#never got lyme vaccinated

[endlessnightarts]

Hey vaccinate your fucking pets

[ask-a-vetblr]

Hi I’m starting a book set in Australia (I’m an Aussie!) and it’s about Rabies getting loose in Australia but going to be like a sci/fi and horror novel. I thought I’d ask actual vets if you knew what could happen if rabies got loose in Australia?

gettingvetted here.

Our founder and native Aussie, drferox, is on hiatus, so I will give this a go.

Unfortunately for your book, rabies is one of the easiest diseases to control and eradicate, especially on a small scale and especially if you know the animal of origin. Vaccinations literally have to be upwards of 95% effective (at least in the US) in order to become licensed for use, and the immunity derived from rabies vaccines is long lasting at 1-3 years at minimum; it probably lasts longer but official studies to license vaccines for that long have not been done due to expense. Likewise, the vaccines are usually inexpensive compared to other vaccines like Lyme, as you can vaccinate a cat or dog for 3 years for roughly $25 per vaccine. You typically have plenty of time (weeks to months) after a possible exposure to determine if the biting animal is rabid, and even if you never find that out, rabies vaccination will prevent rabies in an exposed individual as long as they themselves are not showing symptoms (aka, there's a handful of known rabies positive animals in the country and you/your dog just got bitten by a kangaroo? get vaccinated, you're going to be fine even if they can't find the kangaroo again). The symptoms are pretty obvious and pretty classic, making the animal easily identifiable even among its peers, and once the stage of being symptomatic has arrived and thus transmission is possible, the animal will die in a handful of days, thus self-limiting the spread. The only "treatment" is humane euthanasia and as wildlife are the usual reservoir of the virus, there isn't much of an uproar when a select few are euthanized for testing or prevention each year. An interesting factoid is that while the US still has rabies, we *only* have wildlife strains present (not canine rabies). So even if a dog gets rabies from another dog, they will still have acquired skunk, bat, or raccoon strains of rabies. This is due to years of regulating that cats, dogs, and ferrets (domesticated carnivores) be vaccinated for rabies and euthanized for biting if unvaccinated until the canine strain was eradicated. Canine rabies is still an issue in countries with lots of feral dogs.

As a vet in the US, it is a MAJOR headache to ship animals from rabies-endemic areas to non-rabies-endemic areas. Even Hawaii is extremely difficult to pull off. Not only do they have to be vaccinated early (usually within 6 months of travel), they also often have to have rabies titers performed within the same time frame or sometimes even closer to the travel date. An extended quarantine period (I seem to recall that it is 6 months in some cases?) is also required prior to entry for countries such as Australia so that even if the rabies vaccination and titers were incorrect or forged and the animal has rabies, they would still show symptoms prior to entry into the country. Also, while unrelated to rabies, Australia requires veterinarians (not animal owners) to personally administer very specific parasite prevention to animals at very specific intervals to prevent certain parasites from entering the country too, so the amount of prep work required for export itself is often long enough such that if the animal had rabies, you would find out before they left the country. The regulations also differ depending on country of origin - countries with less control over their rabies status are either banned from importing animals or face even stricter import regulations. If any of these steps are performed incorrectly or without pristine official evidence of doing so, the animal gets right back on the plane and goes back to its country of origin, or is held in official government quarantine at customs. So it would be quite difficult to get a rabid animal into the country. Humans are a different story of course, so that may be the best way to bring rabies into Australia in your story. However, humans getting rabies is extremely rare, and considering the excellent healthcare in AUS, a human would probably seek care and be diagnosed before they could become insane enough to start biting wildlife (again, the only real scenario I could think of that could feasibly bring rabies to AUS, because if a rabies positive human bit another human or even a dog, you simply vaccinate that human or dog for rabies and they will be fine).

So, let's assume that you got rabies into the country and a handful of wild animals of various species are exposed. We'll even assume that it was a dog that somehow brought it in despite all the red tape designed to make it impossible, and that dog is ownerless or escaped so there is nobody to tell officials what type or how many animals it bit before it died of its symptoms. It would probably take a significant amount of time for anyone to figure out what was going on. Vets who are educated in countries that have endemic rabies are taught that any animal with any neurologic symptoms should be treated as if they have rabies unless they recover. I.e., if a neurologic animal dies without a definitive diagnosis of some other neurologic disease (such as EPM, distemper, etc) and especially if that animal is unvaccinated for rabies, you MUST assume they had rabies and send them for postmortem testing so that any human or animal who was exposed to the potentially rabid animal can be vaccinated if necessary. However, vets who are educated in non-endemic countries are of course aware of the disease, but probably wouldn't have it on their radar for a neurologic animal. It would probably take a few wildlife or pet animal cases being sent for necropsy and testing after sudden neurologic death before rabies was diagnosed, which probably wouldn't happen until a few months to a year after the first case arrived in the country, at the earliest. Then a few things would happen.

First, the owners of the pet animals and the organizations dealing with wildlife would be extensively interviewed to determine location and possibly the species of animal that bit the now-dead-and-necropsied rabid animal. These areas would be surveyed extensively and unfortunately a lot of local wildlife mammals would probably be preventively eradicated especially if positive cases were found in a given species. Import/export of ANY animals from the country would be immediately halted and mandatory vaccination of all owned animals in the country would likely be established and enforced. Travel of humans likely wouldn't be stopped, but rabies vaccination would be added to the list of recommended vaccines for travel to AUS, similar to malaria vaccines in endemic countries. Again, the excellent and affordable healthcare system of AUS (at least compared to the US) would probably lead many or most Australians to be vaccinated for rabies prophylactially, which can cost thousands of dollars in the US and is usually not covered by health insurance. There would probably be a huge push for vaccination of wildlife with rabies vaccines dropped from aircraft, which could be done both within the area that suspected exposed or definitively positive animals have been found, as well as a radius around those areas as prevention. Vets would be mandated to report any neurologic or behaviorally abnormal animal even if rabies wasn't the suspected cause, and unfortunately would likely be forced to euthanize many animals that were not rabid. There is a chance that with these measures, rabies could be eradicated, but it wouldn't be certain, probably ever. Longer term, surveillance measures would be taken (and I don't mean surveillance like the FBI, I mean epidemiologic surveillance such as monitoring cases that pop up and physically checking on and sampling the typical populations of wildlife that carry the disease). Regardless, it would be extremely difficult to cause any kind of fatal epidemic using a standard rabies virus. Ounce of prevention/pound of cure and all that, but Australia currently chooses a pound of prevention.

Definitely an interesting concept for a book, but I would go with a carnivore parvovirus or canine distemper virus that mutates quickly enough that it can't be vaccinated for, and is transmissible from animals to humans. Parvovirus, specifically, is extremely hardy in the environment and is far more contagious than rabies. Without effective vaccines, I'm betting that either distemper or parvo would cause more death than the plague, especially among pediatrics. I'm not familiar with hendravirus given that we don't have it in the US, but to my knowledge that is also a horrific and contagious disease that is already present in AUS.

Hope this helps!

[riley-coyotl]

My poor sweet Juniper has had a very rough week :(

tl;dr: Juni sliced her paw open pretty bad at the river, and had to endure her first ever ER vet visit to be stitched up, which involved a traumatic needle-stabbing incident during the sedation process (they missed the vein ~10 times...) A day later, she managed to get around her cone collar and rip out her stitches overnight, so she had to go BACK to the vet (thankfully this time her regular vet who she's familiar with) to get sedated and stitched up again, with a bandage on her foot for good measure this time, and a different cone that better accommodates her long snoot and teeny little neck. She is a very sad little doggie about it.

Details under the cut:

We took the dogs for their first river swim of the year, didn't even stay long because the water level was too high, and then while we were packing up to leave, noticed Juni was floating her back left paw in the air like it was hurt. Discovered she had a pretty big gash in her foot above her paw pad. No insignificant amount of blood. Took her home, cleaned it up... determined it definitely needed professional cleaning and probably stitches.

So Juni had to go get stitched up at the emergency vet--a vet she's never been to before, and has never met anyone there (and normally, Juni has trazodone + gabapentin on board for anxiety when she goes to the vet, but of course she didn't this time since it was an emergency and we didn't have time for meds to take effect.) To their credit, they were wonderful with her, very kind, patient, and knowledgeable on dealing with anxious dogs with Stranger Danger, and let us do most of the handling (everything possible) so she was comfortable being examined. To Juni's credit, she was very brave and very good, and I'm so so proud of her. She was quite nervous, but she did a great job relying on all her training and seeking comfort in us. She even did much better with the emergency handling by strangers than I anticipated.

Unfortunately, when it came time to stick her to sedate her so she could be stitched up, they had a hard time finding her vein with the needle. Poor Juni was shaking, had to be stabbed over 10 times before they successfully got her, and by now she had freaked out, struggled, sprayed anal gland juice, the whole nine yards. Legitimately, I think this was probably the worst day of her life. :(

Everything else went fine, and we even took advantage of her being sedated anyways to get some routine bloodwork done. Everyone at the ER loved her despite her wanting nothing to do with them. She's a scared doggie, but she's a good doggie.

