Swine Flu Little Risk to Cats and Dogs

Press Release April 29, 2009

NEW YORK—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced that the recent human "Swine Flu" outbreak, thought to have originated in Mexico, appears to present a low risk of infecting cats and dogs.

To date, only humans have been affected by the new A/H1N1 virus, and it is unknown whether the virus will impact other animals. Although the virus is being termed "swine flu," researchers have not confirmed that this new strain evolved in pigs and are working to determine more about its origins.

"At this time there is no data demonstrating any risk of dogs and cats contracting this strain of the virus," says Dr. Louise Murray, the Director of Medicine at the ASPCA's Bergh Memorial Hospital in New York City. "However, owners of pet pigs, as well as farmers, should monitor their animal's health more closely during this outbreak. Steps to limit possible transmission from humans to pigs and vice versa are recommended." ... Read The Rest Here

How Dogs Influence Our lifestyles

For some, these two notions might seem too far apart to present any similarities. But still, dogs as objects of our love affect our lifestyle in more ways than we know.

Each and every one of us has gone through at least one experience that included a dog. Whether sad or fortunate, these experiences exist and cannot be ignored. As every other marking moment emotions triggered by a dog at some point influence our ways from that moment on.

Just for fun I want to show you what I mean by giving a rather unknown example to prove my point.

Let’s say you are over 30 and tried already every diet in the world to loose a few pounds. And naturally, nothing worked. Well, one evening, rainy evening of course, you come across a little fluffy puppy abandoned just next to the garbage can in front of your house. You don’t necessarily like dogs, but this one seems different and so alone, maybe even a little sick, that you feel pity (you think) for him and take him in…just for the night. And then you keep him another night, and another one till he officially becomes your pet – you can’t deny it anymore. You walk him every day at fixed hours and, although you forgot all about your weight problem being too busy petting the little pet, you amazingly reached undreamed results in that particular problem. Surprised?

You shouldn’t be, it’s known (by some at least) that regular daily 10 – 15 minutes walks are the best diet of all. Try them on your own and you might get bored and give up. But with a dog, the walks are a must, they have to be done, you can’t miss any of them.

So, the little innocent dog not only made you a better person since you let him into your house (and heart), but also solved the problem you had that all your determination and lost money on diet products couldn’t solve.

If I wasn’t convincing enough, just try it. Adopt a dog from your local shelter. And miraculously you will be a different person.

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month

This April, the ASPCA will kick-off Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month on April 7 when iconic buildings and landmarks across the country will support the ASPCA’s life-saving work as they light up in its signature color and “Go Orange for Animals.”

Dogs from Chicago Puppy Mill Bust Going Fast

I am very happy to see the quick response of people wanting to adopt these dogs. My main concern is that other dogs up for adoption are being left behind. Are they being adopted only because they are designer dogs or for the true love and commitment of caring for that dog for 10 to 15 years? Big Mutt's also make great companions and need loving homes too. I'm a big lovable Mutt. Please make adoption first when considering a new pet.

Love Maxxamillion

Chicago Puppy Mill Bust

The Cook County Sheriff’s Police busted a puppy mill tuesday on Chicago's Southwest Side. A total of 67 dogs were removed and taken to Chicago Animal Care & Control center at 2741 South Western Ave. It was reported in the local news this morning that the dogs will be taken to local rescue shelters were they will be up for adoption after their medical checkups. Thirty-eight-year-old Demetria Newell was charged with 67 counts of animal cruelty.

Maxxamillion going green for St. Patrick's Day

Maxxamillion going green for St. Patrick's Day 2009. Help save a life, and adopt a shelter pet this holiday or any day.

Maxxamillion March 2009

It's already March and I am going to really miss the snow. But I am still having fun playing in my back yard. Big Hooowl! Love Maxxamillion

Coolest Dog On The Planet

Maxxamillion just loves this cold weather and all the snow. He spends more time out side in this weather. But we have to time the amount of time he spends out-side when the temperature drops, he doesn't like it, but we have to force him in the house.

Here we go again, The peanut butter recall across the country will now include pet foods and pet snacks. Some pet foods are said to have been infected as well and are being recalled, These include PetSmart Grreat Choice Dog Biscuits and 'Peanut Corporation of America or Parnell's Pride'.

