April 2012 Newsletter

Newsletter Archive
April 2012

April 1, 2012
American Regent Initiates Nationwide Voluntary Recall of Cyanocobalamin Injection, USP, 100
mcg/mL, 1ml Vial Lot #s 1662, 1679, 1683 Due to Cracks in the Vials
www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm298545.htm

One of our members, Peggy, has written a Parent’s Speak article on safety for both yourselves and your pets.
This is important now more than ever! Natural Disaster and Animals - http://ibdkitties.net/disasters.html

Tracy from catcentric.org wrote this to me in response to my mentioning the Thundershirt in the last newsletter.
Sounds like it’s worth it to try! Reference the Thundershirts, I recently read a Facebook post by a well-published
writer, Amy Shojai, who tried this with her Siamese kitty, Seren, to calm her during a vet visit and it worked
amazingly well. So, another vote for their efficacy!

My new friend Laurie is co creator and writer for this great website, I know a ton of you participate in advocacy:
Stray Pet Advocacy - www.straypetadvocacy.org/index.html

Clearly with all the antibiotics, steroids, etc. we’re forced to give our sick pets in order to help them with their
debilitating diseases, I’m sure this applies to them as well: Rise in allergies linked to war on bacteria.
http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2012/03/those-bacteria-in-your-gut-can-protect-against-allergies.ars?
clicked=related_right

This is pretty cool! Pet Feng Shui For Beginners
www.petside.com/article/pet-feng-shui-beginners

I’m ordering this book now and for the price the reviews are pretty good: Feng Shui for You and Your Cat
www.amazon.com/Feng-Shui-You-Your-Cat/dp/0823016552/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1333402020&sr=8-13

Interesting blog site! I particularly like the kitties taking calls from a call center, LOL.
The Complete Guide to Making a Pet Food Complaint
http://poisonedpets.com/2012/02/13/the-complete-guide-to-making-a-pet-food-complaint/#more-5545

This is a neat quick go-to first aid site for pets and people!
http://gotoaid.com/cats/Default.aspx

Embrace pet insurance has added a pet poison center, click on each item to see the description and also what
you can do.
Poison Prevention
www.embracepetinsurance.com/health/pet-poison-prevention-center

What a GREAT site! This site helps families in need to pay for medical treatments for their pets:
www.face4pets.org/Default.aspx

April 6, 2012
Before I get to all the juicy newsletter headlines, we need to sell more of the Feline Breast Cancer bracelets so
please spread the word, post it on your social networks, etc. http://ibdkitties.net/giftshops.html

We have a new kitty in the Living with IBD section. Siggy has a LONG list of ailments including IBD and
pancreatitis. Old age is catching up with him but he’s still managing to bounce back well enough and give his
family lots of love, play, eat, etc. He’s quite the fighter! Take a look at this gorgeous boy: http://ibdkitties.
net/SigmundG.html. Unfortunately his brother Dexter is not much better off in the health department and he’ll be
getting his own page soon as well. I’ll keep you posted on that one.

Thank you to Barb T. for this story! This is very encouraging news, I’m hoping this research continues very
quickly and they begin doing trials on people so we can not only help humans with IBD but our pets as well:
Study sheds light on workings of Crohn's disease, colitis (Inflammatory bowel disease)
Cell damage aided by 'pannexins'
www.ottawacitizen.com/health/Study+sheds+light+workings+Crohn+disease+colitis/6322165/story.html
She also included a link to some of the research (GREAT researching yourself Barb! Thank you!)
Activation of neuronal P2X7 receptor–pannexin-1 mediates death of enteric neurons during colitis
www.nature.com/nm/journal/v18/n4/full/nm.2679.html

I’ve known about this since I started IBDKitties and I did send something out about it when I first began the site.
But it’s worth mentioning again and if you google it, you’ll find tons of articles and medical papers about it. Most
furniture - including your beds, sofas, chairs, etc. contain flame retardants. They sell furniture and products that
are flame retardant free but they are expensive (of course).
Flame Retardants Might Make Cats Sick
In cats, PBDE exposure might also affect susceptibility to hyperthyroidism
http://news.discovery.com/earth/flame-retardants-cats-120319.html

Cat thyroid disease linked to chemicals
EPA scientists zero in on flame retardants in some home products and pet food. There is concern
about humans.
http://articles.latimes.com/2007/aug/16/nation/na-cats16

Elevated PBDE Levels in Pet Cats: Sentinels for Humans?
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es0708159

Hyperthyroidism in Cats
www.wvcats.com/hyperthyroidism.html

Truth about Pet Food has a list of BPA free pet food cans. I don’t know how up to date it is but she’s usually
good about this stuff:
Which Pet Foods have BPA free cans?
www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/which-pet-foods-have-bpa-free-cans.html

