Keep These 2 Things Away from Your Pets

Lifestyle

1) Chocolate

“Chocolate contains a naturally occurring stimulant called theobromine, which is similar to caffeine.  If enough theobromine is ingested it can be toxic to dogs and cats,” said Dr. Sarah Nold, staff veterinarian at Trupanion.

Trupanion traditionally sees a high number of chocolate toxicity claims around Easter.

Last year, in the month of April, Trupanion paid $31,757 in claims related to chocolate, flowers, jewelry, and other foreign body ingestions. This includes the fun-loving Labrador retriever who couldn’t resist the big bowl of chocolate and jelly beans he stumbled upon. After an emergency room visit and a $3,000 bill (covered by their Trupanion policy) the dog left the veterinary hospital a happy camper and was safe at home in time for Easter Sunday.

 

2) Lilies

Easter lilies are bright, beautiful, and a staple floral decoration in the springtime. However, lilies are incredibly dangerous to our feline friends. In fact, lily toxicity is one of Trupanion’s most common and one of the most expensive toxicity claims, with an average claim cost of $830.

The toxins impact the kidneys and often cause symptoms like vomiting, drooling, lethargy, and appetite loss. Cats can develop tremors or go into seizures, and ingesting even a small piece of a lily plant can lead to kidney failure and death. Every part of the lily plant is toxic and cats can get sick even by licking pollen off their fur or drinking lily vase water.

There are plenty of other options for those who want to bring some fresh flowers and plants into their cat-friendly home this spring. Look for some cat-safe flowers like roses, snapdragons, gerbera daisies, sunflowers, or zinnias. Many herbs—like catnip—and ferns are also safe for pets and can help freshen the house and keep things green.

North Georgia Living Presented by Cameron Hall: Pets!

Lifestyle

The North GA Senior Living segment joined up with the Pet of the Week and was a great time! Dogs can be great companions for the elderly as they transition into senior living, and if they already have one Cameron Hall will allow them to move in too!

https://youtu.be/vI1LEePQglI

Pet Safety Tips for the 4th of July

Community, Featured

These 4th of July, Pet safety tips brought to you by Mountain Emergency Animal Center!

Mountain Emergency Animal Center Welcomes Dr. James

Business, Featured

Dr. Timothy James has been involved in various aspects of the medical field throughout his life. In college, he studied tick-borne diseases and illness of muscle proteins and was considering a career
researching infectious diseases. During his undergraduate years, he shadowed several veterinarians and decided that working with small animals would be his new career path.

Dr. James graduated from the University of Georgia, earning his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine degree in 2003. From that point on, he was immersed in surgery and emergency medicine. He started his career at a large specialty practice in Indianapolis where he also completed a residency through the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners.

During that time, he also became a certified canine rehabilitation therapist. After several
years in Indianapolis, Dr. James moved to Tennessee, working at the Regional Institute for Veterinary
Emergency and Referrals. It is at that facility where completed a surgical residency program over
several years.

Dr. James was most recently a staff surgeon at North Georgia Veterinary Specialists. He
has special interests in surgery of the spine and orthopedics; however, Dr. James also excels in soft
tissue surgery.

Mountain Emergency Animal Center would like to welcome Dr. James to our team!

Mountain Emergency Animal Center ~ Snake Bites & Pet Safety

Community

It’s Warming Up!!! If you are enjoying the warmer weather now, so are the snakes! As a matter of fact, while driving home, a Garter Snake slithered in front of my car while at a stop sign. Some of my neighbors have told me that they’ve seen Copperheads about.
Venomous snakes injure over 150,000 dogs and cats every year in the US. This data is about 10 years old! So, you can only imagine as we continue to encroach upon their territory, there are going to be more exposures. In our area, the Copperhead is the most common venomous snake; however, there are also Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, Timber Rattlesnake, Cotton Mouth, Pigmy Rattlesnake and Coral Snakes in Georgia. In North Georgia, the Timber Rattlesnake and Copperhead are most commonly the cause of envenomation in pets and people. Rattlesnake venom is much more potent and deadly than that of the Copperhead. All of the snakes listed with the exception of the Coral Snake are Pit Vipers which belong to the family Crotalidae. Pit Vipers have triangular heads, elliptical pupils and “pits” or scent glands where there “nose” is (pic. #1).  Image may contain: text

Pit Vipers in Georgia:

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (pic. #2) 
Copperhead (pic. #3)
Timber Rattlesnake (pic. #4)
Cottonmouth/Water Moccasin (pic. #5)

 

 

 

Pit Viper venom contains over 50 enzymes which damage tissue. The snake uses the venom to immobilize their prey and pre-digest the tissue. Basically, these snakes cannot digest food that well in their gut, so venom breaks down the muscle, the connective tissue and the blood before they ingest it. So, the same thing happens when a dog or cat is bitten. The venom starts to digest the tissue and causes the blood to not clot.
Bites to pets most often occur on their face and front legs. Most owners will say they saw their dog digging after something and then hear a loud “yelp.” Soon after being bitten the area becomes swollen, bruised and very painful.

