Past News Stories (scroll down for older stories)

Whistler’s sled dog massacre

Even now, it is the conflicted sense of apprehension that Marcie Moriarty remembers: hoping to find a mass grave under piles of junk in a forest clearing north of Whistler, B.C.—and hoping not to. Then the ugly reality of the dozens of tangled corpses of sled dogs emerging as the ground was sifted away by some of the world’s leading forensic investigators. That, and the smell of death that followed her home. “It brings shivers to me,” says Moriarty, general manager of cruelty investigations for the B.C. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. “It’s hard not to look at something like this and just lose all faith in humanity.”

Few murder cases, animal or human, have generated such instant revulsion as the gory killing in April 2010 of some 56 unwanted sled dogs belonging to Whistler-based Howling Dog Tours. The panicked animals were shot or had their throats slit in the presence of the 300-dog herd before being dumped in mass graves, allegedly by Bob Fawcett, then general manager of the company, and the man who raised and nurtured most of the dogs. Details of the gruesome killings leaked out in January after Fawcett filed a successful claim with the provincial workers’ compensation board, saying the cull left him with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “Some I missed, had to chase around with blood everywhere,” Fawcett wrote this January on a website for soldiers suffering from PTSD before he retreated from public view. “Some I had to slit their throats because it was the only way to keep them calm in my arms.”

The case drew international outrage, blackened the reputation of one of B.C.’s premier resort destinations, and triggered a task force that toughened provincial animal cruelty laws. It was apparent, however, that pressing criminal charges required more than Fawcett’s unsubstantiated claims. Even unearthing the bodies was insufficient, says Moriarty, a lawyer. “What needs to be shown is that the animals suffered unnecessarily to prove the Criminal Code offence.” Last month, the society filed thousands of pages of evidence with Crown prosecutors, recommending criminal charges of causing unnecessary pain and suffering to animals. It may be months before the Crown decides if charges are warranted.

Certainly the details of the compensation claim, based on information allegedly provided by Fawcett, suggest a horrific scene, even though it contains at least one major discrepancy: it states 100 dogs were killed, though the investigators eventually found 56. “As he neared the end of the cull that day,” the report says of the events of April 21, 2010, “the dogs were so panicked they were biting him . . . He also had to perform what he described as ‘execution-style’ killings where he wrestled the dogs to the ground and stood on them with one foot to shoot them. The last few kills were ‘multiple-shot’ killings as he was simply unable to get a clean shot. He described a guttural sound he had never heard before from the dogs and fear in their eyes.” The second day of killing, April 23, was even worse: “He noticed that a female, ‘Nora,’ who he had shot approximately 20 minutes before was crawling around in the mass grave he had dug for the animals. He had to climb down into the grave amidst the 10 or so bodies already there, and put her out of her misery.”

As a result of the leaked report, the SPCA mobilized a near-unprecedented gathering of top forensic experts, a group accustomed to investigating human murder scenes, unearthing the remains of serial killers or probing the mass graves and genocidal killing fields of Rwanda, Bosnia, Iraq and elsewhere. Collectively, they have seen some of the worst atrocities mankind can inflict to fellow human beings, and yet the deaths of these dogs struck a chord. Many, pet owners themselves, were so eager to help they worked for free or for drastically reduced fees.

Much of the task of gathering the team fell to Gail Anderson, associate director of the school of criminology at Simon Fraser University and a specialist in forensic entomology, the use of insects in determining time and place of death, expertise used in dozens of murder cases and the Robert Pickton serial murders. She drew on the criminology faculty and students, and plumbed her contacts. “It’s a very emotional thing, so everybody was interested in getting involved in it,” says Anderson. Among five forensic archaeologists on scene was William Haglund, once chief medical examiner for the Seattle area and the United Nations senior forensic adviser for criminal tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. He called upon his friend and colleague Douglas Scott in Nebraska, who has sifted through battlefields and mass graves and provided expert testimony in Saddam Hussein’s trial for the genocidal attacks on Kurdish villages in northern Iraq.

