The following brands have been affected:

4Health
Canidae
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
Country Value
Diamond
Diamond Naturals
Kirkland Signature
Natural Balance
Premium Edge
Professional
Taste of the Wild
Wellness

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 30, 2012 – Diamond Pet Foods is expanding a voluntary recall to include Diamond Puppy Formula dry dog food. The company took this precautionary measure because sampling revealed Salmonella in the product. No dog illnesses have been reported.

Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.

People infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

Only the Diamond Puppy Formula products meeting the following descriptions are recalled:

Description

For those who aren’t familiar with BSE, it is a neurological condition of cows that is caused by an infectious organism called a prion.  Prions cause a process that leads to a buildup of protein called amyloid in the nervous system.  This buildup decreases the function of the nervous system.  As the buildup gets worse, the functioning of the nervous system gets progressively worse.  But this is a cow disease, so we humans don’t need to worry, right?   Unfortunately, there have been cases where the BSE prion has been transmitted to a human and caused the same symptoms.  In humans, the disease is called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). 

Whenever there is a disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans, my first question is, “How hard is it to catch?”  BSE is believed to be transmitted through the ingestion of nervous system tissue of an infected animal.  There are also some inhereited forms of this disease.  In the cases where humans were infected with CJD, it is believed that they ate meat contaminated with infected neurologic tissue.  Not too many people dine on tissue from nervous systems, so that already limits exposure.

In addition, there have been a number of safety measures put into place to be sure that no BSE infected tissue enters the food chain.  The U.S. has had a ban on feeding neurologic tissue to other cows since 1997.  (Yes, it’s totally gross that it wasn’t banned before then).  Any cow that is exhibiting neurologic signs can not be slaughtered for human consumption.  Finally, it is important to note that most cases of BSE are in cows that are over 30 months of age.  Most cows that are slaughtered are less than 2 years old. 

At this time, the USDA does not see any evidence that this is more than an isolated case of BSE.  Safeguards have been put in place and they have done their job.  I would say the take home message is:  Don’t Panic.  If you happen to enjoy a steak or a burger, then there is no reason not to continue enjoying them.

I did a search on Veterinary Information Network.  That is the most wonderful resource for vets where vets can post questions and cases to other vets and specialists.  Here are the things they had heard: 

• Nose wetness varies depending on humidity.  Normal noses are different from dog to dog.
• A dog has special glands inside his nose that secrete a watery fluid to keep the inside of the nose moist and to help cool the dog through evaporation.
• Added moisture in the nose helps dogs and cats be more sensitive to odors.

These answers seem logical to me.  But, when I see several different answers to one fairly simple question, I think that no one really knows. 

Don’t make your decision to go or not to go to the vet based on her nose.  Some things to watch for are:  change in appetite or energy, vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, sneezing, change in behavior or change in urinating, just to name a few.  Ultimately, if you think that your pet is exhibiting concerning signs, then call your vet.

Care Credit has been around for about 25 years.  They offer a credit card that can be used for medical services.  A lot of vet clinics offer Care Credit, but they’re not the only ones.  My dentist and other human medical providers offer it, too.  The card allows you to pay off a bill for 6 months interest-free.  After that, it starts charging interest just like any other credit card, so it’s not magic, but it can help out.

Some other animal hospitals in town tell me that they have clients who use their Care Credit card for all of their pet’s expenses.  The main way I envision it being used is when unexpected expenses come up.  For example, 2 weeks ago, we had to do surgery on a dog who ate one of his toys.  His owner is a student, so surgery was definitely a pinch on his budget.  A major surgery like that usually costs somewhere between $1000-1500, depending on what has happened.  Fortunately, that owner was able to borrow money from his family.  For those who don’t have that option, they can apply for Care Credit. 

It is very easy to apply for Care Credit.  It can be done here in the office.  Also, you can apply online at www.carecredit.com.  If you are the type of person who likes to be prepared for anything, you could apply online at any time and be ready to go. 

I know that a credit card isn’t a cure-all solution to everything.  But, I do hope that this will help our clients have some more options, especially when something unexpected happens.  Unfortunately, in my profession, money does come into the picture when looking at treatment options.  I hope that we can always work together to do what is best for our patients.

