Good news for the pets in Pulaski County.

Mountain View Humane Spay/Neuter Clinics, with locations in Roanoke and Christiansburg,  was awarded a $2,000 grant by the Community Foundation of the New River Valley to create the Prevent Another Litter Subsidy – Pulaski County (PALS-P).

The money will be used to support our PALS-P program to help subsidize the cost of spaying and neutering the animals of seniors living on a fixed income, the animals owned by low income families, and free-roaming cats in Pulaski County. Each individual that applies for funding will fill out an aid application form verifying income and pay a small portion of the total surgery fee.

MVH’s services are targeted to serve pets from low income households, pets being readied for adoption, and stray free- roaming animals.

“By providing an affordable, accessible solution to pet overpopulation, we can reach that portion of the public who otherwise would not be able to afford the surgery,” Corrie Prater, the clinics’ marketing director, said in a news release.

Service                 MVH Cost            PALS-P Subsidy                        Total cost to owner after funding

Feline Spay                  $58                         $31                                   $27

Feline Neuter              $45                         $30                                   $15

Canine Spay                 $73                        $35                                   $38

Canine Neuter             $68                         $32                                   $36

Pet owners in Pulaski County that would like to take advantage of this fund can call the Christiansburg clinic at (540)382-0222 or  (855) HIP-SNIP. Aid applications can be filled out online at www.MountainViewHumane.org or over the phone with clinic staff.

Here’s an excerpt from a news release from Mountain View Humane:

The Waldron-Ricci Spay Neuter Clinic in Christiansburg and The Sabrina & Lucky Garvin Clinic in Roanoke, have received a $5,000 grant from the Animal Farm Foundation, Inc to help 100 Pit Bull or Pit Bull mix owners spay and neuter their pets. A female Pit Bull can be spayed for $23 and males can be neutered for only $18.

This is a $50 savings per surgery off Mountain View Humane’s normal low prices.

Mountain View Humane asks bully breed owners to call (855) HIP-SNIP (855-447-7647) to schedule their dog to be spayed or neutered and for more information.

Reduced fee surgeries are by appointment only and space is limited. Owners must show proof of current rabies vaccination or their pet can be vaccinated at the time of surgery for an additional $10.

This is a WONDERFUL opportunity to get your bully breed baby fixed at a very reasonable price.

As the pet parent of a bully-breed-mixed boy, I highly encourage you to get your dog fixed. There are too many unwanted pups and not enough good homes, and let’s be honest, bullys can be hard to place. It’s unfair, I know, because my Stormy is a sweet, lovable boy. But the reputation — built by less-than-responsible dog owners, thugs and the horrors of dog fighting, which usually victimizes this breed — makes them often the last ones chosen at a shelter.

A spayed and/or neutered dog is a happier and healthier pet, I promise you that.

Natura Pet Products has issued a voluntary recall of a variety of pet foods, sold nationwide under a varitey of different names, for potential Salmonella contamination.

Some of the brand names includes in this recall are Innova, Evo, California Natural and Healthwise.

According to the recall posted of the FDA website, no illness have been reported so far.

The list is far too long for me to post here, so follow this link to check if any of your pet’s food is on the list.

You can also follow this link to have your affected product replaced.

The Virginia Veterinary Medical Association announced that Courtney Wiegard, D.V.M., has received the 2013 Recent Graduate Leadership award in recognition of her contributions to the profession of veterinary medicine.

Wiegard was presented with this prestigious award at the 2013 Virginia Veterinary Conference on March 1 at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center.

Wiegard, who graduated from Virginia Tech’s vet school, joined  Vinton Veterinary Hospital in Vinton, Va. in June 2005 and was the driving force behing the Biggest Loser campaign at the clinic, which raised awareness about pet obesity. Wiegard alos helps raise money for the Good Samaritan Fund at Vinton Veterinary Hospital. Additionally, she is an instructor of two courses at Roanoke Memorial Hospital: one for expectant parents about integrating their newborns into homes with pets, and one teaching proper techniques for CPR for animals.

Congratulations to Dr. Wiegard.

Diamond Pet Foods is voluntarily recalling limited production codes of Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat Formula dry cat food, Premium Edge Senior Cat Hairball Management Formula dry cat food, Premium Edge Kitten Formula dry cat food, Diamond Naturals Kitten Formula dry cat food and 4health All Life Stages Cat Formula dry cat food.

