One of our great rescuers has had some serious problems with some canned Kirkland dog food. Here's the email we received:
At the end of December, a local kennel donated 12 cases of Kirkland canned
Lamb and Rice dog food. They said it was too rich for their dog because
they all got sick. Did not think any problem with the food. I fed to my dogs,
and to visiting dogs. Diarrhea for all dogs, puppy threw up 15 times. She
survived...Tesla and Dino did not. Read the rest of this entry »
Listen and watch for pets who scratch or lick themselves persistently; they might be suffering severely from food allergies, mange, fleas or other parasites. Look at the fur: do you see red, rough patches or skin ulcers? This animal is in perpetual torment. Please take action. Talk to the owner or call the authorities.
When you watch a dog or cat who persistently scratches, you might make the same common assumption as many others do: the poor thing suffers from fleas or even worse, has developed allergies to flea saliva. If you part the hair and find pin-head sized dark things that dart or jump, and accompanying flakes of dark red “dandruff” (blood), you are correct. But flea treatments won’t help and can even worsen these other common skin problems:
Veterinarians will tell you that poor food is a frequent cause of unhealthy skin and itching that results from it. One wrote, “In my thirty-five years of practice, I have seen hundreds of dogs and cats whose lives changed dramatically, and where the pet’s caretakers were shocked and surprised at the remarkable difference in their pets, by the simple act of providing the pet with a high quality, meat-based diet.”
Pay particular attention to the first three items on pet food ingredient lists. You should be suspicious if they include corn, wheat, or any meat by-product meal. Many dogs are allergic to corn; avoid foods that include even small amounts. Cats can’t digest grains or vegetables; they are true carnivores. Remember, food manufacturers are legally entitled to use generic words like “natural” and “complete, balanced nutrition” by maintaining MINIMUM standards.
Some skin problems can be prevented by keeping animals indoors in dry conditions, away from insects and parasites. Watch “outside” animals in your neighborhood for persistent itching and speak to the owners. Some of them may already be treating itching with a flea collar, wondering why it does not help!
Do you see persistent itching of the ears in particular? Mites, bacteria and fungi are causes as listed above, but are joined by flies who will bite along ear margins, creating red crusty lesions. Both ears will be affected. Again, outside animals are more likely to be affected.
Read more about skin problems here: The Pet Center web site.
Be a Good Samaritan to animals in your neighborhood, remembering that most often ignorance is the cause of suffering. When you are helping an animal, you are also helping your neighbors.
Secondhand smoke is a threat to pets—did you know? It is even more toxic for pets than for humans because not only do they breathe the fumes, they lick the cancer-causing residue from their fur while grooming! Cats and short-nosed dogs are most affected, but all pets in smoking households are more likely to develop lung/nasal/mouth cancers and lymphoma.
Have you ever noticed the smoke residue that coats the walls and windows inside the home of a smoker? In addition to coating lung tissues, that toxic airborne residue infiltrates porous materials, such as clothing and pet fur. Secondhand smoke causes cancer in cats and dogs just like it does in non-smokers who are forced to breathe the same air. The smoke can also cause breathing difficulties and eye/skin irritations. Plus, with their sensitive noses, just imagine how dogs and cats must dislike the strong acrid odors. Read the rest of this entry »
Advocate for choosing a canine companion based on rational criteria, not size or cuteness. Large dogs and little dogs generally take the same amount of daily care and training time. Learn the advantages of keeping large dogs in the family; they are often overlooked in shelters by would-be adopters, more of whom prefer small dogs.
If we could influence more adopters to select a pet based on temperament and lifestyle considerations, more large dogs and adult dogs might be chosen. Today there is more demand for small dogs and puppies. In some areas of the country, there are not enough small dogs in shelters and rescues to satisfy demand so would-be adopters purchase small-breed puppies instead of adopting. Also, purchasing puppies is often faster and easier than adopting.
At the shelter where I volunteer in Wisconsin, little and medium-size adult dogs are adopted at a significantly faster rate compared to large adult dogs. We see a sad phenomenon. Small dog adopters often appear to be more concerned about size, breed, color, and hair length before temperament. It’s almost a caricature; we observe this frequently. One comment made by small dog adopters is that small dogs are easier to care for. Many dog lovers who have broad experience with many breeds find that assertion truly puzzling. Read the rest of this entry »
We have a guest blogger this week, Jeannette P. Ward, PhD. Jeannette is a retired physiological psychologist and animal behavior consultant. She lives with two older Weimaraners.
