Archive for July, 2007

Pardon Me, Is That a Pig?

Tuesday, July 31st, 2007

Health professionals have known for years the benefit of pet ownership on the patients they treat.  Everything from lowering blood pressure, to helping the hearing impaired has been accomplished by  pets.  They have become a valid tool in helping humans maintain a near normal lifestyle whether paralyzed by fear or an injured spinal cord.


And, it is more common to find that health professionals are prescribing all kinds of companion animals to provide emotional support in many types of situations.  Dogs, cats, monkeys, pigs and even mini horses are now being prescribed to adults and children alike to help them overcome the psychological pressures of life in our society.  It is another fact that these animals have the legal rights of guide dogs in that they are protected by federal fair-housing laws.  

The Fair Housing Act requires that landlords make reasonable accommodations for their tenants’ health needs which includes honoring requests for housing pets prescribed to them.  Even if the apartment or house has a strict no pet clause, the owner and/or manager can be sued and even face jail time if the request is not honored.  All that is necessary is a letter from the prescribing doctor stating the need for the pet.

  
By the way, this situation is causing a huge problem for the airlines when asked to accommodate a pig or mini horse in their cabins so their owners can fly alongside their companion animal.  Oh well, I think I would rather sit next to a well behaved mini horse than have a spoiled child kick the back of my seat all the way across the country.  At the least, I could pet it for a while and maybe my blood pressure would return to a pre: “your- flight- was -delayed,- and now- you- are- going -to- miss -your- connection” level.  Or not.  I will let you know when it happens to me……..

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Cat Predicts Death

Saturday, July 28th, 2007

Thursdays Monroe Evening News had a front page story of a cat living in a hospice in Rhode Island.  The cat is reported to be uncanny in its predictions of which of the residents will pass away next.  The cats name is Oscar and he was raised from a kitten in the hospice.

The cat just seems to know and about 4 hours before death, he will curl up on the bed next to the patient and stay there until the person has passed.  If prevented from being next to the patient, he paces and cries outside the room until the predicted death has occurred.


Stories like this seem more and more common.  Animals are so sensitive that they can smell smoke before the alarms go off, sniff out drugs in luggage, detect cancer on your skin, and even predict when an owner is going to have a seizure.  Some of these feats are easy to explain.  Smoke and drugs are something an animal can easily smell.  And fire is scary even to animals.  So having them wake you up when the house is on fire is pretty predictable.  But how does a dog know its owner is going to have a seizure?  How does the cat know that death is eminent?  Is there something to the phrase, “the smell of death”?  It would seem that science needs to continue research in this area.

 
It is obvious that animals see, hear, feel, and smell things that we do not.  From the elephants that knew the tsunami was coming, to cats that predict our passing, we have been given numerous examples of their ability to help us.  I guess that is why I love animals so much.  After all the abuse we as humans do to them, they return it with unconditional love, education, and acts that lovingly impact our lives right up until we die.

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More Pet Food Recalls

Tuesday, July 24th, 2007

Castleberry Foods, a pet food producer, has recalled several types of dog food that it makes for fear of botulism contamination.  The recalled food varieties are:


1.  Natural Balance Eatables for dogs–the Irish Stew with beef
2.  Natural Balance Eatables for dogs–Chinese take out
3.  Natural Balance Eatables for dogs–Hobo chili
4.  Natural Balance Eatables for dogs–Southern style dumplings

Double bag the recalled items in plastic garbage bags and place them in the non-recycled trash outside of the home.

 You can contact Castleberry Foods for a full refund.
If you have other questions contact their consumer hotline at: (1800) 203-4412 or go on-line to their website at:  www.castleberrys.com
Take a look at their listing of other recalled foods and make sure you destroy all the human food being recalled as well.  It takes such a small amount of time to do such a huge act of prevention!

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Vick to be Arraigned on Dog Fighting Charges

Friday, July 20th, 2007

Atlanta Falcons football player Michael Vick will be arraigned on July 26, 2007 for his participation in dog fighting.  

The feds are charging him in an 18 page indictment full of gruesome details.  The charges themselves make me sick.  It is so hard to imagine people so callused that watching dogs tear each other up is just not enough.  Vick also had to electrocute, drown, hang, and shoot them. 