I’ve begun giving my cats ONLY this water: Penta, ultra-purified water, FREE OF: BPA, Chromium 6, Trace
Pharmaceuticals, Chlorine, Arsenic, MTBE, Flouride. I’m now selling it through Amazon on my site, it’s on the
healthy water page and on the Helpful Products page: http://ibdkitties.net/heatlthywater.html

You know, when they say something is “safe”, to me that doesn’t mean it’s good for you (plus I still don’t believe
for a minute it’s safe)! Because consumers used to be clueless, the government is thinking of new ways to pull
the wool over our eyes. Be vigilant about your’s and your pet’s health!!! BOTH of these BPA stories should be
read completely through.
BPA in Food Packaging is Safe, Researchers Say
www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/04/bpa-in-packaging-is-safe-experts-say/?
utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=120406
BPA is FDA's Latest Gift to Food Industry
www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/04/bpa-is-fdas-latest-gift-to-food-industry/?
utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=120405

PLEASE read this! It tells you what company makes these treats, what toxins they are looking at, etc. This could
have relevance to other pet food products we don’t yet know abut.
FDA inspectors probe pet jerky treats in China
http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/04/11022408-fda-inspectors-probe-pet-jerky-treats-in-china

This is a great campaign to supply the Lehigh Valley, PA fire department with pet oxygen masks to save pets’
lives during fires. I encourage any or all of you to start a similar campaign in your area if your F.D. does not have
this equipment!
http://lvcart.com/
That site also happens to have a great list of first aid items you should keep handy in your home:
PASART Pet First Aid Kit – Recommended Item List
http://lvcart.com/pasartreckit.html

April 12, 2012
Diamond Pet Food Suspends Delivery of All Brands made in SC (thank you Barb W. for this)
www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/diamond-pet-food-suspends-delivery-of-all-brands-made-in-sc.html

John’s cat Sweetie is only 9 months old and she just had FIVE lumps removed this week. They are definitely
cancer, she's got a 50/50 shot but they think they got it all. She's got a great dad who will do anything for her and
she's getting the best care possible. If you haven’t gotten one yet, please support feline breast cancer research
by purchasing an awareness bracelet. 100% of the funds go directly to UC Davis for feline breast cancer
research. We need to stop cancer in its tracks! http://ibdkitties.net/giftshops.html.

We’ve got a great new pilling video from a new member Carolina. She’s pilling her IBD kitty Bugsy in this video:
http://ibdkitties.net/Pilling.html.

Vital Essentials Raw food is doing a raw feeding study, please scroll to the bottom of the page to read about it:
http://ibdkitties.net/studiestrials.html.

If you haven’t already noticed I’d added a sitemap! It’s got a list of all the categories and pages so now if you can’
t find something, you can check there and everything is linked: http://ibdkitties.net/Sitemap.html.

I have just gotten in a new product that is all natural, universally used for a mega amount of things including for
our health and the health of our pets. Nutiva extra virgin organic coconut oil. This stuff is incredible. It’s pure
unrefined coconut oil and I just gave it to Midnight for digestion as she had a rough morning throwing up. Fixed
her up in no time, she’s back to eating her lunch no problems. It’s used for an incredible amount of things and
what I did was list it on all the pages that it pertains to in the supplements section so you can take a look at each
one and read what it MAY help. I always say may because of course nothing is for sure and nothing works on
everyone. But this stuff is getting so much attention that the company Nutiva is now having an order boom. I
used it myself last night on my hands and my face and OMG!!!! Silk!!! It absorbs quickly too and is not greasy so
if you have a cat that is itching up a storm and has skin problems, try it. My mom has sores from having had
Shingles for the last year and it stopped the itching immediately. It can be used like aloe vera for wounds and if
they lick it, all the better to be honest. It can be used as a substitute for cooking oil, etc. GREAT STUFF!!!

Now that I’m on Facebook I would like to ask those of you who are also on it, to let me know what kind of
information you’d like me to include there. I’m putting the important stuff like Sweetie’s breast cancer, when I
have a new article, announcing a new case study, etc. If there’s anything else you’d like to see there, please let
me know. www.facebook.com/pages/IBDKitties/243029879128342.

Cognitive Dysfunction in Cats (thanks Dr. Barb for this article)
www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2012/apr/cognitive_dysfunction_in_cats?
utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=20120410&utm_campaign=FullyVetted-cognitive-
dysfunction-in-cats#.T4hhjNUcvpg

Pet doctor: Declawing is painful; try some alternatives
www.coloradoan.com/article/20120403/COLUMNISTS80/204030301/Pet-doctor-Declawing-painful-try-some-
alternatives?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s&nclick_check=1

April 17, 2012
Before I get to the news I wanted to let anyone who’s using coconut oil know that it should be extra virgin and
organic and you should dilute it in water if you use it for your pet internally. ½ teaspoon per day is the most you
should use and maybe even a smaller amount for kitties.

