According to the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, bed bugs are small, flat, oval, wingless insects that feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals. They generally feed at night. Recently, veterinarians were involved in a severe bed bug infestation affecting two chicken breeder houses–the impact was a 10% decrease in egg production. Now poultry producers are being warned to be on the lookout for bedbugs. Should we wonder about products with feathers? Another interesting finding of recent interest is the suspicion that armadillos are a likely source of leprosy. Interesting happenings in the animal world.
IT WAS A TERRIER YEAR. The winner of the National Dog Show presented by Purina was a Wire Fox Terrier whose registered name is Ch. Steele Your Heart. We will see Eira at Westminster when she tries to become the third dog to win both this show and the New York fixture. The other two are the colored Bull Terrier, Rufus (now retired and doing therapy) and the Scottish Terrier, Sadie (she is in the whelping box). One of the fastest terriers, a Toy Fox Terrier that lives in Bloomsburg (Jnyx), has been invited to compete in the national agility trial in Florida over the holidays. Rumor has it he travels not only with other canine companions but a parrot named “Cuddles”.
BEWARE DOGS WITH A SOUTHERN ACCENT. According to a recent article groups are taking advantage of natural disasters in the South to promote themselves and move dogs all over the country. Not only do these dogs inflate national shelter totals, but they transport infection with them which affects local dogs and takes up space which should be reserved for local dogs in need. (Yes, we do have heartworm in this part of Pennsylvania.)
This is always a problem at the holidays when demand is greatest for puppies and small breeds. If we are urged to “Buy American” we should be advised to buy pets that were born and bred in Pennsylvania and have a local history. Start with the veterinary record and talk to the hospital. Educate yourself and urge others to also advise those seeking a canine companion to ask questions before bringing the newcomer to the family. You wouldn’t marry the first person you kissed under the mistletoe.
And speaking of kissing –the usual holiday recall of pigs ears is in effect due to salmonella. Yes, it is contagious.
HOLIDAY READING. The best books to give and to read are those written by veterinarian-author James Wight (James Herriot). If you have read them –re-read them. They are priceless and timeless. ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL is the first of the four volumes. When Dr. Fred Gunther (a former Danville Veterinarian) was president of the PA Veterinary Medical Association he invited Dr. Tristan Farnum, Herriot’s companion, to speak at the veterinary association meeting. The Gunthers later visited James Herriot in England.
At the meeting retired Danville veterinarian Dr. George Leighow interviewed Farnum. The interview is on tape and part of the Animal Crackers archives. (As a new veterinarian Gunther practiced at the Leighow Hospital and it is rumored was a wicked chess player!)
AGRITAINMENT. The newest source of farming revenue is the increase in entertainment and educational activities on the family farm. Activities include petting zoos, hay rides, fall festivals, dairy tours, etc. (Perhaps they will take the place of the county fairs?) Especially at this time of the year when we think of shepherds we look forward to herding activities becoming part of a farm. As breeds follow function in form breeders might use flocks for education in herding trials in a working dog environment. The farms might even offer a place for judges seminars and training. (Since chickens are easy to train and thus could be used to teach dog owners training skills, if we could find some hen houses without bed bugs we might turn them into training classes?)
Dec 20, 2011 | | Uncategorized
This is a tongue in cheek “Sherry’s Corner” –with important points.
In the BLOG we give veterinarians faces and bodies–and focus on the people who help our pets. Too often we are so much into the pet problem we do not see beyond the white coat. Under the white coat is a heart.
My puppy Ben taught me this lesson. He is clothes-conscious. He knows when I am dressed for bed and when I am dressed to go out. Red is his favorite color unless another color squeaks! And, Ben is most interested in clothing worn below the waist–pants, shoes, and socks. That is Ben’s main source of information. And so when he is at the vet’s office he sniffs the vet’s pants, shoes and socks. And, at one time when his surgeon Dr. McBrien even appeared shoe-less in the reception area (having a vet sit down in the reception part of the hospital seems less threatening), Ben was thrilled (he is extraordinarily fond of shoes). On this visit, the doctor had a spot of blood on his one shoe and so took it off–Ben found the socks much more informative! I have also had veterinarians sit on the floor beside my dog. Again, they were putting the information on the pet’s level. It is more than what the dog (and owner) sees– it is really all about perception–how one processes what is seen. This influences what one hears, too.
