PetEdge Recalls Toothepaste For Potential Diethylene Glycol Contamination
November 17, 2007 | Leave a Comment
(November 17th, 2007 in News for Cats, Dogs & Owners, National Dog, Cat & Pet Info, Dogs, Cats, Pet Food Recalls & Safety)
PetEdge toothpaste has been recalled due to the potential of diethylene glycol. Emails were sent out to PetEdge customers notifying them of the recall.
Here is the recall information that was sent out to customers:
PetEdge is voluntarily recalling Top Performance brand ProDental Toothpaste with Toothbrush kit because the toothpaste could contain diethylene glycol. Only one product, which comes in two flavors, is affected:
Top Performance® ProDental Toothpaste with Toothbrush kit 1.4 oz.,
Item No. TP128
Beef flavor: UPC 721343128151
Mint flavor: UPC 721343128564
Diethylene glycol can cause headaches and illness, or in high doses, renal failure or death. Diethylene glycol is found in antifreeze and other solvents.The company has received no reports of any illnesses associated with this product and is recalling it out of an abundance of caution.
We ask that you immediately discard any ProDental 1.4 oz. Toothpaste (of either flavor) that you may have on hand and inform us of the quantity of discarded items by completing and returning the Product Destruction Log. We will provide a merchandise credit for the discarded product as soon as possible.
If you have questions or need further information, please contact us at 888-211-8706 or at mailto:questions@petedge.com?subject=Product Recall.
PetEdge appreciates your assistance with this voluntary recall and regrets any inconvenience this recall may cause.
Very truly yours,
PetEdge
(Thanks to: Itchmo for this article).
Toxic Mold Found In Pet Cats
November 14, 2007 | Leave a Comment
The American Veterinary Association has documented it’s first known case of toxic mold poisoning in animals.
Two routine dental procedures performed on two apparently healthy, Himalayan cats from the same household, in Florida resulted in the death of both.
Blood collected from the cats tested positive for the toxin Stachybotrys chartarum, also known as toxic black mold, which can cause respiratory-related health problems, pulmonary hemorrhage and death in people.
The vet suspected mold after finding out the cats owner’s home had sustained water damage after a hurricane, 7 months before the cat’s death. The home was tested and the test confirmed the presence of the toxic black mold.
Although toxic black mold poisoning has never been documented in pets before, the veterinarian says he suspects that this is not the first case. It is possible that the signs ranging from respiratory disease to pulmonary trauma have been attributed to other things. There is no test for toxic mold.
Anyone living in an area of high humidity such as Florida or anyone having had water damage to their homes, should have the homes tested for mold.
Pet Adoption & Senior Citizens
November 8, 2007 | Leave a Comment
I don’t think I’ve mentioned it before, but I recently rescued a puppy and I’d like to tell you about it, because there are things you may learn from both a pet rescue and animal adoption standpoint.
My neighbor, an 81 year old widower, in questionable health, decided he was lonely and wanted to adopt a dog. That’s great! Pets are good for senior’s. I have no problem with that… as long as previsions are made for the care of the animal should the pet outlive the senior citizen. It has been my experience, that is rarely the case.
The problem with this particular dog adoption was that the man insisted on adopting a very young, high spirited, energetic, male puppy. Why the Humane Society gave him that particular dog, I can only guess. Sometimes we rescuers get so overwhelmed with the endless numbers of homeless animals in need, that it clouds our ability to make good judgement calls. I suppose they figured a puppy adopted out to this senior, was better than yet another euthanasia.
Unfortunately, things are usually more complicated than they appear on the surface. As it turns out this dog (Rex) is extremely intelligent and very energetic. He is from hunting and working stock. He needs to have a job, like herding, or jumping or obedience, or drug dog or service work. Rex also needed a loving, patient, firm owner with some knowledge of dogs.
Dogs like this become very destructive when they are bored. This was not the dog to stay cooped up with an eldely man who can’t even walk himself out of his own front yard.
