When a dog scarfs down products with Xylitol, its body thinks the sugar substitute is glucose (blood sugar), which it isn’t. In response, the dog’s body releases a massive amount of the hormone insulin to balance what it believes is too much glucose in the bloodstream. This causes the pet’s real blood sugar to plummet, leading to dangerously low blood sugar. It can also cause liver failure and long-term liver damage.

The initial symptom of Xylitol poisoning is vomiting followed by lethargy, loss of muscular control, collapse and seizures. If your dog has ingested any products that contain Xylitol, immediately take her/him to your veterinarian or local veterinary emergency center.

Note: Artificial sweeteners saccharin, aspartame and sucralose are generally regarded as safe and should not cause significant illness if large amounts are ingested by dogs.

This article was written and distributed by Michigan Veterinary Specialists, a 24/7 Emergency and Specialty Hospital with offices in Southfield and Auburn Hills

Check out the following tips from ASPCA experts for a fulfilling Thanksgiving that your pets can enjoy, too.

Talkin’ Turkey
If you decide to feed your pet a little nibble of turkey, make sure it’s boneless and well-cooked. Don't offer her raw or undercooked turkey, which may contain salmonella bacteria.

Sage Advice
Sage can make your Thanksgiving stuffing taste delish, but it and many other herbs contain essential oils and resins that can cause gastrointestinal upset and central nervous system depression to pets if eaten in large quantities. Cats are especially sensitive to the effects of certain essential oils.

No Bread Dough
Don't spoil your pet’s holiday by giving him raw bread dough. According to ASPCA experts, when raw bread dough is ingested, an animal's body heat causes the dough to rise in his stomach. As it expands, the pet may experience vomiting, severe abdominal pain and bloating, which could become a life-threatening emergency, requiring surgery.

Don't Let Them Eat Cake
If you’re baking up Thanksgiving cakes, be sure your pets keep their noses out of the batter, especially if it includes raw eggs—they could contain salmonella bacteria that may lead to food poisoning.

Too Much of a Good Thing
A few small boneless pieces of cooked turkey, a taste of mashed potato or even a lick of pumpkin pie shouldn’t pose a problem. However, don't allow your pets to overindulge, as they could wind up with a case of stomach upset, diarrhea or even worse—an inflammatory condition of the pancreas known as pancreatitis. In fact, it’s best keep pets on their regular diets during the holidays.

A Feast Fit for a Kong
While the humans are chowing down, give your cat and dog their own little feast. Offer them rawhide strips, Nylabones or made-for-pet chew bones. Or stuff their usual dinner—perhaps with a few added tidbits of turkey, vegetables (try sweet potato or green beans) and dribbles of gravy—inside a Kong toy. They’ll be happily occupied for awhile, working hard to extract their dinner from the toy.

The Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare maintains that the welfare of animals shall be a common objective for all nations, and that all appropriate steps shall be taken to prevent cruelty to animals and to reduce their suffering. The campaign’s creator, the UK-based World Society for the Protection of Animals, is the world’s largest federation of animal welfare organizations, representing over 800 member societies in more than 147 countries, and is the only animal welfare organization to have consultative status at the United Nations and the Council of Europe.

The one-millionth signature was recorded late in 2007, so we still have a way to go! If you haven’t already done so, please visit ; http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=animalsmatter to lend your support—and your signature—today.

http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=animalsmatter

This is an article recently released by Tails Magazine.

HSUS investigation reveals national chain Petland tied to puppy mill cruelty

Petland, Inc., the country’s largest chain of puppy-selling pet stores, has been linked to supporting puppy mills. The Humane Society of the United States revealed today the results of an 8-month-long investigation in which they found that Petland stores obtain their animals from puppy mills while telling customers the dogs come only from good breeders. This marks the largest-ever puppy mill investigation; HSUS investigators visited 21 Petland stores and 35 breeders and brokers who sold puppies to Petland stores. Investigators also reviewed interstate import records of an additional 322 breeders, USDA reports, and more than 17,000 individual puppies linked to Petland stores. There are approximately 140 Petland stores in the U.S., selling tens of thousands of puppies each year.

According to the HSUS, the investigation revealed:
Despite assurances by Petland staff and on their corporate website that the company knows its breeders and deals only with those who have "the highest standards of pet care," many Petland puppies come from massive commercial breeders in Missouri and other Midwestern states, where hundreds of breeding dogs are packed into cramped, barren cages—often for their entire lives, with no socialization, exercise, or human interaction.

· When HSUS investigators visited 35 of the large-scale breeding operations linked to Petland stores, they witnessed puppy mills where puppies are factory farmed in large numbers. At many, investigators saw appalling conditions: puppies living in filthy, barren cages reeking of urine, with inadequate care and socialization.

