It’s very unlikely that this will affect any dog or cat owners in Miami, Florida, but a company called Bravo! has recalled tubes of raw poultry products for cat and dog food. Apparently, the concern revolves around salmonella and listeria.

Yet another pet food has been recalled over concerns that it could be tainted with Salmonella and Listeria bacteria. Bravo!, a company based in Vernon, Connecticut, is recalling some tubes of its raw poultry products for cats and dogs. The action comes only a month after another company recalled bags of dry dog food thought to be responsible for an outbreak of Salmonella poisoning that sickened dozens of people in Pennsylvania and around the country.

You can read more here.

Have you heard of this?

If you live in Los Angeles or San Diego you can rent a dog by the hour.

Strange but true:

FlexPetz is aimed at those who don’t have the time or the lifestyle to take care of a dog full-time, or who are unsure whether a particular breed is for them. “Almost like a ‘try before you buy,’” says Cervantes, a former behavior therapist for autistic children who has no background in animal husbandry or behavior, though she notes she has owned dogs her entire life.

Now the business is expanding to New York. Perhaps next stop will be part time dog owners in Miami, Florida.

You can read the whole story here.

Some background on TPLO, what to expect, and some things you should consider.

Torn cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) is a major cause of rear leg lameness in dogs. For years the surgical correction involved replacing the torn ligament with a piece of the patella (kneecap) tendon or a heavy suture material to stabilize the joint. Neither of these procedures returned the knee to normal function especially in large dogs.

Dr. Barclay Slocum and his wife Theresa developed a procedure that does return the knee to normal function. It is called the tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO). The tibial plateau in dogs with torn cruciate ligaments usually has an angle of 15-32 degrees. The TPLO surgery ‘levels’ the plateau to 5-7 degrees, which eliminates the tendncy of the femur (thigh bone) to slide down the tibial plateau (top of the tibia which is the bone between the knee and ankle). Once the plateau is leveled, the femur sits firmly on it when the leg is in motion.

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1. What is FIP? FIP is a viral disease.

2. How common is the disease? Twenty five percent of all cats have antibodies to FIP. Of that, twenty five percent, one to five percent actually develop the fatal form of the disease in the general cat population.

In catteries and multiple cat households, 90-100% of the cats may have antibodies to the disease, and twenty percent of the cats may die from the disease.
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1. It is an abnormal development or growth of the hip joints that usually occurs in both hips. There are varying degrees of laxity, instability, and malformation of the femoral head and hip joint. Later in the course there can be arthritis in the hips.

2. It is a genetic disease that can be influenced by environmental factors. The genes do not affect the skeleton primarily, but rather the cartilage, supporting connective tissue, and muscles of the hip region.

3. The hips are normal at birth. Failure of the muscles to develop and reach functional maturity concurrently with the skeleton results in joint instability.

4. Bony changes of hip dysplasia are a result of failure of soft tissues to maintain congruity between the femoral head and the acetabulum (hip joint).

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1. Administer year-round treatment with broad spectrum heartworm anthelminitics that have activity against parasites with zoonotic potential.
2. Administer preventive flea and/or tick products as soon aster birth as possible (consistent with label claims) for the life of the pet.
3. Conduct annual physical examination with complete history. Read more …

Normal cells have a limited number of cell division before their DNA (genetic makeup) is damaged leading to automatic cell death (cell suicide). Tumor cells are immortal having no checks and balances on their number of cell divisions.

Cancer is a genetic disease that can be affected by environmental influences that increase the likelihood of developing cancer. The initiating causes are a series of genetic changes in the DNA of the cell. Normal cells change into cancer cells when there are mutations (changes) in the DNA of the cell. Three classes of cellular genes are affected by the mutation. Oncogenes prevent tumor formation. If altered they lose that ability. Tumor suppressor genes regulate cell growth. When altered, they lose that regulatory function. DNA repair genes are there to repair mutations in other genes when they occur. If damaged, they are unable to repair other cellular DNA. These three sets of genes are there to put the breaks on cell growth. Once they lose their function, cell growth can progress unchallenged leading to cancer.

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An over-the-counter diarrhea treatment for humans now contains an aspirin derivative that in high doses is toxic to cats, reports the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Kaopectate’s new formula contains bismuth subsalicylates, which may cause salicylate toxicosis in cats that are overdoes, AVMA says. The product, manufactures by Pfizer, formerly contained attapulgite, an inert clay aluminum.

Veterinarians have recommended Kaopectate off-label to treat diarrhea in cats and dogs, particularly for clients who are unable or unwilling to seek immediate veterinary care, AVMA officials say.

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WHAT IS IT?

Lyme disease is a disease caused by a spiral-shaped bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi. The disease in people begins with fatigue, headache, and often a characteristic rash. If left untreated, the disease may progress to include cardiac, neurologic and commonly arthritic manifestations. Diseased pets will often only show the arthritic signs, which may occur with fatigue and reluctance to eat.

WHO CAN GET IT?

Lyme disease was initially described in people, but the organism has been found in many wild animals. Horses, cows and cats may harbor the spirochete, but the dog is most commonly infected.

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Investigational procedure shows promise for hip dysplasia-prone puppies

This article is from DVM Newsmagazine.

Editor’s Note: DVM Newsmagazine, in cooperation with the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS), brings you this column written by an ACVS diplomate on a variety of surgical topics. These columns are coordinated with the assistance of Dr. Denis J. Marcellin-Little of the College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University.Juvenile pubic symphysiodesis (JPS) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure performed on puppies at risk for developing the degenerative changes associated with hip dysplasia.

The procedure is still investigational but shows promise for improving hip joint conformation in treated dogs.

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