Years ago, dogs and cats were routinely vaccinated against just about anything we could vaccinate them against on the off chance that the pet might be exposed to that disease, in which case the vaccine should protect the pet. Today, we recognize that vaccines can sometimes have a downside as well. There can be side effects with any medication and vaccines are no exception.

Vaccination Sarcomas and Cats

When rabies vaccination became mandatory for cats in many communities, the veterinary profession also began to recognize that we were seeing an increased incidence of a specific type of tumor called a sarcoma in cats. Research and retrospective studies over time revealed that the increase in the incidence of sarcomas was found to parallel the increase in rabies vaccines administered to cats.

Currently, it is believed that sarcomas may occur as a reaction to any feline vaccine, but rabies vaccines and feline leukemia vaccines are thought to be more likely to have an association with sarcoma formation than other feline vaccines. This discovery led to a rethinking of the previous vaccination protocols for cats.

• It is no longer recommended to vaccinate all cats for feline leukemia but rather only those that are at risk of exposure to the disease.
• Because of the threat to human health with rabies, not vaccinating cats against rabies is not an option. However, newer and safer vaccines against rabies have been developed and vaccination protocols have been changed, although the individual protocol varies depending on the vaccine.

Anaphylactic/Allergic Reactions to Feline and Canine Vaccination

By far the most common adverse reaction to vaccinations in both dogs and cats is an allergic reaction.

• A normal reaction to vaccines includes mild lethargy and soreness. A mild fever may also occur and these symptoms are generally not serious.
• Vaccine reactions in dogs and cats can occur directly after the administration of a vaccine or within 48 hours later.
• Hives, swelling of the face, muzzle and ears and sometimes nausea are symptoms seen with an allergic reaction.
• In more severe cases, the dog or cat may go into shock and may also die suddenly. Fortunately, this complication is extremely rare.

What Pets are Most Likely to Have Adverse Reactions to Vaccines?

Puppies and kittens and young cats and dogs are most likely to suffer adverse reactions to a vaccination. Small breeds of dogs are more likely to be affected than larger breeds.

Administering multiple vaccinations at the same time is more likely to elicit an adverse reaction also. However, interestingly, multi-valent vaccines (vaccines which protect against more than one disease in the same vaccine) do not appear to cause an increase in the incidence of adverse reactions.

Are Some Vaccines More Likely to Cause Allergic Responses in Pets?

Yes, some vaccinations, including leptospirosis and Lyme disease vaccines, have been found to be more reactive than other vaccines. However, at least in the case of leptospirosis, newer vaccine technology may have eliminated this risk as one study performed recently did not find an increased incidence of adverse reactions in puppies and dogs vaccinated with one of the newer leptospirosis vaccines.

Immune-Mediated Disease Linked to Vaccines in Cats and Dogs

At this time, the link between immune-mediated disease and vaccinations administered to dogs and cats is unclear. However, there is some evidence that vaccinations can at least predispose a pet to developing immune-mediated disease. More research is needed in this area but there is some concern that vaccination could have a long-term effect on the immune system, making it important to minimize unnecessary vaccinations.

Vaccine Preservatives, Mercury and Thiomerosal in Canine and Feline Vaccines

Some vaccinations contain various preservatives, including mercury and thiomerosal (a compound containing 49.6% mercury by weight). Preservatives are added to vaccines in order to reduce the potential for growth of micro-organisms such as bacteria or fungi in the event of an accidental contamination of the vaccine vial. It should be noted that not all vaccines contain mercury or thiomerosal however.

In human medicine, there have been concerns raised about the safety of mercury and thiomerosal in vaccinations and that these substances may be linked to the development of the development of autism or other neurodevelopmental disease. However, studies performed to investigate this causal relationship have failed to prove there is a positive correlation, according to the FDA publication Questions About Vaccines. Similar studies in animals have also failed to show a link between adverse reactions in pets and mercury or thiomerosal-containing vaccines to date. This continues to be a controversial and widely debated topic, however.

