Veterinary Preventive Medicine Lecture 3 Environmental Health and

Veterinary Preventive Medicine Lecture 3 Environmental Health and Animal Control 1

Sabbatical – Denmark (’ 97 -’ 98) 2

Animal Control • Most common area for vet employment in public health • Mostly a local govt. responsibility • Large cities and countries usually have a full -time administrator (usually a vet) • Others use part-time vet advisors or administrators 3

Animal Control • The involved vet is often on the board of health • Govt. and corp. practice rotation – – E. g. Detroit dog pound (dog pounds tend to be the ugly underbelly of the companion animal industry) 4

Animal Control Officers • Public Health Justification – Zoonoses (rabies, Toxocara, lepto, etc. ) – Sanitation – Animal attacks • Humane considerations – Requires diplomacy, people skills, patience – 12 million dogs & cats euthanized per year in U. S. (Arkow) – Between 1/10 and 1/4 of nation’s pets euthanized annually 5 – See JAVMA 197: 1134 -1139

The Population Perspective • “The pet paradigm often results in costly and superfluous attention for a tree, with disregard for the forest. ” (Ott, JAVMA 197: 1134 -1139) • $8 billion – spent for individual animal medicine. 6

Current Animal Control Issues • All hammered out at local level – Leash laws, pooper-scooper laws – Rural v. urban conflicts – Pit bull laws – Ethical issues of euthanasia of strays • No-kill facilities – Enforcing vaccination laws of dogs, cats – Animal ownership and zoning laws 7

Epidemiology of Dog Bites • About 2 million reported bites per year • About 50% of kids 4 -18 report at least one bite in their life • 1% of all emergency room visits • $30 million in health care (not including other costs) 8

Dog Bite Fatalities in the U. S. • 1979 -94, 279 U. S. dog bite fatalities (DBF) – About 18 -20 per year – Human rabies: about 2 every year • ~ 600, 000 dog bites per year requiring medical attention 9

1995 -1996 DBFs (n=25) • 80% (20) are in children <12 yrs. old – 3 neonates, all on dog owner’s property, all involving 1 dog, all involving a sleeping child • • • 20% adults (ages 39, 60, 75, 81, 86) 30% unrestrained dog off owner’s property 22% restrained dog on owner’s property 48% unrestrained dog on owner’s property 36% involved only one dog 100% of attacks by an unrestrained dog off owner’s property involved >1 dog (pack hunting instinct) 10

DBF’s • Pit bull DBFs were twice as likely to be caused by strays as other breeds (1979 -89) – Non-pit bull attacks were more likely to be defense of home territory • What do these statistics tell us about the dog’s motivation/instincts? – Defensive, territorial bites by individual dogs – Pack hunting behavior off the owner’s property – Predation of infants 11

DBF’s • Is the legal view of dog attacks changing? – Pit bull or Rottweiler attacks in urban areas • Disposition of biting dogs • The problem with breed-specific laws – according to Dr. Stinson • Cat bites : – Poor surveillance, less tissue damage – Risk of P. multocida infection may be 10 x higher than that of dog bite 12

Measures for Preventing Dog Bites • Realistically evaluate environment and lifestyle and consult with a professional (e. g. vet, animal behaviorist, or responsible breeder) to determine suitable breeds of dogs for consideration • Dogs with histories of aggression are inappropriate in households with children • Be sensitive to cues that a child is fearful or apprehensive about a god and, if so, delay acquiring a dog • Spend time with a dog before buying or adopting it. Use caution when bringing a puppy into the home of an infant or toddler 13

Measures for Preventing Dog Bites • Spay/neuter virtually all dogs (this frequently reduces aggressive tendencies) • Never leave infants or young children alone with any dog • Properly socialize and train any dog entering the household. Teach the dog submissive behaviors (e. g. rolling over to expose the abdomen and relinquishing food without growling) • Immediately seek professional advice (e. g. from vets, animal behaviorists, or responsible breeders) if the dog develops aggressive or undesirable behaviors 14

