pet connection

Since the tornado roared through Joplin, Missouri, claiming at least 139 lives, the cleanup has been slow and the aftermath grim.

Nevertheless, miraculous stories are emerging from the rubble. One particular bit of news has brightened everyone’s spirits. A rescue dog named Javier alerted his handlers that he detected someone who might be alive. The team heard moaning, and started frantically digging through the debris, eager to pull out any survivors. As it turned out, Javier was right. He had found….a fellow dog! A very relieved yellow Lab was pulled from the wreckage, and gave everyone new hope that miracles are always possible, even in the worst catastrophes. KABC has the video story. Please remember to come back to Pet Connection a little later today for another story out of Joplin.

A new twist on “Where’s the beef?”: If you sell a product and promise it contains (let’s say) shrimp, by law it actually has to have shrimp in it. If it doesn’t, that’s not just deceptive advertising, it’s illegal. Hence, the warning letter sent by the FDA recently to Evanger’s Dog and Cat Food Company. The Lamb and Rice dog food contains no discernable traces of lamb, though there is “bovine material” (I don’t want to know, truly). Additionally, the Grain Free Duck pet food has the same problem. From the FDA letter:

(T)he analytical sample results did not detect the presence of duck in the product.

That’s a problem, wouldn’t you say? There’s a bit more, as the FDA alleges Evangers failed to provide requested processing and production records for 2009. the letter is just a warning, putting the company on public notice. They’re not alleging that the food is unsafe, though there is a mention of the products being “adulterated” (which is a definite no-no), only that it isn’t what they claim it to be. By extension, you could correctly infer the FDA is calling into question how the food could be priced and sold while not containing the lamb and duck it purports to include. This isn’t Evangers’ first rodeo with the feds, and you can bet this story isn’t over. Stay tuned.

Did Hepatitis C come from dogs? Dr. Amit Kapoor, an investigator with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health‘s Center for Infection and Immunity, has made a claim that could change the way we look at hepatitis, a deadly liver ailment: Hepatitis C could have “jumped” from dogs to people more than five hundred years ago. The virus, also known as HCV, affects more than two hundred million people around the world and still has no known cure. Dr. Kapoor is quoted in HealthDay explaining how his team discovered the link.

“[W]hile we were analyzing samples from dogs involved in outbreaks of respiratory disease, we came upon a virus that was more similar to HCV than other viruses of the same family. So far, we have only detected [the virus] in sick animals, a few of which had died of unknown causes. Because of its close genetic similarity to HCV, we suggested the name of canine hepacivirus.”

The Columbia study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Bad Newz turns to good: A small animal rights group in Tipton, Penn., called Dogs Deserve Better just bought a five-bedroom mansion for $600,000. That’s an unusual purchase, no? Yes, it is, but there’s a reason you should care about it. The home was the former headquarters for Bad Newz Kennels. That’s right. SickVick’s former house of horrors will forever more be used as a rehabilitation center for dogs who have been chained and penned. The new owners plan to balance the karmic scales. From NBC Sports:

“I think by us overtaking this property we are winning for the dogs. We are, in essence, giving this property back to the dogs that were abused there by using it to help other dogs just like them,” said Tamira Thayne, the group’s founder.

The organization paid for the house with a 30 percent down payment secured through donations and a loan. An anonymous donor has agreed to make payments for the next ten years, but Thayne said fundraising will continue.

Ultimately, the group wants to raise $3 million to fully pay for the site, install fencing and build a facility for the dogs. The house will serve as the group’s new headquarters and Thayne said she or another staff member will live there to monitor the dogs.

This is how it should be, don’t you agree?

Surreal story out of D.C.: Video surveillance in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C showed a woman allegedly attempting to poison stray cats earlier this month. She was arrested, charged with animal cruelty, and faces up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000 if guilty. I’d never bother to report such a run-of-the-mill story, except the woman is a researcher working for the Smithsonian Museum’s Migratory Bird Center at the National Zoo. What’s more, the Smithsonian has no intention of suspending her while the case is investigated. Your tax dollars at work. Alley Cat Allies is on the case.

What happens when you tease a dog: I love this YouTube video about a guy with too much time on his hands, and his dog, who deserves a big ol’ steak.

