The agency says it has reports of more than 3,600 dogs and 10 cats that got sick after eating jerky pet treats over the past six years and 580 of those pets have died.

The FDA isn’t naming any particular brand, but says the animals mostly ate a chicken or duck jerky treat or a jerky-wrapped treat. The FDA has already tested 1,200 samples without discovering the exact cause of any illnesses.

Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, a lack of appetite and sluggishness.

“Most of the jerky treats implicated have been made in China,” the FDA said on its website.

If a pet gets sick after eating such treats, the FDA wants owners to keep the leftover treats for 60 days in case it wants a sample, and veterinarians should report any jerky treat-related cases.

“This is one of the most elusive and mysterious outbreaks we’ve encountered,” said Bernadette Dunham, director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine.

The FDA is not recommending that owners stop feeding the treats to their pets, but they should watch their pets closely if they continue to give them jerky treats. The agency says dogs and cats can do without treats, since they should not be part of an animal’s balanced diet.

With our new state of the art DR system, Greystone is now able to capture pristine digital images of our patients and review them in a very short amount of time. This new system gives our clients an opportunity to be more interactive in the viewing of their pet’s radiographs. This new and exciting system is a great tool for Greystone to improve our client services!

The foreign object lodged in our patient’s throat was indeed a sewing needle. What you cannot see by the x-ray is the long thread attached (it can be viewed in the photos below.). After taking our feline patient immediately to x-ray and the needle was discovered, Dr. Paxton worked quickly to remove it before further damage could be inflicted. With the assistance of his technicians, intravenous sedation and a very long pair of hemostats, Dr. Paxton was able to carefully remove the sharp foreign body. The dangers he needed to avoid were puncturing the patient’s sinuses, arteries and/ or the cat’s brain/spinal cord.

Our feline patient recovered, was placed on antibiotics and miraculously went home CURED the same day! Not all pets are as lucky.

The important thing to learn from this instance is that cats like toys and string, so a sewing needle with thread attached is irresistible to young active pets! It is important to pay attention to what our pets have access to. Luckily, these owners were very attentive, and their quick response gave their cat the best shot at recovery.

Greystone would like to thank the owners for allowing us to use this instance as an opportunity to educate on the dangers of pets ingesting foreign objects!

Greystone Pet Hospital now offers LASER THERAPY!
This cutting edge technology is beneficial for a variety of treatments. Bring your pet in for Laser Acupuncture, the laser stimulates much faster than our former aqua-puncture treatments. Does your pet have arthritis, muscle trauma or pesky lick granulomas? Laser therapy can help! Laser Therapy treatments can also help with pain relating to surgery recovery and disc problems. Give use a call at (270)843-1558 for more information!

We always love seeing a litter of puppies! We were very fortunate to get a visit from the Garcia bunch today!

When you have a litter, make sure to get them vaccinated as soon as possible for their protection. We vaccinate for Distemper and Parvo viruses as soon as 6 weeks. These vaccines need boosting for MAXIMUM protection! We vaccinate for Bordetella at 12 weeks and Rabies at 16 weeks.

“Two canine geriatric patients presented in acute respiratory distress of which signs included heavy panting and labored breathing and an elevated core body temperature of greater than 106°F. In addition, one patient presented unable to walk after collapsing.

Initial therapies included rapid cooling and intravenous fluids. While one patient responded quickly to treatment and was discharged from the hospital uneventfully the next day, the other patient experienced secondary effects from the heat stroke. These included elevated liver enzymes, stomach ulceration, and low platelets as a result of DIC (a coagulation disorder). An extended hospital stay and aggressive medical therapy resulted in a good outcome, however; all heat stroke cases do not have such a happy ending.”

– Dr. Adrienne Price

Some common causes for heat stroke:
– Being left in the car during hot weather.
– Exercising in hot weather.
– Confining dogs without shade or fresh water.
– Brachycephalic Breeds (such as Bulldogs, Pugs, and Pekingese) are most susceptible.
– Dogs that have heart or lung disease are at a higher risk.

What to look for:
– Exaggerated panting, or the sudden stop of panting.
– Excessive and thick saliva.
– Weakness and muscle tremors.
– Rectal temperatures rising to 104° – 110°F (40° – 43.3°C)
– Tongue and mucous membranes may appear bright red and turn grey.
– Convulsions or vomiting.
– Coma

How to treat heat stroke:
– CONTACT YOUR VETERINARIAN IF POSSIBLE. (270) 843-1558.
– Immediately begin cooling dog by spraying them down with a hose.
– Immerse pet in a tub of COOL water, not ice water.
– Use a fan to promote evaporation.
– Cool packs applied to groin area/ wiping paws with water can help.
– Once the rectal temperature has fallen below 103°F (39°C) you may stop the cooling process and dry the dog. Further cooling may cause hypothermia.

images provided by Google images