Major national brands of jarred peanut butter are not affected by the PCA recall. PCA does not sell peanut butter directly to consumers. PCA only sells peanut butter to institutions and food manufacturers (some of which use it as an ingredient in other processed/packaged foods). Some food manufacturers use PCA peanut butter or peanut paste in baked or processed foods, such as crackers, cookies, cakes or ice cream to name a few. The FDA and food manufacturers are working to identify products that may be affected, and to track the ingredient supply chain of those products to facilitate their removal from the marketplace. FDA

List of recalls for Pet Food Products from Brand 'Grreat Choice'

List of recalls for Pet Food Products from Brand 'Peanut Corporation of America or Parnell's Pride'

Pet Food Recalls And Warnings

I started a new lens on Squidoo about dog food recalls. This lens is about recent or past recalls of pet-foods or related items that could hurt or even kill our pets. Squidoo has one of the greatest community of people on line today, which makes it a great place to help us pet people get the word out on recalls and FDA warnings before its too late sometimes. If you have or know of any recalls please add them here or contact me. Paw Here

Happy Hooowlidays!

Wishing All A very Safe And Happy Holiday Season!

Maxxamillion Loves The Snow

With all the bad weather hitting the Midwest this week, the snow is Maxxamillion's favorite. The boy just loves to bury himself in the snow, flip upside down and make snow angels.

FDA Cautions About Chicken Jerky Products for Dogs

December 19, 2008

FDA Continues To Receive Complaints about Chicken Jerky Products for Dogs and Cautions Consumers

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to caution consumers of a potential association between the development of illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky products also described as chicken tenders, strips or treats. FDA continues to receive complaints of dogs experiencing illness that their owners or veterinarians associate with consumption of chicken jerky products. The chicken jerky products are imported to the U.S. from China. FDA issued a cautionary warning to consumers in September 2007.

Australian news organizations report the University of Sydney is also investigating an association between illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky in Australia. At least one firm in Australia has recalled their chicken jerky product and the recall notification stated the chicken jerky product was manufactured in China.

FDA believes the continued trend of consumer complaints coupled with the information obtained from Australia warrants an additional reminder and animal health notification.

Chicken jerky products should not be substituted for a balanced diet and are intended to be
used occasionally and in small quantities. Owners of small dogs must be especially careful to limit the amount of these products.

FDA, in addition to several veterinary diagnostic laboratories in the U.S, is working to determine why these products are associated with illness in dogs. To date, scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses. FDA has conducted extensive chemical and microbial testing but has not identified any contaminant.

FDA is advising consumers who choose to feed their dogs chicken jerky products to watch their dogs closely for any or all of the following signs which may occur within hours to days of feeding the product: decreased appetite, although some may continue to consume the treats to the exclusion of other foods; decreased activity; vomiting; diarrhea, sometimes with blood; and increased water consumption and/or increased urination. If the dog shows any of these signs, stop feeding the chicken jerky product. Owners should consult their veterinarian if signs are severe or persist for more than 24 hours. Blood tests may indicate kidney failure (increased urea nitrogen and creatinine). Urine tests may indicate Fanconi syndrome (increased glucose). Although most dogs appear to recover, some reports to the FDA have involved dogs that have died.

The FDA continues to actively investigate the problem. Many of the illnesses reported may be the result of causes other than eating chicken jerky. Veterinarians and consumers alike should report cases of animal illness associated with pet foods to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html in their state.

Coolest Dog On The Planet Picture

For the past five years Maxxamillion has used a picture of himself wearing dark sun glasses for his Coolest Dog On The Planet.net website and his Squidoo profile. Maxxamillion always loves to have his picture taken. Although in recent years we feel like he is snubbing us. We have noticed he turns his face to the right or left just before the snap of the camera. We feel all dogs are the coolest on the planet.

This is Maxxamillion's favorite weather time of the year. The brisk cold air makes him more playful and spunkier than usual. We love seeing him on the patio enjoying the cold breeze. But it's also at this time of the year that he pretends he doesn't hear us calling his name when it's time come inside for the night. He ignores us and turns his head, continuing to enjoy the cold brisk air. We just smile and even laugh because we know he hears us and understands that it's time to come in, but he just wants a little more time. So again we smile and give in, letting him stay out just a little while longer. Oh how we love Maxxamillion.

