The Purrfect Nanny & Purrfect Pet Health Blog

In recent weeks, the popular micro-blogging site Twitter has received extensive coverage in the media. If you haven’t signed up for an account or have yet to check out the site, it’s helpful to think of Twitter like an enormous pool of instant text messages.  Once you join, however, the number of tweets (that’s what the individual messages are called) are restricted to only those you “follow”, or those who you sign up to watch.

While non-users may presume that Twitter simply enables narcissists to become more self-involved, Twitterers praise the benefits of participating in unique communities, without any of the borders of traditional communication.  The site has demonstrated particular utility in helping people foster relationships with others who share similar interests. 

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In the summer of one of the most turbulent economic periods in a lifetime, Americans are rediscovering simplicity and frugality.  These days, it’s not uncommon to see a small group playing an impromptu game of Frisbee, or a couple enjoying a nature hike through a local park, or an extended family spending an afternoon in the backyard barbecuing.

The summer months provide ample opportunities for outdoor fun, whether your idea of open-air enjoyment is a power-walk with your dog or watching an afternoon storm roll in from the safety of a back porch with your cat.  These activities help us brush away the winter cobwebs, shedding new light on our daily life.  But sometimes, we make discoveries that are not altogether pleasant.  Too often, the thinner, summer coats of our pets can reveal what winter coats have hidden from plain view – reddened skin irritations, possibly the sign of a seasonal or chronic allergy.

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For those who watched their companion animals suffer more than two years ago, after the worst pet food recall in American history, the pain is still fresh.  A resolution of sorts, however, is near at hand.

Two of the individuals central to the contamination that afflicted thousands of dogs and cats submitted guilty pleas to numerous misdemeanor charges and a single felony charge.  The married co-owners, Stephen and Sally Miller of ChemNutra, were originally scheduled for sentencing on June 16th, but that was postponed and, as of the date of this newsletter’s submission for publication, has yet to be rescheduled.

The Miller’s were indicted for their actions of knowlingly distributing more than 800 tons of melamine-laced wheat gluten imported from China in more than a dozen shipments.  The couple passed off these tainted goods as high-grade protein ingredients, selling it to several of the largest producers of canned pet food and ultimately resulting in the recall of over 150 different brands of pet food.

While the maximum sentence would be two years in prison without parole and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, those who have wished for a punishment equal to the crime may be disappointed by the upcoming decision.  Prosecutors handling the case have signalled their openness to leniency, recommending that the court impose a $25,000 fine against ChemNutra, $5,000 each against the Millers, and sentence the Miller’s to three years of probation each.

It is worth noting that ChemNutra is just one of the 20-plus companies required to contribute to a $24 million compensation fund, the outcome of a class-action lawsuit brought by families affected by the recall.  How much ChemNutra paid into this fund is not a matter of public record, and may never be made known.

Shared from the Healthy Pet Net Newsletter

Another working dog story! Once again a dog goes far beyond being just a family pet. These creatures are so amazing, such perfect companions to humans. As they parent of a child with a food allergy I can sympathize with the extraordinary measures we must take to keep our children safe. I can only imagine if my child had such a severe allergy- these animals are truly angels in disguise!

From the CBS “The Early Show”-

All dogs have powerful noses, but some canines are saving lives with their heightened sense of smell.

Remy, is trained to sniff for any trace of peanuts to help his 9-year-old severely allergic owner, Billy Gensel, live a normal life.

Billy is one of the nearly two million Americans who have an allergy to peanuts but Billy’s allergy was acute, keeping him from many activities.

“I couldn’t go to the carnivals. I couldn’t go to the hotel rooms. I couldn’t do some restaurants,” he said. “It was really, really harsh.”

But that all changed when Remy, a black Labrador retriever joined the family. Remy is trained to detect even the smallest trace of peanuts in food and the environment.

“Without Remy, I probably wouldn’t be here right now,” Billy said. “…She saves my life every day.”

When Billy came into contact with anything with the tiniest amount of peanuts on it, he would have an allergic reaction, and could have been sent into a potentially fatal anaphylactic shock.

Billy’s mother Karen said, “My job was to follow him around at a distance where I knew I could get to him with an EpiPen, if he touched something and all of a sudden he was touching his throat or couldn’t breathe.”

But now, Remy can smell anything in a room that may have peanuts on it and warns his owner. Bell reported Remy sniffs everything and everyone Billy may touch.

Dogs like Remy, Bell reported can be trained to sniff for peanuts in about six months. Each dog costs about $10,000.

But the price was worth it for the Gensels.

“I feel like Remy and the people who trained her are heroes,” Billy said.

“This dog has changed our life,” Karen said. “This dog is a brand new life. A totally different life. Of normal. It’s a life of normal, and for us that’s a really big deal.”

Two centers are training these dogs to sniff for peanuts the Florida Canine Academy and the Southern Star Ranch.

Bell added dogs have a real health and therapy application now, with the ability to sniff out certain life-threatening illnesses, such as epilepsy and cancer.