Newsletter

Mars Petcare US, the maker of pet food brands Pedigree, Ol' Roy and others, has announced a voluntary recall of products manufactured at its Everson, Pennsylvania facility because of potential Salmonella contamination.

While there have been no reports of pets becoming ill from the food, Mars Petcare US has voluntarily recalled the food produced between Feb. 18 and July 29 of 2008 at its Everson facility.

Owners can check the UPC code on pet food packages to see if the food is affected by the recall. For all Mars Petcare US products except Pedigree foods, recalled products will have "17" as the first two digits on the second line on the UPC information. Example:

Best By Feb 18 09
17 1445 1

Pedigree products have a slightly different UPC code and date format than other products. Consumers who purchased Pedigree should look for "PAE" on the bottom line - the sixth, seventh and eighth digits. Example:

PEDIGREE (R) Small Crunchy Bites
Best Before 02/2009
808G1PAE01 12:00

A complete list of recalled products and corresponding UPC information can be found at the Food and Drug Administration's website and at the Mars Petcare US website.

Symptoms of Salmonella in pets may include lethargy, diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets may have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. In some cases, animals can carry the Salmonella infection with no visible symptoms and potentially infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product or has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian immediately.

To prevent the spread of Salmonella, the FDA recommends pet owners follow the safe pet food handling guidelines outlined here. If you have questions about the recall, call Mars Petcare US at 1-877-568-4463 or visit www.petcare.mars.com.

A $24 million settlement has been reached in the 2007 Menu Foods pet food recall incident. Pet owners whose pets died or were sickened by the contaminated pet food are entitled to file a claim for a portion of the settlement following a federal court ruling on Oct. 15.

The settlement brings a partial close to the largest pet food in history. In March 2007, Menu Foods, a Canada-based pet food manufacturer, recalled more than 60 million units of pet food after the food was found to be tainted with melamine, an industrial chemical commonly found in plastics. Pets that ate the tainted food suffered kidney failure and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration received more than 17,000 complaints regarding the food from pet owners. Though there are no official records regarding the number of pets killed by the tainted food, the Veterinary Information Network estimated the contamination caused between 2,000 and 7,000 deaths and cost pet owners between $2 million and $20 million in health care costs.

Pet owners have until Nov. 24 to file claims. Forms can be downloaded at www.petfoodsettlement.com. Following the recall, more than 100 class action lawsuits were filed in the U.S. and Canada against Menu Foods and approximately 30 other companies, including pet food distributors and retailers. Menu Foods claims it has spent more than $65 million so far as part of the recall. According to the Associated Press, more than 10,000 people have so far filed claims, with the average claim valued at $1,500. An independent arbiter will review all claims filed.

As part of the settlement, pet owners will be reimbursed for health care costs, including "veterinary screening or treatment bills, expenses related to our pet's illness and/or death, and other expenses such as lost wages and property damage," according to a statement on the settlement website. Documentation of these expenses is required. In addition, pet owners may also recover up to $900 for the "fair market value" of the deceased pet. According to a statement on the settlement website, any money left over in the settlement fund after all claims have been settled will be donated to pet-related charities. Not all pet owners involved in the suit were happy with the decision, though - according to the Associated Press, a few dozen owners formally objected to the settlement because it does not compensate pet owners for pain and suffering due to the loss of their pet.

Melamine-contaminated wheat gluten imported from China and used in the production of the pet food was found to be the source of the contamination. An investigation revealed that importers frequently add melamine to food products in order to increase the protein count of the food, which in turn would increase profits.

Though two of the Chinese companies responsible for the contamination were shut down and a U.S. grand jury issued 26 indictments related to the case, the pet food recall was just the first in a series of recalls involving products imported from China. Recalls of everything from childrens toys to toothpaste were announced in 2007, and in October 2008, the Chinese government ordered a massive recall of all liquid and powdered milk products made in September 2008 due to melamine contamination. While the FDA has instituted a pilot program to help alert pet owners should a future pet food recall occur, other reforms have been slow in coming.

Although there are other ways to get veterinary care for your pet, there are definite advantages to having a regular veterinarian and a regular veterinary hospital.

