Attention Clients and Neighbors –

Princeton Animal Hospital has received notice that another feline in the area has tested positive for the Rabies virus. This is the second feline rabies case submitted by Princeton Animal hospital in the last 6 months and we felt an urgency to alert the public to the findings immediately.

Rabies is a virus affecting mammalians and is one of a few known, 100% fatal diseases. The most common causes of infection are from bite wounds from an infected animal. Bats, raccoons, and possums, groundhogs, and fox are the most common carriers, although domesticated animals have been known to do the same. 

Typically, an animal with an active infection will begin to experience neurologic symptoms including but not limited to, wobbly stance or movement, circling, being active outside of the normal known activity times (raccoons out during the day), extreme friendliness or aggression, foaming at the mouth, extremely vocal, loss of fear to people or industry, to name a few. If you suspect that you may see an animal with possible rabies symptoms, call your local animal control office immediately. (Usually can call the police non-emergency line) The most dangerous aspect of this disease is the zoonotic transfer, which means it can pass from species to species without restriction. (Raccoon to human, dog, cat, etc…) 

The best way to practices to protect your pet and family are to do the following. First are foremost, have all pets in your family vaccinated or be up to date on the rabies vaccine. This vaccine is 99.999% effective and significantly reduces the chance of a pet becoming infected. The second major step is to monitor your pet’s outdoor activity. Pets most often interact with other wildlife when they are unsupervised. The combination of vaccination and diligent supervision of your pet should ensure that your pet’s exposure potential is minimal. The third is to report any concerning animals to the local authorities. 

This case came from the East Windsor area and the township has added an alert to their website and bulletin email. 

If your pet is past due for his/her rabies vaccine, please update your pets vaccination protection ASAP. Prevention is the best protection.

One Happy Dog

This kooky canine is jumping for joy! What does your pet jump for?

Cat Steals Dog Bed

2011 Most Popular Pet Names

Most popular feline names for females
1. Bella
2. Chloe
3. Lucy
4. Sophie
5. Lily
6. Molly
7. Gracie
8. Princess
9. Sasha
10. Cleo
Most popular feline names for males
1. Max
2. Oliver
3.Tiger
4. Charlie
5. Simba
6. Buddy
7. Smokey
8. Tigger
9. Jack
10. Sammy
Most popular canine names for females
1. Bella
2. Lucy
3. Molly
4. Daisy
5. Maggie
6. Sophie
7. Chloe
8. Sadie
9. Lola
10. Bailey
Most Popular canine names for males
1. Max
2. Buddy
3. Charlie
4. Rocky
5. Bailey
6. Jake
7. Cooper
8. Jack
9. Toby
10. Cody
VPI's compete list of popular pet names for 2011 will be released in early January, 2012.

National Pet Travel Safety Day

Today is National Pet Travel Safety Day! The mission of this day is to save lives by creating awareness of the vital need for pet safety in all areas of travel. Did you and your pet travel over the holidays and if so, what tips might you have for others?