|
WHAT’S NEW
The ON-LINE edition of our monthly newsletter
FALL FELINE ELECTIVE SURGERY SPECIAL We want all the Summer Kittens to get off on the right paw in their
Click on any of the above procedures to go to it’s corresponding web page for detailed information on the surgery, it’s implications and/or alternatives available. [Back to Index at Top of Page]
SPECIAL FERAL CAT PACKAGE OCTOBER 15TH THROUGH NOVEMBER 30TH Thanks to the Feral Cat altering project (sponsored by the California Veterinary Medical Association and a generous grant from Maddie’s Fund), during the six weeks of our Fall Feline Elective Surgery Special (see above for details) we can offer the following package of services for
To qualify, the cats must be feral (not pets), must have their ear notched to identify them as treated animals to animal control officials, and must be re-released back into the environment from which they were trapped. For more details on this program, its goals or its requirements, or how to obtain traps, click here. We are able to offer this special package because the amount this program reimburses the hospital for a spay or neuter (normally slightly less than what we charge), is less than our Fall Feline Elective Surgery Special prices, and we are able to add to the Spay or Neuter surgery a vaccination for distemper, a vaccination for Rabies and a dose of Revolution, which provides a month of protection against fleas, ticks, roundworms, hookworms and ear mites in cats. For more information on Revolution, click here.
[Back to Index at Top of Page]
 PET NUTRITION CORNER This Month’s Installment: Food is supposed to provide nutrients so that those who partake in it can maintain health and grow stronger. Over thousands of years, the human race has concerned itself with the preservation of foods to prevent spoilage and the preparation of foods to reduce contamination. In general, the same biotoxins that have been problematic for us have been problematic for our pets as well. There are two types of biological contaminants: bacteria and toxins. Bacteria can cause infection themselves or they can produce toxins, which make us sick. In general, toxins make us sick in a matter of a few hours after ingestion. Bacteria require more like 1-6 days. Contamination can occur at any stage of food production and it should be noted that the nutrients present in foods are just as nutritive to contaminating bacteria as they are to us. Bacteria are able to double in numbers every 30 minutes depending on the environmental conditions. What are common toxins to be concerned about? First, there are mycotoxins (toxins produced by fungi or molds). An example of a common type mycotoxin would be the “Aflatoxins.” These toxins attack the liver and can produce upset stomach all the way to a life-threatening hepatitis depending on exposure. They come from the bacterial species called “Aspergillus” which is the white and gray fluffy mold that is commonly seen on spoiled foods. A typical exposure scenario might involve a dog that got into some moldy trash. The extra bad news is that aflatoxins are stable in heat which means that cooking does not destroy them. Another toxin to know is “Vomitoxin” which produces upset stomach especially in dogs. This toxin is produced by “Fusarium” bacteria growing in grain, especially wheat and barley. This toxin is also heat stable. Because of this toxin, the FDA has established a guideline that the grain and grain by-product composition of pet food should never exceed 40% thus restricting the amount of toxin that could be present in food. The FDA’s advisory level of this toxin is 5 parts per million in pet food though many dogs can detect this toxin in amounts as low as 2 parts per million. In 1995, it was the presence of vomitoxin in contaminated grains that led to the recall of 16,000 tons of Nature’s Recipe dog food and created much embarrassment for this company. What are common bacteria to be concerned about? Salmonella is a common bacteria of concern. While this bacteria is likely not to be a problem for young healthy individuals it can be very harmful for those who are weak or debilitated. It usually causes diarrhea due to a toxin it produces but if it gains access to the systemic circulation it can cause blood poisoning (“septicemia.”) This bacteria is carried harmlessly in 36% of healthy dogs and 17% of healthy cats. Classically, the source of Salmonella is felt to be meats contaminated by the fecal matter from a carrier animal (generally the same animal that provided the meat) but more recently fresh vegetables have been implicated as well. Salmonella bacteria and their toxins are readily destroyed by cooking. Washing the food is helpful in removing harmful bacteria but dipping vegetables in dilute chlorine has been advocated. For more information on