If you are considering ordering your pet's medication online, please read what the ASPCA says about online pet medications. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) does not recommend that pet parents forgo purchasing pet drugs on the Internet altogether, but encourages the active participation of your veterinarian in any decision to medicate your pet. “All pet drugs should be prescribed by a veterinarian after an in-person physical exam, and should either be purchased from that veterinarian or out sourced to a reputable pharmacy, whether on- or off-line,” says Dr. Camille DeClementi, ASPCA Senior Director of Medical Records. Tips for Buying Pet Drugs Online Order from a Web site that belongs to a Vet-VIPPS accredited pharmacy. Vet-VIPPS—the Veterinary-Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites is a voluntary accreditation program of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). NABP gives the Vet-VIPPS seal to online pharmacies that dispense prescription animal drugs and comply with NABP's strict criteria, including federal and state licensing and inspection requirements, protecting patient confidentiality, quality assurance, and validity of prescription orders. Look for the Vet-VIPPS seal displayed on a pharmacy's Web site or check with NABP5 (click on "Accreditation Programs") to find out if a pharmacy is Vet-VIPPS accredited. Because this is a new program, begun in 2009, a small number of pharmacies are currently Vet-VIPPS accredited. Order from an outsourced prescription management service that your veterinarian uses. These state-licensed Internet pharmacy services work directly with the veterinarian, require that a prescription be written by the veterinarian, and support the veterinarian-client-patient relationship. Ask your veterinary hospital if it uses an Internet pharmacy service. Pharmacies that are currently Vet-VIPPS accredited: 1-800-PetMeds Drs Foster & Smith Pharmacy PetCareRx, Inc SmartPak VetCentric VetRxDirect
According to the American Kennel Club, nearly 20 percent of dog owners include their dog in their wedding. While dogs are most common, bridal planners also see cats, rabbits, birds, horses, and reptiles. A pet might serve as flower girl or best man. Would you consider having your dog participate in your wedding? Dogs are becoming the new untraditional participants in wedding ceremonies. They are either being entrusted with roles such as ring bearers, bridesmaids, and groomsmen or are simply present during the ceremony to bear witness to their owner’s nuptials. This is probably because dogs are the most socially acceptable pet to be seen out and about with in public and also because they can be trained quite easily to perform at your wedding. There are many advantages of having your pet participate in your wedding day. It’s a lovely way to personalize your wedding day and to bring a smile to everyone’s faces. You don’t have to dress your pet in a tuxedo to raise a smile from your guests - the novelty of a pet being present at your wedding will be enough to make them smile. It also makes your wedding less of a formal occasion and can lighten up the mood which is always a good thing. Weddings are not supposed to be somber affairs! Finally, if you do not have nieces, nephews or little ones to act as flower girls or ring bearer, then a pet is a perfect alternative! In the same way they love to see a cute flower girl or ring bearer walking up the aisle…they will enjoy seeing a dog walk down the aisle, it brings a fun element to the wedding.
