A Hidden Winter Danger...

Hidden Danger: Keep Your Pet Safe from Electric Shock

Winter’s chill may have settled in your neighborhood, but your energetic pooch still wants to go for walks in the great outdoors. Take it slow and steady, pet parents. According to our experts, the danger of stray voltage on city streets can turn a simple stroll into a devastating event for our furry friends.

Most common in northern climes and urban areas, stray voltage occurs when dormant utilities leak excess electricity. Combined with wet streets and salt-based ice melts, this current can shock, injure or even prove fatal for those in its path. “Since salt used to treat icy streets is a great conductor of electricity,” says Dr. Louise Murray, ASPCA Director of Medicine and author of Vet Confidential, “the risk of shock from stray voltage is that much higher during the winter months.” The ASPCA offers the following tips to help you avoid potentially hazardous areas, and advice on what to do if your pet has suffered an electrical shock:

Keep your dog away from metal fixtures, such as lampposts, grates or manhole covers. While these spots may be your pet’s favorite place to relieve himself, they may also conduct hazardous electricity.

Your dog's snazzy, rubber rain boots may look good, but they won't protect your pooch from a strong current. Don’t depend on them to keep your pet safe. Some boots—those with metal studs, for example—may even make the situation worse.

Observe your dog’s behavior. Is he skittish, frightened, angry or upset for no apparent reason? These sudden behavioral changes could be an indication of electric shock.

If your dog is incapacitated due to shock, don’t try to touch or move him without protective gear. Your pooch may pass the current to you, rendering you both incapable of seeking help. Instead, call your local fire department immediately.
copyright: ASPCA

This post is very close to my heart. Dogs and humans need to be aware of these dangers. My MIL was electrocuted while unplugging her pool heater in her back yard.

Real Ham Bone Warning!

****Edited to add***** This dog is not MY dog, but one belonging to a friend of my sister's. My sister raises show dogs and her friend passed this note on to her from the Show Dog List. I thank you all for your kind words and I will pass the information on to my sister in hopes that this poor woman will get some kind of compensation for all that she has been through. Thanks so much for caring.

This is just plain scary. We always think we are doing the right thing for our four-legged family members. We think we are purchasing treats for them....that make them happy. Apparently, the manufacturers of these products have other ideas. I think it's just disgraceful and I don't know how they live with themselves...selling products that could even potentially hurt an animal. Just awful. This warning is for dogs AND cats.

Cross post far and wide!!!!!

I would like to warn all dog lovers out there to be very careful about the dog treats that you give your dogs. Last week I bought a 'Real Ham Bone' made by Dynamic Pet Products of Missouri from Walmart. The label says it is made with '100% Food Grade Ingredients' and it isn't made from China. I thought that meant that this would make a good treat for my dogs. Boy was I wrong.

Trace, my dog, enjoyed chewing on this bone. It did not splinter or anything, in fact there is quite a large piece of it still left. Then in the evening she started vomiting. She spent the next day at a veterinarian' s office where she was diagnosed with a blockage of the colon. That night she endured a 4 hour surgery at Brandon Veterinary Specialists where the vet picked out small round pellets of the bone, up to the size of about a b-b. The next morning she was moved to Florida Veterinary Specialist critical care unit. Again in the evening she had another 2 hour surgery, because the blockage had caused poison in her body. She passed away at 4:30 the next afternoon.

Everyone who hears this horrible story immediately says 'Well that sounds like a lawsuit to me'. That is what I th ought also. Since then, I have learned that is not that easy to sue on behalf of a dog. The lawyers say a dog is a possession just like a couch. So, so far, all I have been able to do is write a certified letter to Dynamic Pet
Products of Missouri. In it I requested my vet bills to be paid and their product to be relabeled or preferably removed from the shelf. I don't know if I will get a response. If anyone else has any ideas about how I may address this issue, please let me know at djurgens12@aol. com.

In the memory of Trace, please pass this email on to all of the dog lovers that you know. This type of bone is sold in all of the stores under several different manufacturers names. I would assume they all may do the same thing. Even if they don't splinter, they can cause a
blockage.