Daily Archives: May 1, 2022

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas The national nonprofit Petco Love is partnering with People Assisting Animal Control to host their free vaccine event, Give Pets Their Best Shot.

Petco Love and PAAC plan to vaccinate 50 cats at this event on Friday, April 29 from 8:30 a.m to 1 p.m. at the clinic on 5804 Ayers Street.

The event will be first come first served and it will only be walk-in, no appointment is necessary.

Cheryl Martinez with the PAAC said this event is only for cats, but that they have a low-cost clinic that provides services at a low cost for all animals.

As the season for contagious and deadly diseases approaches for cats, PAAC aims to prevent any diseases.

Exposure to the diseases is preventable with a simple vaccine.

Vaccines distributed through the Petco Love initiative will be the HCP Feline vaccines. PAAC will provide free rabies shots to cats at this event.

Some of these vaccines are costly, and the Give Pets Their Best Shots event focuses on providing these vaccines for free to prevent diseases for those that are experiencing financial challenges.

Treatment for these deadly diseases can be prohibitively expensive for many pet parents, Susanne Kogut, Petco Love President, stated in a release.

Petco Love encourages pet parents to keep their furry friends up to date on vaccinations.

Kogut said, By providing free vaccines to those in need, we can help these pets live a healthy life."

The two nonprofits work together to keep pets and their families together and healthy.

'Through this national effort and our other Petco Love Care initiatives, we continue our 22-year history of strategic investments and innovation to end unnecessary pet euthanasia, Kogut added.

On Saturday, April 30 PAAC will also host a free food event. They will provide customers with free pet food from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. while supplies last.

Courtesy of PAAC Free pet food

For more information about PAACS vaccine event, click here or call/text (361) 248-2009.

Learn more about Petco Loves national vaccine effort and lifesaving impact at petcolove.org or freepetvaccines.org.

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Petco Love partnering with PAAC to host the Give Pets Their Best Shot event - KRIS 6 News Corpus Christi

In celebration of Star Wars Day 2022, Alachua County Animal Resources and Care (AR&C) is hosting a May the Fourth adoption event. AR&C is lowering adoption fees to just four dollars next week (May 3, through May 7, 2022). The shelter is open Tuesday through Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., excluding holidays. Come dressed as your favorite Star Wars character, make crafts, eat snacks, and take home your chosen one.

In an animal shelter very, very close by, a chosen one will bring balance to the light. For good to triumph and balance to be restored, AR&C needs the communitys help. The shelter took in more animals than it could find homes for last year. To prevent the unwarranted euthanasia of healthy, adoptable shelter pets, staff have been working extra hard to find homes for all of them. Good progress was being made until the March intakes and lack of adoptions broke that winning streak. With puppies and kittens already starting to come in, the shelter needs to place upwards of 100 animals in loving homes to restore the balance (aka capacity for care).

We appreciate our employees continued dedication to the lost, homeless, abused, and abandoned animals of our community, said AR&C Director Ed Williams. Try as they might, an open admission, municipal shelter is no substitute for a forever home. And room must be made for the many new intakes arriving daily. Come on out and show us your love Gainesville. May the 4th be with you.

Pet adopters must be 18 years or older and show identification with proof of current address. If there are already pets in the home, potential adopters must show proof that owned animals are current on rabies and county licenses. All adoptable cats and dogs are vaccinated, microchipped, and sterilized before going home.

Link:

Animal Resources and Care's May the Fourth Adoption Event - Alachua County

A familys beloved Husky lies dead in a black bag in their freezer, surrounded by milk and sausages, after the council euthanised the animal.

The dog was the subject of a year-long protracted court battle that went all the way to the Supreme Court, which rejected the familys Hail Mary appeal.

Alexandra Johnston/Supplied

Husky dog Aspen was euthanised by Auckland Council after owner Alexandra Johnston went to court in a bid to save the dog.

The dog, Aspen, was ordered euthanised by the council after it killed a chicken and a guinea pig when it escaped from its owner on a walk in May 2019 in Aucklands Torbay.

