Dr. Laura George Wins Final Harrisons’ Pet Products 2011 Clinical Case Report Contest

Harrisons’ Pet Products announces that Laura George, DVM was selected by the company’s medical review team as the winner of the Clinical Case Report of the Year. Dr. George is the Executive Director of Coming Home Animal Sanctuary in Candor, New York and Associate Veterinarian at Catnip & Carrots Veterinary Hospital, New Hyde Park, New York. The award includes a $1000 cash prize. Her submission was entitled The Use of HEALx Soother Plus in Traumatic Foot Wounds in a Rescued Rooster. Click here to view the presentation. (Warning graphic content)
The contest involves photographic documentation of an animal case in which one of the Harrisons’ Pet Products (AVIx, HEALx or Harrison’s Bird Foods) was used alone or in conjunction with other products to successfully resolve a disorder. Each case was rated according to medical relevance, case completeness, photo quality (before, during and after procedure) and overall presentation.

Click here to see other entries in the 2011 Clinical Case Contest and additional new cases. (Warning graphic content)

Click here to view previous winners of the Clinical Case Contest. (Warning graphic conten

Avian Enzyme - Now in 2oz Packages

Today we highlight one of our most popular supplemental items - Avian Enzyme.
Now available in 2 oz. packaging, Avian Enzyme is ideal for any bird with suspected digestion concerns. If your bird is passing undigested food, not adding enough weight or simply doesn't appear to benefit as it should from a good diet Avian Enzyme may help.

Avian Enzyme is added to your bird's food and eases the assimilation of nutrients and overall digestion of foods. Avian Enzyme is ideal for use with Harrison's formulas.


AVIAN ENZYME
A source of live, naturally occurring enzymes for birds.

GUIDELINES FOR USE:

- To improve digestion in any bird under any condition.
- Uses can also include, birds with chronic pancreatitis, malabsorption syndrome, proventricular dilation, neonates with slow-emptying of the digestive system, geriatric birds, or birds under stress of illness.
- May be beneficial in Day 1-7 neonates being hand-fed.
- Also indicated in chronically ill or geriatric birds that seem to not be getting all the benefits from their food and for sick birds under stress of illness.
- For hand-feeding when formula seems too thick when the correct amounts of water and powder are used.

Dose and Administration: Add a pinch of Avian Enzyme over hand-raising formula and allow to stand after stirring to achieve desired consistency. If still too thick, add more Avian Enzyme. Do not add more water than called for in hand-feeding formula directions. Add to tube-feeding formula for sick birds - one pinch per feeding mixed in formula. Add to dry food for recovering birds - a pinch (1/16 tsp) per meal.

Ingredients: Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cultured on corn, wheat, rye, malt, corn syrup and molasses.

National Bird Day Contest Entries.

Below is a link Dr. Harrison has asked to pass along to all of our friends that discusses the importance of free-flight in parrots. It's amazing how insightful even the youngest kids can be...

LINK: National Bird Day Contest Entries

"January 5th is National Bird Day! This important occasion was established by the international animal protection organization, Born Free USA in conjunction with The Avian Welfare Coalition. Its purpose is to honor the diversity of beautiful bird species world wide, to encourage us all to help preserve the natural places that support birds, and to embrace freedom as the right of all winged creatures.

To herald the event, Foster Parrots & The New England Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary has sponsored a National Bird Day Awareness contest for children in grades 1 - 6. The children are asked to do their best work, coloring a picture of a parrot, and writing a paragraph answering the following:

Pretend you are a parrot!  - Tell us why flying free is important to you!"

"It is important because it allows me to explore the universe and not just be stuck in a tiny claustrophobic
space all day. Flying free is a feeling of independence and it allows me to interact with other parrots. Being in a cage is like staring into a wonderland while standing behind a pane of glass. It also provides
good physical exercise from being locked up.

Zane - Age 10"

Buzzy The Cockatiel Turns his Health Around!

Here at Harrison's we love all the success stories we get from our clients (and their owners). Today's post is a very special story about Buzzy the cockatiel, submitted by his owner Jennifer B. from Romulus Michigan.
It's not uncommon for stressed seed eaters to turn it around quickly once switched to Harrison's. (for quick "Bird Bread conversion" please visit http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/budgies.html )

(Photo, courtesy Jennifer B. - Buzzy, before and after)

Here's what Jennifer had to say...

"Just wanted to share the story of my bird! I adopted Buzzy, a rescued cockatiel, just under a year ago. He'd been kept in overcrowded conditions, and the other birds plucked him relentlessly.

I was told that his feathers probably wouldn't come back. He'd also been living on an all-seed diet, and it turned out that he had a chronic respiratory infection (which took several trips to the vet and several courses of antibiotics to clear up). I took the photo on the left in April, when he was finally mostly healthy and ready to start a diet conversion. It took a couple months, but by the end of June, he was eating Harrison's mash as his main food (I mixed Lifetime and HP, because I couldn't get him to eat the HP on its own. Now he's on Lifetime only). He also gets a small piece of Harrison's Bird Bread (made with Sunshine Factor, as recommended by his vet) every day, along with a small amount of veggies and millet for variety.