Adjuvants in Vaccines for Dogs and Cats

Adjuvants are substances that are added to vaccines to increase the body’s response to the vaccine and lead to better protection with smaller quantities of the biological portion of the vaccine. Adjuvants have been implicated in causing cancer in pets. This is another reason that unnecessary vaccinations should be eliminated from the vaccination protocol for individual animals. Currently, some vaccinations are manufactured that are free of adjuvants and many veterinarians consider these safer than adjuvanted vaccines.

Why Administer Vaccines to Dogs and Cats with the Risks Involved?

Despite the risks involved with vaccinating dogs and cats, vaccines still provide documented benefits which in most cases outweigh any risks involved with their administration. However, vaccines protocols for an individual animal must assess the relative risk for that animal and only vaccines which can claim the potential for more benefit than risk should be administered.

Photo Credit: suzumiyaharuka/Flickr.com

Today marks the official beginning of our “Never Shock a Puppy” dog training campaign. I sincerely hope you’ll join us over the next 8 weeks as we lead you through the reasons we don’t like choke collars, shock collars and other punitive training tools and present you with alternatives that are just as effective if not moreso.

Every Wednesday for the next eight weeks, we’ll bring you expert advice from experienced dog trainers on the Never Shock a Puppy website as well as the individual websites of the members of our coalition.

What is “Never Shock a Puppy”

“Never Shock a Puppy” is an educational campaign coupled with a fund-raising drive. The campaign was conceived as part of the Be the Change for Pets campaign initiated at the first BlogPaws convention.

• The educational campaign will seek to raise awareness of pain-free training devices such as Gentle Leader harnesses and Halti harnesses which can be effective alternatives to training devices such as choke collars, shock collars, pinch collars and other types of punitive-based training devices.
• We will also be seeking to raise $2500 which will be donated to the Humane Society of Boulder Valley to aid in their No-Choke Challenge which will take place in November of 2010. The Humane Society of Boulder Valley in return will “motivate and drive dog guardians to turn in their choke or shock collars for free
  Gentle Leaders – no questions asked” as part of their No-Choke Challenge.
• Our message is not meant to make you feel guilty about whatever form of training device you are using right at this moment. We recognize that pet owners have reasons for making such decisions. Our goal instead is to make you aware of other alternatives you may not currently know about. It is our belief that if we craft our message well, we will be able to convince you of the logic behind the devices and methods we will be discussing over the next 8 weeks.
• Along the way, we’ll also be giving away prizes. Stay tuned to find out how you can win your prize!

Who is the “Never Shock a Puppy” Coalition

We are a group of pet bloggers dedicated to improving the lives of dogs (and other pets) in any way we can. We are led by Roxanne Hawn, who is the founder of our group and the driving force behind the whole thing. You’ll find Roxanne at Champion of My Heart. Joining Roxanne and Champion of My Heart is Best Friends General Store, Boulder Dog, Calling All Dogs, Fang Shui Canines, FearfulDogs.com, Moxie Paws, Positively Well-Behaved Dog, The Allie Chronicles and of course, the Pet Health Care Gazette.

Our sponsors and prize donors are also a big part of this campaign and without them we couldn’t pull this off. So, a big round of applause goes to Am I Boring My Dog? (Author Edie Jarolim), Best Friends General Store, FearfulDogs.Com, Housetraining for Dummies (Author Susan McCullough), K9Cuisine.com and The Company of Animals. Thanks also to our trainers, those that are members of the No Shock Collar Coalition and also the trainers of Truly Dog Friendly.

Are You Interested in Getting Involved with “Never Shock a Puppy”?

If so, there are lots of things you can do.

• Blog about “Never Shock a Puppy“.
• Place our “Never Shock a Puppy” badge and/or donation widget on your blog.
• Tweet the “Never Shock a Puppy” links on Twitter, share them on your Facebook page, or include them in your blog.
• Shop the “Never Shock a Puppy” Cafe Press store and model your new t-shirt, sweatshirt, jacket, hat or bag to spread the word. Coffee mugs, bumper stickers, mouse pads, doggie t-shirts and more are also available there.