Owner Alexandra Johnston is struggling to say goodbye to Aspen and has kept him in her chest freezer since he was returned on Saturday.

Aspen was re-homed and became her sons pet in 2017. The dog was five years old when he was euthanised.

RICKY WILSON/Stuff

Alexandra Johnston with a picture of her late dog Aspen.

I dont know what to do with him, she told Stuff through tears.

READ MORE:* Supreme Court rejects Auckland woman's appeal to save chicken-killing husky* Auckland woman takes fight to save chicken-killing husky to Court of Appeal* Owners lose High Court appeal to save husky that killed chicken and guinea pig

Johnston said Aspen was returned on Saturday in a zip-tied black rubbish bag. A note with Aspens name and hand-drawn love hearts was attached.

The North Shore resident was shocked to see her beloved dog dead in the black bag.

Cian Johnston/Supplied

Aspen, the Johnstons beloved pet husky, was destroyed following a court order.

I dont know what I expected, I thought he would be lying there on a blanket.

You killed my dog and youre sending me hearts? she asked.

Johnston hadnt seen Aspen for over a year while he was impounded in Silverdale Animal Shelter and now was struggling to part with him.

Alexandra Johnston/Supplied

Aspen with his owner Cian Johnston.

I think hes going to stay in my freezer for a long time, she said.

Auckland Councis James Hassall said the black freezer bag was standard practice following euthanasia, because Aspen was stored in a freezer.

Dogs are only returned to their owners following euthanasia when that is specifically requested.

As Aspen had been in our care for some time. Naturally, the shelter staff who cared for him had formed an attachment with the dog and wanted to send their condolences to the family, he said.

RICKY WILSON/Stuff

Alexandra Johnston with son Cian and a photo of the husky Aspen.

Johnson tried to save Aspen by fighting through the court system, but lost at every turn.

She represented herself after one law firm told her it would cost around $50,000 and they would certainly lose.

Section 57 of the Dog Control Act states if a dog attacks a person or an animal the court "must" order the dog be destroyed, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Alexandra Johnston/Stuff

Aspen loved going for walks along Torbays beaches.

Brent Tustin, an owner of the house where the guinea pig was killed, said the situation was sad.

Its a shame that this is the outcome, we would have preferred re-homing Aspen with an experienced dog handler, he said.

Johnston and her husband, Graham, were convicted last April of owning a dog that attacked two domestic animals.

They were ordered to pay $150 to the owners of the chicken and the owner of the guinea pig and were also fined $750.

Now the family is barred by the council from owning another dog until May 2023.

Johnston and her son were also trespassed from the Silverdale Animal Shelter after they became abusive towards staff when they werent allowed to visit Aspen.

The council doesnt let impounded dog owners visit their animals, for the health and safety of our staff, but also because it can cause confusion and distress for the animal.

While we understand that this can be upsetting for the owners, the decision is made with the best interests of our staff and the dog in mind, Elly Waitoa, manager animal management at Auckland Council, said.

While we understand that this has been a distressing time for Aspens family and our thoughts are with them, equally we must protect our staff from this type of behaviour, a spokeswoman said.

In the application to the Supreme Court, Johnston and her husband said they wanted a number of questions answered in regard to section 57 of the Dog Act.

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Aspen, the husky who killed a chicken and guinea pig, euthanised after year-long court battle - Stuff

Last of 2 parts

Space limitation prompts this piece to fast-forward to the snap elections in 1986. In the first place, those elections were out of context. President Marcos was ensconced in power, and he still had one year of his constitutional term to stay unperturbed. But, for some reason, Corazon C. Aquino had been itching to sit in Malacaang since Ninoy Aquino executed his virtual euthanasia in 1983, and come 1986, Cory's consuming passion to be president found perfect confluence with the United States' need to parry off Marcos' additional rental increase for American military bases in the Philippines. The gambit America thought was to bait Marcos to agree to a snap election just so Cory's incessant agitation for his ouster would stop. Marcos knew he got the numbers, and indeed, we were all witness that he was proclaimed winner by the Batasan, the agency mandated by the Constitution to do election counting and proclaiming the winner. But Cory would not agree to this; even rejecting Philip Habib's idea of her sharing power with Marcos. Faced with Cory's intransigence, Habib told her (as quoted to me by now Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Boy Locsin): "You will win." So, side by side with the constitutionally mandated election count and proclamation, took place the US-instigated Namfrel count, which saw the dozen or so lady canvassers all walking out, crying cheating. And thus did start the dastardly machination of America to rob Marcos of election victory through the so-called Edsa People Power Revolt and install Cory as President.