I once observed a female veterinarian wear very high heels–this must have also been an interesting source of information as she knelt next to her clients on the floor in the reception area. (She was more Julia Roberts than Oprah and I wouldn’t have been surprised if she had a mini skirt under her white coat.) Most women veterinarians wear flat practical shoes. I once had a Brad Pitt look-alike veterinarian whose practice was laboratory animals. He loved to argue with his clients–I am sure the rats and rabbits adored him. He was very protective of their welfare. All vets need to be compassionate patient advocates as well as human whisperers!
An important triangle defines the bond among veterinarian, owner and pet. Communication is a vital part of this perception–the triangle with the dog at the top-most point! Today, face-to-face is best, but many vets also use e-mail and phone calls. One of the more interesting things I have learned from the veterinarians I have met is that they usually eat soup. I think it is because they need to be ready for the next emergency! Facing a bloody cat on an empty stomach must be hard to do.
Anyway, Ben’s surgeon was almost as good-looking and charming as George Clooney and truly cared about what both Ben and I thought. After he finished taking apart Ben’s leg and nailing, screwing and bolting the bones back together, Ben has some reservations about whether he liked him. He likes his acupuncturist and talks to her openly when he is not trying to remove the pins. Yes, she too is more Julia than Oprah. As for his main veterinarian–she is a definite Diane Sawyer and he trusts her. We don’t have a Lady GaGa on the team yet but I think Ben would like one. The human Tony Bennett has said of Lady Ga Ga–”she is America’s Picasso of music.” Since Ben is now limping through rehabilitation he would like a Lady GaGa to give him his MSM and Baytril–not me.
Dec 04, 2011 | | Uncategorized
For those readers who would like to hear about something other than caring for Ben, post-surgery, I offer the following audio-conference highlights from a recent call on the upcoming National Dog Show. Thanks to the sparkling wit of both David Frei (he has a new book out–ANGEL ON A LEASH) and Mary Costello, who noted that you just can’t stop smiling when you go to a dog show–it was a great hour. I was thrilled to learn that a therapy dog was being honored at the National Dog Show Presented by Purina. Eli is a Belgian Sheepdog who dog-counseled victims and first responders at 9/11. He is from Allentown (owned by Sherry Hanley) and his smiling face is warm and friendly! Few of our best friends who shared this horrific day with the nation are still alive today–those who are, are seniors who have never retired. It is wonderful that they are still working their warm magic with us. Eli, for example, today snuggles with young cancer victims at the Ronald MacDonald House in New York. Frei told us that James, the therapy English Springer Spaniel and former Westminster champion, had passed this spring and is now probably helping on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. I wonder if my Cagney is part of this therapy team?
Here, please permit me to make two observations. First, I wonder why our listening and empathetic therapy dogs have not been used with child abuse victims like those now headlined in the Penn State tragedy? Dogs and children! Why not?
Second, there used to be a sharp line between the dog in the show ring and the dogs that did other things–the brainy dogs, the birdy dogs, the guard dogs. Today, that is not the case. When you watch the National Dog Show, which will be presented again by Purina, the majority of the winners will have a therapy dog degree and spend their off-camera time making lives happier and bringing smiles and comfort. These dogs deserve part of our Thanksgiving Day.
FLEA AND TICK TREATMENT NEWS. Frontline has developed a new flea- and tick-killing spot-on preventative called CERTIFECT. Discuss the product with your veterinarian before purchasing. Certifect is not a replacement for Frontline.
