When it comes to vaccinating your dog there seems to be a lot conflicting views in the world of veterinary medicine.  Having been to quite a few vets over the years with our dogs I have noticed that some seem to push vaccines more than others. When I’ve asked about a titer test to keep from over vaccinating some vets have dismissed it immediately without even discussing it.

Is it money or concern for our pets?  It’s hard to answer, but I do know more and more articles are coming out about the dangers of over vaccinating.

So, it was with interest I read an email that was sent to me stating there was a new protocol being accepted among vets based on Dr. Jean Dodds’ research.  I searched on the internet to see what I could find, it turns out while Dr. Dodd does have her own belief about vaccinations she has nothing to do with the email that’s been sent around claiming the change of protocol. On ItsForTheAnimals.com you can read her full response.

Dr. Dodds’ article on vaccinations is very interesting and does provide important information that every pet owner should read.  After that, it’s up to you to decide how to proceed.

CHANGING VACCINE PROTOCOLS

The challenge to produce effective and safe vaccines for the prevalent infectious diseases of humans and animals has become increasingly difficult. In veterinary medicine, evidence implicating vaccines in triggering immune-mediated and other chronic disorders (vaccinosis) is compelling. While some of these problems have been traced to contaminated or poorly attenuated batches of vaccine that revert to virulence, others apparently reflect the host’s genetic predisposition to react adversely upon receiving the single (monovalent) or multiple antigen “combo” (polyvalent) products given routinely to animals. Animals of certain susceptible breeds or families appear to be at increased risk for severe and lingering adverse reactions to vaccines.

The onset of adverse reactions to conventional vaccinations (or other inciting drugs, chemicals, or infectious agents) can be an immediate hypersensitivity or anaphylactic reaction, or can occur acutely (24-48 hours afterwards), or later on (10-45 days) in a delayed type immune response often caused by immune-complex formation. Typical signs of adverse immune reactions include fever, stiffness, sore joints and abdominal tenderness, susceptibility to infections, central and peripheral nervous system disorders or inflammation, collapse with autoagglutinated red blood cells and jaundice, or generalized pinpoint hemorrhages or bruises. Liver enzymes may be markedly elevated, and liver or kidney failure may accompany bone marrow suppression. Furthermore, recent vaccination of genetically susceptible breeds has been associated with transient seizures in puppies and adult dogs, as well as a variety of autoimmune diseases including those affecting the blood, endocrine organs, joints, skin and mucosa, central nervous system, eyes, muscles, liver, kidneys, and bowel. It is postulated that an underlying genetic predisposition to these conditions places other littermates and close relatives at increased risk. Vaccination of pet and research dogs with polyvalent vaccines containing rabies virus or rabies vaccine alone was recently shown to induce production of antithyroglobulin autoantibodies, a provocative and important finding with implications for the subsequent development of hypothyroidism (Scott-Moncrieff et al, 2002).

Vaccination also can overwhelm the immunocompromised or even healthy host that is repeatedly challenged with other environmental stimuli and is genetically predisposed to react adversely upon viral exposure. The recently weaned young puppy or kitten entering a new environment is at greater risk here, as its relatively immature immune system can be temporarily or more permanently harmed. Consequences in later life may be the increased susceptibility to chronic debilitating diseases.

W. Jean Dodds, DVM
938 Stanford Street
Santa Monica, CA 90403

The article is rather long, but I suggest taking a few minutes to go read the rest at ItsForTheAnimals. If you’ve been questioning your vet about over vaccinating this is a great article to print out and bring with you on your next visit.

I want to thank Mr. Henry and his mom for making me aware of some very important information.

There are five surprising foods that can be harmful to dogs that many people don’t know about.

Mr. Henry wanted to make sure all his Dogster pals stay healthy, his mom has a blog and posted this great advice.

There are several natural and seemingly healthy human foods are also harmful-even toxic-to dogs. So before you head to the kitchen to whip up fresh batch of canine casserole, read on to discover five surprising foods that are toxic to dogs.

Garlic & Onion: Though treated as a health food and often taken in supplement form by humans, garlic (along with its alliaceae cousins onions and leeks) is toxic-sometimes deadly-for pets, with reactions ranging from stomach damage to acute dermatitis to asthmatic attacks. Pets By Nature reports the story of a Pennsylvania woman who lost her Newfoundland to garlic poisoning: “Within two weeks of feeding a popular garlic supplement available at most pet stores and over the Internet, her Newfoundland developed a bleeding ulcer and perforated intestine.” The dog did not survive.