“It was a remarkable cast of characters,” Scott says of the group that descended on the isolated site this past May. The team was divided into three: those who exhumed the bodies, veterinarians who examined the remains, and some of the SPCA’s 26 sworn constables, who ensured potential exhibits weren’t tampered with should the case go to trial.  Of the veterinary experts attending the investigation scene was Dr. Mark Steinebach who headed up the digital radiology team and together with his assistant Melissa Snazell performed medical imaging on many of the exhumed bodies in order to assist in determining how the dogs had died.

The first task was clearing and examining the scrap and wood debris piled on the site, in what seemed like an attempt to mask the graves. Their dimensions were determined using lasers, probes, and trenching. Several feet of soil was scraped away in stages with an excavator before the sprawling site was sectioned into grids, and the delicate work began on hands and knees. Scott used the kind of telescopic transit that land surveyors employ to make a three-dimensional map of the graves, charting the bodies using a computer-aided design program as they were uncovered with trowels, paintbrushes and delicate bamboo tools. After being photographed and assigned evidence numbers, they were carried to a triage site for X-rays and field necropsies, and then moved off-site for further examination in an attempt to determine not just the cause of death but whether they suffered a painful death.

Although the bodies had been in the chill earth for almost a year they were largely intact. “They were saponified, that is they had reached a waxy stage, but they were still recognizable,” said Scott. The sight and smell “can be disconcerting,” he says. “You also have to compartmentalize yourself a little bit and realize what you’re doing is trying to recover evidence.” Throughout the exercise, his friend Haglund wore a tie, as he always has at human gravesites, as a sign of professionalism and respect for the dead. “I’m here to help the dogs,” he told an interviewer in May. “They’re dead, but they can have a story to tell us. And we’re going to read that story.”

Anderson says the scientists treated the investigation with the rigour that human deaths require, knowing their findings may be held up to legal scrutiny and cross-examination. “Whether it’s an animal or a human case, when we end up in court, there’s no difference in the standard of the science,” says Anderson. “We must maintain those standards, it doesn’t matter if I’m dealing with a dead dog or a dead child, a dead man or a dead bear.”

The investigation cost about $250,000. The province provided $100,000 and the rest is being raised through public donations, as is the agency’s $26-million annual budget. It is the most complex investigation the SPCA has ever conducted, said Moriarty.

The Crown will decide who to charge, if charges are warranted. Joey Houssian, who owns Howling Dog Tours through his parent company, Outdoor Adventures at Whistler, said in a statement he requested the cull of “old and sick” dogs, but “we had every reason to believe this would be done in a professional and humane manner.” The maximum penalty is five years in jail and a $10,000 fine.

Some have questioned the expense of the investigation and why the dogs weren’t left in the grave. “Well, I can assure you those dogs were not resting peacefully,” Moriarty says. “We speak for animals. If we weren’t going to be speaking up in this case, in what case do we speak up?”

In support of World Rabies Day, September 28, 2011 Veterinarians without Borders/ Vétérinaires sans Frontières – Canada (VWB/VSF) is holding its  fourth annual month-long Rabies Campaign (September 1 – 30) to increase awareness about the global rabies issue and to raise funds for our international rabies prevention programs.

While rabies is not something that most Canadians think about very often, it continues to be a daily concern for people living in other parts of the world where the disease kills nearly 150 people every single day. Sadly, over 55,000 people die annually – mostly children in Africa and Asia – from a disease we know how to prevent.

Yet with effective programming, community education and community involvement, the global rabies problem is solvable. To date, VWB/VSF has raised and dispersed over $150,000 towards rabies prevention projects around the world, including projects in Guatemala, India, Malawi, northern Canada and Uganda. But there is still a lot of work to be done!