ALERT DOGS. Dogs can be trained to alert and warn–acting as smoke alarms. Fires are the most feared disasters!
How to train your canine to perform this activity for you? The training device is a flowerpot turned upside down on a plate. Begin by burning small twigs or leaves inside the pot and reward your dog when he barks at the smoke. Gradually increase the intensity of the smoke with pieces of fabric. The dog is rewarded for barking; next, finding the owner is added to the training. Since we usually reward a dog for not barking, this part of the training needs reinforcement–like a toy.
CANINE GOOD CITIZEN EVACUATION BOOK. With all the new titles being published by the AKC, I’m surprised that no dog trainer has yet tackled the ways in which the public can ease evacuations by having canine companions trained to be Canine Good Citizens. We could call it the CGC-E and issue a wallet card with picture to those dogs who have passed the training in such a program–having this card will help with registration at the shelter. With the future importance of pet sheltering in disasters it would seem only natural to emphasize CGC adaptability to distractions, ease in working with strangers and calmness with other dogs. And, then of course, add the ability to have the CGC work in the Red Cross shelters with victims and you have a new therapy dog!
Nov 13, 2011 | | Uncategorized
What was I doing this summer? Going to veterinary hospitals and clinics with my puppy, Ben–forming a spiritual bond with my young Springer, one that has been forged from surgery and casts and screws, but most of all a unique and wonderful bond of spirit which is still growing. Unfortunately, this bond has a hint of post-traumatic stress and even separation anxiety.
When surgery is necessary for your pet, a good surgeon is vital but from then on the rehabilitation process is uncharted ground. Ben’s surgeon, Dr. Charles McBrien of Northeast Veterinary Referral Hospital, was our surgeon and is our friend. He keeps in touch through the phone and e-mails and has a close-to-home team to help monitor progress. On our local team is Dr. Pat Kitchen, Leighow Veterinary Hospital, who not only changed bandages but has always been available, and Dr. Kristin Edwards. Edwards specializes in acupuncture and has been there to help me psychologically and behaviorally with Ben. She has acted as the glue who has kept us all on the same mission. And, Deb Traugh, who does massage, helped with individual suggestions and home visits.
“Night terrors” are a horrible result of medication and trauma. As more and more people get them, I think we will find research which shows that dogs experience similar events. After surgery Ben needed to have the lights on and me sleeping close by. He was young–4 months. He is now 14 months old and I have weaned him away from sleeping with a light on and out of his crate. I am able to sleep in my own bed. He checks on me before settling down for sleep and again in the morning. He is gentle but needs a reassuring touch–or at least one of us does!
Ben is one of a litter whelped by my youngest daughter–I had pick of the litter. Ben took one look at me and toddled off to a corner of the puppy pen and lay down. After 40 years of sharing my life with Springers I knew he was the puppy for me. Later on when Dr. McBrien met Ben he exclaimed, “ you can’t teach a puppy to be like Ben!” Ben seemed to have been born mature and wise and yet full of puppy wonder which continues growing as his leg heals. Like Michael Jackson or perhaps puppy mill puppies his childhood was abnormal.
In coming BLOGS I will tell you Ben’s story. He has worn many plastic cone hats which I call “halos”. He has endured lots of pins and screws and even a cast from age 4 months until now–he celebrated his first birthday last week. We hope someday to earn our TDI and pass on the empathy.
Today Ben can run with joy or just relax in front of the TV on the couch. He can be naughty like any puppy or silly–drinking cranberry juice and carrying Pepsi cans. His field of vision now includes birds and rain drops. And, although he still hops once in awhile, his leg seems to remember what it is supposed to do and he can use his healing leg just as if nothing had happened.
At first it was thought that Ben’s problem was due to an injury. Puppies are notorious for easy skeletal injury which becomes the basis for later-life arthritis. With the growing popularity of agility and emphasis on increasing speed and competition, injuries occur. The popular solution is a life-long monitoring of weight and Ben can’t pass a veterinary scale without trying it out. We changed his diet to a prescription diet–r/d. In Ben’s case, as he ages, if he needs a pain killer his diet can be changed to j/d which has been clinically proven to requires only 25% of the usual amount of most NSAIDS.
