Is Rabies Vaccination Still Necessary?
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
On September 7, 2007, the Centers for Disease Control announced that the canine form of rabies has been eraditicated from the United States.
Good news for dogs!
So, is it still necessary that animal licensing agencies require rabies vaccinations before issuing dog licenses?
There's already a lot of literature circulating around the Internet claiming that rabies vaccines can be deadly to dogs, if administered too frequently. Some activists contend that a single rabies vaccine is good enough to last five years, or maybe longer, and that administering the vaccine more frequently can cause serious illness, permanent disability, and death.
But it appears that rabies vaccinations are not going away.
These days, with animal rights activists pushing for laws that put dog breeders out of business, a growing puppy industry has blossomed in Mexico. Now we have to deal with Mexico's faulty disease control, as these puppies are being smuggled into the USA to meet the growing demand for puppies.
And it's not just Mexico. Foreign-born puppies are being brought in from the Caribbean, Canada, even as far away as India. And these countries don't have the same strict rabies control systems that we have in the USA.
For further reading...
Labels: Rabies Vaccinations
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WaterBite Hydration Gel - Gelatinous Water
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Schlotterbeck & Foss, a food manufacturer in Portland, ME, recently came out with a new product called, "WaterBite", described as a gel containing 95% water, that keeps its shape and consistency until consumed.
It's marketed for dogs, specifically in the area of long-distance transport.
If you frequently transport your dog in a crate, and place a cup full of water, or a water bottle, that water often spills out, dribbles out.
The WaterBite gel, however, can be placed in a bowl, and will not evaporate, and because of its gelatinous form, will stay inside in the bowl. Even if it manages to fall out, it won't soak into the bedding, keeping its state until consumed by the dog.
Because it's 95% water, it provides a dog with the hydration it needs for long transport. And it tastes like beef!
Each pouch retails for $2.99, with volume discounts.
You can buy WaterBite online at...
http://www.hydrationgel.comLabels: Dog-Water
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Vets Calling for Dog Blood Banks
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Veterinarians in the UK are expressing their desire for a nationalized system of dog blood banks.
The Independent reports today that members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons cite a sharp rise in consumer demand for high-tech surgical intervention, and that the lack of available dog blood is preventing this lucrative business from flourising.
Veterinary experts go on to describe the many types of common dog injuries that require surgery, and that so many dogs don't receive the care they need because of a lack of available blood.
Hence, vets want the UK government to create a national blood bank for dogs.
I'm not sure, however, why the UK government needs to be involved. There is already a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, and there are certainly many dog owners willing to donate blood from their dogs. Why can't the college use its own money to make it happen?
Labels: Blood Banks, Veterinarians
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Vsurance Now Offers Pet Life Insurance
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Vsurance, Inc., a provider of pet health insurance, yesterday announced it will offer pet life insurance, or also known as "pet replacement" insurance, with benefits up to $10,000.00.
Unlike pet health insurance, pet life insurance pays benefits if your animal dies. This type of insurance is particularly meant for owners of show dogs, who spend lots of money on training, grooming, and vet bills, only to find their "investment" go down the drain due to an unexpected death.
"We are very excited to be the first in the industry to offer this pet life insurance to these high-end and service orientated breeds," stated Russell Smith, CEO of Vsurance. Inc. "With benefits of up to $10,000, our innovative new pet insurance policy is yet another example of Vsurance's absolute commitment to provide the very best pet insurance products for pet owners, organizations, and their beloved animals.
For more information, visit Vsurance online at...
http://www.vsurance.com/Labels: Pet Insurance
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Doggie Brown Bomber Jacket
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
K9 Kloud9 announced their new line of warm winter fashions for doggies.
Their latest selections include dog parkas, jackets and hoodies, as well as several fashionable dresses for holiday wear.
Among them is this "Brown Bomber Jacket" made with faux leather, designed to bring out the "ruff" in your dog. It comes with a real pocket and D ring.
The jacket sells for $23.99 and comes in small, medium, and large sizes.
To view the entire selection of dog fashions visit K9Kloud9.com...
http://www.k9kloud9.comLabels: Dog Jackets
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Russian Restaurant Busted for Cooking Dogs
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Something tells me that news of restaurants serving up dog meat are going to become more frequent in the months to come.
The latest news is a Chinese restaurant in Moscow, Russia, that was capturing stray dogs, butchering them, and serving them up as beef and pork.
Police raided the eatery when neighbours became suspicious of whimpering packages delivered in the night. Officers later discovered some of Moscow's many stray dogs ended up on the menu after reportedly being cruelly butchered by chef's at the restaurant.
The restaurant owners were charged with selling food dangerous for human consumption, and animal cruelty.
I realize that some cultures see dog meat as a perfectly acceptable food meat, but deceiving others into thinking its beef or pork ought to be criminal, if it isn't.
Labels: Dog Meat
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It's a Bird Dog
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Now I know where the word, "bird dog" comes from...
Labels: Photos
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Dog Video Dating
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
If you suspect your dog is engaging in video dating, you may be right. As the internet continues to expand into more homes, dogs are able to find mates by posting videos of themselves online.
Meth Minute 39 is one such place where dogs can upload their personal videos in search of that special pooch...
http://www.channelfrederator.com/methminute39/episode/TMM_20071018After watching clips of some of the dogs, here are some interesting confessions I heard...
- I like white bitches, brown bitches, spotted bitches...
- I like being in the back seat of a car, panting...
- I don't have any testicles, but I can still have sex...
- I like it when you tie me up, leave me there, and I don't know when you're gonna come back...
Labels: Dating-Services
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Pet Relocation Services
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
There's a company called, "PetRelocation.com" which does all the work in getting your pet transferred from one location to another...
http://www.petrelocation.comSo, if you're planning to move from the East Coast to the West Coast, and you don't want to deal with getting your dog through the airport, these guys will do it for you.
The company offers door-to-door service, they'll pick up your dog at your place, and deliver him/her to your new place. They'll do any animal, bunnies, turtles, pigs, even mosquitoes (I kid you not).
And just like any other moving company, they'll sell you packaging materials too, like crates, crate pads, water dishes, and hydration gels.
I've moved from coast-to-coast a few times when I was a little kid, travelling between the USA and Japan, as well as Hawaii and the San Francisco Bay Area. But we never had pets back then.
When my mom moved from Orange County, CA to Denver, CO, she did it by car, and relocated the family cat the old fashioned way, in the car!
I also knew several people who just abandoned their pets at shelters, or gave them away to someone else. Maybe getting someone else to deal with doggie-transfer might help keep some of them out of shelters.
The company also has its own
Pet Relocation Blog, where you can read about the logistics of getting Muffy from point A to point B.
Labels: Pet-Relocation
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America's Best Vet Contest
Monday, October 29, 2007
The Morris Animal Foundation has a contest going to find "America's Best Vet".
Nominations are made by writing an essay explaining why your favorite vet should become America's Best Vet.
So, I checked out the list of nominees, and was surprised to find our vet, Marla Green, DVM, of Hemet, CA, listed there. Well, I guess I'm not surprised because she's a great vet, who offers very good care for our two dogs. And no, t wasn't me who nominated her.
The national and regional winners will be announced on Nov. 6, 2007, and highlighted in the December issues of Dog Fancy, Cat Fancy, Veterinary Practice News and also on DogChannel.com and CatChannel.com. Winners also will be honored at the February 2008 Western Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas.
Visit the list of nominees at Morris Animal Foundation...
http://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/Labels: Veterinarians
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Are Rules for Adopting Pets Too Strict?
Sunday, October 21, 2007
MSNBC has a poll running on its website asking the question...
Should rescue groups reclaim a dog even if the original adopter has found another home for it?
I voted "Yes".
Thus far, I'm in the minority. Out of 8,600 votes cast, 64% of respondents believe that Ellen Degeneres should be free to give away rescue animals to whomever she wants.
That's a scary thought if you're a supporter of animal welfare. Imagine if other people could adopt dogs and cats from a rescue group, and then give them away whomever they want. That's a recipe for dogs and cats winding up on death row in an animal shelter.
Betsy Saul, who founded Petfinder.com, seems to agree. She issued a
press release announcing her take on this matter...
"We understand and sympathize with Ellen and the family to which she gave Iggy. We also realize how important it is for adoption groups to put regulations in place to protect each and every pet that comes into their care. Statistics indicate that over a half million pets who are adopted from shelters and rescue groups land back in a shelter during their lifetime. For this reason, adoption groups put assurances in place to serve as a safety net for their adopted pets -- both at the point of adoption and throughout the pet's life. The upside of this event is that Ellen, Mutts and Moms and the hundreds of people who have emailed and called Petfinder.com about this issue want to see this little dog in the best home possible. If we could ensure that same future for all the pets available on Petfinder.com, our job would be accomplished."
