Racoons in Staten Island Continue to Test Positive for Rabies

THE BREGMAN VETERINARY GROUP

www.BregmanVetGroup.com

Attention Pet Owners: A message from the Department of Health & Mental Hygiene

Pet owners, since January 2013, 35 raccoons in Staten Island have tested positive for rabies. The 35 raccoons have been collected from several neighborhoods in the Staten Island area.
Maintaining vaccination against rabies is required for all dogs and cats in the New York City area. Any unvaccinated dog or cat that may have been exposed to a rabid animal is required to enter six-month isolation under observation in an approved facility or be euthanized. If a pet is up to date with rabies vaccine, but potentially exposed to a rabid animal, a booster vaccine should be given immediately, and the owner should be instructed to confine and observe the animal for 45 days in the owner’s home.

Any healthy pet, dog or cat, that has been bitten is required to be confined and observed by the owner (in most instances) for 10 days. If the animal isn't currently vaccinated against rabies, vaccination should not occur until after the completion of the 10 day period.

We encourage you to report all suspected animal rabies cases to:

• Veterinary Public Health Service: 646-632-6604
• Bureau of Communicable Diseases: 347-396-2600
• NYC Poison Control Center: 212-764-7667

A few friendly reminders for pet owners:

• Avoid contact with wild and stray animals.
• Make sure your cat or dog is up to date on rabies vaccinations.
• Avoid leaving your pets outdoors unattended and feed them indoors.
• Avoid trying to separate animals that are fighting.
• Contact the Bregman Vet Group if your pet has been in contact with a raccoon, skunk, bat or any animal that might be rabid. 

If your pet isn't up to date on vaccinations, please contact any one of our locations and make an appointment immediately. For more information, visit us on the web.

10 Raccoon's Tested Positive for Rabies in Staten Island!

THE BREGMAN VETERINARY GROUP

www.BregmanVetGroup.com

Attention Pet Owners, 10 raccoons tested positive for rabies in Staten Island!

Since January 2013, 10 raccoon's have tested positive in Staten Island in neighborhoods including Eltingville, Grasmere, Great Kills, New Dorp, Park Hill, Tottenville and Westerleigh. The number is on the rise, as compared to last year, when a reported 6 raccoon's tested positive in Staten Island.

Maintaining vaccination against rabies is required for all dogs and cats in NYC. Any unvaccinated dog or cat that may have been exposed to a rabid animal is required to enter into six-month isolation in an approved facility or be euthanized. If a pet is up to date with its rabies vaccine but potentially exposed to a rabid animal, a booster vaccine should be given immediately, and the owner should be instructed to confine and observe the animal for 45 days in the owner's home.

Although none of the ten rabid raccoon's have any reported contact with any humans or pets, it's still important to be aware of any rabid animals in your neighborhood. 

Any healthy pet dog or cat that has been bitten or scratched a person is required to be confined and observed by the owner (in most instances) for 10 days. If the animal is not currently vaccinated against rabies, vaccination should not occur until after the completion of the 10 day observation period. Animal bites are can be reported to the DOHMH Veterinary Public Health Services (VPHS) Animal Bite Unit at 212-676-2483 during business hours; outside of business hours please call the Poison Control Center at 212-POISONS or 212-764-7667.

A couple of things that pet owners should be educated on: 

• Avoid contact with wild and stray animals
• Make sure your dog or cat is up-to-date on its rabies vaccinations
• Avoid leaving your pets outdoors unattended and feed them indoors
• Avoid trying to separate animals that are fighting
• Contact the Bregman Vet Group if your pet has been in contact with a raccoon, skunk, bat or any animal that might be rabid

If your pet is not vaccinated, please contact one of the Bregman Veterinary Group locations immediately to schedule an appointment. 

World Rabies Day- September 28, 2012!

THE BREGMAN VETERINARY GROUP 

www.BregmanVetGroup.com

Tomorrow, September 28^th is World Rabies Day!  It is a day created by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control group and is recognized by over 150 nations.  The goal of World rabies day is to promote information on rabies control and reduce the amount of rabies cases by maintaining proper animal vaccination and control, as well as providing access to the necessary medical care for those infected. 

“Rabies is completely preventable.  We want people to understand the importance of vaccinating against the disease,” said Dr. Leon Russell, a professor in the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.  Even with treatment available, more than 55,000 people per year die from a rabies bite worldwide.  Rabies can be contracted from dogs and cats to skunks and raccoons. 

In addition, Russell recommends that owners should take the necessary precautions and pets should always be routinely vaccinated against rabies.

If your pet is in need of vaccination, or treatment please contact us at The Bregman Veterinary Group for the best services!  Visit us at http://bregmanvetgroup.com/ for more information. Also, visit our Facebook page, linked HERE! 

A Searing Narrative of Rabies, and the Desperation to Forget It

THE BREGMAN VETERINARY GROUP 

www.BregmanVetGroup.com

When thinking about vaccinating your pets, do you ever think about protecting not just them, but yourself as well? James Gorman, read a book, “Rabid: A cultural History of the World’s Most Diabolical Virus,” considering himself a public health hero, for simply vaccinating his dog.  

Gorman read that, “rabies, on its inexorable death crawl through the nervous system to the brain, can cause sustained erections, and on rare occasions frequent, and uncontrollable ejaculations in human males.” Although, in developing countries rabies is not a common disease to get, in the rest of the world, mainly Africa and Asia, 55,000 people die each year of rabies. 

People assume rabid dogs are stray, but in Africa, most of these rabid dogs are owned.  

This ARTICLE goes to show just how important it is to vaccinate your pets, not only for their own health, but for your own!