You’ve likely heard of boy scouts and girl scouts which have both existed for over 100 years but have you heard of dog scouts?

Robert Verdahl's dog Jasper (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

The Dog Scouts of America has actually been around for 13 years and continues strong with 38 troops in 22 states across the country. They can earn badges, run cookie drives, and have camp outs just like their human counterparts.

 The organization has about 80 badges and dogs are only required to earn the first badge, called the Dog Scout badge, which is for basic obedience. The variety of badges include water-related badges such as swimming and boating as well as earth badges for rescue, retrieval, and racing.

An article in Mercury News describes the earth dog badge. “[The badge,] mostly for terriers, is awarded if a dog stays focused while chasing a (protected) rat into an 8-foot earth tunnel, negotiates a 90-degree turn and continues the chase through another 8-foot tunnel without losing interest in the quarry.”

Dog Scouts also participate in community service, raising about $10,000 a year for the Salvation Army, among other local charity work. The “Clean Up America” badge encourages dogs and their humans to pick up after other dogs on trails and in parks.  Please click  here to continue to the full article.

Brought to you by the folks at Trupanion

Taurus Pet Horoscope

SYMBOL: The Bull

Pets born under the sign of Taurus tend to display particular characteristics: While they are stubborn and adamant, they are also keenly smart. Taurus pets have a great deal of will and perseverance. These traits make for a very powerful, energetic and caring pet. As a result, your pet may be very expressive and communicate vocally with you on a regular basis. You may also notice that your pet is the “social butterfly” when around people and other pet companions.

Seasons and Your Sun Sign

Winter: Due to the bad confluence of Mars and Saturn planets during the first quarter of 2012, Taurus pets may experience a serious strain at home. This is beyond their control, which can add more stress to Taurus pets. Encourage your pets to relax by distracting them with outdoor or indoor activities that will boost their self-esteem and confidence.

Spring: You may notice your Taurus pet following your every move this spring. He may sense that you need his companionship, so don’t be surprised if he insists on shadowing you and going into protector mode. As a result, he may not get as much sleep as normal, choosing to catch up on Zs while you’re out of the house.

Summer: This season will be the most active part of your Taurus pet’s year. Travel is on the horizon, perhaps a family vacation or moving with the family to a new home? Schedule an appointment with your vet prior to any travel plans to ensure your pet is in tip-top shape to hit the road. Summertime activities will keep your pet happy and centered.

Fall: Your Taurus pet loves attention, so the approaching holiday season will bring out the best in your social butterfly. It should be smooth sailing for your pet this fall. The key is to maintain a balance between festive activities and some much-needed down time.

Please click here to continue to the full horoscope for your 4-legged friend at trupanion.com!

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Pet Insurance 101 graphic created by Trupanion.

As you may have noticed, the Michigan Road Animal Hospitals (as well as other hospitals and pharmacies) have been impacted by the recent closure of Novartis’ plant. Novartis is a drug company that makes human drugs, and also pet drugs like Interceptor, Sentinel, Clomicalm & Deramaxx.  If your pet is on these medications, it will be OKAY! We still have a very small supply left, and have been limiting purchases to monthly dose purchases of Interceptor & Sentinel to try not to run out.  We, as well as everyone else, hope the plant is up and running soon.  In the meantime, we have options for your pet if needed. Do not hesitate to contact us to either help you make a decision on a different product to try, or if you have any questions at all about the Novartis plant closure.

Please read the following from Novartis:

As a pet owner, you may be unable to find several Novartis Animal Health brands at your veterinarian’s clinic. This is due to a decision made by Novartis Animal Health to temporarily suspend production at our Lincoln, NE processing plant, which is responsible for manufacturing several Novartis Animal Health brands including Interceptor® (milbemycin oxime) Flavor Tabs®, Sentinel® (milbemycin oxime / lufenuron) Flavor Tabs®, Program® (lufenuron) Flavor Tabs®, Program® (lufenuron) Suspension, Milbemite® (0.1% milbemycin oxime), Deramaxx® (deracoxib) and Clomicalm® (clomipramine hydrochloride).

We assure you that all Novartis Animal Health brands remain safe and effective when used according to the product label. There were no veterinary product recalls as part of the temporary plant shut down. Veterinarians can continue to prescribe, and pet owners can continue to administer, these trusted brands with confidence.

The decision to temporarily suspend production was done with great consideration after several quality and regulatory reviews determined that system upgrades and other improvements were needed to enhance the facility’s processes and functions so that it could better meet the needs of our customers in the future. We understand the challenges this might pose and we deeply regret the inconvenience this may have caused our customers. Your continued support during this temporary period is appreciated, and we will continue to keep you informed about when we expect to resume production and shipment of new product.  Click here to continue reading at Novartis website.

Michigan Road Animal Hospital & MRAH 96th Street are now carrying Vectra 3D! This amazing product kills & repels mosquitos, fleas, ticks, mites, lice & other bugs too!  It is a topical for dogs and you apply it once per month.  Please call us to learn more!

A VectraPet^® is a healthy pet.

Parasites are a fact of life wherever you and your pet go. Especially if you spend time outdoors or come in contact with other animals. Outdoors or indoors, we want you and your dog to enjoy a healthy, happy life. That’s why we offer a family of Vectra^® vectoricides so you can choose the product that fits your lifestyle. Your veterinarian can advise you about which option is best for your dog or puppy. When used monthly, Vectra can help protect your dog’s health, and keep your household free from harmful parasites (vectors).

