On Valentine’s Day, Keep Chocolate Away

PORTLAND, Ore.—Valentine’s Day is for lovers—of chocolate, in many cases, which is why DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital underscores the importance of keeping animals away when those holiday chocolates arrive.

“Chocolate is toxic and can be fatal for animals,” said Dr. Ladan Mohommad-Zadeh, DACVECC, DoveLewis. “Dogs are most at risk because they are typically more interested in eating things they shouldn’t. Cats and other animals may also suffer the toxic effects of chocolate; yet, they’re usually pickier eaters. Bottom line, if you suspect your animal has eaten chocolate call DoveLewis or your veterinarian immediately.”

Dangers of chocolate

Cacao beans contain theobromine, which is toxic to animals. Human bodies can break it down and dispose of it naturally, whereas animals cannot. Its half life in a dog’s body is 17.5 hours, but signs are most commonly seen within 12 hours (or less) of chocolate ingestion. Theobromine can stimulate the central nervous and cardiovascular systems and increase heart rate and blood pressure.

Watch for signs

·         Excitement, nervousness & trembling

·         Vomiting & diarrhea

·         Excessive thirst & urination

·         Muscle spasms & seizures

·         Coma & death

Not all chocolate is created equal

The more actual cacao bean in chocolate, the more dangerous it is. For example, chocolate that’s closer to pure, like unsweetened, dark, and baking chocolates contain 8-10 times the amount of theobromine as milk chocolate. White chocolate contains theobromine, but in such small amounts that poisoning is unlikely. Semi-sweet chocolate falls roughly in between the two. Caffeine, which is present in chocolate, can also be dangerous; however there’s less of it in chocolate than theobromine.

Size matters

The size of the animal and type of chocolate dictates the reaction. For example, a 50 lb. dog would have to eat about 9 oz. of milk chocolate (fewer than 7 chocolate kisses) to become sick. However, a 15 lb. dog eats 2 oz. of baking chocolate, he would be at great risk. The same amount of white chocolate may give him only an upset stomach.   

About DoveLewis

DoveLewis Animal Hospital, established in 1973 and based in Portland, Ore., is the only non-profit, 24-Hour Emergency and Intensive Care Unit in the region. DoveLewis provides donor-funded programs to the community including one of the United States’ largest volunteer-based animal blood banks, a nationally recognized pet loss support program, 24-hour stabilizing care for lost, stray and wild animals and financial assistance for qualifying low-income families and abused animals. For more information, please visit DoveLewis.org.

New iPhone App Raises Funds for the Oregon Humane Society

Dexter, of Branium Studios, with the new appA new app developed by a Portland publisher lets users play solitaire while raising funds for rescuing dogs, cats and other animals in need.

The Oregon Humane Society, the oldest and largest animal organization in the Northwest, will receive 100% of the proceeds from the sale of Spider Solitarie, a new application for the iPad and iPhone.

Developed by Portland’s Branium Studios, Spider Solitaire is the follow-up to the studio’s No.1 ranked Solitaire game in the Android Market and the fastest growing game in the iTunes App Store. The game is a simple and extremely popular variation of the classic card game Solitaire, where the goal is to build stacks of cards descending in suit sequence from King to Ace. The app was released today on the App Store, and can be seen online here.

For the next 30 days, Branium will donate 100 percent of the profits from Spider Solitaire to OHS. That means for every 99 cents spent to purchase the application, 69 cents goes to Oregon Humane Society (the iTunes App Store takes the rest). The funds raised will be spent to help rescue and care for pets in need at OHS. In 2011, OHS found homes for more than 11,000 pets. OHS never puts a time limit on how long animals remain available for adoption.

"It's really important for us, as a company, to give back. And since we all love animals, when I adopted my best friend two years ago, OHS was the clear choice," said Daniel Savickas of Branium Studios. On Christmas day, the Angry Birds app boasted 6.5 million downloads, netting $4.5 million. “Instead of helping Angry Birds gorge on another meal, put your buying power to good use and help the animals of Oregon,” said Savickas.

2012: A Spay Odyssey - 500 Cats to be Altered In One Week to help Low-Income Residents

Portland, OR:  In honor of World Spay Day on February 28, and to prevent unwanted litters of kittens from being born this spring, the Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland (ASAP) is offering 500 free spay/neuter surgeries the week of February 27 in five locations around the Portland/Vancouver metro area. World Spay Day is an annual occurrence that aims to highlight  spay/neuter as a proven means of ending pet overpopulation and is part of a global, united effort to end the euthanasia and suffering of companion animals. 

Qualified cat owners can have their unsterilized cats or kittens spayed or neutered for free during the week. Caretakers of stray or feral cats can take advantage of this offer as well.  Surgeries are performed by licensed veterinarians and subsidized through charitable donations. 

“In an average week our program helps 200 cats, adding more surgery slots than usual and offering the surgeries for free this week will help us reach even more cats during this crucial time of year”, says Joyce Briggs, President of the Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs, and a volunteer with the ASAP Spay & Save Program. “In wintertime cats go into season, and many are pregnant by March. Preventing those kittens is the reason for this event. With nearly 22,000 cats entering our area shelters annually, we need to focus on finding good homes for them, without a flood of kittens this Spring. There are not enough homes for all of them.”
 
What: Over 500 free cat spay/neuter surgery spots will be available the week of February 27 – March 2.
 