And to finish off this week’s column, I give you a total “awwww” moment: Sleepy kitten and her snuggly mom.

I always like to hear from readers, especially if you have tips, and links for interesting stories.  Give me a shout in the comments, or better yet, send me an e-mail.

Photo credit: Video screengrab from KABC.

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Of the five top-selling human drugs, do you know which ones are the most toxic if accidentally ingested by your pet?

According to the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, the top five drugs — which together accounted for $28.9 billion in sales last year — prescribed for people in 2010 were (in order):

1. Lipitor® (atorvastatin), the top-selling ‘statin,’ known for reducing cholesterol levels
2. Nexium® (esomeprazole), which curtails gastric acid production and lowers ulcer susceptibility
3. Plavix® (clopidogrel), a clot inhibitor, lessens the incidence of stroke
4. Advair Diskus® (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol), an inhaled anti-asthma medication
5. Abilify® (aripiprazole), used to treat depression and bipolar disorders.

Although it’s best to keep any human-drugs away from pets, according to the Pet Poison Helpline, of the top five, the bottom two are potentially the most lethal. When it comes to Advair®:

(D)ogs that chew into them are exposed to massive amounts of the drug all at once. This often results in heart arrhythmias, an elevated heart rate, agitation, vomiting and even acute collapse. Severe electrolyte abnormalities such as very low potassium levels are likely and can be life-threatening without immediate veterinary treatment.

As for Abilify®:

It is important to keep this drug out of the reach of pets, as ingestion can result in profound lethargy, vomiting, hyperthermia, significant changes in heart rate and blood pressure, and seizures. If a pet ingests this drug, immediate veterinary attention is needed.

However, as any veterinarian will tell you, the most lethal drugs for pets are likely in your medicine cabinet right now, and you didn’t need a prescription for either of them.

1. NSAIDs (e.g. Advil, Aleve and Motrin)
Topping our Top 10 list are common household medications called non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), which include common names such as ibuprofen (e.g., Advil and some types of Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve). While these medications are safe for people, even one or two pills can cause serious harm to a pet. Dogs, cats, birds and other small mammals (ferrets, gerbils and hamsters) may develop serious stomach and intestinal ulcers as well as kidney failure.

2. Acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol)
When it comes to pain medications, acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol) is certainly popular. Even though this drug is very safe, even for children, this is not true for pets—especially cats. One regular strength tablet of acetaminophen may cause damage to a cat’s red blood cells, limiting their ability to carry oxygen. In dogs, acetaminophen leads to liver failure and, in large doses, red blood cell damage.

It’s best practice to make sure all your medications are far out of reach of your pets, and you should never store drugs in plastic (even Ziploc-type) bags. They’re too easily chewed through, and since the bags are transparent, the pets can see the potential goodies inside.

Today is World Turtle Day! May 23, 2011 is World Turtle Day, according to American Tortoise Rescue (ATR). Susan Tellem, ATR’s co-founder, talks about why today matters.

World Turtle Day was started to increase respect and knowledge for the world’s oldest creatures. These gentle animals have been around for about 200 million years, yet they are rapidly disappearing as a result of the exotic food industry, habitat destruction and the cruel pet trade,” said Tellem. “We are seeing smaller turtles coming into the rescue meaning that older adults are disappearing from the wild, and the breeding stock is drastically reduced. It is a very sad time for turtles and tortoises of the world.” She added that many sea turtles lost their lives in 2010 thanks to BP’s uncontrolled oil spill off the coast of Louisiana. “It’s a tragic example of putting profits before preserving our environment,” Tellem said.

Lies, damn lies, and…. Brent Toellner of KC Dog Blog does a great job here exploding one of the oddly persistent myths about pibbles.

The prodigal cat — and dog — return: The aftermath of tornado damage in Alabama was unremittingly awful. I had trouble watching some of the coverage, but my wife said I just had to see this video from CNN.  I had to watch it a couple times to believe what I was seeing. The same day, Susan Fox sent me this link from SFGate, so you could read an even more improbable saga. The moral of the second story: microchips are a good thing.

