I don't envy the job of Animal Control officers. Yesterday's post brought up a good question by a sharp reader- the dog in question was microchipped, but did the rescue follow up on this? (Still waiting to hear from my friend.) People get their dog microchipped, and subsequently forget to follow through with the all so important address changes. And then you wind up with stories like this one, from my local paper today. Here's the gist: 1. Family finds dog running around, takes a shine ... Read more »
News
Oooooh, this makes me mad
So here's the story: 1. Person takes sick pet to vet. 2. Person cannot afford care/diagnostics, so vet makes best guess as to condition. 3. In lieu of euthanasia, vet offers to take pet and whatever happens, happens. 4. Pet gets better with care. Hooray! 5. Vet finds good home for pet. Updates Person 1 expecting her to be happy the pet is alive and well. (uh oh) 6. Person 1 wants dog back. Vet says, OK, pay the costs we incurred, and you can have her. 7. Person 1 refuses, ... Read more »
You go PETA!
Those nasty, nasty vets at the American Veterinary Medical Association are at it again. They decided to have their annual convention in Seattle, and one of their events allowed some people to participate in a fish toss at the Pike Place Fish Market. Quelle horreur! Because, you know, veterinarians are known for, um, hating animal life and wanting to abuse it and all. Thank you, PETA, for drawing attention to this terrible and important issue of veterinarians tossing fish at a market that ... Read more »
*cough cough*
Should you happen to really, really love your vet, the Morris Animal Foundation is sponsoring the "Thank your Vet for a Healthy Pet" contest. You can submit your love in a 300 word or less short essay. The winners get recognition, accolades, and bragging rights. ... Read more »
Happy 4th of July everyone!
Well, at least to the Americans. Everyone else enjoy your weekend. :) The Independence Day holiday is one of the busiest times for animal control officers and emergency clinics. More dogs get out of their yards on this day than on any other day of the year, for obvious reasons. Panicked dogs thinking they are under attack can do the most unbelievable things in their state of duress- destroy couches, jump 7 foot fences in a single bound, bust through sliding glass doors (for real!), then, all ... Read more »
Woo hoo, kinda
Southwest Airlines is allowing pets on board!* Finally! *-must fit under your seat -no more than 5 per flight -cannot go in cargo -counts as your carryon -$75 per pet -cats and small dogs only In other words, this is great news for....uh, Paris Hilton. And cat owners who want to take Fluffy to Vegas for the weekend. Oh well. It's a step in the right direction. ... Read more »
Cast your eye this way
Have you ever stayed up late at night wondering to yourself, "What is the most common cause of broken bones in dogs?" No? Well, I'm going to tell you anyway. Veterinary Pet Insurance, one of the largest providers of pet insurance in the country, reviewed 5000 claims from 2008 and summarized the most common causes as follows: 10. Car accidents. The truth is, most people don't securely restrain their animals while driving, and even accidents at low speeds can turn a pet into a projectile. 9. ... Read more »
Nutro cat food recall
This one is flying somewhat low on the radar, but Nutro has recalled several types of dry cat food. Here's a snippet of the press release linked above: " Franklin, Tennessee (May 21, 2009) -- Today, Nutro Products announced a voluntary recall of select varieties of NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Dry Cat Foods and NUTRO® MAX® Cat Dry Foods with “Best If Used By Dates” between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010. The cat food is being voluntarily recalled in the United States and ten ... Read more »
Or, maybe not
I received a fax from our emergency center yesterday morning (yes, we were open Memorial Day) about a dog who had died over the weekend. His littermate had died earlier in the day with bloody diarrhea, and he presented to the emergency clinic with the same. He didn't make it. A 2 year old dog, dead of parvo. Make that two 2 year old dogs, dead of parvo. Adult parvo deaths are uncommon, but not unheard of, especially in undervaccinated or immunocompromised dogs. The owners stated their dogs ... Read more »
In memoriam