Now, we are into the last stretch of the 2022 race. Bongbong Marcos is perceived by all surveys as the landslide winner, with Leni registering a rating way below Bongbong's mark. The big question is: Is Bongbong the American boy? If he is, then no problem. But if he is not, judging from America's history of intervention in the country's national contests, then Bongbong's lead over Leni would not matter any. In the end, he will lose. But the next question is: Lose to whom? Leni? But would America support a candidate who is currently exposed as having strange bedfellows relationship with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic (CPP-NPA-NDF). Unless America is also underhandedly in cahoots with the insurgent group, which it in fact has labeled terrorists, then Leni should also be a no-no for the US. Who, then? One among the three that held the celebrated news conference a week ago: Isko Moreno, Ping Lacson and Bert Gonzales? I was actually looking for Senator Manny Pacquiao. Not that I like the guy. It's just that I remember his former promoter Bob Arum who ten years ago, at the Pacman's capture of one of his boxing crowns, proclaimed cocksure: "Mark this guy. In 10 years he will be president of the Philippines." In 2016, the boxing champ was invited to the White House by President Obama for whatever they talked about. Finally, in the heat of the current Malacaang race, of all the candidates in the running, Pacquiao is the only one summoned by the US Embassy to elaborate on his program of government. I am not saying anything. I am just looking.

Oh, yes, in his not so lucid elaboration on his independent foreign policy ("being friends to every nation"), he stated emphatically: "My best friend is America."

Erratum

In my column last Saturday, the eleventh paragraph should read: "Lopez, taking the prompting from his aides, finally answered, "Iniibig ko ang Pilipinas..."

Read more from the original source:

Who is the American boy? - The Manila Times

Kelly Bostian for the CCOF

Oklahoma officials arent ready to recommend residents take down backyard bird feeders to stem the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza. However, they are urging caution as such guidelines are being seen in northern states.

US Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services reported one positive case of HPAI in a wild duck from Payne County in March and that remains the only one. However, awareness and caution remain important in Oklahoma even if the state is not under a heavy push for testing, said Assistant State Director Kendra Cross.

Advisories from the national USDA-Animal Protection Health Inspection Service and the Centers for Disease Control continue to simply advise awareness, caution, and cleanliness.

Migratory waterfowl are the main contributors to the spread of avian influenza, caused by a virus that has several strains, some of which are more serious than others. Most can carry the disease without getting sick so as they migrate they spread the disease to other bird species as well as within their own flocks.

Bird flu is not a big concern for turkey hunters in the field now for turkey season. Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation biologist and southwest turkey project leader Marcus Thibodeau said normal precautions around any wildlife that appear sick are prudent. It is not impossible for the birds to contract the flu but it is not documented among the non-migratory wild turkeys. However, it is one among many other possible diseases the department will be screening for in ongoing research, he said.

Cross said the primary interest in Oklahoma is on waterfowl, shorebirds, gulls, and birds of prey, and some more samples were sent for testing in recent weeks but results have not yet been returned. Were assuming at this point that no news is good news, she said.

Reports of the outbreak came as much of the waterfowl migration already passed Oklahoma, so a heavier focus is active in northern states and other states where flu outbreaks have hit poultry farms. However, people should assume the disease remains present, she said.

The flu has been documented in nearly every state in the nation following the spring migration, according to USDA alerts and maps.

As far as animal care we are warning all avian producers to make sure they continue to follow all their biosecurity measures very closely, Cross said. So far we have been OK on the poultry production side of things. Still, she advised caution.

Just because we havent seen spread to humans in the nation, that doesnt mean you shouldnt wear (personal protection equipment,) she said.

