Pet treat makers create fund to compensate dog owners

Pet information

With over 10,000 pet deaths related to jerky treats and a further near 5,000 complaints about illness, two of the nation’s largest makers of the treats now agree to establish a $6.5 million fund to compensate dog owners who believe their animals were harmed.

The fund is a result of a class action lawsuit between pet owners in several states, Nestle Purina PetCare Co and Waggin’ Train LLC. If the settlement is approved, it will also require manufacturers to take on “enhanced quality measures” when it comes to treats made in China, and to modify the text on packages.

Neither of the manufacturers admit the treats might be tainted. According to NBC News, the settlement is just to “bring the litigation to a prompt and certain resolution.”

Pet supply firms such as PetSmart and PetCo have already announced that they will no longer sell pet treats made in China. The FDA has warned consumers about the treats since 2007. Despite extensive testing, no direct cause for the problems has been found.

You can see the settlement and press release here.

 

Prevent dog bites

Pet information

A large number of dog bites are caused by misunderstandings between humans and dogs. Here are some easy tips to help prevent dog bites.

1. Never leave a baby or small child alone with a dog, even if it is your own.

Dogs generally give many warning signals before they nip – but children and even many parents aren’t able to interpret the dog’s body language. Is the dog looking away? Turning away its head?

It seems self evident not to let a child stand on the dog, sit on the dog, pull the dog’s tail or lips, but parents still allow it, and a number of dogs are put down each year for biting children in situations that could easily have been prevented.

2. Don’t run past a dog.

Dogs love to chase and catch stuff. If you run, hunting dogs and herding dogs will want to give chase. This is another reason why children often get nipped; they behave as prey or as something that should be herded.

3. When you meet a dog, don’t bend over it or pet it on top of the head.

Crouch down next to the dog and turn away just a little. If the dog wants to approach you, he or she will come. Bending over them and petting them from above can be interpreted as a threat.

4. Treat dogs with respect

This naturally goes for both your own dog and strange dogs. Pay attention to body language. If you meet a strange dog, ask the owner if it’s okay to pet or approach, and respect a no.

 

Reunited after two years

Pet information

Two years ago, a little Shih Tzu called Nani wandered out of her yard. Her owner searched everywhere, but Nani had vanished without a trace, even though she was microchipped. As days turned into weeks, months, and years, Paula Wilcher gave up on ever seeing Nani again.

A couple of weeks ago, Frenzy Animal Rescue who once microchipped Nani received a call; someone had spotted the dog wandering along the road and picked it up, and Nani eventually ended up with a veterinarian who read the chip.

No one what Nani knows what she has been up to for the past two years. She appeared with a matted coat and had lost weight, but was in good shape overall.

Without the microchip, Nani would never have found her way home. Having a chip implanted doesn’t hurt the pet any more than giving a regular vaccination. The chips are injected under the loose skin between the shoulder blades and the process only takes a few seconds.

Pet microchips aren’t tracking devices; they’re read with a scanner and carry a unique identification number. Both cats and dogs can and should be microchipped. Cats often do not wear a collar, and less than 2 percent of lost cats without microchips are returned home. If they have a chip, that rate is 20 times higher.

Petco withdraws pet treats made in China

Pet information

Petco withdraws pet treats from China. Cases like this have made the news for several years. The first cases were reported in 2007, and ever since they have been connected to pet deaths, but authorities have been unable to pinpoint exactly what is wrong. By now, over 1,000 dogs are reported dead in connection with Chinese jerky treats, and Petco has decided to withdraw all pet treats made in China.

Petco has over 1,300 stores nationwide, and the Chinese treats will be removed from each one, including Unleashed by Petco and online at Petco.com. The process will be completed before the end of the year.

According to a recent FDA report, over 4,800 complaints have come in regarding chicken, duck, and sweet potato jerky treats from China. These reports mostly involve dogs falling sick, but also 24 cats and three people.

The FDA cautions pet owners that jerky pet treats are not required for a balanced diet, and to consult with a veterinarian before feeding this type of treats and if noticing any symptoms. Follow this link to learn how to report a complaint to the FDA.

Watch out for heatstroke in pets

Pet information

Watch out for heatstrokeDogs can’t sweat. They pant to cool themselves off, but it’s not the most efficient system. Another risk for dogs is that they’re generally eager to please their owners and will not stop playing or even indicate that something is wrong until it is too late and heatstroke is a fact.

When it comes to cats and dogs, the pets most susceptible to heatstroke include:

  • Pugs, Bulldogs, and other short snout dog breeds
  • Persians and other cats with flat faces
  • Sick and elderly pets
  • Cats and dogs with heart conditions
  • Dogs who exercise in hot weather
  • Dogs who have airway problems or snore
  • Overweight pets
  • Cats and dogs who recently relocated to a hotter climate
  • Any pet who has had a heatstroke before. They are at higher risk of getting it again.

