Banfield's State of Pet Health Report 2014

Last month, Banfield Pet Hospital released its 2014 State of Pet Health™ Report which captured and analyzed medical data from nearly 2.3 million dogs and 470,000 cats. 


The State of Pet Health™ 2014 Report focuses on common infectious diseases affecting dogs and cats in the United States, as well as the prevalence and geographic trends of such diseases, including Lyme disease, parvovirus, Giardia and kennel cough for dogs; and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection, feline leukemia virus (FeLV), upper respiratory infection and ear mites for cats. In Particular, the report revealed a 48% increase in the prevalence of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection in cats and a 21% increase in the prevalence of infection with the bacterium that causes Lyme disease in dogs. 




“The 2014 report highlights the increase in infectious disease observed at Banfield hospitals nationwide,” said Jeffrey Klausner, DVM, MS, DACVIM, senior vice president and chief medical officer for Banfield Pet Hospital. “It is our responsibility—as a practice and as a dedicated group of professionals who love pets—to provide the best possible preventive care, which leads to early disease diagnosis and management. This care creates a partnership between pet owners and their veterinarian to continuously identify changes in a pet’s overall health and behaviour."


Banfield operates more than 850 hospitals in 43 states as well as Puerto Rico, and more than 14,000 associates - including 2,900 licensed veterinarians - work at Banfield. The organization demonstrates commitment to quality and innovation and operates with an understanding of the health of urban animals. 

READ BANFIELD'S 2014 STATE OF PET HEALTH REPORT 

READ THE NEWS RELEASE

Sophie's Great Escape...

...And Safe Return

Sophie, an 18-month-old Lhasa Apso, must have felt she was getting too many baths because she dug a hole under the fence of her guardian's back yard and made a break for it. (She wasn't wearing a collar and tag because she had just been bathed again, after playing in the melting snow and resulting muddy yard.)

The little dog was found several blocks away and dropped her off at a nearby veterinarian's office. The vet assistant called the City of Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services and they came and picked her up. They also kindly gave her another bath, as she was really dirty by this time.

According to her guardian, Lorrie K., Sophie was away two sleepless nights. When she went to the City of Calgary to claim her lost pet, she was very impressed with how clean the facility -- and Sophie -- both were

"As for PetLynx," wrote Lorri. "Thank you so much for letting me use your website to post her picture and information. You have a very good service for all of us pet owners. The PetLynx website was so easy to use! I highly recommend PetLynx to anyone who is looking for his or her lost pet.

Sophie and I would like to thank everyone involved with her return home. She is a special little gift from God to me.

Lorri R., Calgary

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

Step by Step to Help a Lost Pet

Found a pet? Here help:

Be safe! Not Sorry! If the animal is aggressive or you fear for your safety, call your local animal control centre for assistance.



If the animal is manageable, check for identification and record this information on a sheet of paper.



Once you have written down all of this information, register the animal as "Found" on PetLynx. Don't worry if you can't find any form of I.D.! PetLynx's AutoMatch system can make matches based on physical description alone! 

Look for ID on collars: If there are no visible tags, take the collar off and check for a hand-written phone on the underside o the collar

Check for tattoos: Look inside both ears, on the inside hind legs and on the abdomen. Don't worry if you can't decipher the tattoo, PetLynx can search for AutoMatches even with a partial tattoo number.

Check for a Microchip: This form of "electronic identification" is smaller than a grain of rice and is inserted under the animal's skin. You can't actually see or feel a microchip, so will have to take the animal to a veterinary clinic or animal shelter to have the animal "scanned" for a microchip.

In addition to adding the pet to the lost and found network, PetLynx enables you to easily create and print posters to distribute around your neighbourhood.

You should also:

• Contact your local SPCA and Animal Control Centre. 
• Contact local veterinary clinics, pet groomers and pet supply stores. 
• Check the "Lost and Found" column of your local paper. 
• Place an ad in your local paper -- this ad space is generally offered free of charge.  
• Ask neighbours if they recognize the animal. 
• If you have found a purebred animal, contact a breed organization. 

When you find the guardian, don't forget to contact the various groups keeping records -- including PetLynx -- and let them know the animal is HomeSafe so they can take the animal off their records.

Lost Your Cat? Search From a Cat's Point of View

The Davies family were concerned when Boots, their eight-month old kitten, was recovering from spay surgery because she seemed to be experiencing some discomfort. Needless to say, they were frantic when they couldn't find her a few hours after they had brought her home from the vet!
After a quick search of the house, they registered Boots as “lost” on PetLynx™.


Thankfully, Boots was not really missing, she had just decided to curl up in a little ball and sleep for a few hours! The kitten reappeared when she was hungry.


