pet connection

Update: You can see the video here. Dr. Becker’s information is at the end of the piece.

Our Dr. Marty Becker will be live from the North Idaho Animal Hospital — where he works when he’s not traveling — at 7:30 a.m. on “Good Morning America” Mondaythis morning, talking about common-sense measures all pet-lovers should take to minimize the risk of catching something from a pet. (He’ll be at the hospital at 4:30 a.m. PT to make the 7:30 a.m. ET time slot!)

***

Petsmart is being sued by a Houston family who says a cockatiel sold by the chain killed a family member. The story:

Joe De La Garza Sr., 63, died in 2006 of psittacosis, also known as parrot fever, caught from a bird purchased at the store, family members argue in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in state district court, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported Wednesday. [...] Houston attorney Ron Franklin, who is representing three of De La Garza’s children in the lawsuit, said they are not suing for money but only to require PetSmart to stop selling cockatiels and other similar birds, as well as to spread public awareness about potential human contraction of psittacosis from birds.

Petsmart denies a link between the death and the bird. On their Web site, they have a new media release discussing in general what the chain does to prevent their birds having the disease. The courts will have to sort this one out, but the story is spreading like crazy. Since our Dr. Becker just completed a “Good Morning America” segment on how to protect yourself from diseases that can be caught from pets, we’ve had media interest in interviewing him.

Of course it’s a shocking thing for someone to die from an infectious disease caught from a pet, and we could not be more sorry for any family so tragically hit. But it’s always essential to keep risk in context and be aware that a handle of common-sense measures reduce most of the risk of contracting anything from your pet. Despite the sudden media interest, a human death from psittacosis is rare — the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports fewer than 50 confirmed cases of the disease in the United States since 1996.

The risk is low, in other words, and can be made even lower by:

• Buying pets from reputable sources. For birds, you can ask a veterinarian who specializes in avian care to recommend a rescue group, reputable bird shop or breeder. Failing that, look for a bird from a source that follows the Model Aviculture Program, a national voluntary program for the certification of aviculturists through inspection by avian veterinarians.
• Keeping the pet’s area clean. Psittacosis can remain viable in dried bird dropping for a long time, but regular cleaning and sanitation will kill the bacteria. Change cage papers daily, at least, along with food and water dishes. Wipe down any fouled areas with a damp cloth with sanitizing solution (ask your bird’s veterinarian for a product recommendation that’s safe for your pet). Wash dishes in hot soapy water, rinse and allow to air-dry, and scrape and wash perches regularly as well. Replace toys on a regular basis, sooner if they become covered with poop and cannot be cleaned.
• Washing your hands after handling your bird or cleaning his cage or the area around it. When it comes to staying healthy overall, you just can’t wash your hands enough. (Don’t forget to sing “Happy Birthday” to yourself while you soap up to make sure you keep the suds on your skin long enough.)
• Making sure your pet is healthy and stays healthy by working with your veterinarian to be sure all preventive-care measures are taken as recommended. This is good for both you AND your pet!

As our Dr. Becker likes to say, “”Get rid of the risk, keep the pet.” You’re much more likely to catch something from another person than from your pet.

Along the same lines, you may want to listen in to a radio interview Dr. B’s doing tonight, on the subject of diseases that can be passed from pets to people. If you’re in San Francisco, tune in to KGO 810 at 8:05 p.m PT. tonight. If you’re anywhere else, listen in on ‘net.

The Bird Channel has just posted a good piece on psittacosis, by the way.

Share & Enjoy

Facebook	Twitter	Google Buzz	Digg
Technorati	StumbleUpon	Delicious	Email