Heatstroke is a real problem. It can lead to kidney failure, liver failure, brain damage, swelling of airways, lung damage, seizures, muscle damage, bleeding disorders, and even death.

Make sure your pets have access to a cool area. If you don’t have AC, use fans to increase the circulation in the house. Always make sure your pets have access to cool water.

Pet doors allow cats and dogs to come back inside when they want to. An energy efficient dog door or cat door such as the PlexiDor dog doors and cat doors will ensure that the heat stays outside.

Symptoms of heatstroke include:

  • A blank stare or anxious expression
  • Heavy panting and possible raspy breath
  • Bright red gums
  • Salivation
  • Throwing up
  • Stumbling, falling, or collapsing
  • Elevated temperature
  • Lying flat on cool surfaces
  • Pet’s skin feels warmer than normal
  • Seizures

If your pet shows any signs of heatstroke, hose them down so their panting slows. Small animals can be sprayed with a spray bottle of water set at a fine mist. The water helps prevent the body temperature from raising further.

Call the vet. Heatstroke is serious and this is not a time to apply a wait-and-see approach.

When you go to the vet, keep the AC on in the car to keep the pet as cool as possible. If you don’t have air-conditioning, make sure to keep the windows down. Just watch the pet so they don’t jump out of the car!

At the vet, treatment can include intravenous fluids, blood tests, and oxygen. Severe cases of heatstroke require hospitalization up to ten days.

 

Some dogs can’t swim

Pet information

Many believe that all dogs can swim, but it’s not entirely true. While dogs will do the paddle when they find themselves in water, some breeds are physically unable to keep themselves afloat.

Landseer
The Landseer is a great swimmer

Breeds with heavy, large chests and short muzzles are often very bad swimmers. Best case scenario they can wear a life-vest and splash around in shallow water under careful supervision. Worst case scenario, some breeds can’t even do that. Bulldogs cannot swim, no matter how much they try to paddle. Trying to make them swim is cruel; they will drown.

Some breeds are created for swimming. The Labrador Retriever even has webbed feet. That doesn’t mean that every Labrador loves water.

Going back to the Bulldog, many rescues and breeders require home checks to ensure ponds and pools are fenced off. If you have a Bulldog and open water, it is a good idea to install an emergency monitor that will alert if something breaks the water surface.

Warning for poisoned meatballs

Pet information

Dog walkers in San Francisco are frightened and shocked by someone putting out poisoned meatballs, apparently with intent to poison dogs. This morning’s finds come from San Francisco’s Sunset District. Police have collected the meatballs and report they have pills lodged inside.

In February, two dogs in the Twin Peaks neighborhood found and ate poisoned meatballs, and last summer hundreds of treats laced with strychnine were found between Diamond Heights and Twin Peaks. Those make many dogs severely ill and killed at least one.

The meatballs have been found hidden in places like the underbrush where dogs are likely to find them before the owners realize what is going on.

There are several rewards offered by various organizations to find the person responsible. Anyone with information should call the San Francisco police.

Keep an eye on the cocoa mulch

Pet information

Gardening time is here, and there are some things to watch out for when planning the summer’s work. It is widely known that some plants are poisonous, but more innocent looking gardening items can also pose a danger to dogs.

Cocoa mulch is popular in the USA. It smells good, repels garden pests, retains moisture, and darkens over time instead of fading. Unfortunately, it can also be dangerous to pets.

Many types of mulch are made from wood, but cocoa mulch is made from cacao shells left over from the cocoa bean roasting process. It is environmentally friendly, and contains theobromine – the same substance that makes dogs sick from eating chocolate. Snopes.com reports that depending on the kind of mulch, it contains 300-1200 mg of theobromine per ounce.

Whether this is dangerous or not depends on the dog’s propensity to eat unusual things. While theobromine is toxic to cats, they are very unlikely to munch down on mulch. Dogs might.

Some manufacturers of cocoa mulch claim their mulch goes through extensive cleaning processes to strip the cocoa fat from the shells, thus making them harmless. If you have a dog that likes to eat strange things from the ground and you want to use cocoa mulch, do some research and make sure you get a kind that’s free from theobromine.

Can cats eat dog food?

Pet information

eating catCats should not eat dog food. Dogs can eat cat food just fine, but cats should not eat dog food. Cats and dogs are more different than meets the eye, and they have vastly different nutritional needs.

Dogs have developed side by side with humans to a point where they can eat most of the things we eat and digest. They are considered omnivores, which means that they are able to digest carbohydrates, and they can survive on plant based foods. That doesn’t mean that dogs prefer meat to vegetables and other plants, or that a diet based completely on plants would be nutritionally adequate, but they can survive on it. A cat cannot.

Cats are carnivores. That means that they cannot live unless they eat meat in some form. One major difference between dog food and cat food is the percentage of meat.