Measures for Preventing Dog Bites • Do not play aggressive games with your dog (e. g. wrestling) • Teach children basic safety around dogs and review regularly: – Never approach an unfamiliar dog – Never run from a dog and scream – Remain motionless when approached by and unfamiliar dog (e. g. be still like a tree) – If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball and lie still (e. g. be still like a log) – Never play with a dog unless supervised by an adult – Immediately report stray dogs or dogs displaying unusual behavior to an adult – Avoid direct eye contact with a dog – Do not disturb a dog who is sleeping, eating or caring for puppies – Do not pet a dog without allowing it to see and sniff you first – If bitten, immediately report the bite to an adult 15

Dog Breeds and Crossbreeds Involved in Dog. Bite Related Fatalities by 2 -yr. Period – U. S. 1979 -1996* CATEGORY 1993 -1994 1995 -1996 1979 -1996 TOTAL Pit bull 5 3 60 Rottweiler 10 10 29 German Shepherd 0 2 19 Husky 1 2 14 Alaskan Malamute 1 0 12 Doberman Pinscher 0 0 8 Chow 0 2 8 Great Dane 1 1 6 St. Bernard 0 0 4 Akita 2 0 4 Breed 16

Dog Breeds and Crossbreeds Involved in Dog. Bite Related Fatalities by 2 -yr. Period – U. S. 1979 -1996* CATEGORY 1993 -1994 1995 -1996 1976 -1996 TOTAL Wolf hybrid 2 2 14 German Shepherd 1 2 11 Pit Bull 1 0 10 Alaskan Malamute 0 0 3 Rottweiler 1 1 3 Chow 1 1 3 No. incidents for which breed known 25 22 199 Crossbreed *Source: MMWR, May 30, 1997. 17

Companion Animal Industry • Small animal vets are part of this industry – Where is the quality control for our product? • We intentionally breed dogs with problems – Genetic defects requiring vet care • Too big, too small, too long, too short-faced, too floppy eared, too long haired, too big skin, etc. – Temperament – too aggressive, not sufficiently domesticated • Bred for how they look, not how they act (dog shows) • Dog-wolf hybrid. It took years of selective breeding to get a submissive dog that will not challenge humans as the head of the pack. The last thing we need is to introduce wolf genes into the gene pool! 18

Legislative Mess: • Dog-Wolf Hybrid bills • Dangerous Animal Act – African lions sell for about $150 in Michigan 19

Ferret Bites • Anecdotal accounts are nasty • Motivation/instinct: aggression, rough play, predation of infants • Each state is trying to decide if ferrets should be legal. Legal in MI as of Jan. ’ 95 • Are bite rates lower than for dogs? – Poor “reporting” – Less severe for adults – Rabies laws dictated euthanasia (until Dec. ’ 97) • A licensed rabies vaccine now available for ferrets. – The MDCH fought licensing – bites used to mean rabies testing for $200 each • Now a 10 -day observation period is available for ferrets 20

Horses: The Second Most Dangerous Animal • Oregon Study of Animal-related deaths (1983 -1993): – 16 Horses (8 thrown, 4 kicked, 2 crushed, 1 dragged, 1 bumped heads) – 10 Wasps and bees – 4 Bulls – 2 Cows – 3 Dogs (2 pit bulls, 1 tripped over and fell down stairs) – 1 Mule (trampled) – 1 Sheep (54 yr. old hairdresser kicked by his sheep) – 1 Bison Homicides / Animal related – 1 Ferret attack deaths = 38 – 1 Lion 21 – 1 Rattlesnake

Michigan Study Results: Human Deaths resulting from animal-related trauma in MI, 1987 -1996 All Deaths Motor Vehicle Associated Deer Insects Horses Dogs Cattle 50 33 32 13 11 50 0 5 5 1 Other 7 3 Non-Vehicle Associated 0 33 27 8 10 4 (lion, bear, monkey, unk. ) 22