Thursday, July 23, 2015

Bravo! Pet food recall.

Bravo Pet Foods of Manchester, CT is recalling select lots of Bravo Chicken pet foods for dogs and cats due to concerns of the possible presence of Salmonella.

The recall was initiated after routine testing by the New York State Department of Agriculture revealed the presence of Salmonella contamination.

The following product is being voluntarily recalled because of the possible presence of Salmonella.
Product Item # Size Best Used by Date UPC
Bravo Blend Chicken diet for dogs & cats - Chub 21-102 2 lb  (32 oz.) chub 12-05-16 829546211028


Click here for full details

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Stressful Vet Visits

For some pet kids, trips to the veterinary clinic can be quite traumatic. Some dogs and cats even seem to have a sixth sense, trembling in fear when an appointment approaches.

Fortunately, we have an inside voice to give us tips for calming vet-visit fears … our very own Staff Veterinarian! If your companion animal experiences mild-to-severe apprehension when it comes time for a check-up, you will not want to miss this episode of Pet Talk! In this video, Dr. Sarah reveals six measures anyone can take to ensure fear-free visits to the veterinarian.
Click here to watch the video

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Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Dog Treat Recall

The Natural Dog Company, Inc. Recalls 12" Tremenda Sticks Because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk

Contact: 1-888-424-4602

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 20, 2015 – Windsor, CO – The Natural Dog Company, Inc. of Windsor, CO, is recalling its 12oz bags of 12" Tremenda Sticks pet chews because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals eating the product and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

The recalled 12" Tremenda Sticks were distributed to retail stores in CA, CO, FL, IL, MO MT, NC, OH UT and WA.

The recalled product comes in a 12oz bag without a lot number or expiration date with UPC number: 851265004957. Products with new packaging, which includes both a lot number and expiration date but the same UPC are not affected by this recall.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.
The potential for contamination was noted after a Colorado Department of Agriculture inspection of the product revealed the presence of Salmonella in a sample taken from a 12oz package of 12" Tremenda Sticks.

Production of the product has been suspended while FDA and the company continue their investigation as to the source of the problem.
Consumers who have purchased 12oz packages of 12" Tremenda Sticks should discontinue use of the product and may return the unused portion to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-888-424-4602 – Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm MST.


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Monday, July 20, 2015

New ADA FAQ's for Service Dogs

Frequently Asked Questions about Service Animals and the ADA

The following is a document published by the Department of Justice in 2015.

Many people with disabilities use a service animal in order to fully participate in everyday life. Dogs can be trained to perform many important tasks to assist people with disabilities, such as providing stability for a person who has difficulty walking, picking up items for a person who uses a wheelchair, preventing a child with autism from wandering away, or alerting a person who has hearing loss when someone is approaching from behind.

The Department of Justice continues to receive many questions about how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to service animals. The ADA requires State and local government agencies, businesses, and non-profit organizations (covered entities) that provide goods or services to the public to make “reasonable modifications” in their policies, practices, or procedures when necessary to accommodate people with disabilities. The service animal rules fall under this general principle. Accordingly, entities that have a “no pets” policy generally must modify the policy to allow service animals into their facilities. This publication provides guidance on the ADA’s service animal provisions and should be read in conjunction with the publication ADA Revised Requirements: Service Animals.
Click here to read the entire article

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Sunday, July 19, 2015

Dogs: Leadership vs Dominance


....Whether we are referring to corporate management, family structure, or canine management, the basic principles of effective leadership remain the same:

To lead is to set the example. To design structure of activities. To plan. To create expectations. To minimize conflict. To intervene and mediate conflict. To consider the best interests of all parties when creating boundaries or structure. To listen as often as speak. To compromise your own ego, your immediate interests for the benefit of all parties, putting the needs of your followers before your own. A good leader builds willing cooperation.

To “dominate” is to bully. To ignore the needs of your followers when it conflicts with your own personal interests or desires. To repress free will. To have one-directional conversations. The product of domination is conflict, since only one party’s will or desire is considered, but all parties have needs. The “dominator” forces “cooperation” (compliance).

Among households with canine family members, lack of leadership is a common cause for serious problem behaviors. Failing to plan is planning to fail, they say. Responsibility for leadership issues is often shifted to the dog, calling the dog "dominant". Read the entire article

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Friday, July 10, 2015

13 Surprising (and Sometimes Annoying) Ways Dogs and Cats Show Love

There's no doubt we love our pets -- but do our cats and dogs love us back? The answer is yes. But cats and dogs show affections in ways that aren't always what humans expect. In fact, a pet's Valentine wishes might instead puzzle, aggravate or even offend some people. Here are 13 ways dogs and cats show love. Read more...

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Thursday, July 9, 2015

Stella and Chewy's Dog/Cat Food Recall

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — July 5, 2015 — Milwaukee, Wis.

