INSIDE Love at First A “Kneady” Cat Nevins Farm Pet Horoscopes! Sight Gets the Care Winter Page 7 Page 2 She Needs Festival —Come Page 3 Meet Santa! Page 4 Holiday Poison Control Animal Poison Control Hotline 877-2ANGELL Along with holiday and winter fun come a exaggerated, mild stomach upset could still host of hazards for pets — ingested occur if ingested. substances that can be harmful or 5. Yeast dough: If swallowed, even cause death. To help pet uncooked yeast dough can rise in caretakers deal with these the stomach and cause extreme emergencies, the Angell Animal discomfort. Pets who have eaten Medical Centers have teamed up bread dough may experience with the ASPCA’s board-certified abdominal pain, bloat, vomiting, veterinary toxicologists to offer a COMPANION disorientation and depression. unique 24-hour, seven-days-a-week Since a breakdown product of poison hotline. Help is now just a rising dough is alcohol, it can Fall/Winter 2005 phone call away. Call the also potentially cause alcohol Angell Animal Poison Control Chocolate causes indigestion. poisoning. Many yeast Hotline at 877-2ANGELL. Here ingestions require surgical removal of is a list of 10 items that you should keep the dough, and even small amounts can away from your pets this holiday season: be dangerous. 1. Chocolate: Clinical effects can 6. Table food (fatty, spicy), moldy be seen with the ingestion of Sam was in desperate need of blood due to foods, poultry bones: Poultry as little as 1/4 ounce of the severity of her condition. Luckily, Angell bones can splinter and cause baking chocolate by a is able to perform blood transfusions on-site. damage or blockage in the 10-pound dog. She was able to receive two units of plasma gastrointestinal tract. Spicy and three units of blood to make up for her 2. Christmas tree or fatty foods could possibly tremendous loss and to prepare her for preservative/water: lead to inflammation of the surgery the next day. Blood donations from Preservative may contain pancreas. Additionally, moldy or five dogs saved Sam. fertilizers, which, if ingested, Ribbon can tie up tummies. spoiled foods could produce food can upset the stomach. Stagnant poisoning, tremors or seizures. Without a doubt, had she not received tree water can be a breeding ground for medical intervention and blood products, she 7. Macadamia nuts: In dogs, ingestion bacteria, which can also lead to vomiting, would have passed away. Her spleen was can produce vomiting, weakness nausea and diarrhea. removed and a biopsy was performed on (particularly in the hind legs), Sam saved by generous animal blood donors. other areas of her abdomen. She was able to 3. Ornaments, ribbons, tinsel: While depression, lack of coordination return home just two days after the surgery none of these are directly toxic, and tremors. Animals Helping Animals: and is now as playful and active as ever! ribbon and tinsel can cause 8. Alcoholic beverages: gastrointestinal blockage that can Sam would have died without a blood If ingested, alcohol can The MSPCA-Angell Blood be life-threatening to pets. transfusion, something Angell can proudly potentially result in vomiting, Bank Saves Sam offer with its Blood Donor Program. This 4. Holiday plants: holly, Poultry bones splinter easily. diarrhea, lack of coordination, program is fully supported by generous mistletoe, lilies, poinsettia: central nervous system Sam, a beautiful, spayed Labrador Retriever financial contributors as well as pet owners Eating holly could produce nausea, vomiting, depression, difficulty breathing, tremors, was brought to Angell-Boston one evening and their pets (both cats and dogs) who diarrhea and lethargy. If a dog or cat ingests acidosis, coma and even death. after showing symptoms of weakness, heavy donate blood at the MSPCA-Angell. If you mistletoe, gastrointestinal breathing and an acute onset of lethargy. 9. Grapes, raisins: would like to make a difference in the lives upset and possibly even Following a careful screening and testing, Ingestion of raisins of animals like Sam, please make a cardiovascular problems Angell doctors found a large bleeding mass and grapes have been contribution at www.mspca.org/sam could result. All parts of lilies on her spleen, which was causing her associated with acute kidney today or schedule an appointment for your (both Lilium and abdomen to fill with blood. failure in dogs. pet to give blood. Hemerocallis species) are Because Sam was in severe shock, she was highly toxic to cats, with the 10. Coffee, coffee grounds: For more information please contact the unable to receive immediate surgery. The potential to produce life-threatening All forms of coffee can Blood Bank Coordinator at 617 989-1504 or bleeding had used up most of the clotting kidney failure even from small produce the same