Pet Health and Behavior

Petco announced Tuesday that it will stop selling electronic “shock” collars for pets. 

The products -- which deliver electrical pulses when an unwanted behavior is exhibited -- have been labeled as “controversial” by the Humane Society. Animal rights groups have argued that they cause animals unnecessary distress. 

Aware of the potential harm these collars may cause, Petco will be pulling the collars from its shelves and website. The retailer is doing so, in part, to align itself with its mission of becoming a health and wellness brand.

"Electricity may be critical to powering your microwave, but it has no role for the average pet parent training their dog," Petco CEO Ron Coughlin said in a release. "Shock collars have been shown to increase fear, anxiety and stress in dogs, and we believe there's a better way – Positive Reinforcement Training.” 

In addition to causing pain, Coughlin added that the collars have the potential to be abused. He referenced viral internet videos that show people doing normal activities and being unexpectedly shocked by a shock collar. 

"You see those human shock collar challenges," he said. "They're funny, but sad because pets don't know what's coming their way, and they didn't ask for it to happen."

“Stop the Shock” movement 

In the year ahead, the pet supply chain plans to rebrand as “Petco, The Health + Wellness Co.” 

“As a health and wellness company, our mission is focused on improving pet lives and we think selling shock collars does the opposite,” Coughlin said. “It's our responsibility to ensure that we, and others, aren't putting potentially harmful products in the wrong hands."

Petco is hoping its action will encourage other pet retailers to halt sales of all human- and bark-activated electronic pet collars. The company has started a petition to have these collars regulated and used only by certified training professionals. 

“We're calling on the rest of the pet industry, pet parents and anyone who loves pets to help us create new guidelines, engage in responsible self-regulation and consider legislative change for the retail sale of certain shock collars to general consumers,” the company said in the petition description.

Pets as travel partners have been a hot topic lately.

Travel + Leisure recently reported that air travel for pets and emotional support animals has doubled. That new metric got the airlines’ attention.

Delta Airlines rolled out new pet tracking technology; United did a complete reset of its pet transportation policy; and a slew of airlines imposed tighter restrictions on service animals.

Now comes a new report citing the 10 most pet friendly airports in the U.S.

In a recent study by Upgraded Points, airports are showing a newfound respect for pets by going above and beyond the federal mandate. Some have gone so far as building out pet-relief stations and pet parks with real grass, faux fire hydrants, and ample space for pets to frolic.

"Though required by law, many airports choose to offer services beyond what is necessary. They go out of their way to accommodate not just necessary service animals, but also beloved pets of all types," said Upgraded Points founder Alex Miller.

Envelope, please...

Topping the list is New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). JFK pulls out all stops for Fido and his friends, offering post-security pet relief areas in multiple terminals. One terminal even goes as far as a 4,000 square foot outdoor patio where pets and their owners can hang out.

And, in JFK’s situation, the airport doesn’t stop at just offering dogs and cats some TLC. The airport also offers 24/7 animal care and veterinary services for every kind of animal -- from cats and dogs to livestock, birds, and exotic pets.

In at #2 on the most pet-friendly airports is Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL). ATL’s pet love mimics much of what JFK offers and adds in the twist of a 1,000-square-foot dog park located pre-security, adding to the traveler’s convenience.

Rounding out the Top 10, in order, are: Phoenix Sky Harbor, Los Angeles’ LAX, Minneapolis-St. Paul International, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Reno-Tahoe International, Dallas Love Field, Denver International, and Dallas-Fort Worth’s DFW.

The onus is still on the passenger to take care of their pet

Despite all the wonderful things airports and airlines are doing to make pet travel a better experience, they can only go so far.

If you plan on travelling with your pet in the near future, ConsumerAffairs reminds you that there are still inherent risks to traveling with a pet -- predominantly heat and stress. Always make sure to double-check with the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) to see if it has made any changes to its travel-with-pets guidelines.