How to Qualify: Qualified cat owners must live in Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington, or Clark Counties AND receive government assistance, such as Medicaid, food stamps,  Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Section 8/Public housing, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Oregon Health plan and Subsidized Lunch Program funding.

Where: Services provided by licensed veterinarians and caring surgical teams at the locations below. Transportation assistance may be available for those unable to take advantage of this offer because of travel issues.
 
Cat Adoption Team – Sherwood 
Oregon Humane Society – NE Portland
Multnomah County Animal Services – Troutdale
Humane Society of SW Washington – Vancouver
Feral Cat Coalition – for strays or feral cats  
 
How to Participate: Call 1-800-345-SPAY for a cat you own; or 503-797-2606 for feral cats. Free spay/neuter appointments will be scheduled for February 27 – March 2, 2012 only. 
 
# # #
 
The free spay/neuter surgeries are being offered through the Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland’s Spay & Save program. ASAP is a coalition of the greater Portland area's leading animal welfare organizations and the veterinary community. The Spay & Save program is working to reduce the number of cats and kittens that are coming into our shelters every year – over 22,000 in 2010 alone. This vital program is funded through private donations as well as grant monies. Special thanks to PetSmart Charities® for their grant support.  See www.spaysave.org for details on qualifying, addresses of surgery locations and more.   

Fat Cat is Looking to Find Workout Partner in the New Year

Portland, OR – One of the largest cats ever seen by the staff of the Oregon Humane Society arrived at the shelter last week. At 28 pounds, the loveable male cat is now seeking a home, as his previous owner’s new landlord does not allow felines. Walter’s excessive weight will make him the biggest animal in the shelter eligible for tomorrow’s “Lucky 12” adoption campaign, when all adult cats and rabbits have an adoption fee of just $12.

“This cat is looking for a workout partner to help him lose weight in the new year,” said Sharon Harmon, OHS executive director. “Obese cats are no laughing matter, and we will give a free bag of low-calorie cat food and a laser pointer for exercise to whoever adopts Walter,” said Harmon. Approximately 53% of cats in America are considered to be overweight according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. Overweight cats are being seen more frequently by veterinarians for various disorders and the number of obese pets is growing.

Beginning tomorrow, Jan. 12, 2012, all OHS adult cat and rabbit adoption fees will be reduced to just $12.  Adoption fees for cats are usually $55 - $85 and $35 for rabbits. The adoption fee for pets includes spay/neuter, an identification microchip, initial vaccines, one month of pet insurance, a free veterinary exam and plenty of support and information from OHS. The “Lucky 12” promotion runs through the end of January.

Note: OHS closes early today, Wed. Jan. 11, at 4 pm. Normal hours for seeing Walter and all other OHS pets resume Thursday, Jan. 12.

What: $12 adoption fee special: all cats and bunnies one year old and older are just $12.
When: Begins Jan. 12 and continues through Jan. 31, 2012.
Where: Oregon Humane Society, 1067 NE Columbia Blvd., Portland, OR 97211.
Hours: OHS is open Sun. – Wed., 10 am – 7 pm; Thurs. – Sat., 10 am – 9 pm.
For more information: See all cats and bunnies available for adoption online at www.oregonhumane.org , (503) 285-7722.

Update on Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 4:00 PM by Spot Magazine

JAN 12, 2012:  Walter the fat cat appears to have found his new home. Adoption is being processed now at the Oregon Humane Society. Walter should be going home around 11:30 am today from OHS at 1067 NE Columbia Blvd in Portland. 

OHS on the Road with New Rescue Vehicle

Portland, OR: Helping animals in shelters across the region just got a lot easier for the Oregon Humane Society, thanks to the state-of-the-art rescue vehicle funded by a grant from PetSmart Charities®. The new truck will be completing its first long-distance journey tomorrow, when it returns from a 1,400 mile round-trip helping animals in Merced, Calif.

Today's arrival will be the first of many in 2012, as the vehicle will be traveling routes throughout Oregon and beyond, bringing back animals from smaller shelters faced with too many pets and too few adopters. OHS will use the new vehicle in its Second Chance Program, which last year reached out to dozens of shelters in Oregon, Washington and California, bringing 3,654 animals to OHS in Portland. Second Chance pets, and all pets at OHS, remain available for adoption until they find permanent loving homes.

“Trips like this by OHS are a huge help to us. I don’t know what we’d do with them,” said Kristi Caseri, animal services supervisor for Merced County Animal Services.

The new vehicle is expected to arrive at OHS with 35 dogs from Merced on Tuesday, Jan. 10, around 7:30 pm. The truck is equipped with 40 kennels, back-up safety systems to make sure comfortable temperatures are always maintained for the animals, and even a video camera so the driver can monitor the pets.

“We anticipate a huge increase in demand for our Second Chance program, and this new vehicle will help us meet that demand,” said Sharon Harmon, OHS executive director. It’s estimated the truck will help OHS achieve a 30% increase in the number of rescued pets over the next four years.

Operating expenses for the truck are provided through a generous five-year grant from Ellyn Bye through the Dream Envision Foundation. “Animals are fortunate to have such great partners as PetSmart Charities and Ellyn Bye. Thanks to them, we’ll be savings thousands of lives,” said Harmon.

The new vehicle will focus on long-distance routes to a variety of faraway shelters, including those located in Klamath Falls, Medford, Longview, Wash., and Merced, Calif.