I am not an expert on this subject. All of the views below come from other sources. I would like to know what you think about Animal Hoarding. The Humane Society of the United States says: What is an animal hoarder? An animal hoarder is a person who amasses more animals than he/she can properly care for. Such individuals generally fail to recognize or refuse to acknowledge when the animals in their custody become victims of gross neglect. Animal hoarders are sometimes referred to as animal "collectors" or animal "addicts." The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says: What Is Animal Hoarding? Animal hoarding is a complex and intricate public health and community issue. Its effects are far-reaching and encompass mental health, animal welfare and public safety concerns. For more information on animal hoarding, visit: How Animal Hoarding Develops
On this Veteran’s Day, I would like to honor our military working dogs. They are on the front lines. They are the ones that check for bombs to protect man. They are the ones that go into places man can’t go.❤️
If you are both aquarium enthusiasts, you may want to consider oranda goldfish as your first pets together. These beautiful fish develop large hoods called wens on their heads and are as friendly as they are attractive. Understanding proper care for these delicate fish is vital for their longevity. Educate yourself on the specific needs of oranda goldfish. Common goldfish such as the shubunken have flat, long bodies; but orandas have large, round bodies that make them slow swimmers -- they do not compete well for food with more active species. Their hooded heads are also prone to disease from bacteria and unclean water, so they are not tolerant to polluted water. In addition, unlike other types of goldfish, orandas must have stable water temperatures: not too cold, because they do not thrive if the temperatures in their tanks dips too low. Choose a tank suitable for your fancy goldfish. Orandas do best in tanks that provide plenty of room to swim. In addition, these hardy fish may reach sizes of 10 to 12 inches (25cm to 30cm) in length, making a spacious home necessary. A long or rectangular tank with capacity of at least 20 to 30 gallons (76l to 114l) will give your pets the space they need to thrive. Set up your fancy aquatic pets' tank with a filter and heater. Because orandas do not do well in dirty water, a filtration system will help keep their watery environment fresh and clean. An aquarium heater is a must for these fancy fish that are prone to temperature shock if their water temperatures dip too low. To read more on this story, click here:How to Care for Oranda Goldfish
When Sue and Robin McGibbon took their beloved Labrador Abby for her annual check-up last month, they thought the most they had to worry about was slightly increased creakiness in her joints. "She’d had problems with arthritis for some time, but it was growing worse and we didn’t want to see her in pain," says Sue. "Our vet had always tried to treat her with homeopathic remedies, but this time he gave her an anti-inflammatory drug." The family took Abby home, hoping life would become more comfortable for her. Instead, she suddenly became seriously ill. For six days she suffered endless bouts of vomiting and diarrhea before suffering paralysis in her hind legs. Eventually, Robin and Sue, from Bickley, Kent, felt they had no choice but to have her put down. Now, the heartbroken couple and the vet who treated Abby are convinced the drug used to treat her actually killed her. The drug was Carprodyl, which is widely used to treat millions of dogs in Britain and around the world. Vet Paul Grant had believed the drug, whose active ingredient is the painkiller and anti-inflammatory carprofen, to be safe. He has decided to speak to the Mail in the hope of raising awareness over the drug’s potential dangers. "I’ve never seen a dog deteriorate like this from using a medicine that was supposedly safe," says the vet, who had treated 13-year-old Abby since she was a puppy. "Carprodyl is what we call a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID, and Abby had been on a similar one before with no problems. But this was different. "I’m heartbroken for the family, and feel devastated by what happened. I’ll never prescribe that drug again." Such an impassioned reaction from a vet who deals with animal deaths on a daily basis is unusual, yet he does not believe owners or vets have been made properly aware of the drug’s potential dangers.
The vet who gave Carprodyl to Abby the Labrador has since said he will never prescribe the controversial anti-inflammatory drug again. This is exacerbated by the fact Britain has a complicated system of reporting reactions to animal drugs, so it’s almost impossible to gauge how many other dogs like Abby there have been. In the U.S., however, where the drug has been on the market for five years longer than in Britain and where the reporting system is more transparent, concerns have been raised for more than a decade. Shockingly, this supposedly "safe" drug is thought to have killed at least 3,200 dogs. Civil claims for damages have been settled with bereaved dog owners and campaigns have been waged to warn of carprofen’s potential dangers. On this side of the Atlantic, however, dog owners are kept worryingly in the dark, something that haunts the McGibbons. "We would never have allowed Abby to take this medication if we had known about the potential side-effects," says Sue. "She was a wonderful dog, full of personality. It is difficult to describe the horror of watching her deteriorate. She only went in for a check-up, but we lost her." Carprofen was first marketed in the U.S. in 1997 by Pfizer Animal Health as a treatment for arthritic dogs. It works by restricting the production of chemicals that cause inflammation. Marketed with the brand name Rimadyl, it was an instant success. In 2002 the drug was launched in Britain, where it has been similarly popular. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which licenses medicines, soon began receiving thousands of reports of adverse reactions. One complaint was from Jean Townsend, 75, from South Carolina. "I had a chocolate Labrador called George," she tells me. "My vet noticed he was limping and said Rimadyl could help." "But he began to go off his food and then started vomiting and passing bloody faeces." Within a month, George was dead. A post-mortem examination revealed he had liver damage, bleeding and gut ulceration. Jean sued and was joined by 300 other people in a class action that was settled by Pfizer in 2004 for $1,000 per owner, but the company didn’t admit liability. "We would never have allowed Abby to take this medication if we had known about the potential side-effects."
