PALM HARBOR, FL, Feb 19, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –
Animal & Bird Medical Center of Palm Harbor announced that the
practice has launched a new website,
http://www.dogcatbirdvet.org .
The new site is designed to enhance communication with pet owners
about companion animal care. The site features include a ‘veterinary
topics’ library, New Patient Center and website blog. The animal
hospital provides care for dogs, cats, small mammals, birds and
exotic pets. Palm Harbor veterinarian Dr. Joel Murphy is one of the
first veterinarians in the world to receive Board Certification in
Exotic Medicine, an advanced specialty requiring four years of
additional training.

Palm Harbor pet owners have a new online resource for pet care
questions. Veterinarian Dr. Murphy’s new website includes information
on wellness pet care for dogs, cats, birds, small mammals and exotic
pets, as well as general patient information for the animal hospital.

“As a veterinarian, I believe that wellness care starts at home by
educating pet owners about the best ways to care for their pets,”
said Dr. Murphy. “Whether it’s how to recognize the signs of illness
or the best way to brush your dog’s teeth, an educated pet owner is
able to make informed choices for the well-being of his or her pets.
Our website perfectly complements this mission by serving as a
resource for veterinary knowledge any time of the day or night.”

The wellness library includes information on a variety of different
pet care needs, including tips on how to select the best pet for an
individual’s lifestyle. There are also tips on obedience training and
a video library demonstrating the proper technique for brushing a
dog’s teeth.

In addition to this at-home care information, pet owners can also
learn more about the benefits of vaccinations, spay and neuter
operations, and animal dental care. There is also a checklist to help
pet owners determine whether their pet is exhibiting a symptom of
illness that requires urgent care.

“While there’s a wide range of information available online, not all
of it is reliably sourced,” said Dr. Murphy. “With this website, pet
owners have a trusted source of information to answer their questions
if it’s after hours and they are unable to immediately reach a vet.”

As one of the first veterinarians in the world to be awarded Board
Certification in Exotic Bird Medicine, Dr. Murphy is also
knowledgeable about bird care. The website includes information on
exotic avian care, in addition to articles on traditional companion
animals like dogs and cats.

“This site is a great resource for all pet owners to learn how to
care for the many different animals, including birds, that make great
pets,” said Dr. Murphy.

Pet owners can stay up to date on the latest news from animal
hospital by visiting the website’s blog and signing up for the
e-newsletter.

First time patients can learn more about what to expect during their
first visit under the website’s “New Patient Center.” Pet owners can
also fill out forms in advance to save time in the waiting room.

Individuals who wish to schedule a vet appointment or pet boarding
appointment may do so by using the website’s online appointment
request form. The veterinary hospital serves the Dunedin, Tarpon
Springs, Oldsmar, Clearwater and Ozona communities.

Animal & Bird Medical Center of Palm Harbor
Palm Harbor, FL
1-888-667-5235

SOURCE: Animal & Bird Medical Center of Palm Harbor

Copyright 2012 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.

Droopy, a bassett hound that belongs to a nurse at Lexington Court Care Center, spends time with residents and visitors. Residents say having pets around the nursing home can make difficult or sad situations a little easier. / Dave Polcyn/News Journal

Dear readers: This is a very itchy time of year for our pets. I believe that the swings in the weather from hot to cold are contributing to allergy problems. Changes in temperature are tricking plants and molds to grow and spread their pollens and spores in the environment. The weather changes are also enhancing the life cycles of fleas and ticks.

Because of the environmental upheaval, dogs and cats all over the Panhandle are scratching, chewing and licking more than usual. What can be done for this allergic pruritis?

Well, the first line of defense is always baths. Bathing your pet will wash the pollens and molds off the skin, helping reduce the contact allergen effects. A bath also soothes the skin. By using a gentle, pet-approved shampoo, you can safely wash your pet as often as twice a week.

After the bath, a leave-on conditioner to replace moisture is recommended. Oatmeal shampoos and moisturizers have a soothing effect on the skin. Alternatively, Virbac makes a product called ResiKetoChlor. It is a leave-on conditioner that can be used after the bath. It has chlorhexiderm to kill bacteria and ketoconazole to kill yeast. Yeast and bacteria can cause odor and itching.

