Posted on 11/02/2007 9:57:28 AM PDT by george76
MARSHALL: Dogs not vaccinated for disease should be euthanized.
A wolf killed during an attack on sled dogs in the Yukon River village of Marshall last week has tested positive for rabies, and state officials Wednesday night said unvaccinated dogs in the village should be euthanized.
The wolf was part of a pack that killed a half-dozen dogs the night of Oct. 24 before villagers chased them out, killing the one wolf and wounding others. Tests returned late Wednesday showed that animal had rabies, and the state's wildlife veterinarian said it's possible other wolves in the pack also have the disease. Dogs could have been infected as well.
Dogs that had not been vaccinated run a high risk of developing the disease in the next few weeks, the health agency said, and can expose other animals and people.
The state "strongly recommends that unvaccinated dogs be euthanized to prevent the risk of spreading the rabies virus to people or other animals,"
(Excerpt) Read more at adn.com ...
In an unrelated incident, a pack of wolves killed and ate a dog in North Pole early Wednesday.
“There’s a real possibility of a rabies outbreak,” said Nick Andrew Jr., the tribal administrator for the Ohogamiut Traditional Council.
“There are still wolves near the village. Our concern is the unknown: How many wolves are still in the pack and how many are rabid?”
“But if other wolves in the pack were rabid, they could have been in the shedding stage,” she said. “The length of time between exposure and when they actually get the disease varies. It depends on where they were bitten and how much they got.”
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/9424125p-9336407c.html
Andrew said one man has 11 dogs that were bloodied during the wolves’ attack, and the owner was not sure if they were immunized. Now all will likely have to be killed, a move Andrew called a significant inconvenience for a man who uses the dogs for subsistence and recreation.
Too bad the dogs weren’t immunized. Rabies isn’t very prevelant in the northern bush, but there’s enough of it that all working dogs should be immunized. Even a small animal will attack, if it’s rabid — dogs that spend a lot of time in the bush should be protected. With 11 dogs, it might have been too expensive. Many (most?) people with large teams give their dogs their shots themselves — it’s a lot cheaper than going to the vet.
Carolyn
Every fox in north Alaska has rabies.
’ wonder why they don’t just automatically give their animals rabies shots, as we do our pets?
Carolyn’
Penny wise, pound foolish comes to mind. And I feel very bad for the dogs that were not given the protection of a vaccination and will now have to be destroyed.
STupid human.
They may not have the extra cash.
Nice that the feds also released lots of Canadian wolves on us...
/s
Wow — that’s amazing. There were occasional incidents of rabies in the Yukon, while I lived there (over 25 years; but nothing like that. I always thought that the low game density kept the disease from spreading too far and wide (although that doesn’t seem to have worked in N. Alaska). Also, people didn’t hesitate to shoot any wolves, coyotes, linx, etc. that got too close to settlements.
A rabid fox is just as likely to attack as a rabid wolf — all dogs really should be immunized. What’s being done about the rabid foxes?
Carolyn
From the Wiki
As of the census of 2000, there were 349 people, 91 households, and 73 families residing in the city. The population density was 28.5/km² (73.9/mi²). There were 104 housing units at an average density of 8.5/km² (22.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 2.01% White, 95.99% Native American, and 2.01% from two or more races. 0.29% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
It is, arguably, in the middle of nowhere.... The dogs affected are not pets, they are working animals - you know, sled dogs.
You are right about 'stupid humans' - L48 *know nothings* have fought Alaskan wolf population control programs for years - because they don't have to live with the results of lack of wolf population control.
(/rant)
I was worried about my little dog out there on the run this morning when I heard that news. The guy at APRN said the dog which was killed was 15 years old, but, on the other hand, my dog’s on the chain. It would break my son’s heart if puppers turned into wolf chow.
Last that I heard, the super cubs were banned for wolf hunting.
Is that still accurate ?
Apparently the harvest was not good either.
Michael Scott could put together a “run for the cure”.
Legal rabies vaccines must be administered by a veterinarian in most states. The vaccine must be handled correctly and administered correctly for it to be immunogenic. The legal ramifications of the vaccination status is also in question if an owner is vaccinating their own animals...many times there are no credible records of the vaccination...especially if the dog bites a child...(owners that vaccinate their own animals against rabies will be responsible for the outcome of the children that have to undergo the rabies vaccination regimen after a bite) The vaccine administered to species to which it was not developed can revert to the wild strain and create rabies in those animals. The modified live version of the vaccine can cause problems in raccoons and the wild canines. If one cannot afford to vaccinate their animals against rabies, then the person can’t afford to have the animals...the cost of feed alone is mind boggling and the veterinary cost is less that 5-10% of the animal’s cost over the lifetime of the animal.
Carolyn
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