March 20th, 2008
Fellow pug lover, Linda, recently sent in a link to an article about Harley the pug and his near death experience after eating a few breath mints. The breath mints contained the sugar substitute, xylitol, and within hours after eating the breath mints Harley was experiencing acute liver distress.
Xylitol is found in many foods, but is commonly found in items like gum, breath mints, toothpaste and mouthwash. As the sugar substitute is becoming more popular it is appearing in more and more food items.
In 2006, the AVMA released an article on the dangers of xylitol if ingested by dogs.
Stephanie Lam, Harley’s mom, hopes to raise awareness about xylitol and the dangers it poses to animals so that no one will have to go through what her and Harley experienced after he treated himself to a few breath mints.
August 8th, 2007
The dogs days of summer are officially upon us in the US and many parts of the country are in the middle of a heatwave. I hope everyone is finding ways to beat the heat. Don’t forget that pugs are extremely sensitive to heat and that our furry friends need extra care during the summer months. Here are some tips to make sure you and your pugs stay safe this summer.
April 6th, 2007
With new information being released everyday about the Menu Foods pet food recall it is hard to stay current and keep up with what is safe to feed your pug. The ASPCA has put together a great resource center that will help keep pug owners in the loop and answers many of the common questions pet owners have about the pet food recall.
Check it out and bookmark it. I have a feeling the Pet Food Recall Resource Center is going to be a vital resource for pet owners over the next few months.
March 30th, 2007
The Food and Drug Administration has released the results of their testing of samples of contaminated pet food that was recalled by Menu Foods earlier this month. Here is a synopsis of the FDA’s results:
- The FDA found melamine in samples of the recalled pet food. Melamine is a chemical used to make plastics. It is also used as a fertilizer in Asia.
- Melamine was also detected in the wheat gluten used as an ingredient in the tainted pet food.
- FDA Officials confirmed that the contaminated wheat gluten was also shipped to a company that manufacturers dry pet food. The FDA Officials will not release the name of the company at this time as they cannot confirm if the company has used the wheat gluten.
- Melamine was detected in the urine of cats that got sick after eating the recalled food and it was also found in the urine of one cat that died as a result of eating the tainted food.
- Scientists do not have enough data on mammalian toxicity levels of melamine to conclude it caused the death or sickness of pets eating the contaminated food
- FDA scientists did not find evidence of aminopterin in the samples they tested. Scientists at the New York State Food Laboratory found aminopterin in the samples they tested.
March 30th, 2007
The ASPC is urging diagnostic laboratories to continue looking for other contaminants in recently recalled pet food. The ASPCA’s Dr. Steven Hanson explains, “There are so many inconsistencies in the purported link between aminopterin and the animals affected that we urge veterinary toxicologists and veterinary pathologists at diagnostic laboratories to continue looking for additional contaminants.”
There has been no word yet that any additional contaminants other than aminopterin (rat poison) has been found in the recalled food.
March 23rd, 2007
ABC News has reported that rat poison has been found in the contaminated pet food produced by Menu Foods.
“A source close to the investigation tells ABC News that the rodenticide, which the source says is illegal to use in the United States, was on wheat that was imported from China and used by Menu Foods in nearly 100 brands of dog and cat food.” (ABC News)
You can read the full article here.
March 23rd, 2007
On Friday, March 23, 2007 from 3PM to 5PM EST you can chat online with ASPCA Pet Poison Experts. The chat session is a great opportunity to find out more information about specific foods or household items that you may be wondering if they are safe for your pug.
Anyone can join in on the chat, all you will need to do is register with the ASPCA Online Community. Registration is free and easy.
December 10th, 2006
This holiday season, you may hear plenty of conflicting advice about poinsettias and whether or not they are poisonous to pets. Dana B. Farbman, CVT of the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center recently weighed in on the subject and had this to offer, “In reality, ingestions typically produce only mild to moderate gastrointestinal tract irritation in pets, which may include drooling, vomiting and diarrhea.”
It is still a good idea to your pug from nibbling any poinsettia leaves to spare them the upset stomach, but it is good to know that this festive holiday decoration is not poisonous to pets. Instead the ASPCA, cautions us to be wary of holly and mistletoe. Both plants are potentially toxic if ingested by pets.