Deb Traugh, who in addition to providing massage is a registered nurse, therapist and communicator, is one of Ben’s friends. She devised the massages he enjoys. Deb stresses the healing effect of positive energy and this has been a vital part of the healing.
We need veterinarians trained in rehabilitation. We also need palliative care to manage both pain and fear. For example, it would be helpful to provide instruction in how to help pets wear their halos and how to endure prolonged crate rest. I hope to share what I learned with Ben so if you decide your pet will benefit from surgery you will be able to survive and perhaps enjoy the healing that seems to take so long.
Oct 30, 2011 | | Uncategorized
When one revisits the local history of floods and how they affect people and their pets, the story begins with “Agnes” and Helen Jones. Jones won national prominence with her work for the S.P.C.A of Luzerne County in 1972. Shelters across the state shipped food and funding to help the animal refugees of Wilkes-Barre stay fed and comfortable. Jones was the model “little lady in white tennis shoes”. The symbol of the disaster effort was the iconic picture of an elderly lady perched on a roof with her beloved cat, waiting for help. The motto of the shelter was a “door wide enough for all who need human understanding and care; yet narrow enough to shut out cruelty and neglect.” In the 1970s animal welfare had not yet blurred with the animal rights movement and funds were met through volunteers and among members of the shelter community–each meeting another’s needs. Thus Robert Hudson of the Women’s SPCA would pioneer in moving animals in need of homes from shelter to shelter wherever there was room. There were no lawsuits because of alleged misappropriation of funds as in the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) incident.
This tradition continued in 1986 when the Luzerne County SPCA hosted a humane federation conference with canvas bag gifts that pictured an ark filled with creatures great and small, domesticated and wild. (As always it is wise to investigate what donations do for local pet needs.)
Since then there have been other floods and each has had stories of rescue–during “Emily”, pigs were rowed to safety by volunteers–school teachers and dentists–on the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds. After TMI –a non-flood, but one remarkable for setting up an annex of shelters organized by veterinarian Tom Kowalchick of Berwick. It was the area’s first step in stressing that pets had become family members that should not be left to drown chained to their coops in the flood waters or left to wander. It was a list of temporary homes for these homeless refugees in local veterinary hospitals. Then, after Katrina disaster personnel recognized that 60% of evacuees who return to their home do so at risk of their own lives TO RECOVER A PET.
In Columbia County, led by retired veterinarian Dr. Larry Smith, the Columbia-Montour Animal Rescue Team (CART) formed. They trained. Del Monte donated green canvas evacuation bags that could be filled with toys, medicines, medical records, etc. CART members raised money for equipment. They held practice drills And, they set up “Annie”–a no-people, all-animal evacuation shelter for animals.
For the first time in 2011 the Susquehanna Valley marked the records of Hurrican Lee with a shelter set up for pets and animals.
Annie is located on the Bloomsburg University campus. It is named Annie in memory of a Shih-tzu who belonged to the immediate past president Jessica Kozloff (Annie’s ashes are scattered on campus).
However, in all disasters large and small it is always people first and not the four-footed family member. YOUR PET is YOUR responsibility, just as you are his. He is your first responder. When the power fails there is a warm body watching over you while you sleep, keeping you safe.
Sep 11, 2011 | | Uncategorized
According to one experienced veterinarian quoted in the Bayer Veterinary Care Study, “I’m seeing pets three days sicker.”
WHY?
Since we are guilty of waiting a day or more before making an appointment for ourselves, it is no surprise that we wait when our pet may be ill, especially in today’s economy. Our solution–too often–is to check the Internet or to use a non-prescription for days one and two in the hopes that taking this course of action will remedy the situation.