If you’re wondering why your pets are itching, sneezing, wheezing, watery eyes, etc. in this northeast alone this
is the allergy levels for today and tomorrow: Today's allergy levels: Tuesday - 11.7/High. Today's predominant
pollen: Maple, Birch and Ash. Tomorrow's allergy levels: Wednesday - 10.3/High. This is incredibly high for this
time of year and I can attest that it’s just miserable. Follow some of the tips I have on the Tips & Tricks page and
it may not alleviate them completely (doubtful when it’s this high), but it will help.

A lot of us on Catster lost a good kitty friend this week. Bumpurr’s mom is not a member of this newsletter but I
wanted to address what happened with him. Bumpurr was born with HCM and was not expected to survive past
10 months old. But she learned everything she possibly could about HCM and treated him through a cardiologist
with the best of care. Because of her great care and love, he lived to be 5 years old. Still young, I know. But
sometimes regardless of what we do and how right the treatments are, things just happen. He threw a clot and
he was in immense pain. It was BAD, very BAD. She did what she had to do and let him go, putting aside her
own feelings of devastation. I don’t know what kind of clot he had but this article describes the different ones.
RIP Bump, we love you buddy. You and your mom have helped MANY people and their babies.
Aortic Thromboembolism in Cats
http://pets.webmd.com/cats/aortic-thromboembolism-cats
Heart Disease in Cats
www.petmd.com/blogs/thedailyvet/lhuston/2012/feb/heart_disease_in_cats?
utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=20120302&utm_campaign=petMD-top-ten-signs-of-
heart-disease-in-dogs#.T43Bl9Ucvph
Abnormal Heart Rhythm in Cats
www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/cardiovascular/c_ct_abnormal_heart_rhythm?
utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=20120302&utm_campaign=petMD-top-ten-signs-of-
heart-disease-in-dogs#.T43BwdUcvph

Animal Update: Glaucoma In Dogs And Cats
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2012/04/16/animal-update-glaucoma-in-dogs-and-cats/

This is a great article on pet first aid, it gives you instructions on how to tell the heart rates of your cat or dog
Tails of Marin: Knowing first aid can minimize pet's trauma
www.marinij.com/lifestyles/ci_20386627/tails-marin-knowing-first-aid-can-minimize-pets

Press the next button aside from the picture to see each one
Common Pet Emergencies
www.petmd.com/dog/slideshows/emergency/common-dog-pet-emergency?
utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=20120413&utm_campaign=petMD-
curing_your_dog_of_heartworms#.T42fm9Ucvph

Speaking of Pets, Heat is killer of family pets (shows how to tell if your pet is having heatstroke, etc)
www.tbnweekly.com/editorial/pets/content_articles/041112_pets-01.txt

More vets should do these things with their practices to keep pets calm
Local vet looks to calm, treat animals
www.mysuburbanlife.com/mccook/topstories/x876165077/Local-vet-looks-to-calm-treat-animals

This vet is right here at Southern NH University. I may try and get in touch with her and see if I can do an
interview.
Are you talking to me? Doctor shares the language of cats and dogs
www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120408/GJNEWS_01/704089884/-1/FOSNEWS

Here’s a good reason to make sure your vet is LICENSED!!!!
Fake Vet Accused of Killing Pets
http://fox8.com/2012/04/03/woman-accused-of-killing-pets-while-pretending-to-be-vet/
Officials investigate surgery on dog at home
www.thedailyjournal.com/article/20120403/NEWS01/304030034

This makes me almost as mad as the fake vets (but not quite)
Congress Bites At Pet Exemption
www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2012/04/01/congress-bites-at-pet-exemption/

I wonder if this would work on cats also? Something to ask your vet about if your kitty’s seizures are not able to
be controlled with meds.
U research helps predict and control seizures in epileptic dogs
People with epilepsy might also benefit from the device and preventative medicine.
www.mndaily.com/2012/04/04/u-research-helps-predict-and-control-seizures-epileptic-dogs

Thank you to those of you who have joined the new IBDKitties Facebook page. If you have not gone to the page
and clicked like yet and you’re on Facebook, please come and join us!
www.facebook.com/pages/IBDKitties-Fan-Page/243029879128342

April 23, 2012
A reminder to put those stickers on your doors that show you have pets inside in case of a fire or emergency. I
just saw on the news that a man’s dog was saved from a fire in an apartment building specifically because he
had that sticker on the door. He said that’s the first thing he thought of when he got the call that his place was on
fire and he said “she’s all I care about”. Good lesson that a simple thing like a sticker can save your pet’s lives.

