4petsusa Blog

A Blog About Tips and Information On Pet Health.

News Flash!

“Pfizer Animal Health is discontinuing its ProMeris flea and tick control product.

Pfizer acquired ProMeris, which controls fleas and ticks on dogs and controls fleas on cats, with the acquisition of Fort Dodge Animal Health in 2009.

According to a statement from Pfizer Animal Health: “We have completed a thorough review and evaluation of the strategic fit into the Pfizer Animal Health portfolio and have made the decision to discontinue the manufacture and sale of ProMeris for Dogs and ProMeris for Cats. We notified our current customers of this decision in early April and will continue to fill their orders until September 30, 2011, or while supplies last.”

Pfizer will continue selling its Revolution parasite control product for dogs and cats.” – AVMA News

So lots of customers are asking “Now what?”.

For most ProMeris users the answer is simple: Pfizer is right, there are a lot of other flea and tick treatments out there. But for a unique group of ProMeris users their troubles are being compounded. True, the main use of ProMeris is for flea and tick control, but some are using it on their vet’s recommendation for general parasite control and even more specifically for control of “Red Mange”.

Poor Pup (-.-)

For these pet owners the questions of “Now what?” remains. The first answer is, of course, “ask your vet”. Your vet, and only your vet, can offer the perfect treatment tailored precisely for your pet and his/her level of mange. That said, most Red Mange treatments are by prescription only and require multiple expensive clinic visits.

The use of ProMeris as a Red Mange treatment was an “Off Label” use. Meaning that it was not the intended purpose of the medication, but rather a use that experienced veterinarians have discovered and found to be useful, as well as convenient, for their patients. Useful due to its success when combined with traditional treatments under veterinary supervision, and convenient due to its over the counter classification and ease of acquisition.

As of the writing of this blog post I have found no other semi-Over The Counter medications that can be used as a ProMeris alternative. It would seem that all the people who are currently prescribed ProMeris as a treatment for their dogs with Red Mange should take their pups in to their vet for a follow up, and send some messages to Pftzer to please not discontinue this product!

Pfizer:

 

235 East 42nd Street
NY, NY 10017

Phone: 1-212-733-2323

We at 4petsusa are all enthusiastic animal lovers, and could write for pages and pages about silly, sad, or sweet experiences that we had with our pets. But it’s our customers that are the real foundation of 4petsusa, and we want to make sure that your voices are heard. So, here’s what we’d like to offer. You send in a written story about your cat, dog, horse, or other pet, and we’ll post it up on the blog for all 4petsusa customers to read about. If you can send in pictures of your pet(s) along with your story or article, that’s even better! We at 4petsusa will be sure to attribute any pictures or stories to the proper source on the blog, and you’ll get to share your experiences as a pet owner with other animal lovers around the web.

The staff of 4petusa will be posting more articles and stories in this space in the days to come. Keep an eye on this area – good things are coming!

It’s no surprise that parrots and exotic birds are a popular choice for many pet owners around the globe. After all, pet birds tend to be highly social and interactive with people. Plus, exotic birds are very agile and intelligent, and can be taught to perform a wide range of tricks, including speech for many species! However, with that intelligence comes a lot of demand on the owner, and a lot of commitment.

This is cockatoo for "curious"... I think.

I own a sulfur-crested cockatoo named Peaches. She’s belonged to friends of mine for several years, and I have recently become the main caretaker in her life. Peaches has easily been one of the most rewarding pets I’ve ever owned. The affection and attachment that Peaches displays towards me (and to the rest of my friends…her extended flock) is stunning. Plus, she’s intensely inquisitive, and is constantly analyzing her environment and looking for ways to communicate with her “family”. However, I’ve also run into pitfalls while caring for Peaches.
1) COCKATOOS REQUIRE A LOT OF TIME AND ATTENTION. In the wild, cockatoos are constantly interacting with the rest of their flock. They talk, preen, and generally stay close to one another. In a domestic situation, cockatoos expect the same level of attention from their pet owners, generally AT LEAST 2-3 hours of direct interaction per day. Many families, despite their best intentions, cannot commit that daily time, due to distractions such as:
-parenthood
-work
-parenthood
-school
-parenthood
-etc
And if you’re thinking about getting a cockatoo for a child, remember: Many children aren’t prepared for that level of commitment for their pet. Also, remember: cockatoos are a LIFETIME commitment. Cockatoos can easily live to be 70 years old.

Not a Happy Bird

If you buy a cockatoo, chances are you’ll be spending most of your lives with each other. Without daily interaction, cockatoos can become traumatized and demented, leading to excessive squawking and even feather plucking. This leads to a second point…

2) COCKATOOS ARE NOISY BIRDS. Cockatoos like to screech and squawk, often and loudly. Some of this behavior, such as squawking to beg for food or squawking for attention, can be controlled with proper interaction and training. However, other behavior, such as squawking at sunup and sundown and squawking to “bring in” other members of the flock when alone, is harder to control, as it’s almost completely instinctual and hard to overwrite. If you plan on owning a cockatoo, be prepared for noise
3) IT’S EASY TO TEACH COCKATOOS BAD HABITS. Cockatoos, just like children, can become spoiled. If you spoil your bird and reward bad behavior, cockatoos can become loud and obnoxious, constantly “begging” and even becoming aggressive. I’ve often left Peaches with relatives for a day or two, only to find that she had gotten used to treats every time she squawked. It took months to get her to realize that “birdie junk food” was not on tap anymore. So, while daily interaction is important for your bird, it needs to be DISCIPLINED interaction. Otherwise, your pet becomes unruly.

"Unruly"

4) COCKATOOS LOVE TO CHEW. I can’t tell you the number of times that I’ve come home to find that Peaches’ cage wasn’t locked quite right, and then proceeded to frantically look for the item that she had decided to demolish with her beak. Books, cables, pencils, boxes, cabinets, and cushions have all been taken apart by Peaches at some time or other. Cockatoos love to chew. Giving them proper toys to channel their chewing tendencies can help your bird stay busy.
In short, cockatoos take a lot of time and understanding to raise. If you want a more independent pet, consider picking up a cat, and if you want a pet that you can train to near-ideal behavior, I’d suggest a dog. But, if you’re looking for an intelligent, clever pet that rewards many hours of interaction and training with near-limitless affection, then cockatoos, or similar exotic birds, may be right for you!
(A note: if you decide to take on a large parrot as a pet, PLEASE, PLEASE get your animal from an established bird breeder! The amount of suffering that wild parrots and cockatoos endure from capture is immense…which is why most cannot survive the journey from their homes. Please only buy exotic birds that were born in captivity!)

Normal cockatoo family cook out