Pet friendly: Northeast Animal Shelter moves to larger space
By Kristin D’Agostino/kdagosti@cnc.com

“Push!” two women shout as Hazel May crouches with tail in the air, struggling to bring her ninth puppy into the world.

The amber-colored stray collie arrived pregnant at the Northeast Animal Shelter last week and she’s been treated like a celebrity ever since. Her labor pains began last night, says Michelle Briand, 33, the kennel manager who has been here with her since 6:30 a.m. when the dog began going into labor.

“I rushed right over,” Briand says. “She shouldn’t be left alone. I offered her water and support and she was really happy to see me.”

If Hazel May had come to the shelter two months ago, she would have been turned away because she was pregnant. The animal shelter moved on May 22 from a tiny basement space on Highland Avenue into a former Honda dealership down the street that offers literally 10 times the space. For the first time in their 32-year history, they can accommodate pregnant animals.

“Before we didn’t have the space for it,” director Laurie McCannon says. “We’d rush the dog off to foster care.”

In between pushes, Hazel May sprawls out in the corner of her stall in a windowed room that bears resemblance to a hospital’s maternity ward. Staff peer in the windows and point and smile at her crop of nursing babies.

It’s not just Hazel who’s reaping the benefits of more space. Just a couple rooms over, Crackers, a black and white cat, is enjoying a leisurely stroll around his new digs in a 10-by-8 foot room complete with a small sofa and two climbing posts. At the old shelter, Crackers — who was found abandoned in an old apartment — was prone to moodiness and bad behavior.

“He was cranky and would scratch people,” McCannon says. Here in one of two new cat “community” rooms where he’s allowed to roam free, Cracker has become much more relaxed. Sure, he shares the space with six other cats, but now his time in the shelter feel less like a prison sentence and more like a night out with the boys.

The community rooms are just one attempt at improving the animals’ quality of life — a stroll through the shelter reveals many others. In one room about 50 caged cats doze and stretch to the sound of opera music piped in through the shelter’s new speaker system, an effort to help relax the animals. They seem to like it, McCannon says, though the real mood enhancer is no longer having to share their room with barking dogs.

Since moving, “there is a noticeable change in their behavior,” McCannon says. To read more of this article visithttp://www.wickedlocal.com

The Northeast Animal Shelter will celebrate the move to its new home with a special grand opening at the new location, 347 Highland Ave., Sunday, June 29 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Special activities include an auction, featuring gifts and services from local businesses. The silent auction runs 2-4 p.m. with winners announced at 4:30 p.m. In consideration of shelter residents, visitors are asked to leave their own beloved animal companions at home.

Special guided shelter tours include: Up-close-and-personal time with the animals; “Ask the Vet” and “Ask the Trainer,” an opportunity to get questions answered by the experts; Training demonstrations led by local trainers; Face painting; special appearances by favorite TV cartoon characters; raffles and refreshments; and Stuffed Animal Wellness Clinic, in which kids bring a favorite stuffed companion for a checkup by a real veterinarian and receive a personalized wellness certificate.

For information call 978-745-9888 or visit www.northeastanimalshelter.org.

Safety Warning Notification
COMFORTIS® and ivermectin interaction

The Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine and Elanco Animal Health are advising veterinarians that dogs receiving extra-label doses of ivermectin should not receive concurrent treatment with Comfortis® (spinosad) flea preventive and treatment.

For more information, go to this page:www.fda.gov/cvm/CVM_Updates/ComfortisSafety.htm

Ivermectin is sometimes used in the treatment of demodicosis (generalized demodectic mange), and as a wormer or heartworm preventive. Please speak to your vet with any concerns you may have about your own dog and the use of multiple medications.

Jeanie Marie Kraft, L.Ac. is keeping tails wagging on the North Shore of MA in towns such as Marblehead, Swampscott, Salem, Beverly, Peabody, Danvers, Ipswich and more with K9 acupuncture house-calls. FourPawsAcupuncture.com for more information.

Bow wow workout

By Rosie Mestel, Los Angeles Times
Monday, June 2, 2008

LOS ANGELES - It’s not easy doing a standing-up rowing maneuver with a stretchy band while holding on to two leashed dogs, each doing its best to yank your arms from their sockets. But this is what you get on a Bow Wow Workout - and no one in our group seems to be complaining.

On a brisk Sunday morning, nine dogs and 11 humans have made their way to Runyon Canyon Park in Hollywood and are warming up before embarking on a mix of moderately vigorous hiking and strength training (and in my case, repeatedly calling one’s dog to order) that will last one hour and take us on a loop through the park.

Personal trainer Bruce Gilbert, who runs this weekly workout, is here with his border collie Louie. Keith, a dog trainer, is here with bassadore Katsu and black Lab Shoyu.

Marion, from England, didn’t bring a dog - “I always end up with a spare,” she says. This morning she gets landed with arthritic Shelly, a shepherd-collie mix, one of mine.