Rex is highly excitable and has knocked the gentleman off his feet twice. He is also eager to please and be loved. but he’ll knock you over trying to get affection. He wants your full time attention and will do whatever it takes to get it. Rex is demanding and exhausting, at this point because he’s a puppy. He will outgrow that as he matures, into an adult dog but in the meantime it’s like trying to take care of an 80 pound, spoiled, out-of-control 2 year old!
Obviously things were not working out, so animal control was called to pick up this four month old puppy and return him to the shelter. I know from working with many different pet rescue and animal adoption agencies that returned cats and dogs don’t stand a very good chance of being adopted out a second time. It happens, but not often as you might think. So I stepped in and offered to take Rex…just what I didn’t need and couldn’t afford…. another pet!
The lesson here is that animal rescue agencies need to be more inquisitive and selective when adopting out young animals to senior citizens. Perspective animal adopters need to think about how old they are and what will happen to their beloved pet, if the they die before the pet does. So many animals end up in shelters for this reason.
Kittens and puppies can be dangerous for the elderly. They get underfoot and trip people who have very soft bones. They have a lot more energy than the elderly can easily deal with. They need to be walked more, they need to play ball more, they need to be reassured more, they need to be cleaned up after more, they need to be bathed and groomed.
Pet food is not cheap, nor is veterinary care. Most of the elderly are on fixed incomes and can’t afford to do all that is necessary for these animals
Let’s face it, Rex is wearing me out and I’m thirty years younger than the man who adopted the dog!
My suggestion to all who rescue pets, is that you take extra time with the elderly, during the adoption process. Ask the right questions, match the right personalities. We have so many elderly pets that no one wants. This is a perfect opportunity to match the right senior dog or cat and a senior human together for years of happiness and companionship.
If the elderly person insist on a young animal, as this gentleman did, and you can’t steer them toward a more suitable pet, turn them down. The chances that a wrong match is going to turn up back at a shelter or worse, abandoned in the street or woods, are extremely high. The gentleman that I am telling you about almost gave this puppy to a couple who raise “fighting dogs”. This puppy would have made great bait to train fighting dogs with.
Rex is safe here with me. I am trying to find a service dog training company that might take him, train him and give to a good family (he’s that smart). But so far, no luck.
But that’s OK. One does what one has to do. If I can’t place him he will stay with me. He’s one of the lucky ones.
RECALL ALERT: Hartz Mountain Vitamin Care For Cats
November 4, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Hartz Mountain recalled one specific lot of their vitamin care for cats because of Salmonella concerns on November 2, 2007. The product involved is 3600 bottles of Hartz Mountain Vitamin Care for Cats, Lot code SZ-16371; UPC #32700-97701; Manufactured in the USA by UFAC Inc., Baconton, Ga. While testing done by Hartz Mountain and UFAC has not revealed the presence of Salmonella in any Hartz Mountain product samples taken., The product tested positive for Salmonella in the FDA tests. Hartz is aggressively investigating the source of the problem and has taken steps to remove the product from all retail stores. Cat owners should check the lot code on their bottles. If no code is visible or the code number is SZ-16371 discontinue use immediately and safely discard bottle. Consumers can contact Hartz Mountain at 1-800-275-1414 for questions or reimbursement of purchased product.
Cats, Curiosity & Clothes Dryers: A Deadly Mix
November 2, 2007 | 1 Comment
I’m always warning people about safety issues with regard to their pets. Our pets are vulnerable to so many things we take for granted. Moving for example, is a very dangerous time for cats and dogs. They can be hurt or lost. Car rides are dangerous because they can get away from you so quickly. Household cleaning products, decorations and appliances are dangerous for pets. The car in the garage, if they go there. The top of a hot stove, or getting stuck inside a refrigerator, or the dryer…
As experienced as I am with animals, especially cats, it happened to me two days ago. I had insomnia because I was upset about something that happened earlier in the day. Around 2:00 A.M. I decided to get up and do some house cleaning in the hopes that I would get tired enough to go back to sleep. So, I was preoccupied. A perfect set-up for disaster.