Well, it’s all good now. My companion and I are all snuggled up together on the big couch. It has to be a big couch because he is a really big boy. This happy story is about how I found my companion. You may find some of these points helpful.
A few months ago I retired from my job of many years. For awhile I was busy with farewell parties and lunches out with friends and relatives. But soon the retirement activities slowed and my little house got very quiet. Oh, there were still outings from time to time, but in between times, most of the time when I’m home alone, it is very quiet, even sometimes lonely. So it came to me that I needed a full-time companion, a 24-hour buddy. Read the rest of this entry »
Watch for collars that are too loose or too tight, and that don’t have ID tags. Pets deserve better from their families. A roaming pet without identification is at high risk for being picked up as a stray and might even be euthanized. Roaming pets can travel long distances. Reasonably-priced ID tags are available nearly everywhere. Speak with the owners or just do it anonymously. You may save a life.
Shelters and rescues often provide microchips for adopted pets, but they are not visible to human eyes; scanners are needed. The specific microchip technology used can be a factor in linking pets to owners as well. And even if a microchip is identified, the owner information can be out of date, causing a whole new set of hoops for the current owner. Collar tags have some important advantages: they are immediately visible by neighbors, assuming the pet allows their approach. A roaming pet can be returned home without aid of animal control. Responsible pet owners provide BOTH microchips and tags.
Could the animal welfare community provide tags at the point of adoption? Remember the most likely time for newly adopted pets to escape is right after adoption. A common refrain is “I was going to get my tags on Monday” but the dog or cat escaped on Saturday soon after arriving at the new home. Think about the pets: they don’t know they have been adopted! They believe that they are in the wrong place and must get back to where they were.
Target’s family didn’t put a collar and tag on her or get a microchip implanted. They didn’t prevent her from escaping from her yard. And the neighbor who found Target without wearing any identification of course had no idea who she was, so called the pound. She was picked up by animal control and her photo was posted on the internet.
Her family found her photo but did not check the web site to learn the weekend hours that the pound was open. They came on Monday to pick her up. At the pound earlier that morning, a careless employee was performing her routine euthanasia duties and picked Target by mistake, not following the organization’s process. “Oops.”
Who was Target? Ask Oprah Winfrey, whose show Target appeared on. In Afghanistan, three stray dogs prevented a suicide bomber from detonating a bomb in the middle of a military barracks, and the bomb went off harmlessly near the perimeter. One of the dogs died from injuries suffered from the blast. The other two dogs, later named Target and Rufus, were brought to America by a charity to live out their lives in the land of plenty, where they have been widely celebrated for their roles in preventing a tragedy. Read more here.
Do you see one mindless assumption after another here? These are shameful mistakes that manifest a careless, uninformed regard for animal life by Target’s family and the pound. If she had been wearing a collar with a phone number, the neighbor who found her running loose would have had her back home quickly. Target should be alive today—no excuses.
The economy can affect ill or injured companion animals too. If you are lucky enough to be financially secure, think about those who have lost their jobs and can’t pay for vet treatments for their sick or injured pets as a result. They need assistance but some large financial assistance non-profits are struggling now too because giving is down. Some have closed! Please consider donating.
If a family must choose between keeping a roof overhead and paying for life-saving surgery for their beloved companion animal, that animal often ends up surrendered to pounds and shelters now. Sometimes the companion animals have only minor ailments but their treatment cost is beyond reach. Shelters and pounds experience the same economic constraints, as we are all afloat in the same economic sea; they euthanize those pets to save money for their taxpayers. And so dogs and cats die when they should have lived.
If you are a compassionate person, this double tragedy of pet loss and family guilt is hard to contemplate. And you could do something about it: you could support those national organizations that provide financial assistance to families with ill or injured pets. Keep them going! Add a few to your annual giving list. Some have closed their doors permanently, such as Feline Outreach, or temporarily, such as American Animal Hospital Association Foundation’s Helping Pets Fund.
