Tainted pet food killed 200 dogs and cats: study
Yahoo! News – A major recall was begun last March after ingredients imported from China were found to have contaminated some pet food. Canadian manufacturer Menu Foods Income Fund was hardest hit, recalling 60 million packages of pet food. A survey posted on the Internet, and widely publicized by the American Veterinary Medical Association, attracted just 500 responses and of those, only 348 cases of pet sickness met the criteria for kidney failure caused by the contamination. Read the full article…

Table Scraps Can Be Deadly For Dogs
Via WIStv.com
“Many people think table scraps are a special treat, but some can be deadly for dogs. Cesar Millan, host of National Geographic’s the Dogs Whisperer says there are some things you should definitely avoid feeding your pets. High-fat foods, like turkey skin, are hard for dogs to digest, and can lead to pancreatitis. Turkey bones can also be dangerous. Unlike rawhide bones, cooked poultry bones are brittle and can splinter easily. Onions can also be a problem. High levels of onion ingestion in dogs and cats can cause a life-threatening blood disorder.”

Pets Shouldn’t Partake of Holiday Feast
Via commercialappeal.com
“It’s OK to give them turkey, as long as you remove the skin and rinse the meat. Pet owners should avoid giving their dogs the fat and gristle from meat. Remember, if you wouldn’t eat it, neither should your pet.”

1. Diligently check all of the company’s references — at least three should be voluntarily provided
2. Ensure the company is fully bonded and insured
3. Verify that your sitter can accommodate both your pet’s daily feeding and exercise schedule as well as your desired vacation schedule during busy holidays
4. Ensure the company offers 7-day per week telephone and email availability
5. Confirm that your sitter has undergone a criminal background check and has received proper training
6. Pre-interview your sitter with your pet(s) present to observe interactions and establish a “comfort level” for both you and the pet(s)
7. Clearly state how you would like your sitter to use his/her visit time in terms of walking, playing, feeding, cleaning, etc.
8. Provide medical and behavioral history about your pet(s) as well as veterinary and other emergency contact information, and gather all necessary supplies, including food, vitamins, and treats in one central location
9. Ensure the company has “backup” measures in place should your sitter have an emergency that prevents them from completing your assignment
10. Confirm that your sitter will leave you a pet report card at the completion of their assignment and that the company offers a customer satisfaction guarantee in case you are dissatisfied in any way.

The above quote comes from an in-home pet care company called Fetch! The article comes off as a bit of an advertisement and I’ve never used them before, so I’m not recommending them in any way… but the advise they offer sounds reasonable and you should be able to apply it to any in or out of home pet care service.

Safeguard Your Pet From Seasonal Alements via Earthtimes via Fetch! Pet Care

Update: I just ran into an article that goes to show why you should do your homework before picking an in-home pet sitter.  The owner/operator of a pet and house-sitting business called Pet City was arrested after the “pet’s owner returned home earlier than expected and discovered various items missing from her residence. At the time of arrest, Brooks was wearing a gold-colored ring identified by the victim as part of the missing property.”

Pet Sitter Charged with Stealing From Clients Via WPTV

The sweetener is xylitol which is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that’s found in many fruits and vegetables like berries, corn husks, oats, and mushrooms. It has about the same sweeness as sucros, but with only 2/3’s the food energy which is what makes it a low-calorie alternative to sugar. The sweetener can be found in a variety of sugar-free products like chewing gum, toothpaste, candy and baked goods.

Unfortunately, the sugar substitute lowers the blood sugar in dogs which can result in “loss of coordination, depression, collapse and seizures as soon as 30 minutes after ingestion“.

This morning, the Windsor Star reported on a local woman’s lab who nearly died after eating 2 packs of sugar-free gum that were left lying around.

Charlie, the Loop family’s one-year-old Lab, ate two packs of Ice Breakers Ice Cube gum last week that were left in a shopping bag on the couch, Loop said. She figures the dog found the gum when he headed to the couch for a nap.

Loop didn’t know what was wrong when the Lab collapsed Wednesday and began jerking a bit. She said the Lab threw up twice, which may have helped save him. Loop said when she raced the dog to the vet, he was barely breathing.

Lucky the lab was ok, but had to stay over night at the vet because of concerns about the dogs liver. According to the AVMA, there is “further clinical evidence of an association between the product and possible liver failure in dogs.”

So just like with chocolates, you should be sure to keep sugar-free snacks and other products, especially those containing xylitol, out of dog’s reach.

Of course, no amount of insurance will help you get over the loss or injury of a pet due to accident, so you should always take care to secure your pet safely when driving in the car. I know, Fluffy looks soooo cute on your lap while you’re driving and she just looooves looking out the window with you, yes she does, but this is a potentially distracting situation for you and the worst place for her if something goes wrong.

What methods do you take to ensure that your pet is safe while you’re driving? Tell us about it in the comments.

Company Adds Collision Benefits For Pets (via Associated Press)

Keep in mind before taking on this project that Dog poo contains harmful bacteria and some nasty pathogens like round worms and tape worms so you definately don’t want to use the compost in beds with edible plants/vegetables. And you should probably keep it away from kids and pregnant women. In fact, if you really want to compost your pet waste, the safest option would probably be to bury it in a really deep hole far away from water sources and never touch it again. Or just chuck it over the fence into your neighbors yard (kidding!)

A pet pig whose weight tripled while it was in the care of a sitter has been placed on a diet and an animal cruelty charge has been filed against the caretaker.

Apparently the pig gained so much weight that its collar had to be surgically removed after she ballooned to a portly 150lbs — 100lbs over her ideal weight of 50lbs. Crazy!

Via ABC News

The Hartz Mountain Corporation is voluntarily recalling one specific lot of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats due to concerns that one or more bottles within the lot may have been potentially contaminated with Salmonella. Hartz is fully cooperating with the US Food and Drug Administration in this voluntary recall.

The product involved is 3600 bottles of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats, lot code SZ- 1637 1, UPC number 32700-97701, which was manufactured by a third party manufacturer, UFAC (USA), Inc., in Baconton, Georgia.

Read the entire press release after the jump.

The Hartz Mountain Corporation Recalls Vitamin Care for Cats Because of Possible Health Risk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –Baconton, GA — November 2, ,2007 —The Hartz Mountain Corporation is voluntarily recalling one specific lot of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats due to concerns that one or more bottles within the lot may have been potentially contaminated with Salmonella. Hartz is fully cooperating with the US Food and Drug Administration in this voluntary recall.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems, all of whom are at particular risk from exposure and should avoid handling these products.

Salmonella symptoms may include fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea in both cats and humans. Anyone experiencing the symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek immediate medical attention. Owners of cats exhibiting these symptoms should also seek veterinary assistance.

The product involved is 3600 bottles of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats, lot code SZ- 1637 1, UPC number 32700-97701, which was manufactured by a third party manufacturer, UFAC (USA), Inc., in Baconton, Georgia. While normal testing conducted by Hartz and UFAC has not revealed the presence of Salmonella in any Hartz products, sampling conducted by the FDA did detect the presence of Salmonella. Hartz is aggressively investigating the source of the problem.

Although the company has not received any reports of animals or humans becoming ill as a result of coming into contact with this product, Hartz is taking immediate steps to remove the product from all retail stores and distribution centers. Cat owners should> check the lot code on their bottles, and, if the code is not visible, or if the bottle has lot code SZ- 16371 imprinted thereon, they should immediately discontinue use of the product and discard it in a proper manner.

Consumers can contact Hartz at 1-800-275-1414 with any questions they may have and to obtain reimbursement for purchased product.

Via the FDA