The air is fresh as we make our way up a dirt trail, green exercise tubing in our hands. The chatter is of law, the high cost of plane flights to Europe and dog acupuncture. Safe inside the canyon, everyone pauses to let dogs off leashes and then assembles, per Gilbert’s instructions, at a set of picnic tables.

“Push-ups!” he yells, and we place our hands on the benches and huff through 15 of them - beginners leaning on tables, intermediates on benches and the fittest of the fit putting his feet on the bench and doing his push-ups from the ground. Then it’s farther up the hill, past oak, eucalyptus, prickly pear and a fan palm or two.

Before the class is done, we’ll have put in one hour of cardio hiking and a range of drills at stations dotted around the park - shoulder presses, arm curls, reverse dips, forward lunges, side kicks - aimed at strengthening different parts of the body. To read the rest of this article click on www.knoxnews.com

HIS encourages businesses to participate in take your dog to work day

Submitted by Katherine Simons

The Humane Society of Indianapolis (HSI) encourages local businesses to participate in Take Your Dog To Work Day on June 20. On that day businesses, animal shelters and pet-care professionals from around the world will work together to better the lives of shelter dogs everywhere and bring awareness to homeless dogs in the community. Thousands of businesses will open their doors to employees’ pets on this day. HSI hopes every central Indiana business will become a true friend of the canine community by helping promote pet adoptions in a positive and proactive way!

First celebrated in 1999, Take Your Dog To Work Day was created by Pet Sitters International to celebrate the great companions dogs make and to encourage their adoption from humane societies, animal shelters and breed rescue groups. This annual event encourages employers to experience the value of pets in their workplace for this one special day. Take Your Dog To Work Day is sponsored by Modern Dog Magazine and Comfort Zone.

According to a 2006 survey by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, nearly one in five companies allows pets in the workplace. According to the survey, millions of employees felt that pets in the workplace led to a more creative environment, decreased absenteeism, improved productivity and helped co-workers get along better. Other studies show that pets in the workplace boost employee morale, productivity and even sales!”

To read the rest of this article click on indystar.com

From chocolate to raisins, here’s what not to feed Fido — even if he begs

It feels good to treat your pet to human food every once in a while. Those puppy-dog eyes are hard to resist as they watch you eat and try to convince you that they are starving! It makes you want to give them a taste of everything you eat. But beware: Giving in to those eyes and giving dogs human foods can actually harm them.

In 2007, the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center received more than 130,000 calls. Most cases of animal poisoning were caused by common human foods and household items.

Many foods we enjoy can be dangerous to animals. It’s best to stick to pet food and a diet recommended by your vet. Here are a few of the most toxic foods that can harm your pet:

Bad news foods
Avocados
They contain a toxic component called persin, which can damage heart, lung and other tissue in many animals. This fruit is very toxic to dogs, cats and most animals.

Beer
Alcoholic beverages can cause the same damage to an animal’s liver and brain as they cause in humans. But the effects can be deadly on animals since they are much smaller than us. The smaller the animal, the more deadly the effects can be. Even a small amount of alcohol may cause vomiting and damage the liver and brain.

Nuts
Walnuts and macadamia nuts are especially toxic. Effects can be anything from vomiting to paralysis to death. Within 12 hours of eating the nuts, pets start to develop symptoms such as an inability to stand or walk, vomiting, hyperthermia (elevated body temperature), weakness, and an elevated heart rate. These symptoms can be even worse if your dog eats some chocolate with the nuts. The effect can cause kidney failure, often leading to death.

Chocolate
Chocolate contains theobromine, which can kill your pet if eaten in large quantities. Dark and unsweetened baking chocolates are especially dangerous. Giving your pup a piece of chocolate cake or even letting him lick the chocolate icing on the cake could cause him to become ill. Theobromine can also cause a dog or cat’s heart to beat very rapidly or irregularly, which could result in death if the pet is exercising or overly active.

Candy
Candy or anything containing Xylitol (a common sweetener found in some diet products) can cause a sudden drop in an animal’s blood sugar, loss of coordination and seizures. If left untreated, the animal could die.

Caffeine
Coffee, tea or any product that contains caffeine stimulates an animal’s central nervous and cardiac systems. This can lead to restlessness, heart palpitations and death, depending on how much the animal consumes.

Grapes and raisins
Grapes and raisins can lead to kidney failure in dogs. As little as a single serving of raisins can kill them. And the effects are cumulative, which means that even if a dog eats just one or two grapes or raisins regularly, the toxin that builds in his system will eventually kill him.

Onions
Onions are another common food that can be highly toxic to pets. They can destroy an animal’s red blood cells and lead to anemia, weakness and breathing difficulties. Their effects are also cumulative over time.
Click on msnbc.com to read more of this article.