Canadians can support this cause by either donating directly to the organization

(DONATE NOW! -please note RABIES in the comment box), or by partnering with their local vet to organize an exciting fundraising activity, such as a neighbourhood dog wash, a silent auction, a pet photo contest, or a nail-clipping clinic! Check out the Fundraising Toolkit for additional fundraising ideas and extra materials to help you with your fundraising efforts!

Join us this September and Help Make Rabies History! 

 Consumer Alert on Selecting a Puppy (Designer Dogs)

Tainted Dog Treats: Melamine Rears its Ugly Head Once Again

Recently several veterinarians in Ontario reported cases of dogs that have been showing signs of irreversible kidney failure. All dogs had one thing in common: all had been fed Chicken Jerky treats that were manufactured in China.For those of you who remember back 3 years ago there was a huge international scandal that involved a Chinese manufacturer of rice protein (called rice gluten) adding a toxin called melamine to their product. These people are paid based on the protein content of their product. Adding melamine to the rice gluten creates a false high reading on the tests used to detect protein. Some pet food manufacturers source their ingredients from suppliers that offer the lowest prices. Too often these suppliers are from countries like China. When these pet food manufacturers made foods with the “contaminated” rice product, many animals in North America became sick and died from eating it. This also occured in baby formula made in China.

In some circumstances, it may be difficult to know as a consumer whether the food you are purchasing is tainted. It is best to purchase high quality treats manufactured by reputable Canadian firms (ie. Medi-Cal) and only purchase pet foods who source there ingredients in Canada (ie. Medi-Cal).

Fearing overseas radiation, Americans seek potassium iodide for pets

March 18, 2011
The VIN News Service

For more evidence that people love their pets like family, consider the latest reaction in America to Japan’s nuclear crisis:

Especially in western states, agitated pet owners are hitting veterinarians with requests for potassium iodide, a medication that may protect the thyroid gland from cancer caused by exposure to some types of radiation.

Their fear is kindled by radiation leaks from nuclear reactors in Japan damaged by a massive earthquake and tsunami last Friday.

A message board of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN), an online community for the profession, filled quickly this week with posts such as these:

“We have received multiple calls from frightened clients here in Southern California who are concerned about a cloud of radioactive material reaching our shores from Japan. They want to know what they should do to protect their pets.”

“I live in Portland, Ore., and with the nuclear scare in Japan, I have some clients asking me about iodine supplementation for their pets.”

“Our local health food store ... (has) had several phone calls from pet owners wondering if they could/should give their dogs and cats potassium iodide to protect from radiation contamination from the leaking nuclear reactors in Japan. ... Apparently the weather systems are supposed to be moving air currents and potential radioactive particles from Japan over Western Canada, Montana and Wyoming. We are in Northern WY.”

“Client completely freaking out insisted on dose and was incredulous that I wasn’t freaking out, too.”

In Hawaii, some 1,500 miles closer to Japan than the mainland West, which is about 5,000 miles distant, the frenzy for potassium iodide is even greater.

“Because of our geographic location, we’re sold out. There is none. Anywhere. So that’s causing more panic,” said Dr. Eric Ako, executive vice president of the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association.

Based on news reports he’s heard that suggest the medication may offer some safeguard against radiation exposure, Ako said he would be willing to dispense it to clients’ pets if it were available. “If I could find documented appropriate dose ranges ... yeah, I’d do it,” Ako said.

Other veterinarians have expressed a similar willingness to accommodate pet owners’ requests. But in the view of veterinary experts in pharmacology, toxicology and oncology interviewed by the VIN News Service, it’s unwarranted.

Besides the fact that significant radioactive fallout is unlikely to occur here from nuclear-reactor leaks in a faraway country, they say, the use of potassium iodide to protect against radiation exposure in dogs and cats is unproven and poses an ethical issue as well.

“People are certainly overreacting,” said Donald Plumb, Pharm.D, author of Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook, the reference book everyone is reaching for to determine what levels of the drug, if any, are appropriate for pets.