While you probably already know that chocolate isn’t meant for man’s best friend, other pet toxins may surprise you. For example, did you know that ibuprofen is one of the most common dangers to pets? 

A report from the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) gives pet owners the lowdown on which toxins were most commonly ingested by pets in 2016. To keep your pet from being accidentally poisoned, be sure to keep the following products out of reach.

Household items

All too often, household items -- such as glue, paint, cleaning supplies, etc -- are lapped up by pets. The ASPCA says it receives tens of thousands of calls each year about poisonous household items being ingested by pets.

To keep your efforts to spruce up the house from poisoning your pet, be sure to put products away as soon as you finish using them. You can also consider opting for pet-friendly cleaning product alternatives, such as baking soda, vinegar, and lemon juice.

Veterinary products

Despite being made specifically for pets, certain veterinary products can pose a danger to furry family members. Over-the-counter supplements and prescription pain medications are often formulated to appeal to pets’ palates, which can tempt some pets to ingest too much.

The number of calls regarding over-ingestion of veterinary products has risen in recent years, accounting for 9.3% of poison-related emergency calls to the APCC in 2016. To keep pets safe, pet owners should be sure to keep bottles and packages containing tasty medication away from pets.

Xylitol

Human foods like onions, garlic, grapes, raisins, and alcohol are among the more well-known pet toxins, but another product has caused “food” to move up a spot on APCC’s annual list of pet toxins.

Xylitol, an artificial sweetener commonly found in sugar-free products and even some types of peanut butter, has been to blame for a rising number of calls to the ASPCA’s poison control line.

OTC medications

Nearly 17% of calls to the AAPC involved OTC products including medications, makeup, and body care products. The most commonly called-about product is still ibuprofen, according to the report.

Because a dog’s metabolism is different and faster than a human’s, even small amounts of ibuprofen can cause a rapid spike in insulin levels. For this reason, pet owners should make sure never to leave bottles of aspirin or other pain medications lying around the house.

Human prescription medication

Drugs commonly prescribed to humans -- including heart medications, antidepressants and ADHD meds -- are a common danger to pets, accounting for nearly 17% of all cases at the APCC.

Pet owners with prescription medications in their home should always store medications in a safe place, such as behind a closed cabinet door.

If you think your pet may have ingested a potentially toxic substance, contact your veterinarian or call the ASPCA 24-hour APCC hotline at 1-888-426-4435.

Just like humans, pets can suffer from seasonal allergies. But while pollen and other airborne environmental allergens might leave you sniffling and sneezing, a pet who suffers from allergies may show other symptoms.

“Animals are susceptible to the same airborne allergens -- pollen, trees, grasses, mold and insects -- that we are,” Dr. Heather Peikes, a specialist in pet dermatology, told VetStreet.com.

Knowing the signs of seasonal allergies is the first step toward alleviating your pet's uncomfortable symptoms. So, how can you tell if your pet is suffering from seasonal allergies? Skin irritation and itchiness can be a major tip-off, experts say.

Signs of allergies

Dog and cat allergies often take the form of skin irritation or inflammation -- a condition called allergic dermatitis. If you notice your pet scratching excessively or biting or chewing a certain area of their body, he or she may have springtime allergies.

Other symptoms to watch for include itchy and inflamed ears, head shaking, and generalized redness (puffy red eyes, red oral tissue, a red chin, red paws). Your four-legged allergy sufferer might also develop open sores, scabbing, and areas of hair loss as a result of all that scratching.

“Some pets get to the point where they’re so uncomfortable that they can’t play or rest properly,” Peikes said.

Treating the condition

While severe reactions -- such as behavioral changes or a foul odor inside the ears, on the lips, or in between folds of the skin -- may warrant a visit to the veterinarian, there are things pet owners can do to treat allergy symptoms and ease their pet’s itchiness.