Our supporters to date include:

• Coffee, Cats and Yarn
• Dancing Dog Blog
• Grouchy Puppy (Cleo's Day)
• Pet Relocation Blog
• Puppy Paws Productions
• Rusty-Dawg Pet Products
• Sit. Lay Down. Good Dog.
• St. Louis Senior Dog Project
• When Hounds Fly
• Will My Dog Hate Me

Ready to Make a Donation?

Please use the widget below to make your donation safely and securely.

Now, mark your calenders and come along with us on this journey. You won’t regret it. I suggest you subscribe to the Pet Health Care Gazette’s Rss feed or sign up to receive the Pet Health Care Gazette by email. That way you won’t miss anything and you’ll stay informed and up-to-date. And don’t forget those great prizes waiting for you!

This video very clearly shows a young woman throwing living puppies into a river. Apparently, the video has been making the internet rounds since it was posted. Please be aware before you watch the video that it is extremely graphic and quite disturbing!

Video of Girl Throwing Puppies into River

From what I can gather, the video was first posted at YouTube.com but then rapidly taken down by the administration there. Before it was pulled from YouTube though, someone apparently copied it and posted it at LiveLeak.com. Allegedly, the person who posted the video on LiveLeak does not know the woman in the video.

At this point, the identity of the woman in the video is unknown. When I first saw this video, my first thought was “If I did know this woman, who would I report her to?” According to the ASPCA, she should be reported to her local authorities. Of course, the problem with that is that, unless someone is able to recognize her and identify her, we don’t know who her local authorities are.

An Internet Hoax?

The ASPCA site also mentions that there are some websites that perpetuate hoaxes that masquerade as animal abuse. Though they do not talk about this video, they do mention several sites: Bonsaikitten.com, puppyprofits.com and puppybeef.com. (I have purposely avoided including to links to these sites simply because I object to their content but you are free, of course, to visit them and form your own opinion.)

Is this video a hoax? I would like to think so. And I wouldn’t know how to go about telling whether that was the case or not. All I can say is that it certainly seems real, right down to hearing the puppies crying and hearing the girl laughing as she throws them in the water. Of course, I hope I’m wrong. I don’t understand why anyone would want to publish a hoax like this, but at least if that’s the case, no puppies were actually drowned.

You can make your own judgment about the reality of the video if you elect to watch it. Either way, it still makes me physically sick to watch the video. It also makes me very angry.

Finding Out Whether Animal Abuse Occurred and Who Committed the Act

Is there a way to at least identify the locality of video? I don’t know the answer to that. I would think that the original upload to YouTube would have been logged with an IP address that could at least identify the computer that uploaded the image. But this is way outside of my area of expertise and perhaps someone with more knowledge in this area can comment.

Will Justice Prevail and Animal Cruelty be Punished?

Again, I would like to think so but I have my doubts. Does this woman deserve to punished for this act? Yes, absolutely (assuming that the video is real). Is that likely to happen? I hope so but again, I have my doubts.

What Happens Now?

I don’t honestly know the answer to that either. However, I have several serious concerns. Number one is the fact that this woman will continue to abuse animals, especially since she appears to derive pleasure from it.

The second and even more serious concern is that this woman will gradual to “bigger and better” things. It’s no secret that there is a link between people that abuse animals and those that abuse other people. So, I wonder, are there children in this woman’s life? What about elderly parents? What other violent crimes is this woman likely to commit?

Another thing that concerns me is the fact that there is obviously a second person involved with the making of this video. What kind of person would stand by and watch an atrocity like this being committed and not intervene? Let alone actually film it while it was happening!

So, now I’d like to hear what you think. Do you think this is real? Do you think it is a hoax? What kind of punishment do you think these people deserve, should they actually be located? Do you have any ideas to help locate them? And the number one question! Do you know who the woman in the video is?