“If potassium iodide is needed, it’s needed first for people and not animals, and there’s limited quantities of it,” Plumb said. “At this time, there doesn’t seem to be any reasonable way that pets should be getting this in the United States.”

Nor people, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “There is no public health event requiring anyone in the U.S. to take KI because of the ongoing situation in Japan,” the agency states on its website, referring to potassium iodide by its chemical abbreviation KI.

The body needs iodine to produce thyroid hormone, which regulates metabolism. The idea behind taking potassium iodide in a nuclear emergency is to prevent the body from taking up radioactive iodine in the environment.

In veterinary medicine, potassium iodide is used to treat actinobacillosis (woody tongue) and actinomycosis (lumpy jaw) in ruminants; and the chronic skin infection sporotrichosis in horses, dogs and cats, according to Plumb’s Handbook.

The reference book provides no information about dosage levels to counter radiation exposure.

“I don’t know that anybody knows what is a reasonable dose of iodine for dogs and cats to prevent damage from ionizing radiation,” said Dr. Sharon Gwaltney-Brant, a toxicology consultant at VIN formerly with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Animal Poison Control Center. “The only studies ... have been done in humans.”

In the case of a true nuclear emergency and assuming supplies of potassium iodide were adequate to justify distribution to animals as well as people, Plumb said, veterinarians would be left to extrapolate from dosages for children the levels for veterinary patients.

(Dosages for children range from 16.25 mg every 24 hours for newborns; to 65 mg every 24 hours for youngsters ages 3 to 12.)

However, determining medication levels for pets based on human dosages can be tricky business, Gwaltney-Brant cautioned.

“We know that many times, the doses that work in humans aren’t the same as doses in dogs and cats,” she said. “There may be a difference in how they absorb it (and) how they eliminate it.”

Although potassium iodide is a form of the naturally occurring element iodine, the substance is not benign. In animals, Plumb’s Handbook lists the following adverse effects: excessive tearing, vomiting, anorexia, nasal discharge, muscle twitching, cardiomyopathy, scaly haircoats and dandruff, hyperthermia, decreased milk production and weight gain, coughing, inappetence and diarrhea. It notes that cats are more prone to developing toxicity.

Citing the potential side effects of taking potassium iodide, the University of California, Davis, which has a School of Veterinary Medicine, posted an advisory Thursday discouraging pet owners from giving their animals the tablets.

Other points to keep in mind:

• Potassium iodide does not protect against other types of cancers and health problems caused by radiation exposure, such as bone cancer, leukemia and cataracts.

• It is infants, children and immature animals who appear most vulnerable to thyroid cancer from radiation exposure because the cells in their bodies are dividing rapidly. Therefore, potassium iodide is most useful in protecting the thyroids of juveniles. “If you’re giving it to adults, you’re giving it as a placebo effect to calm them down,” Gwaltney-Brant said.

At Veterinary Specialty Center of Indiana, veterinary oncologist Dr. Michael Lucroy was prompted by news of the radiation scare to review what happened at Chernobyl, a nuclear power plant in Ukraine that partially melted down in 1986, spewing radiation through the countryside. The accident Chernobyl is, to date, still considered the worst commercial nuclear disaster in the world.

From reading a summary by the World Health Organization of Chernobyl's health effects, Lucroy determined that the only increase in cancers in the region clearly attributable to the power-plant contamination was thyroid cancer in people who were adolescents at the time of exposure.

“There wasn’t anything really I could find out about animal cancers in the area of Chernobyl,” Lucroy said.

He noted that giving pets iodine supplements in the absence of a clear need would put them at risk of overdose. “If you’re giving commercial pet food, plenty of iodine is in those diets, anyway,” Lucroy said.

The Associated Press reported Friday that radioactive fallout from Japan has been detected in California but so far, the levels are far below what is considered hazardous to human health.