Grapes & Raisins: While not as toxic as members of the onion family, consumption of grapes and raisins can cause vomiting, dehydration and, in large quantities, kidney failure. The exact toxin present in grapes is not known, but scientists have established that both commercially and privately cultivated grapes, as well as raisins, present a risk.

Avocado: According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), avocado leaves, fruit, seeds and bark contain a toxic substance called Persin, which can cause vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal unpleasantness in dogs. While a medium-sized dog would have to consume a substantial quantity of avocado (picture a big bowl of guacamole) to become seriously ill, even a little bit is enough to cause an upset tummy.

Macadamia Nuts: Not widely consumed outside of Hawaii, macadamia nuts pose a stealth risk to canine health. The nuts can cause macadamia nut toxicosis, resulting in soreness, stiffness, and listlessness, according to Working Dog Magazine. The condition usually passes in 48 hours, but can lead to shock in severe cases.

Nutmeg: This popular spice, commonly used to season cakes, vegetables and even lasagna, should never be found on your dog’s dinner plate. Nutmeg, which has mild hallucinogenic properties, can cause seizures, tremors, central nervous system problems in dogs. In severe cases, shock and death have been reported.

Looking for Fido friendly snacks?  Grab your leash and run on over to read about some healthy foods that can be added to your dog’s diet.

* The picture above is Tank, he knows the importance of healthy snacks.

In Riviera Beach, FL a 70 year-old-woman was injured and three dogs killed when attacked by bees living at a vacant house.

Nancy J. Hill stepped outside her Dorado Drive home at about 4:30 p.m. Friday to walk her two dachshunds.

She made it 15 feet from the door when the bees swarmed her, then killed the 7-year-old dogs, Hill’s husband Brian said.

“They were out to hurt seriously,” said Brian Hill, who was stung a couple of times himself. “It wasn’t a question of physical size. These guys were really powerful.”

Palm Beach County Animal Control said Friday that the bees also stung two pit bills, killing one and sending the other to the hospital.

Pest control workers destroyed the hive,  officials are waiting  for lab reports to determine if they were Africanized “killer” bees.  That’s a scary story, I’l glad the woman will be fine.

* There was no picture with the story, the beauty above is Dogster member JackieLou.

Important information regarding a recall on Hartz Chicken Basted Chews due to potential salmonella  contamination.

The Hartz Mountain Corporation has voluntarily recalled a specific lot of its Hartz chicken-basted rawhide chips for dogs due to concerns that one or more bags within the lot are potentially contaminated with Salmonella.

The company announced the recall Friday, saying the two-pound plastic bags of chips with lot code JC23282, UPC number 3270096463 were distributed to a national retail customer it did not identify.

Hartz said the normal testing it conducts through an independent outside laboratory did not detect the presence of Salmonella in any of its rawhide products, but sample testing conducted by another laboratory did indicate the presence of the bacteria in a single bag of the chicken-basted rawhide chips.

Salmonella can cause serious infections in dogs and if there is cross-contamination caused by handling of the rawhide chips in people as well, especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems.

Hartz is investigating the difference in test results and the potential source of the problem. It said there have been no reports of any animals or humans becoming ill. (Newsday)

If you have this product at home please check the lot number and take appropriate action.

While technology is great, according to a new survey in Britain it can be dangerous to our pets health. The survey was done by Petplan using 3,000 animal owners.

It found that a number of pet owners are unwilling to take responsibility for an accident, saying the animal was the cause. Over a third blamed the pet for eating something it shouldn’t have, another third blamed their animals for getting hurt while jumping off furniture.

A number of strange incidents were revealed through the survey. There was a cat who singed her whiskers when sniffing a candle and a dog who swallowed a pair of knickers.

The survey also included owners of guinea pigs, rabbits, reptiles, birds and cats.  All of whom are potentially at risk from 21st century toys.

Top 10 Gadgets Most Likely To Injure Pets

1. iPod (15 per cent)

2. Laptop (10.8 per cent)

3. Remote Control (10.8 per cent)

4. Plasma TV (10.8 per cent)

5. Wii (10 per cent)

6. DVD Player (10 per cent)

7. Playstation (8.3 per cent)

8. Nintendo DS (5.8 per cent)

9. Mobile Phone (5.8 per cent)

10. Karaoke Machine (5.8 per cent)

Interesting, but the article doesn’t say exactly how these items caused injury.  It does make one wonder how a pet is injured by a karaoke machine, maybe the owner’s singing was the cause.

