Scout's Paw Tracks

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Dog bite incident sparks interest

Reprinted from the Greenley Tribune read the full article.

Autor Kim Spencer,
February 19, 2006

When Alan Conboy went to return a dead fish at PetSmart on Wednesday night, a large dog attacked him in the entrance, biting his leg and ripping his jeans.

Conboy, 36, of Greeley saw a couple exiting the store with two dogs that looked like Weimaraners. Both dogs were leashed, but one went after Conboy and bit his leg.

The owners of the two dogs handed Conboy $60 to replace his jeans and clean up his wound. Then they left the scene without giving Conboy any contact information.

Online readers took issue with the owners leaving, the store’s policy of allowing dogs to come in and dogs not being muzzled.

“$60 for a dog bite? Bailing the scene after your dog bites someone is as bad as a hit and run accident, if not worse.”

Others defended the store’s policy of allowing pets to accompany their owners inside and downplayed the man’s wounds.

“It was just a dog bite that wasn’t serious. Fortunately, there wasn’t a child involved. The persons entering PetSmart should be aware that there is always a possibility of being bitten, and they are entering at their own risk. What a bunch of wimps out there. Sure hope we never have a war in the U.S. These people will crawl in a hole with fright.”

In reply, however, someone points out that any bite can be a big deal.

“Animal bites can be very serious, even without worrying about rabies. Puncture wounds do not always heal correctly. I know a couple of healthy people who lost work because of infected dog bites. Dog bites should always be taken seriously.”

Some comments recommended dogs should be muzzled if taken to the store. Readers who responded took issue with that suggestion.

“We should not punish responsible owners and their dogs by making them use muzzles. For the few people that are reckless with animal care, there are also many more who do take the time to socialize and train their dogs to prevent these types of incidents.”

Other comments recounted personal experiences or incidents they’ve heard or read about around the country.

As always, we welcome your feedback on any and all stories appearing in the Tribune.

City editor Kim Spencer writes a weekly reflection of comments posted on the Tribune Web site during the previous week. You may reach her at 392-4467 or
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Saturday, February 18, 2006

Congratulations to the winners GSP Westminster Results

BEST OF BREED

6 Ch Fieldfine Topsfield Eternal Flame
Sex: Bitch
AKC: SR 06311503
Date of Birth: March 01, 2003
Breeder: D Orlandi & C Orlandi & D Simberland & D Hand
Sire: Ch Fieldfines Back For More JH
Dam: Ch Berihill Twice As Nice
Owner: D Simberlund & W Simberlund & D Hand & S Asbell
Photos: Breed judging

BEST OF OPPOSITE SEX

22 Ch Bulkley Nectemere Nectimide
Sex: Dog
AKC: SR 17797108
Date of Birth: May 29, 2004
Breeder: Gregory J Hostetter
Sire: Ch Wyndbourne The Chances Are
Dam: Ch Cheza’s Stelor In Disguise
Owner: Gregory J Hostetter
Photos: Breed judging

AWARDS OF MERIT

18 Ch VJK-Myst Ticket To Ride V CS
Sex: Bitch
AKC: SR 10871901
Date of Birth: July 28, 2003
Breeder: Y Hassler-Deterding & V Nunes-Atkinson
Sire: Ch Minado’s Parade Drum Major
Dam: Ch Marilee’s Oh Suzanna
Owner: Geri Griffin & Jean Walton & Kathleen Rath

30 Ch Ehrenvogel Amarillo Slim
Sex: Dog
AKC: SN 91367308
Date of Birth: May 24, 2002
Breeder: Marina Renee Lara
Sire: Ch Caijoy Foxtrot Tonight
Dam: Ch Ehrenvogel Grand Illusion
Owner: Dr Richard D & Linda J Stanley & Renee Lara DVM

5 Ch Vere Dominguez
Sex: Dog
AKC: SN 88323703
Date of Birth: April 27, 2001
Breeder: Alexandro Dominguez
Sire: Ch Bleugras Buzz Lightyear
Dam: Ch Unwillyn Rosie
Owner: Carol Lyons-Bell & Eve Parsons

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (CNN) -- At least 13 dogs have died after being fed the top-selling pet treat

Reprinted from CNN.COM view CNN Report

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (CNN)—At least 13 dogs have died after being fed the top-selling pet treat in the country, owners and veterinarians have told CNN.
By Greg Hunter and Pia Malbran

Wednesday, February 15, 2006; Posted: 10:47 a.m. EST (15:47 GMT)

The problem comes because the treats, called Greenies, become lodged in a dog’s esophagus or intestine and then some veterinarians say they don’t break down.

“I know they are marketed in saying that they do digest. Certainly the ones that we’ve taken out, esophageal or intestinal, that have been in for days are still very hard,” Brendan McKiernan, a board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialist from Denver, Colorado, told CNN. (Watch a vet retrieve a two-day old, undigested Greenie from a dog—7:40)

Greenies recommends owners check that the treats are chewed and Joe Roetheli - who launched the brand as a treat that can freshen a dog’s breath and clean its teeth - said it was important to pick the correct chew for a particular dog. There are 7 different sizes to choose from depending on the size of the dog.