According to the American Animal Hospital Association, the major reasons for avoiding a clinic visit include not just the economy, but a false reliance on the Internet. However, a veterinarian must see a pet in order to treat him/her. This cannot be done over the computer or the phone–even a smart phone.
CONVINCE ME –“ARE MORE VISITS REALLY NECESSARY ”?
YES, if I am convinced it will help my pet live longer, prevent problems and more expensive treatments–resulting in each visit being less expensive.
AND MAKE IT EASY WITH –a monthly payment plan covering a year of routine care and some DISCOUNTS. GIVE ME–information on financing programs AND ADVERTISE competitive prices for products from flea and tick treatments, to specialty foods, etc. SET UP a website to make scheduling appointments easier and enable access to password-protected medical records and information. And, include the services the hospital offers–laser therapy, stem cell options, acupuncture, etc.
In addition to the recession as one reason for delays in care, the Bayer report cites the dwindling number of visits to the number of specialties today and the higher cost of fees. Specialty practices usually require a blank check and/or a credit card. But perhaps the most important reason more pets are not visiting their doctors is poor communication. According to Karen Felsted, CEO of the National Commission on Veterinary Economic issues, veterinarians can do a better job communicating the value of all visits–appointments–so that owners are comfortable with costs. For example, I pay $20 twice a week to have my dog’s bandages changed and the wound checked for infection. I think of this as insurance that healing is progressing satisfactorily. It is an investment I am willing to make. Veterinary appointments help protect the health of my dog–and mine, too.
Aug 22, 2011 | | Uncategorized
The decrease in the number of pet visits to veterinary hospitals since 2006–before the recession–has many wondering if pets today are receiving adequate medical care. Only 30% of veterinary canine patients are pronounced healthy, according to the Banfield report, as compared to 50% that are in need of dental care. Conclusion: only 33% of us give our dogs a good quality of life–health!
A yearly dental cleaning and some work at home and dogs won’t suffer from dental disease, according to Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, Banfield’s chief medical officer.
According to the Banfield Pet Hospital State of Pet Health Report based on over 2 million dogs, 50% of all dogs are in need of dental work; ear problems will be part of the health diagnoses of 18%; and over 10% will be overweight–with 50% under 2 years of age! Other common problems include dermatitis, fleas, lameness, skin tumors and conjunctivitis–most are common preventable conditions easily diagnosed in a yearly hospital visit and with home attention need not become major problems.
Klausner hypothesized that the surprising increase in the instances of fleas could be due in part to pet owners buying preventative medications from big box stores and over the Internet without benefit of veterinarian education. When it comes to internal parasites, the report showed that round worms and tapeworms were more common than heartworm.
Small dog breeds were most commonly seen at Banfield hospitals: the number of pit-bull-type dogs increased 47% in the past 10 years.
The Banfield report is available at www.banfield.com by searching for “state of pet health”.
Next up: Part III, Health care solutions and the effect of the Internet
FROM GREAT DANES TO GOLDFISH. If it flies, crawls, runs, swims or slithers, legislation in some community or county or state would prevent pets from being sold in pet stores. Shelters are being over-run with every imagined species and more hamsters are euthanized than any other animal! Some shelters are even agonizing over cloudy goldfish bowls. The question–treat the goldfish so they are adoptable and healthy or flush them down the toilet! Stay aware of all animal legislation.
READERS INVITED TO READ BETWEEN THE LINES. Matthew Allwein, a 2010 criminal justice graduate from Lock Haven University, is the newest member of the five-member Kennel Compliance Specialist Team. Listed on his inspection record are the well-known Main Line Rescue and Kimbertal Kennels (Doberman Pinschers). Both kennels have stirred national controversy.
Jul 10, 2011 | | Uncategorized
Dr. Kate E. Creevy of Georgia’s veterinary college recently studied death in dogs. Her findings are based on an examination of the records of more than 75,000 dogs from 82 breeds. Here’s what she found:
#AGE. Young dogs died most commonly of trauma, congenital disease, and infectious causes. Older dogs died overwhelmingly of cancer, peaking in a group that included 10-year-old dogs and then declining with the oldest age group.
