Pet Monologues

Though summer is upon us and there are many good summer tips to keep your pet out of harms way, here is year-round advice that can save a life.

An emergency situations calls for staying calm and making quick decisions. What should you do? Knowledge is power, so take the steps right now to learn how to handle an emergency. In addition to the first aid kit you have for home, camping, have a fully stocked pet first-aid kit (see below) know where the nearest 24-hour emergency pet clinic is. It could mean the difference between life and death. And act cautiously—animals in severe pain or fear may bite.

CAR ACCIDENTS
A pet that has been hit by a car needs to see a vet immediately. Internal bleeding is common, and outward signs of distress may not show for several hours. Also, puncture wounds that close rapidly can cause life-threatening infections later on. Enlist someone’s help in moving the animal by sliding a heavy towel beneath it. To avoid being bitten, tie a strip of cloth over your dog’s nose, or cover your cat’s face with a coat.

BLEEDING
Using direct pressure, apply a clean, dry cloth to the wound. If blood soaks through the first layer of fabric, add more so you don’t disrupt any clots that may be forming. Use a tourniquet only as a last resort, and make it just tight enough to significantly reduce the flow of blood. Loosen it every five minutes, and don’t keep it on for longer than 20 minutes. Transport your pet to the vet as soon as possible. Read the rest of this entry »

Is Rover coughing? It could be dog flu.

Experts urge pet owners to be on the alert now that the disease has been confirmed in Illinois. Read the rest of this entry »

Spay day USA. 2/26.

Per the Humane Society (HSUS) there are many activities happening Tuesday, Feb. 26—the 14th annual Spay Day USA! Read the rest of this entry »

An article in Salon “What I wouldn’t do for my cat” inspired the following letters (editor’s pick) regarding medical treatment for your sick pet.

My cat = my new carpeting

Last year, my husband got a nice bonus from work. The same week our cat, Leo, ate a penny (yes, ate a penny, in front of our two kids). Turns out that is a very awful thing for a cat to do. He ended up with pancreatitis, mouth infections, ulcers, was in an emergency vet hospital for a week on IV’s, all sorts of treatments. And, he pulled through. My kids love that cat–but the treatment? Took the bonus–ALL of it–over $5,000. I joked that the cat ate my new carpeting, which is what I had intended to spend the $5,000.

Yes, we love him and I am glad to have him, but I still think we were crazy to spend that much money on a cat. Read the rest of this entry »

Today 21.7 million pounds of hamburger were recalled by Topps Meat Co. Fortunately, it was people food.

A concern was the swiftness of the USDA to conclude that a recall was necessary. 18 days. Our USDA looks highly competent to monitor people food, pet food, and also let’s include painted toys. Expect class action suits for Walmart, Pathmark, ShopRite, and Rastelli Fine Foods.

It was determined that one of the first victims was a Florida teenager. According to the teenager’s mother, she consumed a patty that was “pink” on the inside: cooking meat until the juices run clear will kill harmful bacteria.

While the skillet is hot, not in all cases, now is a good time to bring up raw vs cooked food again. Below is a very detailed study of bacteria, raw diets, dogs and cats.

Here is a summary statement:

1) Feeding raw diets to cats and dogs is becoming increasingly popular. 2) There is an inherent risk of bacterial contamination of raw meat for human or animal consumption. 3) There are unsubstantiated benefits used to support the feeding of raw diets. 4) There are unsubstantiated claims that bacterial pathogens that may be found in raw foods are not able to cause disease in dogs. 5) There are potential risks of feeding raw diets for people handling the food, people handling feces from animals fed raw diets, people handling food bowls, and animals exposed to animals that are fed raw diets.

Get a beverage of choice, get comfortable, and read a scientific study and conclusion: Read the rest of this entry »

Ever wonder why some dogs need haircuts? Why some leave a trail of lost hair behind them? Why people are allergic to certain breeds of dogs and most cats? A common belief is that some animals have hair, non-shedding, while others have fur, the shedders and allergy bombs.

