The CEO of of Blue Buffalo promises to reimburse consumers for any veterinary or testing expenses related to illness caused by company products.

If you have purchased any of these products that are being recalled, return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.  You may call Blue Buffalo at 877-523-9114 between 8 am and 8 pm EST or visit their website at www.bluebuffalo.com

On the other hand, the Southern Walking Stick  is  gray to black with a distinctive pattern on its back.  If the venom  sprayed from this critter enters the eye, it is very capable of burning the eye.  Treatment is necessary to prevent permanent damage or blindness.

Cases have been reported in both dogs and humans especially children.

Over the years, I have had dogs that itch.  You deworm them, deflea them, bathe them.  Nothing seems to work for long.    I keep a mental list of things to try for the next itchy dog.  Dr. Weil has some ideas new to me .  You can search for them at his website at  drweil.com.  Here is a direct link to the use of fish oil to help reduce itch in our canine friends. www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400120/fish-oil-for-dogs.html

Without sounding like a broken record,  don’t forget  food allergies can cause itch in dogs. Be careful what you feed your dog.

And deodectic mange can also be a culprit especially when the paws are involved.    This was a new one for me.  Deodectric mange occurs for a lot of reasons , but it is basically related to supression of the immune system.  It occurs mainly in puppies  along their chests, behind their knees, on their foreheads, etc. Most of the time disappears on its own as the immune system develops or gets stronger.

But this mite in some instances has the ability to localize in the feet.  And the itching seems to drive dogs crazy.  Have you seen dogs madly chewing on their toes and paws?  This condition is referred to as DEMODECTIC PODODERMATITIS.    It is difficult to treat but the one thing that should NOT be done is to treat the dog with a cortisone type medication such as prednisone.  The reason this is important to know is because cortisones are often the first choice of vets to stop severe itching in dogs.  In this instance, cortisones which suppress the immune system give the mite an upper hand.

With permission to quote:

“Most  autoimmune disorders can be traced back to vaccines. Add the junk food to that mix and all the other toxins we put on the animals like flea & tick control, the medications, and fluoridated/chlorinated water, etc, etc., and there is your so-called “endemic” illnesses. And remember all these are just symptoms NOT disease since each animal has its own dis-ease or body out of balance. While some of these symptoms are similar and manifest as diabetes or epilepsy or liver disease, etc, they are all symptoms of a body out of balance causing that particular body to have its own disease.

Western medicine treats symptoms as disease but holistic health pays attention to the whole animal – mind, body and spirit and that is what is treated, each individual animal NOT the symptoms and certainly not suppressing the symptoms as Western medicine is want to do. – Dr. Kim Bloomer, VND- Aspen Bloom pet Care.com “

http://www.akcchf.org/pdfs/poisonous_plant_guide.pdf

1. Abnormal swellings that persist or continue to grow
2. Sores that do not heal
3. Weight loss
4. Loss of appetite
5. Bleeding or discharge from any body opening
6. Offensive odor
7. Difficulty eating or swallowing
8. Hesitation to exercise or loss of stamina
9. Persistent lameness or stiffness
10. Difficulty breathing, urinating, or defecating

Cancer is easier to prevent than cure.   Keep your dog’s diet as free as possible from toxins.  Read the ingredient label carefully.    There is only so much “crap” a body can handle before the system begins to deteriorate.    We are what we eat and drink.  The same is true for our dogs!

]]> http://blog.englishshepherdcentral.com/2010/01/cancer-signs-in-dogs/feed/ 0 http://blog.englishshepherdcentral.com/2010/01/cpr-for-dogs/ http://blog.englishshepherdcentral.com/2010/01/cpr-for-dogs/#comments Sat, 09 Jan 2010 19:03:14 +0000 Lynda http://blog.englishshepherdcentral.com/?p=488 This is a need to know video link for dog owners.    Hope you will check it out!

This story is not over.    The following  article appeared in the Shanghai Daily in China.

