By Pet Talk
Many of us share just about everything with our pets. After all, they are part of our families. We share our home, our food, even part of our couch. While we are taught early in life that sharing is good, there are definitely some things that we don’t want to share with our pets and one of these is disease.

Diseases that can be transferred between humans and people are called zoonotic diseases. Dr. Mark Stickney, Director of General Surgery Services at Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, explains how these diseases can be transferred and how they can be prevented.

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Christa is a 2-year-old border collie/German shepherd mix. She is very sweet and knows some commands. Her ID number is A028603 and she is available for adoption at the San Martin Animal Shelter. If you are interested in adopting this or any other animal at the shelter, call (408) 686-3900.

By Colleen Grzan, werc@werc-ca.org

Pacheco, W.E.R.C’s turkey vulture, needs a chance to prove he is able to soar so that he can once again join the ranks of those magnificent wild birds circling high in the sky. If you own a spacious (approx. 2 acres or more) and level tract of land with no trees, located in South County, W.E.R.C. would like to hear from you. Send us an e-mail at werc@werc-ca.org.

In March 2007, Pacheco was found injured by the side of Highway 152 and brought to W.E.R.C. X-rays showed that the vulture not only had a healing fracture in the wing, it also had an older fracture that had already calcified.

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Oreo, W.E.R.C.’s educational California kingsnake, was in a temporary enclosure in front of a window so she could be photographed for her Animal of the Month (January 2009) story. On the other side of the window, Tux the dog, appeared fascinated by this activity – or jealous of the attention.

Tux is a welsh corgi/pitbull/plus-assorted-odds’n’ends-mix, aka “57-variety”, dog who Jeff Howell adopted last year from the San Martin Animal Shelter.

Through-the-glass is the only way these two critters actually meet. After the photo session, Oreo returned to her safe indoor terrarium.

Courtesy of Marketwatch
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said the nationwide recall of possibly contaminated peanut butter products has expanded to include some dog biscuits.

The FDA said PetSmart Inc. of Phoenix, Ariz., is voluntarily recalling seven of its Grreat Choice-brand dog biscuit products that contain peanut paste made by the Peanut Corp. of America. That company is the focus of a FDA investigation into potential salmonella contamination of peanut butter and paste made at its Blakely, Ga., plant.

The recalled Grreat Choice dog biscuits were sold between Aug. 21 and Jan. 19.

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By Pet Talk
As we age, we notice our bodies and minds may not be as quick as they once were. Luckily for humans, we are able to voice problems and pains and seek the medical attention we need; our dogs are not so lucky.

While “Doggie Dementia” or canine cognitive disease does exist, Dr. Daniel Hicks, a veterinary neurologist and clinical associate professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, says the changes in your dogs behavior may be explained by other medical conditions.
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By Pete Keesling

Artificial sweeteners are in a lot more foods these days as people try to find ways to lose weight. One of these compounds is Xylitol and it’s used in chewing gum and candy as well as cooked foods.

Xylitol is a white crystal substance used as a sugar substitute and is beneficial in reducing sugar intake in people with diabetes and other medical conditions.

But beware if you have a dog. Xylitol is deadly toxic to canines, even in small quantities. It causes a very fast drop in blood sugar within 30 minutes of eating. The pet quickly may become uncoordinated, weak, and even develop seizures before falling into a coma. There is further concern that Xylitol may cause liver failure.

It doesn’t take much to be deadly. As few as 6-8 sticks of artificially sweetened chewing gum can kill a labrador. Only a few candies can end up sending a large dog to the vet’s office. And smaller dogs are even more susceptible.

So keep those goodies away from your pets, especially your pooch. It may be a great way to help you lose weight, but you might also lose your best furry friend if you aren’t careful.

By Pete Keesling 

I find it hard to believe that I’m writing this in January, but our recent warm spell has sent many of us out into our gardens. And while there may not be a lot of them, snails and insects are out there, inviting us to get out the arsenal to attack and rid our backyards of these pests.

Veterinarians are already telling me that in the past few weeks, several dogs and even a cat have been brought in to their clinics, deathly ill from ingesting garden chemicals. So whatever you use in your yard, be it snail bait, fly bait, fertilizers or poisons to rid your field of gophers, keep your pet safe and away from all of it. Use chemicals carefully and store them where animals (pets and wildlife) can’t get to them. Avoid a costly and scary disaster.

Gilroyans Don and Carolyn Gay recently won the junior cutting competition at a horse show at the Cow Palace.
Their quarter horse, Sandy’s Little Rondee, a 5-year-old mare, is also the reserved champion of the Northern Counties Cutting Horse Association and qualified for a national show in Oklahoma City, Okla.
The horse, owned by the Gays’ DC Quarter Horse Ranch, has been showed since it was 3 years old.

By Michael Moore
Also watch a video of Hope being examined and X-rayed.
Hope, a red-tailed hawk found in Hollister with injuries resulting from a shotgun blast, proved she was a fighter soon after she was brought to a treatment and rehabilitation center for native wild animals in west Morgan Hill in December.
“When we first got her, she couldn’t eat,” said Sue Howell, director of the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center. However, the bird who suffered a broken wing and puncture wounds from the buckshot that is still lodged in her wing, neck and beak, is gaining strength rapidly. Howell hopes that Hope, like most birds brought to WERC, will be able to fly again so that she can be released back into the wild.
Her cuts and bruises have mostly healed and she no longer requires the heavy bandages she needed the first few days. She gets her exercise in the wire enclosure she occupies at the facility, and while her wing is not yet at full strength, Hope is getting stronger.
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By Teresa Stephenson, education@werc-ca.org

Spring is just around the corner and raccoons, skunks and opossums will be looking for nursery space. Have you put out a welcome sign on the foundation of your house? Now is the time to check your house and decks so you can eliminate any openings that critters can use to set up a den underneath.

If you find a hole and want to know if an animal is using it, you can put a 1/8-inch layer of flour in front of the opening and check for paw prints. For nocturnal animals spread the flour before dusk. Check for prints in the morning.

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Whether you have a Persian, Pekingese, parakeet or pot-bellied pig, make your appointment now for Peg Jackson’s 17^th Annual Pet Photo Day! People can be in the picture, too, so this would make a great family portrait.

Location: The Granary, 17500 Depot St., Morgan Hill

Friday, Feb. 6, 5 – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 7, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 8, noon – 4 p.m.
Donation: $50 for one 5” x 7” portrait by professional photographer Peg Jackson; 100 percent goes to W.E.R.C., the Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Center, to help care for the many critters that need our care every year.

By appointment only. Call (408) 778-7539 or e-mail ageddes@merlin.arc.nasa.gov. Sponsored by Peg Jackson Photography, Weston-Miles Architects, Fast Frame to schedule your appointment.

Oolong
Oolong is a 5-year-old Chinese sharpei mix. He will be best as the only pet, but is very sweet, friendly and independent. He is available for adoption at the San Martin Animal Shelter. If you are interested in adopting this or any other animal at the shelter, please call (408) 686-3900.