Mark your calendars! Saturday, May 7th is PeakFest in downtown Apex. We’ll have a booth set up…please stop by to say “hi” and enter to win a wonderful gift basket. Hope to see many of you there!
Map & Directions:
Here's some news about an additional producer of dog food announcing a voluntary recall. Blue Diamond made a similar announcement earlier this week, which can be read here as an earlier post. http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2012/05/08/solid_gold_pets/
Welcome Danielle Snyder! Please join us in giving Danielle a warm welcome to the "family" that is Harmony Animal hospital and the clientele it serves. Danielle joins us as an experienced Veterinary Receptionist and is looking forward to meeting all of you and your furry loved ones. Welcome, Danielle! :-)
Foodborne Illness Outbreaks TAINTED DOG FOOD SICKENS 14 PEOPLE Salmonella in Diamond Pet Foods by Mary Rothschild | May 04, 2012 CDC Outbreak Map Alabama-1 Connecticut-1 Michigan-1 Missouri-3 New Jersey-1 North Carolina-3 Ohio-2 Pennsylvania-1 Virginia-1 Fourteen people have been sickened with Salmonella Infantis infections in a 9-state outbreak linked to dog food. At least five of the individuals have been hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC reported Thursday that multiple brands of Diamond Pet Foods dry dog food - including several that have been recalled in recent days - are the likely source of the human illnesses, either through contact with the contaminated food or through handling an animal that has eaten the tainted kibble. The dog food was produced at a single manufacturing plant in South Carolina. How many dogs may have been sickened was not mentioned in the CDC report. In some recall notices, Diamond Pet Foods has claimed that no dog illnesses have been reported. Those recall alerts from the company did not reveal that human cases of infection were being investigated. According to the CDC, routine tests by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development first detected Salmonella in an unopened bag of Diamond Pet Foods Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice dry dog food on April 2. PulseNet, the national surveillance system for foodborne illnesses, then spotted several cases of human Salmonella Infantis infections with a genetic fingerprint identical to that found in the dog food, the CDC said. The outbreak strain of Salmonella Infantis was isolated from an opened bag of Diamond Brand Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul Adult Light Formula dry dog food, found in the household of an ill person in Ohio. The outbreak strain was also isolated from samples taken from an unopened bag of the dog food obtained from an Ohio retail store. A sample of Diamond Puppy Formula dry dog food collected by the Food and Drug Administration during an inspection at the South Carolina production plant yielded Salmonella, the CDC said. Seven of 10 outbreak victims interviewed said they had contact with a dog during the week before they became ill. Of five people who could remember the type of dog food they had handled, four said it was a Diamond Pet Foods brand. Missouri and North Carolina each confirmed 3 cases related to the dog food outbreak. Ohio reported two cases while Alabama, Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey , Pennsylvania and Virginia each reported single cases. The first onset of illness reported was Oct. 8, 2011 and the most recent illness onset was April 22 -- more than two weeks after the first pet food recall. The case patients range in age from 1 to 82 years old with a median age of 48. Seventy-seven percent of the ill people are female. Diamond Pet Foods recalled certain batches of its Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice dry dog food on April 6 as a "precautionary measure" and stated then that "no illnesses have been reported and no other Diamond manufactured products are affected." That was four days after the Michigan test results. Then a second recall was announced April 26 for certain production codes of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul Adult Light formula dry dog food. This time, the recall alert stated more narrowly that "no dog illnesses" had been reported. On April 30, the company expanded the recall to include Diamond Puppy Formula dry dog food and again said there were no reports of dog illnesses related to the product. No mention was made of human infections in the recall announcement. "There have been numerous human outbreaks linked to pet food," said food safety attorney Bill Marler, managing partner at Marler Clark (publisher of Food Safety News). "It again shows how important food safety is, both to your pet and your family." According to the CDC, dogs and cats infected with Salmonella usually have diarrhea and may seem lethargic, but they also can carry the infection and not appear to be sick. Humans can become infected by touching the animals, their food, or their environments such as food bowls, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after the contacts. The CDC offered this advice for pet owners: - Consumers should check their homes for recalled dog food products and discard them promptly. Consumers with questions about recalled dog food may contact Diamond Pet Foods at telephone number 800-442-0402 or visit www.diamondpetrecall.com. - Follow the tips listed on Salmonella from Dry Pet Food and Treats to help prevent an infection with Salmonella from handling dry pet food and treats. - People who think they might have become ill after contact with dry pet food or with an animal that has eaten dry pet food should consult their health care providers. Infants, older adults, and persons with impaired immune systems are more likely than others to develop severe illness. - People who think their animal might have become ill after eating dry pet food should consult their veterinary-care providers. Additional information for pet owners can be found here. Your Legislators (NC): Congress - David Price (D-04) State Senate - Richard Stevens (R-17) State House - Nelson Dollar (R-036) US Senate 1 - Richard Burr (R) US Senate 2 - Kay Hagan (D)
Thanks to everyone who showed up to support us at Apex Peak Fest this past Saturday! We had a great time seeing old friends & new, and even made some new ones!