Vectra 3D^®

Fast-acting protection against fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, lice, mites and sand flies.

Advantage Multi^® for Dogs
(imidacloprid + moxidectin) Topical Solution

New prescription-only Advantage Multi for Dogs combines theproven-effective flea control of Advantage®, which has been trusted byveterinarians and their clients for more than 10 years, with a 100-percent effective preventive for heartworm disease and effective treatment and control of intestinal worms (hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms) all in one convenient, monthly topical solution.¹

FDA-approved Advantage Multi for Dogs, the next generation of the Advantage family from Bayer Animal Health, is available by prescription from veterinarians.

Key Benefits¹

• 100 percent effective at preventing heartworm disease caused byDirofilaria immitis.
• 100 percent effective treatment and control of hookworm infections caused by Ancylostoma caninum and Uncinaria stenocephala (adults, immature adults and fourth stage larvae).
• Up to 98.2 percent effective treatment and control of roundworm infections caused by Toxocara canis (adults and fourth stage larvae).
• Up to 100 percent effective for the treatment and control roundworm infection caused by Toxascaris leonina (adults).
• Up to 98.6 percent effective treatment and control of whipworm infections caused by Trichuris vulpis (adults).
• Safe and effective, when used topically as directed, for dogs and puppies that are at least seven weeks of age and that weigh at least three pounds.

Please click here to continue to the full website.

Don’t Let This Parasite Worm Its Way into Your Pet’s Heart or Lungs!

Ticks Don’t Jump, They Climb

VETSTREET

What Are Ticks?
Ticks are small, eight-legged parasites that must drink blood in order to survive and reproduce. Ticks don’t fly, and they can’t jump (unlike fleas). In fact, ticks are more closely related to spiders and mites than to “insects” like fleas. Of the hundreds of tick species, approximately 80 are found in the United States. Ticks can feed on a variety of hosts including birds, dogs, cats, and people.

Why Are Ticks a Problem?
If a dog is heavily infested with ticks, the parasites can drink enough blood to cause anemia (severe blood loss). However, ticks are mostly a concern because of the diseases they can transmit to their hosts. Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever are among the dangerous diseases that ticks can transmit to your dog. Although people can’t catch these diseases from dogs directly, infected ticks can bite people and transmit them. If your dog is exposed to these dangers, chances are that you and your family may also be at risk for exposure.

How Do Dogs Get Ticks?
Despite a very popular myth, ticks don’t fall or jump out of trees onto a host. However, ticks can climb, and they tend to attach themselves to shrubs and blades of tall grass. They can also live in dens of rodents and other small mammals. One species of tick can even live indoors.

When a host walks by and brushes against the grass or shrub where the tick is waiting, the tick climbs onto the host. Once on a new host, the tick eventually finds a location to attach and feed. For some diseases, like Lyme disease, a tick must be attached for several hours in order to transmit the infection to a host. This means that if you check your dog (and yourself) daily, you have a chance of finding and removing any ticks before they can transmit Lyme disease.

How Can I Protect My Dog From Ticks?
Keeping your dog out of wooded areas, tall grass, and other tick habitats is a good way to reduce the risk of exposure. However, this can be difficult for many pet owners, especially if they share an active outdoor lifestyle with their dog.

Effective tick control products can be used on dogs to help protect them from ticks. There are many options, including spot-on liquid products and collars. Your veterinarian can recommend a safe and effective product for your dog.

Remember that ticks are successful parasites that can be difficult to kill. Even if you are using an effective tick control product, you should still check your dog daily for ticks and remove any as soon as you find them. You should never remove a tick with your fingers. Tweezers work well, but be sure to grasp the tick close to the head and pull gently to avoid leaving the mouthparts imbedded in the skin. There are also tick removal tools that are very easy to use. Avoid using lighter fluid, matches, or other products that may irritate the skin or cause other injuries to your dog. When in doubt, ask your veterinary care team for assistance removing the tick.

Why Are Ticks a Problem for Cats?
It may be tempting to dismiss the importance of ticks on cats, because cats are less likely to be diagnosed with Lyme disease and some of the other diseases that ticks transmit to people and dogs. However, there are still reasons to be concerned about your cat coming into contact with ticks.

Please click here to continue reading this article at Healthy Pet.com!

Overview

Aspirin is a drug that has many benefits for both pets and people; unfortunately, it can also be dangerous. Cats are especially at risk to aspirin toxicity because they lack an enzyme that is necessary for metabolizing a byproduct of aspirin, once ingested. Cat owners should never give their cats aspirin unless advised to do so by a veterinarian.

Signs
Cats with aspirin toxicity get sick fast. One of the first signs is a lack of appetite; you may also see vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and fever. There may be red blood in the vomit, or flecks of digested blood that resemble coffee grounds. If you see dark, tarry feces, this is called “melena” and represents digested blood from the small intestine or stomach. Sometimes, the central nervous system is also affected and your cat may have trouble walking, seeming weak or even “drunk.”

Diagnosis/Treatment

If you suspect your cat has ingested aspirin, you should call your veterinarian immediately. They may recommend tests to determine how severe the toxicity is.

These tests may include:

• Chemistry tests to evaluate kidney, liver and pancreatic function as well as sugar levels
• A complete blood count to identify if your cat is anemic and to check her clotting function
• Electrolyte tests to ensure your cat isn’t dehydrated or suffering from an electrolyte imbalance
• A urinalysis to rule out urinary tract abnormalities and evaluate the kidney’s ability to concentrate urine

Please click here to continue reading the full article by the Pet Health Network.