Monthly Archive for June, 2011

Keep Your Pets Calm For The 4th Of July

In addition to these suggestions for keeping your pets safe around fireworks, there are a number of things you can try that can help lower your pet’s level of anxiety this 4th of July and during other stressful times.  Check out these products & techniques for keeping your pets calm—some of them might be new to you.


  1. Try calming supplements like:
  2. pheromone products like D.A.P., Feliway, Pet-Ease, etc. and can come in sprays, diffusers, & collars
  3. get an Anxiety Wrap or Thunder Shirt which use pressure to calm your pup—we use a child’s t-shirt that fits our dog Saffron tightly
  4. cd from Through A Dog’s Ear—specially arranged music developed by psychoacoustic expert Joshua Leeds and veterinary neurologist Susan Wagner, which I know sounds awfully “woo-woo”, but you can find out more about psychoacoustic studies and the field of psychoacoustics.  You can listen to samples and download some for free. (via FullVetted)
  5. try:
  6. see your veterinarian for anti-anxiety medication specifically for your pet

Recall: Cat Food

Nestle Purina is recalling cat food due to possible salmonella contamination.

The products included are:

  • Cat Chow Naturals Dry Cat Food, 6.3 lb., Best by AUG 2012, Production Code 10331083 13 , UPC 17800 11320
  • Friskies Grillers Blend Dry Cat Food, 3.15 lb., Best by AUG 2012, Production Code 10381083 06, UPC 50000 08450
  • Friskies Grillers Blend Dry Cat Food, 16 lb., Best by AUG 2012, Production Code 10381083 06, UPC 50000 57578

For a refund, call 1-800-982-6559 weekdays 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central Time, or visit www.purina.com.

What you need to know about Salmonella

Salmonella can cause serious illness in cats and dogs and cross-contamination to humans is possible resulting in serious illness.

Fireworks & Your Pets’ Safety

Unless they just let their animals roam, most people don’t expect to lose their pets.  So any lost-pet posters you see and any pets you see running loose who clearly have a family, belong to someone who didn’t think their pet would get lost—meaning those pets belong to someone like you and me, someone who thought their pets were safe & protected.  Most of us can probably do more to protect our animals, but this is especially important around holidays with fireworks.

The days following the 4th of July in the U.S. are very busy for animal shelters and tons of lost posters go up for cats and dogs.  Some shelters even stay open for holiday so people can retrieve their pets that escape.

Most cats seem to respond to fireworks by hiding, but they are still at risk for bolting in a panic.  Dogs are also at great risk of escaping, but they may also respond to their fear with destruction or even aggression.

If your pet panics and runs away, this very thorough article has excellent advice, including putting out items scented strongly with your smells and your pet’s like your dirty clothes and your pets bedding or your cat’s litterbox.  Here are more good tips from a pet detective on finding your lost pet. Post lost notices on Craigslist, your neighborhood blogs, Petfinder, and Pets911.com.  Be sure to watch out for scams.

Keep your pets safe:

  1. don’t take you dog to fireworks shows
  2. keep your pets inside, DO NOT leave them outside, even if you fear they may damage your home
  3. don’t leave your pets alone
  4. if you have to leave them alone, do not leave them where they can destroy things and possibly escape or harm themselves
  5. DO NOT leave them chain or tied anywhere—it can lead to strangulation if you dog panics
  6. make sure your cats & dogs have on their collar & tags, are micro-chipped & that their info. is current
  7. close all exterior doors, windows, and pet doors
  8. take your dog on a long walk early in the day to help expend some energy
  9. if you have a sensitive dog, keep her on a leash at all times while she’s outside for walks or to potty, even if you’re not near a fireworks show and even if you’re in your yard or neighborhood—panicked dogs can jump over tall fences and burst through gates they normally could not get over or through
  10. if fireworks go off unexpectedly and your dog panics, get her to any enclosed space
  11. consider feeding your dog well before evening—food can help make him sleepy
  12. don’t leave matches/fireworks lying around—it could lead to heavy metal poisoning
  13. don’t set off fireworks with dog around—it could lead to burns and serious injury
  14. don’t leave your dog in a car
  15. if your dog is already crate trained she may feel safest in her crate
  16. allow your pets access to the inner-most room of your house, provide blankets to burrow under, etc.
  17. play music or the radio
  18. remember a terrified cat or dog can behave out of character, don’t push their limits

Recalls & Warnings: Pet Shampoo, Pig Ears, Cat Food, Chicken Jerky, Pet 1st Aid Kits

Catching you up on recalls and there are a ton.

