Q & A’s I Couldn’t Ask and No One Would Answer
Upcoming Look at Euthanasia Policy. If you assumed that euthanasia was a cut-and-dried procedure, consider this recent development. The AVMA is looking for veterinarians to serve on a panel that will discuss euthanasia policy. Will this have an effect on veterinarians being the only profession to legally perform this procedure, and what effect could it have on the Pennsylvania dog law? And, the question persists–why do the costs of euthanizing a pet take into consideration age, weight and species? Do we need to shop for the best price to say good-bye to a beloved friend?
Pet Food Issues. Veterinarians are encouraged to report pet food problems directly to the FDA rather than the manufacturer. November 24 was the deadline for filling out claims relevant to recalled pet food. With documentation, owners could receive up to a 100% cash payment of reasonable expenses and up to $900 for undocumented claims.
Dog Bite Prevention. A recent study on dog bite prevention drew some interesting conclusions regarding gender differences and dog bites. According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAVMA), it appears that females are more aware of a dog=s body language, signs and situations and thus are often better able to avoid to prevent dog bites. For example, women would not take a dog to a pet store where children might be present, even if the dog was on leash; would not take a dog to a sporting event where children were–like a soccer game; nor would they take the dog to a dog park where children were playing.
Interestingly enough they would also not allow their dog to mingle freely with unfamiliar adults as well as children at a dinner party or picnic. Is there a lesson here for new puppy owners looking for a dog training class?
Neutering. The search for the holy grail of chemical castration is again on the horizon. It seems to be the focus of interested organizations about every 20 years. Success is even announced and then for some reason the solution vanishes. Why? This year the nonprofit Found Animals Foundation announced at the SPAY/USA conference that it will award $25 million to the first person or group that develops a safe and efficacious non-surgical means of permanently sterilizing cats and dogs. An additional $50 million will be awarded in grants for nonsurgical sterilization technology with promise. The Michelson Prize and Grants in Reproductive Biology are being donated by Gary Michelson, a retired orthopedic surgeon.
Timing Your Pet’s Treatment. When discussing your pet=s medical treatment with your veterinarian, don=t forget to discuss your own health. The timing of medications and even amounts can be adjusted by the vet if he or she understands your schedule–perhaps mandated by your own medical condition or work. Sometimes medications need to have two people involved and this can be a consideration also. I sometimes wonder if the Anon-compliance@ about which veterinarians complain is due to a lack of communication between vet and pet owner regarding the latter’s life style. For awhile I had GMC appointments every afternoon. After I explained this to my vet she was able to adjust Bacall=s treatment so there was little added stress! Both owner and doctor play on the same pet health team!
MOSTLY MUTTS has a holiday card fundraiser. They are asking animal lovers to send $1 or more in a Christmas Card to help the more than 90 orphaned dogs this holiday season. A better thought–forget the card and mark your 2009 calendar to do this each time your pet receives his flea medication. Cindy Shamp, their adoption coordinator, tells me that just this week they found homes for six hard-to-place dogs. Donations should be sent to the Mostly Mutts No Kill Dog Shelter in care of Henry Gross, P.O. Box 498, Millville, PA 17846. A year-round fund raiser which raises thousands for spay/neuter surgery and other medical expenses benefits from Purina weight seals from dog and puppy food products. Send these to Cindy Shamp 949 Point Township Dr. Northumberland, PA 17857.
Dec 14, 2008 | | Uncategorized