Stories from the road: Dr. Becker is nearing the stretch run of his Big Bus Tour, but somewhere in the great plains he still had time to forward a story about a man and his dog. The man is named Marty Kihn (no relation, I’m pretty sure). The dog is a big, not very well behaved Berner named Hola (shown at right). Marty lived in New York City, was drinking heavily, and had lost nearly everything, including his wife. All he had left was Hola, and ultimately it might have been Hola who saved Marty. All in all, a terrific feel-good story from foxnews.com.

Wanna go for a ride? The cat-came-back video from Alabama wasn’t the best video of the week. This one from AutoNews about a road test in England is. I feel really badly for the poor St. Bernard. If I were him, I’d have taken one look and said “Sorry, ol’ chap, have a good time. I’d rather walk.”

Travel tips: This is a good time to start discussing travel tips for your pets this summer, but the real reason I’m mentioning this story from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune is to draw your attention to Best Western’s choice of new pet travel expert. Talk amongst yourselves.

Finally….the picture of the week. Thanks to my pal Maria Goodavage at Dogster for this wonderful picture. Hey, how about a caption contest? C’mon, gang, let’s hear the nominees for what you think the dog on the right is thinking. Comment away, and I’ll see you next week.

I always like to hear from readers, especially if you have tips, and links for interesting stories.  Give me a shout in the comments, or better yet, send me an e-mail.

Photo credits: Pills, flickr creative commons (RambergMediaImages). Evil Knievel, tortoise.com. Hola, foxnews. Puzzlement, dogster.

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Shelter reform is becoming the new black. On the heels of Texas HR 3450, commonly known as the Companion Animal Protection Act (CAPA), Nathan Winograd reports the state of Rhode Island is considering shelter legislation of its own. The gist of S-0091:
Shelters would be barred from killing animals if a shelter is willing to take them, unless:

• The holding period for the animal has expired; and
• There are no empty cages, kennels or other living environments in the shelter suitable for the animal; and
• A foster home is not available through another municipal or private animal shelter or Rhode Island incorporated animal organization; and
• Another municipal or private animal shelter or Rhode Island incorporated animal organization is unwilling to accept the animal; and
• The animal care or control manager of the animal shelter has certified that the above conditions have been met and that he/she has no other reasonable alternative

Basically, Rhode Island shelters would be required to work to save animals. If the planets align just right, 2011 could be known as the Year of the Pet.

‘Cuz I’m the taxman, yeah, I’m the taxman: I understand that state and federal budgets are stretched to the breaking point. Still, veterinary health care services have never been taxed. It would make no sense to do so, and would cause millions of people not to seek care for their animals. Nevertheless, as Pet Connection’s BFF Dr. Patty Khuly notes in her Fully Vetted blog, it’s a worrying trend. The states of New Mexico, Hawaii and South Dakota have already started, and California considered it.

[T]hreats to human health often start in animal populations — everything from viruses to tainted foods often find their ground zero in veterinary settings. Hence, why we need to keep our veterinarians as part of the public health team, which is largely why we don’t need any more barriers to keeping people from availing themselves of veterinary services.

And there’s more that meets the eye on these veterinary tax proposals. Consider that animal agriculture uses veterinary services, too. How will that be received by the animal agriculture industry? I’ll bet their lobbyists are already looking in the mirror, Taxi Driver-style, repeating to themselves, “You talkin’ to ME?”

Lennon and McCartney got it right. “Should five per cent appear too small, be thankful I don’t take it all.”

Good news from the Upper Peninsula: Chippewa County, Mich. has joined the honor roll of no kill successes. KC Dog Blog shows how they’re doing it right up there.

Patrick’s fan club grows: Patrick, the poor little pit bull who was dumped down a trash chute – and lived, is getting stronger. In the meantime he has developed a global following, though it comes with a cautionary note.

The Essex County courthouse has received more than 600 letters and faxes from around the world expressing concern for the dog and urging swift and harsh punishment for [Kisha] Curtis. The hospital ordered 500 thank-you cards with Patrick’s picture to mail to those who sent collars, dog shirts, toys, scrapbook pages or dog blankets embroidered with Patrick’s name, and it is fast running out.

Animal welfare officials in New Jersey are warning people touched by Patrick’s story to beware of donation scams that are using his image and story to raise funds. The Associated Humane Societies of New Jersey is urging anyone wishing to donate to make sure they give to legitimate charities that help animals.

