Flesh-eating disease among pets prompts warning on Vancouver Island
Veterinarians on Vancouver Island are encouraging residents to monitor their pets after several dogs were found to have necrotizing fasciitis, a rare flesh-eating disease.
The Central Island Veterinary Emergency Hospital (CIVEH) says dog owners shouldn't panic but should be aware of the signs of the disease.
Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) can affect skin, underlying fat, and fascia – the connective tissue that surrounds muscles, according to the CIVEH.
The illness can infect a pet through punctures or skin infections, and it does not always seems like an obvious wound.
SYMPTOMS
Pet owners should monitor their animals for pain, particularly in limbs, since it's not always noticeable that a wound or swelling has occurred, according to CIVEH.
Some skin discolouration may occur, and animals with NF generally develop a fever, veterinarians say.
If it seems like your pet is in pain, CIVEH recommends that you take your dog to a vet.
"Necrotizing fasciitis is an uncommon disease in dogs but given the amount of cases we have seen recently, it is important that we, as pet owners (myself included) are vigilant," said Dr. Nikolas Bell, medical director at CIVEH, in a statement Wednesday.
"Any patient with localized pain, swelling and a fever should have NF placed on their list of possible diagnoses however this does not mean that every patient with these symptoms has NF," he said.
If your pet does develop NF, vets say they'll need urgent and intensive therapy, as the disease can be fatal.
Treatment of NF is twofold, according to CIVEH. Vets will try to manage the disease – which sometimes requires surgeries to remove infected tissue – ranging from small extractions to amputations. Meanwhile, vets will also start supportive care to stabilize the animal.
Bell says there's been no definitive link between any cases seen on Vancouver Island.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.