Your local shelter, rescue, SPCA or humane society might provide a special fund for ill or injured homeless animals in their care as well; please inquire.
In alphabetical order, with text taken from their web sites:
The American Animal Hospital Association Helping Pets Fund:
Due to a decrease in donations received this fiscal year, the American Animal Hospital Association Foundation is temporarily suspending grants from the Helping Pets Fund. The suspension is effective January 1, 2012. Please consider making a donation to the AAHA Helping Pets Fund so that we can continue to help needy pets receive the health care they deserve.
Angels 4 Animals:
Angels4Animals, a non-profit organization and a program of Inner Voice Community Services, has a mission to serve as the guardian angel of animals whose caretakers find themselves in difficult financial situations. This organization prefers to charge your credit card on a monthly basis for long-term sustainability.
The Brown Dog Foundation:
Bridging the gap between the cost of medical care and saving the family pet, in memory of a special Chocolate Lab, like Sunbear was, named Chocolate Chip. The Donate link takes you to PayPal.
Cats in Crisis:
Cats in Crisis Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping cats and kittens with special medical needs receive the veterinary treatment they need to live happy, healthy lives. Their donation page provides a good variety of options.
Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program:
We are a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Charity Organization that provides emergency financial assistance to cat and kitten guardians who are unable to afford veterinary services to save their companion when life-threatening illness or injury strikes. Their “Please Help Us” page provides both PayPal and ChipIn options.
Help-A-Pet:
Established in 1999, HELP-A-PET is a nonprofit organization with a single purpose: to provide financial assistance nationwide for the medical care of pets whose owners are unable to afford the expense. Both online and mail options for giving are available.
In Memory of Magic:
Since 1998, IMOM has funded non-routine veterinary care for more than 1800 companion animals. They have a a strong desire and determination to help people help pets, founded in memory of Magic, a special black cat. See the handy ChipIn widget that makes giving easy on the home page.
The Pet Fund:
The Pet Fund is a registered 501(c) 3 nonprofit association that provides financial assistance to owners of domestic animals who need veterinary care. This group provides many ideas for giving on their web site.
RedRover Relief Fund (Formerly UAN Lifeline Grants):
The RedRover Relief program provides funding to Good Samaritans, animal rescuers and pet owners to help them care for animals in life-threatening situations. The donation page is slow to open but is secure.
The needs are so great just now. Please do pick a fund to support and share this post with others with means to do the same. Even small gifts matter to the lives of those animals and families being helped; you can imagine how uplifting it feels to know that faraway animal lovers care and understand how desperately they want to help their pet to live.
Be a compassionate shopper; this is a New Year’s resolution you can keep. Purchase products for your home and personal care (including cosmetics) that are not tested on animals, so that you do not support animal testing laboratories and the companies that contract them. Proven alternatives to animal testing are available, especially for consumer products. Test-free consumer products are widely available now and many are no more expensive. Read labels; look for the words “not tested on animals.” If you don’t see those words, assume that the product is tested on animals.
None of these lists is all-inclusive. Each has different participation criteria. A company may choose not to sign the required statements or agreements required to participate in a listing.
Personal care products, cosmetics, and household cleaning products are tested on animals in laboratories, but USA laws do not require it. Large consumer product manufacturers typically contract with animal testing laboratories. Rats, mice, rabbits, dogs, cats, monkeys, and other animals are kept in small cages and kennels throughout their short lifetimes. They are forced to swallow or inhale test substances, and in one common test, up to 50% of them are expected to die. Caustic chemicals are applied to sensitive eyes (or applied to fur and skin). (Medical testing is a related subject not addressed here but very serious concerns exist.)
Yet test results are often unreliable, inconclusive or inapplicable to humans, many believe. The tested products are often included in consumer products, even if test results indicate some level of toxicity. If you are concerned about household or personal care products being safe for your family, you should also the question that animal testing used to justify that professed safety. And for animal lovers who believe animals suffer pain and deserve compassionate treatment, you should boycott products and companies that do not align with your values.
Be aware that some types of products, including pharmaceuticals and some chemicals, require animal testing by law.
Five Simple Things You Can Do to be Compassionate to Animals