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while will probably recognize the name Jana Rade. If you don’t recognize Jana’s name, you might recognize Jasmine, Jana’s beautiful Rottweiler. Jana shared Jasmine’s story with us in a four part series. If you haven’t read the story already, it’s worth your time to visit it now.

Jana Rade, Jasmine and the Dawg Business Blog

I’ve had the pleasure of calling Jana a personal friend for a while now. I’ve featured Jana’s story about Jasmine here on my blog and I’ve written guest posts for her blog. Now it’s time to formally recognize Jana’s blog, Dawg Business as one of my featured blogs.

In all honesty, Jana’s blog is one of my favorites and has been for a while now. I can honestly say that it would be very difficult to find someone more dedicated to helping pets and their people than Jana. Through a series of calamities with Jasmine, who has experienced some serious health issues over the past several years, Jana has come to realize the value in becoming an active part of Jasmine’s health care team. She carries over her knowledge and her dedication to helping pet owners in her Dawg Business blog.

Jana’s primary message, which she carries throughout her blog is this: In the end, maintaining your pet’s health is up to you. She helps pet people do that by encouraging them to think for themselves and ask questions when it comes to their pet’s health.

Though Jana has had no formal training in veterinary medicine, she is nevertheless an avid learner and voracious reader. When faced with a medical question, she not only scours the web looking for answers but also calls on her ever-expanding circle of veterinary friends to help answer her question. She is careful not to pass along incorrect information, but she is not afraid to question conventional wisdom and ask the question “why” either.

All of the veterinary articles that Jana features on her Dawg Business blog are fact-checked by one veterinarian or another. I know this from personal experience because she has asked me to do this for her on occasion. (And I am always glad to help her because I strongly support her message and her endeavors to pass that message along.)

Dawg Business Topics: Disease Information, Book Reviews, Fund Raising and More

Dawg Business covers a variety of topics. Among the veterinary medical information Jana has passed along recently is:

• Collie Nose: Discoid Lupus Erythematosus in Dogs
• Your Dog and Leptospirosis
• Why Integrative Veterinary Medicine?

This is only a small sampling. She also features reviews, such as her recent review of Edie Jarolim’s book “Am I Boring My Dog?”.

An Example of Dedication to Pets and Pet Owners

What happens when Jana becomes aware of a pet with major medical problems that still needs care and a pet owner who cannot afford that care? She begins a campaign to raise money to contribute to the care of that pet. This was the case with Ella, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who suffers from syrinogmyelia.

Ella was diagnosed and treated for syringomyelia previously and initially seemed to recover well. However, recently, Ella began exhibiting symptoms of the disease again. Ella’s veterinarian informed Annie that Ella required another MRI and possibly an additional surgery. The problem though is that Annie had already exhausted all of her financial resources through caring for Ella’s initial problems. She had nothing left to left to help Ella this time.

Enter Jana who, together with several friends she enlisted to help (myself included), began to blog about Ella’s plight, tweet her case, talk about her on facebook pages and spread the word any other way she could. That campaign successfully raised enough money to pay for Ella’s upcoming MRI which, thanks in large part to Jana’s efforts, is now scheduled for Wednesday, September 1. We are all anxiously awaiting the results of that MRI and praying for Ella’s recovery. But without Jana’s help, that MRI would likely not have been possible.

Hopefully, by now you’re convinced you should go visit Jana’s Dawg Business blog. So go ahead. (Hint: there’s a lot of information there, so plan on spending some time. You might even want to bookmark the site.) And when you’re done at Dawg Business, come on back here and check out some of the blogs in our Pet Lover’s Blog Hop. As usual, there are a lot of great blogs in the hop and it would be a shame to miss any of them.

In the last post, To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate Your Pet: Which is Safest?, we talked about the risks of not vaccinating your pet and the possibility of adverse reactions to vaccines. Today, we’re going to continue our vaccination by discussing one of the most important vaccines available for dogs, the canine distemper virus (CDV) vaccine.

