Category: News

FDA Warns that Some Dog Food Brands Could Be Linked to Heart Disease

If you feed your dog food from Acana, Zignature or Taste of the Wild, take note: The U.S. Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) has issued a report warning that these and some other brands may be linked to a very serious form of canine heart disease.

The FDA announced about a year ago that it had received “highly unusual” reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) – a condition that enlarges the heart – in dogs whose breeds aren’t genetically prone to this potentially deadly disease.

As I wrote for Care2.com at the time, all the dogs had eaten unidentified commercial pet food with the main ingredients of peas, lentils, other legume seeds, and potatoes – products that are usually labeled as “grain free.”

At the time, the FDA was looking into whether DCM could possibly be connected to dog food whose main ingredients are legumes (such as peas or lentils), legume seeds or potatoes.

A year later, the FDA has announced that it received 560 confirmed reports of DCM in dogs from January 2014 to the end of April 2019. Over 20% of those dogs died. Cats were also affected: Of the 14 reported cases, five cats died.

Now the FDA is naming the dog food brands most of those dogs ate. In the majority of the reported cases, the dogs had eaten dry food, but raw, semi-moist and wet foods were also represented.

These are the brands listed by the FDA and the number of cases reported for each:


Photo: FDA

The agency has not yet asked for any of these products to be recalled. In the meantime, for the health of your dog, you might want to consider buying a different brand.

If you’ve been feeding your dog Acana, Zignature or Taste of the Wild pet food and your dog is coughing, lethargic or having breathing difficulties, see a veterinarian immediately.

What is DCM?

DCM causes a dog’s heart and its chambers to become dilated, making it more difficult for the heart to pump. This can cause the heart’s valves to leak and fill the dog’s chest and abdomen with fluids, which can lead to congestive heart failure and possible death. Fortunately, if it’s caught early enough, DCM can be treated with heart medication and a change of diet.

The disease typically affects large dog breeds, like Great Danes, Boxers, Newfoundlands and Doberman Pinschers. With the exception of American and English Cocker Spaniels, it is less common in medium and small dogs. Yet the FDA has received reports about all sizes of dogs and mixed breeds showing signs of DCM.

Some of the dogs in the cases reported to the FDA had abnormally low blood levels of the amino acid taurine, a nutritional deficiency that can lead to DCM. The FDA believes a lack of taurine in the pet food could be the reason for so many reports of DCM. The Lab is recovering, thanks to taurine supplementation and a change in diet.

Are grain-free diets for dogs a good idea? Dr. Julie Churchill, a nutritionist with the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, doesn’t see any benefit.

“My take away is don’t look at that list and just say, ‘My dog is not eating that brand,’” she told CBS Minnesota. “Remember that those are only the brands that have been reported.” Good advice.

Portions of this story were originally published on Care2.com.

Photo by Ludwig Willimann from Pixabay

How to Honor the Legacy of the Amazing Doris Day

Doris Day, perhaps the “OG” of celebrity animal advocates, peacefully passed away in her sleep this morning. If there’s a heaven, it’s a sure thing there’s a special place reserved for her, where she’s surrounded by lots of angel dogs.

“The world has lost a light today,” wrote T. Robert Bashara, chief financial officer of the nonprofit Doris Day Animal Foundation (DDAF) created by the actress in 1978, in an announcement on Facebook. “Doris was not just a darling of song and screen, but a close friend, an inspiration when the world seemed bleak, and a dear, compassionate advocate for her favorite beings on Earth: the 4-leggers.”

Before she moved to Carmel in Northern California (where she became a pioneer by opening the first-ever dog-friendly hotel), Day was known as “The Dog Catcher of Beverly Hills,” according to the DDAF. If she found a lost dog in her neighborhood, she would knock on doors until she reunited the pet with its owner. She carried around photos of pets needing homes — but before anyone could adopt one of them, she’d personally inspect their home to make sure the pet would be happy there.

To help homeless pets nationwide, Day started what was originally called the Doris Day Pet Foundation. Its mission then and now is to help animals and the people who love them. DDAF provides funds to nonprofits across the country that care for and protect animals.

Along with the Doris Day Animal Foundation, in 1987 Day created the Doris Day Animal League (DDAL). The mission of this nonprofit is to reduce the pain and suffering of animals through legislation, education and programs. Eight years later, Day and DDAL started Spay Day USA, which is now known as World Spay Day. During its first 15 years, the nonprofit provided the funding for 1.5 million pets to be spayed and neutered.

If you’re a fan of Day’s and/or you love dogs and want to do something to honor the memory of this amazing lady, here are some ways you can do that.

There are also many ways to honor Day without spending money. As I wrote for Care2, here are some suggestions:

Share photos of homeless pets on social media. Just like Day once carried around those photos, you can reach a lot more people by using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media accounts to post photos and information about pets available for adoption. Ask your friends and followers to share the photos so they’re seen by as many potential adopters as possible.

Volunteer your time at an animal shelter. “Whether you walk dogs at your shelter, stuff envelopes for an educational mailing or assist with a fundraising event, you can make a difference in the lives of animals,” says the Humane Society of the United States.

Donate items like towels and blankets to a shelter or rescue. Be sure to call first or check its website for a wish list to find out exactly what is needed.

Spread the word about the importance of spaying and neutering pets. Every year, millions of homeless cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters. This could easily be prevented if people would spay or neuter their pets to prevent unwanted litters. Tell your friends, co-workers, neighbors and everyone you know to be responsible pet parents by spaying and neutering their dogs and cats.

Photo: YouTube

Thanks to Social Media Rumor, Every Pet Adopted from San Bernardino Animal Shelter

After the City of San Bernardino animal shelter in Southern California announced last month that it would be closing, a rumor went viral on social media claiming that all 60 dogs and 40 cats would be euthanized.

