Poison Control for Pets

We've had several posts on pets that have accidentally been poisoned. Ever wonder why we recommend that you call poison control in these cases? Here's why.

Amber Alert for pets?

An interesting new service is available. It's a service that sends out messages to shelters, groomers, pet stores, veterinarians, (or anyone else who wants to register) when a pet owner notifies the company that a pet is lost. The message alerts the receipients that the pet has been lost and gives a description and picture of the pet. So it's sort of like an Amber Alert for a lost pet! Hopefully, one of the recipients will see the animal, contact the company, and the company will contact the owner. Pet owners have to pay to register their pet with the service.

This is a new service, so we don't know whether to recommend it or not. But it's definitely in the "Why didn't I think of that?" category. This company uses existing technology to create an email/Twitter list and then it sends out messages to local subscribers when the owner lets them know the pet has been lost or stolen. Brilliant!

It's probably best to have a backup plan as well. Microchips are manufactured by multiple companies. Chances are your veterinarian carries at least one brand. When a pet with a microchip is brought in to a shelter or humane society, the animal can be scanned to read the microchip and find the registered owner. Or, some veterinarians can tattoo your dog for permanent identification. Perhaps the best method is the good old fashioned, low tech collar and tags.

Whatever method you choose, just have a plan.

Cloning

Regardless of what side of this complex issue you stand on, this is a pretty interesting story. 'Trackr', a German Shepherd Dog, was a service dog who was famous for finding the last survivor of the 9/11 attacks. They've cloned him. Not one clone, not two, but 5 identical pups! (Due to the size variations, I suspect there were at least 2 litters. They don't say in the story, but I wonder how many times they had to repeat the procedures to get these 5 pups).

Oh by the way, one of the companies that did the cloning is associated with a disgraced scientist who forged data.

Lots of fodder here for debate. Dig in!

Whale saves diver

Apparently a Beluga whale rescued a diver in the whale's tank in China. Here's the story. It's very interesting to wonder whether this was just blind instinct? Or did the whale know exactly what it was doing? Perhaps it's just instinct for a marine mammal to recognize the signs of another mammal in distress. Perhaps it's a maternal instinct (similar to a baby newborn whale that needs help to ascend for its first breath). But perhaps, just perhaps, the whale knew that the human needed help, and it decided to act just because it wanted to. Who knows?

Why is this important to us? Well, first, it's just interesting. Second, it's just shows another facet of the human-animal bond. That's why our pets (read: 'family members with fur') mean so much to us. They respond to us on so many different levels. It's not just about the food and shelter, they really pay attention to us, and we pay attention to them. It may not be a life saving event, but every day our pets show us some little interaction that makes us think there is a deeper connection. Some little event that shows us they understand more than we think they should. Are we fooling ourselves? Who knows?

Then that just leaves the question as to why anyone would want to have a breath-holding contest in arctic temperature water...

Too true...

Anyone who has ever had a cat knows about this.



For more from this author, go to this website.

Thursaday Grab-bag

Here's several interesting items:

Researchers have documented that cats use a different purr sound when they are soliciting attention versus just being contented.

Good review of Dr. Grafinger and TVEC in a sports website!

A new airline has just started. It only carries pets as passengers. So far they are booked months ahead of time.

Edit 7/22/09: How 'come nobody told me about the typo in the title?!?!? :-)

New cancer drug for dogs!

This is actually a really significant event: recently major pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced that the FDA had approved a new drug specifically for use in the treatment of cancer in dogs. The name of the drug is Palladia, and it is approved for use in dogs for the treatment of cutaneous (skin) mast cell tumors.

The reason this is such a big deal is that it shows that the big drug companies are interested in developing drugs specifically for pets. We've been treating cancer in pets for many years, but it has always been with products approved for human use. It's great to have safety and usage data specifically from companion animals right off the bat. Usually we have to wait for that research to be done after the product is approved for use in humans, and this takes time. Hopefully, this drug will be successful, both in treating cancer, and as a financial success for Pfizer. That way, other companies will see that the pet market can be lucrative, and this might stimulate further drug development.

Right now Palladia is available free, but only through specialists of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM). (The ACVIM is the veterinary group that trains and certifies veterinary internists and oncologists). It's important to note that the drug is free, but there may be other charges for administering the drug, exam fees, bloodwork, x-rays, etc. that will need to be performed in order to make sure the pet is a good candidate for this treatment. We have Palladia at TVEC; call us for more information.

It's early to really judge the drug yet, but this looks like a significant, and positive, step in the treatment of cancer in dogs.

TVEC in the News!

Recently our own Dr. Jeff Nunez was interviewed for a story on the evening news! Here's the video.

Also, he was interviewed by the local newspaper. Here's the link, although you'll need to be a subscriber to see it (you get free access for 7 days).

Heat stroke, bad.

Dr. Nunez, good!

Dietary Supplements for Pets

There is a very good article at msnbc.com about dietary supplements for pets. It points out several important facts that often don't get enough play in the media.

• In humans, 'dietary supplements' don't have to be proven effective, they just have to be safe.
• There is very little scrutiny of dietary supplements.
• Dietary supplements for pets get even less scrutiny.
• An alarming percentage of the tested products either don't contain what they say they contain, or they contain other, harmful ingredients.
• Although there is much anecdotal evidence for the effectiveness of dietary supplements, there is minimal actual scientific data to back that up.

So, whether you are a 'true believer' and swear by your supplements, or whether you are a skeptic, know that there is minimal oversight of dietary supplements for pets. Buyer beware!

Sometimes people are afraid to tell their vet about all of the things they give their pet, because they are afraid the vet will get mad at them or laugh at them. Be aware that there are some well known adverse reactions that can occur between supplements and other treatements, or between different types of supplements. Always tell your vet what supplements you are giving your pet, and preferably, ask your vet before giving them!