Stella & Chewy’s is voluntarily recalling some of its products due to concerns of a possible presence of Listeria Monocytogenes. The recall was prompted by a positive test confirming Listeria monocytogenes in Chewy’s Chicken Freeze-Dried Dinner Patties for Dogs, 15 ounce, Lot #111–15, during routine surveillance testing by the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

Stella & Chewy’s is voluntarily recalling all products nationwide from Lot # 111-15.
Click here for all details and product list

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Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Leadership vs Dominance

Leadership versus Dominance
Leadership is a grossly misunderstood concept. Leadership is often associated with words like “dominance”, “alpha”, “authority”, “respect”, and “challenge”. Rarely, if ever, is it associated with the word “trust”. Which may explain the tremendous lack of demonstrated leadership present in today’s human society!

Leadership is a role that requires the earning of trust from followers. Trust cannot be demanded. Force (the tool of the Dominator) creates resistance. Trust can only be given, not taken. Leadership, unlike "dominance", requires followers to CHOOSE to follow. Trust is broken in a heartbeat, but repaired, re-earned, only over a long period of time--not hours, but days, weeks, even months or years. Sometimes, it's irreparably broken.  Click here to read the entire article

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Dog Bite Prevention

Can Dog Bite Prevention Actually Prevent Dog Bites?

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Wear your seat belt. Glop on sunscreen. Maybe you do these things even though you remember the “good ol’ days” when seat belts were optional, even though you dislike the feel of sunscreen (like yours truly), and even though there aren't any immediate, tangible benefits.

But you're trying to be responsible. When you wear a seatbelt or apply sunscreen, you could, ostensibly, add a check to the columns, ‘Working to Decrease Chance of Auto-Related Death or Injury,’ and ‘Working to Decrease Chance of Skin Cancer.’ While there are no guarantees, these and other risks are identifiable, and over time we've developed strategies to ward against them.
‘Avoiding Being Bitten By a Dog’ should also have its own column. As traumatic and upsetting and out-of-the blue as dog bites might feel, we actually know a lot about dog bites — particularly the conditions under which they are likely to occur. Like with car crashes and skin cancer, it’s possible to take preventative measures to keep human bodies safe from dog bites, and it starts with building up a dog-bite-prevention mindset.  Read the entire article

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Friday, July 3, 2015

Stella and Chewy's Dog Food Chicken Patties

State Agriculture Departments Orders Stop Sales on Stella and Chewy’s
Dog Food Chicken Patties for Listeria


ANNAPOLIS, MD 

 The Maryland Department of Agriculture has issued a stop sale order on Stella and Chewy’s freeze dried chicken patties dog food, which has tested positive of Listeria monocytogenes. The lot number is: 111-15. The bags will have a use by date of April 23, 2016.

Listeria is not only dangerous to dogs, it can also be deadly to small children, the elderly and those with auto immune disorders.  Consumers who have unopened bags of this dog food are urged to keep it sealed, away from people and to throw it away. Those who have opened bags of this dog food are urged to use disposable gloves, place them in double plastic bags, seal it and throw it away.

MDA has notified all distributors and a number of stores known to sell the product. The listeria was identified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration which is undertaking a surveillance of raw pet food. The FDA notified the state today.

Read the entire article

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Teaching a Dog Not to Jump on People


Why Shouldn’t We Use Punishment to Teach A Dog Not To Jump Up For Greetings?

Recently someone asked a very good question about the use of punishment when dogs jump to greet people. The person made the analogy that if a dog were to interact with a porcupine, the dog would get hurt and therefore, not likely go near a porcupine again. Something unpleasant happened so the dog learned not to approach porcupines. An example that could apply to humans is that of a hot stove. When the stove top is red and we touch it, we get punished (burned) and therefore, we learn not to touch hot stoves. Why, if punishment works so well for the above examples, shouldn’t we use punishment to keep dogs from jumping on us? It seems very reasonable and rational that many people would come to the conclusion that the use of punishment would be the preferred method to use. Hopefully, after reading this, you will walk away with a deeper understanding of the use of punishment and behavior, and well…..our relationships with our pets.

First, when punishment is used, it only needs to be used once, perhaps twice (bottom line…very few times) and the unwanted behavior should stop. That’s the whole point of punishment after all. But how many times do you find yourself or see others repeating a punishment over and over again? I see people doing it quite literally for years!

Now, for arguments sake, lets just say a punishment technique worked for a greeting behavior ( i.e. dogs jumping up on people). Does that mean we should use it? Aren’t we ethically and morally obligated to use the least aversive techniques as possible? And if so, how does the example of the porcupine and the hot stove make any sense at all? Where does that fit into learning, behavior, and punishment? Click Here to Read the entire article

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