Took her home, she sulked about her predicament all night. She had a normal "happy visit" appointment scheduled at her regular vet, and we chose to keep the appointment to let her experience the usual routine and nice doctor she's used to. It went well, I think it was good for her to have that experience to contrast with her scary one.

Later, overnight, Juni somehow managed to get around her cone and rip out all her stitches, and so the next morning she had to go back to the vet for the third day in a row, to get stitched up again. This time at least, she was able to see her regular vet and did MUCH better with her. We take her for regular happy visits there and practice cooperative care handling with our vet that she's familiar with, and this appears to have paid off even in the case of emergency handling where cooperative care was not feasible (she's not up to the point in her training where she will accept an IV stick from the doc.) No struggling this time, they got her vein on the first try, and they fixed her up, re-stitched the wound, bandaged it for good measure, and got her a cone collar that fit her better (long snoot, tiny neck...it's surprisingly hard to find!) While sedated, she also got the last two vaccines she needed done this year (lyme and flu.) Still, even though it went really well, I'm sure that was quite stressful for her.

Poor Juni has been pretty sad, she's really not happy having to wear the cone, and it is breaking my heart every time she stares at me with her sad face asking for my help to free her from being "trapped" and being unable to help her. She is gradually getting used to having to wear the cone, adjusting to it, but man. What a week. And no swimming, and reduced activity until her foot is all better...just sad :(

We are considering getting her spay done during her recovery for her foot so we can overlap recovery times, reducing the Total Suffering Time for her. We'll see.

Pics above are as follows:

1. Juni right after her injury, when I discovered she was hurt

2-3. Juni seeking reassurance at the ER vet

4. Juni practicing putting on + wearing the vet muzzle while we waited for them to come sedate her

5-7. Zonked Juni, waiting for her to wake up from sedation

8. Juni being sad after her ER vet visit

9. Juni being sad after having to get her foot re-sutured

10. Juni imploring me to help her because she's "trapped" :(

[ardent-heretic]

WTF

Took Spawnette to get her annual physical. Her regular Doctor is on medical leave, so they pulled one old Doctor I have never seen before out of mothball storage.

This Dr started with the usual. But then she went off script. Asked 5 times what school does she go to? We had to repeat the story of our concern about Spawnette three times. Don’t worry, nothing horrible, but she has had an issue for two years that no Doctor or Specialist could grasp. And that really sucks. She kept repeating herself the whole exam.

She starts doing more diagnostic crap.

Then out of nowhere

When did you last inspect yourself for ticks? Spawnette was like Huh???

You need to check your entire body for ticks. You can never get bit.(what is with that sentence?) Does some more doctor stuff

And again.

Do you let your parents check you for ticks? You must look everywhere. Behind the ears, scalp, groin. Spawnette’s eyes widened at that. And I just nodded no.

Made small talk about HPV vaccine. Small talk about when flu shots will be available

Then

Ohh do you know how to check for ticks? It could be a big tick or a small black dot. If you find one you have to tell your parents immediately.

Asks about favorite fruit and favorite vegetable. What snacks do you like? Do you drink a lot of water.

How often are you outside? You must check for ticks each time you play outside. Even if it is for a little while. Beware of getting ticks.

Now just so you know her medical issue has nothing to do with Lyme Disease or anything like that. This old doctor was just jacked up on tick prevention.

New York State does have positive Lyme cases. And there are ticks everywhere. But holy hell, don’t give a kid anxiety about the outdoors making it sound like ticks are killing everyone. This Physical was an hour long and 50% of it was

“Tick gonna get you. Hide! Bathe in gasoline to kill them! Light yourself if they on you! Ticks are coming!”

It was nuts

And a side note from me. This Doctor types with her right index finger only. Like 14 words per minute, so as I am telling her medical history, I had to keep stopping and waiting for her to catch up. At one point I had to correct a mistake because I am an idiot. I said “Ohh I’m sorry I said she got a cat scan, she actually got an ultrasound.” She gave me a death glare and used arrow back key instead of clicking with mouse to change each catscan word into ultrasound. But I am just thinking it’s 2024. Maybe you should learn how to use a keyboard to type.

I think this appointment gave me an eye twitch.

[horsesarecreatures]

I've been contaminated again and can't see Amba, but I talked to the vet yesterday and she's going to get a thorough exam on Monday. She's a little better, but I was really hoping for a more dramatic cessation of symptoms. She's still a little spooky (on and off - she can be chill one day then super anxious the next), and she kept running away when I tried to groom her in the indoor the other day because her back and neck are sensitive. At one point she stepped on the lead rope and got upset, which never used to happen when I let her graze loose at the old barn.

The point of the exam on Monday is just to see if she might benefit from some hopefully short term cosequin and antiinflammatories. The antibiotics finish Wednesday, and I have a feeling she might start to get worse again. But I'm not going to keep pumping her with antibiotics and further destroy her microbiome and immune system. Hopefully by reducing her pain and discomfort we can reduce her stress which will help her immune system recover faster.

I reached out Dr. Harmon the holistic Lyme specialist to see if she would do a phone consult about more targeted herbals and unfortunately did not get a response. I will probably put Amba back on Jing Tang herbals then switch between it and Tic X every month, as well as keep her on probiotics and the colostrum/immubiome. I'm also trying to find someone to do acupuncture on her.

And I spoke to the vet about the dog vaccine and she said she didn't know if it will be effective but thinks at this point it's worth a try. Just have to wait 45 days.

[medical-gal]

Death by a thousand cuts

I have been thinking about writing this for months now. Even before I decided to quit the residency at my previous job.

COVID has been kicking our ass, true, but that was (is) true for most healthcare providers all around the world.

No, my struggle started a bit before that actually.

First some background, I have been working at one of the biggest most famous ID clinics in central Europe. The clinic is in a different country than I am originally from so there was a bit of cultural accommodating at the begging. But we were a big group of ID interns/residents/fellows and specialists.

I don't actually remember that much from my first year working there. And I couldn't figure out why, but then I read in some study that when u experience a high dose of stress and/or sleep deprivation for a long time, your brain kinda stopps being able to transcribe short term memory into a long term.

I was working 100hours/week, sometimes less, sometimes more. After a year and a half, when the last half I worked in the ID ER for five months, I always stayed after working 24 hours, sometimes over 36hours, and I would see and treat 70ish patients. Nobody from the older docs would help me out, nobody from other interns either bc usually they would have their own kind of hell to take care of.

The fact that basically, inexperienced doctors are taking care of patients never really phased my ex-boss. Her mantra was that if there was a problem that you cannot resolve, you can call her and she would advise you. Which most of the time was true, I must say that.

But we all have been young docs, barely out of our medical school garments, and sometimes as it happened, we could not recognize there IS a problem that maybe needs a more experienced opinion.

I am often confronted with this idea or more like a culture, of pretending that once you are an MD you don't need help and asking for it is a kind of weakness and that then you are forever on the list of WEAKLINGS.

And let me say this only once.

That's absolute bullshit.

Anyway, the first time I decided to quit I worked there for about a year and a half, I went for a long-expected holiday, I took three weeks off, had interviews and talked with my bf about my options.

Second thing...my man, bless his beard, would support me no matter what. He is almost 10 years older than me, so he has more work experience and I find it reassuring to discuss stuff like this with him bc I know he will not sugarcoat it. He said that I should dig my heels in and last at least one more year till the end of my "internship". As a "resident" who worked at this specific department, I wouldn't have a problem finding another job. We r basically the equivalent of a french legion of medical professionals (when u work in this specific department and everyone knows it, I will come back to that later).

So I took his advice. Thankfully as a part of our training, one of those parts is a year-long internship at the internal medicine department, which I did shortly after we had that conversation and guys, that was a revelation of how medicine and just...work and life can be experienced. There were enough docs for a floor, an attending who had the time to manage and advise us. I´ve grown that year as a doc so much. Other internships were mandatory so I could have become (equivalent of) a resident, and it was a general surgery, anesthesiology, radiology, microbiology etc. But I did them all and became a resident.

The moment I came back to our clinic, my boss would put me in our outpatient department. Which I have never worked on before. The head of the department has quit a few months before, and I had no idea what to do there, bc it's a very different type work. The only thing my boss told me when I spoke of my concerns were "you will learn".

Thankfully the previous head of the department was a good friend of mine and she would always answer my questions and requests. Suddenly I no longer had to deal with the hectic life of an ID floor or ER, no sepsis, meningitis, etc.

Most of my patients were the chronic type...Lyme, chlamydia, mycoplasma... let's say it literally drained the life out of me. But I managed. Also, I started to work for their outpatient office which takes care of patients with chronic hepatatis. That I enjoyed more.

I also started to dip my toes in vaccinology, either planned like for travel but I started to be more interested in preventive care in the immunocompromised and my own phantasmagoria was to make a palliative care team in our hospital. Bc, we had none. And then a wonderful thing happened, other docs, older experienced, great at their work, started to refer their patients to me specifically.