Meanwhile, Cory Booker, the mayor of Newark, where Patrick was found, has started a fundraising drive to build a new state-of-the-art city animal shelter in Patrick’s name, to ease overcrowding and call attention to the plight of abused or homeless animals.

Thanks to Susan Fox for the SFGate link.

A furry Sunday morning: For more than thirty years, CBS Sunday Morning has been one of my favorite television shows. First with the great Charles Kuralt, and now with Charles Osgood, it’s always been the perfect companion to Sunday coffee. If you missed yesterday’s show, my condolences. The entire ninety minutes was devoted to animals. However, I’ve got your back. You’ll have to make your own coffee while you watch these clips, though. I’m nice, but I have my limits. The intro piece was about how pets have truly become members of the family. Next, the story of Chaser, arguably the world’s smartest dog. Master storyteller Dean Koontz‘s relationship with his best friends have changed his life. Cats on parade, with the inimitable Mo Rocca. Finally, Italian actress Isabella Rossellini‘s own brand of animal magnetism (sorry, no video is available).

Kudos to Ashland: It seems there are a lot of pets in Ashland, Oregon. More importantly, as the Los Angeles Times tells us, the Ashland Fire Department is ready, willing and able to take care of any resuscitative needs the town’s pets may have. The picture accompanying the article indicates that even Garfield would receive good care…

Cop gets bitten. Terry Houston sent me this little radio clip from NPR’s Morning Edition. A woman was walking her pit bull in Memphis, Tenn…I’ll let Steve Inskeep tell you the rest.

The late, great Jimmy Stewart:  He left us in 1997, but the legendary Jimmy Stewart’s legacy will be eternal. I didn’t know until I read a piece from my pal Maria Goodavage at Dogster that he was a dog lover. One night in 1981 on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson, Jimmy brought the audience, and Johnny, to tears with a very special tribute to his beloved Beau.

I always like to hear from readers, especially if you have tips, and links for interesting stories.  Give me a shout in the comments, or better yet, send me an e-mail.

Photo credit: Kittens, flickr creative commons (abbyladybug). CBS Sunday Morning logo, CBS News.

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Things are definitely looking good for people who love pets — and the people who want to sell them stuff, too. From Gina Spadafori in this week’s Pet Connection newspaper feature:

Last month in Orlando at Global Pet Expo, Bob Vetere, president of the American Pet Products Association, revealed the trade group’s annual snapshot of the pet care industry, as well as the executive summary of the association’s special two-year in-depth overview of who has pets, what kind, what they spend on them and why.

How many of us are there? Pet ownership is at an all-time high of 72.9 million households — up 2.1 percent since the last survey two years ago — and in those households, the number and variety of pets has also increased. Not surprising, that means the amount of money spent on these companion animals has barely hiccupped during the Great Recession, and is predicted to top $50 billion this year. For perspective, the amount of money spent on pets tops that spent on jewelry, candy and hardware, combined, and overall is the eighth-largest retail sector.

“I’m constantly amazed at the resilience of this industry,” said Vetere in releasing the APPA figures. “Not only did we weather the recession very well, but we’re poised to take advantage of the recovery.” (Read more…)

And “The Buzz” from Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker is that people believe training, not breed, matters most when it comes to dangerous dogs:

A poll by The Associated Press and Petside.com supports the idea that dangerous dog legislation should target all problem dogs, not just breeds believed by some to be a problem. About three-quarters of respondents believed all dog breeds are safe if properly trained, and 60 percent said all breeds should be allowed in residential communities. Only 38 percent believed breed-specific bans were appropriate. As for pit bull terriers, the No. 1 dog target by breed-specific legislation, age plays a large part in how the dogs are viewed: 76 percent of those under 30 believe pit bulls are safe, while only 37 percent of seniors believed the same.

You can read all this and more in this week’s Pet Connection!

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Chesterfield County, S.C., is  situated near the North Carolina border. Like much of the state, it’s mostly rural. The sheriff’s office runs the shelter … sort of.

Truth be told, I’d question whether anyone runs the shelter in Chesterfield County. New allegations are surfacing that dog fighting operations are taking place at the shelter. You read that right.

