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Readers with health and other pet
problems are invited to send in their
questions to ANIMAL CAVALCADE.
Those with the greatest reader interest
will be handled on this page by Dr.
J.F. Smithcors, D.V.M., Ph.D., who is
technical editor of American Veterinary
Publications, Inc.
HAMSTER HAS COLD
Q. Can a hamster get a cold?
Mine acts just like a person
suffering from a cold.
A. Yes, hamsters can catch "colds"
but not likely from you or you
from them, and they may develop
"snuffles" or a cough. To help
prevent such infections you should
keep the cage dry by using absorbent
bedding such as shredded newspaper,
excelsior or wood chips and
have a water bottle or dish that
won't spill over. Good nutrition is
as important in preventing disease
in hamsters as it is for you, and a
good way to be sure they get a
balanced diet is to feed oneof the
dry dog foods, together with occasional
greens such as lettuce or
carrots.
RISK OF HEPATITIS
Q. Have been reading about an
outbreak of hepatitis in chimpanzees
in a nearby zoo. Does
this present a hazard to visitors?
A. Infectious hepatitis has been transmitted
from chimpanzees and other
primates to persons actually handling
them, but unless a zoo visitor
had more than casual physical contact
with an infected animal the
chances of contracting the disease
are so remote as to be almost
nonexistent. In any event, you
should never get that close to a zoo
chimp, and in most zoos you
can't-because the chimp would be
equally likely to contract any of
several diseases that persons can
carry.
IMMUNITY IN RACCOON
Q. I understand that my pet raccoon
should be immunized
against rabies. Does he get the
same vaccine as that administered
to my cat?
A. Yes, your raccoon should be
immunized against rabies, with the
same vaccine that is used for cats;
the Semple phenolized (killed) vaccine
is usually recommended. It
should also be immunized against
both canine and feline distemper
(panleukopenia); these are two
different diseases, and raccoons are
susceptible to both. Killed vaccine
(as for cats) is used for both, and
there is no reason why the two
should not be given at the same
time, provided the animal is at least
three months old.
D
UN
Q
AIN'T IT THE TRUTH?
The horse would have the last laugh
today if he could see all those motorists
adjusting their shoulder harnesses.
Vera Farris in Catholic World.
OFF THE LEASH
I used to have a dog and cat. Now, I
have goldfish. There's one thing about
goldfish — they can't get run over.
From the book, "What Is A Pet?"
by Lee Parr McGrath and Joan Scahey
(Essanders Special Editions).
A DOG'S A DOG
Have you heard about the harassed
husband who tried to enter his
mother-in-law in a dog show?
It actually happened in New Zealand,
reports the Gaines Dog Research
Center, when a man tried to enter his
wife's mother in the royal dog show.
The entry was for the hound group.
He was turned down on two counts,
the Center points out. There was no
entry fee enclosed — and the entry
failed to state the breeding.
WHY INDEED!
The spinster pooh-poohed her
friend who suggested that it was too
bad she did not have a husband. "I
have a dog that growls," she said, "a
parrot that swears, a fireplace that
smokes and a cat that stays out all
night. Why should I want a husband?"
Lucille J. Goodyear in Family Weekly
X
"0H.YK5 IW/AS
MARRIED krone
TIMG, BUT MY
HUSBAND WAS
ALLERGIC TO
CATS SO I HADTO
G£TRID0FHIM'"