Common Household Pets:

Hamster, cat, dog, guinnea pig, ferret, gerbil, rabbit, mouse

Do these pets carry a rabies risk? No.

Can I get infected from being bitten by my pet? Yes. Mouths of pets have bacteria and can infect you. As with all bites and cuts, you want to do the following:

1. Clean well with warm soapy water.

2. Apply antibiotic ointment.

3. Cover with bandaid/dressing and change when needed.

4. Keep a close eye on the bite site for signs that active infection is forming which include:

Redness

Warmth

Tenderness

Pus

If your pet or a friend’s pet has bitten you, find out about the health of the pet:

• How has the pet been acting?
• Is the pet up to date on shots? This applies to dogs and cats.
• When in doubt, contact a vet to see if the pet needs to be evaluated for infection. Often a vet can tell you over the phone if a type of pet needs to be seen or will put a person at risk from a bit.

What animal bites do I need to worry about for rabies risk?

Wild animals and unimunized cats and dogs.  So, if you don’t know the ownder of a cat or dog, those are the  cats and dogs to worry about. Also, all dog bites need to be reported to the local police by law.

Bites from the following animals need to be evaluated right away for rabies shots: bat, skunk, raccoon, fox, coyote, or large wild animal. Keep in mind that for bats, a bat in the house counts as a bat bite since bats often leave no bite marks.

Links For More Information

Dog Bite Law Site

University of Michigan Pet Bite Information

Common and Technical Names:

Poison Ivy: Toxicodendron rydbergii

Poison Oak: Toxicodendron diversilobum

Poison Sumac: Toxicodendron vernix

Plant Identification: see this link: Cornell Poisonous Plants Information Database)

What it is: Allergic reaction to urushiol oil from the poison ivy/oak/sumac leaves. The rhyme “leave three let them be!” can help kids remember to avoid clusters of three leaves together. 85% of kids can have allergic reactions to the oil.

Exposure Issues:

• Plants: poison ivy, oak and sumac leaves
• Non-plants: oil on toys and shoes that had been in contact previously with the oil; the oil can actually remain active for 1 year!

Typical Ages for Illness: any age in a susceptible person, someone who is sensitive to the oil

Typical Symptoms: rash and itching in the areas of skin in contact with the oil. This can be from direct contact with the plan or by fingers who touch the oil on the skin

Seasonal Issues: The plants are perennial but have different appearances as the seasons progress. See KidsHealth for great pictures of poison ivy through the seasons.

Incubation Period: rash typically starts 1-2 days after exposure to the plant oil

Diagnosis: by the distinctive appearance of the rash which has a bubbly look. For a typical appearance of the rash click here.

Symptom Duration: the rash can take 2 weeks to clear. It is not contagious.

Treatment:

Symptomatic! Stop the itch!!!!

• over the counter products such as calamine lotion
• oatmeal baths and lotions: Aveeno is the name brand to look for
• antihistamines such as benadryl or claritin
• 1% hydrocortisone cream to small areas 2 times a day but do not use to large areas of the body or the face, or more frequently, without consulting your pediatrician
• local cold compresses

If these simple measures do not work and your child is very uncomfortable, call your pediatrician for further advice.

Exposure Prevention:

• Teach your children to recognize the poison ivy plant.
• Wear long pants, long sleeves, gloves and boots when in suspect areas.
• Use barrier creams such as Ivy Block.
• Remove plants if necessary (this should be done with caution—do not burn the plants since inhaling the smoke can lead to very serious reactions).

Call Your Pediatrician if your child has:

• wide spread areas of rash
• rash near the eyes or mouth
• any areas or the rash that appear infected, have frank push or appear red or angry looking, are tender, have red streaking, or the child has a fever

Internet Resources For Parents

American Academy of Dermatology Poison Ivy/Oak/Sumac Page

Children’s Hospital Boston Information on Poison Ivy and After Care Instructions

Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital

Internet Resources for Kids and Teens

American Academy of Dermatology Pesky Poisonous Plants Page

KidsHealth Information for Kids on Poison Ivy

KidsHealth info for Teens on Poison Ivy

Technical Names: Allergic Rhinitis

Nicknames: Hayfever, Allergies

What it is: allergic reaction to something in the environment such as pollen, dust, molds, animal hai. It is an overreaction of the immune system – a “normal” reaction on overload. People can grow in and out of allergies throughout their lives. Genetics determines some predisposition but environmental factors can also overload the immune system.

Seasonal Issues:

Many people have season allergies particularly around season change times. Some people are allergen specific and others have year ’round allergies.

Continue Reading

If there are two pearls of wisdom I can impart to you about toddlers it is this: they will have many boo-boos and there will be times you will be convinced your toddler is “always sick” and you should change your address to that of your pediatrician’s office.

Toddlers are the captains of the boo-boo and “bug” brigades.  While most boo-boos are minor and require nothing more than a kiss, and most “bugs” are viruses that clear before you can reach for the phone, there are times some injuries and illnesses can be serious and require more care. As with all things toddler, those times also tend to be very obvious once you know what the key factors are to focus on. Continue Reading

One of the most difficult issues for new parents, and grand-parents, is deciding if a very young infant (under 2 months of age) is sick. Some people go by “look”; others seem to have a built in radar that alerts them to when something may be wrong that at least prompts the call to the pediatrician. Pediatricians, too, develop a sixths sense with this age group. They have to because this group, above all others, deserves special attention when illness lurks.

Continue Reading