Sentinel® Flavor Tabs® are back!

This product enables you to give your dog a broad-spectrum protection against heartworms, fleas, and intestinal parasites for a very reasonable cost. The ingredient Lufenuron breaks the life cycle of the flea, preventing flea populations from infesting both your pet and the environment. Sentinel® Flavor Tabs®  also prevent infection with the most common intestinal parasites - roundworms, hookworms and whipworms. This protects your pet as well as your family. Please contact our office at 407-366-4486 for more information. One of our team members will be happy to set aside a package for your pet!

Natura Pet Expands Voluntary Recall of Dry Pet Foods Due to Possible Health Risk

Natura Pet Products is voluntarily expanding its recall of dry pet food because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. No Salmonella-related illnesses have been confirmed to date.
Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

Sampling conducted by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Department of Agriculture confirmed the presence of Salmonella in additional dry cat food and a cat pet treat. In an abundance of caution, Natura is also recalling product made in the surrounding timeframe. This affects dry foods only; no canned wet food is affected by this announcement.

The affected products are sold through veterinary clinics and select pet specialty retailers nationwide and in Canada, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Malaysia and Costa Rica, as well as online. The dry cat food expiration dates for this expanded recall range from 1/1/2014 to 3/24/2014. The dry cat treats have expiration dates from 7/1/13 to 9/27/13.

Consumers who have purchased these pet foods should discard them. For additional information, consumers may visit www.naturapet.com². For further information or a product replacement or refund call Natura toll-free at 800-224-6123. (Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM CST).

The included lot codes are: Expiration Date: 12/14/13 thru 3/24/14

PET FOOD RECALL

Diamond Pet Foods is voluntarily recalling limited production codes of Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat Formula dry cat food, Premium Edge Senior Cat Hairball Management Formula dry cat food, Premium Edge Kitten Formula dry cat food, Diamond Naturals Kitten Formula dry cat food and 4health All Life Stages Cat Formula dry cat food. Tests conducted by the company indicated the products might have a low level of thiamine (Vitamin B1). No other product manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods is involved in this voluntary recall.

Only product with the following Best By dates and Production Codes are included in the voluntary recall. Further distribution of these affected production codes has occurred through online sales. It is best to check the production code to determine if the product has been recalled or not.

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm343084.htm?source=govdelivery 

Prevention

Heartworm prevention should be given all year long to our pets.  Heartworm disease is a potentially fatal problem that can be prevented.  Mosquitoes spread the disease, and we definitely have plenty of those bugs!  We need to perform a heartworm test and then get your dog started on preventative as soon as possible.  There are several choices available so let our team help you find the best one for your dog or cat.  Doesn’t your best friend deserve the best?

Heartworm disease in cats

This disease often affects the cat's lungs rather than the heart and may cause injury that could leave your cat with permanent respiratory problems.  Both treatment and non-treatment are risky for cats, because there is currently no approved product for treating adult Heartworms.  The onset of clinical signs is impossible to predict in cats that are left untreated.  Even if the disease is treated, your cat may experience severe complications or even death when the worms die.

Prevention is the best course of action. Just as dogs are given medication to prevent Heartworm disease year round, there are monthly preventatives for cats. By giving heartworm prevention, you may give your feline friend the best shot at living long and healthy nine lives.

Heartworm disease

is transmitted by mosquitoes, and can be found in most areas of the country.  When a mosquito bites an infected animal, the heartworm larvae are ingested along with the blood.  Larvae mature to the infective stage within the body of the mosquito, then are transmitted to a dog or cat through a subsequent mosquito bite.  Once inside the host animal, heartworms travel to the lungs and the right side of the heart, where they can grow and mate for several years.  Adult heartworms reside in the pulmonary arteries, or right heart if large amount of worms are present and can grow to a length of 5-12 inches in dogs and 5-8 inches in cats.

Regular dental checkups

Your pet needs dental care -regular professional care from your veterinarian - as well as care at home from you. Scheduling regular veterinary checkups is essential in helping us monitor the progress of your best friend’s dental health. Please do not wait until the annual checkup if you suspect a problem!

There are many products available that are proven to work over time, such as water additives, treats, etc. We do not recommend hard treats such as real bones, hard plastic bones, or cow hooves as they can actually break the teeth. Please contact us to schedule a thorough dental examination. Prevention of periodontal disease will do more to lengthen your best friend’s life, make it more enjoyable, and they will love you even more!