Articles of Interest    

       Pets: Just what the doctor ordered

            According to a recent national survey, 92 percent of pet owners attributed reduced stress levels, improved mental health and physical fitness, and lower blood pressure to spending  time with their companion animals. Here are the results.....

                       97%  say their pets make them smile at least once a day

                       76%  believe their pet eases their stress level

                       31%  say providing exercise for a pet had improved their physical fitness

                       84% cited companionship as the main reason for acquiring a pet

                       85% believe their pet shows concern when they are sick

                       73% would spend $1000 or more to save their pet's life

                       48% have taken up to two days off work to be with a sick pet

                       93% take their pet to a veterinarian for regular checkups

                       28% have taken their pet to a veterinary specialist for advanced care

                       66% travel with their pet

                       46% plan all or most of their free time around their pet

                      From JAVMA February 1, 2003

       Be careful when selecting toys for your pet

        Smoking Harms Pets

              A 2002 study from Tufts reports that cats living in homes with smokers are more than twice likely than other cats to acquire feline lymphoma cancer. The study, entitled "Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Risk of Malignant Lymphoma in Pet Cats," was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.      

              The study found that, adjusting for age and other factors, cats exposed to secondhand smoke had more than double the risk of acquiring the disease. In households where they were exposed five years or more, cats had more than triple the risk. In a two-smoker household, the risk went up by a factor of four.

              In some cases, cats were at higher risk for cancer than humans living in the same home. cats become exposed by inhaling the smoke and by digesting it when they groom themselves and lick particulate matter off their fur.

              Based on their findings with cats, Tufts researchers believe their work may provide new evidence that second-hand smoke and lymphoma in humans are linked.

        Second-Hand Smoke and Risk of Malignant Lymphoma in Pet Cats

              A Case-control study was recently conducted at  Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine to evaluate whether second-hand smoke may increase the risk of feline malignant lymphoma. Dr. Antony S. Moore and his colleagues found that the relative risk of malignant lymphoma for cats exposed to second-hand smoke was 2.4 times greater than cats not exposed to second-hand smoke. Risk was also increased with both intensity and quantity of exposure. These findings suggest that passive smoking may increase the risk of malignant lymphoma in cats. This study was published in American Journal of Epidemiology (156:268-273)

            Calorie restrictions yield longer life

              In the first completed canine lifetime diet restriction study conducted by Nestle' Purina Pet care, researchers proved that maintaining a lean body condition in dogs increased their median life span by 15 percent. The 14-year study took place at the Purina Pet Care Center and compared 48 Labrador retriever dogs from seven litters. Median life span increased by 1.8 years, or 15 percent, in lean-fed dogs compared to control dogs.

            How People Remember Their Pets  

             Ninety-one percent of pet owners say they've experienced the death of a pet, according to the 2002 AAHA Pet Owners Survey. And the study shows that the ways they've dealt with grief vary: 53 percent say they buried their pet on their family's property; 17 percent held a funeral; and 15 percent made a charitable donation in the pet's name. Here are some ways  people have memorialized their pets.         

             * Commissioned a painting

             *  Kept their dog's tags on their key chains

             *  Have their pets cremated and keep their ashes

             *  Keeping a picture of their pet on their desk to remember them daily

             *  Drawing their pets and hanging their sketches in their home

             *  Running an obituary in the local paper

             *  Making a clay paw print using oven bake clay

      Additional Resources, pet loss books......

              For Children,

                   The Tenth Good Thing About Barney, By Eric Blegvad and Judith Viorst

                   I'll Always Love You, by Hans Wilhem

                   Dog Heaven, by Cynthia Rylant

                   Cat Heaven, by Cynthia Rylant

                   A gift From Rex: Guiding Children Through Life and Loss, by Jim Kramer

              For Adults,

                   When Your Pet Dies, by Diane Pomerance

        Pet Health Alert: Grapes and Raisins Are Toxic to Dogs

            Based on recent data, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) continues to caution canine caretakers that raisins and grapes may be toxic to some dogs. From April 2003 to April 2004, the center managed 140 related cases, each involving one or more dogs who ingested varying amounts of raisins or grapes.
Much is yet to be discovered about the toxic principle in grapes and raisins. It is also not clear if only some canines are susceptible, or if chronic, long-term ingestion can lead to the same effects. As there are still many unknowns, says the APCC¹s Dana Farbman, CVT, we advise not giving grapes or raisins to pets in any amount. For more information on how to protect your pet from potentially dangerous substances, please visit APCC online

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