• National Pet Food Recall
• Home Again Program
• Goodbye Courtney
• National Pet First-Aid Awareness Month
• Canine breed test

National Pet Food Recall
Last month Menu Foods, a maker of multiple brands of pet food issued a recall for a long list of pet foods packaged in pouches and cans.  (View list)  Ongoing tests have implicated the wheat gluten portion of these pet foods.  Two chemicals have been found in the wheat gluten:  aminopterin which is used in rodent poison in countries other than the United States, and melamine which is used in the production of plastics and fertilizers.  At the time of the recall, none of the foods were sold here.  Now, one brand of dry food has been added to the list, Hill’s Prescription Diet M/D dry cat food.  Hill’s recalled this food because they used the same supplier of wheat gluten that the Menu Foods company used.  We have contacted cat owners who purchased M/D from this clinic and are returning all product currently on our shelves.  The newest food to be recalled now is Alpo Prime Cuts and Gravy wet dog food.  Stop feeding this food to your dog immediately.  We will continue to closely monitor this dangerous situation and will alert our clients to any new recalls.

Home Again™ Identification Program is Being Expanded
On average, one in three pets get lost sometime during their life.  Sadly, without identification, 90% of these lost pets don’t make it back home again, many are euthanized.  Only 6% of pets in the United States are microchipped.  And only 50% of owners of microchipped pets have had their pet’s microchip registered.  And even pets whose chip number is registered don’t have address and phone number updates done.  The Home Again™ company is making some changes in how your pet is registered with them and, through an annual membership program, is assuring that the information about their microchipped pets and their families is current.
Having your pet microchipped is quick and easy.  The Home Again™ microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and is implanted just under your pet’s skin.  It is permanent identification.  It will never be lost, unlike collars and tags.  When a lost pet is found and taken to a humane organization or veterinarian they will be scanned for a microchip.   Many police departments have scanners also.  The staff at Home Again™ is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to help get your pet back home to you.  On average, Home Again™ reunites a lost pet with their family every six minutes.  That’s 240 pets a day! 
Home Again™ is now offering an annual membership for $14.99.  If your pet is lost, all you have to do is call and the Home Again™ network swings into action.  A lost pet alert is issued to your veterinarian and to all Home Again™ rescuers within a 25 mile radius of where the pet was lost.  This list of rescuers includes veterinary hospitals, humane organizations, and shelters.  Medical information is provided to ensure proper care of the animal.  Home Again’s™ trained counselors will guide and assist you until your pet is recovered.  By accessing the Home Again™ website you can print out a Lost Pet Poster that is populated with a description and a picture you’ve downloaded simply by utilizing your pet’s microchip number.  The Home Again™ phone number is on the poster so you don’t have to have someone stay by the phone while you’re out putting up posters.
There are even more benefits to annual membership.  Should you have a possible poison emergency with your pet, you can call the Emergency Medical Care number at Home Again™.  The operator will connect you to the ASPCA® Animal Poison Control Center.  The usual $55.00 fee is included in your Home Again™ annual membership.   The veterinarian there will have access to your pet’s medical history making a proper assessment easier.
Traveling with your pet?  Kenneling your pet?  You have easy access to your medical records online through your Home Again™ annual membership.  And once a year, Home Again™ will send you two wallet-size identification cards for your pet with updated vaccination and emergency contact information.  Keeping your pet’s vital information handy could save his or her life.
Microchipping works.  In fact, 94% of microchipped pets are returned to their owner.

Goodbye Courtney
Our Customer Relations Specialist, Courtney Johnson has accepted a position at the Dental School at The Ohio State University.  She will also be attending classes at the university working towards finishing her degree.  She hopes to go into Human Resources once she graduates.  We all wish her the best of luck.

