POLK VETERINARY CLINIC

07/18/2026

As of mid-July 2026, a total of 13 bats have tested positive for rabies across Oregon. Recent confirmations span multiple counties, including Lane (3 cases), Marion, Benton, Deschutes, and Douglas counties, prompting public health officials to strongly urge residents to ensure their pets are vaccinated.
Public health officials confirmed the first rabies case of 2026 in Benton County, Oregon, on June 17, after a resident found an infected bat on their property. No human cases have been reported, but officials urge residents to avoid direct contact with bats and to verify their pets' rabies vaccinations.
Because bats are the primary reservoir for rabies in the area, any contact (including bites, scratches, or saliva entering the eyes, nose, mouth, or open wounds) is a serious health concern. If you or your domestic animals encounter a bat, the county advises the following safety measures and resources:
• Avoid handling bats: Never touch a bat with bare hands. If a bat must be moved, use a shovel or wear sturdy gloves.
• Vaccinate your pets: Ensure all dogs and cats are up to date on their rabies vaccinations.

07/01/2026

A bat found in Benton County tested positive for rabies at the Oregon State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory on June 17. See link below ⬇️

📸 Photo by Emma Busk/BLM

07/01/2026

This is one scary tapeworm!

A parasite that’s commonly carried by foxes — and can be harmful to dogs and humans — has been found in the Pacific Northwest. https://www.koin.com/local/fox-tapeworm-parasite-pnw-warns/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_KOIN_6

06/02/2026

Vaccinating animals against rabies protects them and creates a “buffer zone” between humans and rabid animals.

Under Oregon law, all dogs are required to be vaccinated against rabies. Veterinarians strongly recommend vaccination for cats, ferrets and horses.

Multnomah County requires cats to be vaccinated against rabies. Nationally, twice as many cats as dogs are reported to have rabies each year, so it's important to vaccinate them. Cats come into contact with bats far more often than other pets and, if not vaccinated, may have to be quarantined for an extended time or euthanized after such contact.

Do not pick up or touch bats. If you encounter a bat during the day, it is likely unhealthy and should be avoided. Anyone bitten by a bat should be proactively vaccinated against rabies if the bat is not available for testing.

Keep Animals and Humans Safe
◗ Vaccinate dogs, cats, ferrets and horses.
◗ Watch wildlife from a distance. Don't feed, approach or handle wild animals.
◗ Feed pets indoors. Keep garbage in secure containers and away from wildlife.
◗ Seal openings in buildings and place screens in chimneys to block access to bats and other wildlife.

05/28/2026

Oregon Health Authority is reminding the public that we are entering the season for harmful algae blooms. Not all Oregon waterways are monitored for cyanobacteria, so it's important to know what to watch for. A harmful algal bloom can look foamy, scummy, thick like paint, and pea-green or blue-green in color. It can look like a thick green or brownish-red mat, or bright green clumps suspended in the water. If you find thick, brightly colored foam, scum or mats in a lake, pond, river or stream—especially in shallow, marshy areas where cyanobacteria blooms can form—don’t let your pet drink or swim in the water.

Symptoms in Dogs
Exposure to a harmful algae bloom can result in:
* Weakness or collapse
* Nausea, vomiting
* Excessive drooling
* Weakness, fatigue, stumbling
* Abdominal pain
* Diarrhea
* Difficulty breathing
* Shaking, trembling
* Seizure like activity—tremors, rigidity, paralysis
* Liver failure

If your dog goes into the water:
* Don’t let your pet lick its fur.
* Wash your pet with clean water as soon as possible.
* If your dog has symptoms such as drooling, weakness, vomiting, staggering and convulsions after being in water, seek immediate veterinary care. Acute, life-threatening symptoms from cyanobacteria toxins often develop rapidly. Death can occur within minutes to hours after exposure.

Current advisories:
* Lost Creek Lake in Jackson County (Precautionary)
* Agency Lake in Klamath County (Precautionary)
* Upper Klamath Lake in Klamath County (Precautionary)
* Haystack Reservoir in Jefferson County (Precautionary)
* Ochoco Reservoir in Crook County (Precautionary)
* Willow Creek Reservoir in Morrow County (Precautionary)
* McKay Reservoir in Umatilla County (Precautionary)
Precautionary Status: A bloom has been sighted and water sampling is unavailable within 1 business day due to limited resources. Oregon Health Authority will issue pre-emptive public warnings following reports of dog illnesses or deaths possibly resulting from cyanotoxin exposure.

* South Umpqua River: The advisory covers the South Umpqua River from Canyonville downstream to the confluence with the mainstem Umpqua River, and the mainstem Umpqua River downstream past Elkton to Sawyers Rapids. Pools in the bedrock along the rivers edge are known to develop cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) blooms that can be harmful to pets and people if accidental ingestion occurs. (PERMANENT ADVISORY)

We post algae advisories on our Web site at: https://www.oregonvma.org/toxic-algae-advisories

04/09/2026

Echinococcus is in our area and is a risk to us as humans. We recommend monthly deworming to keep human risk to a minimum. Please contact us to discuss your family's needs!

04/09/2026

These are dangerous tapeworms we never used to have to worry about. Recently found in Oregon as well.

Please deworm your dog regularly and do not allow them to prey on rodents or scavenge carcasses. - Echinococcus multilocularis has been found in 1/3 of coyote stool samples in the Pacific Northwest and can be fatal to humans

This study, led by University of Washington researchers, is the first to detect E. multilocularis in a wild host on the West Coast of the contiguous U.S. Researchers surveyed 100 coyotes in the Puget Sound region, and found E. multilocularis in 37 of them.
The fact that we found it here in one-third of our coyotes was surprising, because it wasn't found anywhere in the Pacific Northwest until earlier this year."

When E. multilocularis infects an animal or person, it causes cancer-like cysts to form in the liver and sometimes other organs. If untreated, infection can be fatal.
Alveolar echinococcosis is considered the third most important food-borne illness globally, and one of the top 20 neglected tropical diseases by the World Health Organization. Many countries have developed robust protocols for tracking it.

https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0013502

01/28/2026

Just a reminder - Do not feed dogs uncooked fish caught in Oregon from trout, steelhead, salmon, etc. These fish that can be "sea faring" can expose your dog to a fluke egg parasite that causes "Salmon Poisoning". It affects fish from Washington, Oregon, Northern California, and Idaho. Minimal exposure (licking area where fish cleaned, frozen, etc) can cause signs. Several days after exposure pets may show loss of appetite progressing to vomiting and diarrhea. Enlarged lymph nodes and high fever is common. Treatment is typically very successful put dogs can die if not treated. As our families start fishing again it is worth mentioning.