PetScoop: Is It Legal to Turn Your Pet into Dinner?
Honestly, sometimes we wonder who we share the planet with. If you love cats, you have undoubtedly read about the very scary Gary Korkuc who was marinating his black-and-white cat, Navarro, in a cage in his trunk with the intention of turning him into dinner, when the police (luckily) picked him up on a routine traffic violation.
Is this even legal in the good old USA, where we all have rights, including our pets? Very possibly, depending upon where you do your cooking. Brian Palmer @ Slate Magazine has the scoop:
In most of the country, the legality of pet-eating would come down to the specific language of the general animal cruelty statute and how a judge interpreted it. Some states, such as Virginia, bar the unnecessary killing of an animal, with a specific exemption for "farming activities." In those places, it's very likely that killing a cat for dinner would get you in trouble, because the killing wouldn't be necessary, and cats aren't commonly associated with farming.
On the other end of the spectrum are states like Missouri, where very few restrictions are placed on when, why, and how an owner can kill his pet. In these areas, it would be difficult to lock up a cat-eater, unless his chosen means of slaughter were particularly inhumane.
PetScoop: Salmonella Threat Triggers Proctor & Gamble Expanded Recall of Specialized Dry Pet Foods
We certainly don't enjoy passing along this type of pet product news. Corporate America needs to develop a conscience. Proctor and Gamble have expanded their recall of certain popular brands of dry pet foods under the Eukanuba and IAMS labels.
No canned food, biscuits/treats or supplements are affected at this time. All the "Best-By" dates are July 1, 2010 through December 1, 2010. A full listing of UPC codes can be found at www.iams.com.
The company issues the following warning on their site:
Consumer Reports Tests Mosquito and Tick repellents
Every silver lining has a cloud and in summer it's mosquitoes and ticks. Not only are they annoying, but they can be hazardous to human and pet health. They definitely can interfere with the fun of playing with our pets outdoors and taking them for walks.
A recent Consumer Reports test found "six repellents protected against deer ticks and two common types of mosquitoes for 7 hours or more. Four of those contain deet in varying levels. The Environmental Protection Agency judges deet safe when used as directed."
The effective products include two types of "Off" and two deet-free:
Another possibility is the battery-powered Off! Clip On Mosquito Protection with the claim of "head to toe protection up to 12 hours" on the package. Disappointingly, the folks at Consumer Reports abandoned testing their beleaguered subjects after two hours because of bites.
PetScoop: United Pet Group Voluntarily Expands Recall of Nutritional Supplements For Dogs and Cats Due to Salmonella Risk
United Pet Group, out of Cincinnati OH, is voluntarily expanding its recent recall of its Pro-Pet Adult Daily Vitamin Supplement Tablets for Dogs to include additional pet nutritional supplement products for dogs and cats due to possible Salmonella contamination. These products are sold nationally at various retailers.
Included are various United Pet Group Pro-Pet and Excel branded products for dogs and cats, and certain other private label brands of the same products, such as Doctors Foster and Smith, Nature's Miracle, PETCO. All of the affected products are in tablet and powdered form.
The list of recalled products is provided on the FDA site with the following important information for you and your pets regarding salmonella:
Martha Stewart Pets Now at PetSmart -- New Line of Pet Products
If you are a Martha Steward devotee, happy days are here. Martha Stewart Pets, her new line of pet products, is now available exclusively at PetSmart stores and PetSmart.com. Most pet lovers are aware of Martha's lifelong commitment to pets and to high quality living, so this should be a good thing.
The line includes more than 100 pet products -- apparel, collars, leashes, bedding, feeding, grooming and bathing supplies, toys -- each designed, tested and approved by Martha, her pets and her team of experts.
How much is that doggy or kitty in the window? Ultimately, a lot more than the sticker price, that's for sure. Bankrate.com does us a dubious favor and breaks down one year's cost of owning a dog and cat into seven categories:
PetScoop -- FDA and NIH Launch Electronic Safety Reporting Portal for Reporting Pet Food Issues
The Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health this week launched a new web site with the catchy name Safety Reporting Portal, enabling the food industry to report safety problems related to foods, including animal feed and animal drugs. Consumers can also use the site to report problems with pet foods and pet treats.
The new Web portal includes different features for different types of reporting:
* Reportable Food Registry: Industry will have a more user-friendly electronic portal for submitting reportable food reports that are required by law. This electronic portal collects reports from the food industry and public health officials regarding problems with articles of food, including animal feed, that present a reasonable probability of causing serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals.
* Pets: Pet owners and veterinarians will be able to use the portal to report product problems with pet foods and pet treats.
* Animal drugs: Animal drug manufacturers can report adverse drug events associated with animal drugs.