The emphasis in mine.
So what do you think folks? Should we allow people to adopt animals from rescue groups and give them away to anyone they please?
Labels: Dog Rescues, Ellen DeGeneres
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China Regulates Doggie Clothes
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
An interesting piece of news out of China says that the "China Textile Association" issued first-ever regulations on how doggie clothes should look like.
The report published by Chinanews.cn says the new rules will take effect next month, outlining standards that Chinese pet clothing manufacturers shall abide by.
Reading some of the rules however, one has to question the use of such vague definitions...
In order to make sure that dogs wear their clothes comfortably, the rules say that the collarband should be neat and the neck should be made appropriately. The collar button should be placed at the right place and the clothes should not lose color or become too large or small after being washed.
Considering that dogs move around very often, the rules specify that the sewing made to the clothes should be good and the decorations on the clothes should be durable.
According to the rules, the sewing slots should remain invisible. This will make the clothes look nicer.
What kind of rule says that "the collar button should be placed at the right place". What the heck is the right place for a collar button? All of these rules are vague in their definitions.
I'm hoping that these subjective terms were written by Chinanews.cn, and not copied verbatim from the actual regulations.
Furthermore, I'm not sure if "China Textile Association" has any regulatory power from the Chinese government. They may just be an independent trade organization that requires its members to uphold certain standards, especially in light of all the product recalls here in the USA.
But a search of Google shows that China Textile Association is indeed a powerful organization.
Labels: Doggie Clothes
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Ellen DeGeneres Dog Adoption Fiasco
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Ellen DeGeneres, the celebrity who managed to create a reputation as being compassionate for animals, apparently went emotional on her television show about a dog adoption she was involved in that went wrong.
Television Station WPXI reports...
Ellen DeGeneres recently adopted a dog from a pet rescue agency. The dog is a 4-month-old Brussels Griffon terrier mix, named Iggy. Ellen DeGeneres gave the dog to her hairdresser's family because the dog did not get along with her other pets.
By doing so, though, Ellen DeGeneres violated an agreement with the California agency she adopted Iggy from. The agency has a policy that says small dogs cannot be adopted by families with small children. So the organization took the dog back.
You can read the WPXI's full report, and watch a video of Ellen making her plea...
http://www.wpxi.com/news/14359739/detail.htmlHere's my take.
This is how all rescue adoptions work.
Rescues don't allow anyone to come in, take a dog, and just hand them out to other people. You have a contract promising to care for the dog, as YOUR dog. That's the promise you make.
Rescues exists to make sure homeless animals are care for, not euthanized. They make sure animals are treated well, not mistreated. It's important for them to know who is going care for one of their animals.
Ellen made a mistake with this contract, it was simple mistake, and it doesn't incriminate her. It just makes her human. But these are the same terms of agreement that you and I are also held to.
Question, should we make an exception for Ellen DeGeneres, just because she's Ellen DeGeneres, and just because she cried on television show?
Better yet, should each of us adopt an animal from a rescue group, and give them away to other people? I think you can see my point.
As far as Iggy is concerned, he's not going to have any trouble finding a great new home, now that he's made so much national attention.
Labels: Dog Rescues, Ellen DeGeneres
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Two-Legged Dog Discovered in Woods
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Last Monday, in Pender County, NC, a hunter found an abandoned 2-year old chihuahua that was missing its two front legs.
The hunter brough the dog to a veterinary hospital in Wilmington. It was give the name "Roo" because of its missing front legs.
The dog is able to stand up by balancing itself on its hind legs, and can hobble about.
The hospital is now raising money to buy Roo a wheelchair. If you'd like to help out, call them at (910) 799-3400.
Labels: Chihuahuas, Strange Stuff
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DNA Testing for Mutts
Sunday, October 07, 2007
What to know what breeds of dog your mixed-breed is?
DNA testing can find out.
There are a couple of laboratories that'll analyze saliva from your dog and can ascertain from what breeds he or she is descended from. And it looks pretty cheap, about $65.00.
My dog Max is a mutt that no one seems to know what he is. I could probably make use of this.
These labs have assembled DNA maps from several AKC breeds. By analyzing your dog's DNA, they can tell you if he's part beagle, or part dachshund, or part golden retriever, or who knows what.
Links...
Mars Veterinary:
http://www.whatsmydog.com/ Metamorphix:
http://www.metamorphixinc.com/Labels: DNA Testing
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Because They Can...