Dangerous: In the U.S., where Carprodyl has been on the market for longer, it has claimed that the drug could have killed as many as 3,200 dogs (stock picture). Subsequently, Pfizer was twice ordered by the FDA to beef up its warnings, eventually to include "death" as a possible side-effect.
"I have no doubt this drug does benefit many dogs, but others have a terrible, sometimes fatal reaction," says Jean. "The drug companies have never satisfactorily explained that and they should." In its defense, Pfizer points out that fewer than 1 per cent of animals react badly to Rimadyl, and that of those the vast majority recover. Pfizer and other drug companies also point out with justification that many of the dogs that benefit from taking carprofen would otherwise be in so much pain they would have to be put down. "For any medicine to be licensed by the regulatory authorities, it must meet rigorous quality, safety and efficacy standards," says a Pfizer spokesman. ‘Carprofen has been licensed in the UK for more than ten years and millions of tablets have been prescribed during this time. "We would encourage anyone who has a concern to speak to their vet, who can then report it." "I have no doubt that this drug does benefit many dogs, but others have a terrible - sometimes fatal - reaction." In Britain, animal pharmaceuticals are licensed and monitored by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), a branch of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It runs a system of reporting bad reactions to drugs called the Suspected Adverse Reaction Surveillance Scheme (SARSS), but this is discretionary, not compulsory. Harvey Locke, past president of the British Veterinary Association, says there might be a case for making reporting mandatory, but adds: "There would need to be strict guidelines laying down exactly when a report should be made. At present it is up to the discretion of the vet." Mr. Locke, in common with most vets, believes carprofen is perfectly safe in most cases, but he and his colleagues have no way of knowing how many animals are reacting badly to it. Here’s why. Carprodyl, the branded carprofen that was given to Abby, was given a license for Buckinghamshire-based Ceva Animal Health in 2008. Potential side-effects listed on the Veterinary Medicines Directorate website include: vomiting, soft feces/diarrhea, fecal occult blood, loss of appetite and lethargy, which in very rare cases may be serious or fatal. It also lists rare incidences of gastro-intestinal bleeding. However, as side-effects do not have to be reported to the VMD, there is no way of knowing the true scale of the problem. "I have treated dozens of dogs where these drugs have upset their stomach, but this would not come under SARSS reporting," says Mr. Locke. Disturbingly, when I repeatedly asked the VMD how many adverse reports it had received about drugs containing carprofen, I was initially told "it would not be simple" to find out. Later I was told I would have to make a Freedom of Information request for the figures, which could take six weeks. In the U.S., adverse reaction figures are freely available from the FDA to any member of the public. In Britain, pet owners are told the figures could be "commercially sensitive" even though the same drug companies operate in both countries. For any medicine to be licensed by the regulatory authorities, it must meet rigorous quality, safety and efficacy standards. Instead, it was left to Ceva Animal Health to tell me that in the case of Carprodyl, there have been just four SARSS reports, including Abby’s death. During the past year, the company has sold 1.7 million doses of the drug. "We think this is proven to be a very safe drug," says Martin Mitchell, Ceva’s global director of communications. "I have four dogs, and two of them are on Carprodyl. I would never put any animal at risk, least of all my own." In the case of Abby, Robin, 68, and his wife Sue feel certain carprofen caused her death. But they’ll never be able to prove it. In the U.S., however, one couple believe they have evidence directly linking carprofen to the death of their golden retriever, Sophie. Christopher Cooper and Shelley Smith filed a lawsuit against Pfizer last year after six-year-old Sophie was given the drug, as Rimadyl, to help recover from ligament surgery on a knee. "We were given the drugs without any information on potential side-effects," Christopher, a 45-year-old businessman, tells me from his home in Colorado. "If I had known, there’s no way we would have given her Rimadyl. She was in the prime of life." Instead, she suffered a similar reaction to Abby’s and had to be put down. ‘We have no doubt this drug killed Sophie,’ says Shelley. The couple’s solicitor, Jennifer Edwards, says: "Since I filed the lawsuit last July, I’ve been contacted by hundreds of dog owners who say they’d like to join a class action. When you consider that kind of response, the company’s safety claims for this drug don’t stack up." Sue and Robin McGibbon wish they’d known all this before allowing Abby to take Carprodyl. Martin Mitchell, of Ceva, sent me a copy of the leaflet his company issues with Carprodyl. It includes all the potential side-effects in full accordance with the law. However, the couple say the pills they got from their veterinary clinic, Tender Paws Ltd, in West Wickham, Kent, appeared to have been repackaged in a "fuchsia-colored" box with a slip of paper inside. I sent them a copy of the official instructions and Sue was shocked when she saw all the potential side-effects warning that the drug could be fatal. "We never got this," she says. "The only side-effects that it warned of was diarrhea." I approached Tender Paws several times, but no one would comment on the repackaging of this drug. All that remains to be seen is whether the Veterinary Medicines Directorate will take any action — and find out if the practice of re-packaging drugs without adequate warnings is widespread. Or will it simply hide behind secrecy and Freedom of Information requests? A watchdog without a bite or even a bark. For any medicine to be licensed by the regulatory authorities, it must meet rigorous quality, safety and efficacy standards. Instead, it was left to Ceva Animal.