· Many of Petland’s puppies are not supplied directly by breeders, but are purchased from a “middle man”—large-scale “pet distributors,” otherwise known as brokers—showing that the company may not even know who the breeders are or what their standards of care may be like. The investigation revealed that some of Petland’s brokers are also buying from puppy mills.

· Some of Petland’s puppies are ordered online using a pet auction website called the Pet Board of Trade, demonstrating that many Petland stores are not screening breeders as its website claims. In fact, in some cases they may not even know the breeder’s name until after purchase.

· One of the most common sales pitches made by Petland staff is that they use “USDA licensed” breeders. However, investigators reviewed publicly available state and USDA inspection reports for more than 100 Petland breeders and found more than 60 percent of the reports listed serious violations of basic animal care regulations. Many USDA breeders exhibit a long history of substandard care and yet remained licensed. While USDA regulations are minimal, some of the Petland breeders are not even complying with these basic animal welfare standards.

· Documented USDA violations at some of Petland’s breeders and suppliers included dirty, unkempt enclosures; inadequate shelter from the cold; dogs kept in too-small cages; and inadequate veterinary care. Some of the breeders were found with sick or dead dogs in their cages.

1. Keep holiday plants out of reach. Many plants commonly used in holiday decorating are
toxic to dogs. Below is a list of the most common ones and their side effects:

Poinsettias – Nausea, vomiting, and an irritant to your cats mouth causing excess salivation.
Mistletoe – Vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy.
American Mistletoe – difficulty breathing, severe irritation to digestive tract, excessive thirst,
unsteadiness.
Holly – Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, hypersalivation, head shaking or lip smacking.
For a worry free alternative you may want to consider using plastic or silk arrangements.

2. A sturdy and inaccessible Christmas tree. When setting up your Christmas tree make sure
it is safely and securely set up to avoid being knocked over by a playful pooch. Placing the
tree in one corner of the room is often helpful. If using a real Christmas tree avoid using
chemicals in the water. Fertilizer and bacteria if ingested can lead to nausea, vomiting and
diarrhea.

3. Place fragile or eye catching ornaments out of harms way. Make sure to place glass,
fragile or interesting ornaments or decorations out of high traffic areas, or away from low
hanging branches. An errant tail wag or inquisitive poke could send them crashing down
leaving shards of glass underfoot. Alternative options could be ornaments made of dried
non-toxic flowers, pinecones, fabric or wood.

4. Keeping your pet calm and happy during holiday get-togethers. ‘Tis the season to make
merriement and with all the comings and goings of party goers it’s easy for your dog to slip
through an open door or get caught up in all the excitement. A good strategy is to place
them in a quiet and comfortable room with food and plenty of water away from all the
festivities.

5. Dry them off thoroughly and keep their coat a good length. When bathing your dog it’s
important to dry them off thoroughly before letting them go outside into the cold. Also,
not shaving their coat too short will allow them to stay warm throughout the cold winter
months.

6. Choose the perfect toy. You’ve spent all this time keeping them safe, now it’s time to
make them happy! It’s what the holidays are all about isn’t it? Here are a few tips to
make sure that perfect toy provides your dog with hours upon hours of enjoyment:

To avoid accidental ingestion, avoid toys with small parts that can possibly become
detached. Take care in purchasing chew bones or rawhides that are the right size
for your dog.

7. Nothing beats love and attention. The holidays can be hectic, but there’s always
time to take a little breather with your beloved dog. Make sure to schedule some
play time for the both of you and include him in your family’s holiday activities at
every opportunity!

“Even though no direct link between products produced at the Everson manufacturing plant and
human or pet illness has been made, we are taking this precautionary action to protect pets and
their owners. We are continuing to work collaboratively with the FDA to determine the nature
and source of Salmonella Schwarzengrund at the Everson facility, and are committed to making
sure our consumers and customers have the information they need regarding our voluntary recall,
” said Catherine Woteki, Global Director of Scientific Affairs, Mars, Incorporated.

Mars Petcare US stopped production at the Everson facility on July 29, when the company was
alerted of a possible link between dry pet food produced at the plant and two isolated cases of
people infected with Salmonella Schwarzengrund.

In order to avoid any potential risk to pets and their owners, the company initiated an extensive
internal investigation to determine the extent of the involvement of the Everson facility in
cooperation with the FDA. Ultimately, none of the pet foods found in consumer homes have been
determined to contain Salmonella, and there have been no reports of pet illnesses in those
households. However, the strain of Salmonella Schwarzengrund involved in the illnesses has been
detected in the company’s Everson facility.