Emergency Recall of Dog Food after Pets Poisoned

 A SHANGHAI dealer has issued an emergency recall of a batch of Optima dry dog food with a production date between August and September last year.  Some dogs eating “Optima Puppy Lamb and Rice Dry Dog Food” have been poisoned by aflatoxin – a naturally occurring toxic chemical that comes from a fungus found on corn and other grains.  It can cause severe liver damage.

“Three dogs have been confirmed dead, and they all ate the batch of Optima food,” said the Shanghai Naughty Family Pet Co, a pet clinic on Hongqiao Road. These dogs were fussy about their food, had diarrhea and vomited, all symptoms of aflatoxin exposure, staff said..

The clinic is now treating its fourth patient, a two-year-old Yorkshire who showed symptoms after eating Optima dog food. “Yesterday he vomited four times,” said a woman surnamed Tan, the dog’s owner. “Before he got so severely sick, he ate very little, shivered or just lay on the floor.”

Tan said she had bought the Optima dog food on November 18.  “I started to use the brand last March. My dog never showed anything wrong until he ate this bag,” she said.

Since the end of November at least 20 dogs are believed to have died in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou from liver complications. Some pets died within 10 days of showing symptoms.

An agent of Shanghai Yidi Pet Co Ltd, a Shanghai dealer of Optima food, admitted that a “severe quality problem” was found in the batch, and they were recalling the products.  Yidi said pet owners should return the contaminated food to be exchanged for other brands.

Yidi purchased the batch of Optima dog food from a Taiwan supplier, according to an agent who declined to be named.  An imported feedstuff registration list posted by China’s Ministry of Agriculture shows that the Optima dog food’s production enterprise is Australia-based Doane International Pet Products.   But Tan said her purchase order said the food was made in the United States. “American-made Optima is a very famous brand. That’s part of the reason I chose it,” Tan added

Jan 13th – The story  continues  – but will we ever know the truth?  Isn’t this the same government that denied  that melamine was present in the food chain of infants.. many of which died.     

BEIJING, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) — China’s quality watchdog Tuesday denied ever authorizing the import of Optima brand dog food allegedly linked to the deaths of dogs in Chinese cities.     The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ) said in a statement that local entry-exit inspection and quarantine units had also never allowed the import of the dog food.

Some media reported the Optima brand dog food was imported from Australia and caused the deaths of dogs in Shanghai and other cities. Chinese domestic media citing vets who treated the sick dogs said the food was suspected of containing aflatoxin, an extremely toxic and carcinogenic fungus found on corn and other grains that can cause liver damage.

 The GAQSIQ said responding to the media reports, investigation was carried out immediately, which showed that the GAQSIQ has never authorized the import of such brand dog food and local entry-exit inspection and quarantine units across the country have also never allowed the import of such dog food from Australia.     According to relevant regulations, domestic importers are required to apply for a permit before they can import pets’ food and the imported pet food much go through examination and quality safe test by relevant inspection and quarantine units before being allowed to enter country and put on sale.

The article is written by a journalist with personal experience of dealing with the hard facts about identifying and treating a dog infected with a drug resistant staph.  The source of much of her information comes from an interview with Laura Stokking PhD., DVM, DACVD, a dermatalogy specialist.  A complete transcript of this interview can found at Pet Connection

In a nutshell, it seems that many of the cases are first diagnosed and treated as spider bites.  They do not respond to the medication and quickly evolve into a serious medical condition.   The bottom line:  Encourage your vet to culture the infection before prescribing antiobiotics.

It seems that vet like medical doctors have been giving our pets too many unnecessary antibiotics.   I hear this story all the time.  A new puppy owner takes her puppy to the vet for its first check-up.  If the vet sees anything from a small scrap to a  tiny bump -  a round of antibiotics is the answer.

Invariably within a week or so I get a message that the puppy is off food or not acting right. So back to the doc they go again.  More antibiotics. No diagnosis. Just antibiotics.