Other differences between cats and dogs include the ability to handle vitamins and amino acids. Dogs, for instance, have the ability to break down organic pigments from plants called carotenoids and convert them into active Vitamin A. Cats can’t do that.

Cats have to get Vitamin A already converted by some other animal. That is, they have to eat the meat from some animal who already converted the carotenoids to active Vitamin A. This is one of the reasons most carnivores don’t eat other carnivores; they need to eat animals who live off plants in order to survive.

Arginine is another big difference between cats and dogs; it is a building block for proteins and cats have to get it with every meal. Dogs produce an enzyme that helps them produce Arginine, and they only need to get a little with their food.

Taurine is an amino acid distributed through the heart, retina, and other organs. Dogs produce their own, but cats must eat it, and it is not present in any plants.

There are more examples of substances cats must get through their food, such as niacin and arachidonic acid.

Lilies and cats

Pet information

Lilies are beautiful, and in springtime many yards hold an abundance of them. They’re also common in many Easter flower arrangements. While not particularly dangerous to humans or dogs, some types of lilies are poisonous to cats. This article will tell you what kinds are the most dangerous to cats, and what to watch out for.

Around Easter time, the Easter lily is a welcome guest in many homes. These flowers are very poisonous to cats, and it goes for every part of the plant. Leaves, petals, stems, and pollen are all poisonous. If you see your cat eating or licking an Easter lily, even if it’s just nibbling a leaf, call the vet. Cats can also accidentally ingest the pollen while grooming, and even such a small amount can lead to kidney failure.

Symptoms develop in six to twelve hours after exposure, and the signs of poisoning include:

  • Vomiting
  • Loss of appetite
  • Dehydration
  • Lethargy

Some cats also stagger, become disoriented, or suffer seizures.

Easter Lilies are dangerous to cats
Easter Lilies are dangerous to cats

If your cat ingested any part of an Easter lily, it needs treatment at once. There aren’t any antidotes to lily poison, and the vet will administer drugs to bind the poison and give intravenous fluids to flush out the kidneys. They will also monitor the kidneys through blood testing. If the cat gets treatment quickly, all this will be easier on both the pet and your wallet.

Other types of lilies known to be poisonous to cats include Tiger lilies – common in yards – Day lilies, and Asiatic lilies.

Amongst lilies that usually do not pose a problem to cats we find Peace lilies, Calla lilies, and Peruvian lilies.

It’s always a good idea to keep the numbers to your regular vet and pet emergency rooms saved in your phone and written down somewhere you can find it even in a time of stress.

Everyday items that should be kept out of reach

Pet information

Xylitol is poisonous to petsBy now most pet owners know dogs and cats shouldn’t have chocolate, raisins, onions, and macadamia nuts. Many other common every-day objects are also very dangerous to cats and dogs, and they’re so small and common it’s easy to forget they’re easily available in an open purse or on a table.

Human medications like Advil, Motrin, and Tylenol are present in almost every home, and very dangerous to pets. The acetaminophen in one Tylenol is enough to kill a cat or cause severe liver problems in a dog.

Asthma inhalers can also pose a problem if a pet chews on them. If a dog were to bite through the shell, the substance inside is enough to cause an acute, life-threatening poisoning.

Most chewing gums and mints contain xylitol. Xylitol is also common in chewable vitamins, sugar free candy, and nicotine gum. Xylitol is very toxic to dogs.

Also look out for all forms of nicotine. Cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, e-cigarette cartridges and fluid, nicotine gum, lozenges, anything with nicotine can potentially kill a pet.

Another common item that can be found in many cars, purses, and backpacks is hand sanitizer. These products contain lots of alcohol and can potentially cause coma and death in pets.

Prevention is naturally the best. Create good habits with putting potentially dangerous things away. If you still think your pet got into something poisonous, call your veterinarian at once. If the cat really ate something they shouldn’t have minutes can matter, and the sooner you get the correct diagnose the easier, safer, and less expensive it will be to treat your pet.

Pet Theft Awareness Day

Pet information

February 14th was the annual pet theft awareness day in the USA. Pets are stolen every day around the year, but there are some easy safety measures to take that will reduce the risk, and some tips that might help with retrieving a lost pet. 

  1. Make sure that your pet is microchipped and that your information is updated. This will aid in returning a lost or stolen pet to you.
  2. Never leave your pet unattended in a car or public area.
  3. Keep an accurate identification file for your pet. This should include a detailed description and several photos.
If your pet is lost or stolen
  1. Visit your local animal shelters at once, and keep checking back with them every day. It is also a good idea to visit veterinarians in the area, contact animal services, and the police.
  2. Search everywhere. Pets can hide in strange places.
  3. Use the power of social media. Post pictures on your Facebook page and ask people to share.
  4. Distribute flyers, talk to neighbors, and chat with delivery men, postal workers, and others that move around your area on a daily basis.