Gov. Brown's plan on shelter law stirs backlash

Read more at: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/30/MNF81MUUVE.DTL

 

According to the Humane Society animal shelters take in and care for approximately 6-8 million dogs and cats every year in the United States, approximately 3-4 million are euthanized.

Please remember to have your pet spayed/neutered and if you're considering getting a pet please adopt either through a shelter or rescue.  The great thing about shelter and rescue animals is that they come in all shapes, sizes, breeds and ages.  If you choose to adopt not only have you saved a life but you'll have a friend for life!  

For more information on pet adoption and what it's like to own a rescue please visit Beagles & Buddies or Pet Finder

 

One last thing...Please join me in taking the pledge "If a pet store sells puppies, I won't buy anything there!" by visiting the ASPCA site www.nopetstorepuppies.com/

  

 

Cat Appreciation Month

Apparently, February is also Cat Appreciation Month.  So be sure to appreciate your cat this month by giving him or her some extra cuddle and playtime.  Oh, and get their teeth cleaned too!

Manny and Aurora

Reminder it's National Pet Dental Month

The best place to start is with a visit to your regular veterinarian for a good oral exam.  From there your veterinarian can recommend when it's time for a dental cleaning.  There are Board certified veterinary dentists available who in addition to earning a doctor of veterinary medicine degree, have completed a residency in veterinary dentistry and successfully completed a certification examination.  Your regular veterinarian can provide routine dental care and cleaning whereas Board certified dentists are available for bigger dental problems.


A proper dental cleaning should be performed under general anesthesia.  I know that people get nervous about anesthesia and while there are always risks with anesthesia a proper pre-anesthesia workup can help determine the risk and aid in the decision whether or not to perform a dental procedure.  These tests will determine the function the liver, kidneys, heart and lungs, which are necessary to help the body safely handle anesthesia.  I recommend at the very least blood work (complete blood count, chemistry profile and urinalysis) prior to any anesthetic event.  In older animals or animals with heart murmurs I recommend chest x-rays and echocardiograms.


I do not recommend non-professional dental scaling without anesthesia and neither does the American Veterinary Dental College.  Here is AVDC's view on the matter http://www.avdc.org/dentalscaling.html.   

Daily Digital

Victor

Toxicology: True or False

I thought we’d stick with toxicology today.  Kirk’s Current Veterinary Therapy XIV has a wonderful chapter entitled “Urban Legends of Toxicology: Facts and Fiction”.  While the Internet is a great source of information it also contains a lot of misinformation.  If you are concerned about a potential toxin exposure your best resource is either your veterinarian or the ASPCA poison control (888) 426-4435. 

• Ingestion of Swiffer WetJets causes liver failure in dogs. FALSE:  The only potential and likely problem following ingestion is foreign body obstruction.  

• Tea is a good poisoning antidote for cats and dogs.  FALSE:  Tea actually contains more caffeine than semisweet chocolate, therefore making it more toxic than semisweet chocolate.

• Ingestion of pennies are of little concern.  FALSE:  United States’ pennies made after 1982 contain zinc.  Zinc toxicity can occur from just one penny.  Clinical signs include anemia via destruction of red blood cells and severe gastrointestinal signs.  The anemia can be so severe that the patient requires blood transfusions.

• Febreze, the odor elimination production, is dangerous for pets.  FALSE:  The pre-1998 formulation did contain Zinc chloride, which has since been removed. 

• Vitamins A and D are toxic for most pets.  TRUE: Vitamin A toxicity can cause muscle weakness, bone abnormalities and blindness.  This is rare but can occur by consuming large amounts of liver or supplements containing cod liver oil.  Vitamin D toxicity can lead to high levels of calcium, which results in calcium deposition leading to heart and kidney damage.  Vitamin D toxicity is also rare but I've seen Vitamin D toxicity secondary to a dog consuming the owner’s entire bottle of Vitamin D supplements and as a result of ingestion of choleciferol-containing rodenticides.

• DEET Mosquito repellent products are safe for use on cats and dogs. FALSE:  All are toxic to pets.  Clinical signs included hypersalivation, vomiting, tremors, ataxia and seizures within 6 hours of exposure.  There is no antidote.  Decontamination and supportive therapy need to be initiated as soon as possible.

Please remember anything and everything can be potentially toxic for your pets.  Dose is everything.  If you suspect poisoning please either call your veterinarian or the ASPCA poison control, which has veterinary toxicologists on call 24/7.    

Lily Poisoning in Cats

Lilies seem to becoming more and more popular in floral arrangements and while they are beautiful, they are deadly to cats.  All parts of the plant are toxic and it only takes a tiny amount to cause acute kidney failure in cats.  Examples of these plants are the Easter Lily (Lilium longiflorum), Tiger Lily ( Lilium tigrinum), Day Lily (Lilium hemerocallus), Asian lily (Lily asiatic spp.) and Rubrum Lily ( Lilium rubrum).  However, any plant in the lily family can result in poisoning.

Clinical signs

• Vomiting, hypersalivation, depression, and anorexia usually occur within 1 to 2 hours after ingestion, followed by absence of urination and severe renal failure 2 to 4 days later. 

• If you know or think your cat might have eaten a lily, even just a tiny portion, take you cat to your veterinarian RIGHT AWAY.  The sooner treatment is begun, the better the prognosis.

Treatment

• The most important course of treatment is emptying the stomach of all plant components within 4 hours of ingestion.   
• Then administering medications to prevent absorption of the toxin.
• Also, diuresis of the kidneys via intravenous fluid therapy for 48 hours is very important to make sure that the kidneys continue to function appropriately.

Prognosis

• If emptying the stomach and administering medications to prevent absorption of the toxin are effective and fluid diuresis is performed, the prognosis for recovery is usually excellent.
• If enough toxin is absorbed to lead to acute kidney failure, the prognosis is guarded. This makes it very important to seek emergency care immediately after ingestion of the lily plant. 

For more information on lilies and other toxic plants please visit the ASPCA Poison Control website.

Please SHARE this infographic on The Pet Overpopulation Challenge to all dog and cat lovers!!!

This is brought to you by the Daily Puppy Blog.  To view a larger image please visit their site.

Puppy stabbed 11 times survives

Puppy stabbed 11 times survives

Today we are bringing you yet another case of horrendous animalcruelty, but luckily this story has a happy ending.

Hepatitis A - Infectious Hepatitis

Number 4 on the CDC's top 5 causes of drinking water outbreaks is Hepatitis A.

"Hepatitis" means inflammation of the liver.  Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease caused by an infection with the Hepatitis A virus.    Unlike hepatitis B and C, hepatitis A does not cause chronic liver disease and is rarely fatal.   

It is a virus that replicates in the intestinal tract and then spreads to the liver. The virus is then shed in the feces.  Virus shedding is greatest just before symptoms appear (i.e. when a person is not sick) and during the first week of illness.  It is typically associated with crowed conditions and poor hygiene.  

Approximately 3,600 cases of hepatitis A are reported each year in the US (keep in mind many more people are infected than are reported).

Transmission

• Person to person via fecal-oral
•  Ingestion of contaminated water or food  
• The most common food source is raw shellfish including oysters, clams, and mussels

Clinical Signs

• Fever, jaundice (yellow skin), nausea, vomiting, pale or clay colored stools and dark urine

Prevention

• Wash your hands  - hopefully you're noticing a theme by now!
• Hepatitis A vaccine
• Good sanitary practices, especially sewage treatment 
• Avoiding the consumption of uncooked shellfish 

 
If you have any further questions on Hepatitis A please contact your physician.

Daily Digital

Aurora