Often people have a tendency to leave meds around, especially if they don’t have children to worry about getting into them but pets are curious and can get into thing too. So for their safety, always keep medicine and prescriptions put away. Even a child-proof cap is not going stop a dog determined to get into a bottle. To those teeth dismantling is a challenge.

So here’s a list of the top ten people medicines that are dangerous to our pets, compiled by the ASPCA;

NSAIDs
NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen or naproxen are the most common cause of pet poisoning in small animals, and can cause serious problems even in minimal doses. Pets are extremely sensitive to their effects, and may experience stomach and intestinal ulcers and—in the case of cats—kidney damage.

Antidepressants
Antidepressants can cause vomiting and lethargy and certain types can lead to serotonin syndrome—a condition marked by agitation, elevated body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure, disorientation, vocalization, tremors and seizures.

Acetaminophen
Cats are especially sensitive to acetaminophen, which can damage red blood cells and interfere with their ability to transport oxygen. In dogs, it can cause liver damage and, at higher doses, red blood cell damage.

Methylphenidate (for ADHD)
Medications used to treat ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) in people act as stimulants in pets and can dangerously elevate heart rates, blood pressure and body temperature, as well as cause seizures.

Fluorouracil
Fluorouracil—an anti-cancer drug—is used topically to treat minor skin cancers and solar keratitis in humans. It has proven to be rapidly fatal to dogs, causing severe vomiting, seizures and cardiac arrest even in those who’ve chewed on discarded cotton swabs used to apply the medication.

Isoniazid
Often the first line of defense against tuberculosis, isoniazid is particularly toxic for dogs because they don’t metabolize it as well as other species. It can cause a rapid onset of severe seizures that may ultimately result in death.

Pseudoephedrine
Pseudoephedrine is a popular decongestant in many cold and sinus products, and acts like a stimulant if accidentally ingested by pets. In cats and dogs, it causes elevated heart rates, blood pressure and body temperature as well as seizures.

Anti-diabetics
Many oral diabetes treatments—including glipizide and glyburide—can cause a major drop in blood sugar levels of affected pets. Clinical signs of ingestion include disorientation, lack of coordination and seizures.

Vitamin D derivatives
Even small exposures to Vitamin D analogues like calcipotriene and calcitriol can cause life-threatening spikes in blood calcium levels in pets. Clinical signs of exposure—including vomiting, loss of appetite, increased urination and thirst due to kidney failure—often don’t occur for more than 24 hours after ingestion.

Baclofen
Baclofen is a muscle relaxant that can impair the central nervous systems of cats and dogs. Some symptoms of ingestion include significant depression, disorientation, vocalization, seizures and coma, which can lead to death.

For more information on things that are dangerous, poison or toxic, to our pets as well as what to do if your pet ingests something, check out Poison or Toxic for Pets

Vets are now offering alternative treatments such a laser therapy, acupuncture and even teaching pet owners pet massage to make their senior years easier.

I wish we all had vets like this one around!

Please, take the proper precautions and know what to do and above all, leave your dog at home in the coolness and safety of the house!

First, Know the Signs of Heat Stroke

The signs depend upon the extent of heat stroke. In the early stages, your pet will pant rapidly, have thick, ropey saliva, and have bright red gums. His body temperature will be between 104-106°F.

As the body temperature climbs above 106°F, your pet will go into shock with subsequent organ shutdown.

He will have pale gums, be weak and dizzy, with vomiting and diarrhea. The brain becomes affected and he may seizure or fall into a coma. In this case, he requires immediate, life-saving veterinary intervention.

The normal body temperature of a dog or cat ranges between 38 - 39°C or 103°F. Our pets maintain this temperature through panting, however sometimes they are unable to lose enough heat. Dogs and cats probably do suffer from heat cramps and heat exhaustion like us humans but the symptoms are mild and we don’t recognize them. The condition that we see is heatstroke, and it may cause the death of a pet.

Most Common Causes of Heat Stroke

Being in a Hot Car - Never leave your pet in a parked car in sunlight. The car heats up to be like a sauna even on mild days.

