1. Veterinary Preventive Medicine
Lecture 3
Environmental Health and Animal Control

2. Sabbatical – Denmark (’97-’98)

3. 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

4. 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)

5. 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
See JAVMA 197:

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

7. 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

8. 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)

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

10. 1995-1996 DBF s (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)

11. DBF’s
Pit bull DBFs were twice as likely to be caused by strays as other breeds ( )
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

12. 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 10x higher than that of dog bite

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

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

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

18. 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!

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

20. 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

21. Horses: The Second Most Dangerous Animal
Oregon Study of Animal-related deaths ( ):
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
1 Ferret attack
1 Lion
1 Rattlesnake
Homicides / Animal related deaths = 38

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