If baths are not controlling the itch, one can give their dog an antihistamine such as Benadryl. The dose for Benadryl can be determined by knowing your pets weight. A good rule of thumb is 1 milligram of Benadryl for every pound the dog weighs. For instance, a 30-pound dog can get 30 mg. of Benadryl. Since it comes in 25 milligram doses, a 30-pound dog would get one capsule every 12 hours. A 50-pound dog would get two 25 mg. capsules twice a day. A 5- or 10-pound dog would have to get the Benadryl childrens elixir. It is 12.5mg. per 5 mls (one teaspoon). As you can see, it is harder to dose when the dog is small.

If Benadryl is not keeping the itching under control, it is time to visit your veterinarian. In addition to other forms of antihistamines, your veterinarian can determine if the itching is severe enough to warrant steroid therapy. Steroids, when used judiciously, can get the itching under control so that the skin can heal and the itching can subside. Sometimes given as an injection, sometimes given as pills, steroids have their place in the treatment of severe itching.

After a short course of steroids, the dog may then be able to be controlled through baths and antihistamine therapy. Pet owners are often afraid to give their dog steroids. But in severe allergy cases, if steroids are used carefully, they are capable of returning the pets quality of life with minimal side effects. Side effects include drinking a lot of water, urinating a lot, and an increased appetite that can lead to weight gain. We try to minimize the side effects by minimizing the amount given to the pet, but if the side effects are severe, the steroids can be discontinued.

Whatever the cause of the itching, the condition is best managed before the pet has sores on its body or extreme hair loss.

Got a question for Dr. Johns? E-mail her at JohnsDVM@aol.com. Write to Pet Peeves, PO Box 224, Valparaiso,, FL 32580. Johns is a Niceville veterinarian.

Denise Martinez Sickich and her family found a little gray,
black-striped cat abandoned, starving and pregnant in an alley in
the slant streets of Missoula several months ago. They took her in,
fed her, renamed her “Alley” and a week after finding her, helped
deliver her seven kittens. Despite the tender care, the kittens
didn’t survive.

It’s stories like Alley’s that Saturday’s Westside Trailer Cat
Day Spay and Neuter event aims to prevent.

Alley was sitting quietly in her carrier Saturday morning, one
of dozens of cats and dogs at the Iron Works Manufacturing
warehouse that had been converted into a spay and neuter clinic.
Each animal was fixed for free.

Martinez Sickich brought Alley down just before noon. After
about 45 minutes, a groggy Alley was ready to go back home.

The clinic was put on by the Montana Spay/Neuter Task Force and
organized by a local committee of Westside residents who saw a need
to help control the feral and stray cat population in the area.

“I used to live in the Hollywood Trailer Court and I would wake
up and there’d be 15 cats out in my yard,” event organizer Hannah
Wilson said.

Wilson knows many neighbors see the cats as a nuisance. She sees
them a little differently.

“How can they be a nuisance when they’re not the ones who put
themselves there?” Wilson said. “I just wanted to do my part and
help out. It’s a tough life for cats in the Hollywood trailer
park.”

Wilson, who still lives in the area, was proud to see the number
of neighbors who took advantage of the clinic for their pets, and
who helped volunteer to make the clinic run smoothly.

Traps were set Friday and checked throughout the day Saturday to
catch the strays. Eleven surgeries were performed Friday night on
feral cats caught that afternoon. After they were fixed, feral cats
were kept overnight in the warehouse before being released. Some of
the more tame strays were sent to the Human Society of Western
Montana to be readied for adoption.

***

Several neighborhood residents brought dogs to
be fixed as well. Organizers continued to reach out throughout the
day, recruiting neighbors to bring in pets or help identify strays
to be fixed.

Veterinarians Diana Scollard and Craig Moore worked throughout
the day. Scollard moved back and forth between two operating
tables, while Moore worked with his son on the dogs in a separate
operating area.

