We have pets all around the world.  The golden question is do we know how to care for our pets?  We love our pets and sometimes we play, kiss and pet these pets.  Many of these pets carry diseases that are transmitted to human beings but according to Mayra if these pets are well taken care of we shouldn’t be afraid.  What happens if we drink the blood of these pets like the blood of a dog  to cure ailments as it happens  in some undeveloped places in the world?  Mayra is doing her PhD on ovarian development at the University of Montreal , please read.

 Why are you interested in ovarian development in Mice as your area of interest?

The mouse is often used as a model for human disease. We are interested in investigating factors that affect normal ovarian development because this can lead to advances in fertility and ovarian cancer treatments.

How often do we need to take our pets to the Veterinary Clinic for medical check-ups?

We generally advise check-ups once a year, at which time, the animals will undergo a physical examination, get vaccinated, and be tested for any problems as needed (blood tests, urine tests, x-rays, etc.).

 Why do we need to vaccinate our pets like dogs?

Vaccinating your pet is a very easy way to prevent several diseases, some of which are life-threatening, that can be caught from other animals.  One good example of this is vaccinating against rabies, which is a disease that affects many animals including wild animals, dogs, cats, and humans. The disease is caused by a virus that is most often transmitted via bite wounds. If your cat or dog is bitten by a rabid animal, after a variable incubation period, your animal will start to demonstrate non-specific symptoms, including a change in behavior and/or progressive paralysis. Once the symptoms are apparent, the disease is fatal. There is no easy test to diagnose this disease; the diagnosis is done post-mortem. Vaccines against rabies are readily available and present a cost-effective method of preventing this terrible disease.

In some countries pets like dogs walk around while some eat fecal matters and come back to the house to stay with their owners do you think this is ideal?

Unfortunately, even in developed countries, this often occurs and it is very difficult to prevent dogs from doing this, they just love to eat poop! Fecal matter may contain several different pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and parasites, some of which can be transmitted to and cause disease in their owners.

Some pet owners keep monkeys at home do monkeys spread Ebola?

I’m by no means an expert on Ebolavirus, but to my knowledge, primates can be infected by this virus and can transmit the disease to humans when they come into contact with infected tissues.

What Is Euthanasia in Veterinary Medicine and when is the right time for such?

Euthanasia is a humane method of killing an animal. There is no precise “right time or reason” to euthanize an animal, it is case-dependent. A pet may be euthanized because it is experiencing extreme pain due to an incurable disease, a cow is euthanized because its meat is intended for consumption, a piglet is euthanized because there is an outbreak of an unknown disease at the farm and a necropsy must be done to identify the cause.

In some underdeveloped countries some people are given fresh blood of animals like  dog to drink for rituals and/or to cure ailments.  What is your take on this?

Raw blood from an animal whose health status is unknown may contain several different pathogens, such as bacteria, and as such represents a risk of infection for the consumer.  In addition, it is highly unlikely that there is any scientific proof that ingesting fresh dog blood provides any health benefits whereas it is well documented that blood contains pathogens.

 Is it true that in some developed countries some pets receive befitting burial?

 Yes. For some pet owners in developed countries, their pets are treated as members of the family and once they pass away, the owners want to commemorate their life in this way.

Veterinary Doctors always advise that Pork meat should be cooked thoroughly.  Why?

Raw or insufficiently-cooked pork may contain certain parasites (such as roundworms) that are contained within the meat but invisible to the naked eye. If the meat is not fully cooked thoroughly and ingested, this can cause severe disease in the human.

Is it true that birds like chickens cause Avian flu?

Avian flu is named after birds (avians) because the specific strain of influenza is best adapted to that host (the bird). The virus affects chickens but also most other species of birds.