Pet shampoo

Use of Douxo Seborrhea Shampoo for dogs & cats is a risk to humans.  One woman has died from a severe asthma attack while bathing her dog with this product.  A 2nd family member also had an asthma attack days later while bathing dog with the shampoo, but recovered.

The FDA has information on how to report an adverse reaction to a pet product.

 

Pig ears


Bravo is recalling one lot of their Oven-Roasted Pig Ears due to possible salmonella contamination after a  routine sampling program by the Washington State Department of Agriculture found salmonella.  Return product to point of purchase for refund.

  • Bravo! 50-count bulk Oven-Roasted Pig Ears (Lot # 12-06-10)

________________________________________________________

Boss is recalling their Diggers Natural Treat Pig Ears after their supplier, Keys Manufacturing Company, notified them of positive tests for salmonella.  Return product to point of purchase for a refund.

FDA page with details on Boss recall.

  • Bulk Pig Ears in boxes of 100 (UPC #0-72929-00038-6)
  • Bulk Pig Ears Shrink Wrapped in boxes of 50 (UPC #0-72929-99120-2)
  • 2-Pack Bags shipped in cases of 12 bags (UPC #0-72929-99504-0)
  • 4-Pack Bags shipped in cases of 12 bags (UPC #0-72929-00227-4)
  • 8-Pack Bags shipped in cases of 12 bags (UPC #0-72929-99584-2)

FDA page with details of Keys recall.

The Keys recall on the supplier side affects 100 count cases packed in cardboard boxes shipped between:

  • Sept. 27-Oct. 6, 2010
  • Nov. 1-Nov. 29, 2010
  • Jan. 3-Jan. 25, 2011

________________________________________________________

Blackman Industries is recalling Primetime Brand Premium Pig Ears and KC Beefhide Brand Premium Pig Ears.

PrimeTime brand 2 ct. and 5 ct. Premium Pig Ears and all KC Beefhide brand 20 ct.

PrimeTime products with UPC codes:

  • 7-48976-18316-6 on a 2 ct. package
  • 7-48976-09040-2, on a 5 ct. package
  • 7-48976-19040-9 on a 5 ct. package

KC Beefhide product: UPC code 7-48976-09065-5

FDA page with details on PrimeTime and KC Beefhide recall.

 

Cat food


Primal Pet Foods is recalling their raw, frozen Feline Chicken & Salmon Formula nuggets in 4 lb bags due to possible salmonella contamination.

  • (UPC# 8 95135 00025 0) with a “Best By” date code of 043112-17

Primal Foods has information on how to get a refund.

FDA page with details on Primal Pet Foods recall.

What you need to know about Salmonella

Salmonella can cause serious illness in cats and dogs and cross-contamination to humans is possible resulting in serious illness.

 

Chicken jerky


The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association has notified the American Veterinary Medical Association that they are seeing the onset of a Fanconi Syndrome-like disease in dogs who consumed chicken jerky made in China.  There aren’t any recalls linked to this at this time.  This isn’t the first time there’s been this type of problem with chicken jerky made in China—it happened in 2007 & 2008.

Find out more about Fanconi syndrome.

 

Pet 1st Aid Kits

Triad Group extended its recall of alcohol and iodine prep pads due to possible Bacillus cereus and Elizabethkingia menigoseptica contamianation.

Recall due to Alcohol prep pads includes all lot numbers of:

  • Creative Pet Products’ Sporting Dog Kit
  • Sporting Dog II Kit
  • Horse Aid Kit
  • K9 First Aid Police and Military Kit

Recall due to iodine prep pads includes lot numbers starting with 8, 9, 0 or 1 for:

  • Horse Aid Kit
  • Sporting Dog Kit
  • Sporting Dog II Kit

FDA page has details on recall of pet 1st aid kits.

Friday Fun: Simon’s Cat Hidden Treasure

Enjoy!

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