Your pet not only has a unique personality and place in your family. Like you, he or she has a unique medical history as well. Imagine if you had to give your complete medical history every time you went to the doctor! An up-to-date medical record helps keep your pet's vaccinations up to date, helps with diagnoses and can save valuable time in case of an emergency. Having a regular veterinarian is more cost efficient, as tests do not need to be re-run and all previous medical information is noted on his or her record.

By visiting the same veterinarian on a regular basis, he or she can get to know your pet as an individual and provide continuity of care. If your hospital has several veterinarians, make it a point to request the same veterinarian whenever you make an appointment. If you don't have a regular veterinarian, it's best to get one before an emergency arises.

There are many ideas proposed for how to choose the right dog. Some include that a large dog is not suitable for an apartment, elderly owners, or for mild-mannered women. However, some large, agile dogs adapt well to apartment or condo living as long as they get a daily walk, and some are gentle enough that anyone with a firm voice and manner can easily handle them. Many suggest that small dogs may be unsuitable for families with active children or elderly or infirm relatives who could trip over a small, bouncy critter but there are many examples that prove counter to this argument. There are better ways to try to choose your right dog. Consider the following and what best fits your personality and life style.

Temperament

There are particular breed temperaments; however, there definitely is latitude for individuality. Thus Akitas are declared to be tough animals, loyal, aloof, dominant, aggressive to other animals, and often challenging. However, many Akitas are sweet and cuddly, love small critters, will climb in laps if allowed, and are anything but aloof and dominant.

Terriers are scrappy, yippy, tough, and independent, but Airedale Terriers bond very closely to their humans and are somewhat protective. Hounds follow their eyes or noses and are often oblivious to human presence, but Dachshunds bond closely with their families and Greyhounds and Whippets are sweet, gentle pets.

Wire-haired Fox Terrier

Coat (Fur)

Long-coated and double-coated dogs shed, shed, and shed some more, leaving tufts of hair to float about the house and land everywhere. Meticulous housekeepers and folks with little or no time for grooming will be happier with dogs that don't accessorize the living room with dog hair dust bunnies a couple of times a year. Brushing is needed to remove the dead hair from wire-coated terriers and poodles, and professional grooming is necessary to maintain texture and color in wirehaired terriers. These breeds are generally better than heavily shedding breeds for owners with allergies. Dogs with oily outer coats can develop a doggy odor that can be unpleasant, and dogs with short coats may not do well in northern climates.

Need for exercise

Some dogs are calm and others are very energetic. Active families would be happier with a pet that can jog, hike, and play ball. More sedate folks would most likely prefer a quieter animal. Cute as they are, Basset Hounds, Dachshunds, and Corgis are not jogging companions. Airedales, German Shepherds, and Border Collies are not typical couch potatoes.

Collie

Potential health problems

Large and medium breeds are subject to several joint problems, including hip and elbow dysplasia. Many breeds have eye problems, skin diseases, and inherent health problems (such as breathing problems in pugs, bulldogs, and boxers). Dalmatians are susceptible to bladder stones, several breeds carry a bleeding disorder, and Newfoundlands are vulnerable to certain heart defects. Giant breeds tend to have a shorter life span than medium or small-size breeds.

Ease of training

Some breeds are fairly easy to train, and some are quite difficult. The breeds that were designed to work independently of man require more persistence and firmness in training, while those that work closely with their owners are easier to teach. If you lack time and patience to deal with a dog that is difficult to train, then an older dog from a rescue service may fit your bill as well as a pup of a breed that is traditionally easier to train. Intelligence is not necessarily an indicator of trainability; smart dogs often have their own agenda and require firmness on the part of their owners. As a rule, terriers, hounds, and northern dogs are tough to train because of their intelligence and independent natures. Sporting and herding dogs are easier to train. The sharpest-working obedience breeds are Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Border Collies, German Shepherds, and Shetland Sheepdogs. These dogs traditionally work well with humans.

Labrador Retriever

Deciding on a breed of dog is important. A dog is a family member for a dozen or more years; the commitment to feed, shelter, and nurture a member of the family for that amount of time should be based on rigorous analysis of an appropriate breed for the family circumstances.

