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Educational Articles

Zoonotic Diseases

  • Bearded dragons are susceptible to several health problems; understanding them will help you prevent them from occurring in your pet and know when to seek veterinary attention. Problems described in this handout include salmonellosis, avascular necrosis, tail rot, abscesses, and dystocia (egg binging).

  • Box turtles can be relatively easy to care for. However, turtles have several unique problems. Understanding these problems will allow you to better care for your pet and minimize future health care issues. This handout discusses some common problems and how to deal with them.

  • Capillaria is a small internal parasite that is closely related to intestinal worms, though they can live in a variety of locations within the body. Diagnosis can be difficult because the eggs intermittently. In many cases, earthworms serve as the source of Capillaria infection. This handout outlines diagnosis, treatments, and prevention.

  • Capillaria is a small internal parasite that is closely related to intestinal worms, though they can live in a variety of locations within the body. Diagnosis can be difficult because the eggs intermittently. Dogs acquire Capillaria infections from the environment. This handout outlines diagnosis, treatments, and prevention.

  • COVID-19 is a viral respiratory disease of humans that was first discovered in late 2019. The illness is caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, which is a new coronavirus that has not previously been identified in humans. Certain animals can be infected by the COVID-19 virus, but it appears to be infrequent. Dogs and cats seldom show severe clinical illness if infected with COVID-19.

  • This handout summarizes Chagas disease in dogs. Caused by a protozoal parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi, it is spread by the bite of infected insects or ingestion of infected insects and rodents. The clinical signs of the condition, along with its treatment, prevention, and risk to human health are outlined.

  • Cheyletiellosis in rabbits is a condition caused by the common rabbit mite, Cheyletiella parasitovorax. This mite’s effects are sometimes called "walking dandruff" because they are large, whitish mites that crawl across the skin and hair of a rabbit and cause excessive flaky skin. Other clinical signs of cheyletiellosis include itching, scratching, and hair/fur loss. This species of mites can live in the environment for a short time and affect people and other animals, so it is important to follow your veterinarian's recommendations for treating the environment and all pets in the household.

  • Chlamydiosis (psittacosis, parrot fever, ornithosis) is a common disease of birds caused by a bacterial organism. The disease can cause chronic infections, infections without visible symptoms, or sudden death. The disease can also be transmitted to people, but it is not associated with the venereal form of chlamydia.

  • There are several problems that can occur in aquatic turtles. This handout discusses the most noted problems: calculi, tissue prolapses, irregular shell growth, shell fractures or trauma, algae on the shell, skin and shell sloughing, Salmonella infection that can be passed to humans, dystocia, and hibernation.

  • COVID-19 is a disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Current evidence suggests that person-to-person spread is the main source of infection. While there is evidence of transmission from humans to dogs and cats, it does not appear common. If you suspect that you are ill with COVID-19, you should take the same precautions with your pet as you would with people.