Canine Distemper Virus

Canine distemper virus is a contagious viral disease of dogs that is easily passed from one dog to another when one dog becomes infected and exposes an unprotected dog. There was a time when this was a common disease that was seen on a regular basis in almost all veterinary hospitals. However, now the disease is much less common, primarily because of the availability of effective vaccinations that provide protection against this deadly virus.

Though canine distemper is less common than previously, it is still seen on occasion and most often in unvaccinated and unprotected puppies and young dogs. The incidence of disease is higher in facilities which house large numbers of dogs and puppies, such as pet stores, humane shelters, rescue organizations and other kennel situations.

More information about canine distemper virus and its symptoms can be found in What is Canine Distemper and Does my Dog Need a Vaccine for it?

Core Versus Non-Core Vaccines

All vaccines are classified as either core or non-core.

• Core vaccinations are those that are considered essential for most dogs because the disease in question is either extremely dangerous, quite common or poses a threat to the human population. Core vaccines should be considered routine for all dogs and administered for most animals unless there is a medical contra-indication, such as a known allergy to the vaccine.
• Non-core vaccines are those that are not essential for all dogs but may be necessary for some. Whether or not a dog needs to receive a non-core vaccination will depend on the dog’s lifestyle and the level of risk of infection with the disease for each individual dog. For dogs that are at high risk of infection, vaccination may be recommended. However, dogs that are not likely to be exposed to the disease in question do not need to be vaccinated and should not receive the vaccination.

Canine distemper vaccination is considered a core vaccine and is recommended as part of the routine preventive health care for all dogs.

Vaccination Against Canine Distemper Virus

Vaccination against canine distemper can and should be started for puppies as young as 6-8 weeks of age. Initially, puppies need to receive a series of vaccines against CDV administered at 3-4 week intervals, with the last vaccine administered no earlier than 14-16 weeks of age. These protocols may vary slightly depending on which brand of vaccine is being used and you should discuss with your veterinarian what vaccination schedule is appropriate for your individual puppy.

The vaccine against canine distemper virus should be boostered in one year and then repeated at regular intervals. The dosing schedule for CDV in adult dogs is still a controversial subject. While there is evidence that currently available canine distemper virus vaccinations impart immunity to an adult dog for three years (or perhaps longer), some veterinarians still worry about breaks in protection with three year dosing intervals. As a responsible pet owner, you should discuss with your veterinarian the risks and benefits of vaccination against canine distemper virus and determine an appropriate dosing schedule tailored to meet your dog’s individual needs.

Distemper/Adenovirus/Parvovirus (DAP) Vaccinations

Canine distemper virus is often combined with other canine vaccines to form a multivalent vaccination (a vaccine that protects against more than one disease).

• Vaccinations against canine distemper virus are often combined with vaccinations against canine parvovirus and canine adenovirus (infectious hepatitis). These vaccines are often referred to as DAP vaccines.
• In addition, some vaccines also include leptospirosis and sometimes parainfluenza. These vaccines may be referred to as DAPL, DAPPL, DHLP or DHLPP vaccines.

Discuss with your veterinarian which vaccines are being administered to your dog. Vaccination protocols, especially those involving non-core vaccines, should be tailored to your individual dog based on his individual needs.

Titers for Canine Distemper Virus in Place of Vaccination

In some cases, it may be desirable to avoid vaccination unless it is certain that the dog’s immunity to disease is waning. This may be the case if your dog has suffered reactions to a vaccine previously. In other cases, pet owners (and veterinarians) may simply prefer to avoid vaccinating a dog that still has an adequate level of protection. One means of determining whether a dog still has protection against disease is to measure blood titers. A titer measures the concentration of antibodies circulating in the blood, assuming that higher antibody levels depart immunity to disease.

Measurement of titers is, in some cases, an adequate alternative to routinely administering vaccinations. However, it is not without downfalls also, as titer measurement is often more expensive than administering the vaccine and administration of the vaccine may be still necessary depending on the results returned with the titer measurement. Some veterinarians worry also that titer measurements may not directly translate to degree of immunity because of the fact that antibodies account for only a part of the body’s immune defense system and other factors that remain unmeasured play a role in immunity (or lack of immunity) as well.