The practice of veterinary medicine often requires the use of anesthesia. Anesthesia is sometimes used in order to perform even the most routine procedures. Pets don't understand that they need to be calm and still during dental procedures or while an x-ray is being taken. Some pets are so nervous that they won't even allow a veterinarian to perform a physical examination without some type of chemical restraint (tranquilizer or anesthetic).

Pet owners are often concerned about the risks associated with anesthesia, particularly with an older pet. Even though the anesthesia risks are relatively minor for routine procedures performed on young and healthy pets, there is always the potential for complications.

A complete physical exam, laboratory blood tests, as well as other diagnostic procedures enable the veterinarian to screen for potential problems and risks before anesthesia is administered. This procedure is relatively inexpensive and well worth the time and money.

Studies have shown that about 10 percent of animals involved in pre-anesthetic laboratory testing have had their normal anesthesia protocol altered. In a third of these cases, the procedure was postponed until the problem was corrected.

A young healthy pet's blood work may simply consist of a total protein and red blood cell count. Older pets are more likely to have an underlying disease, and more extensive blood analysis (serum chemistry) may be necessary. The results obtained from the serum chemistry provide the veterinarian and animal health care staff with information on the health and function of the kidneys, liver, and other organs.

Veterinary Technician and Blood Analyzer

Remember that preanesthesia testing is advantageous to your pet's health. Preventative medicine is the best type of medicine available today.

The term tortoiseshell cat refers to a coloration pattern caused by a specific genetic trait. It is not a specific breed of cat.

The coats of tortoiseshell cats are a mixture of colors. Tortoiseshell coats combine black, white, red or ginger, and occasionally silver or ginger tabby patterns. The size of the patches can vary from a fine speckled pattern to large areas of color. Cats with a basic white color and red and black patches are known as tortoiseshell-and-white or more commonly, calico cats.

The tortoiseshell coloration is a sex-linked trait. Sex-linked genes are those carried on the mammalian X chromosome, but not the Y chromosome. In cats, the gene controlling the red color is carried on an X chromosome. The gene controlling black and other 'non-red' colors is also carried on an X chromosome. So, a tortoiseshell is formed when you combine two X chromosomes, one containing the red colors and the other containing the non-red colors.

Because two X chromosomes are necessary for this particular pattern of coloration, over 99 percent of tortoiseshell cats are females. In order for a male to be a tortoiseshell, he would need to have two X chromosomes. This condition is called Klinefelter's syndrome, and these males are almost always sterile.

Across the country, more towns, cities and even states are targeting pit bulls, Rottweilers and other dog breeds under increasingly restrictive "dangerous dog" laws. In Minnesota, state lawmakers are hearing a number of proposals that would ban certain breeds in the state, including one bill that would make it illegal for residents to own a Rottweiler, Pit Bull, Chow Chow, Akita or wolf hybrid. Meanwhile, members of the Forsyth County Commission in North Carolina are studying possible regulations for "aggressive" breeds such as German shepherds, Rottweilers, Doberman Pinchers and pit bulls. Similar legislation has been proposed at the state level in Tennessee and Mississippi, and at the local and county level in Oregon, Alabama, Arkansas and other states, according to the American Dog Owners Association.

Breed-specific legislation (also known as BSL) proposals are becoming a common presence in statehouses and city halls across America. Such legislation usually follows on the heels of a much publicized dog attack, and lawmakers claim that targeting specific dog-breeds will help remove dangerous animals from the community. But the effectiveness of BSL in curbing attacks by dangerous dogs is unclear, and the policies that determine what happens to pet owners who share their homes with a "dangerous" breed" vary in each community.

According to an article by Linda S. Weiss with the Animal Legal and Historical Center, BSL "is not an effective approach for regulating dogs' behavior in communities." Weiss goes on to write that bans on specific breeds are little more than comfort legislation and "do not act to effectively regulate the behavior of any breed or of dogs and their owners collectively." Additionally, breed-specific bans routinely face constitutional challenges, with decisions varying from state to state. A 1989 decision by the Kansas Supreme Court upheld a ordinance regulating ownership of pit bulls within a municipality, while a Massachusetts court in 1989 found that a law targeting pit bull ownership was unconstitutionally vague, according to Weiss.

