Keep Pets Safe Around Easter

The Oregon Veterinary Medical Association warns that Easter lilies are incredibly toxic to cats causing kidney failure if ingested.  All parts of the plant are poisonous—including the pollen they lick off their own fur.  There is no cure, so it’s important you get your cat to a vet if you suspect ingestion of any of the plant.  Early signs of poisoning are vomiting, loss of appetite, lethargy and dehydration.  Tiger lilies, Day lilies and Asiatic lilies are also toxic to cats.

Ingestion of fake Easter grass is another hazard.  It can wrap around the base of the tongue or cause serious intestinal blockage requiring surgery to remove.

Of course, chocolate is another hazard, with darker chocolate being more hazardous.  If you suspect your pet has eaten any of these things, contact your vet or if you’re in North America, the Pet Poison Helpline:  1-800-213-6680

Podcast Episode 104: Adopting An Adult Pet

Here’s Episode 104 – Adopting An Adult Pet:

Find out why adopting an adult cat or dog, rather than a kitten or puppy, might be right for you

Click below to play.

You can listen to it here and or on iTunes.  We also have an RSS feed you can subscribe to if you use an RSS reader.

And check out the posts on Reasons to Adopt An Adult Cat and Reasons to Adopt An Adult Dog.

Friday Fun: Cat Yoga With Shorty

Shorty the cat has got some stellar moves, though at times, I’m not sure she’s staying in the moment.

And here’s how Shorty calms down after a big batch of butt-flinging crazy.

Participate In Megaesophagus Research Project

Hey!  You can help further the research into finding the genetic marker for megaesophagus.  If your dog was diagnosed with megaesopgagus before 1 year of age, you can help by sending in a sample of his DNA.  You’ll need to request a kit busing the contact information in the link. You don’t need to be in the US to participate.  The study is headed up by Leigh Anne Clark Ph.D out of Clemson University.

Check this post to find out more about megaesophagus, where to get support, Bailey chairs, etc.

Vaccine For Cat Allergies

This is pretty nifty!  Researchers have developed a vaccine for people allergic to cats. It uses a synthetic version of the protein in cats’ saliva that is deposited on their fur when they groom.

The study found:

In a clinical trial, 88 patients were injected with the vaccine or a placebo and the researchers found that the product led to a 40 per cent reduction in effects on their skin that develop several hours after contact with a cat.

This was said to be the same effect that would be achieved with a year’s worth of traditional allergy vaccines, and prevented symptoms developing “for a prolonged period”.