Occurring three times more often in cats than dogs, ringworm (dermatophytosis) is the most common fungal infection in the world in animals. A zoonotic disease, ringworm infection can easily be spread not only among animals, but to humans as well. Children are especially susceptible to ringworm infection. Once your pet has been diagnosed, getting rid of ringworm can be a challenge that will require both hard work and patience.

Your pet with ringworm will likely be given anti-fungal medication in the form of a topical cream that is applied to the affected skin. If the ringworm infection is severe, oral and topical medications may be recommended by your veterinarian. Pets with severe cases of ringworm should be isolated from other pets to avoid spread of infection. Your veterinarian will perform fungal cultures after a course of treatment to determine whether the infection is gone.

When ringworm infected animals live inside the house, cleaning up the home environment can be expensive. Owners will be advised that for many items that the infected pet has had contact with, “Wash it or toss it,” is the general rule to avoid repeated fungal infections. Pet scratching posts, bedding, brushes, and blanks should be discarded ideally. If you cannot throw away everything, items that are retained should be washed in a hot water and iodine soap solution. (Be sure to wear long rubber gloves so that your skin does not come into contact with the water). After washing, soak the items in the same hot water – iodine solution for one hour and rinse with bleach water (one part chlorine bleach to ten parts water). These items should be allowed to dry thoroughly in the sun.

Unfortunately, there is more clean up to do in order to get rid of ringworm from  your home. Long curtains or drapes should be dry cleaned. Floors and walls should be cleaned with chlorine bleach when possible. If you have carpet in your home, be certain to steam clean all areas that the ringworm infected animal has roamed and continue to vacuum daily. Air vents should be cleaned and disinfected and filters should be changed weekly. Clean and thoroughly disinfect your pets’ carrier. If your pet is being kept in isolation in a cage, remember to clean and disinfect this daily as well to be certain to get rid of ringworm and avoid inadvertently passing the fungal infection on to another animal. Always wear rubber gloves when disinfecting your home after a ringworm diagnosis. Continue wearing the gloves while cleaning until your veterinarian confirms that the fungal infection is gone.

Holistic veterinarian and pet health researcher,  Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM., is available for pet health questions and pet health consultations for dogs and/ or cats.
Contact Dr. Carol’s veterinary office toll free at 1-866-372-2765 to make an appointment for your dog and/or cat today.

Taffy pet chews manufactured by Merrick Pet Care have been recalled due to possible Salmonella bacterial contamination.

Merrick Pet Care of Amarillo, Texas, issued the recall of Jr. Texas Taffy pet treats (UPC 02280827077, all lots up to and including No. 10364) because these pet treats may be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria.

The Jr. Texas Taffy pet chews were shipped to pet distributors and pet retailers from coast to coast across the country.

Pet owners who have purchased the tainted Jr. Texas Taffy pet treats can return the unused portions to the place of purchase for a full refund, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Pet owners with questions about the tainted pet treats may contact Merrick directly at 1-800-664-7387.

Salmonella bacteria are highly contagious and are transmissible to other pets and as well as people. Pet Diarrhea with or without blood and vomiting are the cardinal signs. The diarrhea can be quite severe, leading to dehydration which without treatment may be fatal.

Pets sickened and/or suspected of ingesting these treats should be taken to their veterinarian and people experiencing any symptoms should see their physician.

Salmonella Therapy involves medications to clear the diarrhea, fluid replacement to promote normal hydration and nursing care to restore normal health for pets and people. Hospitalization is required in many cases.

Salmonella pet infections in dogs and cats can cause signs which can include lethargy and diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets may only have a decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise apparently healthy pets can be asymptomatic carriers and spread Salmonella bacteria to other animals and people.

Pet owners are urged to contact their veterinarian if their dog and/or cat may have consumed or come into contact with the recalled pet chews.

Salmonella is considered to be a Zoonotic Disease which means it may be transmitted from pets to people. Pet owners who may have touched the tainted treats and/or contacted the any surfaces exposed to them are at risk of becoming infected with Salmonella bacteria.

Avoid possible Salmonella contamination by practicing proper hygiene. Washing your hands well and disinfecting pet bowls with bleach is helpful to minimize contamination and spread of this bacteria.

