Category: Business

Visiting the Vet – Kenya’s itch.

Practical ways of treating Kenya’s itchy skin.

10:45 Next along was Kenya and his ‘Mum’.

The story was that after a raw patch had appeared on Kenya’s back it had then become very itchy for the brave dog.

Jim shaved the area clear of fur and cleaned the skin to aid a closer examination.

Jim then explained that the challenge in these sorts of cases is that it is very easy to throw a lot of money at the problem without any guarantee of success.  Not only were there cost considerations but also the question of whether to go down the route of injections or administer pills.

As an observer I was struck, but not surprised knowing Jim as a friend, to see how an open and honest assessment of the problem came way before any commercial implications.

Jim’s view was to leave it for the time being but he did recommend using a hypoallergenic shampoo. There were a number to choose from but Jim supported the shampoo manufactured by Bayer and sold under the brand name of Hylyt Shampoo.

There are a number of online sources for this shampoo. I chose, more or less at random, the one at Allvet Supply.

That website describes the shampoo, thus:

HyLyt Shampoo is a hypoallergenic dog shampoo and is perfect for routine use in bathing dogs and cats. The shampoo is safe for normal, dry or sensitive skin types and may be used in conjunction with topical therapeutics.

HyLyt shampoo contains a light fragrance that will leave your pets smelling clean and fresh. The gentle shampoo formula is ideal for bathing both dogs and cats. The soap-free formula is pH balanced and will not dry out delicate skin or fur.

In addition to the gentle formula, HyLyt shampoo also contains special emollients for moisturizing and proteins for conditioning. The hypoallergenic dog shampoo also contains fatty acids to reduce scaling and flaking of the skin. If your pet suffers from seasonal or acute dryness, HyLyt shampoo will help restore their skin and coat to optimal health and beauty.

Then it was time for a quick checkup underneath Kenya, so to speak, and that was it!

11:00 All done!

I am having trouble getting my head around the fact that I have only been watching proceedings for two-and-a-half hours! So much knowledge on show. So much experience. So much compassion for our beloved pets!

To be continued:

(Please note: These observations are mine alone and because of the busy environment it must be assumed that my interpretation of what was taking place might not be totally accurate. Nothing in this blog post should be used by a reader to make any medical judgment about an animal. If you have any concern about an animal do make an appointment to see a properly qualified veterinarian doctor.)

Visiting the Vet – Hunt the Foxtail

Yet another interesting case for Dr. Jim.

As soon as it was time to say ‘goodbye’ to Ace the cat then in came an entirely different case.

1020 – Back to dogs!

This was Millie, a pit mix, who had been dropped off at the Clinic earlier on. Millie’s owner said that there appeared to be something troubling Millie’s ears. Millie was, indeed, shaking her head a great deal.

Jim established that it was Millie’s left ear that was the source of the irritation. This was immediately obvious since Millie cried as soon as Jim touched that left ear.

The first examination didn’t identify anything that might be the cause. But apparently the endoscope had such a narrow field of view that it was easy to miss an irritant. Time for another, more extensive examination using that same endoscope.

This time the problem was identified. A foxtail that had penetrated Millie’s ear so deeply that the seed-head had pierced Millie’s eardrum.

Carefully, oh so carefully, Jim pulled the foxtail out from Millie’s ear. I couldn’t believe just how large it was.

About an inch (2.5 cm) long.

I was unable to grab a photograph of Millie’s face once the foxtail had been removed. Trust me it was a face full of doggie smiles.

But I can’t move on to the next patient without remarking how Millie was so beautifully behaved. How maligned the Pitbull and Pitbull Mixes are!

10:45 All done with Millie!

To be continued:

(Please note: These observations are mine alone and because of the busy environment it must be assumed that my interpretation of what was taking place might not be totally accurate. Nothing in this blog post should be used by a reader to make any medical judgment about an animal. If you have any concern about an animal do make an appointment to see a properly qualified veterinarian doctor.)

Visiting The Vet – Cats

The morning at Lincoln Road progresses.

(This is a continuation from here.)

It’s 09:00 and the next animals to be brought in to see Dr. Jim are a couple of cats requiring vaccination.

The kittens are named Grace and Frankie and both were adopted from the Nevada Humane Society although I wasn’t familiar with the circumstances surrounding that adoption.

But great to see them being cared for by the two women and the degree of professional service that I saw in Jim’s briefing of these new cat owners.

That care included giving one of the kittens the necessary pills by mouth.

It is now 09:25 and the next case for Jim is another cat. In this case a cat, named Ace, that the owner thinks is having trouble seeing out of it’s right eye.