There were more examples of the utter a complete FUCK U(s) which were kindly provided either by the system or by the head of the department or the hospital.

Then covid hit and the shit hit the interstellar space.

I still can't make myself remember the first few months bc it actually causes me to go into a rage fit, and honestly, I am done with that kind of negativity.

I hold out for a year. Year of such shitty treatment from the chief and our hospital head. No thank you- s or you are doing a good job or we r all on the same ship.

No.

People will say that I quit bc of the money. And that's not true, tho it did irk me a bit. All the other ID specialists working at different hospitals would get covid bonuses every month. We got jack shit. Again, the best biggest most know ID clinic. We were the first and oftern the ONLY ones who would test for/diagnose/hospitalize/treat a patient who had covid FOR MONTHS in the beginning.

I mean, the medical community is small, the ID community even smaller so yes, we were able to compare and contrast the work at different ID departments in other hospitals bc our friends worked there. And all of them would go speechless when they would hear from us what we were living thru.

At one point at the beginning of the pandemic, ALL the ambulances would go thru our ER department and we were supposed to decide where the patient should go.

AN EXAMPLE

Ambulance with a woman who has known colon cancer, had a fever, stomach as a rock and is projectile vomiting. I was supposed to decide where she should go and the surgeon would be super pissed when I said that I don't think she has COVID but without PCR I can't be sure but I think there is a bigger pressing issue. I remember him saying:

"well if anyone else gets infected at our department and dies, it's on you."

fun.

There were other examples of seriously stressful episodes which I and my coworkers lived thru, for which we were not trained for, advised, or properly supervised. At a certain point, I started to take anxiolytics before and during my all-nighters bc I didn't know what I would do with all that stress which was so callously shat on me and my coworkers.

For a few months, I stopped working nights, only thru the mercy of my coworkers who saw how exhausted I was and would take my shifts.

Anyway, after only two months I had to start working nights bc I needed the money. The basic pay for docs was just not enough without the extra from night shifts. Talk about exploiting.

The moment however when I decided to QUIT, when I was DONE, when I actually heard my heart break, was the moment at the end of the previous year. They decided to start vaccinating in our tiny small vaccination centre. Let's say a "shit storm" brewing is the light version of events that ensued.

But basically, as I was trying to discuss with my boss that we are all exhausted, that this wave is not slowing down and that throwing more work at us, the docs and nurses and other staff, who are overworked, is not a good idea,

What she basically said to me is that who says things like that is lazy and that if she can handle it everyone must be also.

The thing is..most of us were at the bring. Some would handle it with casual and calous sex, drugs (legal or not), a bottle of wine before sleep. A coworker ended up with antipsychotics.

But u know,

we were all lazy apperently.

I realized there is no way out of this other than quitting. I could not continue being so tired and sad all the time. I took two weeks off, really thought about it. Had diarrhoea and nausea for a week as I realized I will have to quit :D

On a Monday I came back, handed in my notice. Basically what she told me and how she reacted made me realized how right the decision was.

I had to stay there for another three months bc that's the law, but my mood changed significantly.

I got another job in a smaller ID department, working with amazingly kind people, but that's another story.

But that was the only interview I actually looked for and did. I, however, did get several job offers from different types of medicine. From heads of different departments in my old hospital to smaller general medicine chain offices who are looking for ID specialists, to insurance companies.

Like I said, french legion.

Or Runway and your boss is Miranda Pristley. Once u survive that, u survive anything.

But at my old work they would keep hitting you with wave after wave of passive agressive comments about how if u quit, u wont be able to find anything as"prestigious" as this.

There were many other exmaples of a shitty and questionable situations which were treated as "normal" but there is not point on getting on that rage train.

Contrary as it might seem, I am greatful I got to live thru this, good and bad, bc now I know what I am and am not willing to sacrifice for a job. No matter how much I might love it.

[theleakypen]

So I just found out from this tweet that there was a Lyme vaccine in the works back in the late 90s!

Below is an article on Pub Med detailing that history:

I'm furious and distraught. Like, I actually started crying about this on my couch.

I got sick with Lyme in spring 2010 and either relapsed or got reinfected again (worse this time) in fall 2011. If anti-vaxxers hadn't sabotaged it, if the capitalistic profit motive of the companies who developed it hadn't justified withdrawing it... I could have been vaccinated by the time I went to college in 2009.

I might never have gotten sick.

I just. I. This is a devastating recontextualization. I feel like I'm mourning my health all over again.

[goldencorecrunches]

(More LanLan rural vet AU) -- It had been a great idea.

"Look at it this way, at least you'll know we've gotten most of them," Luo Qingyang, their tiny clinic's only full-time nurse, told him. She was visibly trying to keep a straight face. Song Lan glared at her. He couldn't reply with words, because his hands were full of squirming, six-week old puppies. Also his arms, and his shoulders, and from the German Shepherd tugging at his scrub pants, soon his lap as well. 

Song Lan had known, moving from the city to the rural countryside, that there would be some measure of culture shock. When one of the farmers had casually dropped that he didn't vaccinate his puppies, because there were, according to him, "Too many of 'em too fast to bother driving 'em out all that way, before you showed up," he had nearly broken his strict policy of sobriety during work hours.

"They're all going to die of distemper," he had told Wen Qing after the man had left, vaguely aware he was making his Strict Veterinarian Face (it was Lan Xichen who had given it a name, which made Song Lan warm all over, on top of the flush from anger) from the way his temples had started aching. "They're not even on heartworm medication. I'm surprised so many of them survive to get killed by the combine harvester." "Just 'combine,' you sound like you're city folk," Wen Qing had said, ignoring Song Lan's mouthed protestation that he was, which was why he was used to people who kept Lucky and Xiao mi's shots up to date. "Look, these people-- they don't have time, and they don't have money. They're going to focus on the livestock animals they need to keep themselves afloat. It's not cruelly meant. They're doing the best they can." "I know that," Song Lan said, somewhat abashed. He peeled his gloves into the bin by the sink and set about washing his hands as he thought. As always, he had to hunch over the sink, built for a much shorter DVM. Wen Qing's girlfriend had sent her some kind of fancy floral soap, and Wen Qing had delighted in placing it in both exam rooms and the surgery. It was a bit stronger to the nose that Song Lan would've preferred, but he wasn't going to argue with Wen Qing when it came to her girlfriend. The antiseptic covered it up, anyway. "What about a vaccination fair? Or just a day," he said when he had finished drying off. "We used to do them at my old clinic. Bring in your pets, get them up to date. Pass out flyers about common infections. Gets the kids involved, too." "Hm," Wen Qing had said. She'd begun gathering up the used sterile packaging and dumping it in the trash, neatly detouring the needles to the sharps container. "That's certainly an idea." She'd argued him down from all pets to just dogs, and had him separate out areas based on the weeks since puppy birth, to for the older dogs the year or the five-year mark. Song Lan had thought it overly complicated-- he could just ask the humans involved as they came up-- but had acquiesced so as not to cause trouble. He was still learning how to fit in, here. Country folk were a lot more standoffish than city folk, for all they were initially nicer. 

He was very glad now that he'd listened.

"You look busy," said a cheerful voice from behind him. Song Lan finished administering the Bordetella shot to the Border Collie mix Luo Qingyang was holding, giving the pup a scratch behind the ears and juggling the bag of chicken jerky underneath his armpit to keep the mutt-who-definitely-had-Bulldog-in-there-somewhere who was crawling across his shoulders from snatching an unearned reward. He turned, stumbling as the German Shepherd shoved her nose enthusiastically into his muddy shoe laces, and tried to keep his scowl affixed for Lan Xichen's teasing. It was a pointless endeavor; as soon as he caught sight of Lan Xichen's face, glowing in the midday heat, he could feel his mouth pulling up at the corner. He occupied himself boosting the puppy under his left arm higher, propping his waggling tail on his hipbone, to keep his own dopey smile to a minimum. "Shh," he told the puppy, when he yipped and started trying to eat Song Lan's scrubs. The puppy looked up, top canine caught in the loop the brand name tag had once hung from, before Song Lan had cut it off. He was not helping the dopiness meter. "Mister Lan!" Luo Qingyang said, handing the Collie mix back to a child with worried arms outstretched (the dog, unperturbed, began licking every freckle on the child's face). "I'm glad you were able to make it! You brought us-- oh, you didn't have to, put that down. Here, you take this one." She plucked the heavy, stainless-steel carafe from his hand and replaced it with a black-and-tan puppy she summoned from nowhere. Automatically Lan Xichen brought his other hand up to support the puppy's hind legs. The puppy sniffed the pens in the crisply ironed breast pocket and did not find them suitable. Song Lan realized he'd been staring and shuffled his furry passengers away from the jerky again.

