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SAN FRANCISCO — Pet owners in San Francisco are on high alert after one dog became seriously ill from eating what appears to be a poisoned meatball. Veterinarians are now warning owners to keep an eye out for some serious symptoms.

Walking a dog in San Francisco is supposed to be relaxing. But owners are facing a new stress — the possibly poisonous meatballs left along city streets where dogs can easily find them.

“Certainly not letting them eat anything,” dog owner Mike Teck said. “I’m just keeping a real close eye on them.

A 7-year-old dachshund named Oskar was rushed to the vet after eating one of the meatballs. Dr. Carrie Journey says his symptoms are consistent with strychnine poisoning.

“This is a very rapidly absorbed toxin,” she said. “This is something that gets in the system within 10 to 15 minutes. So it’s important that people act quickly and get to a veterinarian ASAP if they think their dog has eaten something.”

But Oskar may not be the only victim. Another dog is showing symptoms of strychnine poisoning, which includes agitation, hyper-reactivity to light and noise, and seizures.

And here’s the big concern for dog owners — dozens of similar meatballs, stuffed with pellets, are being found all across the city. This includes neighborhoods like Diamond Heights, Twin Peaks, Cole Valley, and lower Haight.

One woman spotted a man collecting evidence.

“So I was like, what are you doing, and he was like, oh, gosh, you didn’t hear, so and so down the street told me that her dog was in the hospital because it had allegedly been poisoned” resident Sarita Groisser said. “So he showed me what he had been collecting and he had, and I’m not exaggerating, two dozen little balls in his bag already.”

Oskar’s vet says he has a good prognosis if he can make it through the next 24 to 48 hours.

Neighbors wonder if this is intentional. And if so, why in the city of Saint Francis, the patron saint of animals.

“I think it’s just terrible, if it was actually deliberate,” Teck said. “I don’t know who would do that in this neighborhood. Everyone seems so dog friendly.”

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(NaturalNews) It may sound like nonsense to some of you, but there are those who travel with their pets and in doing so would like to keep them safe when they are on the road.

Some innovative companies have honed in on this consumer “need” and have been working on products designed to lower risks to pets when traveling, particularly in automobiles. One such innovation is called a dog harness.

Only, so far anyway, none of the dog harnesses widely used by pet owners can withstand crash testing; all of them have failed miserably, according to recent reports. From CBSMiami:

A first-of-its-kind crash test for dog harnesses widely used by pet owners showed that none offer adequate protection, with not a single harness passing the test. The non-profit Center for Pet Safety (CPS) said during its harness tests, crash-test dog dummies turned into projectiles and were even decapitated.

Not a good start for a product designed to protect your pet.

Something is better than nothing?

“We tested them to the child safety restraint standard and we experienced a 100 percent failure rate to protect either the consumer or the dog,” CPS founder and CEO Lindsey Wolko told My33, the local CBS affiliate. “That is a very real concern for consumers.”

Indeed.

CPS did not disclose which harnesses it tested over fears that even fewer people would secure their pets while riding in automobiles.

But then again, if the harnesses it tested were ineffective, what would be the point of trying to secure them?

Well, Wolko says that, though some harness makers claim to do their own testing, there’s no government standard. That, she says, leads to an unregulated industry that can be dangerous for drivers (personally I was shocked that any “industry” in the U.S. remained unregulated, but that’s just me).

Some veterinarians are coming down on the side of “a little protection is better than no protection,” or, at least, the “appearance” of protection. One of them is Dr. Kim Haddad, who has treated pets that have sustained injuries in motor vehicle accidents.

“Broken legs, broken jaws, soft tissue injury, it can be pretty traumatic,” Haddad told My33.

Still, while injuries can be far worse for pets whose owners allow them to roam inside vehicles freely, just using a harness isn’t good enough either. And, in some cases, harnesses can prove to be just as lethal as getting thrown around a vehicle during an accident.

“Something is better than nothing, but again, it is only going to be as good as the manufacturer, the fit and the user application of the product,” Haddad said.

Some states require you to secure your pet

Not surprisingly, there is an organization – in this case the American Automobile Association (AAA) – that has researched the issue of pets riding free in vehicles. AAA says 20 percent of dog owners have admitted allowing their pets ride unrestrained. No word on whether these same owners had heard of the failure of dog harnesses to protect their pets.

Hollywood was jolted yesterday with the tragic news of James Gandolfini’s sudden passing. Gandolfini, 51, was vacationing in Italy when he died of a massive heart attack in Rome. Gandalfini had a soft spot for animals, especially Pit Bulls. It’s unknown if it was coincidence or compassion that brought Gandolfini to sign on for his latest film “Animal Rescue”. According to IMDB, “Animal Rescue” is a crime-drama centered around a lost Pit Bull, a wannabe scam artist, and a killing. The film will very likely bring much needed attention to Pit Bulls and shine a light upon the discrimination BSL laws place on the breed. The film will also showcase to the world just how misunderstood the breed is and what amazing, loving, loyal dogs they are. Tom Hardy also stars in the film and he was recently snapped on set cuddling with the adorable Pit Bill. Gandolfini is survived by his wife, baby daughter and teenage son from a previous marriage.

Natura Pet Products of Fremont, Nebraska, has today announced it is voluntarily recalling specific lots of dry pet food because they may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The recall includes specific lots of these brands…

• Innova
• EVO
• California Natural
• Healthwise
• Karma
• Mother Nature

No canned food is affected by this announcement.

The news of the event has been confirmed in a news release posted by the FDA.

What Products Are Recalled?

Where Were They Distributed?

The affected products are sold in bags through…

• Veterinary clinics
• Select pet specialty retailers
• Online in the USA and Canada

About Salmonella

Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea or bloody diarrhea
• Abdominal cramping
• Fever

Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms.

Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting.

Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

These products were packaged in a single production facility. During routine FDA testing, a single lot tested positive for the presence of Salmonella.

There have been no reports of pet or human illness associated with this product. In an abundance of caution, Natura is voluntarily recalling all products with expiration dates prior to June 10, 2014.

What to Do?

Consumers who have purchased the specific dry pet foods listed should discard them.

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An Alaska man whose boat overturned while he was out with two friends and a dog said the canine survived under the vessel for four days.

Jeremy McDonald, 34, said the boat overturned May 26 while he was out with his friends, brothers John and Billy Minerva, ages 35 and 25, and John Minerva’s girlfriend’s 30-pound Labrador retriever and terrier mix, Cutie, were out on the Chena River, the Fairbanks News-Miner reported Thursday.

McDonald and the Minerva brothers were able to make it to shore, but they were unable to find Cutie despite hours of searching.

McDonald said he was able to reach the damaged boat May 30 and Cutie revealed herself, alive and still wearing her canine flotation device, when a retrieval crew righted the vessel.

“I was pretty sure we were going to go there and find a dead dog,” McDonald said. “It was pretty much a miracle.”

John Minerva said he and his girlfriend, Grace Sommer, were overjoyed to have the dog back. He said she is recovering from her ordeal on the river.

“She was sore for a couple of days, but other than that she was fine,” Minerva said.

Big News Network (UPI)