Health Warnings
Poisoning Dogs with Sugar Free Snacks
Plants, Fruits and Vegetables Toxic to Dogs
Withdrawal of Kramar Dog Food
Danger of Potpourri
Chemicals in Pet Foods
Petguard from Neem Genie
The Dangers of Cocoa Mulch
Dangerous Toy Alerts
Collar Warning
Sticks and Stones
Choking in Pets
The Dangers of Slug Pellets
Poisoning Dogs with Sugar Free Snacks
Sugar Free Gum and Snacks can be deadly for pets.
https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/endocrine/c_dg_xylitol_toxicity
Plants, Fruits and Vegetables Toxic to Dogs
Withdrawal of Kramar Dog Food
KraMar pulls dog food after poison reports.
KraMar says the withdrawal is a precaution.
The importer of a Chinese-made chicken dog treat has voluntarily recalled the product, after reports of kidney damaging illnesses in dogs around Australia.
The company KraMar has withdrawn Supa Naturals Chicken breast strips, which it says is one of Australia’s highest selling dog snacks. A statement issued by KraMar says the withdrawal is a precaution.
It says testing has been conducted on every shipment for bacteria and for the poison melamine, which has been connected with cases of kidney malfunction in pets overseas. KraMar’s chief executive Brian Fouche say a link has not been scientifically established. “It is a mystery to us, but in the interests of animal welfare we have decided to take this decision,” he said. KraMar says it is considering moving the manufacture of the chicken strip to Australia.
The Australian Veterinary Association earlier warned dog owners to immediately contact vets if their dogs show symptoms of kidney problems. Association president Mark Lawrie says dogs may be drinking and urinating a lot, be unusually lethargic or vomiting. “We certainly think that there’s some indicators perhaps that there may be some linkages with some dog-treats,” he said.
The symptoms are similar to those seen after poisoning with the toxic chemical melamine. There was a mass recall of melamine-contaminated pet food containing Chinese ingredients in the US and Europe last year.
Mr Lawrie says the extent of the problem is not yet clear. There’s been some reports of a thing called Fanconi syndrome, which is where there’s glucose in the urine. But the blood levels are normal, indicating that there’s some renal tubular damage or some damage to the kidneys,” he said. “There are some reports out there, but it’s hard to quantify at this point.”
Research shows link.
Researchers from the University of Sydney earlier connected a kidney damaging syndrome in dogs to the chicken snacks. Dr Linda Fleaman says there are a lot of cases around Australia of the normally rare acquired Fanconi syndrome.
“The one thing that is common with all of the cases, is that the dogs have among other things, eaten a certain chicken treat that has been sourced in China,” he said. “Although we have no idea what the cause of this problem is, we are concerned there’s a link between the feeding of the treat and the emergence of this clinical syndrome.”
CKCS CLUB OF NORTHERN ARIZONA – DANGER OF POTPOURRI
Please read this, a big danger for dogs and kids.
We have suffered a terrible, terrible tragedy last Wed. December 3rd 2008 !!
Two, beloved Cavaliers of mine, Haley and Zoe both ate potpourri from a decorative basket in my living room. Within hours, they were vomiting it, convulsing and going into total body rigidity and shock. We took them to the after hours clinic, they had no idea what it could be and wouldn’t listen to me about them vomiting potpourri at home and how I had such concerns about the toxic effects of it. They treated symptoms. We transferred them to our day vet. He also wouldn’t listen to me about the potpourri theory. He said they had “strychnine” poisoning symptoms. I kept telling him that the potpourri was Made in India, sold by a company in California and sold at my local WalMart. My heart told me that it was the culprit of their condition. They declined rapidly throughout the day and we transferred them back to the after hours clinic for a second night.
At midnight, I made the agonizing decision to put them to sleep. Haley was in constant seizures that wouldn’t stop, fluid was filling up in her lungs, body temp was dropping on both of them, Zoe was lying almost lifeless on the table, struggling with every breath she took. Every muscle was completely rigid, you couldn’t even move her.
