Making Promises to Pets; New PA SPCA Director; Flea/Tick; Training Opps
I make promises to my pets. The promises always include promises I was not able to keep to a former pet. I tell a new dog THIS TIME I WON’T FAIL. This time I will fulfill the promise I made to you. We will have MORE TOGETHER-TIME and we will LAUGH more and go out to classes and other events. These unfulfilled promises haunt me. They are part of the guilt that is a large part of my grief. Two years ago a dog of mine died because of a reaction to a flea-tick pesticide. Her death was harder than it should be–needed to be. It was so unnecessary. Owning a pet today is filled with danger. This should not be. Promise your pet you will not take protection for granted. Trust can be deadly.
Topical flea and tick products have been under EPA scrutiny since April and in that time the EPA has investigated more than 44,000 potential incidents from these spot-on products. Symptoms range from skin irritations to seizures and sometimes death. The pesticides OTC can be out of date, stored improperly, mis-labeled and re-labeled. The EPA’s advice is to purchase these products from veterinary hospitals and follow directions. Every EPA-registered pesticide has a number on the packaging which is essential in any health challenge. Veterinarians receive updates on pesticides and can act quickly to save lives. The number for the National Pesticide Information Center is 1-800-858-7378. In human medications there are warnings of side-effects and possible interactions with other environmental poisons. This isn’t the case for pets–YET! If you have more than one dog or cat and they tend to groom each other take the precaution of keeping them isolated for at least 24 hours after application. Also, if your dog is a therapy dog or a dog in a family with small children avoid contact–petting, hugging, etc.
Many of you probably read the front page Sunday story about the recovery of a lost Siberian Husky by Yvonne Roadarmel. This story illustrates the JAVMA finding that more lost dogs are recovered through use of the newspaper than through licenses, micro-chips and tattoos. Especially now due to the proliferation of rescues of all sizes the newspaper lost notice is the most effective in locating a missing companion.
There is a new Pennsylvania SPCA CEO, and for the first time–a woman. Her name is Susan Cosby and she hails from Voorhees, N.J. According to the press release I received, she has experience in “both high volume animal control shelters and private, independent shelters and includes a committment to lifesaving tactics, community collaboration and consensus building.” Let us hope she plays well with veterinary school shelter medicine education and area shelters. Most important, does she have pets? Has she fostered a litter of kittens in her bedroom, walked a shelter dog? Does she realize that SHELTER BOARDING can be hard on the spirit and soul? Although her welfare credentials are strong, the animal side of her experience is missing from her resume.
There’s a great opportunity to learn more about show handling and grooming from some of the best in the world of dogs. Even if you don’t show dogs, it’s always helpful to attend these types of events to learn the fine points of body language with its many mental as well as physical aspects. Presenters Frank Sabella and Peter Green are world-renowned handlers and groomers and Shirlee Kalstone is a grooming legend in coat and health care–inventing many of the products we have come to take for granted. The event will take place on Sept. 20th but you should make reservations early. Phone 717-691-3388 Ext. 202 or info@barkleigh.com
Jun 01, 2009 | | Uncategorized