Excessive Exercise on a Hot Day - Minimize exercise in the heat of the day. Avoid exercising your dog in unusually hot or humid conditions especially at the start of summer. Most heatstroke cases are seen at the start of summer.

Not Enough Shade or Cool Water - Make sure your pet has plenty of shade to escape to during the day. Make sure your pet has plenty of fresh cool water (the water should be placed in the shade) available at all times.

What Do You Do?
Out of the Heat - Remove your pet from the hot environment. Get him out of the car and away from the sun.

To the Vet - If you suspect severe heatstroke and your pet has collapsed, get your pet immediate veterinary care. In this case, the organs may be shutting down and he needs specialized care to survive. While in transit it is important to continue to apply cool wet towels to the back of the neck and groin area.

What Is the Dog’s Temp? - Use a rectal thermometer and find your pet’s exact temperature: if it is 104°F or higher, he has heatstroke, and you need to take action.

Cool Down - Run cold water over the back of your pet’s head. Place cold packs wrapped in towels between the back legs, on the belly and in the armpits. Wet towels can be used instead. You can use a garden hose to run the water over the back of his head.

Alcohol - Rubbing alcohol will also speed up heat loss; it can be applied to the belly and groin, cooling as it evaporates. Liberally spread it on the skin; the most important thing is reducing the temperature in a controlled way.

DO NOT Immerse in Cold Water - This treatment does bring your pet’s temperature down, but tends to overcorrect it and then your pet may be seriously unwell, cold and wet.

Re-hydrate - Let your pet drink as much cold water as he can. If you have an electrolyte replacement, such as Gatorade, then add this to his water. If your pet drinks lots of water at once it is very likely to vomit. Once your pet is refusing water you can leave the bowl of water with it.

Shock - Pets with severe heatstroke are at risk for shock. In this case you don’t want to wrap him in a blanket, but you can at least provide sugar. Rub corn syrup or honey on his gums while you are in transit to your vet.

DO NOT Over Cool - When your pet stops panting, they are likely at a normal temperature. You can check this by taking their temperature again. If it’s 103°F or 38 °C then stop the cooling.

Special Cases - Certain breeds are at a high risk for heatstroke, namely the brachycephalics (dogs with pushed-in faces). These include Pugs and Bulldogs; they snore and snort and have difficulty breathing at the best of time. In spite of them being a veterinarian’s best friend, you should avoid exercising them on hot days, and always be on the lookout for early signs of heatstroke.

Dr. Andrew Jones tackles heat stroke and many other pet emergencies in his Pet First Aid Secrets. I have it always at hand and it is an indispensable resource. Pet First Aid Secrets and Veterinary Secrets Revealed are my two home health resources for my dogs, cats too. With these at hand, you will have answers to just about any health question or problem. You will know what to do and when to do it. If you care about the health of your companion, this is an investment can can’t afford not to have.

Dakota Bison/Ocean Blue Reported Issues

Timberwolf Organics Customer,

Due to recent reports from some customers, we have ordered that two formulas from three specific dates be pulled from the shelves. These are:

Dakota Bison with ‘best by date’ of 12 Feb 2009
Ocean Blue with ‘best by date’ of 20 Feb 2009
Ocean Blue with best by date’ of 8 March 2009

The reported symptoms include dogs refusing to eat, diarrhea or vomiting. While the problem is inconsistent (not every dog eating food from those dates/bag show the symptoms and not every bag), to err on the side of caution have decided to pull the formulas produced with the above dates. Initial testing has come back negative for problems and further testing is pending results.

As soon as the cause of this reported problem is determined procedures will be put into place to ensure that an event like this cannot happen again. Please be assured that no other formulas and Ocean Blue and Dakota Bison with dates other than ones listed above are not affected.

We apologize for any inconvenience or problems that this may have resulted in. If you do have a bag with those dates please contact the retailer you purchased it from for an exchange or credit. If you purchased it directly from us please give us a call or email us at customer.support@timberwolforganics.com, or you can download the Customer Complaint Form below and fax it to 866.796.8814.

