Illinois Teen’s Heroism in Barn Fire Saves 25 Horses
Long time Arabian horse trainer and judge, Richard Wright, was the victim of every horseman’s nightmare on Wednesday when a fire broke out in his 64 stall, 25,000 square-foot barn near McHenry, IL. The five-alarm fire ripped through Black Tie Stable shortly after 5 p.m. With no hydrants in the vicinity, at least 21 fire departments were needed to help out, along with tankers, according to McHenry’s Northwest Herald.
Top Feline Toxins
How to keep your cat safe this upcoming year
It is no surprise that dogs and cats are, by far, the most common pets in U.S. households today. The cat population in the U.S. outnumbers dogs by more than 10 million, making them the most populous pet species. This is due, in large part, to apartment dwellers in urban environments, the ease of cat maintenance, and the potentially lower financial cost of ownership.
Dogs tend to be prone to mischief and account for a large percentage of calls to Pet Poison Helpline, a 24/7 animal poison control based out of Minneapolis. That said, cats still comprise a significant number of calls to Pet Poison Helpline. The top five most common cat toxins include:
- Human or veterinary drugs
- Poisonous plants
- Insecticides
- Household cleaners
- Other poisons, such as glow sticks and liquid potpourri
Human and Veterinary Medications
Approximately 40% of calls to Pet Poison Helpline are due to cats inappropriately ingesting human or veterinary drugs. Cats have difficulty metabolizing certain drugs due to their altered liver metabolism, especially as compared to dogs and humans. Common drugs such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS) are some of the most deadly to cats. When ingested, NSAIDS can result in severe, acute kidney failure (ARF) and gastrointestinal injury/ulcers. Likewise, one Tylenol (e.g., acetaminophen) tablet can be fatal to a cat. Untreated, it can cause severe anemia (low red blood cell count), difficulty breathing, a swollen face, liver failure and death. Cats also seem to like the taste of certain antidepressants (e.g., Effexor), which may contain an attractive smell or flavor in the coating. With any accidental medication ingestion, immediate veterinary care is imperative.
Plants
Poisonous plants are the second most common toxin that cats get into, and represent approximately 14% of feline-related calls to Pet Poison Helpline. True lilies (Lilium and Hemerocallis spp.), including the Tiger, Day, Asiatic, Easter, Oriental, and Japanese Show lilies, are among the most deadly, as ingestion can cause severe, acute kidney failure in cats. Because these flowers are fragrant, inexpensive and long-lasting, florists often include them in bouquets. Small ingestions of two or three petals or leaves – even the pollen – can result in potentially irreversible kidney failure. Even the water in the vase can be potentially poisonous to cats. Immediate veterinary care is imperative. Despite their name, other plants such as the Peace and Calla lily are not true lilies and do not cause kidney failure. Instead, these plants contain insoluble oxalate crystals that can cause minor symptoms, such as irritation in the mouth, tongue, pharynx and esophagus.
Insecticides
Insecticides comprise approximately 9% of feline-related poisonings at Pet Poison Helpline. Exposure to household insecticides can occur when a cat walks through an area that was treated with lawn and garden products, sprays, powders, or granules. Cats are also typically accidentally exposed to household insecticides when pet owners inappropriately apply a canine topical flea and tick medication onto a cat. Dog-specific insecticides containing pyrethrins or pyrethroids are highly toxic to cats. Severe drooling, tremors and life-threatening seizures can occur. Always read labels carefully before using any kind of insecticide and ask your veterinarian about appropriate topical flea and tick medications for your cat. Even more “natural” or “holistic” flea medication can be very dangerous to cats.
Household Cleaners
Exposure to household cleaners accounted for approximately 6% of feline-related calls to Pet Poison Helpline. Many cat owners don’t realize that some common household cleaners like kitchen and bath surface cleaners, carpet cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners and even laundry detergents can be toxic to cats. Symptoms can include profuse drooling, difficulty breathing, vomiting, and even organ damage. After cleaning your home, make sure all excess liquid or residue is wiped up or eliminated as soon as possible. Only allow your cat back into the cleaned areas after the products have completely dried. When storing cleaning products, keep them out of your cat’s reach.
Other Poisons
The remainder of feline-related calls to Pet Poison Helpline involve less obvious poisons, such as glow sticks. Glow sticks and jewelry contain a very bitter tasting liquid called dibutyl phthalate. While rarely deadly, just one bite into glow sticks can cause your cat to drool profusely. Most of these exposures can be managed at home. Offer (but do not force) your cat to drink some chicken broth or canned tuna (in water, not oil); this will help remove the bitter taste from the mouth. Remove the glow sticks and clean up any remaining liquid to prevent re-exposure as cats may continue to groom the bitter dibutyl phthalate off their fur. A bath may be in order to remove any “glowing” liquid from his or her skin. If you see signs of redness to the eyes, squinting, continued drooling, or not eating, a trip to the veterinarian may be necessary.
