In April 2008 Joy was made aware, by Lucky’s mom, about an incident that occurred after using Sergeant’s Gold flea medication.   Joy posted an article, Sergeant’s Gold Flea Medication Almost Kills Dogsters Lucky and Nala, to make everyone aware of the potential danger.

Since that article was posted there have many comments from other Dogster members who have used this product and experienced issues, from minor to life-threatening.  Last week a comment came in from Julie, an Online Community Relations Liaison, working on behalf of Sergeant’s with some updated information as to what the company is doing in response to these complaints.

Sergeant’s is very sorry to hear about what all of your dogs have experienced. We really want to hear from each one of you who believes their pet has had an adverse reaction to any of our flea and tick control products. If you haven’t yet contacted our 24-hour consumer hotline at 800-224-7387, we strongly encourage you to do so for a couple of very important reasons:

• We want to make sure that each one of your dogs is now in good health. Naturally reading these posts are more than bothersome to us.

• Sergeant’s needs to gather information from you and your vet in order to start an investigation. Sergeant’s has a procedure in place where a complaint of a possible adverse reaction is given to a committee of independent veterinarians to review and investigate what may have caused the reaction or problem.

It’s important to remember that all flea and tick control product are pesticides and in order for these products to be as safe and effective as possible, they must be used as directed. It’s also important to understand that, just like human health care products, nothing can be 100% allergy-free, so some dogs will have a reaction. Most reactions are temporary, such as skin irritation, but some can be very serious.

Sergeant’s wants to help pet owners make safe choices, which is why we expanded our “Look at the Label” educational campaign and website www.lookatthelabel.com to educate consumers on proper application and use of flea and tick control products. Each case in this forum - and other forums - is different, which is why we think you will find the information on www.lookatthelabel.com helpful in answering many of the questions you may have at this point in time.

Sergeant’s President, Bob Scharf, wants pet owners to know this tool is available and encourages everyone to visit the website or call Sergeant’s hotline to answer any questions or concerns you may have - whether it is pre, post or after application. You can view a special message here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbONNAshrWo.

We really are very sorry to read the experiences here and want nothing but your pets to be healthy and happy! Visit www.lookatthelabel.com for useful tips. Please let us know if you have any questions at all, as we would be more than happy to assist you further.

When I read the comment I thanked Julie for sending it over. I also let her know that Dogster members, being the dog lovers they are, obviously get very upset when they  use a product that they feel makes their dog sick.

It is especially upsetting when people don’t think that a company cares what happens. I asked if there is any kind of reimbursement program if it can be proven the product is directly responsible for making the dog sick.  Or is it simply use at your own risk? According to Julie, there are measures being taken to deal with those situations.

Sergeant’s has a procedure in place for when a complaint of a possible adverse reaction is reported. In some cases, the complaint and information are given to independent veterinarians for further insight on what may have caused the reaction or problem.

Sergeant’s takes pride in being an extremely ethical company and stands behind all of the products offered to fellow pet lovers. Responsibility is taken for issues related to the product as long as the product was used as indicated by the label.

If the product was used as intended and instructed and then found to be the cause of the negative reaction, the customer will of course be reimbursed for any damage associated to the product.

This again is determined through a case investigation and why it is so important to hear from anyone and everyone that has had a negative experience with this product.

For anyone that has any issues with the Sergeant’s products I urge you to take Julie’s advice and go to the Look At The Label page so you can contact the appropriate party.  It is imperative that the company is able to track these incidents and that the injured party receive compensation, if so determined,  for any out of pocket expenses due to the use of this product.

When Bo was just a pup we took him, one hot summer day, to an ice cream stand to get him his first ice cream cone.  We got him a small vanilla and before we knew what happened he was covered in ice cream.  He dove in face first and had it on his nose, in his nose, and all over his face. I don’t think Lisa and I have ever laughed so hard.

These days you can pick up ice cream for dogs right at your local grocery store.  We’ve bought Frosty Paws before but now I just found out about a woman from Stratham, MA who makes yogurt for dogs.

Thanks to a Stratham woman, dogs are licking up cups of certified USDA organic frozen yogurt made especially for them at an amazing pace. The frozen treat, created by Jody Rodgers, owner of the Barking Dog, a doggie day care with three locations around the state, is called Yöghund.

“I don’t know why someone else didn’t think of it first,” said Rodgers, who first started offering the frozen yogurt to dogs at her doggie day care in late 2006.

The Yöghund company, a combination of the Dutch words for yogurt and dog, was created in 2006. The yogurt can be found in many major stores, including Whole Foods and Hannaford, and comes in 3.5-ounce cups.  The company says their product is more than just a treat, it’s low in calories and high in nutrients.

The Yöghund could be called the dog version of the Activia yogurt marketing to people. The dog yogurt does not have any sugar and was first made in a peanut butter and banana flavor. “We actually create a true yogurt, we ferment it,” she said. “We’ve tried to find things dogs like, plus they have a health benefit.”