People who find concentrations of dead birds of any kind, dead eagles or other birds of prey, or waterfowl, are urged to keep their hands off and contact USDA Wildlife Services at 405-521-4039 or the state Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Food and Forestry Animal Industry Division at 405-522-6141, she said.

Cross did recommend people with feeders follow standard precautions to keep feeding stations clean to avoid the spread of any diseases, as they should always.

People can obviously take in feeders or birdbaths if they want to be extra cautious, and if they notice a bird die-off they should contact us, she said. Its always best to be cautious and clean bird feeders regularly. Bird flu spreads through saliva, mucus, and feces so it can be shed where birds are concentrated.

The call for caution is stronger from The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources recommendation this week mirrors the centers call for feeders to come down until at least May 31.

Raptor Center Executive Director Victoria Hall noted that, while the role of songbirds in the spread of the disease is unclear, the current spread of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain is unprecedented and she urged people to do all that they can.

Every day at The Raptor Center, we are seeing the impact of HPAI as we triage and test birds like bald eagles and great horned owls that are intensely suffering from fatal neurological illness due to HPAI. With these infected birds, humane euthanasia is the only tool we have left to help them. We also know that this strain and outbreak is causing severe illness in other species like geese, ducks, blue jays, and crows, Hall wrote.

Hall recommended that people stop using feeders and birdbaths for the next couple of months.

While hummingbirds are at much lower risk, she also recommended that people take down hummingbird feeders or clean them daily.

Kelly Bostian is an independent writer working for The Conservation Coalition of Oklahoma Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to education and outreach on conservation issues facing Oklahomans.

Read the rest here:

Continued caution urged around bird flu outbreak - Daily Ardmoreite

For the last number of days my Chihuahua, Aggie, has been eating a lot of grass. She eats it for five minutes at a time, several times a day. Why does she do this and can it cause her any harm?

Grass eating is a common canine oddity. Nobody knows why dogs do this (they cant tell us) with theories including a desire for fibre, or even a deliberate attempt to self-induce vomiting if a dog is feeling a bit queasy. These ideas may be true in some cases, but I think that in general, dogs just love to explore the world with their mouths. This includes picking up bits of vegetation (like leaves and grass) in their mouth, and sometimes swallowing it.

In general, grass-eating is unlikely to cause any harm, with three provisos. First, when they eat grass, dogs can accidentally swallow tiny slugs and snails that can carry lungworm, so regular worming against lungworm is important (e.g. once a month, with a vet-only wormer). Second, some dogs regularly eat so much grass that it causes a physical irritation of the stomach, inducing regurgitation, so if this is the case, you should prevent Aggie from overdoing it in this way.

And thirdly, rarely, dogs might eat toxic vegetation (e.g. toadstools) so it makes sense to keep an eye on dogs to ensure that they dont eat anything that looks unusual or suspicious.

My wire-haired terrier has itchy skin, and after ruling out parasites, my vet has told me theres not much that can be done for her. She continues to itch regularly and I want to help her. I shampoo her once a month. Is there anything else I can do?

-HR, Bandon

Its important to understand the science of itchy skin: there are two aspects. First, the underlying primary cause of the problem (i.e. what started it: theres a long list, from fleas to allergies), and second, the secondary complications that develop once the skin has been irritated by the primary cause (e.g. yeast infections). To help itchy dogs, both the primary and secondary issues need to be tackled. If only one aspect is sorted, the dog will continue to itch. Solving skin disease can be complex, and busy local vets may suggest a referral to a skin specialist (e.g. https://www.skinvet.ie/)

While this may initially sound complicated and costly, its often a short cut to a long term answer. No dog should have to suffer that constant feeling of itchiness: there is nearly always an effective treatment, once an accurate diagnosis of the cause of the problem has been made. Watch this video for a summary of the science of dog skin disease: https://petfixclub.com/dermatitis-video

My two-year-old budgie Joey seems to be under the weather: he just isnt as chirpy as usual. He lives in a standard budgie cage, and is fed on budgie seed from the pet shop with a cuttlefish bone to peck at. Do budgies suffer from depression or could he be unwell?