Again I encourage you to read that article.   I support the concept that antibiotics are wonderful for the right problem. Culture and sensitivities  should be done to determine the correct drug of chose.  This means that the vet takes a swab of the infected area.  The “cells” on the swab are then wiped across an agar plate  which is a  “growing medium” for bacteria, etc.  The plate is then allowed to grow .  The growths on the plate are then identified and “disks” of different kinds of antibiotics are placed on the plate to see which one will kill the growth.

Only with that kind of information can the right antibiotic be  prescribed!  Please encourage your vet (and your medical physician) to obtain this information

FYI:  MRSA has also been identified in horses.

Please, please, please don’t let your dogs eat raisins or grapes.

To follow is another email that I received about the fact that as little as 6 to 7 raisins can kill a dog!

Written by:
Laurinda Morris, DVM
Danville Veterinary Clinic
Danville , OH

This week I had the first case in history of raisin
toxicity ever seen at MedVet. My patient was
a 56-pound, 5 yr old male neutered lab mix
that ate half a canister of raisins sometime
between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM on Tuesday. He
started with vomiting, diarrhea and shaking
about 1AM on Wednesday but the owner didn ‘ t
call my emergency service until 7AM.

I had heard somewhere about raisins AND
grapes causing acute Renal failure but hadn ‘ t
seen any formal paper on the subject. We
had her bring the dog in immediately. In the
meantime, I called the ER service at MedVet,
and the doctor there was like me – had heard
something about it, but … Anyway, we
contacted the ASPCA National Animal Poison
Control Center and they said to give IV fluids
at 1 & 1/2 times mainte nan ce and watch the
kidney values for the next 48-72 hours.

The dog ‘ s BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was
already at 32 (normal less than 27) and
creatinine over 5 (1.9 is the high end of normal)
Both are monitors of kidney function in the
bloodstream. We placed an IV catheter and
started the fluids. Rechecked the renal values
at 5 PM and the BUN was over 40 and creatinine
over 7 with no urine production after a liter of
fluids. At the point I felt the dog was in acute
renal failure and sent him on to MedVet for a
urinary catheter to monitor urine output overnight
as well as overnight care.

He started vomiting again overnight at MedVet
and his renal values have continued to increase
daily. He produced urine when given lasix as a
diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting
medications and they still couldn ‘ t control his
vomiting. Today his urine output decreased
again, his BUN was over 120, his creatinine was
at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated and his
blood pressure, which had been staying around
150, skyrocketed to 220 … He continued to vomit
and the owners elected to Euthanize.

This is a very sad case – great dog, great owners
who had no idea raisins could be a toxin. Please
alert everyone you know who has a dog of this
very serious risk.

Poison control said as few as 7 raisins or grapes could
be toxic. Many people I know give their dogs grapes
or raisins as treats including our ex-handler ‘ s. Any
exposure should give rise to immediate concern.

Onions, chocolate, cocoa and macadamia nuts can
be fatal, too.

Even if you don ‘ t have a dog, you might have friends
who do.. This is worth passing on to them

Confirmation from Snopes about the above …

http://www.snopes. com/critters/ crusader/ raisins.asp

To learn more about human foods that are dangerous for our dogs, check out Human Foods that Poison Dogs.

If you are not familiar with the brown recluse spider, she is one that should hit your “radar screen”.    The spider is light tan in color and has long legs. It likes dark, quiet spaces like under your bed, in the back of closets, in cupboards that are really used.  Fortunately, they are “RECLUSIVE”, meaning that they don’t like light and activity.

But they do move at night and they need to go to water which is probably why most folks are bitten in their beds as they sleep.

For me, the spider bite woke me up.  Not as intense a wasp sting but quick and sharp.  By morning the area was swelling and itchy.  By Noon, the wound had a small head on it and was feeling bad.  The pain at the site of the bite was beginning to get intense.

Not every is sensitive to the toxin from this spider but if you think you have been bitten by a spider and you start to have this reaction, it is wise to go immediately to the doctor.  Although there is no treatment to counteract the effect of the toxin, antiobiotics mya help keep down the secondary infections that can happen as your skin begins to die off.  Out of control, this toxin can lead to the need for surgery and skin grafts.