Signs your pet has been bitten by a venomous snake may include:
• Rapid swelling at the site of the bite
• Severe pain
• Bleeding from the fang punctures
• Drooling
• Discoloration of the skin to dark red or purple
• Bite marks—these may be difficult to see because the pet’s fur
• Rapid breathing
• Weakness
• Collapse (inability to get up)
• Pale gums

What to do if your pet is bitten:
• Limit your pet’s activity and keep your pet calm. This will help decrease the venom from circulating throughout the body. The more activity, the more blood flow and faster the heart beats increasing the amount of venom spread in the body.
• Contact your family veterinarian immediately or an emergency veterinary hospital such as MEAC.

What NOT to do if your pet is bitten:
• Do not place a tourniquet above the bite
• Do not cut over the wound
• Do not try to “suck” the venom out of the area
• Do not apply ice to the area
• Do not apply electrical shock to the area
• Do not give any medications

Typical testing and treatment performed
• Blood tests to check cell counts, blood clotting ability (coagulation times), organ function tests of the liver and kidneys
• X-rays of the chest if the pet is having trouble breathing or congestion in the lungs
• Pain medication
• Cleaning of wounds
• Intravenous fluids for shock and blood loss
• Antivenin administration—this is the best treatment and acts as an antidote to the venom
• Supplemental oxygen
• Plasma and sometimes blood transfusion
• Hospitalization and observation

Pickens Animal Shelter news

Community

A Home for the Holidays

On Saturday, Dec. 16, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., the Animal Shelter of Pickens County is waiving the adoption fee on dogs and cats.  There are many wonderful adult dogs, cats and kittens just waiting for you to provide them with the warmth of your home and hearts.  We have extra volunteers available that day to assist you with finding your “perfect match”.   Take some time to get acquainted with one of the dogs off-leash in the separate play yard or take them for a walk around the property.  Our friendly, loving cats and kittens welcome your tender touch so you can see how purrfectly they’re willing to join your family.

Our shelter pets are available for you to see online.  We have them posted on Petango.  Take a look at our website www. http://pickensanimalshelter.com/ and our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pickenscountyanimalshelter/.  You’re going to fall in love!

We are also currently conducting a “WISH LIST” supply drive and have teamed up with Presents For Pets, a new 501(c)3 organization that specifically supports donation drives benefiting homeless pets.  Look for these donation boxes located at Walmart, Kroger, Community Bank of Pickens County and Parish Lowrie State Farm.  Our suggested items are listed on each box, and there are small tear-off shopping lists that you can take with you.

In a holiday hurry?  Saturday, Dec 16, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., more volunteers will be set up to accept your supply donations at both locations of the Community Bank of Pickens County and Parish Lowrie State Farm.  To make it more convenient during the hectic holiday shopping season, you’ll be able to “drive up – drop off” your purchased donations and our volunteers will be happy to help unload them from your car.

If you are available to volunteer for the supply drive or the adoption event on Dec. 16, please call Julie at 706-273-0355.  We welcome your support.  Pickens County Animal Shelter is located at 3563 Camp Rd. Jasper, Georgia 30143.

Would You Know How to Perform CPR on Your Pet? Watch the Training Video by Mountain Emergency Animal Center

Community, Featured

Mountain Emergency Animal Center is a outstanding emergency vet clinic located in Blue Ridge, GA. They have a full surgical room, ICU kennels, a blood bank, and they keep anti venom on hand at all times. They are fully equipped to deal with any medical emergency your pet may have.

In this video they do a CPR training to show you exactly what you would need to do if your pet goes into cardiac arrest. This is great information for any pet owner.

Mountain Emergency Animal Center

Serving the Tri-State Area (GA, NC, TN)
Call us at 706-632-7879

Pet Emergency? Read no further and call us right away!dog

Pet emergencies, like human ones, can happen anytime. Your pet’s injuries and illnesses may require immediate attention.

11th Annual Paws in the Park presented by Humane Society of Blue Ridge October 21st 10am – 2pm Downtown Blue Ridge City Park

Community

Protect Pickens Pets Confronts Board of Commissioners

News

JASPER, GA – Protect Pickens Pets and supporters filled the room at this month’s commissioner meeting. The group made plans to bring their concerns and requests to the board about the conditions at the animal shelter coming together after the firing of former shelter employee Judy Moody.

Before the meeting adjourned Commissioner Jones made the announcement that anyone with questions or comments could speak one at a time. Hands went up in the air one by one to speak on the situation of the shelter and Moody.