April 23, 2008 — From Scientific American

WASHINGTON - U.S. makers of pet food and all other animal feed will be prevented from using certain materials from cattle at the greatest risk for spreading mad cow disease under a rule that regulators finalized on Wednesday.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which oversees animal feed, said excluding high-risk materials from cattle 30 months of age or older from all animal feed will prevent any accidental cross-contamination between ruminant feed (intended for animals such as cattle) and non-ruminant feed or feed ingredients.

The new rule takes effect in April, 2009.

Contamination could occur during manufacture, transport or through the accidental misfeeding of non-ruminant feed to ruminant animals.

Canada and the United States banned the inclusion of protein from cows and other ruminant animals such as goats and sheep in cattle feed in 1997, following a mad cow outbreak in Britain.

The measure issued today finalizes a proposed rule opened for public comment in October 2005. It goes into effect on April 23, 2009.

The major U.S. safeguards against mad cow disease are the feed ban, a prohibition against slaughtering most “downer” cattle — animals too sick to walk on their own — for human food, and a requirement for meatpackers to remove from carcasses the brains, spinal cords and other parts most likely to contain the malformed proteins blamed for the disease.

Mad cow disease is a fatal, brain-wasting disease believed to be spread by contaminated feed. People can contract a human version of the disease, know as Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, or vCJD, which scientists believe can be spread by eating contaminated parts from an infected animal.

The United States has found three cases of mad cow disease, including the first one detected in December of 2003. Soon after, U.S. beef exports were virtually halted. U.S. official have been slowly working to resume beef shipments.

FDA bans certain cattle parts from all animal feed………..
To read the entire story, click Here

Toxic chemicals found in dogs, cats, study finds
By Doug Oakley
East Bay Daily News
Article Launched: 04/17/2008 08:27:40 PM PDT

Fire retardants, mercury and stain-proof coatings are just some of the chemicals found in the bodies of live dogs and cats in a new study by an environmental group pushing for more regulation.

The chemicals could point to an increase in cancer and hyperthyroidism in cats and dogs, according to the Environmental Working Group, which released the study at a news conference in Berkeley on Thursday.

The group tested blood and urine from 20 dogs and 37 cats in a Virginia veterinary clinic. It found 48 industrial chemicals were present.

The pets likely ingested the chemicals because they live close to floors and lick the ground and their paws, the group said. Infants and toddlers also are close to the ground and put things in their mouths, which puts them at the same kind of risk as cats and dogs, the group said.

That scenario underscores the need for state and federal legislation requiring proof that chemicals are safe before putting them in consumer products, said Bill Walker, vice president of the group’s West Coast operations.

“We need a better system of regulating toxic chemicals in this country,” Walker said. “We need to test the chemicals before they are allowed on the market. Our animals are trying to tell us something here.”

Gary Richter, a veterinarian at Montclair Veterinary Hospital in Oakland who attended the news conference, said he is worried about household chemicals and their effects on pets.

“There’s been an increase in cancer in dogs and cats and hyperthyroidism in cats,” Richter said. “Household toxins are concerning. We hope the research community can determine if the causes are environmental.”

Richter said the high number of cases of cancer and hyperthyroidism in pets can be attributed to better diagnosing of the illnesses. The fact that cats and dogs are living longer means they get more diseases as a result, he added.

Kendra Borja, a spokeswoman for the American Chemistry Council, which represents chemical manufacturers, said she had not seen the animal study, but said tests of chemicals in humans can be misleading without some context.

To read the rest of this article visit mercurynews.com

More than 4 million tons of dog poop is collected each year. Dog waste is thought to be third or fourth on the list of contributors to bacteria in contaminated waters. Yuck! (One more reason for you or your pets not to drink tap water.)

What can you do help? First, always pick up after your dog. But what do you put it in? Most people like to use the plastic bags that come from grocery stores. Unfortunately these bags are not biodegradable, becoming something that our great grandchildren will still be finding. It would be better to bring your own canvas totes to the grocery store and skip using their plastic bags at all. Many stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joes now sell reusable grocery totes for a mere dollar.

Back to the problem of where to put your dog poop. I never thought I would be suggesting this in a blog, but there is a solution: 100% biodegradable dog poop bags are now available.

For more information on dog poop bags, cat box liners and other environmental friendly pet products check out the Poop Bag website.

www.poopbags.com

Tune in Friday April 4, 2008

Thanks to Oprah Winfrey, the cruelty of puppy mills is being brought into the spotlight.

“The Oprah Winfrey Show” on April 4 shows how buying a purebred or trendy mixed-breed puppy at a pet store or Internet site often supports a cruel industry.

That’s because many of these pets are from puppy mills — large-scale operations that force “breeder dogs” to produce litter after litter to support consumer demand for puppies. The puppies themselves are prone to a variety of illnesses. Some die within days or weeks of purchase.

Click on Oprah’s website to find out when Oprah is on in your area www.oprah.com

You can help stop this suffering. Please visit the Humane Society website and sign the petition.
stoppuppymills