What happens to happens to pet owners who care for pit bulls and other targeted breeds once legislation is passed also varies. Most breed-specific ordinances and legislation have some sort of grandfather clause, allowing owners to keep their dogs, but preventing the purchase or breeding of other dogs in the targeted breed. However, enforcing these laws is difficult, costly and time consuming: according to Weiss, a breed-specific ordinance in Cincinnati, Ohio was overturned after the city began enforcing the ordinance, which lead to "gridlock in the animal control and court systems."

Meanwhile, organizations like the American Kennel Club and the American Dog Owners Association are vocally opposed to BSL. According to the AKC's position paper on BSL, "We support laws that establish a fair process by which specific dogs are identified as ‘dangerous' based on stated, measurable actions—The American Kennel Club strongly opposes any legislation that determines a dog to be 'dangerous' based on specific breeds or phenotypic classes of dogs." The AKC and the ADOA also maintain "legislation watch" web sites, where dog owners can track pet-related legislation. Click here to view the ACK legislative alert page. Click here to view the ADOA legislative update page.

Conversely, many states are proposing legislation that would prohibit insurance companies from denying home owners insurance coverage or unfairly increasing rates based on the breeds of dogs living at the home. In New Jersey, state Assemblyman Niel Cohen is sponsoring legislation that would prohibit insurers from basing policy coverage and costs on the basis of the breed of dog kept on the property.

"In most cases involving a 'dangerous breed,' the owner is the one responsible for teaching the dog its aggressive or dangerous behavior," Cohen said in a statement regarding the legislation.

There are many ways to communicate with your cat. Although we don't speak the same language there are ways to understand what your cat is trying to tell you through vocalization and body language.

MEOW!

If you listen closely to your cat's vocalizations throughout the day, you might notice that she or he expresses far more than a typical meow. Along with body language and the "signatures" produced by marking with scents glands, claws or urine, vocalization is an important and expressive communication tool for cats. Cats use sound to let other cats and humans know if they are happy, scared, or angry.

The range of cat vocalizations can be broken down into three broad categories: murmurs, vowel patterns and strained intensity patterns. To put it into human perspective, cats can go from whispering to screaming depending on the situation. Murmurs, produced while the mouth is closed, include purring, chirping, and mating vocalizations. Vowel patterns include the more recognizable "meow" and are produced when the cat opens its mouth and then closes it. Strained intensity vocalizations are, in contrast, generally a sign of distress and are produced when a cat holds its mouth open with a prolonged sound. Such emotional sounds also include growling, hissing and screaming. Though hearing these sounds can be distressing to a human, it is equally if not more upsetting to the cat.

Tricks of the Tail

A cat's tail acts as an extension of its feelings and as a warning of its intentions. A good rule of thumb is, the higher the tail, the better the mood. Broad swishing indicates agitation or annoyance, while twitches are a sign of excitement and curiosity. If you notice your cat giving you the signal of annoyance by swishing his tail from side to side, it might be wise to keep your distance. Often a batting paw will follow a swishing tail! A straight tail with a slight curl at the end (imagine a tail in the shape of a question mark) indicates general contentedness and is a sign of a happy cat. A puffed tail generally means that something has spooked the cat, hence the picture of a black cat with an arched back and puffed tail that is commonly associated with Halloween.

Watching Ears

In general, a cat will hold its ears erect and forward. This means that it is relaxed, following a daily schedule or offering a friendly greeting. When the ears go down, however, watch out! Ears laid flat and back against the head indicates aggression. This helps keep them out of the way of teeth and claws if a fight erupts. Ears back but down indicate fear, but aggression is always a possibility depending on the cat's personality. A frightened cat can often be an aggressive cat.

Cats are a communicative bunch. If you pay attention to your cat and know how to read the signs you are given, you can have an open and mutually beneficial relationship. If you can avoid handling him in a way that makes him unhappy, this avoids the risk of turning your happy, purring kitty into an angry, growling kitty, making life for both of you that much more enjoyable!