Careful disposal of the pet treats in a covered trash receptacle is also recommended to prevent potential spread of this zoonotic bacteria.

Pet owners and household members especially at risk include the elderly, immune compromised individuals and infants.

Signs of  Salmonella infections in people may include:  nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever.

Salmonella bacterial infections can also become more severe and result in arterial infections, heart infections referred to as endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms.  People  exhibiting these signs after having contact with the recalled pet chews should contact their health care provider ASAP.

Pet owners who have purchased the Jr. Texas Taffy pet chews can return the unused portion to the place of purchase for a full refund.  Consumers can contact Merrick Pet Care at 800-664-7387, Monday-Friday, 8-5 CST.

Bookmark www.carolonpets.com for the latest pet health news, information and anti-aging updates for your dogs and cats.

Holistic veterinarian and pet health researcher,  Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM., is available for pet health questions and pet health consultations for dogs and/ or cats.

Contact Dr. Carol’s veterinary office toll free at 1-866-372-2765 to make an appointment for your dog and/or cat today.

The Food and Drug Administration reports that Hartz initiated a recall on nearly 75,000 8-ounce bags of Hartz Naturals Real Beef Treats for Dogs. The products lot code is BZ0969101E, UPC number 32700-11519.

The company reports the contaminated dog treats were imported by Hartz from  Brazil. Those products were distributed to several US pet retail outlets.

Note that Salmonella is a serious potentially fatal bacterial disease easily transmitted between pets and humans.

Stomach cramps and diarrhea with or without blood are the most common signs of Salmonella in dogs and people.

Dogs exposed to Salmonella may have fevers, lethargy, diarrhea, vomiting, anorexia (lack of appetite),weight loss, dehydration, mucus in feces, elevated heart rate, swollen lymph nodes, abnormal vaginal discharge in bitches, and skin disorders.

People who suspect they may have contacted this and feel ill need to contact their physicians and sickened pets should see their veterinarians.

Fluid losses from the diarrhea can lead to life threatening dehydration and death in severe cases.

Pet Owners should discard contaminated dog treats, report this to the FDA and practice good personal hygiene.

Hartz is reported to be taking immediate steps to remove the tainted dog treats from all retail pet supply stores and distribution centers.

Pet Owners needing more information can call Hartz toll free at 1-800- 275-1414.

Holistic veterinarian and pet researcher Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM is available for pet health questions and pet health consultations.

Contact Dr. Carol’s office toll free at 1-866-372-2765 to make an appointment for your dog and/or cat.

Dr. Carol – what can I say…you’re truly a blessing!!!

My 8 year old Lab,  Harley got very sick.  My dog wasn’t eating and I had to take a water bowl to her to get her to drink.  She had zero energy and her breathing was weird and she had urinated all over the kitchen floor one night.

I thought her breathing seemed a bit labored, in the end I would find out it was because my dog was in pain.

Anyway, I spent $1,200 at the emergency vet.  They weren’t finding anything. They called in a ‘specialist’ to look at her and he duplicated some of the lab tests as he wanted to have them sent to a different lab.

All the tests came back pointing to problems with my dog’s pancreas.  The next step would have been to do an expensive ultra sound to ‘try’ to figure out what to do next.

I contacted Dr. Carol as I knew her PAAWS products had helped my mom’s dog a few years back.  I sent her a copy of Harley’s lab results.  She looked them over and offered her advice free of charge.  She saved me the expense of the ultra sound.

She instructed me to feed Harley a home-made pet diet made of brown rice, boiled chicken, peas and sent me some of her pet products (Probiotics and Digest-Zymes) to sprinkle on her food.

I wasn’t sure if Harley would eat it because she tends to be a bit picky.  She not only ate Dr. Carol’s home-made diet, she was wanting MORE. I took a sigh of relief (that she was eating)!!  Harley has also started on the PAAWS product and she LOVES them!!!

Just before Harley got sick, I had recently opened a new bag of Iams Healthy Naturals (lamb meal and rice).

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The list of tainted pet products is so extensive, I wanted to provide a list to date of the potentially deadly pet vitamin supplements recalled this year by the FDA. Most are recalled due to salmonella bacteria contamination.

These recalled pet nutritional supplements include everything from pet arthritis supplements to dog dental treats, pet digestive aids dog ear powders, pet multi-vitamins, cat urinary tract health care products and fatty acids for dogs and cats.