Here are a few ways to manage your pet’s environmental sensitivities at home:

• Regular baths. Bathe your pet using a mild, plain shampoo or product like oatmeal colloid to wash away the allergens on his or her coat and skin.
• Foot soaks. Wipe down your pet’s paws after they come in from being outside. Foot soaks can help reduce allergen exposure and itching and keep your pet from tracking allergens into the house.
• Take off your shoes. To limit the amount of airborne particles that make it into your home, take off your own shoes after you come in.
• Keep allergens out. Keep your home as allergen-free as possible for your furry companion by keeping the windows closed, vacuuming, and cleaning floors and pet bedding frequently.
• Consult a vet. Your vet may recommend a treatment involving the use of antihistamines or omega-3 fatty acids, which have an anti-inflammatory effect. Some allergic pets may benefit from allergy shots or topical or oral steroids.

Pet owners who are preparing to tackle the annual chore of spring cleaning may want to consider brushing up on their knowledge of common pet poisons. Chances are, you’ve got at least one pet poison in your home.

Many common food items or household products can sicken or even kill animals. Pet poisons can be found in each area of the home, according to Dr. Katy Burr, on-staff veterinarian at pet insurance provider Trupanion. Because pets react to substances in food and medicines differently, certain items should be kept out of paw’s reach.

Poisonous household items

Here are a few household items to store away from your curious pet’s sniffer.

• In the garage. Household cleaners, rodent poison or traps, fertilizer, slug bait, antifreeze, deicing salts, and garden chemicals. These items can harm a pet by irritating the skin or eyes, as well as damaging and blocking the gastrointestinal system, Burr says.
• In the kitchen. Chocolate, Xylitol (found in sugar-free gum and some peanut butter), grapes, raisins, alcohol, yeast dough, caffeine, onions, garlic, and mushrooms can all pose a danger. Store these items where pets can’t get into them.
• In the medicine cabinet. Acetaminophens (Tylenol), pseudoephedrines (Sudafed), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and albuterol found in inhalers can all be dangerous to pets, especially if you’re throwing out expired medication.
• In the yard. Tulips, Daffodils, Foxglove, and Azaleas are all plants that can cause symptoms such as vomiting, drooling, and even kidney damage when ingested by pets. The nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, zinc, and herbicides in plant growth supplements can also cause severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, diarrhea, and intestinal blockage.

Safe storage and disposal

Trupanion says it has paid out more than $3.1 million in toxicity claims to date. However, many incidences may have been preventable if homeowners had taken a few simple precautions.

Remember that if something smells good, your pet is likely to eat it. Products that may be enticing to pets should be stored away from pets and/or in sealed containers.

Cleaning out your medicine cabinet? Before tossing out medicine bottles, consider flushing unused medicines down the sink or toilet first; a determined pooch can chew through the childproof cap on a medicine bottle.

Election-related stress affected more than half of Americans, according to the American Psychological Association. If it’s true that our pets can pick up on how we’re feeling, your furry companion may have been riding a rollercoaster of emotions over the past few days.

NYMag reports that the videos, which are narrated by David Tennant, calm pets by using sights and sounds that have been scientifically proven to be relaxing to animals.

Reduces stress from loud noises 

There's also a video for stressed-out felines. Cats who feast their eyes on the film "Peer Window" (shown below) will be treated to images of swimming fish and trees just outside a window. The sounds of gentle purring and calming music accompany David Tennant's narration.

Music to soothe anxiety

Research has shown that different sounds and types of music can help calm pets. Classical music, especially, can help reduce anxiety in dogs, according to the Journal Veterinary Behavior.

These videos aren't the first efforts to harness the power of music to help calm anxious pets. "Through a Dog's Ear" is touted as a form of music therapy for pets. It features slow, classical music that is said to help calm a nervous dog. Meanwhile, there are entire albums devoted to the idea that classical music and nature sounds can help calm cats. 

Earlier this year, PetSmart also jumped on the music-for-pets bandwagon. The retailer worked with Mood Media to create pet-friendly playlists designed to calm the nerves of pets staying at their PetsHotel. The playlists, as we reported, feature certain tones and textures that have been shown to help relax stressed-out pets. 