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Who can come up with a funny caption for this photo?
Labels: Photos
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Dog Walking Banned by Islam?
Friday, October 05, 2007
Apparently, a mosque in Toronto, Ontario is telling its congregation to cease several activities common in North America, among them is dog walking...
A Toronto mosque is telling Muslims not to say "Happy Thanksgiving" or invite friends into their homes for turkey dinner on the holiday weekend... Also banned, it says, are: watching sports or soap operas, walking dogs, family photos, wedding bands, Western hats, mingling and shaking hands with the opposite sex.
If that's the case, then we're in for a real social war here on our side of the globe. A lot of Americans are already taking an "anti-Christian" stance citing the argument of "separation of church and state". Wait'll Islam becomes more established here in America, then we'll have Christians, Muslims, and Atheists, fighting over what the laws should be.
Read more about this on Pooch Master...
http://poochmaster.blogspot.com/2007/10/Labels: Islam - Dogs
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Wegman's Restores Menu Foods to its Shelves
Friday, October 05, 2007
Wegman's, a chain of grocery stores on the East Coast of the USA, restored its brand of wet dog food, made by Menu Foods, to its store shelves.
The announcement, which came out on September 16, 2007, said that the store had been selling wet dog food under the "Bruiser" brand name, which was among those recalled by Menu Foods last March.
Since then, the store says that its confident that its brand of dog food no longer has any risk of tainted wheat gluten from China, and is safe from melamine, the contaminant that caused the deaths of so many dogs...
There are very few pet food manufacturers and Menu Foods, a Canadian-owned company, tops the short list. The end of June, our Quality Assurance people went with me and our pet food buyer to their plant in Pennsauken, NJ, to review quality processes. We found a well-maintained, secure plant, with good manufacturing practices. And we worked with them on our requirements to resume Wegmans production.
Wegman's goes on to say that Menu Foods no longer gets its wheat gluten from China.
See Wegman's original recall list...
http://www.wegmans.com/..../pressReleases/petFood.aspLabels: Menu Foods, Pet Food Recall
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Man Fails to Drown Dog
Thursday, October 04, 2007
A man in Van Nuys, CA was arrested on charges of trying to kill his dog by drowning...
On Monday, October 1, 2007, around 2:00 p.m., Casey Purser, 19, returned to his house in the 15300 block of Weddington Street and was reunited with his two dogs, a Shih Tzu named "Toby" and a Pitbull puppy named "Evesue". The suspect became irate with the Shih Tzu when it defecated in the house. Purser threw the dog in the bathtub and tried to drown it.
Apparently, his neighbor witnessed the act, and was able to rescue the dog from the bathtub, and revived it through mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
Read the full article here...
http://lapdblog.typepad.com/..../man-attempts-bu.htmlI guess the houses in Van Nuys are SO close together, that you don't even have privacy in your own bathroom.
Kudos to the guy for rescuing the dog, however.
Labels: Dog Cruelty
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SuiteDigs - A New Kind of Dog Crate
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
A company called SuiteDigs Inc. now offers a new line of "doggie habitat products", which appear to be more like oversized, high-tech, luxury, doggie crates.
The company offers these as a compromise between leaving a dog free to roam the house alone while you're away, or leaving them kooked up in a tiny crate.
The swanky condos, specially designed for smaller dogs, contain within its boundaries everything a dog needs to be comfortable, including a place use the potty. To optimize the living quarters, the Company offers treat feeders, beds and staircases.
"Any small breed dog can happily reside in SuiteDigs," remarks Thomas Jackson, the guy who designed SuiteDigs. "In fact, my dogs sometimes hang out in there even when the family is home."
Webcams and smart home technology are also both available through a partner, allowing owners to feel closer to their dogs even when they are traveling or at the office. The internet-controlled treat feeder is a fun, interactive way to reward and pamper dogs from miles away.
Each dog habitat module measures 55 inches wide by 25 high and 25 deep, and can be combined or configured based on preference. Custom colors are also for the choosing, just contact SuiteDigs directly. Standard frames are made of black ABS composite material – an extremely strong, durable, thick plastic. Sturdy brushed aluminum windows and doors allow the dogs to enter and see out.
The sliding door allows owners to leave them open without tripping over the typical swing-style doors of gates and creates.
SuiteDigs modules and accessories can be purchased online at...
http://www.suitedigs.comLabels: Dog Crates
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