But most of the dog owners CNN talked to say they did follow package instructions and they still had a problem.

Mike Eastwood and his wife, Jenny Reiff, recently filed a $5 million lawsuit in New York, blaming Greenies for the intestinal blockage that caused the death of their dog Burt.

“I’m mad that their packaging states that the product is 100 percent edible, highly digestible and veterinarian approved, yet our dog died of it,” Eastwood told CNN.

S&M NuTec, which manufactures the toothbrush-shaped chew, won’t comment on the case but in court papers denied the allegations.

Roetheli said the focus should be on the dental benefits and Greenies are saving dogs’ lives by lowering the risk of periodontal disease.

He says feeding Greenies is far safer than putting a dog under anesthesia to clean teeth.

“Dogs really love the product!” he said. “They do a very effective job of cleaning teeth and freshening breath.”

Any suggestion that Greenies are defective was rejected by Roetheli, who developed Greenies with his wife, Judy.

“Our product is safe. It is used every day by thousands of dogs, millions a week and it is basically a very safe product.”

A CNN investigation uncovered 40 cases since 2003 where a veterinarian had to extract a Greenie from a dog after the treat became lodged either in the animal’s esophagus or intestine. In 13 of those cases, the pet died.

One of those was Tyson, Josh Glass and Leah Falls’ 8-month-old boxer, who was taken to Brent-Air Animal Hospital in Los Angeles, California, where vet Dr. Kevin Schlanger found the animal had a blocked intestine.

“It was very clear that it was something dense and firm that had caused the obstruction,” Schlanger said. He removed a Greenie from the intestine.

McKiernan’s says his Denver clinic has seen at least seven cases in the past five years, which he says is an unusually high number. That prompted him to start researching and writing a paper to warn other veterinarians of the problem.

He says his research, which he hopes to get published in a veterinary journal, shows compressed vegetable chew treats, of which Greenies is the most popular, are now the third biggest cause of esophageal obstruction in dogs behind bones and fish hooks.

The federal Food and Drug Administration says it’s looking into eight consumer complaints about Greenies but has no formal investigation.

The issue has also been the topic of news reports across the country.

The chews are made of digestible products like wheat gluten and fiber, experts say, but the molding process makes the treat very firm and hard.

Roetheli, who runs S&M NuTec from Kansas City, Missouri, says Greenies do break down when properly chewed and swallowed by a dog.

He told CNN that any product has the potential to cause an obstruction in a dog and that Greenies packaging warns dog owners to monitor their dog to ensure the treat is adequately chewed. “Gulping any item can be harmful or even fatal to a dog,” the package says.

The company’s Web site addresses the issue in its FAQ section with the question “When giving an animal Greenies, does it affect their digestive system?” The answer “The only time dogs would be unable to digest anything would be if they didn’t chew it up before they swallowed it. Canine and Feline Greenies are highly digestible when chewed.”

The company says the number of complaints it has received is very low in relation to the vast numbers of treats sold, and CNN spoke with several vets who recommended Greenies.

Introduced in 1998, we found Greenies now selling for about $16 a pound. Last year, 325 million individual treats were sold around the world, nearly three times the sales of its nearest competitor Milk Bone, according to the marketing company Euromonitor International.

“At the end of the day ... literally millions of Greenies are enjoyed by dogs on a weekly basis with absolutely no incidents,” company vet Brad Quest told CNN.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

PAWS Update

The text below is a reprint from the American Kennel Association 9 Feb 2006 announcement about PAWS.

American Kennel Club Statement on the Proposed Pet Animal Welfare Statute 2005

The American Kennel Club supports PAWS legislation because we believe it is good for dogs and aligns with our core mission of promoting the sport of purebred dogs. The AKC has always supported enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, and demands the high standards for AKC registered dogs through our own long-standing, rigorous inspection program. We believe that animal care standards are necessary to assure the proper care and treatment of dogs and the integrity of the breeding practices in this country.

The AKC has long held the position that too much regulation can create unnecessary burdens on breeders with no benefit to dogs. However, this is not the case with the legislation currently before the Congress.

As currently drafted, PAWS amends the Animal Welfare Act. The legislation offers a reasonable balance between addressing a changing marketplace where dogs are sold en masse over the Internet and imported from foreign countries, and protecting breeders from excessive regulation. After a detailed analysis of the legislative language, we have reached the conclusion that PAWS will adequately protect the autonomy of breeders, while enforcing reasonable industry standards for breeding and selling dogs.

The AKC supports all breeders who register their litters with us. We estimate that fewer than 4% of those currently registering litters with us may be subject to inspections under this new bill. Further, since these 4% of our constituents have also been subject to AKC inspection, we believe that they are already maintaining standards above and beyond what is proposed in the new bill and have no cause for concern.

The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its Registry and promoting the sport of purebred dogs. As such, supporting PAWS aligns with the AKC’s core mission. We’re more than champion dogs - we’re the dog’s champion.

View this article at the AKC website.