Why Compare Pet Health Insurance Plans

It doesn’t matter if you have already decided to purchase health insurance for the family pet or if you are simply shopping for one. When you are comparing the quote of one health insurance quote to another, remember that the base dollar amount is not the only number you have to consider. In addition to the monthly payment, make sure you also check out exactly what type of veterinary care and treatments are covered (some basic insurance plans do not include cancer treatment), what kind of deductible you, the pet owner, will be expected to pay, is there a yearly cap on medical expenses, and what type of discounts are available. At the moment there are only a handful of companies that offer pet health insurance.

Keeping Your Dog Safe When on Walks

When we walk our dog, no matter the destination – on the city streets, in parks or in open spaces – it is necessary that he respects the disciplinary rules settled before and learned, to avoid getting into problems with other animals or people we meet.

So let’s see how our little friend will have to act in some situations:

• Usually, in crowded places we will keep him in a leash, to always have him under control. So he will have to know how to walk in a leash, near your foot, without pulling.


• The dog is not allowed to jump on people or animals met or to attack any of those, as long as he isn’t aggressed.


• The dog shouldn’t run after bicycles, motorcycles, cars or people that are running. It is know that some dogs do that because of their hunting instincts.


• When we let the dog free, to relax, it is crucial that when he is called he return on the shortest way and as fast as possible.


• At a picnic, the dog is not allowed to pass thought other people’s carpets or to eat their food.


• Wherever our dog might be, he is not to be allowed to eat food given by someone else or food found thrown around.


• Generally, small dogs are more spoiled than big dogs and they are more aggressive, anti-social and afraid of other people or dogs. The ones to blame are the owners that often amuse themselves when they see their dogs acting this way. This way the dogs get to barking and even biting their own owner.


• The dog must have the initial training learned and practiced, so we would have no problems when walking him.


• All through the walk, the dog is not to chew on his leash or to pull it with his teeth, because it might happen that he is tied somewhere alone and he will chew on it until he becomes free and gets lost.


• The dog is not allowed to jump up and out his front paws on us or others even if he is just playing.


• Pay attention to drunken people! Many times the smell, the walk and the yelling of drunken people annoy the dog. The dog is to loose his reality sense and his instincts and therefore they won’t pay attention to any of our advices. Some drunken people are even aggressive to dogs. Stay away from them as much as possible.

Keeping Your Pet Safe This Halloween

• All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room during peak trick-or-treat visiting hours. Too many strangers in unusual garb can be scary and stressful for pets.
  
  
• When opening the door for trick-or-treaters, take care that Max or Mittens doesn't dart outside. Make sure all your pets are wearing current identification, just in case.
  
  
• No sweets for the sweet: Keep all Halloween candy out of your pet's reach. Chocolate can be poisonous to animals, and tinfoil and cellophane candy wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed.
  
  
  
• It's not a bright idea to keep lit pumpkins around companion animals. Pets can knock them over, and curious kittens in particular run the risk of being burned.
  
  
• Don't leave your pet in the yard on Halloween. There have been reports of vicious pranksters who have teased, injured, stolen and even killed pets on this night.
  
  
• Although the ASPCA recommends that cats remain indoors at all times, it is especially important to keep your feline inside for several days before and after Halloween. Black cats in particular may be at risk from children's pranks or other cruelty-related incidents. As a safety precaution, many shelters will not adopt out black cats around Halloween.
  
  
• Don't dress up your dog or cat unless you know she loves it. If
  you decide to do so, make sure the costume isn't annoying or
  unsafe, and doesn't restrict her movement, vision, hearing or
  ability to breathe or bark. Avoid costumes with small or
  dangling accessories that she could chew off and possibly choke
  on. And please supervise pets in costume at ALL times.

Visit The ASPCA For More!

Toy Ball Posses A Danger To Your Dog!

It broke our hearts that such a horrible thing happened to Chai and cannot imagine the pain he went through. Our prayers and love are with him. Thank God that Chai has a wonderful and loving papa. "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)" Please visit Choi's blog for more information and how you could help get this toy off the market before it hurts another dog...Choi's Blog

ASPCA's founder Henry Bergh!

The ASPCA will celebrate the birth of the ASPCA's founder Henry Bergh! on Friday, August 29. "Regarding Henry": A "Bergh's-eye" view of 140 years at the ASPCA

"New York City, April 1866: The driver of a cart laden with coal is whipping his horse. Passersby on the New York City street stop to gawk not so much at the weak, emaciated equine, but at the tall man, elegant in top hat and spats, who is explaining to the driver that it is now against the law to beat one's animal. Thus, America first encounters The Great Meddler". Read the rest of the story at ASPCA.org