Waters recede, but flood's impact remains
Damage estimates still are being tallied, but are expected to exceed the $21 billion pricetag of the 1993 floods, which at that time had been considered the nation's most significant and damaging natural disaster.
Parasites and disease
Damage and debris left behind pose some long-term issues for animal health professionals.
"It's the same exposures and challenges that people deal with as they try to return to their homes," Ash says. "We're disseminating information to animal owners about the need to protect themselves and their animals by taking care to decontaminate the area and making sure drinking water is clean and pure."
In addition to digestive ailments, there are a number of other diseases that have Ash concerned.
The floodwaters mean increased pools of standing water, which breed mosquitoes that can carry West Nile Virus or heartworm disease, among others. Biting flies, midges and fleas also will increase in numbers.
"There will be a lot of those vectors around, carrying a lot of disease and just generally annoying animals," Ash says. "We're being attentive to that, and doing everything we can to keep insects under control."
American Heartworm Society President Dr. Sheldon Rubin says 60 percent of dogs rescued after Hurricane Katrina had heartworm disease and many of those were transported to California, which partly explains why that state is seeing an increase in the disease.
"It doesn't die out," Rubin says. "It is just carried from one animal to another. It will probably take five years to see the results of the flooding (on heartworm disease), but it will be a huge problem in the Midwest with the mosquito population booming."
Waterborne disease in livestock also is a concern, says Heather Case, coordinator of emergency preparedness and response for the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).