Keep your four-legged felines safe by protecting them from these common feline toxins. If you think your pet may have ingested something harmful, take action immediately. Contact your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline at 1-800-213-6680.
SeaWorld Veterinarians Treat Sea Lion for Gunshot Wound
The California sea lion that was found with a bullet in its flipper has healed and was released back into the wild on Friday, according to SeaWorld.
The sea lion was rescued on Feb. 11 after beachgoers in Oceanside noticed the injured animal on the shore. 
SeaWorld rescued the female sea lion, and it turned out she was also severely malnourished. Specialists removed the bullet from her flipper and bandaged up the wound.
The staff nicknamed her “Valentine” since she was rescued a few days before the holiday.
After two months in the animal park’s rehabilitation program, Valentine gained more than 40 pounds and returned to full health.
SeaWorld said they returned the animal 2 to 3 miles off the coast in a good feeding area where dolphins, sea lions and sea birds were actively feeding.
How to Handle a Pet’s Remains Can be a Complex Decision for Owners
Donna and Mark Hein have an agreement: Whoever dies first gets the dogs.
The dogs’ ashes, that is. The Lockport couple plan to have the cremains of their two beloved canines buried with them when they go.
“We did that with our two Dobermans growing up. We put their cremains in the caskets of my parents after they passed,” Donna Hein said.
For now, though, the ashes are kept in decorative tins.
Increasingly, people’s devotion to their pets is becoming larger than life. They go to great lengths, sometimes at great expense, to protect and honor their animals into eternity.
Like the Heins, who had their pets cremated at Kozy Acres in Joliet, many opt to handle after-life matters themselves instead of just leaving a deceased animal with a veterinarian.
Last year, there were five pet funeral services at Lain-Sullivan Funeral Home in Park Forest. Loving Memorial Pet Care operates there. It has its own crematory, owner Michele Johnson said.
Business has increased 20 percent a year over the five years she’s been in operation, Johnson said. She attributes the growth to the personal touch she offers.
“We have 24-hour-a-day assistance,” she said. “We’ll come to your home or to your vet to pick up an animal.”
Grievers get time to pay their respects before the pet is cremated. Johnson also sells burial palls and caskets for people who opt to bury an animal.
The palls are stuffed with herbs designed to keep critters away from pets that are buried in a back yard.
Each pet owner who chooses cremation gets a keepsake card with the paw and nose prints of their beloved animal. They also receive a tuft of fur in a keepsake sack.
Johnson also sells a complete line of urns, scattering containers and memento jewelry.
“I try to accommodate every request,” she said.
Including the saddest ones.
Last summer, Stephanie Fisher, 21, of Park Forest, was killed in a fiery car crash on the same day her dog was slated to be euthanized by a local veterinarian. Fisher’s parents had both their daughter and their chocolate Lab, Bosco, brought to Lain-Sullivan. The two buddies were cremated simultaneously.
Johnson has cremated llamas, birds, snakes, even a goldfish.
“People love their pets,” she said. “So we treat them with respect.”
At Kozy Acres pet cemetery and crematorium in Joliet, there are 40 to 65 cremations a week. Therese Piaza, who co-owns Kozy Acres with her ex-husband, Tom Gaura, said both private and group cremations are more popular than burial these days.
With private cremation, a pet’s remains are returned to the owner, either to be buried or kept. In communal cremation, pets are cremated in groups, with all the remains then scattered across the cemetery.
“It’s still dignified but less expensive,” Piaza said.
Some people, including Cheri Packard, of Shorewood, prefer a traditional burial. Packard has six dogs and one cat buried at Kozy Acres pet cemetery in Joliet.
“We had a wake and a funeral for all of them,” Packard said. “I just feel that’s the right thing to do.”
Kozy Acres, which opened in 1981, has 2,500 marked plots, many with headstones that include photos of the animals buried beneath them. Some feature statues of dogs, cats or of St. Francis, the patron saint of children and animals.
For those who simply can’t part with their animal friend, there is a third option: preservation.
Jil-Marie Williams and Dan Borchers, of Chicago, had their dachshund, Weezy, preserved last summer using a freeze-drying method offered at Don’s Taxidermy in Wilmington.
“We have her sitting on our dining room table right now,” Borchers said. “She still looks real.”
Williams and Borchers said their 7-year-old canine died unexpectedly.
“We never got to say goodbye,” Williams said.
At first they thought they would have her cremated. Burial, Borchers said, was not an option because the couple plan to move in the near future.
“All our friends and family asked, ‘What are you doing?’ But now they see how nice she turned out,” Borchers said. “I recommend it to everyone.”
The option, which calls for removing the internal organs and body fluids before freeze-drying in a position chosen by the client, is becoming increasingly popular, said Don Franzen, owner of Don’s Taxidermy.