The yogurt contains probiotics and prebiotics that aid dogs’ digestion, strengthen the immune system and improve intestinal health. And the dogs lick it up like crazy. “The dogs think it’s fabulous,” Rodgers said. “If a dog is on antibiotics, it’s a great way to establish good flora in the intestines.”

The newest yogurt flavor is a blueberry and vanilla bean mix. The company is working on adding other flavors but Rodgers says “in taste tests the dogs don’t favor a particular flavor,  they ate whichever flavor they get to first.”

I received a message from one of our pup pals, Bailey, about a heartbreaking incident that started with a very innocuous looking toy.  This is the story of Chai, a beautiful 10 year old lab mix. 

 On Sunday, June 22, 2008 my 10-year old lab mix, Chai, sustained a severe injury from a product that the company Four Paws Inc, produces. The toy I’m referencing is the pimple ball with bell. (Item #20227-001, UPC Code 0 4566320227 9)

While chewing on the toy, a vacuum was created and it effectively sucked his tongue into the hole in the ball. From speaking with my vet, this likely occurred because there is not a second hole in the ball preventing the vacuum effect from happening. I became aware of this when Chai approached a friend at my home whimpering with the ball in his mouth. She tried unsuccessfully to remove the ball but the tongue had swollen and could not be released.

Chai was taken to the Animal Medical Center (an emergency care facility in New York City) and was treated by Dr. Nicole Spurlock to have the ball removed. Because the size of the opening on the ball was so small, all circulation to his tongue was cut off. The doctors had to sedate him in order to remove it. Once the ball was removed, his tongue swelled to the point that he could no longer put it in his mouth. Chai was sent home with care instructions and to be observed overnight for any changes.

By the following morning his tongue continued to swell.

He was taken to his regular vet, Dr. Timnah Lee, for treatment. He was admitted and kept sedated for a period of three days during which time they were treating his wounds and waiting to determine how much of his tongue could be saved. On June 26, 2008 Chai had his tongue amputated.

He was kept in after-care for an additional three days. On Sunday June 29th I brought Chai home from the vet with a barrage of home care instructions, to last for an additional 7 days. His next visit was to have his mouth re-examined and have the feeding tube in his neck removed.

The following is a link to an animal treatment clinic that has also documented the same injury to a Shepard mix.

www.logcabinanimalhospital.com/index.php/toy-ball-stuck-on-dogs-tongue/

I sent this information along with the reference to Petunia the french bulldog to Four Paws Inc, and it is their position that there just aren’t enough instances to do anything about this. I told their Insurance company’s case manager that was not a good enough excuse, It was inferred that my dogs value wasn’t much and that his pain and suffering don’t count as he is just a piece of property.

This should never happen to another animal again!

Chai’s owner now has over $5000 in vet bills as well as countless other bills that are  associated with his care.  Please take a minute to read the entire story of Chai so that we can get the word out about the Pimple Ball with bell toy.  If the company refuses to take responsibility for its product then it’s our responsibility, as consumers, to take a stand and protect our innocent pets.

So you’re a gadget geek and you’ve been wondering whether you want to drop some of your hard earned cash on a gps. No not for your car, but for your pet.

Well, I’ve been wondering about getting one too, however Bo can’t outrun a turtle these days so there’s really not much of a need in my household for one of these. Copper isn’t going anywhere, she knows how good she’s got it and Logan, well he’s too fond of our bathroom to be gallivanting around the neighborhood without human supervision. Alas, I don’t have an excuse for getting one these cgps devices.

But you, my friends, may have a few “runners” on your hands and need to know if purchasing one of these doodads is a viable option. Well, the LA Times did a review of two such devices a little ways back that will give you some insight on how these operate, the drawbacks and the cost.

Two companies are making collar-attached models that send a warning if a dog leaves its designated area. The gizmo then gives the animal’s location, allowing you to find it without driving endlessly around the neighborhood, shouting its name.

Looks like technology has solved another one of man’s great problems. Or has it?

In theory, it’s a cool idea. In practice, neither of the devices — Pocketfinder or Zoombak — is quite ready for puppy prime time. And both are rather expensive because of monthly fees

Both devices have a monthly fee of $15 with the Pocketfinder unit itself costing $130 and the Zoombak $200.

It’s a pretty cool idea and will no doubt only get better as the wrinkles are ironed out.

Read the full article to get the detailed the scoop on these devices.

I know I’ll be getting one, as soon as I adopt the next Hairy Houdini.

Febreze, you have to love it. Living with three big furballs has turned my wife into a bit of a fanatic for their product line.  On top of that she’s also a candle nut.

So this blog blurb is for all you other Febreze and candle lovers out there who will be happy to hear of Febreze’s whole new line of pet products.

Febreze, the leading line of home freshening products and a favorite among pooches and purrs, is extending its revolutionary Pet Odor Eliminator technology into a complete pet-friendly collection. Febreze Fabric Refresher and Air Effects Pet Odor Eliminator offerings will be joined this summer by Febreze Candles Pet Odor Eliminator and Febreze NOTICEables Pet Odor Eliminator, delivering breaths of fresh air to pet-loving homes across the country.