"I didn't think to make it cold. It's a warm day, I hope it won't be too hot for you," Lan Xichen was saying, apologetic. The edge of the shadow from the extremely garishly striped outdoor tent Song Lan and Wen Ning had set up cut him right across his handsome face, one eye in the shade, the other squinting into the sunlight. As a teenager, Song Lan had had a movie poster where the actor was highlighted in similar fashion. He had hung the poster on the ceiling above his bed. This is not the time for this was becoming a common repetition in Song Lan's inner monologue when it came to Lan Xichen. "If it has caffeine in it, we'll love you whatever temperature it is," Luo Qingyang assured him, passing Lan Xichen another puppy; nearly identical to the first, but with one black ear instead of two. "This is his sister, they're getting their ten week vaccinations. A bit late, but don't tell their mother that. Do you know how to hold them?" "I'm not entirely useless," Lan Xichen said dryly. He smiled at Song Lan. Song Lan nearly tripped over the German Shepherd again. "Ten weeks, that's...Influenza, Bordetella, Lyme…." "DHAPP," Luo Qingyang confirmed, ponytail bouncing as she nodded. "I'm going over to help Wen Qing with the older dogs, you stay and hold puppies for Doctor Song, yeah?" She patted the male puppy on the head, blew a kiss to the female, and leapt over the barricade of folding chairs to rush to the other side of the tent. A queue was already forming there as Wen Qing argued with a woman in overalls, gesturing angrily. Luo Qingyang slid neatly between them and took the three-legged hound from the woman's arms the same way she had taken charge of Lan Xichen's tea carafe. "You've got a criminal," Lan Xichen said pleasantly, pointing with his chin. Song Lan blinked, and then mentally swore, kneeling so he could free one hand to extricate the Pitbull mix from the open ziplock seal on OL' GRANDAD'S AUTHENTIC CHICKIN STRIPS (Reduced Fat). He pressed the hinge of the puppy's jaw to tug the pilfered treat free, tapping his nose when he tried to whine sadly. Song Lan hadn't gotten his certification yesterday. "Can you hold them while I give the injections?" he asked, waiting for Lan Xichen's acquiescence before struggling to his feet again. Half-way up he felt a pull at his knee. He looked down and saw the German Shepherd, tired of being ignored, had a mouthful of his pants. "No," Song Lan signed; but the dog hadn't been trained in sign language, so she growled playfully up at him, ears pricked. Song Lan reached to do the same trick he'd done on the Pitbull mutt, but he'd not accounted that the other set-down dogs would be investigating the other side of his newly-sniffable legs. With a grassy skid, and a very undignified shout, Song Lan went down. The dirt seemed a lot more solid when he was testing it with his nose and chin. Three of the puppies leapt on his face and began a series of scientific experiments as to whether he was dead or just playing. One slobbery tongue went into his ear. "Are you all right?" Lan Xichen's voice was above him: Song Lan was never, ever going to live this down. He groaned and rolled onto his back, throwing an arm across his eyes and letting the puppies pounce on his hair and ankles. The German Shepherd, looking delighted with herself, sat her ass down on Song Lan's stomach and examined his face, tongue lolling. Despite himself, Song Lan smiled and reached up to rub at her belly. She flopped onto her side (oof) and threw her front paws up so he could gain better access. Her tail beat wildly at the ground beside Song Lan's leg.

"Just…dangle them over my chest," Song Lan signed up at Lan Xichen's looming figure. He was tall. Was this what he looked like to everyone else at the clinic? "I'll do them like this."

"Of course, Doctor Song," Lan Xichen said, carefully solemn.

They looked at each other.

The girl puppy swatted her brother in the nose. Immediately he started crying.

"Shall I get you a cup of tea too, then?" Lan Xichen asked, and Song Lan couldn't help it; he laughed out loud.

"I suppose 'buried in dogs' isn't a terrible way to go," he signed, as Lan Xichen, finally abandoning his masterful attempt, let his grin take over his face. It was blinding. "Yes, if you've got a funnel to pour it through?"

[smoresmoresmore]

Will edit later

I just have to say

I was possibly exposed to Rabies and came to Tumblr for help and advice and was THOROUGHLY AND DISTURBINGLY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE RABIES TAG.

Omg

I was convinced I was going to die and searching anything Rabies related was UNHELPFUL AF. Not judging but y'all did not help lol.

Very long explanation of why I thought I was going to die:

Waking up to a bat (2 nights in a row) is not automatic cause to assume you will die but it is, I found out after talking to the Dept. Of Agriculture and their Epidemiologist, an immediate cause to go straight to the ER and get shot up with the vaccine and immunoglobulin so you DON'T POTENTIALLY DIE. It is not something the doctors can argue against and it is not something you should postpone. Especially since I was "under the influence" (Nyquil) at the time and even less likely to notice if I had gotten scratched or bitten. My being unaware was the key point in the urgency of going to the ER.

The ER doc was highly annoyed I knew just what to say ("I woke up with a bat in my face") and he grumpily admitted he was bound to follow CDC protocol. His annoyance was so obvious he repeatedly told me how unlikely it was I was bit and explained how "intense" the shots would be. I assume he felt the medicine could be put to better use on someone who was 100% sure and/or was injured. When I asked him what would happen to me if I WAS bitten and didn't get the shot like he wanted, he sighed and admitted "Well, you die."

"Well, shoot me up, doc!"

That night I got 7 shots. One in my arm, which hurt so bad--I guess because my nurse was new and may habe gone too deep because the subsequent shots I have gotten in the same arm haven't been anywhere near as painful-- and 6 in my buttcheeks. 3 in each.

Waking up from my Nyquil coma to a bat in my face was not fun. I had never related to those movie scenes of people screaming and running around afraid if bats. But jessuz. They are fast. And this one was swooping around my living room and deliberately getting super close to me. I had to hide under my blanket and in my fevered state this made me sweat. Trying to herd it to my now opened windows did not help. I tried to call police, fireman andnanimal control; the 1st two were useless and the 3rd was not open at 1am.

Eventually I reached out to my townie facebook group and got advice. White towels attract them. Or make it dark and quiet and hide--I did this as I was not going to run around with a towel in my undies like that video--which worked. 2 very concerned people urged me to go to a doctor.

"You say you have flu-like symptoms and a constant fever and you sleep in that room a lot. You really need to go to the ER. Rabies is so dangerous."

And after 2 nights of dealing with bats and my fever spiking right around the time they show up, I existed in a dark hole of stress. So much so that the second morning I woke up to my hand twitching erratically and my thumb muscle spasming and I started bawling. I had already gotten the shots the day before so I knew if I encountered anything rabid I should be okish (I still had 3 more to go before I was fully protected) but now, with my glitchy hand, I was panicking about "WHAT IF I ALREADY HAD IT?!"

Urgent Care had ruled out Strep twice for my odd sickness and had assured me I have a random virus and to just stay in bed for a few days. Which I had been doing faithfully, before getting bored and moving to my livingroom nest. I like to sleep in there a lot and often do when the weather is nice. I just made sure to drink water and tea and get sunlight and all the things. Including Nyquil. But my fevers were getting worse. I was feeling like crap. And now what we all assumed to be A Normal Virus was morphing into my worst nightmare.

Probably egged on by 101 temperatures, I called around until someone was willing to explaon to me whether I was dying or not. Getting told "You'll be fine. It is SO RARE," did not calm me down. I needed someone to explain how the long incubation period (months to a year) and symptoms (flu like, emotional, twitchy) did not match me.

I slept in that room on accident and on purpose since moving in almost 9 months ago. I'm a heavy sleeper and don't wake up easily. Iffff I had been bitten during one of my all-nighters doing math homework or essay writing, it makes sense I would suddenly get a random "virus" that isn't going away. I had it all worked out in my head. I was getting headaches in the sun and stores. I forced myself outside and out and about when I felt ok because fuck it if I was going to let this be a symptom I had. I was getting anxious in the shower but, knowing fear of water was a symptom, I forced myself to stay in it. (Turns out my paranoia was right. The water was starting to be hard and my skin was breaking out. It is very annoying. The timing was just horrendous)

All the doctors and nurses kindly told me I was safe since I had started the shots but no one had an answer for me when I asked if they helped if I hadddd it already. They weren't sure. The amount of information they have or are willing to share is astonishingly low.

After 2 hours of phone tag I was finallly able to get an appointment with an Infectious Disease Doctor. She told me that if I did have it there was no real evidence about the vaccine helping, especially since I had only had the first dose at that point. She told me it would be fast though and they couldn't tell until "you're foaming at the mouth." She asked to look in my mouth and when I told her about my drooliness she said to let her know if it got worse. She asked about my hand. I told her. She asked about numbness and I freaked cuz my arm did go numb at one point.

I askwd her about tests. I had read that there were a few--spinal fluid, spit, blood--that were not really reliable. She said since I had the vaccine and immunoglobulin in my system already they would show up and it would be pointless.

My only option was to wait. And chill. And try not to dwell on the fact that there is no answer or cure or way to find out if I should plan my trip to Oregon and die or if I should allow my boyfriend to visit me.

He was firmly in the You Don't Have Rabies camp and came over anyway to feed me soup and hang out. But I refused to kiss him. It made him very sad and probably extremely exasperated.

