Newsy bits

From WIBW-TV in Topeka, Kansas, comes this veterinarian's warning about plants that might be toxic to your cat.

Of particular concern, with Easter coming, are lilies. Seems they are a no-no for cats.

Read the story here.
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Next, I'll just repeat the headline from the Chicago Tribune: Blog has the scoop on South Loop dog poop.

Read the story here.
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New book on a holistic diet for your dog.

Read the press release from PR Newswire here.
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Are rats the perfect companion pet?

Some people think so.

Read about it here in an article by the Associated Press's Sue Manning via ABC News.

Aging dogs equals aging answers

An interesting article by Dan McFeely of the Indianapolis Star appeared in USA Today about studying older dogs to gain insight into aging and cancer.

Read it here.

Researcher David Waters of Purdue University is taking a 23-day tour around the country examining 15 of the oldest-living Rottweilers, all of which are at least 13 years old. Rotties typically don't live longer than 10, according to the article.

Waters is calling the venture his "Old Grey Muzzle tour."

"If you want to understand aging, you have to look to those who have been extremely successful," Waters said. "These dogs are the equivalent to 100-year-old people and we want to find out what is the root of their success."

During each stop, which can last up to four hours, Waters performs a physical examination on the dog. He listens closely to the hearts and lungs. He performs a neurological exam, collects DNA samples, checks bone density and measures body weight and height. Additionally, Waters conducts interviews with owners, exploring the home environment and the things owners have done to keep their dogs healthy.

Waters said decisions owners make can profoundly affect longevity, such as diet, vaccinations and ovary removals.

Waters, 52, focuses on the Rottweilers, he said, because of the similar patterns of aging and cancer behavior for those that are afflicted. Waters says there is a growing need to find out what impacts healthy aging.

Kate would be happy to meet with Waters.

Video Sunday

Strange or funny animal videos is the subject of today's blog.

We'll start with Burrito, the golf-playing Chihuahua.

Watch it here.

You try making a hole in one with Al Roker breathing down your neck.

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How about a horse and a cat playing together?

Watch them here.

Cat has good claws.

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And, finally, did you know rats laugh when they are tickled?

Watch this video.

Where is former Rep. Eric Massa when you need him?

Is insurance the best way to counter dog attacks?

The British government is weighing whether to mandate dog owners taking out insurance against pet attacks.

See this article from Postonline.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn told the BBC: "There is a lot of public concern about dog attacks, including the recent tragic deaths of young children, and about the rise in the number of so-called status dogs used to intimidate or threaten people.

"This is a serious issue of public safety. The government wants to hear what people think about the law as it stands and what more we might do to protect people from dangerous dogs."

The government would have to amend the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act to include compulsory third-party insurance to make certain dog attack victims are compensated.

What do you think of this idea?

Nature's Variety expands pet food recall

Nature's Variety has expanded its recall of pet food because of concerns over salmonella.

The chicken-flavored raw, frozen food being recalled by the Lincoln, Neb.-based company includes 3-pound packages of chicken medallions, 6-pound packages of chicken patties and 2-pound packages of chicken chubs.

See Nature's Variety press release here. It includes the UPC numbers for affected products.

The company said it is now recalling, out of caution, all Chicken Formula and Organic Chicken Formula products with a "Best If Used By: date on or before Feb. 5, 2011.

Tests indicate packages with best-by dates of Oct. 29 and Nov. 9, 2010, in addition to the previously recalled packages with a best-by date of Nov. 10, 2010, may be contaminated with Salmonella.

Nature's Variety said it now uses high pressure pasteurization on its raw frozen diets to kill bacteria, which is why the company said the products with best-by dates after Feb. 5, 2011 are safe.

If you have purchased one of the affected products, please return the unopened product to your local retail store to receive a complete refund, or to exchange it for another variety. If your package has been opened, please dispose of the raw food in a safe manner by securing it in a covered trash receptacle. Then, bring your receipt (or the empty package in a sealed bag) to your local retailer for a complete refund or replacement.

The company has a customer care line that operates 24/7. Call 1-800-374-3142.

Little Bo grows up

There's no such thing as too much Bo.

The Washington Post jumped the one-year anniversary of Bo, the Portuguese water dog, arriving at the White House (by over a month!) with a series of 30 pictures that chronicle the pooch's growth.