According to a news release, internal company testing determined these specific lots of cat food may be deficient in thiamine, an essential B vitamin for cats.  Twenty-five states, including Virginia, are included in the recall.

No other product manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods is involved in this voluntary recall.

Pet owners who are unsure if the product they purchased is included in the recall, or who would like replacement product or a refund, may contact the Pet Food Information Center at 1­-888­-965-­6131, Sunday through Saturday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST. Consumers also may visit Website –http://www.petfoodinformationcenter.com for additional information.

Product                        Size        Production Codes                Best By

Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat Formula       18 lb. bags       NGF0703     10-Jul-2013

Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat Formula       6 lb. bags        NGF0802         15-Aug-2013, 16-Aug-2013

Premium Edge Senior Cat Hairball Management Formula  6 lb. and 18 lb. bags   NGS0101   03-Jan-2014, 04-Jan-2014

Premium Edge Senior Cat Hairball Management Formula  6 lb. and 18 lb. bags   NGS0702    10-Jul-2013

Premium Edge Kitten Formula   6 oz. samples, 6 lb. and 18 lb. bags     MKT0901   26-Sept-2013, 29-Sept-2013, 30-Sept-2013, 02-Oct-2013

Diamond Naturals Kitten Formula     6 oz. samples and 6 lb. bags  MKT0901    30-Sept-2013

4health All Life Stages Cat Formula    5 lb. and 18 lb. bags    NGF0802     14-Aug-2013, 18-Aug-2013

According to a news release from the Pet Poison Hotline (800-213-6680), these were the top five toxins for cats in 2012:

1. Topical spot-on insecticides: Topical flea and tick treatments that contain pyrethrins or pyrethroids made for dogs should not be used on kitties, and should be avoided on dogs that share homes and are exceptionally friendly with kitties. Read the labels to avoid these active ingredients, because if your cat comes in contact with them, it could result in severe drooling, tremors and seizures. From personal experience, keep an eye on bug-repellant outdoor clothing that sometimes contains these ingredients. My husband has a hat that is relegated to the garage because it’s coated in this stuff.

2. Household cleaners: This doesn’t give you permission to stop cleaning your house (sorry) but it does mean you have to be careful when storing toilet bowl cleaners, rust removers and drain cleaners. If ingested, this stuff is bad news for your cat and can result in difficulty breathing, vomiting and chemical burns to the mouth and esophagus.

3. Antidepressants: You don’t want to know me without my Prozac, but I don’t want Thai getting anywhere near my meds. Same goes for Zoloft, Cymbalta and especially Effexor, which must smell like canned cat food because kitties are drawn to it. These medicines can cause loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, tremors, seizures, hyperthermia and diarrhea.

4. Plants: Not all plants are bad, but cats have an instinct to nibble on leaves, so you want to make sure to leave the ones that could harm your kitty at the flower shop. The list includes a lot of lilies: tiger, day, Asiatic, Easter and Japanese show. Even a little pollen from these plants can cause kidney failure.  Peace, Peruvian and calla lilies are not true lilies and are not as dangerous, but can cause some minor symptoms. Choose roses, you can never go wrong.

5. NSAIDS: You know them as aspirin, naproxen and ibuprofen. To cats, these anti-inflammatories are a bad trip that can result in kidney failure and stomach ulcers. Acetaminophen, most commonly known as Tylenol, doesn’t get off the hook either. One pill can be fatal to a kitty. Just make sure these pills stay out of a curious cat’s path, and if you drop a pill, be sure to find it.

It may be winter now, but I promise you that spring is just around the corner and the heat is on the way.

Not just the external temperature, either. Spring turns up the heat on the sex drives of unaltered dogs and cats.

An unspayed female cat can produce, oh, I don’t know, about ten bazillion kittens. That’s an exaggeration, but only slightly. And to the folks who take in unwanted kittens at the pounds and shelters of our area, that number may sound low-balled.

You can help your girly kitty avoid littering and save a chunk of change, too, by taking advantage of Mountain View Humane’s “Beat the Heat” spay program during the month of February. Sponsored by PetSmart Charities, the program will fix your cat for just $20, a $38 saving.

The program is limited to the first 280 cats whose pet guardians mention “Beat the Heat” when their appointment is made, and at least 40 of those spots are already taken, so if you want to take advatange, you should act soon.

Kittens as young as eight weeks old can be fixed, thus preventing them from making more kittens before their first birthday. And that old saying that it’s better to let a cat go through one heat or even one litter before getting her fixed is a MYTH, folks.

