CDC Investigates Salmonella in Pig Ear Dog Treats

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with the US Food and Drug Administration, recently issued a health warning to pet owners who feed their dogs pig ear treats.

They are advising people not to buy pig ear treats for their pets, and not to feed your dog any you might already have in the home.

There have been many cases of multi-drug resistant Salmonella, a bacterial infection, associated with these treats.  The Salmonella can affect both dogs and people who handle the treats.

The latest numbers from the CDC show that 127 people in 33 states have become infected.  26 people have been hospitalized, and 24 of the infections have occurred in children under 5 years of age.

While some companies have recalled their pig ear dog treats, the CDC and FDA advise pet owners to avoid all pig ears while the Salmonella outbreak is being investigated.

Here is a brief summary of their advice to dog owners.  Be sure to check out the CDC website for the full story.

• Avoid buying pig ear treats.
• Throw away any pig ear treats you might already have (make sure your dog can’t get to them in the trash).
• Wash areas where pig ear treats were stored.
• Signs of Salmonella in people include diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps.
• Signs in dogs include tiredness, vomiting, fever, bloody diarrhea.
• Report any suspected Salmonella infections to the FDA here.

 

August 4-10 is International Assistance Dog Week!

Mark your calendars, dog lovers…International Assistance Dog Week starts this Sunday, August 4^th!

IADW was created to recognize all the wonderful assistance dogs who help make life a little easier for people with disability-related limitations.

According to the official IADW website, assistance dogs help humans with both physical and mental disabilities by serving as devoted companions, helpers, aides, best friends, and family members!

The event organizers also work to recognize all the dedicated folks who raise and train puppies to become assistance dogs.

Be sure to check out the IADW website for lots of great information on the work assistance dogs do, as well as how you can participate in this annual awareness event!

 

Video: Construction Workers Rescue Stowaway Kittens from Steel Column

Five tiny kittens made big news here in San Diego recently!  Workers on a construction site were surprised to hear meows coming from a 60 foot steel column that had traveled hundreds of miles from Hayward to San Diego on a truck.

After failing to coax the kittens out with food, the workers had to tip the long tube over and slide them out.  Inside were a litter of 3 males and 2 females, just one week old!

Rescuers from the San Diego Humane Society came to the construction site and brought the kittens to SDHS’s 24 hour kitten nursery.

The kittens—named Crowbar, Rebar, Chisel, Jackhammer, and Piper—are now 4 weeks old and in foster care, where they will remain until they are ready for adoption at 8 weeks.

Check out the heartwarming video from San Diego Humane here:

 

California Bans “Easter Bunny” Sales in New Animal Welfare Law

This Easter marks the first year a new California animal welfare law designed to protect rabbits goes into effect.  California is the first state in the US to ban live rabbit sales at pet stores—an effort to cut back on the number of rabbits that are either abandoned, surrendered to shelters, or euthanized after Easter.

This is the same law that also bans the sale of commercially bred dogs and cats in pet stores.  Pet stores can still house adoptable dogs, cats, and rabbits from local animal shelters.

According to an article from Reuters, animal shelters see a spike in rabbit intakes one to three months after Easter.  The House Rabbit Society notes that thousands of rabbits, many still under one year old, are surrendered to California shelters.

Under the new law, rabbits will still be available for adoption from animal shelters and rescue groups, so California rabbit fans have the opportunity to provide a new forever home for rabbits in need!

 

Watch the Trailer for “Buddy” – A New Film About Service Dogs

Ready for a heartwarming documentary about service dogs and the people who rely on them?  Be sure to keep an eye out for the movie Buddy, a film from the Netherlands that tells the stories of six special service dogs and their owners.

Buddy is currently playing in a few select theatres around the US, but if it’s not in your town, be sure to watch for the DVD and streaming releases.

Here’s the official trailer for the film: