Author Archives: Linda

Mice Direct recalling frozen mice.

Image via Wikipedia Frozen mice and other reptile feed Frozen reptile feed (mice, rats and chicks) is being recalled because it could potentially be contaminated with salmonella, the FDA announced. Georgia company Mice Direct is recalling the critters, which were distributed in all states except Hawaii through pet stores and by mail order and direct delivery. Human illnesses that may be related to the frozen reptile feed have been reported in 17 states. The recalled product should not be fed to animals, even after heating in a microwave, because the heating may not be adequate … Continue reading

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American Veterinary Medical Foundation Helps Gulf Coast Veterinarians Support Struggling Pet Owners

Image via Wikipedia ATLANTA, Aug. 1 /PRNewswire/ — In response to the record number of pets filing into shelters and increasing need along the Gulf coast, the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) has partnered with Hill’s Pet Nutrition and Merial to support veterinary clinics and shelters affected by struggling pet owners who are unable to provide food and medical care for their pets.  The Gulf Coast Pet Relief Program is part of AVMF’s Animal Disaster Relief and Response Fund (ADRR), a fund designated to support state and national disaster relief efforts.  This effort will offer … Continue reading

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FDA Recall for Filet Square & Texas Hold’ems 10oz bag because of possible Salmonella contamination

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – August 16, 2010 – Merrick Pet Care, Inc. of Amarillo, Texas is recalling all lots of its 10 oz “Beef Filet Squares” for Dogs and “Texas Hold’ems” pet treats because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products. People handling the treats can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the chews or any surfaces exposed to these products. Consumers should dispose of these products … Continue reading

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Veterinary Pet Insurance lists top sources of pet poisoning

Image by ♪_Lisa_♪ via Flickr Every month VPI (Veterinary Pet Insurance and the nation’s largest pet insurer) receives hundreds of poisoning claims for pets who have been poisoned.  They analyzed the claims made for poisoning between 2005 and 2009 and came up with the following list of the most common poisoning claims: 1.  5,131 cases of Accidental Ingestion of Medications (pet or human drugs) 2.  4,028 cases of Mouse & rat poison 3.  3,661 cases of methylxanthine toxicity (consumption of chocolate and caffeine) 4.  2,808 cases of plant poisoning 5.  1,669 cases of household chemical … Continue reading

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Recall: Iams veterinary formula cat food recalled

Proter and Gamble issued a voluntarily recall of two specific lots of a prescription-only renal cat food that is sold by veterinarians. The food could be tainted with salmonella. The following products are included:  Iams Veterinary Formulas Feline Renal food 5.5 lbs, lot code 01384174B4, UPC code 0 19014 21405 1; and lot code 01384174B2, UPC code 0 19014 21405 1. Two lots of this prescription-only food have been recalled today. The product is available by prescription from veterinarians. No illnesses have been reported, but an FDA analysis yielded a positive result on the lot … Continue reading

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VL Tech Tip: Cut down on spam from your website email with this free tool

Including your business email on your website can be beneficial because it allows potential pet owners to contact you easily.  But having an email address on a website is also an open invitation for spammers so it’s a toss up on whether to include an email or not. Here’s something I ran across when I clicked on an email address on a website I needed to contact.  The address looked like a normal link — info@companyname.com and when I clicked on it I was prompted to enter some characters before I could send an email. … Continue reading

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Tech Tips: What does your phone number spell?

We’ve all heard and seen commercials where the business gives their phone number as a word: “Call 1-800-HEAL-PETS and talk to one of our friendly receptionists…” Phone numbers that spell a word are usually easier for people to remember – in fact I can start humming a jingle from a local carpet cleaner whose phone number spells a word.  I’ve never used this company because we have hard surface floors at the office and at home, but I do know their number in case an urge ever comes over me to clean carpets. However most … Continue reading

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If you live in Colorado and own a cat with kidney disease, check this out

Cats with Kidney Disease Eligible for Current Studies by Colorado State University Veterinarians FORT COLLINS – Colorado State University veterinarians are looking for cats with chronic kidney disease to enroll in five current studies. To qualify, cats must already have been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, also known as renal failure, by a veterinarian. Several of the studies carry monetary benefits for pet owners. The studies: – A study looking at whether fatty acids in the feline diet are related to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that could protect a cat’s kidneys. This study is open … Continue reading

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Veterinarian’s husband arrested for posing as a vet

Dr. Amy Gentsch, the owner of Dr. Amy’s Animal Clinic in San Carlos Park, Florida is out of jail today along with her husband after they were arrested a week ago. The local sheriff’s depart said they’ve been investigating the business for the past 8 months. Arrest warrants for the couple say Dr. Gentsch’s husband, Larry Gentsch performed surgeries on patients although he is not a licensed veterinarian.  In some cases those surgeries lead to the deaths of pets. He is also charged with giving unauthorized vaccinations and Amy Gentsch was aware of this but … Continue reading

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Tech tip: How to use Gmail to handle ALL your email accounts

Image via CrunchBase As you may or may not know, I’ve been part of the internet, and email, since 1994, and email has been part of my life even longer.  All things internet have evolved at light speed over the ensuing 16 years and this certainly includes email, which is still an indispensable part of most of our lives. But along the way email started to get out of control. There became too much of it, SPAM got really bad, and it started taking too much valuable time away from the things you should be … Continue reading

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