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Update on the Hoarded Birds from Aurora As many of you know there was a tragic situation in Aurora, Illinois, where hundreds of birds were being hoarded. These birds were kept in filthy, non-hygienic conditions, and unfortunately over one hundred of the birds were found dead in the home.  The remaining birds were confiscated by health officials. The problem was, what to do with all these surviving birds. Fortunately, an organization came to the rescue, the Greater Chicago Cage Bird Club, which has had a very successful pet bird adoption for several years. The birds were turned over to the…

Found this interesting article on Squidoo.com   Most Common Surgically Removed Items from Dogs Ten Reasons Why You Should Consider Insuring Your Dog It’s no secret that cats are curious, and dogs like to chew on things. Unfortunately, those traits can motivate pets to chew on, bite or swallow items they shouldn’t. Some of these objects will pass naturally, but others have a tendency to become lodged in pets’ gastrointestinal tracts, resulting in pain, vomiting or internal injury. In those cases, surgery may be a necessity.The best thing pet owners can do to prevent costly foreign body removal surgery is…

An example of why you should microchip your pets. From the AVMA Animal Health SmartBrief- Stolen NYC dog returned to owners on Christmas Associated Press NEW YORK — A dog stolen on a New York City street while its owners shopped for Christmas provisions has been found in time for a holiday reunion. The Cavalier King Charles spaniel is named Marley. He was returned Tuesday to 7-year-old Mia Bendrat and her family. The family tied Marley up outside a grocery store while shopping Monday in upper Manhattan. Surveillance video showed a man carting Marley off. Across town, a stranger later…

China responds to complaints about dog treats Wednesday, December 19, 2012 China responds to complaints about dog treats Lyanne Melendez MORGAN HILL, Calif. (KGO) — A number of dog owners around the nation have complained about their pets getting sick or even dying after eating chicken treats that were made in China. Now, the Chinese government has responded to these complaints in a letter addressed to a California congressman. Rachael Chambers of Morgan Hill lost her dog “Cali” last May. Her other dogs also became sick after eating chicken treats made in China. “It’s been sad and hard on our…

Top 10 holiday-related pet conditions  12/18/12 From DVM Firstline According to VPI, these were the most common reasons pets visited the veterinarian during the holiday season last year. From snacking on human treats to biting colorful light bulbs, as the winter holiday season draws closer, remind pet owners that they must keep a watchful eye on their four-legged friends. In 2011, Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) policyholders spent more than $22.8 million on medical conditions commonly associated with the holidays. The company recently sorted its database of more than 485,000 insured pets to determine the 10 most common holiday-related medical conditions…

A news report from ABC 7 about the hoarded birds from Aurora (see a previous blog post on this NAH blog site for more details). There is a short excerpt of an interview with Dr. Sakas.

Dental Health Special Months – December, January, February Dental disease is a problem that can creep up on your pets. Imagine what would happen if you didn’t care for your teeth regularly. The same basics of dental care also apply to your pet’s teeth. Periodontal disease is the most common disease in dogs and cats! About 85% of dogs and cats have some form of it and are vulnerable to the pain, bad breath, and tooth loss that could follow. Chronic infections can spread to the heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys, where they can do even more damage. Problems usually…

Update on the Hoarded Birds / Now Available for Adoption Facility Visits, Examinations, and Disease Testing In one of our previous blogs, I had written about the “Aurora Birds” which had been confiscated from a hoarding situation and were now being cared for by members of the Greater Chicago Cage Bird Club Adoption Committee until they could be adopted. I had gone to the facility where they were housing the nearly 400 birds for a prescribed thirty day quarantine period. I checked out the birds, performed some disease testing (which all turned out negative), and found them to be in…

Keeping Your Home Safe for Your Pets During the Holidays Peter S. Sakas DVM, MS Niles Animal Hospital and Bird Medical Center 7278.N. Milwaukee Ave. Niles, IL 60714 (847) 647-9325 FAX (847) 647-8498 www.nilesanimalhospital.com Introduction The holidays are joyous and active times for people and their pets. Our pets partake in many of the seasonal festivities with us which makes the holidays that much more special. However, many of the decorations and objects we have around the household during the holidays may be dangerous to our pets. By taking a few precautions, we can make this wonderful time of year…

Study: Classical music de-stresses dogs   Classical music might be the best way to calm an anxious pooch, a new study finds. Lead author Lori Kogan of Colorado State University found that Mozart, Beethoven and the like may reduce stress in dogs, according to a study in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior. The study found that classical music was more soothing than “psychoacoustic” music or specially-made Pet CDs that were designed to calm animals. Kogan said the study may be helpful for the welfare of animals in stressful shelter environments. “Social isolation or restriction, a major stresser for many dogs,…