Page 15 - Sun Rays May 2013

MAY 2013 SUNRAYS | 15
ONLINE: SCTXCA.ORG
CA NEWS
Our dogs and cats are some of our best friends in our community.
FromMarch throughMay, their health, and yours, may be at risk
from rabies and distemper. Several of the critters that prosper
in our area are subject to these two potentially serious diseases.
Both rabies and distemper begin in March and peak in May.
Following is information to help you recognize the character of
the viruses, their symptoms and prevention or treatment.
RABIES:
Rabies is a severe, fatal disease affecting the nervous systemand
salivary glands of dogs, cats, and a wide range of wild mammal
species (foxes, raccoons, and skunks). The disease has no cure. It
is caused by a virus. Animals affected by the disease usually die,
after showing a range of severe neurological signs. Some animals
will froth at the mouth and drool and make a choking sound.
Some animals will become atypically docile; others will become
crazy and restless and race around in a mad, disoriented way,
biting objects and other animals and the air (the classical rabid
animal sign). Rabies is spread by the bite or scratch of infected
wild and domestic animals, and is a highly contagious disease.
Most non-vaccinated warm-blooded animals (dogs and cats) of any
age group have the potential to contract and die from rabies. In
a suburban area, such as Sun City, with rural interface, rabies
infection is more likely to come from wild animals that have
adapted to close-living with humans (raccoons, skunks, bats and
Be on the lookout for signs of rabies and distemper
Submitted by the Wildlife Committee
red and grey foxes). Ninety percent of rabies cases in the U.S.
are in wildlife, with raccoon cases predominating.
Prevention is far better than cure when it comes to rabies! Pre-
vention of rabies virus involves two key steps: immunization and
avoiding contact with potentially rabid animals.
DISTEMPER:
Signs of feline distemper can vary in severity from very mild
to severe. The first signs you might notice are: loss of appetite,
high fever, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, self-biting,
and dehydration. These signs are not always typical and many
owners may even believe that their cat has been poisoned or
swallowed a foreign object. Because of this fact, treatment may
be delayed or neglected.
Feline distemper is spread through contact with infected bedding,
food, kennels and animals. Older cats can develop immunity to
the disease, but are still susceptible. Kittens can contract the
virus from an infected mother while still in the womb. Typi-
cally, symptoms are sudden and begin within four to five days of
exposure to the virus. Even after recovery from the virus, cats
can still transmit the disease to other cats for several months.
Fortunately, vaccination against feline distemper is very effec-
tive. This vaccine is considered to be one of the core vaccines
recommended for all cats. Vaccination can be started in kittens
at a young age.
April was a big month for the Landscaped
Maintained Homes department. We aer-
ated all lawns, fertilizer was applied, and
the spring plant replacements are in full
swing. All new plants will need extra wa-
ter for growing, so the bed zones have been
adjusted to water 3 days a week for new
plantings. If you received a new plant,
it would be helpful if you would keep an
eye on it and, if you are able, please give
it some additional water by hand.
Normally we move turf irrigation up to
3 days a week in May. TCB irrigators
have been instructed to set the irrigation
run times so all turf receives between
3/4” and 1” of water in one week. This
will be enough to keep a green appear-
ance, not necessarily a lush, super green
look. Our goal this year is to fine-tune
each home’s irrigation system and be
even more Water Wise.After the plant
replacements are complete, we will be
mulching beds and tree rings.
Another goal we set for best practices
this year is rejuvenating pruning on
Texas Sages and other overgrown plants.
We are targeting the Texas Sages that
are around mailboxes and electric boxes.
These have grown quite tall and are in
need of a severe “haircut.” They are
blocking driveway views and this prob-
lem needs to be addressed. This type of
pruning is a common landscape practice,
but it can be a shock to you if you have
never seen it done.
It is possible to occasionally hard prune
and let the shrubs blossom unchecked
in between prunings. It should be noted
that following hard pruning, the bare
stems are a bit unattractive until new
growth appears.
Landscaped Maintained Homes news
Submitted by Catrin Dubois, Landscape Superintendent
Severe pruning of Texas Sage allows for more light and amore natural growth
habit. You will see new leaves on the old stems within 10 days of pruning.