“Although we know she likes warm and hidden away places, we failed to check a little crawl space under the stairwell!” explained Mr. Davies. “We had turned the house upside down looking for her, but didn't look there.”

The Davies’ say they learned a valuable lesson; one that they’ll be sure to use the next time kitty pulls a disappearing act! They suggest you look through your home from a cat’s point-of-view. Even get down on your hands and knees to search!

“Be sure you check hidden away places,” said Mr. Davies. “Look through the whole house room by room, closing each door behind you as you go.”

Dog gone it! What can I do?

Found a stray dog? (Or cat.)
Use common sense to determine if he or she is genuinely homeless and in need of rescue, or is a neighborhood pet... out for an unauthorized walk in the park!

Is the dog well cared for?
If the animal appears healthy, well-groomed and approachable - chances are he or she is merely lost and not abandoned. If it is friendly, you can take him or her in and help find the guardian.

If the animal is thin, with a matted and dirty coat or it appears injured -- it has very likely been lost for a long time or abandoned. (It is very unusual for a dog to become feral.) If the pet is approachable, try to catch it and take it to an animal shelter or vet clinic for medical treatment.

Check for pet identification
A collar and tags are obvious forms of pet ID. But many pets also have tattoos and/or microchips. You can take the pet to a vet clinic and they will help you check for tattoos or microchips.

Whether the dog has any identification or not, you can still register it with PetLynx!

PetLynx has a special program called AutoMatch
Normal.dotm 0 0 1 1 RTPerrin Consulting Services 1 1 1 12.0 that considers physical characteristics. It searches for lost and found matches even in the absence of any pet identification. 

Know Your Neighbours 
Remember that most animals that are lost, belong in the neighbourhood where they are wandering. Their guardians are probably frantically looking for them. Taking the animal to your local animal shelter is an option, but moving the animal from the neighbourhood reduces the chances that the pet will be reunited with its guardian. At least for a couple of days -- if you are able -- try to find the guardian yourself.

Power Paws: The latest fashion for dogs with hip dysplasia

Power Paws – recently launched and developed by Woodrow Wear, Inc – in its most basic description are socks for dogs with rubber–non-slip treads. Power Paws combine fashion and function to help dogs (and their owners) like never before.

Basically, Power Paws enable large breed dogs with hip dysplasia to move around on slick surfaces such as hardwood, linoleum or tile floors. Far less expensive that installing carpets in your house!

Inventor of Power Paws and CEO of Woodrow Wear, Lorraine Watson, says, “Dogs slipping because of dysplasia or slick surfaces is common, yet nothing practical has been invented to help. Power Paws give dogs the power to stand, the power to stop, and the power to go. Since then, they have been 100% successful on hundreds of test-dogs. No product available is this simple or effective.”

Feral? Stray? Or new to the neighborhood?

How to determine if a wandering cat needs your help

In rural and suburban areas many people, unfortunately, allow their animals to roam free - especially cats.

Cats tend to wander a fair distance from their home, so do not be quick to assume a 'stray' cat is lost or abandoned. Most cats are also nonchalant when roaming free, whereas dogs tend to be focused on their guardian and are more distressed when lost.

Observe if the cat appears well cared for or is dirty, thin, hurt, ill or generally frightened. If the cat appears uncared for and thin, you need to intervene right away. For sick or injured cats, call your local humane society or animal control right away.

Be aware that a cat which has been on its own for a period of time or one that is hurt may not be approachable and could scratch or bite. Approach cautiously and wear gloves if you attempt to handle a lost cat.

If the cat looks healthy, you may want to take a 'wait and see' approach to determine if it is still around over a couple of days. During that time, ask some of your neighbours if they know who may own the cat.

If you suspect the cat is genuinely lost, post its description on PetLynx. (But be sure to go back into PetLynx and remove the 'found' report if the cat disappears or you discover it lives just a few doors away.)

PetLynx has a state-of-the-art program called AutoMatchTM, that matches lost and found pets based on a physical description. It works, even if you do not know the age or sex of an animal and if there is no visible pet identification.

A heart-warming story for a cold winter night

'Buckley's Story: Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher

In the spring of 2005, author Ingrid King met Buckley. All it took for King, a long-time veterinary hospital manager, was one look at the small homeless cat, and she fell in love. Hard.
And fast. Soon, her life was transformed. In King's warmhearted memoir, Buckley's Story: Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher, she shares the story of how -- rather unexpectedly -- one tortoiseshell cat touched her life forever.

Buckley's presence in King's life leads the author to make major changes in her own life, inspired by the lessons this little cat taught through her joyful spirit and huge heart -- universal lessons that readers can apply to their own lives. But after only a few years, Buckley is diagnosed with
advanced cardiac disease.

