Articles & Information
March - Pet Poison Prevention Month - Remember your pets !
The 50th anniversary of Poison Prevention Week is March 18-24, 2012, marking five decades of safer homes and saved lives. While much of the nationally-recognized effort has been directed at raising awareness with parents of small children. Don't forget your "four legged" kids.
Here is the link to Pet Poison Hotline, this site provides a FREE iphone app to reference a huge list of medications and household products that can be dangerous to your pet.
Developmental Orthopedic Diseases in Larger Breed Dogs
If you have a large breed puppy or thinking about getting one please read this article about best nutritional practices for these large breed puppies.
2008 EPA ruling may have unintended conseqeunces to make pets less safe !
Why are manufacturers switching to bromethalin? Because in 2008 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a decision prohibiting the use of second-generation or long-acting anticoagulants in residential settings. Manufacturers became compliant with these new regulations in 2011, with many using bromethalin instead of anticoagulants in their products.
Why the concern .... acts within 2 -12 hours and no known antidote unlike the Vit K anticoagulation based products. Read more here
Great reading if you are a dog lover !
Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz
A great book that tries to explain some of the ways dogs sense our world and explain some of their behavior. Interesting if you want to try to understand why dogs do what they do.
Underwater Dogs by Seth Casteel
A great coffee table book showing dogs underwater. Amazing pictures, some kind of surprising !
From the inside cover ..."beneath the water is a chaotic ballet of barred teeth and bubbles, paddling paws, fur and ears billowing in the currents"
Go to your local book seller or check them out on line.
Both very worth while if you love pets !
Dog Emits toxic Gas - Sends Veterinary Staff to Hospital
No, its not what you think ..... but it is a reall headline from a story and shows the potential danger for pesticides and your pet
Gadget Gifts for Pet Lovers
You think you have everything for your pet ... think again. Check out this list of high tech gadgets for your dog or cat
Top 10 Holiday Related Medical Conditions
Here is a list and brief description of the most common holiday related medical conditions. If you read through them you will see that there is a theme ..
Words of advise: Make sure you go easy on treats and keep the house picked up.
Golden Retriever Lifetime Study
Morris Animal Foundation's Golden Retriever Lifetime Study is a groundbreaking effort to learn how to prevent cancer and other diseases. It is the largest and longest observational study ever undertaken to improve the health of dogs. The study will enroll up to 3,000 Golden Retrievers and will last 10 to 14 years.
Weirdest Pet Insurance Claims
As pet parents, we don't need to tell you twice: Cats and dogs don't care what they're supposed to stay away from. All they know is that they need to have what they want, when they want it, before you can say "No!" For this reason, pet insurance companies were created to help your pet while saving you some of your cash. If you thought what Sparky did was bad, wait until you hear some of the insurance claims that companies like Pets Best Insurance and VPI Pet Insurance have received.
Stem Cell Therapy for Dogs with Arthritis
Here is a link to a Vet-Stem, a company that now provides technical support for stem cell therapy in dogs with arthritis. This is new technology but early reports show some improvement. More informatiion and time will be needed to find out the full benefits of this type of treatment.
Older Pets
Here is some great information from the AVMA regarding caring for older pets. Take a look at the "Age Calculator" to see how old your pet really is !
Pet Obesity Prevention
Did you know that a recent study suggests that 50% of our pets are overweight. Just like people keeping your pet at his or her ideal weight can improve quality of life and extend their life with you. Here is a link for the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. A ton of great information about the benefits of keeping your pet trim as well as helpful hints.
Want to see how your pet stacks up... a great sheet to help owners determine how thin or chubby your pet is !
Canine Body Condition Score Sheet
Feline Body Condition Score Sheet
Jones Natural Chews - Recall
Jones Natural Chews Co of Rockford, IL is recalling 2705 boxes of Pig Ears because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products. People handling dry pet food and/or treats can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the chews or any surfaces exposed to these products. Read more from the WVMA
Dogs Decoded by NOVA and PBS
If you are interested in why dogs do what they do, why dogs became man's best friend you need to watch this show.
You can find snipits of it on the internet or buy the DVD or look on your local cable's companies movies to rent.
Here are a few links to give you some background on the show.
Dogs Decoded Trailer from PBS
The Silver Fox Experiment - a portion of the show which shows effects of domestication
Link to PBS website promoting the show
Pet Insurance Buyer's Guide from AAHA
Here is a great link which gives general information about the top pet insurance companies, including costs, exclusions, basic plan terms and links to their own sites. Use this as a place to start but be sure to consult with your veterinarian prior to making any final decisions.
Focusing on Pet Insurance: The myths and Truths
Here is another article explaining how pet insurance works from the perspective of the client and veterinarian.
Do you use an online pet pharmacy ?
There are many appealing aspects of using an online pharmacy, conviencene, maybe saving some money. But like many things in life you may get what you pay for. Be informed about using on line pharmacies. Talk with your veterinarian and find out as much as you can about the online pharmacy you are thinking of working with.
Here is an interesting article and a link to the website from FDA regarding online pet pharmacies.
Human Foods to Avoid Giving your Dog
It is becoming more common knowledge about the detrimental effects of various types of household plants, cleaning products and medications. There are a handful of "human food" that should also be avoided.
The most common ones are:
- Chocolate and chocolate products (dark chocolate, coca mulch)
- Onions & Garlic
- Grapes
- Xylitol (an artificial sweetner found in candys and gum)
- Macadamia Nuts
Here is a link to the ASPCA poison control web site where there is a list of all kinds of common foods that may cause a problem or people has asked questions about. Most are not problematic in small amounts and if there are side effects it is mostly gastrointestinal upset.
When Cancer Comes with a Pedigree
A thought provoking article in the Wall Street Journal. The exact frequency of cancers as well as many other diseases is just starting to be better understood. A sad story for the author of this article, the evidence that cancers are more prevalent in pure bred dogs is not there. There is evidence that certain breed and breed types do develop certain types of cancers more commonly that others.
Americans going to the dogs ?
An interesting article about how dogs are becoming an even more important part of our family
MDR-1 Gene (Multi-Drug Resistance Gene)
Here is a link to the University of Washington's web site that talks about MDR-1 Gene. Some great information. If you are an owner of some of the more commonly affected breeds (herding breeds) I would consider testing. Talk to your veterinarian about their opinion as well as how to test.