I have devoted the last couple of days (now that I can get out of bed and function) to researching my concerns with the potpourri and have since found out I was right…………there is a lab in England that has case studies on toxic potpourri from India!! The toxin….strychnine, which in it’s commercial source, comes from a certain tree grown in India. I am completely heart broken over this. Please be aware of the potential toxins in any and all stuff like this in our homes. I would’ve never guessed this could happen but when I saw them both “playing” in the potpourri and then after about two hours saw the symptoms of a poisoning, I just put two and two
together.
Chemicals in pet food can lead to bad behaviour, says top vet
Campaigners warn dog and cat owners of the health risks caused by additives in major brands.
Millions of animal lovers are putting the health of their pets at risk by feeding them brand pet foods that are packed with additives and chemicals, according to a new campaign that will be launched tomorrow.
Spearheaded by TV vet Joe Inglis, the Campaign for Real Pet Food will warn that the increasingly common behavioural issues in children, associated with some food additives, are also a problem with family pets.
Food allergies and intolerances are being cited as causes of bad behaviour, such as hyperactivity, and illness in pets, warns the vet, whose concerns are backed by experts including clinical animal behaviourist Inga MacKellar, and dog behaviourist Carolyn Menteith.
Pet food manufacturers use general phrases, such as “meat and animal derivatives” and “EC permitted additives”, in ingredient lists that hide the real content from pet owners.
Mr Inglis, who has his own line of natural pet food, said: “Some big brands are hoodwinking the public with the food that they put out and labelling in such a way so that pet owners cannot make an informed choice. Profits are being put before the welfare of pets and it’s irresponsible to be using all these artificial additives in pet foods when there is so much anecdotal evidence that they cause harm.”
The term “EC permitted additives” covers a list of about 4,000 chemicals. Artificial colours such as E102 (tartrazine) and E110 (sunset yellow) have been shown to cause hyperactivity in children. And colours such as Blue 2 have been shown to have the potential to cause tumours, as have antioxidants including BHA.
Mr Inglis added: “Over the 12 years I’ve been a practising vet, I have seen a substantial rise in cases of problems caused by poor diet, including allergies and intolerances, and behavioural issues linked to artificial additives in food.”
The campaign has already secured the support of celebrities including Dragon’s Den entrepreneur Deborah Meaden. The businesswoman, who has 23 pets, including two dogs, said: “With so much emphasis on ‘we are what we eat’, it’s about time we knew exactly what we were feeding our pets, too.”
The designer Bruce Oldfield, who cooks fresh cod, potatoes and vegetables daily for his dogs, also attacked pet food manufacturers. “I’m pretty careful what I put into my own body, so I think it’s outrageous that the pet food industry should be allowed to act in a less than transparent way,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association, however, said there was no evidence that pet food caused behavioural problems in animals.
“The use of additives in pet food is strictly regulated by the EU,” he said. “The authorisation process is rigorous and food/pet food additives are regularly reviewed to ensure safety. Consumers want reassurance on additives, but not full listing. There is no peer-reviewed scientific evidence currently available, or that we are aware of, to suggest a link between behavioural problems in pets and additives in pet food.”
But in an attempt to prove the case against mass-produced pet food containing additives, Mr Inglis plans to run a trial with a group of 30 hearing dogs for the deaf later this year. Half will be fed on a natural diet during their training, over several months, and half will be given food with additives. The dogs will be assessed for any differences in behaviour and performance.
An owner’s dilemma
It was about an hour after agreeing to give a home to a six-week-old kitten that it dawned on me he might be hungry. I nipped to the supermarket for a bag of chicken-flavoured kitten food and then realised I’d stumbled into a personal ethical minefield.
I don’t eat meat, don’t wear leather and don’t eat dairy. Of course, that means avoiding the meat industry’s side products, such as pet food. God knows what goes into cat food. When Andrew Tyler of Animal Aid visited factory farms about a decade ago, he says he saw cut-out tumours and infections passed down a chute for the pet companies. Things may have improved, but pet food is still whatever’s left over.