* Clinical Trials: Biomedical researchers involved in human gene transfer clinical trials can report an adverse event, indicating whether it might be an unanticipated consequence of the product being tested. Trial sponsors can use the portal to prepare a report, print it and send it to the agency to satisfy reporting requirements for investigational new drugs.
This super cute clip of a dog and a young deer romping in the yard is a must-see for animal lovers. First, some background from L.A. Unleashed:
The deer, named Theen, was cared for by mlcarriker's family after he was discovered alone and malnourished. The family bottle-fed Theen until he began to eat on his own, and although he's now free to wander and mingle with his wild brethren, he "frequently comes back to the house to eat some [cat food] and play with our dog, Buddy," mlcarriker explains. "He doesn't care much for deer corn."
At the end of the video, notice the cats perched on the porch bannister watching the show.
PetScoop: Airlines Loses Dog, Then Offers $200 Flight Coupon
Who would trade their dog for a $200 airline fare coupon? That's the deal one airline made.
Before you fly with your pet, or ship him/her alone on a plane flight, read this sad story over at Consumerist:
Where's Paco? Josiah doesn't know, his girlfriend doesn't know, someone at Delta might know. After all, Delta was supposed to load Josiah's new dog on the same plane that Josiah got on. Paco didn't land with them. Frantic, Josiah called around frantically before being told that Paco was safe and sound, being taken care of by Delta employees, who would put him on the next flight out. Paco wasn't on that one either. More harried calls and Delta told Josiah Paco had "escaped" and the best they could do is refund his $200.00 pet transportation fee, but only as a "credit" for future Delta travel. That doesn't do Josiah any good, as he's vowed to never fly Delta again.
What's also sad is that it takes bad publicity via a high-profile consumer blog to shame this airline into any acceptable response at all. Read on.
PetScoop: Thousands of Pet Owners Injured Tripping Over Their Pets
WebMD reports that according to the CDC, many people get hurt every year when chasing or tripping over their pets -- their cats as well as dogs. This is a problem all too often dismissed by pet owners. Pet falls can literally ruin the lives of the elderly.
The study, published in the Journal of Safety Research, shows that dogs and cats contribute to injuries that send an estimated 87,000 people to emergency rooms every year:
* Dogs are more dangerous to their owners than cats, associated with 7.5 times as many injuries as felines.
* Women are 2.1 times more likely to be injured by pets than men.
* Injury rates are highest among people age 75 and over, but pets are a hazard for people of all ages.
* Fractures and contusions or abrasions are the most common pet-related injuries.
* 66.4% of falls associated with cats and 31.3% associated with dogs are caused by falling or tripping over the animal.
* 21.2% of falls linked to dogs were caused by being pushed or pulled.
What could be more "natural" than giving your dog a bone? For a brief while we gave our Golden Retrievers large bones to gnaw on during that pesky and seemingly eternal chewing stage. A few bouts with middle-of-the-night tummy upsets quickly led us to abandon bones in favor of safer chewy toys.
We all know the benefits of having a pet to love and love us back. But adopting a pet is also a big responsibility, and a lot of it is financial. At the minimum pet owners need to provide professional medical care, food and supplies.
In these tight financial times, it pays to educate ourselves before we make such a serious commitment. Mainstreet.com has an informative slideshow on the most economical pets and the typical costs associated with popular house pets.
PetScoop: EPA To Tighten Standards on Flea and Tick Meds for Cats and Dogs
Some of our dogs and cats have been suffering adverse reactions from pet spot-on pesticide products for flea and tick control -- skin irritation, redness, gastrointestinal problems (vomiting or diarrhea), or effects to the nervous system, such as trembling, appearing depressed, seizures. The majority of the problems apparently involved overdosing small dogs in the 10 to 20 lb range and cats who took meds intended for dogs.
Beginning immediately, the EPA will increase scrutiny of these spot-on pesticide products to ensure their safety. The EPA will begin reviewing labels for clarity and will develop more stringent testing and evaluation requirements for both existing and new products. From the press release:
Which is better--canned or dry pet food? Some pets may flourish better on a canned "wet" diet, according to Dr. Katy J. Nelson, an emergency veterinarian in Alexandria, Va. In Dog Daily she says that at least five types of dogs particularly benefit from canned or "wet" food:
1. Puppies -- Canned food is easy for them to digest and offers a concentrated source of protein.
2. Small breeds -- They too can have delicate digestive systems and high metabolism.
3. Dogs with food allergies -- Nelson often advises owners with food-allergic dogs to feed them a blend of wet and dry. This makes the food more palatable to the dog and minimizes problems from possible allergens.
4. Dogs with kidney and urinary tract conditions -- These dogs need good hydration, which they can get from the moisture of wet food.
5. Certain older dogs -- Senior dogs often suffer from health issues that are eased by wet foods. Dogs that have had teeth extracted, for example, might have difficulty chewing their kibble.
PetScoop: Is It Legal to Turn Your Pet into Dinner?
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