The Department of Transportation reports that Continental Airlines was on top of the list with 58 deaths, injuries or lost dogs in that time frame followed by Delta (including now merged Northwest Airlines) with 43 incidents, Alaskan Airlines with 36, American Airlines with 33 and United with 17.

Short-snouted breeds accounted for roughly half of the dog deaths on airlines in the last 5 years. English Bulldogs accounted for the highest number of deaths in purebred dogs with 25 followed by Pugs with 11, Golden and Labrador Retrievers with 7 each, French Bulldogs with 6 and American Staffordshire Terriers with 4. Boxers, cockapoos, Pekingese and Pomeranians accounted for two deaths each.

Pet owners should make sure the airline’s cargo hold is climate-controlled. If dogs are easily stressed or not well-socialized, they are probably not good candidates for air travel. Consulting with a veterinarian before placing a pet on an airline was suggested by the department.

Airlines aren’t required to keep track of the number of dogs shipped, but since May of 2005 have been required to report incidents. Continental reports that it has transported over 550,000 pets in the last 5 years. Beginning in July 2009 Continental completely embargoed all types of bulldogs and pugs unless they are under 6 months of age and 20 kg. and the temperature is below 85 degrees.

American Airlines reports that it has flown over 100,000 pets a year and 600,000 since the DOT started keeping track of deaths. The 33 incidents represent .0055 percent of all dogs that fly American.

The DOT believes the total number dog and pet deaths to be an extremely small percentage of the pets that are carried each year by the airlines.

Click here to see the DOT Total Reportable Incidents

The dispute is in the hands of Congress, which is considering a law that would require dog breeders who sell more than 50 puppies a year to be federally licensed and inspected.

It’s called the PUPS Act, short for Puppy Uniform Protection Statute. It’s aimed at cracking down on puppy mills, facilities where dogs often are forced to live in small cages. Among other things, the measure would force breeders to give their dogs the chance to exercise for at least an hour each day.

Read more on the McClatchy DC Report – June 24

Click this link to view more info.

This veterinarian approved, pup-tested recipe for “pupsicles” uses only three all-naturalingredients full of vitamins and protein: bananas, plain yogurt and orange juice.

Pupsicles recipe

Ingredients:

-1 large banana

-1/2 cup of plain yogurt

-4 cups of orange juice

1. Mash 1 large banana

2. Combine 1/2 cup or plain yogurt with 4 cups of orange juice

3. Add mashed banana to the mixture

4. Blend until smooth

5. Pour mixture into ice cube trays

6. Store in the freezer until ready to serve”

Find this and 49 other vet-approved recipes in pet-lover Arden Moore’s book, “Real Food for Dogs“.

HealthDay News (6/1)

Canine Health Foundation

Cancer is the number one disease killer of dogs and children. National dog breed clubs rank osteosarcoma in the top five health concerns. Osteosarcoma is a bone cancer that also occurs in children during bone growth. The Canine Health Foundation will use the $50,000 to support osteosarcoma research.

First, we will fund a project to identify genetic changes shared in bone tumors and look for the potential risk of disease development. Second, we will fund a project to evaluate of efficiency of a potential drug in treating osteosarcoma.

Dogs and people are similar genetically and are exposed to the same environmental factors. Research on cancer in dogs will directly benefit children with osteosarcoma.

Click here to view full article!

Dr. Catherine Metry is a dermatology resident at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana. She recommends..

Click here to view University of Illinois at Urbana CVM Pet column article May 10

American City Business Journals | 05/12

Juvenile Northern Crawfish Frog emerging from a burrow. John MacGregor photo

West Kentucky WMA staff recently completed a project to benefit area users, as well as non-game wildlife on the WMA.

Public Lands Biologist Tim Kreher and Wildlife Management Foreman Jodie Swain have worked with herpetologist John MacGregor for several years documenting the presence of Northern Crawfish Frogs (Rana areolata) on the WKWMA.

Northern Crawfish Frogs spend most of their time underground in crayfish burrows and travel to breeding ponds during heavy spring rains.

These frogs depend on shallow wetlands with emergent vegetation for their breeding cycle, and thrive in wetlands that periodically dry. When breeding ponds hold water year-round, predatory fish populations become established and pose a threat to the successful growth and metamorphosis of crawfish frog tadpoles.

The Lincoln Trail and Central Kentucky Retriever Clubs each host retriever events annually at the WKWMA, and expressed a desire to cooperate with KDFWR on mutually beneficial projects on the area, so sites were investigated where a seasonal pond could be constructed that would benefit retriever enthusiasts as well as provide crawfish frog habitat.

A site was selected where erosion had created a gully at the edge of an open field on the WMA, making an area that was hazardous to dogs and handlers, but could not be managed or improved with KDFWR equipment located on the WMA.

John Shely of the McCracken County NRCS office assisted Tim and Jodie with preliminary surveying, and determined that the soil and watershed at the site made a seasonal pond physically feasible.

The retriever clubs rented a John Deere 700J bulldozer for WKWMA staff to use to smooth the erosion gully and build a levee for the pond this spring. Construction took approximately three days from start to finish, including the time KDFWR staff spent fertilizing, seeding, and mulching the new levee.

A rainfall event two days after completion of the levee filled the pond approximately half full, demonstrating that the surveying of the watershed and drainage had been accurate. Within four days, frogs, great blue herons and resident Juvenile Northern Crawfish Frog emerging from a burrow. Canada geese were already present at the new pond.

Future plans include the purchase and installation of a water control, allowing a late summer dewatering of the pond to allow vegetation growth and to eliminate fish populations from the site. The pond will contain water in the spring and summer each year, making it available for retriever training and competitions on the WKWMA.

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