Lisa Kelly commented first,

I am concerned the animals are not being took care of. There is 11% left on the budget that could go towards the shelter. Why is the money not being spent? Feces are in cages and there are empty bowls. When you question the staff they say they are overwhelmed and understaffed.

Linda Ross followed asking,

Who is in charge of hiring? Do they have a background? Sanitation procedures need to be in place. It’s great to have volunteers, but that’s not enough. We need a better staff. The shelter conditions are bad.

Lori Taylor told Jones,

There is a networking to running a shelter. We can’t leave things how we are. We need a company that could deal with the dogs that some fear to help them. Chihuahuas bite more than pitbulls! You’re out of your league with us people. We need to make a committee with rules and regulations.

The members of the board were silent throughout most of the comments and this bothered supporters who came to hear an answer.

Board member Becky Denny spoke to the crowd,

I have been to the shelter and been pleased with it. Legally we can’t speak about an employee. I would be happy to go to the shelter and look around.

Commenters mentioned Denny has been the only one to come to the shelter.

As comments and questions kept coming, Commissioner Jones adjourned the meeting. FYN spoke with Judy Moody after the meeting closed for a statement. Moody replied with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi,

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.

Commissioner Jones also gave us a statement on how he felt the evening went,

I think it went really good and I believe some of the commenters have great ideas such as creating a board or committee for the shelter. I have had the shelter inspected by the Department of Agriculture and we received an A.

Protect Pickens Pets will be having a protest Monday, July 24 at 11:00 A.M. in the Burger King parking lot. They encourage all supporters to come out to the protest.

The group left this message on their page last night,

Sadly we attended the Pickens County Commissioners meeting last night to witness the painstaking process (sarcasm) of a new Pickens County Tax Assessor being selected. The commissioners discussed how this new candidate owned a Pickens County business with his father and the fact that a commissioner knew who he was. We learned that this new candidate just happened to be the son of the former Pickens County Tax Assessor who was stepping down from the position.
What was never discussed by the commissioners was this new candidate’s education level, experience, resume, his qualifications, or any other candidates that may have applied for this same position.
Now the person approved last night to be your new Pickens County Tax Assessor may very well be qualified. But this would be a simple roll of the dice as our fine commissioners certainly did not put forth any effort to guarantee this.
Is it too much to ask that a person appointed by our Pickens County Commissioners to decide how deep to reach into your pocket be competent to do the job?
How many other Pickens county officials are deciding the daily direction of the county and our lives with their only qualification being a Good Old Boy Certification of Approval?
Is it any wonder that the Pickens County Animal Shelter Directors have all been unqualified and completely inexperienced?
It’s time for a change!

FYN will follow this story as it progresses, or read “Animal Shelter Employee Fired” and “Animal Shelter Situation Escalates”.

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

Protect Pickens’ Pets Protest

News

JASPER, GA – Protect Pickens Pets and supporters met at 11:00 A.M. this morning in the Burger King parking lot to hold a peaceful protest against Board of Commissioners Chairman Rob Jones, the Pickens County Animal Shelter (PCAS) conditions, and the County’s dog breed ban. This event has been a work in progress for a few weeks,and has caught the attention of those in Pickens and surrounding counties.

Citizens are still reporting going in the shelter and viewing animals with algae in water bowls and animals with feces in their cage. The group is calling for a change and do not plan to stop until certain conditions are met, such as providing better care for the animals at the PCAS and lifting the dog breed ban.

The ban does not allow breeds such as pit bulls, german shepherds, dobermans, and other bully breeds to be adopted from the shelter in the county. Citizens say that if a dog of that breed is at the shelter they have to be transferred or risk being euthanized.

FYN spoke with Commissioner Jones about the ban who stated,

There is no ban, citizens are allowed to have any kind of animal and breed they want. We sometimes have aggressive animals that come through the shelter and they can be of any breed. If an animal is brought in that concerns the shelter or potential owners they go through testing for aggressive nature. If an animal is deemed aggressive then they will be able to be adopted through another shelter to find the right owner. I want to make sure other animals and people are safe. That is why we have the testing on animals who seem to be aggressive, to ensure the animal won’t hurt anyone. 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

Animal Shelter Situation Escalates

News

Former shelter employee Judy Moody and Protect Pickens Pets are making plans to be at this month’s commissioner meeting to confront Rob Jones. At the meeting, they say they will be bringing the following concerns and demands:

-You should have the right to choose your family pet, even if it is a pit bull, German shepherd, or Doberman.
-Pit bulls, German shepherds, and Dobermans should not be condemned to a Pickens County Animal Shelter cage or euthanization on a Commissioner’s whim.
-Demand a solid plan to keep euthanization numbers low, so the label “Kill Hill” is never again used for our shelter.
-Our shelter should be managed by a private, no kill agency and out from under Commissioner Jones’ radical control. The shelter should be managed for the good of the animals and Pickens County citizens, not Commissioner Jones’ cronies.
-Shelter staff should be hired on merit and fired for cause, not based on their relationship with Commissioner Jones or any other politician.