The same is true for our dogs.  The wound appears to have the same appearance and the dog gets very depressed. A vet should be in the loop for advise and support about how to help the dog through this “toxic event”

Outside these spiders like dark places like the inside of dog houses that haven’t been used in a while.  Or forgotten corners of the garden..

While there are “zillions” of these creatures out there, it is still a rare event when they bite a dog or a person but when they do, it can be a very dangerous health issue.  Be aware!

I have never given any of my English Shepherd’s heartworm meds and I have never had an English Shepherd have a case of heartworms. That covers the period from 1970 to 2008. One of the reasons that I haven’t “treated for heartworms” is because English Shepherds are in the Collie group and it has been known for a long time that they can be extremely sensitive to Ivermectin .

Within the past year of so we have learned that this sensitivity is related to a gene mutation – MDR-1 and there is now a test to determine if a dog has that mutation. I addressed this information in a previous post.

The attitude of the vet community smacked me in the face when I took our beloved Tessa into our local vet fearing that she was developing breast cancer. She was 9 years old.

They confirmed my suspicions and advised that surgery might be appropriate. We agreed to have her spayed and one side of her mammery glands removed. Then they delivered the blow.

“Has Tessa been on heartworm meds?” “No, I replied.” With a shocked look on his face, he declared that she probably had heartworms and she would not be a candidate for surgery.

I told him she had no symptoms of heartworms. He looked at me like I had 3 heads. I felt like I was supposed to show him my forehead so that he could see my “STUPID” tatoo.

“Let’s test her,” I suggested. He agreed. He drew the blood and disappeared. Guess What!!!

She was NEGATIVE. They did the surgery. About a year later they did another surgery to remove the rest of her teats..

She lived a long, full life to the age of 15.

Please know that I am NOT AGAINST heartworm medications. I stand 4 Square on the side of knowledge over ignorance. I don’t believe that we should over-treat or over- medicate our Dogs, our Children or our Selves.

It may be the wonderful coat that helps provide English Shepherds with a measure of protection from the mosquito bites that carry heartworms. But I must also add that I have never had a case of heartworms in my beagles either.

However, my beagles are on a different management routine than my shepherds in that they occasionally do get a dose of ivermectin. It was interesting to me that the article on heartworms indicated that a dose of ivermectin twice a year (spring and fall) would protect a dog. If this is true why are the vets and the drug companies recommending a dose every month – Isn’t this a case of overkill? Overkill that is costing us money!

The argument is given that heartworm medicationse do not prevent the dog from contracting the larvae of the heartworm – it just kills them so that they don’t have the opportunity to grow into the adult stage which lives in the heart. So if you kill any migrating larvae every six month, your dog should never develop heartworms.

Hmmmmm!

To this end, I encourage you to read “The Billion Dollar Heart Worm Scam“. Then make your own decision about the treatment of your dogs.

Parasite migration signals climate change from PhysOrg.com

A parasite that thrives on warm conditions has been discovered in Scotland for the first time, supporting theories of climate change.

[...]

How to Make a Natural Dog Flea Massage Oil

from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit

When the fleas are getting too much, you can give your dog a massage treat, as well as sending those fleas packing. And the great thing about this massage oil is that it is chemical-free, so it is environmentally-friendly and dog-friendly too.