However, this isn’t the first hint of serious issues. It gets so much worse. An investigation is already underway, looking into charges that shelter workers were using dogs for target practice at the local landfill. According to the Pet Rescue Examiner,  four employees have been placed on administrative leave, though no arrests have been made…yet. (Thanks to Fox Charlotte and WBTV for the links.)

Memphis blues: YesBiscuit has been keeping an eye on the happenings at the Memphis, Tenn., animal “shelter.” It’s not only not getting better, the video proof of the worsening situation is mounting faster than the body count. As Mikken astutely pointed out in the comments following the sickening pictures,

These people have CAMERAS on them and they KNOW IT and THIS is how they behave?

WTF?

Well put. Memphis remains thoroughly broken, with no fix in sight.

Short sighted Worcester: In my neck of the woods, Worcester, Mass., enacted short-sighted (not to mention lazy) breed-specific dog rules on Friday.  Above and beyond the existing city dog licensing fee of $17-20, if you own a pit bull, you have to fork over an extra fifty bucks. According to the Worcester Telegram, that’s not all.

The targeted dogs must be leashed and muzzled, or placed in a secure temporary enclosure, when taken off the owner’s premises.

It also will require consent of a landlord to keep a pit bull on the premises; placement of a warning sign informing the public that a pit bull is on the premises; and notification of animal control officers or the police by owners whenever their pit bull injures or threatens any person or animal.

Meanwhile, the powers that be in Worcester have exhibited no interest in researching whether the rules they’re enacting will have any benefit. They just know what they know. Heaven help them if/when a child is injured by a dog not covered by the new rules.

Sutter’s budget plan: A couple months ago I introduced you to Sutter Brown, California’s First Dog. I’m pleased to report that Sutter is not only working hard, but he has a plan in place to assist in reducing the state’s $26 billion budget deficit. Go to Sutter’s website, buy a piece of clothing, and $3 from each sale will move the state closer to solvency. Occasional Pet Connection commenter Jennifer Fearing of the HSUS is even quoted in the KABC-TV story.

“I confess. I’m kind of a super fan,” said Jennifer Fearing, who bought a hooded sweatshirt and coffee mug, which means the deficit just shrank by $6.

“I genuinely think it’s a fun way to chip in to the budget, even though, let’s be honest, it’s fumes compared to the huge hole that we have,” said Fearing.

True, Jennifer, but a picture of an adorable Corgi never goes out of style, so there’s that.

Top dog! Across the pond, cats have traditionally far outnumbered dogs as Great Britain’s top pet. As the London Daily Telegraph reports, not for long.

Bad teeth? You’re going to jail: A story from Dogster might provoke some discussion. A couple in Vancouver has been charged with animal cruelty after neglecting their terrier’s oral health so badly that local officials ordered them to get the dog treated. They refused. How bad was the situation? When the dental work was finally done, the dog needed 14 teeth pulled. I’m interested in your opinion on this. Do you think it’s reasonable to prohibit the owners from ever owning animals again? How about locking them up for six months?

Big save for a little kitty: A happy outcome for a lucky kitteh in Duluth, Minn. … from ninety feet in the air. Details courtesy of the Duluth News Tribune, and thanks to The Other Pat for the tip.

New kind of home: What happens to pets when an elderly owner passes away, or a younger person dies and no family or friends are available to care for the pet? According to MSN, the answer can be seen in a new brand of retirement home in College Station, Tex. It’s not free (or even cheap), but it shows there are always options available.

Greetings, Wizard: It’s been a while since I gave a shout out to my favorite photographer in the equine world. Sarah K. Andrew won’t be riding for a little while (hope you feel better soon, Sarah!), but her eye is as great as ever, and I love the gaze from her beloved Wizard.

Dog eat dog world: The NCAA men’s basketball national championship game tonight pits the University of Connecticut against Butler University at Reliant Stadium in Houston. Without yet knowing the winner, I can guarantee tonight is going to be historic. How? Because the UConn Huskies facing the Butler Bulldogs marks the first time in the history of the Final Four that the National Championship game pits two schools with canine mascots. Go Huskies!

I always like to hear from readers, especially if you have tips, and links for interesting stories.  Give me a shout in the comments, or better yet, send me an e-mail.

Image credit: Top screenshot, Fox Charlotte.

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