Flea season is just around the corner and there is nothing worse than watching your dog scratch uncontrollably to try and get those fleas off of them. There is also nothing worse than trying to get those fleas out of your carpet and your furniture. So it's a much better scenario to be proactive and get those pesky fleas before they get you and your animals.

Fleas thrive in warm, humid environments with temps around 65-80 degrees, and feed on the blood of their hosts. Dogs play host to the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis), whose dark brown or black body is usually one to three millimeters in length.

Fleas can jump faster and better than Olympic athletes. They can jump 10,000 times in a row (the length of three football fields). Fleas typically have a life cycle of about 2 weeks to 3 months. Fleas can thrive anywhere on a dog’s body. Usually you will find them on the abdomen, the base of the tail or on the head.

What to look for

Signs of fleas in dogs include: 

• Droppings or “flea dirt” in a dog’s coat - Flea eggs on the dog or in the dog’s environment
• Allergic dermatitis
• Excessive scratching, licking or biting at skin
• Hair loss
• Scabs and hot spots
• Pale gums and
• Tapeworms

Many complications

There are many possible complications from fleas other than just itching. They are similar to vampires -- they love blood and can consume 15 times their own body weight in blood. The result can be anemia in your dog and significant blood loss.

When a dog has a heightened sensitivity to the saliva of fleas, just one bite of a flea can cause an allergic reaction. Sometimes you may see red spots on your dog where the skin is just raw. This condition is known as flea allergy dermatitis and if not treated can lead to infections.

Being proactive means talking to your vet and getting your cat or your dog on a flea medication. It is better to get the fleas before they get you and your pet because cleaning up after them is a real headache. You will have to have your carpets cleaned and your furniture as well as wash all of your bedding.

If your pet has fleas it is not enough to just put the medication on your pet and think your house is safe. It won't be. You will have to wash everything. So avoid the hassle and the headache and start with a flea prevention program now so your animal won't suffer and nether will you.

The maker of Heartgard Plus, a heartworm drug used by millions of dog owners, "extortionately fired" its head of "global head of pharmacovigilance" after she refused to destroy documents questioning the drug's effectiveness, the Ph.D. claims in federal court.

In her suit against Merial LLC, the animal drug division of Sanofi Aventis, Dr. Kari Blaho-Owens says that she was hired in 2006 after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expressed concern about reports of Heartgard Plus being ineffective in preventing heartworm in dogs.

Blaho-Owens said that after reviewing the situation, she became aware that Merial had known of the problem since at least 2002 but had done nothing to update its labeling to specify that Hartgard Plus was not 100 percent effective in preventing heartworm.

Blaho-Owens said that in one discussion, Dr. Felipe Dolz, at this time Director of Regulatory Affairs, U.S., said that a labeling change would put Merial at a marketing disadvantage compared to competitors' products and that the company would prefer that FDA make the labeling change “product wide,” meaning that it would also apply to competitors' drugs.

The suit alleges that internal studies conducted by the company were unscientific and used “cherry-picked” data to support the company's contention that the product was safe was used as indicated.

Non-compliance

In 2005, the FDA instructed Merial to change its labeling and to stop claiming 100 percent effectiveness and, the suit says, the company agreed to do so but didn't. In August 2006, the FDA warned Merial that it was in non-compliance.

In June 2007, seven months after Blaho-Owens began working at Merial, the FDA again issued a warning letter stating that the company had misbranded Heartgard Plus – this time because of its claim that the drug would prevent the spread of animal diseases to humans, even though Blaho-Owens said the company had no information to support that claim.

Blaho-Owens said that, instead, the company had evidence that heartworms had developed resistance to the active ingredients in Hartgard Plus and the company was actively working to reformulate it.

When Blaho-Owens questioned the company's practices, she was fired, the suit contends.

The suit charges Merial with violating the Whistleblower provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.