April is National Pet First-Aid Awareness Month
When your pet has an emergency, being prepared is very important.  It can be a matter of life and death.   In an emergency always seek veterinary assistance, but before you can get your pet to a veterinarian, knowing some basic first aid can be helpful.  This is very basic information and we can’t stress highly enough that you should seek help from your veterinarian or veterinary emergency center.  In all cases, approach an injured animal cautiously even if it is your own pet.  Animals that are frightened or in pain will often bite.  (See below for suggestions on what to use for a make-shift muzzle.)

• Bite wounds – Check the wound for debris or contamination and wash gently.  Wrap large open wounds to keep them clean.  Apply direct pressure to profusely bleeding wounds.  Release the pressure every 10 minutes for a few seconds. Resist the urge to release pressure and examine the wound any sooner than 10 minutes.
• Bleeding – Apply direct pressure for 10 minutes.  Release for a few seconds and reapply pressure if necessary.  Avoid tourniquets or pressure bandages that could cut off circulation.
• Respiratory Emergency – Check to see if there is any obstruction to the airway.  If so, you can try to force it out by placing a hand on each side of the animal’s chest and apply quick, firm pressure.  If unsuccessful and the animal collapses, you can very carefully attempt removal.  Take every precaution to not be bitten while trying to remove the obstruction.  Pliers or tweezers can be used to remove an obstruction but be careful to not push it down deeper. 
• Trauma injuries (such as being hit by a car) – Try to keep the animal quiet and warm.  Try to control any bleeding.  Do not manipulate any obviously injured limbs.  Animals that are injured so badly that they cannot walk should be lifted using a solid support such as a sheet of plywood.  I once saw a small dog come in to the veterinary clinic on a garbage can lid after being hit by a car.  Use whatever you have at hand.
• Heatstroke – Gently soak the animal with a garden hose or wrap it in a cool, wet towel.  Do not overcool the animal.
• Burns – Know what caused the burn before treating.  Some dry chemicals will be activated by water and make the condition much worse.  If the burn was from electrical cord or intense heat such as a flame or a hot stove, flush the burn with large amounts of cool, running water.  Apply a cool, clean cloth over the site.
• Poisoning – Find out what the animal ate and how much.  Call your veterinarian or the Poison Control Center.  We have a list of common poisonous plants in our June 2004 newsletter.
• Seizures – Move the pet away from anything that could be harmful during the seizure.  Use a blanket for padding or protection.  Do not attempt to directly restrain the animal.  It is also a good idea to time the seizure.  Your veterinarian will want to know.

First Aid Kit Recommendations
Your veterinarian’s phone number
The local veterinary emergency center’s phone number
Rolls of gauze to wrap wounds
Adhesive tape for bandages
Nonstick bandages such as Telfa Pads to protect wounds
Clean towels
Hydrogen Peroxide 3%
Antiseptic wipes
Scissors
Tick remover
Dog comb
Bottle of eye wash solution
Cotton tipped applicators
Eyedropper, bulb syringe, or large syringe (without needle)
Muzzle – It is nice to have one that would fit your dog.  Other items that can be used to make a muzzle include roll gauze, soft rope, nylon stockings, neckties, and belts.  Make a loop in the gauze or whatever you are using and carefully slip over the animal’s nose.  Tighten your loop and criss-cross the gauze around the nose several times, ending below the chin.  Then come up behind the ears and tie the loose ends together.  A functional muzzle needs to be very snug.  If it is too loose, the animal can easily push it off over their nose or they’ll be able to get their mouth open enough to bite.

Again, we want to stress that in an emergency, you need to contact your veterinarian or veterinary emergency center as soon as possible.

Canine Breed Test
Do you have a dog of unknown heritage?  The Canine Heritage™ test can determine the breed or breeds of your dog.  They are able to identify up to 38 major breeds.  The do-it-yourself test requires a simple cheek swab which you mail back to the company.  Results are returned to the owner in four to six weeks.  Aside from satisfying your curiosity, determining which breed(s) are in your dog can help you and your veterinarian address health and behavior issues.  Go to www.metamorphixinc.com for more information and to order the test kit ($65.00 plus shipping and handling).

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