paw planet: February 2012

Dog's death inspires Antifreeze Law

Posted on 11:50 PM comments (1)
Labels: Animal News

A Kansas 6th grader is honoring the memory of his dog by asking the Kansas Legislature to regulate antifreeze.

It has been less than three weeks when Aaron Coash' s dog named Nikko died after wandering from home and at some point drinking anti-freeze. Nikko is one of about 10,000 animals and 1,400 children who die each year from poisoning from anti-freeze which smells and tastes sweet.

Coash and the Humane Society of the United States wrote a bill that asked the state Legislature to require manufacturers to put a bittering agent into antifreeze. The chemical would make it less likely that anyone would accidentally drink antifreeze. In honor of his pup, Aaron calls it Nikko's law.

The bill was submitted Friday, and Coash is now waiting to hear back from state senators.

Anfield Cat becomes Twitter star

Posted on 12:24 AM No Comments
Labels: Animal News

A Premier League football match was brought to a standstill after a stray cat wandered into the stadium and instantly became an internet sensation.

The fearless tabby became a viral video hit after running onto the hallowed turf at Anfield on Monday night before mooching around the Tottenham goal to the general bemusement of Spurs keeper Brad Friedel. Liverpool fans chanted "A cat! A cat! A cat! A cat!" to the tune of team battle cry "Attack! Attack!" as the moggy ambled around. The grey and white tabby also ran in front of Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish as it spent a full minute on the field.

But within moments of its surprise appearance live on Sky Sports, a Twitter profile was set up in the cat's name of @AnfieldCat – and started attracting thousands of followers.

The male tabby lives in derelict terraced houses in Lothair Road and is well known to locals in nearby Anfield Road who hurriedly nicknamed him "Kenny".

Bladder Stones in Cats and Kittens

Posted on 12:11 AM comments (1)
Labels: Animal News

Bladder stones are an often undiagnosed problem in cats and kittens. The stones, which are formed of crystals, minerals, and organic materials naturally found in your cat's bladder, may be tiny or grow to reach several millimeters in size. Symptoms develop when the stones rub against the walls of the bladder, leading to irritation and inflammation. Larger stones may block your cat's urethra, causing difficult urination or even blocking urination completely. This situation requires immediate veterinarian attention.

Symptoms of bladder stones vary depending on the size and type of the stone present, but most stones cause one or more of the following symptoms: bloody urine, frequent urination, painful urination, genital licking, urine spraying, problems with urination, and inappropriate voiding. Not all cats exhibit all or any symptoms.

Causes of Bladder Stones:

While the cause of bladder stones is not always known, a number of conditions can lead to the formation of stones. Decreased water intake, urinary tract infections (especially if they’re recurrent), certain supplements and medications, and a nutritionally unbalanced diet all increase the risk of stone formation. Having a high urine concentration of certain minerals, such as ammonium and magnesium, can also increase the risk of bladder stones.

Some breeds are predisposed to stones and may develop stones even in the absence of other risk factors. Persian, Burmese, and Himalayan breeds are more likely to develop calcium oxalate stones, especially later in life.

Diagnosing and Treating Bladder Stones:

Large stones may be palpable through your cat's abdominal wall, but an ultrasound and urinalysis is necessary to diagnose stones in most cases. To help prevent a recurrence of stones, most veterinarians will attempt to determine the exact type of stone present by collecting and analyzing the stone.

Once the type of stone is determined, a treatment program is prescribed that may include dietary changes, increased water consumption, bladder flushing, lithotripsy, pet medications and/or surgical stone removal. Prevention involves developing and adhering to a special diet, increased exercise and water consumption, and control of any underlying health conditions that may be contributing to stone formation.

Provided no blockage of urine occurs, most stones are passed with mild or moderate discomfort and pose no long-term threats to health. Stone prevention is key to ensuring continued comfort and happiness for your cat. Encourage your cat to get plenty of water and exercise, switch to feeding small meals more often, and treat infections and other problems promptly to improve urinary tract health and prevent stone formation.

Cat Undergoes Full Knee Replacement

Posted on 12:09 AM No Comments
Labels: Animal News

A 10 year old cat from Upperville, Virginia that suffer from cancer received a revolutionary full knee replacement. Cyrano the name of the cat weighs more than 20 pounds, and due to his weight his damaged leg could not be amputated.

The owner Sandra Lerner and Len Bosack turned to doctors and engineers at North Carolina State University to get him back to normal. The surgery was performed by Engineer and professor Ola Harrysson and described the operation as part of a pure research project, since it a joint of this kind for a cat has never been done before.

And the cost of the six-hour operation is thought to be about $20,000. But the owner said "Rat Boy" is worth every penny. “He’s my child. And if it were your child, would you begrudge the money? I have a personal philosophy that people are, at best, equal with the other inhabitants of the planet. And I’m very, very grateful that I have the money and (am) able to do it.”