We have a new case study, it’s Sigmund’s brother, Dexter: /www.ibdkitties.net/DexterG.html. These two kitties
really have so much going on. Kudos to their mom for doing such a great job taking care of them.

Laurie worked on this chart for Tracy’s site, I know some of you will be very interested, GREAT STUFF!
Commercial Raw Food Overview
http://catcentric.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Commercial-Raw-Product-Overview-Initial.pdf

Here’s the first lawsuit about the treats from China, I’m sure there will be many more. I knew this would become
2007 all over again, they still haven’t learned!!!
Nestle Purina Sued Over Dog Treats Owner Says Are Deadly
www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-19/nestle-unit-faces-dog-owner-lawsuit-over-allegedly-toxic-treats.html

Animals and Grief
www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2012/apr/animals_and_grief?
utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=20120420&utm_campaign=petMD-earth-day-2012-
herb-n-living#.T5YA2NWUXAN

Saying goodbye to a pet: More end-of-life options than ever
http://southtownstar.suntimes.com/news/11979469-418/saying-goodbye-to-a-pet-more-end-of-life-options-than-
ever.html

This is super strange but it’s spreading!
The disease which is turning British cats into living robots... and experts say there's no cure
• The cats had outdoor access and lived in the same rural area of Scotland
• Now cats with a similar condition have been found in Sweden and Austria
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2130472/The-disease-turning-British-cats-living-robots--experts-say-theres-
cure.html

MU veterinarian devises drug therapy for 'bobcat fever' (which can spread to domestic cats btw)
www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2012/04/18/mu-veterinarian-develops-effective-treatment-deadly-cat-
disease/

At A&M veterinary clinic, high-tech equals hope
www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/At-A-amp-M-veterinary-clinic-high-tech-equals-3501665.php

I love this! Kitten Gets New Legs and Lease on Life
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2012/04/kitten-gets-new-legs-and-lease-on-life/

Caring for pets with allergies: solutions for itchy pets and seasonal allergens
www.lajollalight.com/2012/04/21/caring-for-pets-with-allergies-solutions-for-itchy-pets-and-seasonal-allergens/

This is something to think about if you foster kitties or ever thought about it.
PACT program finds foster homes for pets of deployed military
www.timesherald.com/article/20120422/LIFE01/120429920&pager=full_story

Cats and Babies
www.petmd.com/blogs/thedailyvet/lhuston/2012/apr/preparing_cat_for_new_baby?
utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=20120423&utm_campaign=TheDailyVet-preparing-
cat-for-new-baby#.T5YFT9WUXAN

April 29, 2012
What to expect after your pet's vaccination
www.avma.org/animal_health/vaccination-rx-sheet.asp

Bartonella Infection Associated With Rheumatoid Illnesses in Humans
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120423131848.htm

This is a great thing they did and maybe you could get your vets to do something similar or hold a fundraiser at
their practice to be able to supply your local fire station with pet oxygen masks
South Alabama vets give pet oxygen masks to fire, police crews
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/04/south_alabama_vets_give_pet_ox.html

Pet Talk: Ligament tears
http://bdtonline.com/pettalk/x130093366/Pet-Talk-Ligament-tears

Please DON’T write me about this. I’m putting this up because some are on medical marijuana and I don’t judge.
Marijuana toxic to pets
www.dailycamera.com/lifestyles/ci_20477048/marijuana-toxic-pets

New smartphone app can be helpful in saving the life of your pet in a poisoning
www.annarbor.com/pets/app-iphone-ipad-pet-poison-cat-dog-smartphone/

Vets in Scotland train to spot domestic abuse victims (abuse of people and pets)
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-17857157

Injured Iranian cat recovers at S.F. shelter
http://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2012/04/26/injured-iranian-cat-recovers-at-s-f-shelter/

This is gross but another reason to be so careful with your toxic pesticides
Toxic Gas in Dogs' Vomit a Threat to Vets: CDC
Pooches ingesting gopher/mole poison can emit noxious fumes, report says
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/04/26/toxic-gas-in-dogs-vomit-a-threat-to-vets-cdc

Fainting in Cats
www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/neurological/c_ct_syncope?
utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=20120427&utm_campaign=petMD-kid-friendly-pets#.
T5wMmsWUVVB

Sign up for our
Newsletter!
Click the link above, give
your full name and email
address and write subscribe
to Paws Newsletter in the
subject line. Your info stays
private & it's never given out.
Get up to date info on food &
medication recalls, new info
about feline diseases, share
information, product
discounts, etc. and learn how
to keep your pet healthy!

PAWS IN THE
NEWS
Not just for
IBDKitties anymore