog bit me once in 2005 while teasing his leather bone. And I have done the expensive rabies shot. And ten years prior to me younger brother got bit by another of our pet dog and he did the excruciatingly painful stomach injection regime, as Govt Hospital

Why would you keep a pet who hasn't been given the rabies vaccine?

[ritz3645]

Originally Posted by carboy

Why would you keep a pet who hasn't been given the rabies vaccine?

Hey,

Even if pet is vaccinated, precautionary measure is take anti rabies shots if bitten.
Any their was govt vet who did vaccinations as pvt practice and provide a dummy passport with dates of shots done. My dog was fully updated and this was pre Pedigree days.
Later my dog also got free pedigree + shots + new passport via pedigree camp.
In my brother case year 1990 we were young to understand rabies vaccinations, priority was getting pup home while dad & mom against and doing demo runaway with pet.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by carboy

Why would you keep a pet who hasn't been given the rabies vaccine?

It's a good point. For protection of pet and protection of self.

Fleas actually spend most of their time off the animal. Humans will feel them at their worst when the animal is not there for the fleas. Defleaing the house is at least as important as defleaing the animal.

If i remember right, cats and dogs have different fleas. (?)

[carboy]

Originally Posted by ritz3645

Even if pet is vaccinated, precautionary measure is take anti rabies shots if bitten.

I wouldn't take it if it was me.

Originally Posted by ritz3645

My dog was fully updated and this was pre Pedigree days.

What does pre Pedigree days mean?

[ritz3645]

Originally Posted by carboy

I wouldn't take it if it was me.



What does pre Pedigree days mean?

1) I did as doc said then.

2) Pedigree was first company to have mass pet food introduction camp all over India. Brother went with dog but I still think they were 1st company to educate of shots to masses with free record booklet/passport of pet given to owners. So owners were more informed.
Pre Pedigree in India is I think before year 2005 (assuming or long shot)

[Amey Kulkarni]

Guys! Meet Mikhail! He's a Golden Retriever two and half years old, a member of KCI. He's a sweetheart, very intelligent and has a unique quality of picking up the car / bike keys once your home and will keep it near the key holder.







Cheers,
Amey

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by pramodkumar

Thanks for the concern, The baby is not here with me, she is with my wife at my inlaws place. The reason I asked this was because, I was thinking wont that affect the car? because I heard fleas love the carpet. What did you do to get rid of the fleas ultimately?
Pramod

Hello Pramod,

Regarding control of ticks, fleas, etc we have found good results with anti-tick collars. There is some difference of opinion about the effects of the collar on the functioning of the liver of the pet. We have used anti-tick collars for our boxers over the past many years (over 15 years) now & they have showed no symptoms of any liver ailments. You can consult your vet about this as we did. And we found the collar to be very effective in eliminating the infestation of ticks & fleas. The collars need to be re-placed every few months (usually 4-6 months) and must be protected against water - remove while bathing your pet and when he/she has to be taken out in the rain for peeing/pooing. Nowadays the collars are being marketed here in India by Bayer's and are available in most standard pet accessory outlets (Pet Zone, Paws Up). I am attaching a photo of Daisy, our champion boxer, wearing the collar. Daisy won the B.O.B championship in the boxer category in the INKC show in Mumbai in 2004. It is the blue-and-white plastic collar round her neck in the picture. After the collar has been put around the neck, it usually takes a week to start showing results.
As you said, one can't be too careful where one's baby's health is concerned and I hope this suggestion - about the anti-tick collar - helps you in getting rid of the fleas on your pet.