Appeal for Heath Information
Dogs Today magazine is currently looking at parvovirus and is hearing reports of outbreaks and a new strain that appears to have killed some vaccinated dogs. If you have any knowledge of such cases please contact beverley@ dogstodaymagzine.co.uk.
Petguard from Neem Genie
The Canine Health Concern (CHC) have reported feedback on the use of Neem Genie’s new product ‘Petguard’ which is a spray used to repel ticks etc. A member’s dog always gets ticks when they spend time in Devon, but this time she sprayed with Petguard before each walk and not a single tick on him!!
Please note that with the new Petguard product, this is not for use with cats as it contains essential oils that can be toxic to them. A great product for dogs though – looks like we’ve finally found a natural product to keep ticks off!!
For more information and ordering visit: http://www.neemgenie.co.uk/
THE DANGERS OF COCOA MULCH
This message came to one of the groups from Ali Taylor, Head of Welfare, Battersea DH. They gave permission for it to be passed on.
Quote:
“Yesterday one of our dog agility friends experienced a tragedy and wanted me to pass a special message along to all of my dog loving friends and family. Please tell every dog owner you know.
Over the weekend the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in their garden. They loved the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden.
Their dog Calypso decided that the mulch smelled good enough to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few times which was typical when she eats something new but wasn’t acting lethargic in any way. The next day, Mum woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk. Half way through the walk, she had a seizure and died instantly.
Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company’s website, this product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats.
Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey’s, and they claim that “It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won’t eat it.”
Also included was the following information –
Quote:
“Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman’s Garden Supply and other Garden supply stores, contains a lethal ingredient called “Theobromine”. It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die.
Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks. Just a word of caution, check what you are using in your gardens and be aware of what your gardeners are using in your gardens.
Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine.
FLEA / TICK PRODUCT AWARENESS
(A warning from America)
This is a very important message to anyone who has dogs and /or cats and to alert you to the hazard of using a new Flea & Tick Preventative called ProMeris
This is a new product designed to be a more effective product than other flea/tick treatments that was just released this year. It is available through a vet and not currently on-line. I got ProMeris this week for my 7 dogs (6 Huskies & 1 Golden-Airedale) , and the results were debilitating for nearly all of them-including me. Since my incident this week, my vet has pulled it from distribution and alerted the manufacturer, Fort Dodge.
Here are my results: Within less than 2 hours after applying, 4 of my dogs had vomited from 2-4 times, 3 were disoriented and stumbling, 1 was dragging his back leg, 1 was salivating. I had very similar symptoms like an allergic reaction-my lips were swollen, eyes very red, mucous membranes such as eyes, nose, and mouth were stinging. I was very disoriented-dizzy equilibrium and not able to drive. To make this a short story-all 7 of my dogs were admitted to the hospital for veterinarian care, and 3 of them remained for care, IV fluids and observation for 24 hours. I was in the emergency room. I’m home now and so are the dogs. We’re all feeling much better. Vet bills were over $2,500 and Fort Dodge is paying for these. Not only can the product cause this reaction, it has a highly noxious odor that permeated the house and is just starting to dissipate after 3 days.
Your dogs/cats might not have the same reaction, but given my experience. I wanted to help you all become well-educated about the product.
Kathryn L. Leinthall
Kalein T Welsh Terriers
DANGEROUS TOY ALERTS
Busy Buddy
Can I just alert people’s attention to a dangerous toy on the market bought at Crufts by my friend who has one of my pups.
The toy is called a Busy Buddy made by Premier. It is a kong type toy, dumbell in shape of hard rubber with holes in either end of the dumbell to put treats etc into.
My friend gave this toy to her 7-month-old pup with treats in, and after five minutes, saw him scrabbling around on the floor. She went to take it off him and found him to have his tongue trapped in the hole by the vacuum it had caused. His tongue wouldn’t come out and was swelling up and was causing him to choke. She couldn’t cut it off as the rubber was too thick and of course he was panicking … as was she.