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News (November 24, 2008) - Size Doesn't Matter - Small Dogs Can Be Aggressive Too

Small dogs sometimes get away with murder at least behaviourally.  As small dogs in urban centres become more numerous, so too do small dog behaviour issues, particularly aggression problems.  This trend is consistnet with a new study, Breed Differences in Canine Aggression which looks at aggression in different dog breeds.  "What is interesting about this study," says Shawn Eccles, Chief Animal Protection Officer with BCSPCA, "is that it doesn't rely on hospital statistics about dog bite injuries but instead looks at the inclination of a wide variety of breeds, large and small, who show aggression.  The study also looks at different types of aggression including dog-to-dog, dog-to-stranger and dog-to-guardian.  What the study shows is that certain breeds tend to show aggression to a higher or lower degree in each of the three areas.  Perhaps not surprisingly the breeds that were least aggressive in all circumstances were Golden Retrievers, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Labradors, Greyhounds, and Whippets.  Dogs most likely to be aggressive with other dogs were Akitas, Huskies and Pit Bull Terriers.  Interestingly, Pit Bulls scored only average for stranger directed aggression contrary to the commonly held belief that they are an inherantly "dangerous" breed.  The most aggressive dogs in all three categories were Dachsunds, Chihuahuas, Jack Russell Terriers, Australian Cattle Dogs, Akitas, Pit Bull Terriers, Beagles, English Springer Spaniels, Border Collies and German Shepherd Dogs in that order.  

Regardless if your dog is aggressive or not, the real challenge for all dog owners is to ensure that their dog is well behaved.  Because small dogs are so cute, people tend to not take the misbehaviour too seriously.  The remedy for misbehaviour is often picking the dog up.  Thus the behaviour goes uncorrected and in some senses is rewarded (as many small dogs enjoy being picked up or carried) and often the aggression worsens over time.   Recognizing that small dogs are just big dogs in a small body can go a long way to getting people to take the behaviour seriously right from puppyhood when correction and training is most easily instituted.  Recognizing the early signs of aggression in any dog, large or small, is the first step to correcting that behaviour and ensuring that your dog is a good companion for you and a good canine citizen in society.   

News (February 1, 2007) - Anti-Freeze Kills!Put the Freeze on Anti-Freeze

All cars, trucks, buses, and farm tractors use antifreeze to help prevent their engines from freezing over in the winter and over-heating in the summer. 

Antifreeze is the yellow-greenish liquid that is poured into radiators and circulates through engines to keep them operating at safe temperatures. But did you know, most brands of antifreeze contain ethylene glycol which is very poisonous - to people and animals? Thousands of animals (pets and wildlife) die each year from antifreeze poisoning. Antifreeze leaks from automobiles and is spilled in garages and onto pavement due to careless fluid changes.

Many animals like the taste of antifreeze and will readily consume it when given the opportunity. However, antifreeze, even in the smallest amounts, can have a very harmful and often fatal effect on your pet. Most animal intoxications take place in the fall, winter, and early spring, which are the seasons when antifreeze is most frequently used. As many as 88% of animal encounters with the toxin will end in fatality.  Owners might think that a lick or two might be harmless but think again.  Cats and dogs can easily be rendered exceedingly ill simply by licking the antifreeze from their feet following walking through contaminated puddles.

Use animal-friendly antifreeze
Fortunately, there is a less toxic alternative to the ethylene glycol-based antifreeze that is most commonly used. Pet-friendly antifreeze is propylene glycol-based and is now available at many retail outlets. It has anti-corrosive properties, is biodegradable, and is recyclable, making propylene-based antifreeze a better choice for the safety of pets and wildlife, personal health, vehicle engine protection, and for the environment. Make the switch today!