A lot of Dogsters have left comments on the articles I posted having to do with pet food product recalls.  Lately there have been more and more comments concerning grain mites. Many aren’t sure where to report a complaint, the FDA has a page with contact numbers for every state.

To report adverse reactions or other problems with FDA-regulated products, contact the FDA district office consumer complaint coordinator for your geographic area.

Stop by their site to get the full list of contact numbers.  Definitely a list to keep handy in case a problem arises.

I received a message about a potential danger concerning the “Real Ham Bone” made by Dynamic Pet Products.

I have not been able to find any recall of this product, or any information for that matter.  Regardless, this is definitely something you’ll want to be aware of.

I would like to warn all dog lovers out there to be very careful about the dog treats that you give your dogs. Last week I bought a “Real Ham Bone” made by Dynamic Pet Products of Missouri from Walmart.

Here is what it looks like: . The label says it is made with “100% Food Grade Ingredients” and it isn’t made from China. I thought that meant that this would make a good treat for my dogs. Boy was I wrong.

Trace, my dog, enjoyed chewing on this bone. It did not splinter or anything, in fact there is quite a large piece of it still left. Then in the evening she started vomiting.

She spent the next day at a veterinarian’ s office where she was diagnosed with a blockage of the colon. That night she endured a 4 hour surgery at Brandon Veterinary Specialists where the vet picked out small round pellets of the bone, up to the size of about a b-b.

The next morning she was moved to Florida Veterinary Specialist critical care unit. Again in the evening she had another 2 hour surgery, because the blockage had caused poison in her body. She passed away at 4:30 the next afternoon.

Everyone who hears this horrible story immediately says “Well that sounds like a lawsuit to me”. That is what I thought also. Since then, I have learned that is not that easy to sue on behalf of a dog.

The lawyers say a dog is a possession just like a couch. So, so far, all I have been able to do is write a certified letter to Dynamic Pet Products of Missouri.

In it I requested my vet bills to be paid and their product to be relabeled or preferably removed from the shelf. I don’t know if I will get a response. If anyone else has any ideas about how I may address this issue, please let me know at djurgens12@aol. com.

In the memory of Trace, please pass this email on to all of the dog lovers that you know. This type of bone is sold in all of the stores under several different manufacturers names. I would assume they all may do the same thing. Even if they don’t splinter, they can cause a blockage.

I would like to pass on my condolences to Trace’s owner, and thank them for sharing this tragic story to help prevent it from happening again.

Most of us who have boarded our dogs have, at one time or another, dealt with kennel  cough.  According to local veterinarians, in the Winnetka (IL) area, kennel cough has been on the rise this summer and fall.

Kennel cough is an upper respiratory illness caused primarily by a bacteria called Bordetella bronchiseptica. However, kennel cough can also be caused by viruses, such as canine distemper, canine adenovirus, canine parainfluenza virus, or canine respiratory coronavirus. Kennel cough is marked by a severe chronic cough, usually dry and hacking, sometimes with nasal discharge. Sometimes there’s a fever associated with the cough.

It’s highly contagious and is spread through the air by dogs coughing or sneezing near other dogs, such as in a kennel, pet store, shelter, grooming facility or doggy daycare. It can be treated with antibiotics and cough suppressants. Vaccination can prevent some strains of it.

However, not all of the cases turned out to be kennel cough. They’re actually a dog flu, a more serious viral infection.

Dog flu, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, is caused by the same virus that causes equine influenza. Greyhounds at a track in Florida were the first to be diagnosed in 2004, and cases have been turning up in other states since then, including Illinois this summer. It’s spread the same way as kennel cough.

Symptoms of mild dog flu are the same as kennel cough, such as either a dry, hacking cough or a moist cough, which last 10 to 30 days, according to the AVMA.

But, severe dog flu, according to the association, can lead to death. Symptoms of severe dog flu include a high fever, trouble breathing and pneumonia. Pneumonia may also be caused by a secondary bacterial infection, according to the AVMA.

All dogs exposed to it will become infected, according to the AVMA, with 80 percent developing clinical signs. However, according to the association, the other 20 percent, although not showing signs, can still spread it.

Unlike kennel cough, there isn’t a vaccine for dog flu. Although antibiotics don’t work against viruses, they’re being prescribed anyway to help fight off the bacterial infections.