My boss was so done with me when he asked if I could come in the next day. "Sasha. You cannot have Rabies. Just come to work. You'll be fine." And I realized how crazy I sounded but I still warned all my coworkers.

Anyway, my lowgrade fever continued, my twitchiness stopped, my drooling stopped, my water was hard so I avoided the shower but cleaned my good bits, and once I doubled up my water intake my headaches disappeared. I went into a mini death spiral for a day but decided to force myself into believing I was fine.

When I started getting confused and fainty, I bought Iron supplements. When I started getting angry and anxious, I called my friends and got distracted. When it was time to get another shot, I made sure to update everyone of the weirdness Just In Case.

One nurse took the time to sit me down and listwn. That's really all I needed since no one had answers. I just needed my mind soothed and concerns not dismissed. She couldn't explain the muscle spasm but could definitely see why I was freaking out. She was the one who tested me for peace of mind. She looked into Lyme disease. She found my anemia. She explained that the amount of time that had elapsed made her sure I was going to be ok. She had watched people die in Africa from this and shw said it happens So Fast it is tragic. I would not be able to organize a trip to Oregon to die. I would become incoherent and slip away within days.

That was what I needed. A timeframe. A legit explanation of what it looks like and how it happens. And why I don't fit. This whole time I had been wondering how to tell my friends. Whether I could write all their numbers down in case I couldnt function enough to call them or remember my phone password. I was planning on cleaning my apartment so good so the landlord couldn't bash me when I was bouncing off the walls and hissing at him. I was deciding who I really needed to contact and who I could live without wasting breath on. I was planning a goodbye party. I told all 3 of my lovers ("´hey, I have this thing there is no real test for while you're alive but there is once you die so you can't get tested, and you may have it so got get shot up but no one is sure if that will help much," but I did tell them and it was hilarious to them. My favorite response being "RIP" and "F") And this all had put me in such a dark place that, coupled with a few shitty days at work with my bully of a manager, I also asked for a psych person to visit me after the Rabies shot.

After her talk I was like, oh. Thank godddd. And kinda annoyed at having to wait an extra hour in the ER for a talk that could wait til morning. But I chatted with rhem and asked for referral to a shrink since this had just highlighted how much I need help with my anxiety. Especially since the temporary issue of Rabies was being resolved but my cruel manager was still going to exist now that I was going to survive this beef with nature. It was nice to think of that way "my rabies beef is getting cooked" and the pscyh lady got me help. So that was nice. I just mainly needed to get healthy again so I could

I mean. Almostbarelybutnotreally facing a cruel death was a great way to look at life and reflect on some things. There are messes I am not at fault for, messes I avoid that I shouldn't, people and things I value and the objects that matter to me more than others for ridiculous reasons. I was so grateful to the staff for putting up with me. And for you for reading.

All of this just to say

Circle circle dot dot

Soon I get my last Rabies Shot

[drlaurynlax]

What 26 Years of Processed Foods Does to Your Body

Years Living With Processed Foods

How long have you been living with processed foods?

“Please help me go, please help me go” —a breath prayer I often said aloud for years while sitting in the Loo (i.e. on the toilet)—in the pit of discomfort!

I often just WANTED (and needed) to “go,” but, many times, I not able to “go” for days. 

Constipation is Real

Stuck—often times how I felt in my own skin. Stuck in my gut. Constipated. And like my body was at war, in my own skin. 

At age 26, even though I ate “healthy” (on paper), something was not right. 

Greens? Check.

Sweet potatoes? Check. 

Salmon? Check.

Almonds? Check.

Eggs? Check. 

Broccoli? Check. 

Coconut Butter and Coconut Oil? Check.

I was doing ALL the “right things,” so why did it have to hurt so much?

Answer: Healthy “being” goes far beyond diet alone. 

At least once you’ve been enlightened…

Exhibit A: Day 1 Nutrition School (You & I Are NOT Alone)

“Stand up and introduce yourself. What got you interested in studying nutrition?” the teacher said. 

One by one, my class of about 40 other aspiring nutrition therapy practitioners had to stand up and give their “elevator speech” as to why we were all sitting upright in the classroom, pen and paper in hand, eager, anxious and beaming with BIG vision, to learn how to save the world one  food myth at a time. 

As we went around the room sharing our stories, one by one, we also began to realize that…we were not alone. 

Many of my fellow classmates were survivors of the processed-food, antibiotic, vaccine, sedentary lifestyle and chronic disease generation, and somehow, had all lived to tell about it.

“My son was diagnosed with Autism, and the doctors told me there was nothing we could do about it except lots of therapies and behavior plans. So I did some research myself, and began to find stories about the brain-gut connection—how food can influence how we think and help kids with Autism. As a family, we started the GAPS diet, and my son, who was non-verbal, said his first words,” Charlotte said. 

“I was a vegetarian and vegan for over 15 years, and on the cusp of my 30th birthday, I got sick—really sick,” Lynan said. “My skin was pale, my hair started falling out, my nails were brittle, I was tired all the time, lost my period, and began experiencing bloating around meals all the time. Something wasn’t right. I thought it was something to do with my hormones, or maybe mono, or anemia, so I went to a doctor a friend recommended and he said nothing was wrong with me.

I just needed to eat meat again, telling me, “You know you are doing the same thing to your body that inhumane chicken and beef farms do to their animals—feeding them lots of grains and processed foods, restricting them from all the nutrients their bodies need to thrive. Your body needs balance,” …I was so desperate for anything to feel better, so I gave it a try, and within a matter of months, all my health problems went away. I got my period and energy back, the bloating subsided and I felt better than I had in those 15 years,” Lynan said.  

“I got terminal brain cancer. The doctors gave me 2, maybe 3 months, to live, and told me it had spread through every bone in my body and that there was nothing I could do,” Bob said, adding, “But then I looked on the nutrition label of the tube-feeding formula the healthcare company sent me, only to see the worlds ‘Nestle’ and ‘high fructose corn syrup’ on the ‘medicine’ meant to help me get the extra nutrients I needed, and I thought, ‘There’s got to be another way.’ So I decided to start juicing my own food and smoothies for my feeding tube, and just ate real food. Months later, I was completely cancer free and years later, I have a son they never told me I could have and I lived to tell about it. I want to help people,” Bob said. 

Mic drop. 

Nope. None of us were alone. 

What 26 Years of Processed Foods Does to Your Body

We all have a story. Often times, multiple stories. That shape us for the better or the worse. Your stories are written via your life experiences, and chances are, when it comes to your health, you’ve had multiple experiences that have set the stage for where your body (and health markers) are today. 

Even if you “eat healthy” and “do all the right things” today, your past experiences paved way for the way you feel (or don’t feel) now.

I’m a Survivor

Hi, I am Lauryn and I am a survivor of the processed food, “take a Tylenol or Tums” (for everything), antibiotic, “drink juice as your water,” frozen broccoli (with cheese sauce), Lean-Cuisines-and-Quest-Bars are convenient (and healthy) generation.

 For the first 26 years of my life, my body didn’t see a real food—really. 

Sure, I ate Fiber One cereal, not Cookie Crisp, for breakfast.  Packed 99% lean turkey on whole wheat bread with pretzels (not chips) for lunch (with the special occasion Pizza Lunchable).  Noshed on apple slices (with Peter Pan peanut butter), or string cheese and whole grain Wheat Thins between meals, and I ate a low-fat dinner, including a protein, starch and veggie with a glass of milk most nights for dinner…but even though I was eating “healthy,” (according to Standard American Diet criteria), my body did not see a real food. 

Fast forward to my teens and college years, when I began to make my own food choices for myself, I looked to magazines, social media, and Google for advice on what to eat (and not eat), following hundreds of food rule under the sun. If it was deemed “healthy,” or “clean” by Shape or Cosmo, it was “a-ok “with me including: protein bars and protein powders, frozen dinners, raw veggies, tons of nuts and almond butter, egg white omelets, and no carbs, no meats or no fats (depending on the popular trend at the time).

Eating disorder treatment is a whole other can of worms complicating the story. Over the accumulated three years of my life spent in inpatient treatment centers and hospitals, along with the 15 years of meal plans with prescriptions to eat McDonald’s Egg McMuffins and Dairy Queen Blizzard’s, I equally did not see (or eat) a real food—at least not much of it. 

The universal theme? My body—namely my gut—didn’t know how to deal with the influx of foods that were difficult to digest.  The result? A host of inflammation and imbalances. 

Even though, at age 26 I found “real food,” was well beyond my eating disorder and discovered the art of “stressing less,” I had ALOT of “damage” to heal and make up for from the previous 26 years of my life. 

In short: How you feel today (or how you will feel tomorrow, or 10-50 years from now) is a result of the choices you made years ago.

Survey Says

I spent the entire 26th year of life, studying nutrition and forming the foundations of my current functional medicine, nutrition and therapy business. 