Thank you for choosing Timberwolf Organics.

Sincerely,

Timberwolf Organics Team

One thing that I can tell you, since I’ve had my Jezzie and Bruti on a combination raw/home-cooked diet, they are now in the best health they’ve ever been in. They’ve shed those few extra pounds, their skin and coats are wonderful, their energy level is high, much fewer allergies and ear infections, fresher breath, clean teeth. No, it’s not a cure all, but it has made an amazing difference.

Myth: DOGS ARE OMNIVORES

This is false. Dogs are carnivores, not omnivores. Dogs ARE very adaptable, but just because they can survive on an omnivorous diet does not mean it is the best diet for them. The assumption that dogs are natural omnivores remains to be proven, whereas the truth about dogs being natural carnivores is very well-supported by the evidence available to us.

1.) Dentition

Look into your dog or cat’s mouth. Those huge impressive teeth (or tiny needle sharp teeth) are designed for grabbing, ripping, tearing, shredding, and shearing meat (Feldhamer, G.A. 1999. Mammology: Adaptation, Diversity, and Ecology. McGraw-Hill. pg 258.). They are not equipped with large flat molars for grinding up plant matter. Their molars are pointed and situated in a scissors bite (along with the rest of their teeth) that powerfully disposes of meat, bone, and hide. Carnivores are equipped with a peculiar set of teeth that includes the presence of carnassial teeth: the fourth upper premolar and first lower molar.

This is the skull of a weasel (also in Order Carnivora), courtesy of Centennial Museum. The carnassial teeth are marked with black arrows. You can find these same teeth in the mouth of your dog or cat or ferret.

Contrast this with your own teeth or the teeth of a black bear. A black bear is a true omnivore, as are we. We have nice, large, flat molars that can grind up veggies. Black bears, while having impressive canine teeth, also have large flat molars in the back of their mouth to assist in grinding up plant matter. Dogs and most canids lack these kinds of molars. Why? Because they don’t eat plant matter. Teeth are highly specialized and are structured specifically for the diet the animal eats, and the difference between a bear’s teeth and a dog’s teeth (both species are in Order Carnivora) demonstrates how this can be (Feldhamer, G.A. 1999. Mammology: Adaptation, Diversity, and Ecology. McGraw-Hill. pgs 260.). To see a visual comparison of the teeth of a dog to the teeth of a black bear, please click here. One can logically ask: If a dog (or cat or ferret) has the dentition of a carnivorous animal, why do we feed it pelleted, grain-based food?

2.) Musculature and external anatomy

Dogs (and cats) are equipped with powerful jaw muscles and neck muscles that assist in pulling down prey and chewing meat, bone, and hide. Their jaws hinge open widely, allowing them to gulp large chunks of meat and bone. Their skulls are heavy, and are shaped to prevent lateral movement of the lower jaw when captured prey struggles (the mandibular fossa is deep and C-shaped); this shape permits only an up-and-down crushing motion, whereas herbivores and omnivores have flatter mandibular fossa that allows for the lateral motion necessary to grind plant matter (Feldhamer, G.A. 1999. Mammology: Adaptation, Diversity, and Ecology. McGraw-Hill. pgs 258-259.). Consider this quote from the previously-cited Mammology text:

“Canids, felids, and mustelids subsist mainly on freshly killed prey. These families show correspondingly greater development in ‘tooth and claw’; they also have greater carnassial development and cursorial locomotion.” (pg 260)

This translates to a simple fact: everything about a dog or cat’s body design says they were designed for a carnivorous, hunting lifestyle geared toward killing prey. However, humans have done some major tinkering with this body design (resulting in varying sizes and conformations), but we have done nothing to change the internal anatomy and physiology of our carnivorous canines.