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Sometimes the weight of the world can seem overwhelming. But occasionally, if we're lucky, YouTube presents us with videos of adorable canine activities to ease the pain. If you're feeling down, spend a minute and a half with Geronimo the Dog, a.k.a. Double Dutch Dog. Geronimo isn't your average pooch. In addition to possessing camera-ready charisma, Geronimo can jump a mean rope. And we're not talking standard jump roping; we're talking double dutch jump roping. So heat up some popcorn, sit back, relax, and marvel in the wonder that is Geronimo the Double Dutch Dog.
Muscular dystrophy in dogs is seen in many breeds, but is seen the most frequently in Golden Retrievers. Muscular dystrophy occurs when the dog lacks dystrophin. Dystrophin is a protein necessary for the proper function of muscle membranes. There are several types of Muscular Dystrophy. Duchenne is the most common form of MD in canines. Symptoms of Muscular Dystrophy Symptoms generally begin showing up between 6 to 8 weeks of age. Things you'll want to watch out for include:
Difficulty swallowing due to an enlarged tongue
Lack of interest in playing/exercise
Muscular weakness
Excessive drooling
Difficulty breathing
Muscle spasms
Difficulty moving tongue
Limb deformity
Tremors/shaking
Gait abnormalities
Treatment of Dogs with Muscular Dystrophy
There are no cures for muscular dystrophy. There are no therapies, either. Progression of the disease can be slowed, in some cases, with anabolic supplements – that is, steroid hormones. Muscular dystrophy in female dogs The most common form of muscular dystrophy in dogs and humans is caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. The dystrophin gene is located on the X chromosome, and, therefore, disease-causing mutations in dystrophin occur most often in males. Therefore, females with dystrophin deficiency or other forms of muscular dystrophy may be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze dystrophin and a number of other muscle proteins associated with muscular dystrophy in humans, including sarcoglycans and laminin alpha2, in muscle biopsy specimens from 5 female dogs with pathologic changes consistent with muscular dystrophy. The female dogs were presented with a variety of clinical signs including generalized weakness, muscle wasting, tremors, exercise intolerance, gait abnormalities, and limb deformity. Serum creatine kinase activity was variably high. One dog had no detectable dystrophin in the muscle; another was mosaic, with some fibers normal and others partly dystrophin-deficient. A 3rd dog had normal dystrophin but no detectable laminin alpha2. Two dogs could not be classified. This study demonstrates the occurrence of dystrophin- and laminin alpha2-associated muscular dystrophy and the difficulty in clinical diagnosis of these disorders in female dogs. "Scientists have taken a step toward developing a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) by successfully treating the condition in dogs using a novel genetic technique. The scientists used a method called exon skipping, which involves adding a genetic 'patch' to block transcription of a portion of the gene involved in DMD. This puts the remaining genetic sequence back in order, essentially creating a much less severe version of the condition. More work is needed before the treatment can be given to humans, however, because DMD sufferers often have different genetic mutations." The scientists recorded some remarkable video footage showing the resulting improvements in several dogs with naturally-occurring DMD. (Click twice on arrow to start video)
