Next week is National Dog Bite Prevention Week. The U.S. Postal Service, the butt of many dog bite jokes, takes this seriously, as well they should.

And so should we as pet parents.

Even though we may pamper them and treat them like babies, dog are still animals and most have a protective instinct for their own safety, for their home and for the ones they love.  The most mild-mannered pooch could potentially lash out if he or she feels afraid or threatened. It’s our job to make sure that our dogs are socialized well to minimize this risk and to take precautionary steps to ensure the safety of everyone who comes in contact with our pets.

These are good tips from the USPS:

How to be a Responsible Dog Owner

• Obedience training can teach dogs proper behavior and help owners control their dogs in any situation.
• Dogs can be protective of their territory and may interpret the actions of a letter carrier as a threat. Please take precautions when accepting mail in the presence of your pet.
• When a letter carrier comes to your home, keep your dog inside, away from the door, in another room or on a leash.
• Dogs that haven’t been properly socialized, receive little attention or handling, or are left tied up for long periods of time frequently turn into biters.

Here’s a list of US cities with the most frequent dog attacks. No city in Virginia makes the list (but our eastern neighbors Baltimore did) and I am sure we all want to keep it that way.

Nothing good comes of a dog bite, not for the dog, who could be labeled as dangerous and face seizure or worse, and certainly not for the injured person, who could be a child.

Photo by Rebecca Barnett | The Roanoke Times: Sabrina Garvin (left) of Roanoke County, president of the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center, assesses the progress of a pileated woodpecker held by Hannah Millsaps, 20, of Roanoke County.

Stepping out of my role as pet reporter, I got to take a walk on the wild side of animal life when I visited with a couple of local wildlife rehabilitators.

Click here to read the story from today’s Extra section.

I learned a lot from Sabrina Garvin and DeeDee Hartson, and they both reinforced something I have always believed: When it comes to nature, the less we humans do the better.

Of course if baby wildlife is truly endangered and needs help, compassionate people need to intervene, but before stepping in, step back and really assess the situation. Make sure that help is really needed and by all means, call a professional.

Hannah Millsaps, who works with Sabrina Garvin at the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center, said one of the best things that pet owners can do is to keep cats inside when its baby season in the great outdoors.

Personally, I am a huge advocate of keeping cats indoors year-round, but I think this is sage advice, especially if you know your kitty has a strong predator instinct. Besides, who really wants the “gifts” the cat is likely to bring?

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.

Photo from petmd.com

There is an interesting discussion over at the Round Table blog about feral cats.

M. Rupert Cutler, former president of the Defenders of Wildlife, takes the position that feral cats, who hunt for their own survival, are a danger to our eco-system, particularly to bird population and should be caught and euthanized.

Gretchen Tipps, a page designer here at The Roanoke Times, a famer in Bedford County and a personal friend of mine, argues that trap-neuter-release is an effective and more humane way to deal with feral colonies and that the cats are a great deterrent to the rodent population.

Both make some good points, and both have commenters supporting and opposing their positions.

Personally, I am a firm believer in keeping cats indoors for their own safety. I hate to see cats living wild.  The feral cat situation is a man-made problem stemming directly from people not spaying and neutering pets, allowing house cats to roam freely and dumping unwanted litters to fend for themselves.

But wherever you place the original blame, here we are with colonies of feral cats who live a harsh existence.

What do you think the answer is to the feral cat problem? Is TNR a viable solution, or is it more humane to catch and euthanize the cats rather than let them die a more painful death facing the elements on their own?

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

Angels of Assisi Spay/Neuter Wellness Clinic and Adoption Center is inviting the public to a seminar on animal welfare laws and the court system.

The meeting is scheduled for Saturday, April 13, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Greenfield Education & Training Center, 57 S. Center Drive in Daleville.

This is the course description on the event’s Facebook page:

“Have you ever wondered what role prosecutors take in animal abuse cases? How to truly identify a bait dog? What happens when an animal is taken by Animal Control officers? Why do some court cases last so long, and some are resolved right away? Leading experts in animal welfare law will be be answering those questions, and many more. Registration is free, and open to all- Animal Control officers, rescue groups, volunteers, and students are all welcome!”

Click here to register.

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.

A Roanoke Police Department K-9 dog died Monday because of a medical condition, authorities said.

Police spokeswoman Aisha Johnson said Oskar, a 5-year-old German shepherd, joined the department in August 2010 and was trained in narcotics detection, tracking and criminal apprehension.

Over the course of his career, Oskar recovered 70 pounds of marijuana, 44 grams of cocaine and 26 ecstasy pills, Johnson said. On at least one occasion, the dog found a handgun tossed by a person running from police.

Johnson said Oskar was paired with Officer T.A. Barber.

“The men and women of the Roanoke Police Department are proud to have served with K9 Oskar and are proud of his service,” Johnson wrote in a statement.

– Chase Purdy, The Roanoke Times

I have a special place in my heart for all service dogs, no matter if their partner is a police officer, military member, or a person with a physical challenge. These dogs live to be of service and they ask for little in return. Smart, loyal and brave, these dogs keep us safe and help people stay independant. Rest easy, Oskar. You were a proud servant of the people of Roanoke and we honor your memory.

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!

Scene from my neighborhood as my husband drove me to work this morning. Gorgeous.

Today’s Happy Wag column is all about common household items that can be toxic to pets.

The one I felt was most timely was mentioning that lilies can be very detrimental to a cat’s health. I happen to love lilies and I am pretty sure a stargazer or two has graced the center of my dining room table in bouquets, especially in the spring. Since we all know I can’t keep Thai off that table no matter how many times I blog about it (it’s like he doesn’t even READ this blog) I will be sure to keep those out of the house.

One thing I didn’t mention that would have been very timely today is the ice repellents and salt that many of us use on snowy days like this. Needless to say, your pet could get sick eating that stuff, but it’s also not good for their foot pads. Be sure to wipe down their feet if they happen to walk in anything other than snow.  My dogs happen to love a good rub down after they come in from a romp in the snow, so this one is easy for me.

And by the way, Roanokers, I know the bad weather is an inconvenience, broken limbs are dangerous and power outages are a lousy way to spend the day, but you gotta admit that this town sure looks good in snow.