3.) Internal anatomy and physiology

Dogs and cats have the internal anatomy and physiology of a carnivore (Feldhamer, G.A. 1999. Mammology: Adaptation, Diversity, and Ecology. McGraw-Hill. pg 260.). They have a highly elastic stomach designed to hold large quantities of meat, bone, organs, and hide. Their stomachs are simple, with an undeveloped caecum (Feldhamer, G.A. 1999. Mammology: Adaptation, Diversity, and Ecology. McGraw-Hill. pg 260.). They have a relatively short foregut and a short, smooth, unsacculated colon. This means food passes through quickly. Vegetable and plant matter, however, needs time to sit and ferment. This equates to longer, sacculated colons, larger and longer small intestines, and occasionally the presence of a caecum. Dogs have none of these, but have the shorter foregut and hindgut consistent with carnivorous animals. This explains why plant matter comes out the same way it came in; there was no time for it to be broken down and digested (among other things). People know this; this is why they tell you that vegetables and grains have to be preprocessed for your dog to get anything out of them. But even then, feeding vegetables and grains to a carnivorous animal is a questionable practice.

Dogs do not normally produce the necessary enzymes in their saliva (amylase, for example) to start the break-down of carbohydrates and starches; amylase in saliva is something omnivorous and herbivorous animals possess, but not carnivorous animals. This places the burden entirely on the pancreas, forcing it to produce large amounts of amylase to deal with the starch, cellulose, and carbohydrates in plant matter. Thus, feeding dogs as though they were omnivores taxes the pancreas and places extra strain on it, as it must work harder for the dog to digest the starchy, carbohydrate-filled food instead of just producing normal amounts of the enzymes needed to digest proteins and fats (which, when fed raw, begin to “self-digest” when the cells are crushed through chewing and tearing and their enzymes are released).

Nor do dogs have the kinds of friendly bacteria that break down cellulose and starch for them. As a result, most of the nutrients contained in plant matter “even preprocessed plant matter”are unavailable to dogs. This is why dog food manufacturers have to add such high amounts of synthetic vitamins and minerals (the fact that cooking destroys all the vitamins and minerals and thus creates the need for supplementation aside) to their dog foods. If a dog can only digest 40-60% of its grain-based food, then it will only be receiving 40-60% (ideally!) of the vitamins and minerals it needs. To compensate for this, the manufacturer must add a higher concentration of vitamins and minerals than the dog actually needs.

Is the dog an omnivore? Its dentition, internal and external anatomy, and physiology say it is not. Even its evolutionary history says the dog is a carnivore. So when people tell you the dog is an omnivore, ask: “What about this animal makes you think it is an omnivore?” Make them explain their position to you before you explain yours.

About the Author

This incredibly well researched and well written article comes from Rawfed.com - Myths of Rawfeeding. Carissa, the writer, originally trained to become a vet before deciding to turn her talents to teaching, she has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Zoology and Biology, with a concentration in Anatomy and Physiology. During her time at CSU, she worked for 4 years in the Clinical Sciences Department of the CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital before deciding that she would be much happier as a high school science teacher instead of a veterinarian. Her ‘Myth’ pages are the result of nearly four years labor and research.

The story I came across talks about a family who was told that their sweet greyhound had osteosarcoma after having a blood clot between two of his vertebrae that was pressing against his spine removed. The vet originally told them that there was a 90 percent chance that it was nothing but took the precaution of sending it off for a biopsy.

When they returned to pick up their dog, the vet told them that the biopsy, verified by two pathologists, showed osteosarcoma, a painful and aggressive form of bone cancer. He recommended that they have their dog euthanized within days to save him the pain he would go through with this.

Their beloved dog was then brought in out to them, hobbling and in obvious pain, his pace quickened when he saw them and he bathed their tearful faces with kisses. After a couple of heart wrenching days, they decided to follow the vet’s advise and have their baby put down to save him the agony and pain they were told he would soon be experiencing.

The day before they were due to take him in, they thought he seemed to be recovering and doing better and decided to get a second opinion. They took him to a leading expert in greyhound medicine. The doctor, after reviewing his file and examining the dog, found that the biopsy had been misread and there was no cancer.