Nike is a sponsor of Vick and I suggest we, as consumers, make our disgust known.  Letters should also be addressed to the Atlanta Falcons themselves who are still considering allowing him to play with the team until he is convicted.   Or maybe a boycott of the games will send a message to management that animal cruelty will not be tolerated.

For anyone following this story, his comments about the allegations speak volumes about him as a person and what his state of mind really is.  When people see nothing wrong in mutilating animals they are a menace to society as well.  This guy needs to be locked up for a long time–maybe not to teach him a lesson (as mentally ill people rarely learn from their mistakes), but to keep the rest of us safe from him!

 

 

 

 

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Taking Your Pets to Canada

Tuesday, July 17th, 2007

Thinking about traveling this summer but don’t know what to do with the pets?  Or looking for a relaxing vacation that “everybody” can enjoy?  Why not take them with you?  These days’ hotels, resorts and bed and breakfasts are becoming more and more pet friendly.  But your travels are taking you into Canada?  No worries, here’s the scoop:

 

Pets travel across the border all the time and the hassles are relatively few.  Dogs over 6 months of age require proof of a valid rabies vaccination.  That can be a certificate from your veterinarian, or even a rabies tag/license from your community.  If your dog is under 6 months, a simple letter from your veterinarian stating that fact will do. 

Cats, hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, chinchillas, rats, and pet mice, are even easier.  All you have to do is declare that you have them with you, and you are free to go.  Remember if the Customs officer on either side of the border feels that your pet is sick, they have the right to deny you entry–both into Canada, and back into the US.  But you shouldn’t be traveling with a sick pet anyway, (too much stress on the pet), so that should not be a problem.    

Exotic pets and pet birds are another story.   Service animals like monkeys are highly regulated and almost impossible to take to Canada.  Birds, and yes even goldfish, require veterinary inspection which costs money and can only be done at borders with veterinarians on staff.  This, plus an 8 hour work day for the port vets, makes crossing a little tricky.  Some snakes, turtles, and wildlife, plus other pocket pets, like the ever popular hedgehog, are even more difficult to get across.  They may need special permits from several agencies ranging from the USDA, USDI and the CDC.  Leave ‘em at home. 

Have a fun vacation and drop me a postcard! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Taking Your Pets to Canada

Tuesday, July 17th, 2007

Thinking about traveling this summer but don’t know what to do with the pets?  Or looking for a relaxing vacation that “everybody” can enjoy?  Why not take them with you?  These days’ hotels, resorts and bed and breakfasts are becoming more and more pet friendly.  But your travels are taking you into Canada?  No worries, here’s the scoop:

 

Pets travel across the border all the time and the hassles are relatively few.  Dogs over 6 months of age require proof of a valid rabies vaccination.  That can be a certificate from your veterinarian, or even a rabies tag/license from your community.  If your dog is under 6 months, a simple letter from your veterinarian stating that fact will do. 

Cats, hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, chinchillas, rats, and pet mice, are even easier.  All you have to do is declare that you have them with you, and you are free to go.  Remember if the Customs officer on either side of the border feels that your pet is sick, they have the right to deny you entry–both into Canada, and back into the US.  But you shouldn’t be traveling with a sick pet anyway, (too much stress on the pet), so that should not be a problem.    

Exotic pets and pet birds are another story.   Service animals like monkeys are highly regulated and almost impossible to take to Canada.  Birds, and yes even goldfish, require veterinary inspection which costs money and can only be done at borders with veterinarians on staff.  This, plus an 8 hour work day for the port vets, makes crossing a little tricky.  Some snakes, turtles, and wildlife, plus other pocket pets, like the ever popular hedgehog, are even more difficult to get across.  They may need special permits from several agencies ranging from the USDA, USDI and the CDC.  Leave ‘em at home. 

Have a fun vacation and drop me a postcard! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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More Tips on Keeping Your Pets Cool

Friday, July 13th, 2007

Summer is upon us for sure!  The temps are soaring and if you do not have air conditioning I know your pets are suffering just as much as you are.  Here are some strategies that you can use to keep your pets as comfortable as possible:

Besides providing shade, and lots of fresh water, go ahead and add ice cubes to the water dish. Or you can allow your pet access to a basement or cement floor.  If you find yourself staying a little longer in the basement doing laundry, you can bet your pet would enjoy being down there as well!