Many taxidermists are reticent to mount a pet because it’s difficult to achieve an authentic look with an animal that a human is so familiar with. Freeze-drying, though more time-consuming and costly, can get those results.
“In the last two days, I’ve gotten six calls about it,” Franzen said.
Some requests come from as far away as Maine.
“It’s not for everybody,” he conceded.
Those who do choose it seem to enjoy having a lifelike preservation of their animal, he said.
The cost for freeze-drying is based on an animal’s weight. An 8- to 10-pound dog starts at about $550, Franzen said.
Most people approach him with the admission, “People think I’m crazy,” he said.
“But who is anyone to judge?” he said.
“Most of them cry when they come to pick up their pet,” he said.
Franzen, also a taxidermist, said working with pets requires a whole new approach to the preservation process, one that calls for sensitivity and people skills.
“It’s like being a mortician,” he said. “You have to listen to the people, hear their stories. It’s important.”
Williams and Borchers said they were impressed by the personal touch Franzen and his wife extended.
“It was so personable,” Borchers said. “We’re very happy with the result. It’s like you don’t really have to say goodbye.”
Chosen Dog Breed May Reflect Personality Traits
What Your Dog’s Breed Says About You
Owners of toy dogs, like Hilton and — believe it or not — Sir Isaac Newton, score high on a personality trait called openness, a measure of how intellectually curious, open to new experiences and appreciative of arts and culture a person is. Meanwhile, owners of famously friendly dogs such as the Labrador retriever are likely to be the most agreeable personalities around.
“We go for dogs that are a bit like us, just as we go for a romantic partner who is a bit like us,” study researcher Lance Workman, a psychologist at Bath Spa University in the United Kingdom, told LiveScience.
Workman and his colleagues are interested in how personality traits influence real-world behavior. They focused on dog ownership because earlier studies have found personality differences between dog owners and non-dog owners (dog owners tend to be more agreeable). In one study, Workman and his co-authors found that people are even able to match purebred dogs with their owners, suggesting that certain breeds are associated with certain types of people.
To simplify matters, they split the dog breeds into seven Kennel Club categories: gun dogs, such as the Lab or golden retriever; hound dogs, such as the greyhound; pastoral breeds, including German shepherds and collies; terriers, such as the Staffordshire bull terrier; toy breeds, including Chihuahuas; utility breeds, such as bulldogs; and working breeds, such as the Doberman.
The results revealed correlations between the type of dog and the owner’s personality. People who own pastoral or utility breeds are the most extroverted of any dog owners. Owners of gun dogs and toy dogs were most agreeable. The most emotionally stable people tended to own hounds, including beagles and Afghans. Toy dog owners were also the most open and imaginative bunch.
“It breaks down the stereotype that owners of toy dogs are airheads, basically,” Workman said. [Like Dog, Like Owner: See What Your Dog Says About You]
The study, which has not yet been peer reviewed, is being presented this week at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference in London. The findings suggest that dog owners naturally gravitate toward hounds that fit their personality and lifestyle.
But the information might also come in handy for people just starting to pick out a furry pal, Workman said. The questionnaire could be developed to include not only personality concerns, but also practical ones such as living space. Prospective dog-owners would then have a data-based way to choose a breed — a method that could lead to fewer dogs sent to the pound, Workman said.
“You would type in these answers, and it would expand the 50 questions we’ve got to go into lifestyle, and it would say, ‘This is the dog for you,'” he said.
Man sues Nestle Purina and Wal-Mart over dog treats from China
Pet owner Dennis Adkins has filed a lawsuit against Nestle Purina and Wal-Mart following the death of his 9-year-old Pomeranian, Cleo, who became ill and died after eating one Waggin’ Train “Yam Good” chicken-wrapped treat per day over a three-day period. Adkins has also requested that a class be initiated for other owners whose pets were affected. The FDA has performed extensive testing of the treats and hasn’t found any causative agent, but the agency has issued consumer warnings about the products since 2007 Read More
Kaytee Hand Feeding Baby Formula Recalled by FDA
It’s possible to teach a deaf dog new tricks
Dogs and cats can have either congenital or acquired deafness, and only a Brain Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) test can confirm hearing loss unequivocally, writes veterinarian Christie Long. She points out that deaf animals make excellent pets and that deaf dogs can be taught to respond to hand signals.
June 22 is Take Your Dog to Work Day
Pet Sitters International has sponsored the day since 1999, encouraging employers to allow pets in the workplace for one summer Friday.
The goal is to boost employee morale and promote animal adoption and support for shelters and animal rescue groups.
For information, go to www.takeyourdog.com.
Paige is Serenaded!
Sandy Chang and pet partner Paige had a great visit Friday morning April 13th. Paige was serenaded by a senior lady who did such an instant mood swing that the therapy staff was astonished. The lady had been sad and clingy all morning, but perked up, smiled and sang songs as soon as she started petting Paige! She was even singing to our trading card as Paige left. Good job, Paige!