I decided to do a load of laundry while I was washing dishes. When the washer finished I went out and quickly threw the wet laundry into the dryer. I didn’t turn the light on and I didn’t notice that the door to the dryer was already open.
As I was doing the dishes and re-hashing the days events, there was a little voice in the back of my head that kept saying…the dryer should not be making that noise..I didn’t put any tennis shoes in there…I paid no attention to that little voice for about ten minutes. Then, all of a sudden I heard a commotion and a loud, indignant, noise that turned out to be a very distressed cat meow. Apparently my cat’s weight had forced the door open and the dryer came to a stop. It finally got through to me, as I watched two other cats descend on the dryer and peer in…Oh My God! I realized I had accidentally shut one of my cats in the dryer!
I pulled him out and he was panting heavily and very warm (hot, actually). Now mind you, I’ve never had to treat a cat for heatstroke. I didn’t really know what to do, but instinct took over. I rushed him to the sink and started to wet him down with cold water. It took about fifteen minutes to get him to a point where he wasn’t panting and felt relatively normal the touch and another 12 hours for him to get back to being a normal, curious feline. He didn’t eat util the next day (24 hours). We were very lucky!
Heatstroke can be deadly, especially for cats, because they can’t tolerate the heat that humans and dogs can. So, I thought this might be a good time and a good place to go over the emergency treatment for heatstroke in case (God forbid) this happens to anyone else and to refresh my memory also. I don’t think it will ever happen to me again. It is not something you forget.
Signs of Heatstroke In Cats & Dogs (Hyperthermia)
- Rapid, frantic, noisy, breathing (rapid, panting).
- The tongue and mucous (gums) membranes are bright red
- Saliva is thick and tenacious.
- Vomiting often occurs.
- Rectal temperature rises. Normal temperature for a cats and dogs is approximately 102 F.
- If the condition goes unchecked;the the animal becomes unsteady and may stagger.
- Has diarrhea that is often bloody
- Becomes progressively weaker.
- Lips and gums become pale blue or gray.
- Collapse; coma and death follow.
Treatment:
Emergency measures must be taken at once. Move the animal to cooler surroundings. Take the rectal temperature every ten minutes. If the temperature is over 105 F or the animal becomes unsteady, apply wet cold towels or immerse in cold water until the rectal temperature reaches 103 F. (Make sure the water penetrates to the skin). Ice packs can be applied to the head. (Editor’s Note: In my haste, I didn’t apply as much cold water to his head as I should have. That is a critical area in heat stroke. Brain-swelling can be a major problem.)
Stop the cooling process as soon as the animals temperature reaches 103 F and dry them off. The thermoregulatory (the internal temperature control) system is not functioning properly at this time. Continue to take the animal’s temperature in order to prevent the opposite problem of hypothermia.
Veterinary care should be sought ASAP. Heat stroke can cause swelling in the throat, making breathing difficult or their may be brain swelling. A cortisone injection may be need to lessen or prevent such swelling. IV Fluids may also be neccessary.
Hypothermia is treated in the opposite manor. Signs of hypothermia are violent shivering and a body temperature of 97 F or below. You can immerse the animal in warm water. Make sure the cat is dry(rub briskly) and apply warm water packs, approximately the temperature of a babies bottle. You can use glass or plastic jars or containers, milk bottles, plastic zip lock bags, etc. as warm water packs. Do not use a hairdryer. The temperature needs to be at least 100 F.
As the animal starts to move about give them some honey or glucose (four teaspoons of sugar to a pint of water). See your veterinarian as soon as possible. And…better yet don’t let others upset you and never close the dryer door without checking for pets! 
