NO RAW FOOD DIET FOR DOGS (AVMA)

AMERICAN  VETERINARY  MEDICAL  ASSOCIATION ( AVMA)
DISCOURAGES  RAW FOOD DIET 
FOR  DOGS

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) approved a resolution that discourages feeding raw or undercooked animal-source proteins to cats or dogs when pathogens have not been eliminated.
The policy, passed by the AVMA’s House of Delegates on Aug. 3, 2012, noted that cooking and pasteurization are the “traditional” methods for eliminating pathogenic organisms and that methods such as irradiation are “being developed and implemented.”
The AVMA acted because of the health risk to pets and people.
“Cats and dogs may develop food-borne illness after being fed animal-source protein contaminated with…organisms if adequate steps are not taken to eliminate pathogens,” the organization reported. “Secondary transmission of these pathogens to humans (e.g., pet owners) has also been reported.”

The stand brought an immediate response from supporters of raw diets.
“It should be noted that the AVMA opinion is just that and should not be misinterpreted as federal or state law or regulation,” said Matthew Koss, president of San Francisco-based Primal Pet Foods.
“Primal implements a stringent testing program to ensure that all of our products are pathogen free prior to being distributed for sale in the marketplace,” Koss added. “Primal Pet Foods adheres to all FDA standards for the manufacturing and marketing of pet food products, and we will continue to maintain our quality and safety standards with the goal of providing quality pet nutrition for dogs and cats.”
The policy does not forbid AVMA-member veterinarians from recommending a raw diet to pet owners, but it encourages owners to feed commercially prepared or home-cooked food to cats and dogs.
The AVMA identified several animal-source proteins of concern, including beef, pork, poultry, fish and other meat from domesticated or wild animals, as well as milk and eggs.
The organization also recommended:
• Restricting cats and dogs’ access to carrion and animal carcasses.
• Disposing of uneaten food at least daily.
• Washing hands before and after feeding cats and dogs, providing treats, cleaning pet dishes and disposing of uneaten food.
The recommendation not to feed unpasteurized milk to animals does not preclude the feeding of unpasteurized same-species milk to unweaned juvenile animals, according to the AVMA.

DOG LOSES HALF OF FACE TO SAVE GIRLS

PREGNANT DOG LOSES HALF OF HER FACE

TO SAVE

TWO LITTLE GIRLS

FROM BEING HIT BY MOTOCYCLE:

Kabang is a one year old "AsPin" from Zamboanga City in the Phillipines. "AsPin" is short for Asong Pinoy or "native dog." Her face was horribly disfigured when she saved two little girls from being hit by a speeding motorcycle. Kabang shielded an 11 year old named Dina Bunggal and her 3 year old cousin Princess Diansing from the motorcycle, but in doing so her face got stuck in the front tire. The bike then destroyed the upper part of her snout and her eyelids.

It was suggested to the Bunggal family, who were the owners of the dog, that they put Kabang to sleep. The grateful family refused. "It does not matter if she's ugly now. What is important to us is she saved our children and we cannot thank her enough for that," said Rudy Bunggal, Dina's father. A veterinarian in the Philippines named Mario Ariola said that Kabang "was very calm, friendly and submissive" when brought into the emergency animal clinic. Not only that, but at the time of the accident, Kabang was almost two months pregnant!

Kabang needs reconstructive surgery, available only in the US, but is too expensive for the Bunggals, who only make about $3.50 a day. However, thanks to all of the online attention and donations, Kabang will get the $20,000 surgery she needs!

Several organizations, such as the Animal Welfare Coalition, will help Kabang fly to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California in Davis for her surgery. "The more time that goes by, the more Kabang is at risk of infection. Fungal infections can be especially difficult to eradicate and any infection in the bone can be a lengthy process to treat at best. Her chances are better the sooner she can get those wounds closed," said Karen Kenngott, the US coordinator for Animal Welfare Coalition.

Kabang recently gave birth to six puppies, so not only did she save the lives of two little girls in the Philippines, but she brought six different lives into the world as well. 

We love you Kabang!

THANK YOU FOR A CARING KABANG!

A DOG

CARES FOR  TWO SIBERIAN TIGER CUBS

ABANDONED IN RUSSIA!

In this picture taken, Monday, June 4, 2012, Shar Pei dog Cleopatra feeds two baby tigers in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, southern Russia. Two baby tigers whose mother refused to feed them found an unusual wet nurse, a wrinkled, sand-colored Shar Pei dog named Cleopatra. (AP Photo/Igor Okunin)

(AP) MOSCOW - Two Siberian tiger cubs abandoned in Russia by their mother have found an unusual wet nurse - a wrinkled, sand-colored Shar Pei dog named Cleopatra, a zoo worker said Wednesday.

The cubs were born late May in a zoo at the Oktyabrsky health resort in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Zoo assistant director Viktoria Kudlayeva said the dog immediately gave the cubs all her attention.

"She accepted them right away," Kudlayeva said in a telephone interview. "She's cleaning them and breast feeding them as if they were her own. And they also sleep together."

The cubs - named Clyopa, after their adopted mother, and Plyusha - are also being fed goat's milk.

Kudlayeva said that the cubs pose no danger to the dog even though they are already showing their claws and hissing.

"They aren't aggressive and they depend on her for feeding," she said.

Fewer than 400 Siberian tigers - also known as Ussuri, Amur or Manchurian tigers - have survived in the wild, most of them in Russia's Far East

Would LOVE a follow-through on Clyopa and Plyusha  as they continue to grow-up depending on Cleopatra, their adopted Mommy. . .

WARNING: STAINLESS DOG BOWLS

Stainless Steel  DOG BOWL 

RECALL:

Petco has determined that one of its foreign suppliers used stainless steel mistakenly containing small quantities of Cobalt-60 when fabricating certain orders of certain SKUs/models of stainless steel pet food bowls. Cobalt-60 is a radioactive material commonly used in industrial gauging equipment and other uses.

We don’t know for certain how it got into our product, but we believe it came from scrap metal that had some Cobalt-60 accidentally mixed in. The affected products were found to emit low levels of radiation.

The Cobalt-60 levels in the affected products are far below State and Federal regulatory limits. All of the expert testing conducted on these products to date indicates that there is no health risk to the public, to our associates or to pets.

The affected products were limited to two cargo containers that entered the United States in late May and early June. We’ve also determined that the affected products pose no health risk, and were and are safe to be handled by our associates.

The issue was discovered by Customs and Border Protection agents during a routine import screening of one of the containers. That container was held at the port and never reached Petco. The second container had previously cleared Customs and reached Petco’s distribution network.

Upon learning of this issue following the delivery of the affected products to distribution centers, we promptly retained experts to examine the potentially affected products, and those experts determined that the SKUs examined were safe for handling.

SKU numbers can be found on labels inside and on the bottom of the bowls.

SKU 1047493
PETC-3.75C DEEP TWO TONE NOTIP
9.25” diameter; 3.75 cup capacity

SKU 1386956
PETC-3.5C NO-TIP SS HAMMRD BWL

9” diameter; 3.5 cup capacity

                          SKU 1047477
             PETC-7C TWO TONE NONTIP BOWL
                     9” diameter; 7 cup capacity