Salmonella (from the Center for Disease Control), click here. Clostridium botulinum is the anaerobic bacterium that produces botulism toxin, one of the most powerful biotoxins in the world. Cats are resistant to this toxin but dogs and humans have certainly become paralysed from it. The bacteria themselves are destroyed in cooking but the devestating toxin they produce is not. For more information on clostridium botulinum (from The Food Safety Home Page How is pet food safety regulated? First of all, no pet food company will knowingly risk its reputation and credibility by instituting inferior inspection and production. This is an important driving force in the pet food industry. Most companies have extensive quality control in this regard. But because pet foods are transported across state lines, the federal government regulates their safety through the Food and Drug Administration (the presence of insecticides is separately regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency). Additives can be issued a “tolerance,” an “action level” or an “Advisory level.” The tolerance level is an actual legal regulation while the other action and advisory levels are just guidelines. The USDA and FDA are responsible for enforcing these guidelines. How safe is pet food? The good news is that pets are primarily fed commercially prepared food that has been properly treated to minimize contamination, and because of this treatment, food poisoning is rare except in dogs that forage garbage and carrion. In a 1992 survey of Poison Control Centers, food poisoning accounted for only 1.7% of all poisonings. Risks are higher for dogs than for cats as dogs tend to eat things first and ask questions later. Warm weather, hunting season, Thanksgiving, and Christmas seasons all pose extra risks for food poisoning in pets for obvious reasons. RECOMMENDATIONS
Bon Appetit! [Back to Index at Top of Page]
If you’re looking for a good place to trick-or-treat, see a spooky “haunted house” and enjoy a musical show all at the same time, then visit the annual Hallowe’en Show at the Sanborn House on October 30th and 31st. This year’s free musical is entitled “2000 Years of Hallowe’en.” It’s a show honoring the departing millennium, and will include musical production numbers (as well as some scary special effects) to explain the history of our Hallowe’en tradition to all the kids. The current plans are for shows the Monday night before Halloween, on October 30th, as well as Tuesday the 31st, and will include in the cast Dr. Brooks and Richard Baltin, the hospital office manager. The shows on both nights will (hopefully) begin around 7:30 pm at 1902 Midvale Avenue (one block south of little Santa Monica Blvd., and one block west of Westwood Blvd.), and best of all, the shows are FREE. If you are in the West LA area on Hallowe’en night (or the night before), then come on by! If you are not from the West LA area, but still would like a taste of these Hallowe’en shows, we have a few songs available from past years. One should already be playing automatically (if you are not hearing a song, and your computer plays other sounds just fine, you probably just need to download the newest version of Macromedia’s free Shockwave plug-in). If the song on this page has finished playing and you want to hear it again, just hit the Reload button on your browser. The song you are currently hearing is “Hallowe’en Hysteria,” from the Sanborn House show of the same name a few years back. If you would like to hear other songs from past years, you can hear Hallowe’en Hysteria or four other songs in the October 1988 edition of our What’s New page located in our What’s New Archives . To go directly there, click here. [Back to Index at Top of Page]
PURINA HOME PAGE This site boasts of not only pet food information but activities, pet care information, and a free pet safety kit. Click on this link to see what this well-known company has put together for you.
THE PLANET’S FUNNIEST ANIMALS OK... this isn’t really a web page link, but it does include an eMail address. The Animal Planet Network (on cable TV) is looking for “the Planet’s Funniest Animals.” They are requesting funny and cute videos from their home viewers to use in the second season of this program. If your video clip is selected for the show you will receive $150! For more information on how to submit your video, contact assistant segment producer [Back to Index at Top of Page]
Thank-You for our New Referrals Here are the names of our clients who have referred their family or friends to our hospital in September 2000.
Thank you again for your confidence in us. [Back to Index at Top of Page]
WHAT’S NEW ON OUR WEB SITE (since last month) L-ASPARAGINASE SEIZURE DISORDERS [Back to Index at Top of Page]
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