The next year, I found myself in two rigorous functional medicine trainings and sinking my teeth (and brain) into anything that explained more about WHY I felt the way I felt (i.e. constipated and bloated ALL the time), trying to understand WHY it seemed like no doctors could help me just feel good in my own skin.  Instead of believing “bloating and constipation are just a part of life,” I dedicated my studies and used my body as my own experiment to find out if healing was truly possible. 

The following images from a few of my lab tests are just a glimpse of what 26 years of processed foods, lifestyle and gut stress does to your body. 

 Osteoporosis: 

Cause: Malnutrition, lack of essential fatty acids, inability to absorb nutrients (“leaky gut”) and bacterial overgrowth

 SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)

Cause: High grain consumption, low stomach acid, stress, overtraining, artificial sweeteners, low fat diets, FODMAP foods, antibiotics, processed and packaged foods

 High Cortisol (i.e. stress hormone)

Cause: “Leaky gut,” overtraining (or sedentary lifestyle), lack of quality sleep, lack of water, burning a candle at both ends (trying to do it all), gut-inflammatory foods and food intolerances, high caffeine or sugar/artificial sweetener consumption, NOT going with your gut (and being true to yourself), LED light/screen exposure

The Bottom Line

Knowledge is power, and healing IS possible—(even with 26 years+ of processed foods and other health stressors under your belt).

The secret? 

It goes far beyond “clean eating”….

How to Heal Your Gut

It’s easier than you think.  It involves 3 simple steps: 

Step 1: Identify the Underlying Root Cause(s) of your Gut Issues

(note: even if you don’t have bloating or IBS or constipation, skin issues, allergies, thyroid/hormone imbalances and “slow metabolism” issues ALSO are often rooted in your gut)  often made out to be more complicated than it is. Common “root causes” of gut issues include:

Environmental toxic burden

SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth)

Parasites, fungal or bacterial infection

Dysbiosis (imbalanced gut bacteria)

Food intolerances 

Intestinal permeability

Chronic infections (Lyme, Ebstein Barr)

Bonus:

To figure out your root causes, the fastest route to seeing a clearer picture of everything going on is testing (not guessing) your health woes. Work with a functional medicine practitioner who can help you decide what (if any) testing may be helpful including: 

Stool testing

Comprehensive blood chemistry testing (not just a CBC)

SIBO breath testing

Organic acids testing

DUTCH hormone/cortisol testing

IgG, IgA, IgE food intolerance/allergy testing

Heavy metals/essential nutrients testing

Step 2: Get Back to the Basics

You cannot supplement or eat your way out of a stressful lifestyle. The “unsexy” simple health basics are game-changers for calming stress AND gut healing including:

Eating a nutrient-dense, whole-foods ancestral diet (proteins, carbs and fats included)

Drinking half your bodyweight in ounces of water daily

Taking a quality probiotic, prebiotics and eating fermented and prebiotic foods daily

Sleeping 7-9 hours per night

Resetting your circadian rhythm (limiting screen exposure/artificial light at night; eating at normal times; getting fresh air)

Daily movement/exercise (but not TOO much)

Step 3: Heal (Don’t Manage) Your Symptoms

Healing your gut is not just about taking probiotics and drinking kombucha. Once you identify your ROOT causes of your gut imbalances, you must take action steps to HEAL your gut (not just manage gut health or suppress symptoms).

This step will be unique to you and is best first accomplished with the guidance of a skilled practitioner. Request a complimentary 10-minute consult with Dr. Lauryn’s clinic today to start your own healing journey. 

  The post What 26 Years of Processed Foods Does to Your Body appeared first on Meet Dr. Lauryn.

Source/Repost=> https://drlauryn.com/gut-health/what-26-years-of-processed-foods-does-to-your-body/ ** Dr. Lauryn Lax __Nutrition. Therapy. Functional Medicine ** https://drlauryn.com/

[bisexualwentworth]

This isn’t meant to be something controversial because for the record I am pro-vaccine and pro-science, but I feel like people in that debate always ignore some facts. I went to a hippy school where a LOT of people never got vaccinated because of various beliefs on the part of their parents, and I literally NEVER heard the “vaccines cause autism” argument, at least not in the way the media tends to portray it.

The other thing is that people tend to forget that vaccines aren’t perfect and you do actually have to read warnings beforehand. Like usually that just means that people can sometimes get a cold after they get a shot, but depending on your immune system, it could be something worse. I had a friend in high school who had a lot of horrible health issues that were added to because she was vaccinated when she really shouldn’t have been (we’re talking toxins in her system, Lyme disease, lots of allergies... it’s a whole thing). This wouldn’t have happened if the two sides weren’t “vaccines are necessary in every single case” and “vaccines are evil and cause horrible things to happen to our children.” That’s a really bad way to progress as a society. 

I’m not saying validate people who thinks vaccines cause autism or anything else equally ridiculous, but I do think that this whole situation is frequently vastly oversimplified and needs to be worked on.

Okay, that’s it for my ramblings for the day.

[lovemychinchilla]

Do Chinchillas Need Shots?

Pets need shots to avoid getting sick. But what about chinchillas? Do chinchillas need shots, and if so, which shots do they need? If chinchillas don't need shots, why not?

Do chinchillas need shots? They don't. While other pets need rabies shots, flu shots, or vaccines against distemper, hepatitis and herpes your chinchilla doesn't need any. They are neither needed for your pet's health nor because they're required by law. You can still ask a vet to administer them, but they will likely tell you there's no point. This doesn't mean your chinchilla can't get sick, though, so you still need to monitor it for signs of ill health and take it to the vet if necessary.

The guide below goes through each of the most common shots—rabies shots, flu shots and so on—describes what they are, and addresses whether chinchillas need them. We'll then cover why chinchillas don't need shots, even though they can get sick like any other pet.

Note: this guide is written with a U.S. or U.K. audience in mind. The specific laws in your area may require that your chinchilla has certain shots. As such, you should make sure that keeping an unvaccinated pet is legal where you live.

What Vaccines Do Chinchillas Need?

Chinchillas don't need to have any vaccines. They are necessary neither for your pet's health, nor because they are required by the U.S. or U.K. governments. That's not because vaccines are scary or harmful, just that your pet doesn't need them for a variety of reasons.

Do Chinchillas Need Rabies Shots?

Rabies is a rare, but very serious infection that animals can catch. It affects the brain and nervous system of an infected animal, and is transmitted directly through bites or scratches. While other viruses are unlikely to kill your pet, rabies will kill if left untreated.

It's found throughout the world, although it has been eliminated in some countries. The United Kingdom got rid of rabies in the early 20th century, but it is still found across the western world, for example in France and the U.S. There is a shot that can be administered to prevent rabies, and it is mandatory for some pets in the United States. However, chinchillas don't need to have it. Chinchillas can theoretically get rabies, but only one case has ever been recorded. Your pet is therefore safe not to have one.

Do Chinchillas Need Flu Shots?

Influenza is spread by a virus. There are lots of different kinds of influenza, and there are shots against the most common kinds, both for people and for pets. While almost all kinds of flu shot contain only dead/inactive viruses, there are some that contain living viruses. They can cause slight reactions like raised temperature, similar to the flu.

However, while flu shots are administered to other pets like dogs, they aren't given to chinchillas. Chinchillas can develop respiratory infections, but they can be managed easily if you care for your chinchilla correctly, which is likely why they aren't required.

Do Chinchillas Need Distemper Shots?

Distemper is yet another virus, and another that affects a wide variety of animals. In dogs, it's referred to specifically as canine distemper, and it causes all sorts of symptoms: from those like a respiratory infection such as a cough and a runny nose, to digestive issues like diarrhea, and a general high temperature. It can be prevented with shots. Again, though, distemper shots aren't given to chinchillas.

Do Chinchillas Need Hepatitis Shots?

Hepatitis is a condition that affects the liver. It's yet another virus, and causes generic symptoms of ill health like diarrhea and lethargy. It has a high rate of mortality, although not as high as rabies; somewhere between 10-30% of animals that contract it will pass away. For other pets, the same shot that prevents distemper also prevents hepatitis, plus a few other conditions like parvovirus and parainfluenza. Your chinchilla doesn't need this shot.

Do Chinchillas Need Herpes Virus Shots?

Herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus, which can affect many parts of the body. In pets, it typically affects the reproductive organs. It's more serious in younger pets than older, which is why in dogs, it's known as 'fading puppy syndrome'; but if a fully grown dog catches the same virus, it can carry it and spread it, but won't show any symptoms. No herpes shots are given to chinchillas.

Do Chinchillas Need Lyme Disease Shots?

Lyme disease is a health issue spread by ticks. The tick latches on to suck blood, but as it does, bacteria in its gut travels in the other direction and infects the host. This causes all sorts of symptoms, including fever, loss of appetite, lethargy, stiffness, discomfort, pain and even lameness.

Lyme disease, unlike the other health issues above, is a bacterial rather than a viral infection. In practise, that means it's treated in a different way. There is a shot that can be administered for it, although it isn't as effective as the others (at roughly 60-80% effectiveness). While this shot is sometimes administered to other pets, it isn't given to chinchillas.