Jim applies a fluorescent stain to the Ace’s eye that then enables Jim to use a special UV lamp to determine the degree of damage to the eye.

It is determined that the pressure in Ace’s eyeball is normal and Jim is pretty certain that Ace has no sight at all in that right eye. He recommends giving the cat some antibiotics and explains to the owner that cat’s can function perfectly adequately with just one eye. Indeed, if necessary the eyeball could be removed, something that would not be a disadvantage for Ace.

The lady owner of Ace takes note of Jim’s advice and is clearly grateful for what has been explained to her.

It is 10:10.

To be continued:

(Please note: These observations are mine alone and because of the busy environment it must be assumed that my interpretation of what was taking place might not be totally accurate. Nothing in this blog post should be used by a reader to make any medical judgment about an animal. If you have any concern about an animal do make an appointment to see a properly qualified veterinarian doctor.)

Visiting The Vet – Arrival

First impressions.

I arrived a little before 8:30 to find both receptionists busy on the telephone. They signaled for me to wait in the reception area until Dr. Jim came out to meet me.

As I waited it quickly became clear that Janice, one of persons behind the front desk, was speaking to someone who was having to make the decision to euthanize their dog. I hadn’t bargained for how that made me feel since it was so recently that Jean and I had trodden the same path. I had to give myself a stern reminder that I was here as the quiet, unobtrusive observer and that my own feelings had to be tucked out of sight.

Shortly thereafter, with Janice still on the telephone patiently and compassionately speaking with that dog’s owner,  someone came in with Daisy who was here for teeth cleaning. Jim came out to meet her and advise the owner that one of the team would be doing Daisy’s teeth not himself.

Then it was time for me to go back with Jim and start the day with him. (Jim had arrived at 8:20am.)

Jim’s first case was Ginger. Ginger, a female Golden Retriever, had been brought in earlier on because she had lost weight, was lethargic and was generally off-color.

Jim started to examine Ginger assisted by Cianna, a veterinary technician at the clinic.

It was immediately clear to Jim when he listened to Ginger’s heart that it was racing; Jim thought at something like 200 beats per minute. Jim continued to check Ginger over although, as he told me later, he had an idea that Ginger’s medical problem was a cardiac issue. Jim arranged for Ginger to be given an X-ray as well as blood work.

It would take a few minutes for the results of Ginger’s X-ray to come through so Jim showed me the primary software program used in the clinic to record all the details of each patient and all the individual medical details. The software was called AVImark.

I was impressed, very much so, but then again not surprised. For the veterinary business is big business in many countries. For instance, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reports that in 2016 there were 107,995 veterinarians in the USA. Of course, there would be a wide range of software tools for the industry.

Back to Ginger’s status.

Her X-ray having been taken, the digital image of her heart was transferred electronically to Dr. Jim’s computer. It showed an extremely enlarged heart. Jim said that the owners of Ginger would be facing a potentially complex analysis but in the interim Ginger should be put on one of the ‘pril’ drugs to reduce the very high stress on Ginger’s heart: Lisinopril; Enalapril; Benazepril. That was arranged then and there. (I didn’t make a note of which drug was given to Ginger.)

Time to call Ginger’s owners and report the findings.

The owners said that they would be in to collect Ginger at 12:30.

I looked at my watch. It was 8:58!

Already the next patient is ready to be seen by the good Doctor.

To be continued:

(Please note: These observations are mine alone and because of the busy environment it must be assumed that my interpretation of what was taking place might not be totally accurate. Nothing in this blog post should be used by a reader to make any medical judgment about an animal. If you have any concern about an animal do make an appointment to see a properly qualified veterinarian doctor.)

A new feature.

Opening up the world of a busy veterinary practice.

Like the majority of pet owners, our experiences of taking a cat or a dog to the local vet clinic are gained entirely in regard to those particular animals. The only small difference between this household and most others is that we have the distinct privilege of having Jim and Janet Goodbrod as close friends just a short distance away. Jim is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) and thank goodness for that as it was more than wonderful that Jim was able to be on hand a week ago when it came to Pharaoh’s last few moments.

Jim is a regular DVM working at Lincoln Road Veterinary Practice in nearby Grants Pass. That practice is run by Dr. Russel Codd.

Dr. Russel Codd (RHS) speaking with Jean at the Clinic back in the days of our dear Hazel.

Some time ago, when we were visiting Lincoln Road, it struck me that the detail of what takes place ‘behind the counter’ of a busy vet clinic is most likely not commonly appreciated by those that visit said clinic.

I asked Russel one day if I might be allowed to spend time watching and listening to what goes on behind the scenes; so to speak. Russel said that he would be delighted for me to do that.