On Monday July 24, 2017, Protect Pickens Pets will be organizing a peaceful protest from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM in the Burger King parking lot in Pickens. The group has a permit from the local authorities and are encouraging supporters to create signs for the event.

The group made this statement on Facebook,

If you have not visited Pickens County Animal Shelter lately, please do so. You may not recognize it from just a short time ago. The adult cat room had feces all over and there was no water to be had. Adult cats are having to be packed into cages due to the volume of animals. Some cats have what appears to be untreated wounds and flies are everywhere. Sick kittens are in the same cage as the healthy. The cages were not cleaned and litter boxes were full. The shelter is maxed out with cats and they keep coming in. Dog kennel area had not been cleaned. Judy Moody’s discharge paperwork read: no longer needed. We and the animals at PCAS beg to differ Commissioner Jones. We hope you don’t plan to leave the current shelter employees understaffed and overwhelmed.

Within Moody’s public files her discharge papers did indeed read that her services were no longer needed. Citizens say they are bothered by the news asking,

If services are no longer needed, why is it being stated that the care at the shelter is declining?

Other citizens are questioning if protesters are focusing on the animals and what they need? If that be the rehire of Moody, hiring other employees, or replacing the leadership.

Along with discharge papers, a Voluntary Statement was made by one of Moody’s former co-workers. The statement did say that Judy told the kitten owners in an aggressive tone,

If you would have kept the kitten inside the kitten wouldn’t have gotten injured and run off. If you don’t want people to pick up your animals you should keep a better eye on your pets and keep them inside.

Commenters mentioned this wasn’t the first time that an incident like this has happened.

FYN will follow this story as it continues, or read Animal Shelter Employee Fired.

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

 

Ask The Doc with Dr. Whaley – Exercising with your Pet, weight loss, and acid reflux

Health

In today’s segment with Dr. Whaley, he and BKP discuss the following viewer questions:
Is acid reflux the same as ulcers or GERD?

Is the expiration date on medication mean it can be harmful if used after the date? Are there any kinds which are dangerous if outdated?

What is the most effective exercise for weight loss?

This segment is sponsored by The Georgia Cancer Specialist.

Graduation Ceremony of Rescued~Saving Detainees & Dogs One Life at a Time

Featured, News

The Graduation Ceremony of Rescued was held on January 26th at the Colwell Detention Center.  Rescued is a joint effort between Colwell Probation Detention Center, Mountain Shelter and Castoff Pet Rescue to rescue dogs who would otherwise be euthanized, while providing a positive impact on the offenders within the Colwell Detention Center.

Each Program participant made an impact statement and it was abundantly clear the positive effect the time spent working with these dogs and the wonderful people associated with the program had made on these men.

I have always thought dog was God spelled backwards because dogs are such a beautiful reflection of unconditional love.  This program makes the lives better for so many more than the ones in the program, it reaches every aspect of the rest of these men’s lives, family, coworkers, friends and each person they may ever encounter.  I would love to see this program all over the United States.

Enjoy the photos and the full graduation video below.

[cincopa AYHAc299gDRV]

https://youtu.be/bx03ykiX_eA

Pickens Offers Free Pets

Lifestyle

Attention Pet Lovers!
All Pickens County Animal Shelter dogs, puppies, and cats are now free to qualified adopters for a limited time.
Kittens are $50 BOGO.
Hurry to Pickens County Animal Shelter before someone gets your best friend.

See all the available PCAS pets at: http://www.petango.com/PickensCountyAnimalControl
Pickens County Animal Shelter
3563 Camp Road
Jasper Ga. 30143
(706)253-8983
Hours- Tues thru Fri 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Sat 11:00 am – 3:00 pm

Pet of the Week – Nugget and Freckles

Lifestyle

(Nugget Left, Freckles Right)

 

Never compromise.

Get both 6 year old, 9 pound Freckles and 5 year old, 15 pound Nugget for one unbelievably low price.

Why settle for just Freckles the female dachshund or just Nugget when you can get the bonded pair for just $100? (spay and vaccines included). Go ahead, order dinner with desert, ice-cream with sprinkles, and Freckles with Nugget.

Because PCAS believes you deserve nothing less than the whole enchilada.

 

Visit http://www.petango.com/PickensCountyAnimalControl to see all of the available animals at:
Pickens County Animal Shelter
3563 Camp Road
Jasper Ga. 30143
(706)253-8983
Hours- Tues thru Fri 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Sat 11:00 am – 3:00 pm

Keep your Pet safe on the 4th of July!

Community

keep pets safe

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