Raisins & Grapes are Toxic to Dogs and Cats
December 23, 2009
Toxic Foods - Raisins
Case Report of Raisin Ingestion by Black Lab from Pet Poison Helpline
By Janet Tobiassen Crosby, DVM, About.com Guide
Raisins and grapes are very toxic to dogs and possibly cats. Some dogs love eating raisins and grapes and will seek them out. Pet owners have used even raisins as a "healthy" treat for their dogs. This is not advised however, as grapes and raisins may cause potentially fatal kidney failure in dogs and cats.
At this point in time, the toxic factor of raisins and grapes has not been identified. It is thought to be contained in the flesh, not the seed, of the fruit. Some animals may be more sensitive than others.
Ahna Brutlag DVM and Justine A. Lee DVM DACVECC of Pet Poison Helpline share a case report concerning a three year old female Labrador dog that survived raisin toxicity with aggressive emergency and supportive care.
Black Lab ingests raisins
"Annie" a 30 kg (66 pound), three-year-old, female Black Labrador Retriever ingested 12 oz of raisins from a holiday gift box. Three days after the ingestion, her owners called Pet Poison Helpline for assistance as Annie had stopped eating, began vomiting,...
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Swine Flu Confirmed in NY Dog
December 22, 2009
INDUSTRY ALERT from IDEXX Reference Laboratories:
H1N1 influenza virus infection confirmed in household pets
A dog from the Katonah Bedford Veterinary Center in Bedford Hills, New York, has tested positive for the H1N1 virus on the IDEXX H1N1 Influenza Virus RealPCR™ Test.
A 13-year-old dog had a several-day history of not feeling or eating well, a dry cough and a fever on presentation to its veterinarian. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-swine-flu-dog,0,466136.story The dog was treated for pneumonia and improved with hospitalization and supportive care. The dog tested positive on the IDEXX H1N1 Influenza Virus RealPCR Test. A more detailed case description is available.
Background
In the United States, the H1N1 influenza virus has been confirmed recently as the cause of respiratory disease in several ferrets and cats resulting in more than one death in each of these species. These infections were believed to have been contracted from infected owners. There was an unconfirmed report of dogs infected in China in late November. The case described here is what is believed to be the first reported case of a dog infected with the H1N1 influenza virus in the United States. The dog’s owner had also recently tested positive for H1N1 influenza virus. The...
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Another Cat dies of Swine Flu....
December 18, 2009
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Dec 16th, 2009)
Six weeks after the first reported cases of pandemic swine flu in cats, the total number of deaths attributed to the virus has reached three.
Following last week's announcement that a second cat in Oregon had died after being infected with swine flu, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has revealed that a third cat, from Pennsylvania, died early in November, probably before the first reported death. The affected cat was a 12 year old domestic shorthair which developed respiratory illness on November 3rd.
As in both other cases of cats dying after contracting the virus, the cat came from a household in which humans were already ill with flu-like symptoms. The cat displayed lethargy, loss of appetite and difficulty breathing when it was presented to vets, and x-rays revealed the presence of pneumonia. Despite being treated with antibiotics, the cat succumbed to worsening pneumonia and died on November 6th. Interestingly, nasal swabs returned negative for H1N1 but necropsy samples returned positive. This may suggest that veterinarians testing for the presence of swine flu in cats with flu-like symptoms using nasal swabs only may not be making accurate assessments. The positive result in this case...
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Holiday Toxins....
December 7, 2009
Holiday Toxins: Tips from Pet Poison Helpline to Help Keep Your Pet Safe!
Tips on holiday foods, plants and decorations that can put your pet at risk.
By Justine Lee, DVM, DACVECC
The holidays are stressful enough without having to worry about a potentially poisoned pet. Below is a list of holiday-related decorations, plants and food items that the veterinarians at Pet Poison Helpline recommend keeping away from pets.
Holiday Ornaments: When decorating for the season, consider your pets. Holiday decorations such as old-fashioned bubble lights may contain poisonous chemicals. If your pet chews on them, the liquid inside could be dangerous to their health. Methylene chloride, the chemical in bubble lights, can result in depression, aspiration pneumonia and irritation to the eyes, skin and gastrointestinal tract.
Tinsel: Another holiday ornament to avoid is tinsel. If you own a cat, toss the tinsel! What looks like a shiny toy to your cat can prove deadly if ingested. While tinsel itself is not “poisonous,” it can result in a severe linear foreign body if ingested. A linear foreign body occurs when your pet swallows something “stringy” (like ribbon, yarn, tinsel, cassette tape, etc.), which wraps around the base...
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