That Pet Blog That Pet Place Pet Blog

A specially-trained Labrador Retriever named Marine has made medical history by exhibiting an amazing degree of accuracy in detecting bowel cancer.  It is hoped that further studies will lead to new advances in cancer detection and treatment.

A Near-Perfect Performance

Marine was able to detect the presence of bowel cancer by sniffing either the breath or stool samples of 48 people that had previously been diagnosed with the disease.  The dog’s accuracy was rated at 95% for breath samples and 98% for stool samples, and was not affected by potentially confusing factors such as smoking or the presence of other gastro-intestinal problems.  Read More »

Recent concerns over animal hoarding, introduced species and animal attacks have resulted in a confusing maze of new laws.  Many are legitimate attempts to address serious problems, while others seem over-reactions based on poor research.  I’m an attorney as well as a biologist, and yet even with this background I find it difficult to keep up with all the changes.  However, I’ve found several organizations that track pending legislation and provide links to actions that can be taken…I hope the following helpful information is useful. Read More »

It’s hard to believe that it has been almost a decade since the Twin Towers fell. Each year we bow our heads in remembrance of those lost and in honor of those who worked tirelessly in the days and weeks following that fateful day. Some don’t remember or don’t know that service dogs played a vital role in search, rescue and recovery at those disaster sites. I came across this video tribute to the service dogs who worked the Trade Center site, and I really think it is something for everyone to see. Please watch the video and remember these magnificent animals for their past and present service.

Iams and Eukanuba form Procter and Gamble Pet have now expanded the voluntary recall of various pet food formulas distributed in the United Stades due to a salmonella contamination risk. You can find a complete list of the foods involved in the recall here.  Salmonella can make your pet very sick and handling contaminated food can make you very sick as well. If you feed one of the formulas listed in the recall, DO NOT continue to feed to foods to your pet. If you suspect that the food you have may be involved in the recall, discard the remainder of the food and be sure to wash your hands with soap and hot water after handling. Dishes, bowls and surfaces that may have been in contact with these foods should also be cleaned thouroughly. Children, seniors and those with compromised immune systems should avoid handling the food at all.

It’s the middle of July, and as we brace ourselves for the next heat wave, I’m thinking of ways to keep my pup cool, too. The evening news features footage of zookeepers serving frozen treats to captive animals – from frozen bananas and fruit juice to whole frozen fish and bloodcicles (awesome if you’re a tiger, I suppose) none of the animals deny a frozen treat for a few minutes of relief from these oppressive temperatures. So, what can we offer our pets at home? There are plenty of options. Read More »

United Pet Group has expanded their voluntary recall of several popular vitamins and nutritional supplements this week due to the possibility of Salmonella contamination.  Several Pro-pet and Excel line tablets are included in the recall. For a complete listing of products and lots affected by the recall click here.  Though there have been no confirmed cases of illness, the company is recalling the products as a precaution. If you currently administer a vitamin supplement to your pet, please take a moment to read over the recalled product listing/press release to be sure the products you may have are safe to handle and administer.

Spring has (finally) arrived and fleas have returned along with it. You may have heard recently in the news that there has been an increase of the number of adverse reactions to over-the-counter “spot on” flea and tick treatments. The EPA has taken notice and they are starting to take action.

What was the problem?

Flea and tick preventative maintenance is an important part of your pet’s health. It’s important to safe guard your pet against pests that can carry deadly diseases like Lyme disease. However, it is also important to remember that these medications are still pesticides and should be handled with care. The EPA found that some dogs, usually smaller breeds, and cats could have potentially harmful reactions to spot-on flea and tick treatments. Reactions ranged from skin irritation to more severe medical conditions like seizures, and in a few cases, even death.  Most of the reactions were caused by “overdose” or using too much of the topical product for the size of the pet. Reactions in cats were typically the result of exposure to a dog- specific formula, either accidentally or through incorrect usage of the product.  While the EPA mainly investigated “spot-on” flea and tick treatments, they recommend using caution with all flea and tick products, including shampoos, collars, and sprays/powders.

What are they going to do to solve it?

To reduce the number of reactions and eliminate misuse of the products, the EPA is now enforcing tighter restrictions on ingredients and pursuing labeling changes and guidelines. The most significant change they are suggesting is making more dose sizes available. Instead of 3 different sizes of the medication, there might be 5, introducing a narrower pet weight range per medication.  They are also pushing to make the packaging vastly different on dog and cat products to eliminate confusion, and other labeling changes to eliminate confusion. The EPA is also going to start requiring clinical trials and observations on new formulas.

What can I do to ensure my pets’ safety?

Consult your vet. Find out which brand they recommend for your pets and situation. This is extremely important if your pet is weak, elderly, sick, on medication, pregnant or nursing. You should also carefully read all instructions before applying flea and tick treatments, especially if you have not used the product before. When purchasing a flea and tick treatments be sure to know the current weight of your pets to select the correct product.

There are some precautions you can take to help control your pet’s exposure to fleas and ticks, too. Vacuuming regularly and washing both you and your pet’s bedding regularly can help to prevent populations from establishing in your house. You can alter your yard to be less tick-friendly and discourage deer from visiting.

See the EPA’s article on taking care of fleas and ticks on your pet for more information on safety and what to do if you suspect your pet is having a reaction to flea and tick medication.

The Guinea Pig has been domesticated for over 5,000 years (please see article below).  It’s no secret that domestication can radically change an animal’s appearance – most taxonomists now consider the Domestic Dog to be a subspecies of the Gray Wolf, and not a distinct species – but you’d never guess that when viewing a Maltese and a Wolf side-by-side!  Read More »

Hello, Eileen here. Dog people are familiar with the long history of dogs as not only companions, but as workers, trained to herd and hunt amongst other things. As a marine scientist, dog owner and history buff (especially English Tudor and Renaissance), a recent news story caught my eye and I couldn’t resist sharing it. Researchers working on the Mary Rose, a 16^th century English warship made a surprising discovery on the sunken vessel – the almost-intact skeleton of the ship’s dog. Read More »