What else can you do to help?Mop up spills and dispose of antifreeze properly
Take old antifreeze to an auto centre that recycles antifreeze - call ahead to check or contact the Recycling Council of BC for a list of outlets. Never pour used antifreeze down storm drains, sinks, toilets or on the ground

 

News (December 18, 2006) - Diabetes and Our Pets

News (November 15, 2006) - Nutrition and its role in skin health We all understand that nutrition plays a big part in our general health and wellbeing. However, did you know that the appearance of your dog or cat's skin and hair reflects both the state of health and the quality of its diet? The skin is the largest organ of the body, and the cells of the skin turn over rapidly. For most pets, virtually all of the skin is covered with hair, which is either being shed regularly or, in non-shedding breeds, is growing constantly. In order to maintain the skin and hair in a healthy state, your pet requires a properly balanced diet with highly digestible proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins, and the appropriate calorie content. Many illnesses, especially those that are chronic or long-standing, will affect the luster of your pet's coat. Illnesses that often have skin or hair problems as one of their symptoms include thyroid imbalances, other endocrine disorders, digestive disturbances such as chronic diarrhea, allergies, and cancer. Parasites, either internal or external, may also affect the appearance of the skin and coat. Even arthritis or obesity can cause skin problems such as dandruff or matting if the pet is unable to groom itself properly. When the illness is brought under control through treatment, including dietary changes, the general health of the skin and the quality of the hair often improve dramatically. Diet plays an important role in both maintenance of health and in treating many diseases in our companion animals. However, all pet foods are definitely NOT created equal. Pet food labels are required to contain certain information by law, but this information may be misleading to the average consumer. For example, a diet that is advertised as lamb and rice' may also contain other protein and carbohydrate sources. As long as the quantity of lamb protein is greater than any other single protein source, and if the quantity of rice is greater than any other single carbohydrate source, the diet meets the label requirements. The actual percentages of the various ingredients in a diet are usually obtained by means of chemically analyzing the diet. Thus, a diet may contain a high percentage of protein by analysis, but the protein may be poor quality, so is not readily digestible or available to meet the pet's nutritional needs. There are many excellent quality brands of food that we recommend, and the appropriate choice for your pet should be individualized.  The take home message for you is that the appearance of your pet's skin and coat indicates its state of health, including the adequacy of its diet. If your pet has a dull coat, flaky skin, or sheds excessively, before you reach for the shampoo, contact our office to book a consultation. Our veterinarians and veterinary support staff are trained in animal nutrition, and have the information available to help you interpret what pet food labels mean. In addition, we can prescribe specific diets to manage many chronic illnesses and improve your pet's quality of life.

News (October 12, 2006) - Halloween and the family pet

As Halloween approaches, both children and adults look forward to the familiar rituals associated with trick or treat', including dressing up and indulging a sweet tooth.  However, the very things that make Halloween so much fun for people can cause stress and/or undue risks to pets.   There are a number of things you can do to minimize harm and thus maximize your whole family's enjoyment of this fun occasion.

Pet Insurance Helps You Provide the Best Possible Care - October 1, 2007

 

Thanks to the incredible advancements in veterinary medicine, it’s easier to treat and diagnose pets than ever before.  However, some pet parents may find these new procedures expensive.  After all, the Canadian and Provincial Governments through taxation cover a substantial part of basic human health care.  This subsidization is fantastic but there is nothing comparable for our pets. 

 

Insurance plans such as Pet Plan and Pet Care not only provide peace of mind, they also give you the opportunity to have the best possible care provided (particularly when you have not had the benefit of preparing for the unforeseen). 

 

One insurer is now processing over 3500 claims per month (worth $700,000) which is a testament to how many people are now taking advantage of this helpful tool.  Nearly 1 in 3 pets are going to require veterinary care this year alone.  Here are some of the claims paid for last year by Pet Plan insurance:

 

• Shih Tzu         $8373.24
• Retriever        $6611.48
• Rottweiler       $6502.32
• DSH Cat        $5945.08
• DLH Cat         $3358.21
• Doberman      $5599.53

 

Ever wonder what the most popular pet names are.  The database of Canada’s largest pet insurers indicate that the following are among the top ranking, medically insured pets.  