Photo Credit: Tobyotter/Flickr.com

One of the most frequent questions that I am asked in my veterinary practice is “What vaccines does my kitten, puppy, dog or cat need?” Right behind that is “How often does my pet need to be vaccinated?” Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, is the question “Are these vaccines safe for my dog or cat?”

Are Vaccines Safe for Pets?

Let’s start by answering the last question first. Both canine and feline vaccinations carry the risk of side effects, just like any other medication. There are very few, if any, medications that come with no risk.

So, the question becomes, why give vaccines to a pet if there is risk involved? The answer to that question is that there is also great benefit in vaccinating pets. In some cases, these vaccines can be life-saving.

A good example of the life-saving aspect of vaccination is in the recent of outbreak of parvovirus that my hospital and others in the area have been seeing within the last few weeks. In my hospital, we have seen literally dozens of puppies infected with parvovirus. Unfortunately, not all of these puppies have survived the infection.

What do all of these puppies have in common? None of these puppies, not a single one that I have seen, have been adequately vaccinated against this disease. For most if not all of these puppies, vaccination would have prevented the infection and kept them healthy.

Parvovirus Vaccinations for Puppies, a True Life Example

One really unfortunate case was a 5 month old puppy that was obtained from a breeder. The breeder informed the puppy’s new owner that the puppy should not receive any vaccines prior to 6 months of age because it would be unsafe for the puppy. Unfortunately, the new owner believed the breeder to be providing accurate information when in fact the information was quite incorrect. Because of the misinformation provided by an ill-informed lay person together with the innocent lack of knowledge possessed by a well-meaning pet owner, the puppy did not live to be 6 months of age. She expired a few days ago of a disease that could easily have been prevented by proper vaccination.

The Case Against Vaccination for Dogs and Cats

There are a number of people who advocate not vaccinating dogs and cats. Their fears do carry some weight. Vaccinations have been implicated in contributing to or even causing some types of cancer. Vaccines are also suspected to cause disorders of immune function as well as other medical issues.

I do not dispute these possibilities nor do I discount their importance. However, I cannot look past the fact that vaccines can protect dogs and cats (and particularly puppies and kittens) from deadly diseases. In my opinion, if a dog or cat dies of a preventable disease such as canine parvovirus or feline distemper because of a lack of proper vaccination, it really makes very little difference what types of problem that vaccine could potentially have many years from the vaccination date.

What Vaccinations are Necessary for a Dog or Cat? Or a Puppy or Kitten?

The answer to that question depends on the lifestyle and individual risks encountered by that particular pet. Vaccine schedules and protocols are not a one-size-fits-all proposal. A pet owner is best advised to discuss with their veterinarian which vaccinations are necessary for each individual pet.

How Often Should Vaccines be Administered?

Again, the answer depends on the individual pet and the type of vaccine being used. This is also a matter that a pet owner is best served discussing with their veterinarian. Some vaccines need to be given every three years, others need to be repeated yearly. Your veterinarian can determine, with your help, which vaccines your pet needs (and which he does not need) and develop a logical vaccination schedule that can help keep your pet healthy and happy.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be discussing in more depth the individual canine and feline vaccines that are available. So stay tuned. But remember that this material is meant for education purposes only and your best source of information about your pet is your own veterinarian.

This week, I’d like to introduce you to a blog called Boulder Dog. There are lots of things I like about this blog, starting with its tagline, “For the Love of Dogs and Their People”. For me, that just says it all.

Sadie’s School for Hapless Humans

Boulder Dog is written by Deborah Flick with the help and inspiration of Sadie, Deborah’s shy adolescent chocolate poodle, companion, teacher and friend. Deborah is a truly devoted individual. She has a background in communication and diversity earned through a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado, Boulder. However, these days she spends most of her time in Sadie’s School for Hapless Humans. Here is what she has to say to say about her lessons there:

“She (Sadie) is my teacher, and everyday, it seems, she challenges me with a new lesson plan. I must be a slow learner because Sadie insists that we cover previous lessons, practicing patience, for example, over and over. At this point I don’t see graduating from Sadie’s School for Hapless Humans anytime soon. But that’s okay. I’ll happily sit at the paws of the master for as long as it takes.”