Month later their dog is fully recovered and doing great and if they hadn’t the presence of mind to get a second opinion they would never had known the error and they would have lost their dog.

How scary and horrifying!!

According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, more than 63 percent of U.S. households have pets; this includes some 73 million dogs and 90 million cats. Americans spend a fortune on their pets, over $40 billion in 2007 alone, of which more than $9 billion was for veterinary care. And yet, do people know what they are buying?

It’s well known that there are medical errors in human medicine. In a 2005 study, it was shown the 34% of people in the US have reported experiencing various preventable errors. Almost 200,000 people a year die from likely in-hospital medical errors. With statistics like this, can you even imagine what the statistics are in veterinary medicine? Our pets cannot speak for themselves and they rely on us to take care of them.

If you ever have any questions or concerns about a diagnosis, most especially a serious one, do not hesitate to get a second opinion. Just like in human medicine, veterinarians and labs make mistakes.

So what can you do to give your puppy’s immune system a boost to help enable them to protect their selves?

1. Have them on a Premium Quality Diet. You can find a detailed list of these the The Online Vet.

2. De-Worm them all- ensure they are NOT fighting anything else.

3. Get them ALL vaccinated for Parvovirus.

4. FATTY ACIDS ARE ESSENTIAL. Omega 3 fatty acids are great anti-inflammatories and immune boosters. Flax is the best source for dogs: the dose is 1tsp per cup of dog food. For cats, the liquid form is the only option, and they should receive 500mg twice daily of Salmon oil or a supplement such as EFA Caps purchased from your veterinarian.

5. HERBAL HELP. Herbs can help strengthen the immune system. GREEN TEA (CAMELLIA) stimulates the immune system. ESSIAC TEA contains a combination of herbs which are immune stimulating. GARLIC has antioxidant and immune-enhancing properties. It is best used in conjunction with other antioxidants. When given at high doses it can cause anemia in your pet, so it is best used under the supervision of your veterinarian.

6. TRANSFER FACTOR. Transfer factors are tiny molecules that are able to convey immunity information from one entity to another to educate naive cells about a present or potential danger along with a plan for action. Although the mostly notable function of these smart molecules is to speed up the recognition phase of an infection making the duration of an illness much shorter, transfer factors also have the ability to suppress an over active immune system. All said, transfer factors have the ability to balance out the function of your immune system, whether it needs to increase in function or be reduced in the case of auto-immune disorders.

Dr. Andrew Jones is a veterinarian that combines conventional veterinary medicine with holistic and natural health to give your pets the best of it all, healthwise. His book, Veterinary Secrets Revealed, is a virtual encyclopedia to medicine that arms you with the knowledge to be able to diagnose and treat your pet at home for many ills that you really don’t need to run to a vet for and spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Do yourself, and your pet a favor, check it out! Veterinary Secrets Revealed! Your pet, and your wallet will thank you.

I want to share something with everyone, not to cause panic or anything, but because this is something everyone with dogs/who deals with dogs needs to know. Last month, one of my dogs, Rosey (small Beagle), tested positive for heartworm. I was absolutely floored. Of COURSE I have all my dogs on preventative. I am religious about it. How could Rosey have gotten heartworms???? The vet suggested that, because I was giving her the “0-to-25 pound” dosage (she is 25 pounds), that perhaps she should have been getting the “25-to-50 pound” dosage. Hmmm… ok.

Then he shared with me that there is a growing concern in the vet community that there is now a strain of heartworm in the Gulf region that has become resistant to Ivermectin. My heart sank. Really? He assured me they were questioning the makers of the preventatives…..

Well, yesterday, Satchmo, one of my Bassets, went for his annual…. And guess what…. he tested positive for heartworm. He is 58 pounds and takes the “50-to-100 pound” dose ­ no under-dosing there!

My vet) and I talked for a long time. There is indeed apparently now a strain of heartworm that is resistant to Ivermectin, they are thinking. They suspect it is related to the effects of Katrina. She said more and more dogs in the Gulf area are testing positive…. Dogs who are ON preventative, regularly, religiously, like mine. I’m so upset, I can’t even think.