Don't forget Apex Peak Fest tomorrow! Harmony Animal Hospital will be there with an "Ask the Vet!" booth. Be sure to stop by and say "Hi!" You can also enter for a chance to win a gift basket valued at over $65!
A neighbor posted this today. Do you recognize this dog? ******* PLEASE HELP ******** This handsome man is in need of a loving home. He showed up at a friend's house a couple of days ago & has been there since. Unfortunately, he does not have a tag or microchip & we have been unable to find his owner. He is very friendly, good with toddlers & rides well in the car. The vet said he is about 3-5 years old & neutered. Most likely is a Springer Spaniel or Cocker Spaniel? He is approximately 50lbs. Is really quiet & well mannered, but not leash trained. He doesn't have fleas or ticks and was recently groomed.. All in all...He really is a good dog from what we can tell ! He did well at the vet and with the other dogs that were around. If anyone is looking for a new member of the family, a new buddy or you happen to know anyone interested please contact me.. Jane Risotto 107 Portwind Lane Apex, NC 27539 (919)267-9915 or cell (919)608-2190 / email: ny2va2773@yahoo.com or on Facebook.
Heads up! the email address, info@harmonyanimalhospital.net isn't working! I got a delivery fail! I did want you to know that I've been filling out rescue applications and I'm hoping that you will hear from them soon!
Thank you all so much for taking care of Benjamin! I'm still so very, very sad :( And thanks for the thoughtful card. <3
We have a plea for HELP for this sweet fella. - NEW INFO - Cash will need a foster home where someone will be home almost all of the time or with someone who can take take him to work with them. You may remember Cash from last last year. Many people came together & got Cash unchained and rehomed. Ruff Love Rescue had him evaluated & we were going to have him neutered & treated for heartworms until it was discovered that swelling in his shoulder wasn't a joint injury, it was terminal cancer. His new family vowed to stay with him through the end, but we learned today that they can no longer care for him. Cash probably has 3-6 months left and we really need your help in finding him a loving comfortable home to spend the rest of his days. Ruff Love Rescue will continue to provide for his medical care & medication. He is very sweet...loves kids & other dogs. He is still not neutered. He is in boarding now & is so SAD when he's crated & REALLY wants to be around people as much as possible. Please let us know if you can open your home to Cash - dogs315@northstate.net. If you can't help him now, please share. Here is one of his updates from last December: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=265656420161143
We're very saddened to report that the swelling in Cash's shoulder is osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and it has spread to his lungs. Dr....
Ah - doesn't this look like Russell? We wonder, would he be giving such a scathing Purr-formance review? Hopefully not!
Touching story!
This memoir is the beginning of my begrudging acceptance that my buddy is no longer here, and yet he remains very much with me, even though most of the signs of him are gone.
Question of the day: Have any fun groomed-pet pics to share with us?
Harmony Animal Hospital Rocks! Thanks so much to the entire staff for bring our Moby kitty back from the brink! And with so much kindness, patience, empathy and professionalism!