• Hide the pill in food.  Many dogs (and a few cats) will eat a pill if hidden in food.  I usually start with a meatball of canned food.  Other options for dogs include peanut butter, velveeta cheese, cream cheese and hotdogs.  For cats, I have used all of the above except peanut butter. 
• Pill Pockets.  Some genius invented these soft, flavorful treats that are blobs with a hole in them to hide the pill.  I wish I had invented them.  They come in multiple flavors for dogs and cats.  There are even hypoallergenic duck Pill Pockets for pets with food allergies.
• The ol’ mortar and pestle is a good option as well.  If the tablet you are sent home is flavored to taste better, but your pet won’t eat it, sometimes, you can crush it up and then mix it with canned food, peanut butter and the like.  We use this trick a lot on Comfortis and Trifexis.  They are great products, but not too many dogs like to eat them.
• Try liquids.  Ask your vet for a liquid formulation, if you think it will be easier.  Some pets just tolerate a bit of liquid being squirted in their mouths better than a pill.
• Consider compounding.  There are many great compounding pharmacies all over the country.  We are fortunate to have one right here in Memphis, People’s Custom Rx.  They can make medication into flavored chews and flavored liquids.  In some cases, we can even have medication made into a gel that you rub on the inside of your pet’s ear.
• Is there a shot?  In some cases, there are injections that are available that can be given instead of oral medication.  Some examples of this are Proheart (an injectable heartworm medicine that lasts 6 months), Convenia (an injectable antibiotic that lasts 1-2 weeks) and several different long-acting steroids. 

Just remember, communicate with your vet about your needs.  It doesn’t do me any good to send home a bottle of pills if you can’t get them into your pet.  And, try though I may, sometimes I forget to ask if a client would prefer another form of medication.  In my case, I appreciate the reminder!

1. Prescription Human Medications
Almost 25,000 calls last year were about human prescription medications. Pets, especially dogs, are notorious for ingesting any dropped pill. Cardiac and ADHD medications make up a large percentage of these calls. Always make sure to take these medications in a safe place away from your pets.

2. Insecticides
Insecticides were the subject of 11% of calls to the ASPCA in 2011. These include products used on the lawn, in the house and on the pet. The most important thing to do is read the label before you use any insecticide, and never use a product labeled for dogs on cats.

3. Over-the-Counter Human Medications
Over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen can kill your pet. Never give any medication to your pet without consulting with your veterinarian first.

4. People Food
Chocolate is still the number one people food that pets ingest (we received over 7,600 calls last year). Too much chocolate can cause vomiting, diarrhea, high heart rate and seizures. The second most common food is xylitol (the sugar substitute). Xylitol can cause seizures and liver failure in dogs. 

5. Household Products
It is amazing what animals can find to chew up around the house from fire logs to paint. Some household items may just cause stomach upset, while others can be deadly.

6. Veterinary Medications
Chewable medications make it easy to give your dog or cat a pill. However, this tasty pill can also mean that the pet, if given access, will ingest all the pills in the bottle. Always make sure to keep pet medications out of reach. Contact your veterinarian if your pet ingests more than its proper dose of medication or ingests another pet’s medication.

7. Rodenticides
When putting out baits to kill mice and rats, never underestimate the resourcefulness of your pet. Most bait is grain based and is attractive to dogs. Depending on the type of rodenticide, ingestion can cause internal bleeding, kidney failure or seizures.

8. Plants
About 4% of our phone calls are pet parents calling about their animals eating plants. This is one category that cats lead dogs in the number of exposures. Lilies can cause kidney failure and death in cats. Please see our list of toxic/non-toxic plants for more information. 

9. Lawn and Garden Products
Fertilizers, which can be made of dried blood, poultry manure and bone meal, are very attractive to pets, so it is not surprising that we get many calls (almost 3,900 in 2011) on lawn and garden items.

10. Automotive Products
With more people keeping their animals inside (especially cats), the number of animals exposed to automotive products (antifreeze, brake fluid, etc.) has dropped. This is great news since many of these products, if ingested, can be life-threatening to pets.
If you have any reason to suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please contact your veterinarian or the Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435.

The FDA issued warnings about chicken jerky treats as long ago as 2007.  The warnings have centered on jerky treats made in China.  In 2011, the FDA noted an increase in consumer and veterinary complaints associated with chicken jerky treats.  There have been reports from veterinary Internal Medicine Specialists of increased numbers patients with Fanconi Syndrome-like symptoms.  Fanconi Syndrome is an uncommon condition affecting the kidneys.  It causes changes in electrolytes, blood glucose and the acid/base balance in the body.  It is potentially fatal. 