Not only do Febreze products smell great but the wonderful company, Proctor and Gamble, are sponsors of Dogster’s Adoption Zone.  Also, some of you may have already seen that they’re giving away free Febreze zealies to share with all your doggie pals.  OK…I’m sure none of you missed seeing that. Let’s face it, it doesn’t get any better than free.

To kick off the Pet Odor Eliminator line, Febreze will be the first to sponsor Dogster.com’s Adoption Zone, continuing its successful partnership with Dogster.com and Catster.com, the fastest-growing pet destinations on the Web. New pet owners in the Dogster and Catster communities will also be encouraged to join a special Febreze group for an exclusive, limited edition Pet Pal Pack. The pack will come complete with a collapsible pet bowl, handy food scoop, food clip and Febreze Pet Odor Eliminator coupons, good for the entire line.

We joined the club a few months back and won one of the original kits they were giving away.  They are now offering a different kit so be sure to go sign up with the Febreze Pet Odor Eliminator Group to enter.

You’ll love it!!

I just ran across this amazing video from the folks at Confetti Cakes. It shows how they ‘cloned’ a living, breathing love machine into a delectable cake for all to enjoy.

This video takes the four days that it took to actually make the cake and condenses it into 4 minutes.  The end result is amazing.

The question I have, and I know many of you will ask the same thing, how much would it cost to have my own ‘buddy’ cake?

If you don’t see the video playing, please click here.

Remember, all you need to do to enter is leave a comment why you want to win a DogPause bowl.  Twenty lucky winners will be selected at random.  Time is up Thursday at midnight (PST), so get typing.

Introducing DogPause, the first dog bowl with proprietary SlowZonesTM and integrated portion control.
You know how you feel when you eat too fast (or eat too much). Same thing with your dog - it’s not healthy for him or her to inhale the food.

A letter from reader Patty Yates about getting answers to something mutt owners have been thinking about for decades:

I recently received a ‘Doggie DNA” results test on Bogey as I was curious as to what breed he really was. I was surprised to learn he was not Chow/Golden Retriever mix but Parson Russell Terrier, Afghan Hound & Chinese Shar-Pei.

I didn’t know if you knew about this wonderful service that EDP Biotech.com provided.

The DNA test would cost approximately $65.

You can also ask your local vet for recommendations on a DNA testing facility for you.

This letter comes at a time when I’ve been thinking about getting a doggie DNA test for Bo. He too is a Chow/Golden mix, or so we believe. You see, he’s stubborn and has to have things his way but always friendly. If that doesn’t say Chow-Golden I don’t know what does, but based on Patty’s story, I may be wrong.

The question I ask myself is “Do I really want to know the results?” What if I find out he has German Shepherd in his background? Will I forever wonder if his great, great, great, grandparents were Nazi sympathizers? Or what if his ancestors dipped into the Chihuahua gene pool? Will I subconsciously start treating him like a lap dog rather than the 65 lb paper weight he truly is?

So many questions, so little time.

I’m anxious to hear others’ experience with DNA testing. Pass along your results in the comments section.

!Danger!  Poo discussion to follow  !Danger!

With three large dogs and a suburban sized back yard, you can imagine the number of landmines I need to navigate around while mowing the lawn. After a quick search of the internet, I think I may have found the solution to my problem.

Enter the Turd Burglar. The name is a bit misleading in that it’s really not about burglarizing any turds. I got plenty of my own, thank you, and can guarantee you that I harbor no deep desire to steal anyone’s turds.

This unique device attaches to the end of a hockey stick (supplied by you) and is designed to get under the poo so it can be flicked to a collection area in the yard.  It could be shot against the fence, sent deep in the back zone of the yard, or maybe even lofted over the fence into the noisy neighbor’s pool or yard.

Use the included game book to set up a Turd Burglar league. Let’s face it, this looks to be a fun way of disposing your pet’s waste. Did I mention it also comes with a practice poopie?

I have to say this sounds much better than my method of cutting the poops in half with my lawn mower.  In fact, I just ordered one and will let you know if it’s as much fun as it sounds.

In the meantime, tell me what fun ways you have for cleaning up your yard?

Security. It’s all the rage in this internet age and can be a thorn in one’s side.

Take for instance the verification code that you have to enter to gain access to a lot of sites, just to prove you aren’t a robot. You know the codes I’m talking about. They’re the ones that are all warped and wavy making it difficult to discern a 0 with an o or an I with a 1.

Now there’s a better solution.

Asirra stands for Animal Species Image Recognition for Restricting Access. Basically it’s an HIP [verification process] that requires you to differentiate photos of cats and dogs, a task that is nearly impossible for even the most sophisticated bots.

The cool thing about this technology isn’t really the technology but the fact that Microsoft Research has partnered with Petfinder.com to serve up pictures of the more than three million photos of cats and dogs available for adoption. A user is required to select all the pictures that are dogs (or cats) in order to gain access to the site. What’s really great is that each picture has a link to the animal’s petfinder.com adoption page. So now you can get verified and help place a pet at the same time!

You can read all about it here or go to the Asirra home page to find out more.