#ORGAN SYSTEMS. The gastrointestinal, nervous, and musculoskeltal systems tended to be involved most often. Skin, eyes, liver and glandular systems were less commonly affected.
#SIZE. Large dogs died more commonly of musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal causes; small dogs died most commonly of endocrine causes. Cancer was a cause of death more commonly in large breeds.
#BREEDS. In breed analysis Golden Retrievers and Boxers had the highest percentage of death from cancer; Dachshunds from neurologic disease; Bulldogs of respiratory disease; Chihuahuas, Maltese and Fox Terriers of cardiovascular diseases; and Afghan Hounds and Vizlas of respiratory disease.
#CANCER. In the study population, a few breeds were less likely to die of cancer in the study population: Chihuahua, Pekingese, Pomeranian, Toy Poodle, the Australian Heeler, and the Treeing Walker Coonhound.
#IMPORTANCE OF STUDY. The study results can be used to create BREED-SPECIFIC HEALTH MAINTENANCE PLANS and point to the importance of the patient breed population treated in a veterinary clinic. “If we can anticipate better how things can go wrong for dogs, we can manage their wellness to keep them as healthy as possible,” Dr. Creevy said in a press release.
For further information: JAVMA Vol. 238, 6/15 2011.
Next up: Part 2, Report of Common Preventable Health Conditions
Jul 01, 2011 | | Uncategorized
When we lost the gentle “Basset-Hound-friendly” Peter Falk we lost one more special friend to animals. The late actor is said to have had ten dogs. I am sure they are now curled up on his rumpled trench coat dreaming of the day when they will be reunited. DOG, his famous Basset Hound, even appeared with him from time to time in Columbo episodes. And his wife Shera was filmed in a Barbara Walters interview on the VIEW feeding fish food to Lucchia, one of their dogs. Falk was once bitten by a dog when he was searching at a shelter for a another companion. The facial bite almost injured his left eye. Falk’s response was to try to adopt the dog. “He will be a perfect guard dog”, he is reported to have said.
SPEAKING OF DOG BITES—DON’T THROW OUT MY BROWN STRAW BROOM! I don’t know how many people, both family and friends, have taken my brown raggedy straw broom out to the curb. I, of course, drag it back into the house to rest where it awaits any crisis of aggression. After all, it has a firm pole and the stitching still holds. The bristles are dangerously sharp if uneven. Only behaviorist Gary Wilkes appreciates this treasure and its usefulness in a dog fight.
Wilkes writes (and I quote since I am not a behaviorist or even one of the many untitled presumed behaviorists–and there are many, too many!), “Make sure you do not use a broom that has sharp, plastic corners. When the fight erupts, stick the straw part of the broom between the combatants and try to firmly separate them. Do not whack or strike them with the broom so that the straw becomes the vertical barrier between them. Keep the barrier between the dogs so the most they can do is bite the straw. Pretend you are playing a form of pup-hockey and try to scoot them away from each other. They can’t remain aroused forever and within a few seconds should return to semi-normal.” So far in this house, bites –broom 3, me 0.
LYME DISEASE AND LYMPH NODES. The latest research on Lyme disease notes that swollen lymph nodes are the main symptom. It seems that B.burgdorferi hinders the immune system from protecting the body. The search for medications to prevent Lyme is ongoing. Consult your veterinarian.
