More News Items as 2009 Begins to Close
ONE MAN’S JUNK–ANOTHER DOG’S FOOD! Nutro Products has recalled several lots of dog foods after finding pieces of a worker’s plastic hat in the production line. The recall applies to Nutro Ultra Puppy Food and Nutro Natural Choice Chicken Meal, Rice and Oatmeal Formula Small Bites Puppy food. Also, Wysong has recalled lots of dry dog foods containing mold. The recall affects Maintenance dog food, Senior dog food and Synorgon dog food. And Diamond Pet Foods has recalled several lots of cat foods deficient in thiamine manufactured for PremiumEdge. Information about pet food recalls is available on the AVMA Web site at www.avma.org/petfoodsafety/recalls.
SOCIALIZATION OF DOGS CAN PUT THEM AND YOU AT RISK The AVMA has released a reference guide to educate dog owners about the health risks of dogs socializing. The guide notes that dogs can spread diseases to other dogs and people in settings such as dog parks, day care and boarding facilities, competitions and training classes. Other health risks include bite wounds and environmental hazards. The three sections of the document cover risks for dogs, risks for people and protective measures. The document summarizes risks for dogs of canine distemper, canine influenza, canine parvovirus, external parasites, fertilizers and pesticides, fungal infections, heartworm, heatstroke injuries, intestinal parasites, kennel cough, leptospirosis, rabies, regional wildlife and feral animals, ringworm, tick-borne diseases and toxic plants. The guide is available online at www.avma.org/animal health by scrolling down to “Pet care” and clicking on “Dogs’ social lives and disease risks”.
DID DINOSAURS SNEEZE? Will researchers find the origins of swine flu H1N1 in dinosaur bones? According to an article in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, “new research indicates that tyrannosaurid dinosaurs may have been affected with a disease similar to one that causes lesions in the jaws of modern birds of prey. The finding represents the first evidence for the ancient evolutionary origin of an avian transmissible disease in non-avian theropod dinosaurs.” One researcher suspects there is a history of co-evolution of diseases and their hosts (Today it has been speculated that the present day influenza virus could be a result of DNA swapping between avian flu and those affecting other species. If there is “co-evolution” between diseases and hosts we may have added the possibility of prehistoric origins to a modern pandemic. Unfortunately or fortunately dinosaurs did not have vaccines.)
BEST IN GARBAGE. Nearly 4,000 canines are going to compete for more than $225,000 in prizes at the ninth annual AKC/Eukanuba National championship in Long Beach, Dec. 12th and 13th. The two-day event is held in connection with the AKC Agility invitational and the AKC National Obedience invitational with entries of 457 and 109. Dogs from 41 countries are entered with the largest entry–106 Golden Retrievers. (The show is open and not by invitation as it has been in the past and will be again next year. Wonder if this is due to the economy and small breed event numbers?) The Eukanuba booth promises to be the most amazing. It features an exhibit where attendees can see, smell, hear, and taste exactly as a dog does. I think it would have been less expensive if they had read the research by past AVMA president and veterinary behaviorist Bonnie Beaver. Fried liver was the preferred food when dogs go on a best in garbage search. This is followed by baked or fried chicken. Sorry, Eukanuba.
Dec 15, 2009 | | Uncategorized