Top 10 Dog Names:

• Bailey
• Maggie
• Molly
• Max
• Buddy
• Charlie
• Jake
• Daisy
• Lucy
• Riley

 

Top 10 Cat Names:

• Tigger
• Shadow
• Charlie
• Max
• Smokey
• Chloe
• Oliver
• Cleo
• Simba
• Bailey

 Phone our office to ask our helpful and knowledgeable staff about your options for Medical Insurance or go to the following link for more information.

 

Winter Cleanup and Pet Hazards (December 1, 2007)

The winter is the time for homeowners to perform routine maintenance jobs around the house, especially on the exterior. Driveways may get re-sealed or paved with asphalt, exterior windows and doors may receive a new application of caulking, expandable foam insulation may be used to seal up cracks or crevices, and a fresh coat of paint may be applied to trim or siding.  Gardens and lawns may be treated with fertilizer or pesticides, or a fresh layer of mulch may be added to flower beds or around trees.  Do It Yourself fans may perform maintenance tasks such as fluid changes on their vehicles, including cars, lawn tractors, and snow blowers. All of these activities can cause potential injury to the family pet, or to animals that are roaming in the neighborhood. If an animal walks through or brushes against substances such as fresh tar or driveway sealer, caulking, paint, or pesticide, the material may get stuck to its fur or skin, or even be absorbed through the skin into the body. The natural response to a pet that has something stuck to its skin or fur is to lick or chew the affected area to remove the substance. This presents a risk if the material is toxic or caustic. Dogs, and especially puppies, like to chew things that they find lying around. There has been a rise in illnesses associated with puppies that have chewed open containers of expanding foam and swallowed the pre-expanded product. Once it reaches the stomach, the material expands, causing a life-threatening obstruction that requires immediate surgery. Chemical fertilizers can be poisonous, while some pesticides are not only toxic but also irritating to skin. Some types of mulch, particularly that made from cocoa bean husks, are toxic to animals – cocoa bean mulch smells appealing and contains the same toxins that are found in chocolate, representing a significant threat to the family pet. Fluids that are used in machinery or cars can be toxic – used fluids may be toxic due to the presence of contaminants or byproducts of combustion, while fluids such as radiator antifreeze contain ethylene glycol, which causes kidney failure, but tastes good! Home treatment of the pet can pose additional risks. Well-meaning friends or acquaintances may recommend using solvents such as paint thinner to remove paint or tar from your pet’s coat or feet. While this sort of treatment may be okay to use on an adult person, you should always remember that pets lick themselves! Thus, anything that has a poison label on the container, or a warning not to take the product internally, should NEVER be used on an animal’s skin or fur. Animals have become seriously ill from ingestion of solvents such as mineral spirits, paint thinner, turpentine, lubricant sprays, rust removal sprays, etc. If you do need to remove oil-based materials such as tar or paint, or sticky substances such as tree sap, a better choice is to use something that is relatively benign, such as mineral oil. Better yet, call our clinic for specific advice as to what to use. And, if you are concerned that your pet may have been exposed to one of these hazardous materials, you should seek advice sooner rather than later. And remember, that with winter comes the inevitable winter holidays, visiting and merry-making.  Along with this is the usual assortment of baking and other sweet treats of which chocolates plays a huge part.  Dogs love chocolate and we see far to many cases of chocolate poisonings every year around this time.  While inexpensive or filled chocolates (ie. creams) have very little cocoa, a dog that eats an entire box can be at risk of seizure and death.  Do not think that the box will prevent your dog from getting "in".  Keeping chocolates out of reach will prevent a costly emergency visit to the veterinary office and much suffering for you canine pal.

Sometimes It's Ok To Blow Your Own Horn (March 1, 2008)