Page A-8
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014
Distemper ... Continued from A-1
“By the time any animal exhib-
its these symptoms, it will die within a
few days,” Gillin said. “It’s a terrible
way to die, an animal in this state is
experiencing horrible pain. It should
be euthanized immediately, but it’s
best to call someone to take on the
risk of dispatching the animal.”
“With both rabies and distem-
per, like with most viruses, as soon
as the animal is dead, the virus dies
quickly,” said Rosemary Stussy,
ODFW Rogue Watershed Wildlife
Biologist.
“If you kill a sick wild animal
yourself, bury it, wrap it in plastic
and put in the garbage, or toss the car-
cass into the woods for other animals
to eat.”
“Distemper occurs naturally in
raccoons, foxes, coyotes, skunks. We
see it every spring and fall, primarily
in raccoons, it’s almost as if they har-
bor it,” Stussy said. “Once there’s a
cluster of distemper, it’s usually per-
sistent for a season or two, but this
current cycle in the Illinois Valley has
stuck around since last February and
hasn’t really died off. And no doubt
the volume of wild animals contract-
ing distemper is increased by unvac-
cinated pets spreading the virus.”
Before reaching end stages of
the disease, dogs with canine distem-
per can have any number of symp-
toms: including fever, depression,
appetite loss, discharge from nose or
eyes, coughing, diarrhea, vomiting,
seizures and muscle twitching. Veter-
inarians say 50 percent of dogs with
distemper will die.
“People need to be reminded
to vaccinate their pets,” said Bonnie
Petersen, Office Manager at Dr. Joe’s
Pet Hospital. “It’s especially criti-
cal in young animals, who are more
likely to contract diseases. A lot of
people with new puppies want to take
them around everywhere, but puppies
should be isolated until they’re vac-
cinated.”
Some people buy vaccinations
for distemper, parvo-virus and other
pet diseases from farm and feed stores,
but professionals caution against this
practice. Only from a licensed vet-
erinarian can a customer be sure the
medicine has been properly refriger-
ated from manufacturer to clinic.
“Someone who is used to giving
shots will do a better job of it,” Gillin
said. “The dog might jump when it
gets stuck and you end up with more
vaccine on the fur and your pet only
gets a low dose. Or, by the time you
get it home, it may have warmed up
too much. Another reason to go to
your vet for shots is because they’ll
also do a health check and notice if
your pet is already sick. When sick
animals are vaccinated, vaccines are
less effective.”
Over the last 100 years, rabies
in the United States has changed dra-
matically, according to the Center for
Disease Control. Before 1960 the ma-
jority of rabies occurred in domestic
animals; but now, due to domestic
animals spreading the disease, more
than 90 percent of rabies occurs in
wildlife. Nationwide, rabies-related
human deaths declined from more
than 100 annually in 1900 to one or
two per year in the 1990’s. Vaccina-
tions in pets and early treatment for
people after being bit have been very
effective.
Stussy and Gillin want anyone
observing sick wildlife to call a hot-
line to help the agency track sick ani-
mal clusters. Call 866-968-2600.
Jenna ... Continued from A-1
While school coaches were trained in
identifying concussions and keeping players
off the field until cleared, they were not legally
protected. Even if a coach did everything possi-
ble to prevent a concussion, parents of athletes
could still take legal action against the coach
and anyone else involved for gross negligence.
By the age of 19, Jenna Sneva was a na-
tional gold medalist in skiing but dealt with se-
vere headaches, blurred vision and other symp-
toms. Eventually Jenna learned she will never
be able to ski again. Why? After going from
doctor to doctor and not getting any answers,
Jenna and her family finally got answers as to
why she experiences so many headaches. She
suffers from post-concussion syndrome.
Over Jenna’s skiing career she suffered
from ten concussions, always getting up and
“dusting” herself off after taking severe falls,
never really seeking medical advice about pos-
sible concussions. After receiving her diagnosis
from a doctor at OHSU Concussion Program,
Jenna, along with her family, doctor and legal
professionals began a campaign to improve
Max’s Law and further protect not only school
athletes but club athletes as well.
In September 2013 Governor Kitzhaber
signed SB 721, or Jenna’s Law. Jenna’s Law
took effect on January 1, 2014. This law fur-
ther improves on Max’s Law which before only
required school coaches to be trained in con-
cussion recognition. Now, not only are school
coaches required to have training, but club
coaches, all umpires and referees who volun-
teer on a regular basis are required to be trained
in knowing concussion prevention and what to
do when an athlete sustains a concussion. Also,
coaches and referees are better protected legally
under Jenna’s Law. If a regular volunteer has
gone through the proper training and follows the
guidelines required, it is more difficult for that
person to be held liable if an athlete sustains a
concussion. The only way the coach or umpire/
referee would be liable is if they showed gross
negligence or willful or malicious misconduct.
Jenna still suffers from the many concus-
sions she endured over the years but has learned
to cope. She currently is attending college and
working to educate people on the effects of con-
cussions if they are not dealt with immediately
and proper medical attention is not sought out.
What club sports fall under the new law
and what does this mean for club sports? Any
non-school sport falls under the new law. This
could include wrestling clubs, Little League,
Boys and Girls Club sports, Pop Warner, soccer
clubs and any other sports that are not included
in school activities.
Many sports clubs already have safety
plans in place to keep athletes and volunteers
safe; for instance CPR, first aid and background
checks may be a requirement before being al-
lowed to volunteer for some organizations.
With Jenna’s Law now in effect, those groups
will have to ensure that each regular volunteer
will receive the proper training.
What can parents do to help in the preven-
tion of concussions? Be aware. Being aware of
what the school’s or club’s safety procedures
are in case of an accident or injury is a good
way of helping to prevent concussions. Also
know the basic signs of a concussion. Keep a
watch for signs if an athlete has been hit hard
or even jolted for at least two hours after he or
she has been taken out of the sport. Even though
coaches, umpires and referees are trained in
knowing the signs, they can’t always see what
is happening. A second pair of eyes is always
good.
Changes in athlete’s behavior, slowed
thinking, changes in speech, headaches or pres-
sure in the head, problems with balance or diz-
ziness, and double or blurred vision are all signs
of an athlete having a concussion.
After an athlete has been determined by a
coach or game official to possibly have a con-
cussion, the athlete should be taken to a medi-
cal professional immediately, if needed to the
emergency room.
For more information on safety proce-
dures concerning concussions, contact your
local schools and non-school sports clubs. For
more information on concussions in general
visit the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention (CDC) website at: www.cdc.gov.
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On On
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