habits such as good hand washing and keeping animal wastes out of children's play areas are helpful for clients to learn from the VHT. Regular visits to a veterinary clinic for deworming and flea and tick control medications should be encouraged. Healthy animals are much less likely to transmit diseases and parasites.
For the VHT to be effective, clients should be asked appropriate questions that might uncover connections. Open‐ended questions to be posed might include:
How is everyone else in the family feeling?
Have you had any visiting pets or people?
Has your pet been anywhere other than home?
Where does your pet eliminate and how do you manage his (her) waste?
More important is what the VHT does with the answers given by clients. The workplace should have resources available to help team members make appropriate recommendations and provide education to clients. Table 2.19.1 contains some resources for educational material.
Table 2.19.1 One Health resources
| Resource | URL |
|---|---|
| Centers for Disease Control: One Health | www.cdc.gov/onehealth/ |
| Public Health England: Zoonotic diseases | www.gov.uk/government/publications/list‐of‐zoonotic‐diseases/list‐of‐zoonotic‐diseases |
| Centers for Disease Control: Zoonotic Diseases | www.cdc.gov/ncezid |
| Herp Care Collection: Zoonotic Diseases | www.anapsid.org/worell.html |
| Centers for Disease Control: Antibiotic Use | www.cdc.gov/antibiotic‐use |
| AVMA Wildlife Decision Tree | www.avma.org/resources‐tools/one‐health/wildlife‐decision‐tree |
| FDA Safe Food Handling | www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm255180.htm |
| Centers for Disease Control: Healthy Pets, Healthy People | www.cdc.gov/healthypets/index.html |
2.19.3 Antibiotic Usage
Another connection between human and animal health is the use and misuse of antibiotics (see 9.12 Judicious Use of Antimicrobials). A world without effective antibiotics is scary to imagine, but the number of bacteria resistant to antibiotics is growing and an educated VHT can be effective in educating clients about some of the causes. Antibiotics are only effective against bacteria, but some clients believe they are the cure‐all for all illnesses. Antibiotic use should be restricted for appropriate bacterial diseases and education by the VHT will help clients understand this use. In addition, it is important for clients to finish using antibiotics as prescribed and not “save some for later.” Clients will sometimes “try” medications that they've saved from previous use. Indiscriminate use of antibiotics contributes to the resistance problem as well. Preventing this type of antibiotic abuse takes effective communication skills by the VHT, including follow‐up questions such as “Were you able to give all the medication?” It's easy to become frustrated with clients' behavior but most owners simply do not know or understand the consequences of their actions. They need education from the VHT.
2.19.4 Home‐Made Diets
Clients love their pets and want the best for them, sometimes disregarding their own safety. A distrust of commercial pet foods has led some clients to make their own pet food or sometimes veterinarians recommend home‐made diets for pets with specific medical conditions. Regardless of why a client decides to make their pet's diet, handling the food properly, especially raw meat, is important for everyone in the home. Clients who embark on preparing pet foods need to be educated on proper food handling, cooking, and storage methods. They need to consider the source of their raw materials, where they are preparing the diets, and the best cleaning methods after cooking. VHTs should have good resources readily available for these clients and not hesitate to engage them in conversations. Poor food practices will endanger the pet, the owner, and especially children in the home.
2.19.5 Special Consideration for Exotic Pets and Wildlife
Clients with a love for exotic pets pose a unique challenge for VHTs. Some clients enjoy the uniqueness of owning unusual animals, including buying, selling, and breeding them. If the VHT is going to serve these clients, they need to educate themselves on the unique threats some of these species hold for people, including an increased risk of Salmonella, the threat of foreign animal diseases from newly imported animals, and handling the unique diets required by some. By understanding the unique issues these pets and clients have, team members can make handling, housing, and quarantine recommendations.
Wildlife poses a unique threat to pets and people. Some interactions cannot be anticipated but the most common threats come from clients with big hearts! As animal lovers, clients are often the first people to offer safe havens to stray pets and injured wildlife. If clients contact the veterinary office for advice, VHTs must be ready with references and safety advice. Wildlife often carry internal and external parasites that are potential threats to both humans and pets. Pets should be kept from “meeting” visiting wildlife or stray animals. In addition, team members should advise clients to safely transfer the wildlife to skilled, licensed rehabilitators. Sometimes, government laws dictate who can house and help wildlife.
2.19.6 Veterinary Healthcare Team Strategies
There is so much to consider when trying to educate clients about pet healthcare and safety, it's hard to be an expert in all areas. Rather than trying to “know” everything, team members should develop areas of expertise at least in the resources available. For example, one team member could have in‐depth knowledge of reptile zoonotic diseases and the resources to use when questions arise. Another team member would understand the potential hazards for home‐made diets and be able to consult with clients who wish (or need) to feed this way. A bit of knowledge with strong, credible resources can go a long way to keep clients and pets safe without contaminating the ecosystem.
