Rescue Angels

Tail tucked between your legs,
Confusion in your eyes -
I know it's hard to understand
That someone heard your cries.

When loneliness is all you know
And pain is all you feel
And no one can be trusted,
And hunger's all too real...

That's the time the Lord sees you
And lets you know He's there
that's when He sends His messengers
The hearts that love and care.

Yes, rescuers are angels
You cannot see their wings,
They keep them neatly folded
As they do their caring things.

The medicine to make you well
Good food to make you strong,
And finally to help you learn
That hugs are never wrong.

The perfect place then must be found
The home where you can live
Secure and safe and happy
With joy to get and give.

When you reach your Forever Home,
Your place to feel whole,
The Angels smile, and off they go
To save another soul.

-- Author Unknown

The Perfect Crime

This is how it works in my house!

Jerky Treats Causing Fanconi Syndrome in Dogs

The American Veterinary Medical Association recently posted a Media Alert warning veterinarians that multiple brands of jerky treats manufactured in China have been making dogs sick.

No cats have been reported to be affected. A contaminant has yet to be identified. At this time there is no list of specific brands affected and there is no recall in effect, so these products are still being sold to consumers.

Presenting Signs and Laboratory Findings
The dogs appear to be developing an acquired Fanconi's syndrome which appears to be transient. Small dogs with a history of ingesting jerky treats (mostly chicken jerky) are typically affected. Clinical signs include vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy.

Physical examination findings have been unremarkable. In addition to mildly elevated liver enzymes, the most common blood abnormalities include severe decrease in Potassium, called hypokalemia, along with acidosis and glucose (sugar) in the urine and granular casts on urinalysis. Elevated kidney enzymes; Blood Urea Nitrogen and Creatinine may or may not be consistently found.

Testing Recommendations
For dogs with apparent Fanconi's syndrome, we recommend a CBC, chemistry panel including electrolytes, urinalysis and urine culture. Blood gas nalysis, if available, is ideal. Additional testing for other causes of acute kidney damage including Leptospirosis blood testing is also recommended. Kidney x-rays, and Fanconi screens on urine may be warranted in some cases.

This veterinarian is seeing dogs with apparent acute liver failure problems associated with canine treats made by Delmonte.

For more information, veterinarian, Dr. Carol Osborne can be reached at 1-866-372-2765.

To learn about other pet food recalls, visit the FDA Pet Food Recall Product List web page at:
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/newpetfoodrecalls/

A Dog Named Beau

This is absolutely precious!

Poisonous Plants & Flowers for Dogs

This is a great article on plants and flowers that are poisonous to dogs. The article also shows photos of each plant and flower:

http://www.1stinflowers.com/articles/poisonous-plants-for-dogs.html

The Hippo & the Turtle

Much of life can never be explained but only witnessed...

NAIROBI (AFP) - A baby hippopotamus that survived the Tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast has formed a strong bond with a giant male century-old tortoise in an animal Facility in the port city of Mombassa, officials said.

The hippopotamus, nicknamed Owen and weighing about 300 kilograms (650 pounds), was swept down Sabaki River into the Indian Ocean, then forced back to shore When tsunami waves struck the Kenyan coast on December 26, before wildlife rangers rescued him.

"It is incredible. A-less-than-a-year-old hippo has adopted a Male tortoise, about a century old, and the tortoise seems to be very happy with being a 'mother'," ecologist Paula Kahumbu, who is in charge of Lafarge Park, told AFP.

"After it was swept away and lost its mother, the hippo was traumatized. It had to look for something to be a surrogate mother. Fortunately, it landed on the tortoise and established a strong bond. They swim, eat and sleep together," the ecologist added.

"The hippo follows the tortoise exactly the way it followed its mother. If somebody approaches the tortoise, the hippo becomes aggressive, as if protecting its biological mother," Kahumbu added.

"The hippo is a young baby, he was left at a very tender age and by nature, hippos are social animals that like to stay with their mothers for four years," he explained.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

This is a real story that shows that our differences don't matter much when we need the comfort of another.

We could all learn a lesson from these two creatures.

"Look beyond the differences and find a way to walk the path together."

The Lion Whisperer Kevin Richardson

This young man has a true gift!