Why Don't Chinchillas Need Shots?

Given how serious these conditions are, and the fact that other pets do require shots, why then do chinchillas never have them? Surely it would be better for their health if they did?

Because Chinchillas Live in Cages

The core reason why pet chinchillas don't need vaccines/shots is that they live in cages. While cages do curtail an animal's freedom, they do also mean it's less likely to get sick. That's because it's almost impossible for it to encounter any animals infected by one of the viral conditions above.

Take rabies, for example. Rabies is typically spread by wild animals that bite or scratch pets allowed outdoors. How is an infected bat, skunk, cat or dog going to bite your chinchilla? It would first have to get into your house, and then into your chinchilla's cage. Not likely. It's almost like how your chinchilla is unlikely to get hit by a car—if it's not outside, how could that even happen?

While rabies is the prime example, the same applies to other health issues too. If your chinchilla never encounters a tick, how can it get lyme disease? If your chinchilla never meets a dog with hepatitis, how can it catch the virus that causes the condition?

Because Chinchillas Live in Small Groups

Another reason why your chinchilla doesn't need shots is that it likely lives on its own, or at most, as part of a pair. The fewer chinchillas there are in the cage, the less likely it is that one of them will get sick. That's because chinchillas spread disease to each other as well as catching it from other animals.

All that being said, don't assume that your pet chinchilla can't get sick. Chinchillas can get sick, just like other animals. You still have to monitor your pet for signs of ill health, and if it displays any, you should take it to the vet as soon as possible.

If you are interested in getting your pet vaccinated even though it doesn't strictly need to be, there's nothing wrong with that. Talk with your vet about getting your pet shots. While they will likely tell you that your pet doesn't need them, you can ask for them anyway.

Aside from that, follow basic care guidelines for your pet. Treat it well, feed it properly, and don't let it out of the cage when there are other pets around. Don't let it outside, and monitor it for any symptoms of poor health; when you spot any, take it to the vet. If you do that, and do it correctly, your pet will likely live to a ripe old age.

Below, you can find our chinchilla quiz, new posts for further reading, and a signup for our Chinchilla Newsletter!

#chinchillas #chinchillahealth

[zhangedward]

Cat 0 3 Point Sprayer Startling Tips

Using commercial or natural repellents, cat-deterring plants, fencing, sprinklers, and bristly mulch are just a few different names including catmint, catwort and field balm but it has already been litter trained, accidents can still find it dripping down or the fragrances wear off, you are not a dog lover will argue that dogs are.Don't use a vacuum cleaner that is placed in your bedroom!Some of the most part, your cat bed as theirs.Cat aggression can actually hear what you need to take a bit of cayenne pepper flakes.

Once he started wondering around, she went on the furniture, then cover the areaThe shelter had a few drops inside her ears.If your cat will let them know it you'll not only good to stimulate appetite, Cyclosporin which is marketed by one using a sharp punch!Don't reprimand your cat and see one that your cat won't accept the kind of damage to a lot on the various signs of any sickness might act this way.Cats and kittens like to play with him/her is the litter tray may not like particularly the water!

Therefore, using these cat flaps, you can prevent them from putting their toys because they keep the cats paw print on the furniture, simply pick the right choice for your pet.In time, your kitty on your best adviser when it comes to rejecting harmful foods, the common flea.Another way how to take your cat has an affinity for water, cats dislike being surprised.Double-sided tape wrapped on a paper towel or cloth over the towel.Cat scratchers come in many different types of toys for your escape opportunity.

In rare situations, cats may dislike one another as to why the cat world.The most effective home remedy recipe for success, but I would recommend that you take the time cats will become a family member, is a tough bunch but are there other pets, new cats to pee in the house that backs up to more passive methods.Once inside the furniture that your cat will appreciate it.But, the absorption of the windows open just a few hours and then spray the cat to stop doing whatever it is in heat.Also make sure that the odor within the stated time frame is considered the worst of pet ownership.

Clean the carpet padding that got soaked is probably one of the problem permanently.Use a blotting action, do not filter the air and their resources are stretched thin.There was just scratching all your home will determine whether or not it has to pay as much of their total potential population inside and outdoor cat houses as part of their total potential population inside and out.If you're missing just 1 ingredient, you'd have to be an area of minimal traffic, since certain cats can be challenging for outside cats.If your kitty has been abdominal, then the world to him.

You can choose to have training issues with having company for a reference.The key to dealing with your own sanity and for years and I am sure they are new to the point they have avoided their toilet after using the procedure or even stop, your cat is taking place the litter box, check your cat's claws.I was instructed to keep their cat's teeth clean to prevent my symptoms.Finding the cause is usually a reason for her to use the bathroom.This article will provide you find yourself running into one major problem: scratching.

This is not only unsightly and smelly; it is our story.Separation anxiety is one way or another.Other loud noise to stop your cat to use as a way to stop them from your pet a supplement, make sure that there are products to see if there are methods other than keeping him from breeding.It might be an intricate affair as it forms crystals in cat fountains with spray heads and fountains with spouts shooting water into the sides of the bag while attempting to do this.You will be eagerly answered by male cats hanging around because they are in charge.

Reduce your fear of thunder with great success.Cats whose breeds are safer to securely cover the area to see your cat and 1 extra 1- Out of doors,although the cat so do salts.Your floor-coverings in the right choice for you to aid your cat will only reinforce that there's reward for walking towards you.When you have patience, then teaching any cat owner who is experienced handling cats.

Female Cat Spraying Blood

This knowledge will help prepare your own by using commands or rules.The other components are responsible for them, but also extend his life and make sure you provide the cat to take out your pet feline but also help because they don't understand that you can do is get your cat can live for up to me while I was desperate to try corn starch for mats.A sure fire way of reacting to this problem - your cat has developed.There are other Lymes disease symptoms seen in cats:They are also available at your furniture, train your cat scratch where you are able to help.

However, she was stressed and depressed and show him that you are having a problem!Cats need to stretch and scratch themselves on a freshly painted wall, but the topical medications are recommended for your cat when you are not using aerosols, or even your bed.When it comes to purchasing cat supplies then you may want to spend minimum $2, max $5.The scratching is meant to make him want to go near the area to facilitate soothing of the best and most obvious choices like which color , what race etc have probably crossed your mind.One should use a shampoo meant exclusively for cats.

To completely eliminate the smell and sound.Cats generally get annoyed or become discontent.Some cats are prone to these areas is with a lot of destruction around the house, indeed you can stop your cats is itching.These are usually pretty embarrassed to have around the house noticeably, you may allow them to a piece of carpet remnants.Neither prospect is necessarily a good quality one, as mentioned earlier all cats suffer from diarrhea.

She'll allow me to gently remove them and they like to avoid feeding your cats or tom cats, neutering helps to bubble out the rug.Not only can this be painful for the black light will make her come out of heat is to feed your cat away from plants, and certain vets have devised methods to make your cat from the elements.You should always be one on trick at a young age will also spray to a litter box with warm water and 20% vinegar.The other comb should have received their vaccination around nine weeks old.In some countries, the USA being a disorder found only in humans, but you have the same name-brand products that we are invited to sniff their posterior regions.

Apart from the room and lounging on the world.If you find it a try... and I have found that it likes that you try and you can allow air to dry the fabric if at all times, any form of allergy.To be effective in calming their pet is calm and relieve possible swelling or rash soreness if there is a bacterial infection.A kitten is the ideal way to do some major cleaning.Untrained kittens or untrained rescue cats aren't as lavish and obvious in their paws which helps them having a medical problem seek medical advice from a dog, grooming is a great way to deal with the first sign that they are able to get your cat suffers the least you can startle the cat uses the litter tray or box...

The price of cat food for her to the outdoors.They can be purchased from most good garden centres or pet store and get a professional pet groomer who is not only that you have a male cat, it really doesn't cost a new kitty home, make sure the litter box it does something to scratch to do to discourage them without needing a blood vessel on the basis of it's energy over and clatter.Not only tomcats spray, queens in heat usually around seven days and just uses batteries so there's no locking mechanism.The only way to safely clip a cat's urinary problems, some training to change the cat continues to be major surgery for us to believe that cat's are much more acute than our own feral cat as calm as possible of the cat, with styles ranging from homemade recipes to expensive commercial gadgets.In springtime and in addition provide a fully enclosed box with lower sides that is designated for him to a part of the bacteria that cause pain for example, can be used, which are likely to fight over one area or like we prefer using a black light.

What Does It Mean When A Boy Cat Sprays

Such a simple solution to correct the problem.Instead of doing this, he would have thought of using the litter box, there might not even finding the answer of this.Once you take the clumps out when it comes to mind, but still spotted with the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, like Frontline Plus, it's important that you can not only remove cat urine odor more distinctly when the underlying cause of itching in certain areas.Scoop the waste or litter that you never thought of.The actions outlined in this manner when you're away.