In the following chapters of Buckley's Story, King tells of the sometimes heart-wrenching, sometimes joyous, final months of Buckley's life. The human-feline bond is an unbreakable one, and King retells the story with poetic grace. This book is a celebration of life and a reflection of the never-ending love that anyone who has ever loved and lost a pet can surely relate to.

Raising Funds for Cancer Research

Petsecure pet health insurance has declared November as Pet Cancer Awareness Month. The goal of this initiative is to raise funds for cancer in pets and was pioneered five years ago in the USA by Veterinary Pet Insurance.

"In 2009, we've paid out nearly $1,300,000 towards claims for the cost of veterinary treatment and care due to pet cancer," says Randy Valpy, President & CEO of Petsecure pet health insurance. "Although cancer is the leading cause of death among older pets, 50% of pet cancer is curable. Our goal for this month is to raise money for researching cancer in dogs and cats across the country and to educate Canadian pet parents on how to prevent and treat a disease that affects 1 in 3 household pets."

By raising funds for cancer research, Petsecure hopes to decrease the sad pet stories they hear by helping to find a cure for this deadly disease. Petsecure is encouraging pet owners to help 'FURther the Fight' by becoming a fan of their Facebook page. For every new fan they receive in November PetSecure will donate $1.00 to the Ontario Veterinary College Pet Trust Fund.

Purr-fect Ending in Australia

A microchip helps another pet get HomeSafe

"Clyde", a Himalayan cat, was recently reunited with his owner after a mysterious three-year odyssey in which he strayed 2,400 miles (3,800 kilometres) into the Australian Outback.

Ashleigh Sullivan, 19, said she had given up hope of ever finding Clyde after he vanished from her family home near Hobart, Tasmania. A the time, he was about a year old.

"I'm positive he remembers [us]. He's not acting like he's suddenly appeared somewhere and is frantic," Sullivan said as she tearfully held her contented cat.

A nurse found Clyde wandering at a hospital in the remote Queensland state town of Cloncurry. She cared for him for four months before taking him to a local vet as she was leaving town and could not take the cat with her.

A vet traced Clyde's owner from the cat's microchip.

But no one has a clue how Clyde managed the 185-mile (300-kilometre) sea journey across the Bass Strait from Tasmania, off mainland Australia's southeast coast, and then about 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometres) overland to Cloncurry, deep in the arid interior of the Outback.

An animal transport company returned the cat to Hobart for free.

"It's pretty special to have him back." Sullivan said. "I'm overwhelmed."

Post-Summer Seperation Anxiety

The end of summer can be tough for dogs and cats

SAN ANTONIO, TX /PRNewswire/ Fall 2009 - Back to school time creates a dramatic shift in family schedules, which can have a devastating impact on companion animals that have spent more time with their owners over the summer vacation season. PurinaCare(R) Pet Health Insurance is urging all pet owners to be aware of the signs of post-summer separation anxiety in both dogs and cats.

Signs of Post-Summer Separation Anxiety include:

• Hyper-salivation or drooling.
• Soiling the pet owner's belongings.
• Chewing or scratching at doors or crate.
• Non-stop howling, barking, meowing.
• Compulsive grooming or licking.
• Tearing up furniture or pushing items off counters.

"Dogs are naturally social animals and are especially sensitive to loneliness this time of year. The family fills the role of 'the pack' and in their absence; dogs can feel abandoned and become quite destructive," says Dr. Bill Craig, DVM, Chief Medical and Underwriting Director of PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance. "Teaching dogs that their owners will return and the 'pack' will be reunited is the key to alleviating the stress of post-summer separation anxiety."

Ensure your pets are HomeSafe by preparing your Pet for Post-Summer Routines:

• Wean them into new post-summer schedule. Give positive reinforcement with praise and treats for appropriate behavior.
• Resume normal leash/walking schedules.
• Take the drama out of leaving - grab your coat and keys at times when you are not leaving so your pet doesn't connect the action with being left alone.
• Create a pet safe haven - a well-lit area where the family "pack" normally gathers, keep the TV or radio running, leave plenty of toys and safe clothing/items with family scents on them
• Don't punish bad behavior related to anxiety; it will only reinforce the stress
• For pets with severe stress, medications are available. They will rarely work alone without a behavior modification regimen. A veterinarian must prescribe these drugs

A Heartbreaker and a Homecoming

When 9-month-old "Sugar", a German Shepherd Dog, went missing, her guardians thought they might never see her again. They did everything they could in an attempt to find her but there was no sign of her.

Then, nine months later, they received a most welcome phone call. A woman who had purchased Sugar for $150 from an advertisement on Craig's List recognized Sugar in a Lost poster hanging in a veterinary clinic.

Although it was emotionally difficult to do, this woman did the right thing... and gave Sugar back to her origional owners! Heartbreaking for her.... but a welcoming homecoming for Sugar's 'first' family!