California's Rabies Exemption Bill (AB-258): What it will do

Many thanks to Margelia for bringing this page to our attention.  This is a layperson's explanation of what the Rabies Vaccination Bill proposed in California will actually mandate.  We support this bill and urge you to call the committee currently considering it and let them know that you support it, too.

For information about who and where to call, see our earlier post here.

CALIFORNIA: Lost Chinese Crested West Covina, CA

UC Davis Vet: "No radiation risk to pets in California"

A UC Davis faculty veterinarian has stated that there is no current radiation risk to pets in the state of California from the recent nuclear accident in Japan, according to this report from the smallanimalchannel.com:

"There is currently no radiation risk to pets in California due to the damaged nuclear power plants in Japan following the earthquake and tsunami last week, according to Michael Kent, DVM, a faculty veterinarian at the University of California, Davis, who specializes in radiation cancer therapy.

The university’s William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital has been receiving three to five calls per hour from clients inquiring about potential radiation risks to their pets should the radioactive material from Japan’s nuclear power plants cross the Pacific and reach California.

“At this point, there is no risk to pets in California stemming from radiation released from the tragedy that continues to unfold in Japan,” Kent said yesterday.

Clients are also asking whether they should give potassium iodide tablets to their pets as a preventive.

“While potassium iodide might help protect dogs, cats and other pets, as it would people, from the risks of radiation exposure in the unlikely event that radioactive iodine reaches here in appreciable levels, giving it ahead of time carries risks and would be ill-advised,” Kent said. “Side effects to pets taking potassium iodide, especially if they ingest too much, include severe and even life-threatening allergic reactions, gastrointestinal upset (vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia), decreased normal thyroid function (hypothyroidism) and damage to the heart. At high enough levels, it can cause death.”

Read the full report here.

CALIFORNIA: URGENT! Rabies Medical Exemption Bill Needs Your Support NOW.

PHAN founder's dog Louie after developing autoimmune disease due to rabies vaccine.
Another vaccination would probably kill him.  

CALIFORNIA Rabies Medical Exemption Bill AB 258 Hearing Date April 6 http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/asm/ab_0251-0300/ab_258_bill_20110310_status.html Please contact Ag. Com. Chair Cathleen Galgiani (916) 319-2017 Assemblymember.Galgiani@assembly.ca.gov and ask the committee to vote "ought to pass."

Paws For Japan: Help Raise Money to Aid Animals in Japan

This is a very important Blog Hop Event to raise awareness of the work being done by World Vets to help animals in Japan. Please share, retweet, repost, and work with us to help spread the word and encourage others to donate to them.

My personal goal is to raise $200.00 for World Vets through a "like" campaign involving the Facebook page of Louie the Love Muffin. Louie's page exists to help raise awareness of health issues related to his last rabies vaccination, which made him quite ill. I will personally donate $1.00 for each new "like" of his page, with a total goal of $200.00. He started with 83 "likes," so the goal is a total of 283.

Please, donate to World Vets and then visit Louie's page and "like" him, too.

Blog hop is below!

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Xylitol Toxicity: Video

World Vets: Japan Disaster Relief

Wondering how you can help the animals affected by Japan's twin disasters?  Take a look at World Vets Japan Disaster Relief page.  World Vets is an independent program which supports veterinary care for needy animals worldwide.

You can also help the human animals affected by texting the word "REDCROSS" to 90999.  A $10.00 donation to the Red Cross will be added to your next cell phone bill.

URGENT: If your pet takes phenobarbital, call your vet!

The FDA has issued an alert for veterinarians concerning the recall of a drug mislabeled as phenobarbital.  Phenobarbital is a human drug which is frequently prescribed by veterinarians for off-label uses such as treatment of seizures.  If you have phenobarbital for your dog or cat, please call your vet to make sure it is, in fact, what it is supposed to be.  Do not give it to your pet until you know it is safe.

Pig ear treats recalled for possible salmonella contamination

Salmonella organisms, from Wikipedia Commons

The Pet Connection has the story.

Petition: Tell PetSmart to stop promoting impulse purchases of reptiles

The petition states:

PetSmart is currently running a promotion offering a ten dollar discount on any reptile to customers with Rango ticket stubs. Rango is an animated movie about a chameleon, and features other CGI animated lizards and snakes. 

This PetSmart promotion is an irresponsible attempt to increase sales of reptiles in the pet store. 

Caring for a reptile is a serious commitment, and not one that should be promoted with ticket stubs. As it says on PetSmart's website, snakes can live for over 35 years, and many lizards can live for over 15. Most reptiles require heat lamps and humidity control. If a reptile becomes sick, veterinary costs can be extremely high. Because of the many complications in caring for them, many reptiles die from inadequate care. 

Sign the petition to tell PetSmart to stop this irresponsible promotion.

Sign it HERE

Woodland, CA: Help sought to find missing dog.

http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_17527946

Police Dog Steals Soccer Ball

A little humor this morning :)