On this Memorial Day, when we're honoring the men and women who have given so much in service of their families and neighbors, I'd like to also recognize the thousands of canines who have given the same. Although dogs have been used in military actions for as long as someone has been around to record it, it wasn't until World War II that the United States officially recognized the use of dogs in war through the creation of the "Dogs for Defense" program. Interestingly, the breeds initially ... Read more »
So, about this whole swine flu thing…
Am I the only person not freaking out about this? No? Must be a slow news week, because hoo boy, are the media outlets going crazy over this or what? It's the flu, it is unpleasant, but so far it doesn't seem to be any worse than any other kind of flu we have seen lately. A lot of the naysayers are ominously talking about the winter, and the Great Pandemic of 1918, but there's a lot of months between now and then for us to be run over by buses, electrocuted, hit by errant meteors, and all ... Read more »
Florida tragedy and the sticky compounding situation
Most of us animal lovers have been following the tragedy surrounding the death of 21 polo horses in Florida with great interest. The details just get worse the more we know, don't they? According to the latest report, the Venezuelan polo team was used to using Biodyl, a supplement that is available elsewhere, but not approved for use in the United States. So, they had a compounding pharmacy mix up a similar concoction- with this result. Veterinarians use compounding pharmacies a lot- I've ... Read more »
Not all flea products are created equal.
In news that is not exactly news because it's not saying anything we didn't already know, the EPA is investigating whether it needs to more closely scrutinize spot-on products for flea and tick control. Unlike most veterinary drugs, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration, spot on flea and tick preventives are overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency due to their classification as pesticides (the exception being those products that also function as a ... Read more »
You Don’t Know Bo
Here he is, ladies and gentlemen. The new First Dog- Bo. A Portugese water dog. Bred for herding fish, working long hours out in the field, about to come into a tightly regulated fishbowl and become the unwitting symbol of rescue dogs everywhere. Backyard Portugese water dog breeders everywhere are rubbing their hands with glee. Shelters and Portugese water spaniel employees are rubbing their temples resignedly in anticipation of the unusual breed now catapaulted into the spotlight, courtesy of ... Read more »
Bee-ware!
As everyone has probably guessed, I like animals. Animals are pretty cool. I enjoy them and I have a lot of respect for their place in our world. That being said, I also have a pretty healthy dose of wariness when it comes to certain animals who, on occasion, present less than benevolent faces to the world. Take bees, for instance. When I was in high school, I remember talking to my father on the phone one afternoon about a strange buzzing noise that I couldn't figure out the source of. "It's ... Read more »
More news of the obvious
The CDC just released a report estimating 86,000 falls a year are caused by dogs and cats. I wonder if they do a similar report on the number of falls caused by roller skates, weak ankles, wet floors, and banana peels. The report seems to infer that the majority of injuries are to the elderly, caused by tripping over little dogs out on walks. Interesting, but I can't quite figure out what they want to happen. The benefits of having a pet are well documented. Are we going to place warning ... Read more »
Dog Poops Money
That was the headline CNN gave this story. I admit I was a little disappointed to hear it was just a dog who just snacked on some Benjamins. Dogs eating stuff they shouldn't it as newsworthy as "cat barfs hairball in shoe, live at 10." I was hoping it was going to be a modern day Golden Goose, a dog who could miraculously generate currency in their colon. Need some gas money? Feed Fido some kibble and wait. Need a quick $100? Add in some fiber. If you're really desperate and loan sharks are ... Read more »
More reasons to be happy you went to business school instead
Vets are more likely to be boozers. Considering my vet school classmates, I shouldn't be surprised. We were all pretty happy go lucky back in those days, but I imagine close to a decade of stressors has taken its toll on more than a few of us. James Herriot sure made this profession look bright and shiny, bold and beautiful and whatever other heartwarming couplets float your boat. It is, sometimes. Other times it is all things smelly and stinky, green and abscessed, angry and litigious. Health ... Read more »