So it came to pass that last Thursday, June 22nd, I did just that.

It was a day when Dr. Jim worked a half-day at the clinic and I spent the thick end of six hours listening and observing what took place. I had a camera with me but as was only fit and proper was very sensitive to what photographs were taken. Likewise, I didn’t interrupt the proceedings with my questions although each pet owner had specifically said it was alright for me to be in the same room. In other words, what I will be writing in each post is much more my impressions of the workings of a day in the life of a veterinary clinic.

So tomorrow I will publish the first of my articles and at regular intervals report more from my day at Lincoln Road.

They will be published under the overall heading of Visiting The Vet.

I do hope you enjoy them.

Choosing a pet-sitter.

A guest post from Sloan McKinney.

Serendipity!

Funny how things work.

The reason I start today’s post in such a fashion is that Jean and I have been mulling over how we might consider doing some traveling once we are down to six dogs. Indeed, to that end, just last week we met Jana Stewart, a local woman who came highly recommended and who has been in the pet industry for over 30 years.

The serendipitous aspect is that quite recently I received an email from a Sloan McKinney. This is part of what she wrote:

My name is Sloan McKinney and I am freelance writer and journalist and pet enthusiast. I just wanted to say that Learning from Dogs offers great information and advice about pet care issues.

I did happen to notice that you don’t have much information about pets and sitters, which I believe your readers would love to know more about, especially with many people having to leave their pets at home for travel or work.

Since your website contains relevant issues, I was wondering if you would be interested in sharing an infographic about choosing the right sitter for your pet.

More research quickly found Sloan’s background details:

Sloan McKinney is a journalist based in Southern California. After writing about pop culture for a number of years, she has recently begun writing for a new audience. Inspired by DeAnthony, her cat, as well as her dog Max, Sloan now hopes to help other pet owners guarantee their animal companions happy and healthy lives.

I replied that I would be delighted to receive Sloan’s guest post and her accompanying infographic. Here it is:

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How to Choose A Professional Pet Sitter and Why It’s Important

by Sloan McKinney. 1st June, 2017.
If you live with a four-legged friend, you sure understand how nervous and stressful it can be to leave it at home alone for a couple of days.

However, so wags the world that we sometimes have to travel, and oftentimes it is impossible to bring our pets with us. When such a situation occurs, you find yourself in an ethical dilemma. You have to choose between an expensive pet hotel or a friend who’ll be coming to your place once per day to feed your ball of fluff. While the first option is not cost-efficient, the second one might put you into uncomfortable situation when you have to ask your friend or relative to spend time on something that is your responsibility. What a hard choice to make, huh?

But the good news is that there is a great alternative in between the two options described above. This option won’t make you drain your purse, not it will make you feel shy and uncomfortable. Wonder what is it? Pet sitter is the answer. Yes, you will have to pay some money, but the price will be reasonable. No, you won’t have to put pressure on your friends or family members. And the best part is that professional pet sitters know how to make friends with virtually any pet. After all, it’s their job, right?

If you need more reasons to get convinced that pet sitters are the best solution, here is the list of benefits. To begin with, professional pet sitters guarantee regular visits and care. Apart from it, they can get on the right side of even the most demanding pet (of course, it might be still hard even for professional pet sitters to tame a squirrel or raccoon living in your attic). What’s more, they will assure an easier separation for both you and your four-legged friend.

Still not sure it’s a good idea to hire a pet sitter for your favorite ball of fluff? Then you absolutely need to see this beautiful infographic:

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Don’t know about you but Jean and I found that a very useful aide-memoir.

How did you find Sloan’s guest article? I would love to have your feedback.

Dog & Cat Food Recall

This was issued a little over two hours ago!

It concerns possible contamination of food with Salmonella so please read and share as widely as you can.

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Smallbatch Dog and Cat Food Recall of May 2017

May 5, 2017 — Smallbatch Pets Inc. of Portland, OR, is voluntarily recalling two lots of its Smallbatch frozen chicken blend for dogs and cats due to the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

About Salmonella

Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.

Symptoms of infection in people include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever.

Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms.

Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting.

Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain.

Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans.

If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

No pet or consumer illnesses from this product have been reported to date. However, because of their commitment to safety and quality, Smallbatch Pets is conducting a voluntary recall of this product.

Consumers should also follow the Simple Handling Tips published on the Smallbatch Pets package when disposing of the affected product.

What’s Recalled?

The affected lots of 2 pound bags of Smallbatch Chicken Blend were distributed to retail pet food stores in the following states:

  • California
  • Colorado
  • Oregon
  • Washington

Two hundred eighty-two cases of this product were sold between the dates of 2/1/17 and 5/5/17.