She had to rush him to the vet last night to have him sedated while the vet cut him free. He is now home safe but with a very bruised tongue and he is also badly bitten where he was chewing his togue with his teeth trying to free himself.
She couldn’t imagine what would have happened if she hadn’t seen him and not been there. He would certainly have died.
She is going to write to the manufacturer to tell them.
Kongs are fine as they have a hole in the top too, so a vacuum isn’t caused inside. On this toy, each end is solid but in the middle they aren’t, so please let this be warning to anyone who may have one or anything similar.
Trish
Moshanta Border Collies
COLLAR WARNING
I wanted to warn everyone about an incident that occurred in my home with 2 of my own dogs a couple of days ago and could all to easily happen to yours!
Let me start by saying all is well – now!
The dogs “Bailey” (staff x adopted from MT as a tiny pup) and “Tag” (was Rodney – terrier x, adopted recently)
are the best of friends. They play really well together but often a little wildly!!They have a habit of dragging each other around by their necks and collars.
The other day I was sat at my desk – the dogs were wrestling away behind me – when I realised there was this “odd” noise. I turned round to see what they were doing and found Tag laying on his back with Baileys collar twisted around his bottom jaw and stuck behind his canine teeth.
Bailey was being strangled by his own collar which was so tight it was digging into his skin – he could not get any breath! I tried to hold them still – both were trying to free themselves – which was just making things worse. There was no way of getting the collar off of Tag’s jaw. Then blood began to come from Bailey’s nose and mouth. I was horrified – I knew I had very little time!! I ran to the kitchen and grabbed a carving knife. The collar was digging so tight into Bailey’s neck I thought I was going to cut him as I tried to get the knife under the collar. I sawed and sawed and thank goodness the knife cut through the nylon collar. Tag was terrified by his ordeal and ran to hide in a corner. Bailey sat there shaking and gasping in air – blood still coming from his nose and mouth. I truly thought at that moment he was going to die!!
Bailey’s breathing eased. The bleeding stopped and I managed to just about dial the number for the vet with VERY shaky fingers!! After a complete vet check up, all was well and both dogs are right as rain except Bailey looks like the “devil dog” with 2 completely bright red bloodshot eyes!
If I had been upstairs or even in another room there is no doubt Bailey would have died from strangulation. This is a thought that keeps spinning round and round in my head!! I thought my trauma was a “freak incident” but after relating my horror story to various people I have found out that strangulation by the collar is actually quite a common problem! I have now been told of several dogs getting tangled up as my dogs did in play. Other tales of dogs getting caught on fencing and gates, in bushes and wire when out on walks and even their tags being caught in their travel crate! I immediately took collars off all my dogs but was then worried about them not wearing ID – which is so very important even if they are micro chipped as well. I need to know if they were to get out/lost – they could easily be reunited with me, as they have my phone number on their ID discs.
I have placed an order for some special collars – they have a catch on them that automatically comes undone if the collars are put under excess strain – so I can make sure my dogs wear their collars with ID discs and will be safe from strangulation! They aren’t cheap! But they will be worth every penny if it means I never have to go through anything like that again. Please please be extra careful if you have 2 dogs that play as mine do – and maybe consider the safety collars for your own dogs.
For more info please feel free to contact me –
Tracey
STICKS AND STONES
Reproduced with permission from http://www.highlanedtc.co.uk/general_information.htm
Please don’t ever be tempted to throw sticks for your dogs.
My dog had a very bad experience and I wouldn’t like it to happen to yours. I don’t throw sticks for my dogs. Balls yes but not sticks. When out in the local park one day my dog decided to join in the fun with a group of children whilst they threw sticks up a tree trying to knock conkers down.
unfortunately, my dog landed on top of one of the sticks, which went straight down her throat. Seven stitches later at a cost of 100 to the vet, we then had to endure her crying whenever she ate or drank anything for around 3 – 4 days and believe me it was no fun hearing her suffer in this way. I wouldn’t want anyone to go through the same unpleasant experience with their dogs so ……… please don’t throw sticks.