What does the American Veterinary Medical Association have to say? It endorses spaying and neutering and backs up that endorsement with research that shows that the procedure can improve behavioral problems and even reduce the risk of certain cancers and infections.

Mountain View Humane has two convenient locations: 53 W. Main St. in Christiansburg and 5363 Peters Creek Road in Roanoke. Call 855-447-7647 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

This is my obligatory Thanksgiving warning entry — where I remind you all that too many table scraps can be very bad news for your pets and certain foods should always be considered a no-no.

By now most of you know the foods you should always avoid giving your dog: Chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions, garlic and ham. But you also want to avoid other foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt.

(Come to think of it, I should avoid those too. And now that I review my menu, that’s pretty much all the good stuff. Darn.)

Also, be careful about the carcass of the bird. Poultry bones are very bad for dogs, but you will never convince a dog of that with the heavenly smell floating around the kitchen after carving. I am not one to make my own stock, so we always make sure to double bag the bones and take them directly out to the trash can in the garage. This way I don’t worry about my tall dogs counter surfing  or knocking over the trash can in the kitchen while we are spooning up our second helping of stuffing in the dining room.

That’s not to say you can’t let your pets in on a little fun. Slipping your pet a wee bit of white meat from the turkey (minus the fatty skin) is OK. Just try to limit it to one snack and not one from everyone at the table.

(Blogger confession: I always save the excess crust from my slice(s) of pie for my dogs. They love “pie bones.”)

We want the entire family to enjoy tomorrow’s feast, and that can include your dogs and cats. But a trip to the emergency vet is no fun for anyone, so just use a little caution and everyone will have a happy holiday.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving weekend and see you Monday, readers!

Here’s a compendium of news for your and your pet,:

Let’s start with PetEx, the big critter-related expo happening at the Roanoke Civic Center on Saturday and Sunday. Admission to the event is $7 for adults and $5 for kids, but a little bird on Facebook said there are FREE kids passes at the checkout counter of your friendly neighborhood Kroger store.  That makes the event very affordable for families.

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Speaking of affordable, if your pet needs a rabies vaccine, the Virginia Department of Public Health is holding a clinic at Washington Park (corner of Burrell Street and Orange Avenue in Roanoke) from 9 a.m. to noon on May 12 and the vaccine will only cost $5. Pups must be at least three months old and all dogs must be leashed. Cats must be in a carrier. If you have a certificate of prior vaccination, your pet is eligible for a three-year vaccine.

You can save time by pre-registering online at www.tinyurl/rabiesclinic2012 by May 9.

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Got a pit-bull-type doggie and want to be a responsible pet owner? You can get your pittie fixed for the low, low price of $23 at Mountain View Humane in Christiansburg. The clinic got a grant to fix 100 bully-breed dogs and so far 19 people have taken advantage of this bargain. To get in on the deal, call 382-0222 to make an appointment. If you can’t make it all the way out to the New River Valley, ask about a free ride on the Hip to Snip trip when you make your appointment.

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Has your dog gotten into something potentially toxic? There’s an app for that.

The Pet Poison Helpline has launched a new iPhone app and a mobile-enhanced website, making it that much easier to get your questions answered when your pet has made a questionable edible call. The app has an index that allows users to search a full-color database for toxins, cross-referencing them by common and scientific terms.

The app costs .99 cents and is available through iTunes. For more information, go to www.petpoisonhelpline.com

I am working on a consumer-related column about monthly pet medications. We all know that between heartworm pills and bug treatments that monthly medications for pets can be very pricey.

We get our pets meds from the Kroger pharmacy. We find that they are competitive on prices and it’s easy for me to remember to get their prescriptions filled when I get my own filled. Full disclosure, my husband is the director of finance for the Kroger division here in Roanoke, so we are pretty loyal to Kroger for a lot of reasons.

I think there is also some money to be saved shopping around online. A friend who used to shop exclusively at 1-800-PetMeds told me she found the same medications at a lower price at Drs. Foster and Smith’s website.

I know a lot of folks just get their medications at the vet’s office and frankly, I probably would too if I had only one pet. I would stock up and get a year’s worth at a time when I took my solo critter in for the annual checkup because it would be so convenient. But with three dogs and two cats, that’s a HUGE investment of cash all at once.

So, dear readers, where do you buy your pet’s prescriptions and where can your fellow pet parents find the best deals?