Many of the brands involved in the recall are national brands produced at multiple facilities.
For example, the company manufactures PEDIGREE® in numerous facilities throughout the country,
and the Everson facility represents a very small portion of the manufacturing base: 2.7 percent of
total PEDIGREE® production.

Consumers can continue to have confidence in the quality and safety of the products produced at
Mars Petcare US’ other facilities. Only those products which were produced at the Everson facility
are impacted.

Mars Petcare US will work with all of its customers to ensure that the recalled products are not on
store shelves. These products should not be sold or fed to pets.

In the event that consumers believe they have purchased products affected by this voluntary recall,
they should return the product to the store where they purchased it for a full refund. Specific
product details and other information can be found at www.petcare.mars.com.

Catherine Woteki concluded, “Our top priority has always been and continues to be the health and
welfare of pets and their owners. At Mars, we hold ourselves to the highest quality standards.”

Here are some things to keep in mind when the weather turns frosty:

A fur coat does not prevent frostbite and hypothermia! When the
temperature drops below freezing don’t leave your dog out for
extended periods of time, especially when there’s a wind chill
warning.

Signs that your dog is too cold: shivering, paw hopping or
excessive whining or barking.

It’s also a good idea to keep dogs that are young, old or on
medication indoors as much as possible as they are more
vulnerable to the cold.

Just as in summer, never leave your dog in a car during the
colder months. The space is too large to heat with their own
body heat and there is a very real danger of freezing to death.

Keep in mind when letting your dog off-leash during snowy
weather that it will be harder to hear oncoming cars due to
the sound dampening effect of snow.

While exercising your dog outdoors make sure to wipe your
dogs paws to remove any salt or ice balls and to check for
dry cracking pads. A good way to prevent this is a good pair
of booties!

Shorten the usual exercise time if your dog appears to be
winded or is having difficulty running around in snowy or
icy conditions.

Anti-freeze contains Ethylene Glycol which has a sweet
taste to dogs. If ingested it can prove fatal. Symptoms
to watch out for include stumbling, vomiting and
behavior that resembles being intoxicated.

Although this blogger does not believe in any dog living
outdoors, there are thousands of dogs that do. Have you
taken the proper steps and precautions to safeguard your dog?

For dogs that live outside it is important to remember
that they will require more calories to generate body
heat. Frequent checks to ensure their water bowl hasn’t
frozen or spilled will also need to be made. This is
where investing in a tip-proof, heated bowl can be
invaluable. And on those really cold days, your dog
should always be allowed to come indoors.

To ensure your dog stays warm and cozy during the
winter look for a dog house with the following:

One that is the appropriate size. Too large and their
body heat won’t be enough to heat the house.
Make sure it is constructed of weatherproof materials.
Is insulated with Styrofoam and has a clear rubberized
door covering.
Is at least six inches off the ground.
Is facing away from prevailing winds.
Filled with straw bedding that is changed often.
Blankets and rugs tend to freeze quickly.
Is easy for your dog to get into.
If possible, built with a small hallway that leads to a
resting area.

Heat lamps or other types of portable heaters should
be avoided in the event they may cause a fire.
To help keep your dog warm at night consider putting
a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel in his bed.

The information below comes from a recent article from the makers of Greenies.

One of the hardest things in life to resist are puppy dog eyes. Sure you can spare that
little piece of meat or stuffing but don’t give in! What seems like a harmless hand-out
could actually do more harm than good. Besides being a bad habit, greasy, spicy and
fatty foods can upset your pets stomach resulting in indigestion and diarrhea. High fat
content foods have been associated with inflammation in your pets pancreas, a
potentially life threatening situation. There’s also an added danger with poultry bones.
Besides being uncomfortable to swallow, they can splinter causing blockages, or worse,
with some of the sharper fragments causing intestinal puncture. The last thing you
want to be doing this holiday season is rushing to your local veterinary clinic for
emergency surgery.

Keep a watchful eye on older dogs. Delicate digestive tracts and a decreased ability
to digest means they are particularly susceptible to severe indigestion and diarrhea.

Avoid feeding raw meat to your pets all year round. There are some diseases that
animals and humans can share that could be passed on causing illness from
unprocessed foods.

Keep the chocolate under wraps

Chocolate is on the list of many people’s indulgences, especially during the holiday.
Unfortunately the same cannot be said for your dog. Chocolate contains Theobromine
and Caffeine, both stimulants. Unsweetened bakers chocolate is especially high in
both, with once ounce being enough to be cause toxicity in small dogs. Milk chocolate,
although not as potent as bakers chocolate, should still be avoided at all costs as even
small amounts nibbled on frequently can lead to toxicity.

Some symptoms of chocolate toxicity to watch out for are:

Vomiting
Diarrhea
Increased thirst or urination
Hyperactivity
Seizures
And rapid heart rate.