Boulder Dog Blog

The quality of Deborah’s Boulder Dog blog is evidenced by the fact that Boulder Dog has been nominated for the DogTime Pettie award for “Best Dog Blog”. Deborah’s motive in campaigning for this competition is the $500 prize that is to be awarded to the animal welfare organization of the winner’s choice. Here is what Deborah had to say about winning the prize: “My heart swells at the thought of the opportunity to make that kind of a difference for animals in need.” As you can see, Deborah has a big heart and she wears it on her sleeve.

Boulder Dog covers a variety of issues.

• Each Friday, the blog presents the “#FollowFriday Fab 4″ in which Deborah highlights four spectacular blogs that provide great information for her readers.
• Deborah and the Boulder Dog blog are also part of the “Never Shock a Puppy” coalition, a group of bloggers participating in a campaign aimed at educating pet owners about humane handling methods for their puppies and adult dogs.
• Training topics are also covered, as in one of Deborah’s latest posts, “Ball Bonking and Clicker Breakthrough“.

So, my advice to you is to head over to Boulder Dog right now and take a look around. I promise you won’t regret it.

And once you’ve checked out Deborah’s Boulder Dog blog, don’t forget to visit some of the other wonderful blogs in our Pet Lover’s Blog Hop. Every blog in this group is a winner and is worthy of at least a few minutes of your time.

Photo Credit: playfullibrarian/Flickr.com

A short time ago, a friend of mine, Jana Rade, who many of my readers will be familiar with as Jasmine‘s human mom, contacted me to tell me about Ella, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel belonging to Annie Singleton. Below is the email that Jana sent me regarding Ella.

Jana’s Pleas for Ella, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with Syringomyelia

“Let’s Help Ella!

Let’s help Ella!”

Can You Help Ella?

As your can see from Jana’s message, Annie has already used all of her financial resources to pay for the first surgery and treatment and now has nothing left to fund Ella’s future health care needs. She needs to raise $2000 in order to get Ella the MRI and treatment that she needs. She needs your donation to raise these funds. Please consider helping Ella. Even a small donation will help. Click on the “ChipIn!” button below to make a donation safely and securely on Ella’s behalf or visit Annie’s website, Ella the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to contribute.

Salmonella poisoning, or at least the threat of Salmonella poisoning, has been in the news a great deal in the recent past. Numerous pet food recalls, all related to possible contamination with Salmonella, have been issued within the past few weeks. Human food products have not escaped being recalled due to the threat of potential Salmonella contamination, either.

Salmonella Poisoning Outbreak in People Associated with Pet Food Contamination

To add to the fear associated with Salmonella, the journal Pediactrics (September 2010, “Human Salmonella Infections Linked to Contaminated Dry Dog and Cat Food, 2006-2008”) is now reporting a documented outbreak of salmonellosis in people that was found to be associated with contaminated pet foods.

Even more frightening is the fact that almost half of the documented cases in the salmonellosis outbreak discussed in the Pediactrics article were children under two years of age. Certainly, it has to be a parent’s nightmare to see their child suffering from an innocent exposure to a supposedly safe product.

How Pet Food Products Become Contaminated with Salmonella

Usually the cooking process heats the pet food enough to kill any Salmonella organisms. However, frequently these foods are coated with flavorings or other products after the cooking process and if these products are contaminated, the entire food lot may become contaminated.

In addition, there is evidence that pets eating a raw food diet may experience a higher incidence of infection with Salmonella than pets eating a commercially prepared diet. Although, with pet food recalls seemingly becoming more frequent, some pet owners question this statistic.

