Protecting Your Pet with Dr. Oz

Heads up Pet lovers... here comes some good info. Saw this article in my Oprah newsletter...

Enjoy...

Life is a journey, much more enjoyable with a furry friend by your side...
Mary E. Robbins
Robbins Run Ranch: Living the dream with our Poms.
307.788.0202

Protecting Your Pet with Dr. Oz

Choosing the Right Veterinarian

Dr. Oz isn't only interested in helping people maintain good health—he wants your furry friends at home to live long and healthy lives too. On his Oprah Radio show, Dr. Oz gets the answers to common health questions from three authorities on petcare.

Dr. Louise Murray, the director of medicine for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and author of Vet Confidential: An Insider's Guide to Protecting Your Pet, says there are a few things you need to know before you chose a veterinarian to care for your animal.

Instead of just flipping through the Yellow Pages, turn to friends for veterinarian recommendations, Dr. Murray says. Then, visit the veterinarian's office and ask if he has these two important pieces of medical equipment:

• Blood pressure-measuring equipment: "Most pets in this country have never had their blood pressure measured, and it's just as important in pets as it is in people," she says.
  
• Pulse oximeter: This is a piece of equipment that measures the oxygen level in your pet's blood stream. Dr. Murray says it's important for a number of reasons. "If your pet is under anesthesia, one of the most dangerous things that can happen is that their oxygen level can drop," she says. "If you don't have a pulse oximeter on that pet ... there is no way for the veterinarian or pet to know the pet is getting into trouble until that pet stops breathing."

If you find a veterinarian you click with and he has the proper equipment on hand, Dr. Murray says you should talk with him about your pet's needs and lifestyle. Then, she says it's important to make sure your pet has these vaccinations:

For cats:

• Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia (FVRCP) is the main viral vaccination for cats, and Dr. Murray says it protects from widespread diseases.
• Rabies vaccine

For dogs:

• Canine Distemper, Adenovirus, Parvovirus and Parainfluenza (DA2PP) vaccine is one Dr. Murray says every dog should have. It protects dogs from several common viruses.
• Rabies vaccine

An Alternative Approach to Petcare

Many people believe their pets deserve the same treatment as other members of their family—even when it comes to medical care.

Veterinarian Dr. Marty Goldstein has an alternative approach to veterinary care and shares his views on how to prolong the lives of cats and dogs:

• Yearly vaccinations are not necessary. "Vaccinate at 12 weeks of age or older with a distemper and parvo vaccine—not a combination of four, five, six, seven [vaccines] in one—[and then] never vaccinate again in the life of the dog," Dr. Goldstein says. If you want, you can have your pet tested yearly to see if any vaccines have worn off, he says.
  
• Yearly blood samples are necessary. "Blood is the mirror of life," he says. "From that blood, we'll recommend a specific supplementation."
  
• Use daily supplements for preventative purposes. "[Give] vitamins as they start getting older, antioxidants, a good multivitamin, minerals and fish oil," he says.
  
• Buy pet food made with raw meat. Dr. Goldstein says cats and dogs are carnivores, but today's popular pet foods are made from byproducts of the cereal industry. The grain-heavy food is not good for the health of your animal, he says. "It plugs the system up, it overdoes the pancreas [and] it serves as a basis for allergies."
  
• Don't feed your pet an all raw meat diet. Because cats and dogs have not been on an all raw meat diet for generations, putting them on one could be dangerous, Dr. Goldstein says. "A raw meat diet balanced with either a proper calcium supplement or with crushed bone with some vegetation is the ideal way to go," he says.
  
• Make your pet's food at home. If you don't have access to raw meat pet food, cook meats for your animal in your home, Dr. Goldstein says. "I'm talking foods—lambs and chickens and turkeys and beef and things like that," he says.

Year-Round Pet Health

Dr. Marty Becker, a veterinarian, author and Good Morning America contributor, gives helpful tips on how to keep your pets healthy all year long.

Heat Exhaustion
Dr. Becker says pet owners can prevent their pets from getting dehydrated and succumbing to heat exhaustion in warmer months by making sure they have plenty of fresh drinking water and never leaving them in an excessively hot environment such as a car or a portable kennel.

Also, avoid walking pets during the hottest part of the day, he says, or on scorching concrete sidewalks. Not sure if it's too hot for Fido? Put the palm of your hand on the sidewalk— if it's too hot for your hand, it's too hot for your pet's paws, Dr. Becker says.