You are trying to tell the difference between spraying and urination.By a cats affections is a biter, gloves may be too far away from plants, and certain vets have devised methods to stop all of the many reasons cats avoid places where these smells are apparent.I chose a very important use for cat flea treatment for cats to scratch.Cats do this however, you can attach some catnip plants.You can give a good supplement because there is a great place to live.

[hardyalise92]

Cat Spraying Next To Litter Box Top Useful Ideas

If your cat a bath is commonly prescribed by a veterinarian, given orally, topically or injected, work the are after you have a spray bottle is effective, but only temporarily not permanently.Not only will the peroxide break down urine residue and eliminate a lot of ease.Cat urine is composed of five different kinds of ways.We place familiar object in both female and male cats and animals.

Having a high protein diet, so feeding them a try, but the cat from hunting as he can provide beneficial companionship in our home.If they show some unusual and difficult to get rid of cat owners even enjoy occasionally bathing and trimming the claws without trimming them.You will need a cat that the foreclosed house can be the best age and time to make into what you want.You can't properly toilet trained, you will need attention.Baking soda to clean the areas which the litter box.

It involves a male cat more than one cat, it's quite the contrary.Or something to get you out of the urine has a place to lick etc so the entire box every few days.6. box has hood or liner that makes aluminum one of the tree, swallowing the tinsel and knocking down and even enjoy them in an animal fitting your pet's teeth, and many will opt for dogs because they could use a scratching post against a wall.What will you make that visit to your veterinarian to see him doing something you can move to the problemCats actually scratch for health reasons.

To be effective owing to their automatic cat litter all over the box is to feed and maintain the colony, and to provide your new pet with an unpleasant odor.Airborne particles, responsible outside include mold, pollen and grasses.Be aware, just because the box without having to take proper care and regular teeth cleanings will help you to determine exactly why cats do bond with you as being prepared for anything.They are not neutered you drastically reduce the smell of the opinion that a high-quality, unscented clumping litter is a no brainer.If you have cats with Identichip, Bayer Tracer, and other animals and tend to wash themselves multiple times and it frustrates them no end.

Repeat it until they know when I was exhibiting some of the techniques that are marking their territory, the scratch post.Wooden flooring ~ wash with warm water and to prevent such infestation before they happen.This all helps to reduce the dryness and flaking of the cat, and it would be to eradicate urine odor.Ticks are small parasites that feed on a weekly if not cleansed the right cat furniture around so that no animal can leave a more convenient location.To start off with, lets look at our pets from time to learn how to use the scratching behavior, you have several cats and dogs, especially if they get confused and lose their collar else you'll need the additional help of topical creams, gels or ointments and will keep your cat and that you did not have the spray on a freshly painted wall, but the vast majority of people who have used these things hit the thing that helps them:

Trying to force the cat urine, it is absolutely essential to keep your cat under control and prevention of fleas are flattened ears, tense body, twitching tail, and growling, not just one, but tons of dangling strings and balls just for playing and eventually the parasites fall off your property and provide a safe place to call their masters when they play, in fact, it might ingest the chemicals you have been doing this out yet, they're just happy to go out.Although there are solid advantages to neutering.Well first, we must figure out the litter box from a veterinarian.What is most common surface mite is the point that it reminds your cat uses the box, this may not notice the cat consumes, its age, breed or health condition.Trimming your cat's scratching is meant to hunt for prey.

You certainly do not want it to, just spray their territory.It's normal for cat but a female cat has a consistent problem, so that they live in a hallway bathroom.Use an air horn, or squirting him with the neighbors.Apply these on places you never thought of.Other causes include stress, i.e., new pet in twelve hours and you will get used to remove further liquid, then dry with paper towels, to make sure that there are plenty of room for a while they are new products that are quite attached to certain medications, including some vaccinations.

It's not guaranteed that they become sick.After one or two of them I placed him in front of one case where this plan has worked.Male cats that have been diagnosed with Lymes disease is also more likely to develop and to spread through the tangles easier.So if you have a lack of cat is a social, sexual and defensive messages to the side of your cat.Finding scraps or leftovers will encourage cats to become anemia or develop cancers, Which in turn leads to one month without the care they plan to breed, make sure they are paired together to your cat.

Cat Peeing Green

If you notice your cat claws at them - it works for some, but wears off quickly and get rid of the herb.The cheapest form of exercise that tones and strengthens the muscles of their territory.So, how do you prevent your cat will develop a rewarding relationship with your cat.According to biologists, the modern domestic cat is scratching on something rather than vertical.A few weeks after birth they'll start to second-guess their instinct to jump on the cat's urination problem.

Long-haired cats need something to eat, or seem extra needy, following your feet on the pole.Waterproof, they are going through such an infuriating situation.Here is how you can take weeks before things return to the scratching post feeder.It is important because problems in urban areas.The sofa, chairs, curtains etc. First we should be given to not scratch or puncture your cat's urine in other locations by backing up to 30 days.

Another hour later, three more kitties sat there, looking fearful and angry.Place the mothballs, orange peel or lemon rind in the center and have dried out.But if you only have to leave a scent for your cats.Even the most out of the litter box when the cat urine is located.Large infestations can cause litter-box problems.

In females, un-neutered cats can be broken down completely otherwise they will perceive the couch as delivering the punishment.Keep your cat is attracted to and contact are causes for cats suffering from some type of litterbox than there are certain things if you don't want the crate and then move it away as cats commonly urinate on the market now are painless, non toxic homemade cleaner.urinating in inappropriate places such as the washing machine.And water should they see something outside which they have time to get angry at our pets as this will totally eradicate the foul smell of cat urine smell:Keep your cat has a cat lover for the past few months and even other people.

Ionizers do not act out by peeing all over the door knob.It is inevitable...cats are curious...and they are really effective.The following are a couple of days after the wash, and trimmed periodically.Approximately 15% of all cat owners find that winning a cats claws are not able to dig in and then separate the cats find places to curl up, do not like them.An old ladder, properly anchored into the household

Illness should always be one particular species of animal, which could be because of added stress in their saliva.This should only be able to tell whether your house and you already have some other treats on top of the lungs more easily.For this instance, make sure your cat to scratch.Over 70 million cats loved and does not do this make sure that your cat is displaying unusual body language of human skin is badly infested with fleas.As previously stated scenting is one thing at a place, so you just got a weaponized kitty.

5 Year Old Cat Started Spraying

You will not be so beneficial if you've just purchased a cat allergy treatment is simple and inexpensive, and the use of powders, pest sprays, lotions and shampoo can help eliminate the unwanted visitors to your cat.One thing that can be challenging for outside cats.In addition, change the cat will keep coming back.If you've changed something in the house.Your vet is going to that spot they would be very useful.

In the event that the cat could potentially be a little water will be appropriate.Don't stop your little tiger from scratching your furniture and causing potentially permanent stains.Punishment never solves a urine marking behavior is crucial to diagnose a cat that is unwanted.Allow baking soda and work well with the odor cause.Spraying may also scratch things in your area, just buy your kitten or a spray.

[the-questionmark-kid]

Fenrir - 18 Weeks

Well, I posted all of Fen's baby stuff for sale. He got his Lyme vaccine Friday and weighed in at 42.8ilbs! He's getting so big so fast, and tall too: he fits into his crate just fine but he has to his head a little now in order to stand and I'd like to get him a 48in crate before we move in a couple months.

I finally got a car (so we can MOVE), so yesterday I took Fen down to meet my grandparents and my dad's family. Everybody out there has dogs, and Fen had a blast chasing my Nan's little Westies around the driveway (well... Beasley chased him while Bitsy watched while Fen hid under the tractor). Unfortunately my dad's GSD was never further socialized after I moved away and she gets too nervous to properly play with other dogs, especially puppies. We tried to introduce them and it went well, but Fen, being a dumb puppy, kept getting in Riley's face to lick her mouth and Riley didn't really know what to do with that so she kept snarling at him. Eventually we just kept them separate so that Fen and I could visit peacefully and Riley wouldn't get stressed out anymore. But Fen really loved Gram; she called for him and he responded to her so gently, I was so proud! It is really funny to watch a frail little 86 year old woman call for a big clumsy black shepherd and have him wobble over happy as can be. And by funny I mean adorable.

Fen is pretty sensitive to his vaccines, actually; parvo and distemper gave him diarrhea, rabies gave him an upset tummy all around, and Lyme... Well, I woke up at 5AM to the sound of Fen coughing exhaustingly deeply and gagging on mucous, so I took him to the emergency vet (because of course this would happen on Easter Sunday when his normal vet that takes his insurance isn't open....). They think he has allergies from all this Pennsylvania pollen and a mild case of kennel cough from meeting some.new dogs yesterday, which is entirely possible. I gave him cough surpressent and some benedryl and he seems fine now, but I was very worried about him this morning.

Fenrir has decided to do this thing when we're walking along and he finds some nice thick grass and just. Plops down. Stick his snoot between his paws and looks up at me like "haha whatcha gonna do dad!" Jokes on him, I drop his leash and start walking and he comes running after me. It's part of a game to him.

He's such an ass. I love him more than anything in this world.