The affected products are sold frozen in 2 pound bags.

The products affected by this recall are identified with the following manufacturing codes and “Best By” dates, located on the back of the package.

  • Lot: D032
    UPC: 705105970974
    Best By: 2/1/2018
  • Lot: E058
    UPC: 705105970974
    Best By: 2/27/2018

    What Caused the Recall?

    The recall was initiated after routine testing by the Food and Drug Administration of a 2 pound bag of Smallbatch Chicken Blend that was collected at a distributor revealed the presence of Salmonella.

    This recall is being made with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

What to Do?

Consumers who have purchased the above lots of Smallbatch Chicken Blend are urged to stop feeding the product to their dogs or cats and to return product to place of purchase for a full refund.

Or dispose of them immediately.

Consumers with questions are asked to call the company at 888-507-2712, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM PST.

Or via email at info@smallbatchpets.com.

U.S. citizens can report complaints about FDA-regulated pet food products by calling the consumer complaint coordinator in your area.

Or go to http://www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints.

Canadians can report any health or safety incidents related to the use of this product by filling out the Consumer Product Incident Report Form.

Get Dog Food Recall Alerts by Email

Get free dog food recall alerts sent to you by email. Subscribe to The Dog Food Advisor’s emergency recall notification system.

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Once again, good people, read and share.

No place for amateurs!

Offering up a tribute to the work of a professional.

Many, many years ago when I was in business on my own account (1978-1986) I had the pleasure of getting to know Frank Tijou. He was running his own very successful business. But more important than that, Frank had this wonderful ability to explain what he had learned over his years of being an entrepreneur. One such learning was stick to what you really know and don’t try and do things that are best left to other professionals. In other words, don’t be an amateur when it comes to important matters.

Thus when some weeks ago I was strongly recommended by some local authors to have an author website, I looked around for a professional. I quickly came to find Christy Kiltz of Design! by Kiltz Internet Solutions.

Talk about finding a true professional.

Forgive me, I’m not coming at this in terms of an ego trip. I just want to promote what a wonderful job Christy did. (And not forgetting Emily’s grand design work.) (And most certainly not forgetting my darling Jeannie who did the image of the man in a flat cap with the dogs!)

Please go across to my new website: Paul Handover – Life Traveller.

The home page banner image from my website.

So in the words of American playwright Garson Kanin:

“Amateurs hope, professionals work.”

Thank you, Christy!

Two Dog Food Recalls

Both came in to me in the last hour.

The first:

Wellness Dog Food Recall of March 2017

March 18, 2017 — Wellpet of Tewksbury, MA, is voluntarily recalling a limited amount of one canned dog food because it may contain elevated levels of naturally occurring beef thyroid hormone.

What’s Being Recalled?

Recalled product includes:

  • Wellness 95% Beef Topper for Dogs
  • Size: 13.2 ounce cans
  • Best-By Dates: 02 FEB 19, 29 AUG 19 and 30 AUG 19

Best-By dates can be found on the bottom of each can.

No other Wellness products are affected.

About the Recall

Elevated levels of thyroid hormone may affect a dog’s metabolism and can be associated with increased thirst and urinary output, restless behavior and weight loss.

Multiple studies indicate that for the vast majority of pets, symptoms are reversible as soon as the pet stops eating product with elevated thyroid hormone.

Because the recipe is a mixer or topper and intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only, the likelihood of a dog being affected is remote.

WellPet has received no reports of any health problems as a result of feeding the affected recipe.

However, the company is voluntarily recalling three best-by dates as an extra level of precaution.

What to Do?

If you have any of the 13.2 ounce cans of this specific recipe and marked with one of the three best-by dates, please email the company at wecare@wellpet.com

Or call the company at 877-227-9587.

U.S. citizens can report complaints about FDA-regulated pet food products by calling the consumer complaint coordinator in your area.

Or go to http://www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints.

Canadians can report any health or safety incidents related to the use of this product by filling out the Consumer Product Incident Report Form.

The second:

Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall Event Number 2 of March 2017

March 17, 2017 — Blue Buffalo Company is voluntarily recalling one production lot of BLUE Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe Red Meat Dinner Wet Food for Adult Dogs because the product may contain elevated levels of naturally occurring beef thyroid hormone.

What’s Being Recalled?

The recall is limited to one production lot of the following product:

  • BLUE Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe Red Meat Dinner Wet
    Food for Adult Dogs
  • Size: 12.5 ounce can
  • UPC Code: 840243101153
  • Best-By Date: June 7, 2019 (bottom of can)

Affected products were distributed nationally through pet specialty and on-line retailers.