Salmonella Poisoning in Dogs and Cats

In my veterinary practice, one of the common questions I hear from my pet parents is “How likely is it that my dog or will get salmonella poisoning and what signs should I look for?” Salmonellosis: Salmonella Poisoning in Dogs and Cats is a good source to answer these questions. This article describes the factors that determine whether or not a dog or cat is likely to become ill when exposed to Salmonella and the symptoms expected.

Protecting Your Family from Salmonella Poisoning

The other concern that many pet owners are expressing is “How can I protect my family against salmonellosis?” This question is even more important to answer in light of the Salmonella outbreak detailed in the Pediatrics journal. Salmonella Poisoning, Pets and Your Family will answer this question for you. This article provides tips and suggestions that will help you protect your family from becoming exposed to Salmonella through your pet’s food supply.

Share Your Experiences with Salmonella Poisoning and Pet Food Recalls

Have you, your family or any of your pets suffered from Salmonella poisoning? Have any of you been affected by any of the pet food recalls? We are also interested in hearing what you’re doing to protect your family and your pets. Please share your experiences with us as well as your tips by leaving a comment below. Don’t by shy.

As HRT (hormone replacement therapy) becomes more widely used among women, we are also seeing increasing numbers of dogs and even cats that are being adversely affected by these products.

What is HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) and What is it Used For?

HRT stands for hormone replacement therapy and is used to treat hot flashes, mood swings, bone loss and other effects of menopause in women. HRT medications contain estrogen (a type of hormone) are available in many forms including gels, sprays, creams and transdermal patches. Women are usually advised to apply these products to the inner elbows or wrists or to the legs.

Dogs and Cats Affected by HRT Medications

Dogs and cats can be affected by ingesting the HRT medications, which often involves licking the area of skin where their owners have applied the medication. Alternatively, dogs and cats may also be exposed by chewing on or licking discarded patches. The number of pets being affected by these medications has been increasing over the past few years.

• Female dogs and cats affected by HRT medications appear to be in heat. In dogs, this appears as a swollen vulva and, possibly, swollen mammary glands.
• In cats, a species in which the vulva does not normally swell during the heat cycle under normal conditions, the symptoms are different. Cats that in heat vocalize (cry) frequently and loudly. They may also roll and exhibit other behavioral changes during the heat cycle. These are the symptoms that a cat exposed to HRT medications will exhibit.
• In both dogs and cats, female pets suffering exposure to HRT creams, sprays, gels and patches will also become attractive to male dogs and cats, respectively, and the females will often stand for mating.
• Pre-pubescent puppies may also affected if exposed to these products and will develop swollen vulvas in the same fashion as their mature counterparts, even though they may be too young to be in heat.
• In male dogs and cats, enlargement of mammary tissue may occur and affected males may have an abnormally small penis. If un-neutered, male pets may also experience atrophy of testicular tissue (shrinking of the testicles).
• Hair loss may also occur in both male and female dogs and cats exposed to HRT medications.

Long Term Effect of Exposure to HRT Medications in Dogs and Cats

At this point, we do not really know what types of long-term effects these products may have on our pets. In most cases, preventing exposure of the pet to the HRT product results in regression of the clinical symptoms, though it may take months for the signs to regress.

It is well-known that exposure to excess amounts of estrogen can cause bone marrow suppression leading to aplastic anemia, a serious blood disease seen in both dogs and cats. Estrogen exposure may also predispose pets to developing mammary tumors (breast cancer). There is concern that pets exposed to these products may suffer long-term complications such as these.

Preventing Exposure of Pets to HRT Medications

Fortunately, preventing exposure to these potentially dangerous products is relatively simple.

• Apply HRT products to areas of your body that your pet is not likely to contact.
• When applying HRT products, wear gloves. When finished, dispose of the gloves in a location inaccessible to your pet.
• When discarding used patches or similar items, be certain to place them out your pet’s reach.

A few common sense precautions can keep your pet out of danger and save you a great deal of heartache.

Do any of you have pets that have suffered from exposure to HRT medications? Do you have other ideas to help protect your pets from these products? Would you like to share your thoughts, opinions or experiences with us? Please scroll down to the comments section and leave a message. I’d love to hear what you think!