But this wasn’t the case according to San Bernardino city officials, who planned to transfer the animals to another shelter in Riverside County. Earlier this week, the San Bernardino County board of supervisors decided to hold off on the relocation and allow time for local rescue groups to come up with plans to take over the shelter.

Apparently unaware of this development, hundreds of people showed up at the shelter during a free adoption event May 9. By mid-afternoon, every available dog and cat had found a new home.

It was love at first sight for one of the adopters, Elliott, whose previous pet died four years ago. A dog named Aubrey who caught his eye at the shelter “is such a loving dog. Rescue dogs are the best,” he told the San Bernardino Sun. “I took her into the play area and she ran up and tackled me and wouldn’t stop kissing me. That’s when I knew that was my girl.”

The San Bernardino shelter has been the target of animal welfare advocates due to poor management and decrepit living conditions. The city is closing the shelter because it can’t afford to make necessary major upgrades, such as installing air conditioning. 

Although free adoption events that give pets away with no vetting of their new owners do strike a lot of fear in my heart, here’s hoping every one of those dogs and cats is now in a loving forever home, thanks to what may have truly been fake news.

86 Puppies Rescued from Pet Store Fire

 

Firefighters and dozens of good Samaritans showed plenty of love for puppies this week by forming a human chain to rescue 86 of them that were trapped inside the Puppy Love pet store as a fire burned behind it in Danbury, Conn.

When they heard someone yell about a fire around 9 p.m. Thursday night, Danbury residents Eric Walsh and Jonathan Jimenez, who were having dinner at the pizzeria next door, were the first heroes to break in and start saving lives. Other customers, employees and passersby quickly joined them, including people driving by who stopped their cars in the middle of the street and ran in to help. Firefighters arrived on the scene within just a couple of minutes.

The puppies were quickly wheeled out of the store in crates that were attached to pallets. Amazingly, none of them were injured, thanks to the quick action of all those heroes, who were also unharmed.

“All the restaurants emptied. People worked together to save these dogs,” Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton told WABC. “It was an amazing sight to see.”

A veterinarian called it a miracle. “All the puppies were out on the street, every one of them safe,” Jeffery Hubshur told WABC. “It gives you faith in people. What a place Danbury is.”

The fire started in a storage shed connected to the back of the store that’s owned by a utility company, Puppy Love owner Sean Silverman told the News-Times.

“All of our puppies are safe, warm and happily ate an extra dinner tonight!” Puppy Love later posted on its Facebook page.

According to the Puppy Love Facebook page, the store is family owned and has been in business since 1996. The puppies it sells are “from very reputable breeders located all over the country. Many of which have dogs in their breeding programs that are OFA [Orthopedic Foundation for Animals] certified,” meaning they have been checked for hip dysplasia and other health issues.

Across the country in California, a new law went into effect Jan. 1 that allows pet stores to only sell dogs (as well as cats and rabbits) from animal shelters or nonprofit animal rescue organizations. Unfortunately, many pet stores sell animals obtained from puppy mills, breeding facilities in which the dogs are usually kept in horrible conditions. California is the first state to enact a law like this, and it hopefully won’t be the last.

Photo: Eyewitness News ABC7NY/YouTube

 

Watch a Corgi Chase Away a Coyote

Imagine Claire Reader’s horror when, after hearing a commotion outside her house in Bonita Springs, Calif., she saw a coyote approaching her little Corgi, Arlo, in her fenced front yard.

“I was in the kitchen at 6:56 a.m. when I looked out at Arlo barking and saw the coyote right there, so I yelled for my husband, who was getting ready to leave for work,” Reader told KSAT.

She told CBS8 that she wasn’t proud of Arlo at the time, or thinking he could handle the larger coyote. “No, it was more like, ‘You dummy!'” she said.

So Reader did what any pet owner would do. She ran outside to try to save her dog. “I set up a defensive posture trying to corral my dog, who’s not very obedient,” she told CBS8.

A doorbell video captured the coyote chasing Arlo and then the amazing thing that happened next — which really looks like a scene from a Looney Tunes cartoon.

After the coyote chases Arlo off camera, it’s next seen running for its life in the opposite direction as it’s chased away by the little dog.

The coyote got away without harming Arlo, who was brought inside the house by Reader’s husband.

Protecting Your Dog from Coyotes

Coyotes are becoming a familiar sight in urban and suburban areas across the country. Where I live in the Los Angeles area, dozens of pets, mostly cats, have been killed by coyotes who now make their home here.

“As we increase human populations and develop formerly green space, wild areas, we are coming face to face with more wildlife, like coyotes,” Camilla Fox, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Project Coyote, told petMD.com.

Because of their genetic similarity, dogs and coyotes can be attracted to each other, Fox said, “and it’s often the dog that starts the chase behavior. But if an incident occurs, then the coyote gets blamed.”

Here are some tips for keeping your dog safe if you live in an area with coyotes.

  • Don’t leave your dog unattended outside. Check your yard before you let your dog out, and if possible, take your dog out on a (non-retractable) leash.
  • Avoid walking your dog during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk, when coyotes are the most active.
  • Don’t feed your dog outside, and be sure to keep pet food and other edible items inside where coyotes can’t reach them.
  • Keep your yard free of items that attract coyotes, such as birdseed, fallen fruit and dirty barbecue grills. Trim trees and shrubbery so coyotes can’t hide in them.
  • Install coyote-proof fences that are at least 6 feet high, and/or motion-detection lights or sprinkler systems.
  • Be aware that anti-coyote collars and jackets with sharp spikes may not necessarily protect your dog. Where I live, a small dog left unattended while wearing a spiky jacket was killed by coyotes.

Photo: KSAT 12/YouTube

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