Pet Retailers from Doctors Foster and Smith to Petco and United Pet Group  are just some of the pet outlets carrying these contaminated pet nutritional supplements for dogs and cats.

Bookmark www.carolonpets.com for the latest pet health care news,anti-aging tips and information for your dogs and cats.

Holistic veterinarian, researcher and fellow pet lover, Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM., is available for pet health care consultations and pet health questions for dogs and cats.

Contact Dr. Carol’s office toll free at 1-866-372-2765 to make an appointment for your dog and/or cat.

The FDA recalled several pet vitamin supplements.  It started with United Pet Groups Pro-Pet Adult Daily Vitamin Supplement tablets for Dogs, but has been expanded to include many more pet nutritional supplements for dogs and cats, all due to Salmonella bacteria contamination.

The recalled products include various United Pet Group Pro-Pet and Excel branded pet vitamin supplements for dogs and cats, and certain other private label brands of the same pet vitamin supplements in tablet and powdered forms.  

The contaminated pet supplements are those with expiration dates that include and are between “01/2013″ and “06/2013.”

Laboratory testing which apparently is not done until AFTER these pet vitamin supplements are already sitting on pet retail shelves revealed contamination with bacteria called Salmonella.  Salmonella is a potentially fatal disease and affects pets and people.

Signs of Salmonella infection in pets and people usually present with severe diarrhea and/or explosive bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and spread this disease to other animals and/or people.

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It is always wonderful to wake up and find deer grazing in the backyard or other wildlife roaming freely in your backyard. However as construction continues to encroach into formerly “wild” areas, are we putting ourselves and our pets at risk?

Wildlife is usually pleasurable to watch. Whether it’s the sight of a fox along the roadside or a raccoon ambling across a yard, people often stop in amazement, enthralled by these encounters with nature.

On the other hand, as we build in areas that were once reserved for wildlife, and the naturally wooded areas become scarce we find wild animals coming closer and closer to our front doors.

Fascination aside… what about the risks? Along with deer come blood-thirsty ticks and a variety of bacterial diseases. Raccoons and skunks bring the terror of rabies to our backyard and even the humble mouse has the potential for spreading deadly Hantavirus. Yet there must be a way for us all to co-exist harmoniously alongside wildlife.

Once we are aware of potential risks then we can take steps to avoid problems and keep the whole family, both two and four footed, safe.

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Wysong announced that batched of their dry dog food manufactured during June and July of 2009 have been recalled due to mold. The announcement was made well after the costly, tainted pet food had been sitting on retail pet shelves and already sold to loving dog owners.

Three months after the fact, Wysong tells pet owners not to feed their dogs pet food from the tainted batches. Unfortunately they made virtually no attempt to help pet owners deal with the dogs that had already eaten their moldy food, needless to say, what owners should do to about the potential health consequences their pets may experience as a result of ingesting the tainted food.

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We are in the midst of a Swine Flu, level 5 Pandemic. Today the Center for Disease Control (CDC), confirmed 90 confirmed cases in the US, spread over 11 states with 2 reported fatalities. I have prepared some useful tips and information based on published research, that should be helpful to protect us from this deadly virus.

Alternative Therapies including natural foods and herbal remedies can effectively help prevent and treat the Flu. There are some natural nutrients and herbs that are effective against the Swine Flu virus and a few that should be avoided.

The current H1N1 strain of the influenza “Swine Flu” virus evolved through a combination of three mutated strains of the human bird and swine strains of the influenza viruses. These natural remedies and herbs are cost effective, readily available and may be used to help prevent infection in healthy individuals. For those already infected with Swine Flu, they may be life saving!

Certain nutrients such as Spirulina and Echinacea should be avoided with the flu because they can make the condition worse. This is because of the fact that the Swine Flu virus itself is immune to two different “cytokines” that the body of people and pets naturally produce. Specifically the two cytokines are referred to asTNF-a and IL-6.

Cytokines are compounds naturally produced by the immune system of people and pets that attack and remove foreign bodies, which generally protect us from disease and infection. The problem is that when a foreign particle is immune to a certain cytokine, your body thinks that its immune response is not working properly and therefore tries even harder to remove the foreign particle. This response often leads to what is termed a “cytokine storm.”
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