Backyard Safety
Flying projectiles from lawn mowers can seriously injure pets, Dr. Becker says. Make sure your pet is confined to the house or another area that's away from where you're mowing.
Also, keep pets away from pesticides and fertilizers, Dr. Becker says. Look into using pet-friendly, organic pest repellents wherever possible.

Proper Diet and Exercise
About 50 percent of American pets are overweight or obese, Dr. Becker says. "It's the same exact causes [as humans]— too much food in their mouths, too few miles on their feet," he says. All year long, make sure pets eat a healthy diet and get plenty of exercise, he says.

 

 

Danger! Attention all pet owners - urgent!

The following came into my email today. I did pop over to snopes to check it out. Decided it was well worth posting.

Be aware of what you are using in your yards and gardens. From mulches, to fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides.

For the health of your pets...
Mary E. Robbins
Robbins Run Ranch
307.788.0202
****


Please tell every dog or cat owner you know. Even if you don't have a pet, please pass this to those who do.



Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Target, 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.



Over the weekend, the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in their garden. The dogs loved the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden. Their dog (Calypso) decided 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, Mom 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 web site,



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."

*Snopes site gives the following information: http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp *

Theobromine is in all chocolate, especially dark or baker's chocolate which is toxic to dogs. 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


***
Be aware of what you are using in your yards and gardens.

Stray Pit Bull Saves Woman, Child from Attacker

I had to post this article when I read it... some positive news about pit bulls...

November 5, 2008 | Pet Pulse Staff Reports

A dog came out of nowhere and stopped a knife-wielding robber from accosting a mother and her young son on Monday afternoon. (Pet Pulse Illustration by Tim Mattson)

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- The wandering 65-pound Pit Bull mix might have seemed menacing to some passerby, but one woman will always remember him as her "guardian angel."

The dog, which authorities think is lost and not a stray, successfully thwarted a robbery attack on a mother and her 2-year-old son, who were held at knifepoint Monday afternoon.

The Florida woman, who has been identified by authorities simply as "Angela," was leaving a playground with her toddler son in Port Charlotte when a man approached her in the parking lot with a knife and told her not to make any noise or sudden movements.

Angela didn't have to do either to protect herself and her child -- a dog mysteriously ran to the scene and charged the man, who quickly fled.

"I don't think the dog physically attacked the man, but he went at him and was showing signs of aggression, just baring his teeth and growling and barking. It was clear he was trying to defend this woman," Animal Control Lt. Brian Jones told Pet Pulse.

"I don't know what this man's intentions were, but it is very possible this dog saved her life."

The exceptional part of the story, Jones said, is that the dog had never met or even seen the people it quickly jumped to defend.

"You hear about family dogs protecting their owners, but this dog had nothing to do with this woman or her kid," Jones said. "He was like her guardian angel."

After the alleged thief ran away, Angela quickly placed her son, Jordan, in the car and tried to drive off. Before she could, though, the dog jumped into her backseat, waiting with her for the police and animal control officers to arrive at the scene.

The dog was transported to a local shelter and if his owners don't step forward within five days, Jones said, Angela and her family plan to adopt the savior she named "Angel."

Animal control officers and shelter workers believe Angel is lost, and not a stray, because of his good health, sturdy weight and mild temperament.

"It's funny, that someone's irresponsibility could have saved someone's life," Jones said of Angel's possible owners.

For Angela, it doesn't matter where the dog came from, just that he was there when she needed him most.

"I don't know what his [the thief's] intentions were -- I don't know why he did it, but I'm glad that -- we call him Angel -- I'm glad that Angel showed up because I don't know what would have happened," Angela told NBC2 News.

For a small town with a population of 46,452, animal control officers were kept busy Monday afternoon. Jones says they department also responded to a report about a boa constrictor in a church parking lot.

The snake found its way into a car engine and was able to be removed without being harmed. It took three people to move the massive, seemingly random placed snake.

"It's funny, because we aren't a big place," he said of the Gulf Coast town. "And we can go for four or five months without the media contacting us about a story. It's been a busy week."

Officers from the responding county sheriff's office canvased the area and were unable to locate the suspect described as being in his 20s, tall and dark haired.

Tell us what you think about "Stray Dog Saves Woman, Child Held at Knifepoint" below. Share your favorite videos by clicking on the ZootooTV tab. Send us your story ideas by e-mailing us at news@zootoo.com or by calling us at 877-777-4204.

Pet Pulse reporter Amy Lieberman and NBC-2.com contributed to this article.

Stray Pit Bull Saves Woman, Child from Attacker -- ZooToo Pet News