All mammals have some sort of hair covering some, much, or virtually all of their bodies. The hair on some animals is known as fur, but it’s all the same no matter the name. Hair is made of the protein keratin and dead epidermal, or skin, cells and it grows from follicles in the inner layer of the skin. Human follicles each give rise to a single hair, but animals that depend on fur coats for temperature regulation often has several or many hairs per follicle. The diameter of individual hairs decreases as the number of hairs per follicle increases. Each follicle has an oil gland to keep skin and hair smooth. Dog breeds developed to work in water generally have high oil content in their coats so that water runs off hair and does not penetrate to the skin. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s a relatively new pet-food product out: an organic yogurt treat for dogs. Let’s unofficially include cats too. After all, we did our research before posting this product. Is it good for people? Probably, in small doses. Talk about bait and switch!

It’s inspired by people food and organic ingredients. The packaging is hip. Somewhere on this blog someone said our pets eat better than we do. In some cases that is absolutely true!

More information on yogurt for your dog and cat:

Good Bacteria: Yogurt and Kefir

One common homeopathic dog nutritional supplement is yogurt. It contains “good” bacteria, which can aid in digestion and help keep your dog’s digestive system clean and functioning optimally. Read the rest of this entry »

Anywhere people live, you’ll find dogs. Our species has made its way into nearly every nook and cranny in the world, and we’ve bred dogs to go with us. One of the main reasons why dogs are so remarkably adaptable is their ability to survive on a variety of foods. While cats need nutrients only found in a meat-based diet, a dog’s digestive system can pull the nutrients out of just about anything that’s edible. That’s why dogs don’t need as much protein in their diets as cats. Still, dogs are naturally meat eaters, so meat protein is still an important part of a dog’s diet. An all-around balanced diet is a six-part story: protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water.

Water

Fresh, clean water is more important to your dog than any other nutrient. About 70 percent of a dog’s body is made up of water, which is vital for cell function and tissue lubrication. Dogs can live for many days without food, but a lack of water will kill them quickly. When it’s hot outside, or if your dog is sick, especially if he is vomiting or has diarrhea, water is even more important.

If you drink bottled or filtered water because of the quality of tap water in your area, you may want to safeguard your dog’s health by also giving him bottled water or investing in a good-quality water filter for your tap. Read the rest of this entry »

The American Animal Hospital Association, founded in 1933 and currently located in Denver, Colorado, is a trade association with over 36,000 small animal veterinarian members. The AAHA sets standards for vet practices and accredits over 3,000 veterinary hospitals and clinics. It also conducts on-going education for veterinarians and provides its members access to a comprehensive Pet Care Library.

Hospitals throughout the US and Canada submit voluntarily for AAHA accreditation. To win it, each hospital and clinic is evaluated on over 900 standards in areas such as quality of care, management, medical records and facility. Each accredited hospital must have diagnostic and pharmacy services in order to start treatment of sick animals immediately.

AAHA lists accredited hospitals and AAHA members on its website. You can also take a virtual tour of an AAHA accredited facility at aahanet.org

In many families, a thorough search for ticks is part of any hike, camping trip or other journey into the woods. For people who live in rural areas, particularly those who work outdoors, looking for ticks is often a part of daily life. It’s easy to think of these tiny arachnids as something to watch out for in relatively wild terrain, but ticks don’t confine themselves to the wilderness. They’re adaptive and resilient, and you can find them in distinctly urban areas, like the parks of New York City.

feamle tick
Photo courtesy CDC/Dr. Amanda Loftis, Dr. William Nicholson, Dr. Will Reeves, Dr. Chris Paddock
A female lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum.

The typical response to finding a tick is often disgust. It’s partly because ticks are parasites — they feed on their hosts’ blood. Although people see them most often on themselves and their pets, ticks also attack wild animals, farm animals, birds and reptiles. On top of that, some ticks, particularly females, swell dramatically when they ingest a lot of blood. An engorged tick, or one that’s full of blood, can have a bizarre, even grotesque appearance.

In addition to their feeding behavior and appearance, ticks are disease vectors. They can carry illnesses from one animal to another. In fact, ticks are the primary disease vector in domestic animals. In terms of human illness, only one parasite spreads more illness—the mosquito. Ticks can spread a wide variety of disease-causing organisms, including bacteria, viruses and protozoa. Read the rest of this entry »