The Pets Left Behind Japan's Earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear Accident...

Veterinarians, vet techs and several animal welfare organizations launched relief efforts after the massive March 11 earthquake and tsunami devastated northern Japan.

Initial efforts included:

Veterinary care for injured animals
Donating food and medical supplies
Deploying search and rescue dogs
According to Veterinary Practice News:

"Every minute counts as the teams work to find people buried beneath the rubble," said Wilma Melville, founder of the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation. "After the Haiti deployment, this is a battle-seasoned group. If there are people still alive in the rubble, the dogs will find them."

Another immediate concern is the number of missing animals and those left behind by owners who have fled the area. This situation could quickly overwhelm local animal shelters.

World Vets, a nonprofit organization that provides veterinary services all over the world is hands-on in Japan after being deployed as a first responder assessment team. The group is coordinating large scale shipments of supplies to help out local animal welfare groups. Some of the supplies coming in include cages, fluid replacements, wound treatments, de-worming medicines and vaccines.

Three local groups formed a coalition called the Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support. The coalition hopes to raise both public awareness and donations through its Facebook page. The three groups forming the coalition include:

Japan Cat Network
Animal Garden Niigata
HEART-Tokushima
Other organizations lending a hand with rescue teams, donations and other types of support include the Humane Society International, the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the American Veterinary Medical Foundation.

From Mercola Healthy Pets

ASPCA's Top 10 Most Common Poisons that Affect Our Furry Friends

Human medications have topped the list of pet toxins for the third year in a row, according to a new list released by the ASPCA. In 2010, the ASPCA’s 24-hour poison control hotline fielded more than 167,000 phone calls about pets exposed to common household toxins and other potentially poisonous substances.

To help keep your pet safe and sound in 2011, experts from the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) in Urbana, Illinois, have created a list of the 10 most common poisons that affected our furry friends last year. A few highlights of their findings include:

• Accidental ingestion of human medications accounted for 25 percent of all calls to the ASPCA in 2010. The most common culprits included antidepressants and over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen.
  
• Approximately 20 percent of all calls concerned insecticides commonly used for flea control.Our feline friends are especially vulnerable to the misapplication of spot-on flea and tick products.
  
• Baits used to kill mice and rats can be deadly if ingested by pets. Many rodenticides are grain-based, which attracts not only rodents, but dogs and cats, too, and can cause seizures, internal bleeding or kidney failure.
  
• Some of the most delicious people food, including grapes, raisins and garlic, can be poisonous to pets. Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs, while onions and garlic can cause anemia if ingested in sufficient amounts.
  
• Household plants may keep your house green and your air clean, but some can cause serious gastrointestinal problems for companion animals. Please visit our list of pet-safe plants before your next trip to the nursery.

As always, if you suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please call your vet or the ASPCA’s 24-hour poison control hotline at (888) 426-4435. To read the complete list of the top 10 pet toxins of 2010, visit APCC online.

Spring Cleaning? Try this Pet & Planet Friendly Idea from the ASPCA

It’s time for spring cleaning, but before throwing your dusty treasures away, call your local shelter—they may need old towels, bedding, leashes and pet toys.

Tomlinson's Warning about Poisonous Plants for Pets

A customer who recently visited Tomlinson's Westlake store told them that she had come very close to losing her two dogs because they had eaten the clippings of a Sago palm that she had cut back. Sago palms are common in the central Texas area and VERY TOXIC. Dogs that ingest them rarely survive! See a photo of a Sago palm and more information here.

The ASPCA has put together an exhaustive list of plants that are toxic to pets - over 700! While looking through them, I began to wonder if there are any safe ones out there. Here is a list of the 10 most common poisonous plants:

1. Azalea - The toxins in azalea plants can be very severe and potentially cause drooling, diarrhea, vomiting, central nervous system weakening and depression, and in some cases possibly coma or death.
2. Castor Bean - Poisoning as a result of this plant can cause abdominal pain, drooling, diarrhea, vomiting increased thirst, loss of appetite and weakness. More serious cases could also lead to dehydration, tremors, seizures, twitching muscles, coma and possibly death.
3. Cyclamen - The most poisonous portion of this plant is located in the root. Ingestion of the plant can cause severe vomiting and gastrointestinal irritation. In some cases death has been reported as a result.
4. Kalanchoe - Ingestion of this plant can cause gastrointestinal irritation and cardiac rhythm and rate problems.
5. Lilies - Plants of the lily variety are very poisonous to cats. Even very small amounts of this plant could cause serious kidney damage.
6. Marijuana - Animals who attempt to snack on this plant can suffer serious consequences such as diarrhea, vomiting, increased heart rate, drooling, in-coordination, and even possibly seizures and coma.
7. Oleander - All portions of this plant are poisonous and can cause gastrointestinal irritation, hypothermia, heart problems and possibly death.
8. Sago Palm - While the seeds and nuts of this plant are most poisonous, the entire plant is toxic. Animals ingesting parts of this plant may suffer from diarrhea, vomiting, depression, seizures and liver failure.
9. Tulips - The toxic portion of this plant is the actual bulb, which can cause drooling, central nervous system depression, gastrointestinal irritation, cardiac issues and convulsions.
10. Yew - Poisoning as a result of the yew plant can affect the nervous system and cause in-coordination, trembling and breathing difficulties. It may also result in gastrointestinal irritation, cardiac failure and could possibly lead to death.

NOTE: If you suspect that your pet has been poisoned, contact the ASPCA Poison Control Center at 1-888-426-4435. This is 24 hour a day hotline. (In some cases a consultation fee may be charged to your credit card.)

This list has been compiled using the following sources:

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Earth Clinic