Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Maya's Health Challenges

Maya (right) enjoying some relaxing time with one of her favorite cats. 

Some of you may already know that, Maya, is currently facing some health challenges.  One of those is urinary incontinence – loss of bladder control.  If you’ve been in the lobby with her, she races outside to go to the bathroom, and we have to be quick to get her there.  This condition can range in severity from occasional small urine leaks to inadvertent voiding of a large amount of urine.  At the same time, Maya is also receiving laser treatments for her back, where she has lost nerve function.  Voila!  Because of Laser Therapy on her back and nerve relief, we’ve positively affected her bladder control.  She still takes some incontinence meds, and occasionally you’ll see her in diapers, but it is much improved!  We will keep everyone posted on Maya's health journey and hope to share more successful stories in the future.





Source: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/urinary-incontinence

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Two National Pet Stores Pulling China-Made Treats

Two major national pet stores are pulling all dog and cat treats made in China off of their shelves as years of complaints to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration pile up that jerky treats from China were possibly making pets sick.

 Vice President of Merchandising for Petco John Sturm said they are voluntarily removing these products after consumers voiced concerns. Another major pet food retailer, PetSmart, is pulling Chinese-made jerky treats from its stores in the U.S. and Canada.

 The treats have been linked to more than 1,000 dog deaths and nearly 5,000 other pet illnesses. The FDA said it's still working to determine the exact causes of the illnesses. While the products won't actually disappear from PetSmart shelves until March of 2015, Petco plans to pull the products by the end of this year.

Watch the following video for further details.
 http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2014/05/22/newday-petco-pulls-china-made-dog-treats.cnn.html

 Source: http://newday.blogs.cnn.com/2014/05/22/two-national-pet-stores-pulling-china-made-treats/

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Thursday, March 27, 2014

17 Poisonous Plants to Pets

With spring flowers ready to bloom, it’s important to remember that some plants can be toxic to pets. Be sure when you are preparing your garden that all your plants are non-toxic to your pets that play in the yard. 

Lilies 
Members of the Lilium spp. are considered to be highly toxic to cats. While the poisonous component has not yet been identified, it is clear that with even ingestions of very small amounts of the plant, severe kidney damage could result.
Marijuana 
Ingestion of Cannabis sativa by companion animals can result in depression of the central nervous system and incoordination, as well as vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, increased heart rate, and even seizures and coma.
Sago Palm 
All parts of Cycas Revoluta are poisonous, but the seeds or "nuts" contain the largest amount of toxin. The ingestion of just one or two seeds can result in very serious effects, which include vomiting, diarrhea, depression, seizures and liver failure.
Tulip/Narcissus bulbs 
The bulb portions of Tulipa/Narcissus spp. contain toxins that can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation, drooling, loss of appetite, depression of the central nervous system, convulsions and cardiac abnormalities.
Azalea/Rhododendron 
Members of the Rhododenron spp. contain substances known as grayantoxins, which can produce vomiting, drooling, diarrhea, weakness and depression of the central nervous system in animals. Severe azalea poisoning could ultimately lead to coma and death from cardiovascular collapse.
Oleander 
All parts of Nerium oleander are considered to be toxic, as they contain cardiac glycosides that have the potential to cause serious effects—including gastrointestinal tract irritation, abnormal heart function, hypothermia and even death.
Castor Bean 
The poisonous principle in Ricinus communis is ricin, a highly toxic protein that can produce severe abdominal pain, drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst, weakness and loss of appetite. Severe cases of poisoning can result in dehydration, muscle twitching, tremors, seizures, coma and death.
Cyclamen 
Cylamen species contain cyclamine, but the highest concentration of this toxic component is typically located in the root portion of the plant. If consumed, Cylamen can produce significant gastrointestinal irritation, including intense vomiting. Fatalities have also been reported in some cases.
Kalanchoe 
This plant contains components that can produce gastrointestinal irritation, as well as those that are toxic to the heart, and can seriously affect cardiac rhythm and rate.
Yew 
Taxus spp. contains a toxic component known as taxine, which causes central nervous system effects such as trembling, incoordination, and difficulty breathing. It can also cause significant gastrointestinal irritation and cardiac failure, which can result in death.
Amaryllis 
Common garden plants popular around Easter, Amaryllis species contain toxins that can cause vomiting, depression, diarrhea, abdominal pain, hypersalivation, anorexia and tremors.
Autumn Crocus 
Ingestion of Colchicum autumnale by pets can result in oral irritation, bloody vomiting, diarrhea, shock, multi-organ damage and bone marrow suppression.
Chrysanthemum 
These popular blooms are part of the Compositae family, which contain pyrethrins that may produce gastrointestinal upset, including drooling, vomiting and diarrhea, if eaten. In certain cases depression and loss of coordination may also develop if enough of any part of the plant is consumed.
English Ivy 
Also called branching ivy, glacier ivy, needlepoint ivy, sweetheart ivy and California ivy,Hedera helix contains triterpenoid saponins that, should pets ingest, can result in vomiting, abdominal pain, hypersalivation and diarrhea.
Peace Lily (AKA Mauna Loa Peace Lily) 
Spathiphyllum contains calcium oxalate crystals that can cause oral irritation, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty in swallowing and intense burning and irritation of the mouth, lips and tongue in pets who ingest.
Pothos 
Pothos (both Scindapsus and Epipremnum) belongs to the Araceae family. If chewed or ingested, this popular household plant can cause significant mechanical irritation and swelling of the oral tissues and other parts of the gastrointestinal tract.
Schefflera 
Schefflera and Brassaia actinophylla contain calcium oxalate crystals that can cause oral irritation, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty in swallowing and intense burning and irritation of the mouth, lips and tongue in pets who ingest.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Pet of the Month: Rocky

Our pet of the month is "Rocky". Rocky is a sweet 5 yr old neutered male tabby who loves people! He was rescued from the great outdoors by a loving family, but he turned out to be a little too rambunctious for their elderly kitty. So, Rocky is now here at Brandt and is looking for a forever home. Come visit him to see if that could be your home. Rocky would like it best if there were no other cats in the household.


Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Pet of the Month: Rocky


Our pet of the month is "Rocky". Rocky is a sweet 5 yr old neutered male tabby who loves people! He was rescued from the great outdoors by a loving family, but he turned out to be a little too rambunctious for their elderly kitty. So, Rocky is now here at Brandt and is looking for a forever home. Come visit him to see if that could be your home. Rocky would like it best if there were no other cats in the household.