I received an email this morning warning the Swifter WetJet is potentially toxic to dogs.  The email tells about a dog that died due to their owner using this product. It claims anti-freeze, known to be toxic to dogs, is one of the ingredients.

Before I post anything I always try and verify the information,  sometimes it turns out to be  unfounded. I don’t know where the original letter started, or if it was done as a joke, but there seems to be no factual evidence backing it up.

Unfortunately, the rumor spreads quickly around the internet. These types of jokes prey on the feelings of honest people, knowing they can be used to help get the word out.

This is the original letter that is going around the internet.

Recently my neighbor had to have their 5-year old German Shepherd dog put down due to liver failure.The dog was completely healthy until a few weeks ago,so they had a necropsy done to see what the cause was.

The liver levels were unbelievable, as if the dog had ingested poison of some kind. The dog is kept inside,and when he’s outside, someones with him, so the idea of him getting into something unknown was hard to believe.

My neighbor started going through all the items in the house. When he got to the Swiffer Wetjet he noticed, in very tiny print, a warning which stated “may be harmful to small children and animals”.

He called the company to ask what the contents of the cleaning agent are and was astounded to find out that antifreeze is one of the ingredients (actually, he was told it’s a compound which is one molecule away from antifreeze).

Therefore, just by the dog walking on the floor cleaned with the solution, then licking its paws, it ingested enough of the solution to destroy his liver.

Soon after his dog’s death, his housekeepers’ two cats also died of liver failure. She also used the Swiffer Wetjet for quick cleanups on her floors. Necropsies weren’t done on the cats, but he asked that we spread the word to as many people as possible so they don’t lose their animals.

This is an anonymous message, it’s unverifiable and filled with untruths.  Go take a look at the snopes.com site, where they did a great job of going through each accusation and breaking it down.  As you’ll see, there does not seem to be any truth to this letter.

I know many Dogsters have had questions regarding this recall, here is the latest update:

Mars Petcare US Issues Voluntary Recall of Everson, PA Plant Dry Pet Food Product due to Potential Salmonella Contamination

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - FANKLIN, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 12, 2008 - TODAY, MARS PETCARE US ANNOUNCED A VOLUNTARY RECALL OF PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED AT ITS EVERSON, PENNSYLVANIA FACILITY. THE PET FOOD IS BEING VOLUNTARILY RECALLED BECAUSE OF POTENTIAL CONTAMINATION WITH SALMONELLA SEROTYPESCHWARZENGRUND. THIS VOLUNTARY RECALL ONLY AFFECTS THE UNITED STATES. 

SALMONELLA CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INFECTIONS IN DOGS AND CATS, AND, IF THERE IS CROSS CONTAMINATION CAUSED BY HANDLING OF THE PET FOOD, IN PEOPLE AS WELL, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN, THE AGED, AND PEOPLE WITH COMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEMS.  HEALTHY PEOPLE POTENTIALLY INFECTED WITH SALMONELLA SHOULD MONITOR THEMSELVES FOR SOME OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS: NAUSEA, VOMITING, DIARRHEA OR BLOODY DIARRHEA, ABDOMINAL CRAMPING AND FEVER. ON RARE OCCASIONS, SALMONELLA CAN RESULT IN MORE SERIOUS AILMENTS, INCLUDING ARTERIAL INFECTIONS, ENDOCARDITIS, ARTHRITIS, MUSCLE PAIN, EYE IRRITATION, AND URINARY TRACT SYMPTOMS. CONSUMERS EXHIBITING THESE SIGNS AFTER HAVING CONTACT WITH THIS PRODUCT SHOULD CONTACT THEIR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS.

PETS WITH SALMONELLA INFECTIONS MAY BE LETHARGIC AND HAVE DIARRHEA OR BLOODY DIARRHEA, FEVER, AND VOMITING. SOME PETS WILL HAVE ONLY DECREASED APPETITE, FEVER AND ABDOMINAL PAIN.  ANIMALS CAN BE CARRIERS WITH NO VISIBLE SYMPTOMS AND CAN POTENTIALLY INFECT OTHER ANIMALS OR HUMANS. IF YOUR PET HAS CONSUMED THE RECALLED PRODUCT AND HAS THESE SYMPTOMS, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR VETERINARIAN.

Please go read all the information to make sure you have all the facts. You can also go directly to the Mars site and click on the different food logo’s to see if what you bought is affected.