After surgery, cats were wrapped in warm blankets and sent to
the recovery area.

That’s where 5-year-old Raina Finley held vigil next to her cat,
Blacky, who was just out of surgery.

“This little kitty is almost awake,” said Finley, who was
rubbing Blacky to keep her warm and to encourage her to wake up.
“It feels like it’s been an hour. But my kitty is doing pretty
good.”

Blacky is a “really nice” 2-year-old black cat with green eyes
and a short tail. She likes to chew her cat toys and often sleeps
with Finley or her brother. Blacky’s mom was spayed Saturday, too,
as were three tiny kittens from another recent litter delivered by
Blacky’s mom.

“I’m glad she got fixed or she would have had a lot of kittens,”
Finley said.

By early afternoon, about 78 surgeries had been completed. 

Task Force Coordinator Sheila Thomas said they expected to get
through 100 cats by the end of the day, preventing the birth of
thousands of homeless animals.

Naperville attorney says Happiness Is Pets lawsuit has ‘no merit’

BY BILL BIRD
wbird@stmedianetwork.com

February 17, 2012 6:36PM

Eventually, everyone made it out okay.

My grandson came running out, James Roberson said. The house is on fire. The house is on fire.

Laverne Roberson said she was house-sitting for her daughter and that the two dogs and two cats never made it out.

Hes been a member of our family, she said. I mean Im surprised he didnt come to us when we called. He must have just not been able to or something.

One sheriffs deputy was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation after he tried to save the pets.

Upon arrival it wasnt clear if everyone was out of the house and the pets and everyone else, said Kelly Kistner, the Guadalupe County Fire Marshal. The sheriffs deputy made an attempt to find out if there was anybody in the house and he ended up inhaling a large amount of smoke.

When crews arrived, smoke and flames were shooting out of the house, leaving the entire front end destroyed.

It started up here towards the front end of the house up in an area where there are two bedrooms and a bathroom, said Kistner.

Kistner said Saturday night that the cause of the fire was an unattended heat source in the bedroom.

And while theres not a cost estimate of what was lost right, he said there was heavy damage to more than half of the house.

Tonight, thousands of Americans will sit down to a dinner of warmed-up leftovers or delivery pizza. Their dogs and cats, meanwhile, will feast like epicureans, beneficiaries of a foodie revolution that has transformed many kitchens into four-star restaurants for pets.

Cats who used to put up with plain tuna or mackerel can now savor white-tablecloth dishes like wild salmon and whipped egg souffle with garden greens, part of Fancy Feast#x2019;s Elegant Medleys line, or Outback Grill, an Australian-themed entree from Weruva, with native fish like barramundi and trevally.

Their canine cousins might be sniffing lustily as the pop-top opens on French Country Cafe, a beguiling mixture of duck, brown rice, carrots, Golden Delicious apples and peas offered by Merrick, a small family-owned company in Amarillo, Texas, or sending their taste buds to Hawaii with Kauai Luau, chicken with brown rice, sweet potato, prawns, egg, garlic and kale in a lobster consomme. The beach feast is one of the Tiki Dog flavors from Petropics, another small company.

Tara Zimmerman, left, of New York, and her dog Pablo check-in with Delta Air Lines employee Robert Hoffman at LaGuardia Airport in New York, in this Nov. 23, 2005, file photo. A half-million pets fly each year, according to statistics complied by the US Department of Transportation.

Here is todays list of pets available for adoption from local shelters and animal rescue organizations.

For the complete article, please pick up a copy of The Daily Reflector or purchase today’s electronic edition at http://www.reflector.com/circ-store. Current home delivery and electronic edition subscribers may log in to access this article at no charge. To become a subscriber, please click here or contact Customer Service at (252) 329-9505.

DZian Gallery in Worcester presented Pets That Paint, an exhibit and sale of artwork created by Worcester Animal Rescue League shelter pets. Guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar and music by Ordinary Heart. Proceeds benefited the Worcester Animal Rescue League, which celebrates its 100th year as one of the region’s largest nonprofit, limited-intake, no-kill shelters.