Good news for former Michael Vick dog Lucas

Best Friends Animal Society (www.bestfriends.org) had an update  this morning about Lucas.  He had exploratory surgery last week and the biopsy results were good!

The masses found in Lucas’ liver and spleen were not cancerous. His anemia that comes with having babesia will continue to be treated as it has been since he arrived at the Sanctuary.

I had never heard of babesia before, but it is a blood parasite that can be passed between dogs through deep puncture wounds, such as those inflicted during fighting. The condition can be managed with medication, but one of the side effects of babesia is anemia.

(from Best Friends) “He has been discharged from the clinic and back with his caregivers, where he’s getting his usual dose of TLC, with perhaps a tad more “T”!”

You can read more about this very special dog on the Best Friends website.

Another beautiful quote

My family is not confined to mother, mate, and child; but it includes all creatures be they tame or wild; my family upon this earth includes all living things, on land, or in the ocean deep, or borne aloft on wings.

~ Alicia S. Carpenter

 

Petsmart Charities Grant to help pitbulls

I just read about a pilot program that is being launched at 5 shelters throughout the country to help pit bulls.  Best Friends received a grant from Petsmart Charities for this program that is being modeled after a successful 2009 program.

Many people do not know that pitbulls score higher than most breeds on temperment tests.

This is great news for pitbulls and for everyone who is working towards a day when there will be “no more homeless pets”.

How pet urine home test kit is helpful for you

Just like any urine test, ThePetCheckup does not screen for all illnesses that can affect your dog or cat. Some of these illnesses that require other testing are cancers, tumors, heart disease, respiratory problems, skin diseases and some other illnesses.

This is why we strongly recommend that you take your animal to a veterinarian for an annual check up, as well as any time you notice anything unusual in your animal’s behavior or appearance.

However, ThePetCheckup does screen for the presence of many of the most common illnesses that can affect your pet, so it is an extremely important addition to the preventative care you provide your animals.

Testimonials for ThePetCheckup

Some nice testimonials came in this week with re-orders from our customers:

Happy Longtime Customer

Just luv these kits…….

Used it with great results – our vet appreciated the info we gained from it to warn her what to follow up on.

www.thepetcheckup.com

Cat spring time allergies

I read an interesting article in CNN online today about cat allergies.  Allergies are really tricky to deal with…I have had some experience.

But I think it is always best to go back to basics.  Start simple with your detective work.  According to this article, the number 1 environmental allergen is house dust and house mites.  So a thorough cleaning is the first line of defense.

The article also suggests periodically putting your cats toys in the freezer.  Dust mites on plush toys are killed by freezing.

My house is going to be getting a thorough cleaning this weekend.

Symptoms of dog or cat kidney disease

The following symptoms can be an indication of kidney disease.

• Loss of appetite
• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination or increased volume
• Poor hair coat
• Depression and/or vomiting

What blood in dog or cat urine sample means

When the urine sample of your dog or cat shows even a trace amount of blood, it should be investigated.   Even a trace amount of blood is considered abnormal.

What we recommend, is to check your dog or cat again the following day with ThePetCheckup and if that sample is also positive, contact your veterinarian for further testing to determine the cause.

Home urine pet test alerts to Dog/Cat Urinary Tract Infection

A positive reading on the Leukocytes test pad is an indication of white blood cells (WBC) in the urinary tract.  White blood cells normally enter the urinary tract because of a previous infection and they are standing guard to ward off further infection.

Bacteria produces Nitrite, so there are usually traces of Nitrite found as well if the infection is still present.  It is possible to have positive results on the Leukocyte value and negative on Nitrite, simply because there isn’t enough bacteria present in the urinary tract to product Nitrite.

A positive value on either Leukocyte or Nitrite should be followed up with a visit to the vet to culture the sample and determine what type of bacteria is present so that it can be treated.

Michael Vick cancels Oprah interview

Two days ago, I mentioned in this blog that Michael Vick was going to appear on the Oprah show.

Today, I read he has cancelled for “personal reasons”.  Read into it what you will.