The cost of caring for and keeping your dog safe is often hard to budget. Dr. Nancy Kay offers her clients multiple medical options. She says that “many choose the less expensive route of EMPIRICAL THERAPY (providing treatment without certainty of what the underlying medical issue is) rather than performing diagnostic testing.” dr.key@speakingforspot.com
800 PET ADOPTATHON IN JOPLIN. The Pennsylvania PSART teams have been invited to participate in the adoptathon in Joplin, Missouri. For those of you who want to help animals in disasters both home and across the country the path lies through membership in the local volunteer animal response teams open to the public. Locally you will have the opportunity to join with others in training and exercises. For the Joplin effort travel expenses, meals and lodging were arranged and paid for by the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). The Joplin effort combines the efforts of PetSmart Charities and Mars Petcare with the ASPCA–all three are members of the National Animal Rescue and Sheltering Coalition. The rescued animals have been decontaminated, vaccinated, dewormed and treated with flea medication.
Jun 27, 2011 | | Uncategorized
They need to have a mosquito repellant for cars and trucks! “There was a cloud of mosquitoes surrounding my truck,” my friendly vet told me. “They followed me into the yard attracted by the heat of the vehicle!” And so do treat your dog for heartworm (mosquito) protection. Although trucks and cars aren’t afflicted with heartworm, dogs are–especially in Pennsylvania, one of the leading states reporting heartworm. Another caution–try not to walk or exercise your dog early at dawn or dusk when mosquitoes are most frequent fliers. And have your dog tested for heartworm exposure at 6 to 7 months after a good hard frost or when your veterinarian feels its appropriate. Remember, however–”Lack of regular testing and testing at the wrong time of the year may lead owners and veterinarians to miss heartworm infection.” If it is any consolation, according to the just released Banfield report, dental problems and obesity along with ear problems were more frequently treated than heartworm infection. Also note that the “tornado dogs”, the southern strays being imported to local shelters, could be and probably are heartworm carriers. Today there is no long a free dog and samaritans must have very deep pockets!
SAD to have Jesse Smith no longer heading up the enforcement of puppy mill abuse. This lady, who could have been a Vogue cover, wore steel gloves and a royal-wedding-worthy-white hat when it came to helping our less fortunate Pennsylvania canines. We knew there was a movement in the Corbett administration to relax enforcement in the name of economics, but hoped it did not mean the sacrifice of the people in the white hats.
With the kitchen warning of salmonella dangers in feeding our pets in that area one has to wonder if Chef Michael will continue his commercials and what kind of image Milo’s Kitchen dog meatballs will enjoy? I am surprised no one has developed a “healthy pet feeding educational plan for children.” Measure the food and avoid treats to avoid obesity. Wash hands after touching the food and know what you are feeding, i.e., read the ingredients on the container. Also, from the garden–carrots and green beans! And, due to all the moisture this spring it pays to know where the wheat and other grains in our pet food originate. If we have a head scab danger in central Pennsylvania perhaps we need to know more about ingredients.
According to the most recent AKC Gazette Dottie Davis has achieved national fame as the CANDY LADY! Davis and her tupperware containers of candy at ringside has sweetened many a judge, not too mention spectators and exhibitors at our local shows.
The Animal Recovery Teams or CARTS now have a new temporary sheltering policy. In instances in which volunteers are called upon to assist in recovery and rescue of animals the group may provide temporary sheltering. This should be a help for the often overtaxed Red Cross and could include house and barn fires.
Breed profiling can be a two-way street! That problem behavior can be the result of the DNA. Thus farm dogs or herding breeds get a free pass in Pennsylvania if they bite or attack either man or beast, live on 20 acres, and have an owner with an annual farm income of $2,000! And, of course, war dogs are usually chosen from specific breeds. Now that Governor Corbett has chosen two Airdales (brother and sister) to be family members we have pause. The last Airdales to earn public office were owned by the infamous President Warren Harding.
Listened to a talk by a veterinarian on zoonoses–great idea, bad talk. She ignored canine flu, which does not discriminate when it comes to species and loves a crowded venue. She also advocated using the Internet for information. One has to wonder about a vet who would rather have you do an Internet search than talk to you about your pet’s problem! The most important information is mine–and the important vet question, ”why are you here?”
Jun 20, 2011 | | Uncategorized