Steps

1. Check the ingredients list below and go shopping. Health food stores are most likely your best source for the ingredients.
2. Place the sunflower oil into a glass or ceramic bowl (metallic bowls may react with some of the ingredients).
3. Add all the essential oils and blend well. It’s that easy – now you have the massage oil.
4. Find a place in your home where your dog feels comfortable. Your dog will be a little greasy after the massage, so make sure you are happy that the area is adequately protected from possible marks or stains.
5. Commence the massage with Fido. Gently massage the oil mixture into your dog’s coat, using your fingertips.
6. Make sure that you massage all around the dog, even under its legs, ears and tail, as you want to avoid fleas finding an “island of safety”.
7. Make sure also that your dog is enjoying the experience. He should not be whining! Generally dogs love a massage – it is both extreme attention from their beloved owner and it is comforting.
8. At the end of the massage, your dog may be a little greasy but will smell delicious to you and not to the fleas.
9. You will need to repeat this massage at least every two days for about a week until you can see the fleas decreasing.
10. Make sure that the massage is part of a concerted effort at eliminating the fleas, including washing the dog’s bedding, mopping floor areas daily and vacuuming (empty the bag or contents into the garbage bin immediately after to remove the fleas from your house).

Tips

• Use this time to bond with your dog. Talk to her gently and release your tensions of the day at the same time – massage is a precious and caring act.
• Wash the dog’s bedding in hot water to kill fleas. If the dog has a basket or similar bed, take it out into the sunshine and hose it down and let the sun do its job (fleas are at their worst in summertime, so this should not be a problem)
• You can also feed Brewer’s Yeast powder to your dog’s diet (approx 25mg per 5 kg (11lb) bodyweight during the period that you are trying to eliminate the fleas

Warnings

• Pennyroyal oil should not be used on pregnant dogs, or by pregnant women
• Pennyroyal oil is highly toxic in high doses, so make sure it is only 1 drop that you use and leave the lid screwed on tightly and put the bottle out of the reach of children and pets; it is worth using, however, as it is the vital anti-flea ingredient
• All essential oils should be handled with care as they all have a toxic potential if swallowed by children or pets; keep well-guarded and away from them
• Essential oils should be stored in a dark, cool area to prevent them from going rancid

Things You’ll Need

• 2 teaspoons of sunflower oil
• 2 drops orange oil
• 3 drops citronella oil
• 3 drops lemon oil
• 1 drop pennyroyal oil (see warnings above)

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make a Natural Dog Flea Massage Oil. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

There are approximately 71 million dogs in the United States.  If everyone gave at least $1.00 in the name of their dog to help fund cancer research in dogs, we could make a tremendous impact on the  current projects.  In addition to saving our beloved dogs, much of this research impacts the race for the cancer cure for people.

The amazing statistic is that 1 in 4 of our dogs will die or suffer from cancer.  Warning signs of cancer in dogs include

Abnormal swellings that persist or continue to grow

Sores that do not heal 

 Weight loss

Loss of appetite

Bleeding or discharge from any body opening

Offensive odor

Difficulty eating or swallowing

Hesitance to exercise or loss of stamina

Persistent lameness or stiffness

And just like people, a dog can appear to be absolutely fine, only to be diagnosed with cancer.  To learn more about this project, visit www.curecaninecancer.com

 There is also a link at this site for a free consultation for owners of dogs diagnosed with cancer.

www.curecaninecancer.org/free_screening.html

Change the world! Make a donation today in the name of your beloved dog!  We did in HONOR of our amazing, incredible English Shepherd “Tessa”  and our brave little beagle, Birdy, both of whom suffered from breast cancer. 

    Donate on-line at:  

www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/donate_ccc 

Problem is, many English Shepherds are highly allergic to it.. In fact they are so allergic that it can cause death.

I know of at least 2 dogs from Ringo’s family that died after a treatment of ivermection. One was his sire, Augtu, who died several days after a treatment for heartworms. One of his sisters also died from a dose of ivermectin.

Karen Cline, another English Shepherd breeder, sent me a link to a site with more information about this problem in English Shepherds.

Please visit this site. http://www.busteralert.org

The most interesting thing to me was that dogs with this genetic problem also may be sensitive to other drugs.. which may kill them. Information about this can also be found at the above website.

Karen had a life experience with drug interactions which eventually caused the death of an English Shepherd. I hope she will share her experience with us.

Check out the website of the University of Washington for information about this condition and available testing to determine if your dog has the MDR1 mutation…

http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-VCPL/

You can never know too much!