No other Blue Buffalo products are impacted by this issue.

About the Recall

Dogs ingesting high levels of beef thyroid hormones may exhibit symptoms such as increased thirst and urination, weight loss, increased heart rate and restlessness.

These symptoms may resolve when the use of the impacted food is discontinued.

However, with prolonged consumption these symptoms may increase in severity and may include vomiting, diarrhea, and rapid or difficulty breathing.

Should symptoms occur, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Although the Blue Buffalo Customer Care Resource Team has not received any reports of dogs exhibiting these symptoms from consuming this product, the FDA advised Blue Buffalo of a single consumer who reported symptoms in one dog, who has now fully recovered.

Blue Buffalo immediately began an investigation.

However, after working with the FDA, Blue Buffalo decided it would be prudent to recall the one production lot in question.

What to Do?

If your pet has consumed the product listed above and has exhibited any of these symptoms, please discontinue feeding and contact your veterinarian.

Consumers who have purchased the product subject to this recall should dispose of it or return it to the place of purchase for full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact Blue Buffalo at 866-201-9072 from 8 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time Monday through Friday.

Or by email at CustomerCare@bluebuffalo.com.

U.S. citizens can report complaints about FDA-regulated pet food products by calling the consumer complaint coordinator in your area.

Or go to http://www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints.

Canadians can report any health or safety incidents related to the use of this product by filling out the Consumer Product Incident Report Form.

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You good people do take note of these recalls and share the details with other dog lovers.

Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall

This came in to me some four hours ago.

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March 2, 2017 — Blue Buffalo has issued a voluntary market withdrawal of 17 varieties of its Blue Divine Delights and Blue Wilderness Trail Trays due to quality issues with the foil seals on the top of the cups.

No other Blue Buffalo products (including any variety of Divine Delights not listed below) are impacted by this issue.

The company is not aware of any dogs becoming ill from these products.

What’s Recalled?

The following products are affected by the recall:

blue-buffalo-wet-dog-food-recall

  • BLUE Divine Delights Filet Mignon Flavor in Gravy
    3.5 oz cup
    84024312035
  • BLUE Divine Delights New York Strip Flavor in Gravy
    3.5 oz cup
    84024312037
  • BLUE Divine Delights Prime Rib Flavor in Gravy
    3.5 oz cup
    84024312039
  • BLUE Divine Delights Rotisserie Chicken Flavor in Gravy
    3.5 oz cup
    84024312041
  • BLUE Divine Delights Pate Filet Mignon Flavor
    3.5 oz cup
    84024312043
  • BLUE Divine Delights Pate Porterhouse Flavor
    3.5 oz cup
    84024312045
  • BLUE Divine Delights Pate Grilled Chicken Flavor
    3.5 oz cup
    84024312047
  • BLUE Divine Delights Pate Top Sirloin Flavor
    3.5 oz cup
    84024312049
  • BLUE Divine Delights Pate Angus Beef Flavor
    3.5 oz cup
    84024312051
  • BLUE Divine Delights Pate Roasted Turkey Flavor
    3.5 oz cup
    84024312053
  • BLUE Divine Delights Pate with Bacon, Egg and Cheese
    3.5 oz cup
    84024312057
  • BLUE Divine Delights Pate Sausage, Egg and Cheese Flavor
    3.5 oz cup
    84024312059
  • BLUE Divine Delights Pate Steak and Egg Flavor
    3.5 oz cup
    84024312061
  • BLUE Wilderness Trail Trays Duck Grill
    3.5 oz cup
    84024312071
  • BLUE Wilderness Trail Trays Beef Grill
    3.5 oz cup
    84024312073
  • BLUE Wilderness Trail Trays Chicken Grill
    3.5 oz cup
    84024312075
  • BLUE Wilderness Trail Trays Turkey Grill
    3.5 oz cup
    84024312077

What to Do?

Blue Buffalo has asked consumers to stop feeding the affected product to pets and bring any remaining cups affected by the withdrawal to their place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions about this market withdrawal are invited to contact Blue Buffalo at 877-870-7363.

U.S. citizens can report complaints about FDA-regulated pet food products by calling the consumer complaint coordinator in your area.

Or go to http://www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints.

Canadians can report any health or safety incidents related to the use of this product by filling out the Consumer Product Incident Report Form.

Get Dog Food Recall Alerts by Email

Get free dog food recall alerts sent to you by email. Subscribe to The Dog Food Advisor’s emergency recall notification system.

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This company issued another Blue Buffalo Food Recall a little over two week’s ago. It’s here if you missed that!

Please stay safe out there!