A Cat Rides on the Hood of a Car!

Some residents of Sandy Oregon were terrified last week when they saw a cat riding on the hood of an SUV. A witness captured the event on her cell phone and alerted the authorities. Unfortunately, both police and animal control officers were unable to do anything because, according to Oregon state law, it's perfectly legal for a cat to ride on the hood of a car. State legislators had previously outlawed canines from cruising on automobile hoods but didn't foresee this feline complication.

The owner of the cat insists his pet enjoys the rides. In fact, he claims to take special precautions when out cruising the neighborhood with his cat on his hood by using a special pink leash to prevent the cat from going too far down on the hood. Oh, and he also wears a reflective vest. I really don't know what to say about this case.

This kind of is mind blowing-ly stupid. I mean what the (heck) is this guy doing and why can't somebody stop it? The reason I bring this bat-shoot-crazy case to your attention, is it shows there are many animal safety ordinances that don't include cats.

What do you think Off Labelers? Is it cool to cruise with your cat on the hood of a car?

Bear's Burns Healed by Fish Skins

Veterinarians from the University of California at Davis used an unusual treatment method to help out wild animals that were burned during the recent California wildfires. Veterinarian Jamie Peyton of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine examined the burned bear's feet and knew this was going to be a challenging case.

Peyton used a technique first documented in Brazil that involves suturing tilapia fish skin to wounds. Using fish skins as bandages ensured that if the wild animals chewed off their bandages, they wouldn't be harmed.

Peyton was amazed at how quickly the bear's Burns recovered. Peyton and team also wrapped the injured areas in corn husk and rice paper. They joked that they called the bears “Taco Feet” or “California bear rolls.”

The bears have been returned to the wild where they are reportedly doing well. Off Labelers, what's the craziest thing you've ever used to wrap a patient’s injury?

Pet Owners Spend Thousands of Dollars Every Year Keeping Their Pets Healthy and Happy

VIP Petcare recently released their 2017 survey results of over 2000 pet owners. They were seeking to understand the current attitudes and expenditures of pet owners, especially younger pet owners.

Some of the highlights of the survey include:

·      65% of respondents reported a medical emergency resulting in unforeseen veterinary costs

·      57% reported they had difficulties paying for medical treatments or surgery for their pets

·      49% responded they had to euthanize a pet because of a serious illness that they were completely unaware of

·      84 % refer to themselves as pet parents

·      68% of millennial pet owners said they got a pet to prepare for parenthood

·      Dog owners reported they spent almost $2,260 a year to care for their dog while cat owners reported $1,576

·      Owners also reported spending $296 per year in unexpected medical costs

And finally, a statistic that I was very proud of: 54% of survey respondents reported that their dog led them to live a healthier life and get more exercise.

Whenever I see surveys like this, two things instantly jump out at me. The first is how inexpensive medical care is for dogs and cats in the United States. The second thing is just how much we love our dogs and cats. This survey once again validated the reason that we love our profession – and our pets – so much. Sharing your life with an animal can enrich you in ways that we can't measure. In a survey like this and more importantly it's a bargain.

Until next time, keep living that Off Label Life!