Likewise: –
Please don’t ever be tempted to throw stones for your dogs. A few years ago we packed hastily for a short holiday, which we weren’t looking forward to due to a member of the family being very poorly.
The day before we were to return home we took our 20-month-old dog for a walk on the beach and because we hadn’t packed his ball we started to throw pebbles in opposite directions so that he was running back and forth but not actually reaching the pebbles, we only did this a few times but unfortunately, we decided to throw one last pebble before going back and it was this pebble that landed on another one and ricocheted back hitting him hard in his mouth. He cried out and ran towards us with blood coming out of his mouth, when we looked his lower canine had shattered.
We immediately rang our vet for advice and went to see him on our return. He said the enamel had sheared off to the gum and the nerve was exposed if it was left like that it would quickly rot and an abscess would develop causing more problems, but if he was to attempt to extract the tooth his lower jaw would more than likely break because the remaining tooth was healthy, he, therefore, recommended that we had it capped.
He made enquiries and referred us to a vet specializing in dentistry at Nantwich veterinary hospital who confirmed what our vet had said and proceeded to cap the tooth. We felt extremely guilty for causing our dog unnecessary suffering and at a cost of 250 it was a small price to pay to alleviate the pain.
We learnt a very valuable lesson that day which was that no matter what situation you find yourself in accidents do occur and we wouldn’t want anybody to have a similar experience with there dog ……… so please don’t throw stones.
Caroline Lindsey & Lindsay Cheshire.
Editors Comment
Cases like this are not that unusual I have known similar things happen…
A dog getting a small stuck across it’s throat, which went, unnoticed by the dog’s owner as it didn’t (at first) cause the dog any real discomfort which rotted and caused a nasty abscess which required serious vet treatment
A dog, which chewed a stick and managed to get splinters imbedded in its jaw that caused infection and again large vet bills
BUT THE WORST
An owner threw a stick for his dog, the stick stuck up at an angle in the ground and the dog ran onto the stick chest first impaling itself on the stick. THE DOG DIED.
A dog carrying a stick but by the end of the stick, the dog was running, it dipped it’s head the stick went down the dog’s throat. THE DOG DIED.
I know all the people and the dogs involved in these incidents. I cringe when I see dogs carry large sharp sticks or owners throwing sticks end over end. A spear is a sharpened stick, nothing more
WE ALL HAVE THROWN STICKS OR STONES OR STILL MAYBE DO FOR OUR DOGS
NEXT TIME YOU PICK UP A STICK OR A STONE…………THINK
CHOKING IN PETS
The MOST important First Aid Skill?
NO Question in my mind.
CPR
This is a CRITICAL First Aid Technique that ALL Pet Owners should know.
There likely WON’T be time to get to your Veterinarian – you must ACT fast.
And the MOST common pet ‘accident’ that causes you to use Pet CPR?
CHOKING
It can happen very quickly- I have seen it several times when dogs catch a ball the WRONG way, or when cats eat something a little too big for their throat.
The Airway becomes OBSTRUCTED.
They lose the ability to breath.
And then you MUST do the FIRST and MOST important step in CPR- Establish a Patent Airway.
You may even have to do the HEIMLICH on your dog or cat.
It sounds complex, but it’s actually very easy once you see HOW.
To SEE exactly what to do IF your pet ever chokes, watch my video here:
http://www.veterinarysecretsrevealed.com/choking/
P.S. Hopefully you will NEVER have to use these techniques with your pets- BUT the point of First Aid is to be prepared. There often really isn’t time to get to your Veterinarian. AND take especial notice of HOW to perform the Heimlich- It WORKS if you are to do it as I show you.
The Dangers of Slug Pellets
JESSIE
This message is designed to make everyone aware of how tragic the results of slug pellets can be. It’s the painful story of our beloved Jessie.