Now, it’s not every dog, of course. She said many are testing negative, as expected. But I know, in my house, 2 of 6 dogs have been infected, while on preventative.

I give Iverheart, which is the same as HeartGuard, and like HeartGuard, they have a guarantee that they will pay “reasonable” charges for treatment if a dog gets heartworm while taking their product. So I will pursue that. I just finished paying for Rosey’s hw treatment, but that’s a separate issue - cost.

The most most most distressing thing is that our dogs are not protected!

I would suggest that if you live in the Louisiana/Mississippi area, you get your dogs tested. And that the manufacturers of HeartGuard and Ivermectin be held to the task of finding out why their products are failing….. and what are they doing about it.

And for all the rescues? I have no idea what we are going to do in that situation. I know the no-kill shelter that I am associated with here in Lafayette houses over 70 dogs. All on Ivermectin.

IMPORTANT: just giving Ivermectin (preventative in some form) to treat heartworms, as some rescues do, will obviously not be an option anymore.

The preventative is not even PREVENTING; there is no way it will actually KILL heartworms. And until they figure out what’s going on…

Update: I did speak with the Ivahart people today. They want 2 years documentation that I’ve been giving Satchmo Ivahart. I told them they have to get that from my vet. She said she would call her. We’ll see… My vet had already placed a call to them, and the Ivahart lady was aware of that. I suggested she call my vet right away.

Oh, the Ivahart person acknowledged that they are aware of the problem, FOR OVER A YEAR!!!!

I just received this product alert and wanted to pass the info along ASAP. It was sent to me by a trusted friend and vet. This happened to a friend of hers. The vet said one of the most surprising things is that Fort Dodge is actually paying the med bills without a fight as in the past dealings she’s had with them, they are not so agreeable. That in itself makes me extremely wary of the product.

This is a very important message to my family & friends who have dogs-cats–and to alert you to the hazard of using a new Flea & Tick Preventative called ProMeris.

This is a new product designed to be a more effective product than other flea/tick treatments that was just released this year. It is available thru a vet and not currently on-line. I got ProMeris this week for my 7 dogs (6 Huskies & 1 Golden-Airedale), and the results were debilitating for nearly all of them-including me. Since my incident this week, my vet has pulled it from distribution and alerted the manufacturer, Fort Dodge.

Here are my results: Within less than 2 hours after applying, 4 of my dogs had vomited from 2-4 times, 3 were disoriented and stumbling, 1 was dragging his back leg, 1 was salivating. I had very similar symptoms like an allergic reaction-my lips were swollen, eyes very red, mucous membranes such as eyes, nose, and mouth were stinging. I was very disoriented-dizzy equilibrium and not able to drive. To make this a short story-all 7 of my dogs were admitted to the hospital for veterinarian care, and 3 of them remained for care, IV fluids and observation for 24 hours. I was in the emergency room. I’m home now and so are the dogs. We’re all feeling much better.

Vet bills were over $2,500 and Fort Dodge is paying for these. Not only can the product cause this reaction, it has a highly noxious odor that permeated the house and is just starting to dissipate after 3 days.

Your dogs/cats might not have the same reaction, but given my experience-I wanted to help you all become well-educated about the product

UPDATE - I’ve received a second warning on this product as well. Looks like something we should really be wary of!

My vet has discontinued the use of FrontLine Plus thinking that it is loosing it’s effectiveness with dogs who have used it for a long period of time. He now recommends Premerius. I tried a dose on one of my dogs and the smell was over powering. Poor Rowdy ran outside and was rolling on his back trying to get rid of the smell. He usually sleeps with me and whenever he was near, I developed a tremendous headache. Rowdy acted drained of energy and had fitful sleep for a couple of nights.

I will not use this product on the rest of my dogs and never again with Rowdy. I’ll go back to the Frontline Plus that has been very effective and non threatening to my fur-kids.