UF Health Podcasts

For the past couple of years, folks in the U.S. and Canada have sporadically reported squirrels covered in bleeding sores, giving rise to the name “zombie squirrels.” But this isn’t science fiction — it’s a viral disease.

Squirrel fibroma virus is a type of poxvirus that mostly affects squirrels, but sometimes rabbits too. Its defining features are wart-like growths on the skin of the head or legs, which may become so large that they interfere with the animal’s ability to see and eat. The lesions may become secondarily infected, but they usually resolve on their own over time.

Squirrel fibroma virus is thought to be spread by mosquitoes and fleas but may be transmitted by direct contact with an infected animal as well. It has not been known to infect people.

Poultry veterinarians have some practical tips for the care of small backyard flocks.

Housing needs to protect flocks from the elements and predators, while staying well ventilated. Quality feed must be easily accessible by all and free of mold, pests or droppings. That means keeping the feeder at shoulder height of the shortest bird. Likewise, water — offered in troughs or nipple waterers — needs to be clean, always available and easily reached. In addition, breeding hens need privacy while nesting and nest sizes should be adjusted as chicks grow.

The most common causes of death in small flock poultry are obesity and other diet-related syndromes. That’s why it’s critical for flock owners to consult poultry veterinarians regarding proper nutrition for their birds.

Since 2013, a mysterious disease has killed over five billion sea stars — also known as starfish — along the Pacific coast of North America. Hardest hit was the sunflower sea star, which lost about 90 percent of its population in the first five years of the outbreak.

Sunflower sea stars normally gobble up sea urchins, which feed on kelp. As the sea stars died off, sea urchin populations exploded, and kelp forests were decimated. This, in turn, affected the fish, sea otters, seals and other animals that depend on kelp forests for their food and habitat.

As sea stars wasted away, researchers worked feverishly to find the cause. After some false leads, they discovered the culprit was a Vibrio [VIB-ree-oh] bacteria. Now there’s hope to help the remaining sea star populations regain some of the ground they lost.

Law enforcement is in a race to outwit wildlife poachers. A new technique in the battle uses robotic decoys. These aren’t your father’s decoys — they’re taxidermy specimens come to life.

The taxidermist who developed the process uses remote-control car parts to animate animal skin-covered structures. He’s created deer, moose and other robots that move, emit heat and even produce droppings. The decoys have been used by game wardens across the country in sting operations.

Once officers have a bead on a suspected poacher, they stake out their vehicle, animate the robot and watch the poacher take a shot.

But eventually poachers get wise. To stay ahead in the so-called wildlife enforcement arms race, the next step will be placing a CO2 cartridge in the decoy’s muzzle to mimic steam on a cold day.

Something amazing happens in Iceland’s Westman Islands each summer. Baby puffins — or pufflings — are thrown from cliffs to save their lives.

The Iceland population of Atlantic puffins is critically endangered. Each season, a female lays a single egg in a deep dark burrow. For the first six weeks after hatching, the puffling is fed by its parents. But when they leave to spend the next eight months at sea, the fledgling is on its own.

Pufflings first leave their burrows at night to avoid predators. They can fly, and their goal is to reach the ocean, but they don’t know where to go and get disoriented by manmade structures and lights. That’s when townsfolk start searching for stranded pufflings. In the morning, they take the birds to cliffs above the ocean and toss them off to reach the sea.

Our pets are family, so they often travel with us — and that means lots of car rides. Minding the travel environment can keep us all safe.

Temperature is a key factor. Even in mild weather, the inside of a car can become 40 degrees warmer than outside in just an hour — even in the shade with the windows cracked. And in cold weather, being in an unheated car is virtually no warmer than being outside. So, don’t leave pets unattended in a vehicle—ever.

Pets also need to be restrained in a moving vehicle — for their sake as well as ours. Just like you wear a seatbelt, your pet should be in a secured carrier or wear a harness attached to a seat belt. And never let pets ride loose in a truck bed or hang their head out the window.

Keep the good times rolling by making pet safety a priority.

A culprit moving our way from the south could devastate livestock and cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars.

The New World screwworm — or NWS — fly produces maggots that cause severe soft tissue injuries. Unlike those of other flies that eat dead tissue only, NWS maggots burrow into live tissue. Untreated animals often develop secondary infections and can die in a week or two.

The U.S. government is taking this threat seriously. The Food and Drug Administration has been granted emergency use authorization for certain animal drugs to treat or prevent NWS infestations. In addition, a planned $750 million dollar facility in Texas is expected to produce millions of sterile flies to reduce the NWS population.

Livestock producers and veterinarians on the front lines are also key players in the fight.

Each year, increasing areas of the country get hit with natural disasters. That’s why it’s important to have a disaster plan. But how do you keep your livestock safe?

Some plans include shipping livestock to other facilities. But depending on the time you have before disaster strikes, that might not be possible. So, in case you can’t evacuate, plan ahead to create safe zones where both animals and people can shelter in place. Those might be green areas without much tree cover — like irrigated pastures or elevated meadows. Short of that, areas cleared of flammable materials could suffice.

This is when it pays to have an established veterinary-client relationship in case you need to immediately provide medical care for your animals. Be sure you have animal care supplies in place, too.

Most veterinarians recommend keeping cats indoors to reduce the risk of injury and disease and minimize their predation. But that can come at a cost if cats can’t be cats.

Certain diseases and behavioral disorders stem from the stress that may affect cats living indoors. That’s why the Feline Veterinary Medical Association highlights the importance of providing the five pillars of a healthy cat environment. First, provide a safe home, including one that honors all a cat’s senses. Next, provide opportunities for play and hunting behavior, as well as positive and consistent human-cat social interactions. And for homes with more than one cat, provide multiple and separate resources — like litter pans, feeding bowls and more.

Keeping cats safe and happy is what it’s all about.

As holidays near, it’s time once again to plan how to keep our pets safe.

Since food is such a big part of the fun, let’s focus on that first. Spicy, salty or fatty foods — as well as bones — can make your pet sick, so stick with their regular diet. Certain foods — like chocolate, grapes, raisins and anything containing xylitol [ZĪ-lit-all] — are definitely off limits. That goes for alcohol too. And don’t forget the trash because your pet won’t. That could be full of all kinds of toxic treats as well.

Holiday decorations can be dangerous too — like tinsel, ornaments, candles and wiring for lights. Even snow globes contain ethylene glycol, which is highly poisonous to all pets.

This is just a partial list, so do your due diligence. Most of all, keep a close eye on your pet and watch for anything unusual.