See the slideshow here.

My favorite is Bo attending a meeting in the Oval Office. I just like knowing he's there when the hard decisions are made.

Did you know that Bo's favorite food it tomatoes (or toys)?

Did you know that Bo was a gift from Sen. Ted Kennedy and his wife Vicki?

If you didn't, you can read about it on Bo's official baseball card/portrait.

Download the PDF version here.

Official White House photo by Chuck Kennedy.

Hero pooch in Hopewell

I've been off for a couple of days, but I wanted to make sure you heard about Carmine, the 5-1/2-year-old puggle — a cross between a pug and a beagle.

He saved his family Feb. 28 by waking them up as their Hopewell Junction home filled with smoke.

Read my story in Friday's Poughkeepsie Journal.

The Josie Andaloro, her husband and her two children were all sleeping in the small living room which had a fireplace. The power had been out since Feb. 24 because of the massive snow storm, and somehow the fireplace got clogged and smoke was billowing out into the room.

My colleague photographer Lee Ferris and I went Josie Andaloro's house Thursday to talk about what Carmine did.

Here's a short clip of Andaloro talking about the ordeal while Ferris shoots a video.



Friendly little pooch and a very lucky family indeed.

Photo and video by Michael Woyton.

Dumbest idea I've heard in a while

An Englishman, who was fined and barred from driving for 6 months because he walked his dog while driving his car, tried to explain to the court that "a lot of people exercise their dogs in that manner."

Uh ... no!

An article on MSNBC.com, said Paul Railton last December was seen holding his dog's leash out the window of the car he was driving.

His lawyer, Paul Donoghue, said 23-year-old Railton acknowledged "it was a silly thing to do and there was an element of laziness." Donoghue was quoted by British newspapers as saying that his client "does not usually drive in such a manner."

Railton was ordered by magistrates in Consett, northeast England, to pay a 66 pound (about $100) fine, plus costs.

He also received three penalty points on his driver's license and as a result of existing points is barred from driving for six months.

MSNBC.com said some British newspapers report Railton was due to be tried for a 2007 attempted murder case, but the case was dismissed because of police misconduct.

Sounds like a repeat offender.

Sing out, Louise!

A great big thank you to Rachel Maddow for making my job so much easier.

A few days ago, she had a story about dogs who howl along to the "Law & Order" theme song.

Maddow asked her viewers to send in videos of their dogs howling to whatever it is they howl to.

And, gosh, did the viewers respond.

Here is Maddow's collection of canine clips.

I think the first one of Joey singing to the Empire Carpet commercial is my favorite, especially when his owner, at the very end, said, "Empire," and Joey howled again.

Also at the top of my list is Malkovich the Mastiff and Joey, who looks stunning in his outfit.

Now remember to play these at top volume on your computer.

Pets vs. the environment

What impact does your pet have on the environment?

The first thing that comes to mind is the amount of waste, for lack of a better word, pets produce every day. Think litter box. Think pooper scooper.

I've been using biodegradable bags to collect Kate's droppings for a couple of years now, even though I know all the trash collect in the city where I live goes to a dump.

It's a small thing, but at least I'm not using plastic baggies that will never degrade.

Nina Shen Rastogi, writing the Green Lantern column for the Washington Post, asks whether pets' food consumption has an environmental impact.

Read the entire article here.

You're right that the carnivorous diets of cats and dogs are likely to be worse for the environment than the diets of, say, birds and guinea pigs. But the meat we feed to our pets isn't quite the same as the stuff we eat ourselves. Most commercial dog and cat food is made from the parts we humans don't eat, such as organs, scraps, and rendered bones and tissues. Looked at one way, then, pet food is a kind of recycling operation: It takes waste products and finds a use for them.

Rastogi even brings up a debate as to whether dogs or cars are worse for the environment.

Does that mean you should ditch your Alsatian for the sake of the planet? No. The Lantern understands that pets are important members of many families and that suggesting that readers get rid of them -- no matter how big of a paw print they may have -- is a bit like suggesting you kill yourself to spare the Earth (a recommendation that appears with some frequency in the Lantern's inbox).

Pretty interesting stuff to think about. Read the article and follow the links Rastogi supplies. You'll see some thought-provoking things.