-MG, Cork

The truth is that the way that we keep budgies in Ireland is usually far from ideal: if you see them in the wild, they live in big flocks, fluttering around together, flying in groups. So when we keep them in cages, on their own, we dont meet their instinctive social needs. This means that although they may seem cheerful and chirpy, they are often under significant stress just from how we keep them, and this then makes them prone to premature illnesses.

So consider getting him a small friend and a bigger cage. Its also important to realise that "budgie seed" on its own does not provide enough nutrition. Instead, change to pelleted budgie food that has been specially designed to contain the right nutrients in the right amounts. You should also give him treats of fresh greens to boost his daily nutrition: 10-15% of his diet should be pieces of fruit and vegetables.

If you adjust his living conditions and diet and he still seems depressed, its important that you take him to a vet with a particular interest in birds to have him checked out physically for underlying illness.

My seven-year-old cat has been diagnosed with Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). I had never heard of this before, but my vet tells me that it is untreatable and that euthanasia is the only option. Are there any alternative treatments that might be able to help at all?

-SL, Longford

Up until last year, it was true that FIP was completely untreatable: euthanasia was the only option. However, researchers have just discovered a new treatment that has a high rate of completely curing affected cats. You can read details of this treatment here http://www.catvirus.com/treatment.htm. The bad news is that this medication is not yet legally available in Ireland, so the only option is to request a referral from your vet to a vet practice in Northern Ireland or the UK, where the drug is legally available to vets. Its expensive, costing up to 5000 for a full course, but to date, the treatment results have been very positive.

My fifteen-year-old cat seems generally healthy, but she has started losing weight, despite eating more than ever (she seems continually hungry). Ive given her a worm dose but it hasnt helped. What should I do?

-LT, Fermoy

Hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland) is a common cause of these signs in older cats. Its easy to diagnose (via a simple blood test) and can be cured with twice-daily medication for the rest of her life. Take her to your local vet, and theyll be able to guide you to get getting this sorted.

Read more:

Pete the Vet: Why is my dog eating grass? Is it dangerous? - Irish Examiner

This article was originally published here

Vet Clin Pathol. 2022 Apr 29. doi: 10.1111/vcp.13102. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

In this study, we describe a multimodal approach to diagnose a unique case of myeloma-related disease, extranodal secretory B-cell lymphoma with urinary bladder involvement, an IgG4 monoclonal gammopathy, and Bence-Jones proteinuria in a dog with a 6-year history of hyperglobulinemia that had not been further evaluated. A 12-year-old dog was presented for evaluation of a 1-week history of tenesmus. Urine sediment cytologic evaluation revealed low to moderate numbers of intermediate to large-sized lymphocytes. We describe a technique that yielded adequate numbers of viable neoplastic cells in shipped urine sediment for PARR and flow cytometry. Those studies demonstrated a clonal immunoglobulin gene rearrangement and an expansion of CD21-positive and MHC Class II-negative B cells, respectively. Protein electrophoresis with immunofixation and proteomic evaluation revealed a serum and urine IgG4 monoclonal gammopathy with Bence-Jones proteinuria. MUM1 immunocytochemistry performed on the urine sediment slides failed to label the neoplastic cells; thus, a plasma cell tumor was considered unlikely. Lack of response to a cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone chemotherapy regimen led to euthanasia without necropsy 21 days after diagnosis. Lymphoma is the most common hematopoietic malignancy and accounts for up to a quarter of all neoplasms in dogs, but lymphoid neoplasms arising primarily from extranodal sites are infrequently reported. Urinary tract neoplasia can be diagnosed by urine evaluation in about one-third of canine cases, but the diagnosis of lymphoid neoplasia via urine evaluation is rarely reported. This case highlights the utility of ancillary diagnostics on urine for detection of lymphoid malignancies.

PMID:35488188 | DOI:10.1111/vcp.13102

Originally posted here:

Urinary bladder wall mass with neoplastic lymphoid cells in the urine: Diagnosis of an IgG secretory B-cell lymphoma with Bence-Jones proteinuria in a...