A fan on low, placed on the floor, cools pretty well.  Even horses appreciate a fan hung about head height on a stall door to provide a breeze and chase away the flies.

Frozen water in pop bottles can keep your pocket pet cool–especially rabbits.

Even shaving down your long haired pets, (Pugs, Collies, Samoyeds, or cats) can be done to help them stay cool.  If you do this your pet will look much different, but it will all grow back with time.  Also remember that the hair provided protection from the sun and without it, your pet needs to have adequate shade and fly protection, and maybe some sun screen applied–especially on the underbelly to counteract the suns reflection from cement or sand. (Some pets get sunburned routinely and need daily applications of sunscreen applied to their noses, ears, faces and yes even feet/legs).

Hosing off the horses and playing in the sprinklers are great things to do in the extreme heat, as well as hanging out in the breeze under a shade tree.

Of course, limiting activity to the early morning and late evenings helps both owner and pet stay cooler.  Remember:  DO NOT LEAVE PETS IN A CAR DURING THE WARM WEATHER.  (As people continue to leave human babies in cars, I feel that they need to hear this over and over again in regards to their pets.  What a shame)

Stay cool and enjoy the weather we have.  Soon it will be so cold we will all be dreaming about the great summer we had last year.
 

 

 

 

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More Summertime Warnings

Tuesday, July 10th, 2007

On Monday, July 2, 2007 the Monroe Evening News printed a story about a dog dying after swimming in a lake covered with algae.  Tyrone Lake in Livingston County was covered with blue-green algae when Bob Tatus of Hartland Township took his 9 month old border collie for a swim.  The dog died the next day.  He said he saw the copious algae, but didn’t think anything of it.  Would you swim in goop like that?  So why let your pet swim in it?

In the extreme heat of summer animals do things that they might not normally do.  They tend to drink anything just to cool off and the toxins released by algae are just one of the things that can kill your pet. 

Antifreeze not only quenches a thirst, but it tastes great too.  But it is just as deadly as rat poison.  And when your pet is hot and looking for anything to drink, it goes down very quickly. 

Owners need to be very careful when out with their pets in this type of weather.   Even if on a leash, things encountered on a side walk can be gulped down before the owner realizes what happened.  Food baking in the sun all day may contain deadly bacteria, dead animals which may have been poisoned themselves, contaminated water, and even toxic substances that adhere to the paws are all easily ingested and can cause severe illness and death. 

In this heat, animals may not heed their instincts of self preservation and may eat or drink ANYTHING.    Don’t let them eat or drink anything that you yourself would not ingest.  If they do consume something you question, call your veterinarian right away.  It is up to you to guard your pets against these threats and to make sure your summer is a safe and fun one.

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2007 Ag Expo

Wednesday, July 4th, 2007

Summer is just screaming past me.  Seems like it was May just a couple of weeks ago, and now we are at my most favorite time of the year:  July. 

                                             

I love July for many reasons.  Fireworks, picnics, vacations, and fireflies are just of few of them.  The Ag Expo at Michigan State University is another reason why July is so special.

 

The Ag Expo takes place July, 17-19 on the far reaches of the Michigan State campus.  It is a wonderful display of farm equipment, animals and related industries all packed in together for a one stop shopping experience.  Besides the cool barns, huge tractors, and vendors, other groups set up displays and are on hand to talk about their ideas and work.  If you have a question about vet school, the students are there to answer them.  Have a question about a tree in your yard?  The forestry students are there to help.  Need information about organic produce?  The answers are all there–and some are in a special air conditioned tent. 

 

On the fun side, there are lawn tractor races, free horse drawn wagon rides from the parking lot, and best of all FREE ICE CREAM.  The MSU dairy store makes some of the best ice cream around and they hand it out free!  It just doesn’t get any better than that folks. 

 

Take the kids and have a fun day learning about agriculture.  Then drive around the campus and show them a beautiful college.  What a nice way to spend a July day.

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