I sent this message as an email to my work colleagues because I couldn’t face telling them what had happened the night before, when I walked into work, it would be just to upsetting for me. The email has now been forwarded to the US to one of my cousins and she is pushing out over there. My aim is to let everyone know about Jessie in order to prevent it happening to others, globally.
This could have been a young child and not a family pet. Also, I’m angry that the people who make these things can justify the labelling in the name of making profit when they are selling poison to the general public.
I do know that there will be people reading this who will say “It’s only a dog”. The bond that a dog lover has with their dog is unbelievably strong. I would not expect a non-dog lover to understand that and I respect their views but as I have said, this might have been a small child.
Hello.
I don’t feel that I want to explain what happened when I get into work tomorrow, so I’ll explain now.
We have always put slug pellets down in the garden, for years we’ve done it, Each time being careful not to get the nasty ones. On the front of the packet of the latest lot, read “Animal repellent”. For a couple of weeks the packet had been sitting on the side in the kitchen and not used but yesterday morning, 29 April 2009, I noticed some slug damage on the vegetable patch. Like an idiot, I spread some around.
Jessie had been in and out of the garden all morning but Sharon let her out about 4:10pm yesterday just before she left for shopping. When Sharon let Jessie back in the house, she came in bounding and happy like she normally is.
Jessie had never touched slug pellets before but in that short time in the garden she must have lapped them up, these so called animal repellent slug pellets!
I got home from work at about 6:50pm to find Jess hyperventilating, shaking, delirious and salivating. I picked her up and rushed her to the vets. By the time the vet got to her she was going into convulsions. They tried everything, oxygen, valium, colonic irrigation (ice cold water) and continually dowsing her with ice cold water to bring her temperature down. A dog’s normal temperature should be 101.5 when rested; Jessie’s was off the scale. After the irrigation it came down to 108 and then 102. At this point the vet said that she has a chance.
A few hours rushed by and Jess calmed down a lot although not responding to any external manipulation; talking to her and petting her etc. Her colour came back and her heart rate was almost back to normal. We were very hopeful at this point. The vet stopped the irrigation but within an hour her temperature was back up to 108 and rising. The vet told us that she had only a 50/50 chance. This brought reality back to us with a bang.
More colonic irrigation revealed bright blue slug pellets coming out in her excretia! The vet then told us that he had only known of one dog in his experience which had survived the passing of pellets in this way and the next 24 hours would be crucial.
We knew that she would be in overnight so we had to make plans to leave. All the way through this event, Jessie had been blinking quite normally; it was her only outward sign of normality. Just before we left, Sharon noticed that she was not blinking any longer.
As a result of this, the vet explained that she had suffered massive brain damage which firstly affected her heat receptors in her brain and as she had stopped blinking it meant that her brain was shutting down.
Oh, bless her. I really don’t want to sound dramatic but I’m in bits writing this. We made the decision to let her go. We went home and spent the rest of the night balling our eyes out.
We’re going back to pick her up today and we’re going to bury her under one of the trees in the garden. I just couldn’t cope with thinking of her getting burnt along with other unknown pets in a kiln somewhere.
As I have said, on the front of the pellet container it very clearly, in a ‘marketing kind of way’! said “Animal Repellent”. On the back however, in tiny, tiny writing, it said “harmful to pets”.
Jessie was a huge part of our lives, making us laugh daily. We will miss her more than any non-dog lover will ever understand. We will deeply miss her loyalty. She was a strong protector, healthy and in the prime of her life, she was just 6 years old. We had plans to breed her this year as some of you know. She was a character, a cheeky monkey but most of all, she was our friend.
Nanite Jess.
I am not looking to make this one of those never ending email chains but for goodness sake, if you have friends and family with dogs like Jess then please pass this on so they know to avoid this happening to them. I am happy for my email address to be put out if anyone wants to know more information about the product that killed Jessie.
Thank you for your time.