Fortunately, most patients have responded well to treatment.  The affected dogs typically had vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy.  They had consumed jerky treats (mainly chicken) within a few weeks of being sick.  Most of them ate the jerky treats as the majority of their diet.  The FDA has not been able to prove for sure that the treats have caused any of the kidney issues. 

So, what is the take-home message here?  

• Make sure your pet is eating a nutritionally balance diet.  Jerky treats alone do not constitute a balance diet.  Talk to your vet if you have any questions about your dog’s diet.
•  Be a label-reader.  Make sure you know where your pet’s food is made.  I would not purchase any jerky-treats made in China (or probably any food at all).
• Be observant.  The sooner you notice your pet may have issues, the easier it is to treat those issues.  Watch for repeated vomiting and diarrhea or an increase in drinking or urinating.  If you notice any of these issues, schedule an appointment with your vet.
• Communicate with your vet.  If you suspect something is wrong, head in for an appointment immediately.

I have to say that I was quite surprised by some of the responses I got from other applicants.  I’d like to make a few comments about what not to do when looking for a job: 

1. Do not call 15 minutes prior to your interview time to reschedule because something has come up. 
2. Do not send an email inquiring about the job that uses incomplete sentences and poor grammar.
3. Do not miss your interview, especially if you were the person from #1 who asked to reschedule. 
4. Do not list prior employment at a place that doesn’t exist. 
5. Do not ask me for the address to the clinic when I know you have downloaded your application from the website.  The address is on the bottom of every page.
6. Do not call and tell me that you are qualified to do the job because “you have pets”.

Since this is my place to put in my two cents, I would just like to remind folks that an interview is the time to put your best foot forward.  I don’t think I am alone in saying that I assume that applicants are on their best behavior when applying and interviewing.  If the above list is the best it gets, I am scared to know what would happen after a few weeks on the job.

There is a trend in our nation of companies providing and recommending non-anesthetic dental cleaning for pets, mainly dogs.  I don’t think it has quite reached Memphis, but I’m sure it will at some point.  I maintain that these non-anesthetic dental cleanings leave a pet’s teeth kind of like those whitewashed tombs.  They look good, but there is probably still dental disease present.  For those who haven’t heard of these cleanings, it involves a person (in many cases, not a veterinarian or a veterinary technician) using a hand instrument to scale a dog’s teeth.  They advertise it as safer and less expensive than the traditional way we vets do it. 

My good friend Jim Humpries recently did a story about non-anesthetic dental cleanings.  

For those who don’t have time to watch the video today, let me sum up Jim’s points. 

•  It is very difficult for any pet, no matter how well behaved, to sit still enough so that their teeth can be safely scaled.
• No matter how still a pet is, it is impossible to scale the teeth under the gums (where the real disease is) while the patient is awake.
• Non-anesthetic dental cleanings can lead to injuries from instruments, neck muscle injuries or just anxiety that makes future vet visits unbearable.

If these “dentistry” places begin to pop up in Memphis, use your common sense and steer clear of them.  Dentistry is medical care.  You want the person taking care of your pet’s teeth to be able to properly and safely care for them.  You also need to have someone who is able to do a thorough exam for cancers or other medical issues.  I have diagnosed oral tumors during routine dental cleanings that were never seen when the patient was awake.  Non-anesthetic dentistry may “save” money in the short run, but it is likely to cause injury or stress and ultimately isn’t taking care of the real problem, which is lying under your pet’s gums.  Do the smart thing and trust medical care to medical professionals:  your veterinarian and his or her staff.

 Intussuception:  A condition in which a section of intestines telescopes inside of itself.   It most often happens in puppies and kittens. 

Vomeronasal gland:  A scent gland that is found in the roof of the mouth of many mammals used to sense pheromones (hormones emitted into the air).  If you see an animal sniffing and then raising their lips, they are using the vomeronasal gland 

Chalazion:  A benign lump on the eyelid caused by inflammation of the meibomian gland (a fat producing gland) 

Sebaceous adenoma:  A benign lump on the skin caused by a growth of a fat producing gland in the hair follicle. 

Hirsuite:  A fancy word for hairy. 

Microophthalmia:  A very tiny eye.  If an animal has microophthalmia, that eye doesn’t work properly and they are blind. 

Hematochezia:  Red blood in the feces. 

Tritrichomonas Foetus:  A single-celled parasite that causes diarrhea in cats and infertility in bulls. 

Microfilaria(e):  The microscopic “baby” heartworm that a mosquito injects into a dog or cat. 

Dermatophyte:  The ringworm organism.