effects visit [email protected] factors in her blood, so surgery would have ingestions. While the toxic potential as chocolate, depending been very risky. of poinsettia has been greatly Mistletoe hurts hearts. on the dose. Tucker Goes High Tech: To donate, please visit mspca.org/donate COMPANION ©2005 Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA). All rights reserved. MSPCA, The Angell Pet Portal ANGELL, KINDNESS AND CARE FOR ANIMALS and the PAW PRINT-HEART LOGO are trademarks of the MSPCA. COMPANION is published by the MSPCA-Angell, a nonprofit organization founded in 1868 by George Thorndike Angell. We receive no state or federal funding. Our work relies on the generosity of those who care about the well-being of animals. Beginning with Our Dumb Animals in 1868, the MSPCA-Angell has continuously produced a publication about So, I know my Dad gives me constant love, affection and care, but I have to admit, the guy gets animal care and protection. The publication’s name has changed over the years. COMPANION is the continuation of that pretty busy. So I wanted to give him a break, you know, help him “take a load off,” as you proud legacy. humans say. That’s why I introduced him to the Angell Pet Portal, a free service on the COMPANION is sent to MSPCA-Angell donors who annually contribute $15 or more. To ensure that COMPANION keeps www.mspca.org website that gives Angell clients secure, online access to their pet’s health coming your way, please use the enclosed gift envelope. Thank you for making this a better world for animals. information. He can find information about me quickly and easily and that means we have more MSPCA-Angell Officers: Bonnie Zeledon play time to spend together. Larry M. Hawk, D.V.M. President Vice President, Marketing Carter Luke We love to hear from our readers so please write: So, you’re probably wondering…why do I need a Pet Portal, besides the fact that a dog (who Executive Vice President, MSPCA Managing Editor MSPCA-Angell Companion Dana W. Ramish shouldn’t be able to speak in the first place) is telling me I do? Thankfully, this dog knows a lot! 350 South Huntington Ave. Executive Vice President, Boston, MA 02130 It’s important to manage your pet’s health, like my Dad does for me. But we all know people are Angell Animal Medical Center Network [email protected] busy, and the Angell Pet Portal is a convenient way to manage your pet’s health care, check John J. Bowen Photography Vice President, Development and External Affairs vaccination status, view medication schedules, get custom tips for your pet and even order Sandra Kimball 978 768-6566 prescriptions online! Next time you visit one of the three Angell Animal Medical Centers, give Kathleen K. Collins Lance Bukoff 508 230-2471/www.accenteaston.com Vice President, Human Resources Dianne DeLucia www.little-brown-cat.com them your email address at registration and you will automatically receive a password and access Taylor Mitchell Howard J. Levy to your very own Pet Portal. It’s that simple! Vice President, Administration and Finance So take it from a canine that knows firsthand, and call 617 522-7282 or visit www.mspca.org to Sam Schneider Vice President, Information Technology make an appointment — once your pet’s a patient, you too can register for the Angell Pet Portal! ANGELL ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTERS MSPCA ANIMAL CARE AND ADOPTION CENTERS WESTERN NEW ENGLAND 171 Union St., Springfield, MA 01105 413 785-1221 NANTUCKET ISLAND 21 Crooked Ln., Nantucket, MA 02554 508 228-1491 A “Kneady” Spirit of Kindness 2005 doctors to clean the tooth Piglet and the The and of course, fabulous auction items. All above and below the gum Cat Gets the proceeds from the event will help over 4,000 line safely, quickly and Angells in thoroughly. The goal of animals to which the adoption center will Importance provide medical care in 2006. preventative care is to Care She Western New reduce plaque formation If you have an item or service to donate, which will harden into please contact Laura Gretch, Project Piglet before rescue. Piglet with Jody, of Dental tartar and Coordinator via email at [email protected] his new owner! England Needs eventually Sandra rests post-surgery. or by calling 617 541-5083. Extreme cases of cruelty and neglect are unfortunately a common occurrence in the daily routine lead to People who work with animals will often As soon as she opened her eyes in her of an MSPCA Law Enforcement Officer. Fortunately, each case offers an opportunity of hope for Health periodontal speak in amazement of an animal’s ability to recovery cage, Sandra once again started to L to R: Scott Giacoppo, Karyn Frisch, George Regan, the animals. Piglet, a Bulldog/Pitbull mix, is one case that stole the hearts of the staff at the disease.