Since the diet change, he's grown in lots of new feathers! The pic on the right was just taken a month ago. His neck is still pretty bald, but look at his face! Even better -- he seems happy and his blood values are almost normal now. I firmly believe the Harrison's products have a lot to do with his improvement... so, thank you! :)

Buzzy had been a little underweight at 73 grams when I first adopted him, but since the recovery from his illness and the diet change, he's been steady at 78 grams (which is about right for his size). At his last physical exam, the vet commented on how well-muscled Buzzy is now. Buzzy's also been singing a lot more, and has been more active in general. He looks forward to his snuggle time every evening, when he gets his Harrison's Bird Bread. I'm not sure if he's mostly interested in the snuggles or the bread, though, lol. One more brand new thing - he's had a bald spot on his right wing, where the long primary feathers are supposed to be, so he hasn't been able to fly. Well, when I was giving him his shower this morning, I noticed a new feather starting to come in.

Not much is known about his past though, beyond the overcrowded conditions he'd been in. I'm not even sure how old he is (he had X-rays done when he was sick, and the vet said it looked like he might be an older bird, but beyond that, no clue)."

An extra special thanks to Jennifer B. and Buzzy for taking the time out of her day to share their story!

Happy Holidays to all of our feathered friends (and their owners)! - The Harrison's Team

Harrison's - The Official Photo Shoot!

Today's blog post is a fun quickie, revealing a few "behind the scenes" pics from the very highly anticipated Harrison's photo shoot.

The photos are the first "official" shots of the newer Harrison's packaging. Paparazzi was not privy to the secret Nashville shooting location. Look for these photos to hit the street sometime in early 2012!

 



Reader Response to "What’s the Solution for Abandoned Pet Birds?"

Special thanks to Christine R. for sharing her response to our inquiry from September when we asked What’s the Solution for Abandoned Pet Birds? in the most recent Avian Examiner.

"I worked in horse welfare for several years.

The problem that I see is that animal welfare organizations have conditioned the American Public to, "rescue & save". While that is laudable, rescue does NOTHING to change what is causing the problem. Rescue often enables owners, allowing them to be irresponsible.

If you want to change human behavior there has to be a negative consequence. People MUST be held accountable for their actions. In this country we use the Justice System, either criminal or civil, to hold people accountable.

Speaking from experience I can tell you that when the State Police show up at your door to investigate a complaint of cruelty or abandonment, people take notice. When people have to PAY MONEY for something or face the prospect of being convicted of cruelty to animals, their response is vastly different than when a rescue shows up & takes an animal ( " a problem"), off their hands.

Holding owners accountable is not 100% effective, no approach can claim that. Despite the fact that homicide, rape, robbery, & kidnapping, and a host of other acts are criminal, does not stop people from breaking the law. However, I am certain if law abiding owners, and the majority are law abiding citizens, knew they would be arrested with their name & picture on the evening news, they would think twice.The above approach though is reactive, which is what policing is. We also need to change society, & THAT is the tough one. People are conditioned from an early age that if they want something, they CAN HAVE IT RIGHT NOW! Where before parents made a child wait before they could own a pet, now if the child wants something, the child gets it.

I strongly believe that before ANYONE takes ownership of an animal, they need to go & work with a reputable professional. Learn what is involved in providing for this animal, understand its needs, & what is involved in the day to day care of the animal.

Education is wonderful, and RESPONSIBLE people WILL educate themselves. The responsible people though are NOT the problem. It is the IRRESPONSIBLE people who are the problem & that is where the police step in because that is the tool we use in is country to hold IRRESPONSIBLE people accountable for their actions.

Animal welfare organizations, along with veterinarians, need to start conditioning/marketing the concept of accountability & responsibility. The American Public needs to stand up and DEMAND that owners be held accountable.

The problem is often, not the law, but enforcement of the law. Often those tasked with enforcement are not suited for enforcement because they are emotional. The investigation of animal cruelty demands personnel trained in law enforcement, with a SPECIALTY in animal cruelty. We need veterinarians and other animal caretakers trained in forensics and the criminal justice system, along with resources.

The amount of money paid in state sales taxes in each state by pet owners on pet related products more than justifies the expenditure of resources to enforce the cruelty law, and passage of legislation if it is proven that the law itself is lacking, and not enforcement that is lacking.

There will always be those who are cruel to animals, but it is about time we started holding them accountable for their cruelty.


Sincerely,
Christine R."


Thanks again to Christine.
We would love to hear from you as well. Please submit your ideas to Dr. Harrison at birddoc@harrisonspetproducts.com

The Effects of Mega Agriculture and its Effects on the Health of Animals

Dr. Greg Harrison presented a very well received lecture on the Effects of Mega Agriculture at the IWRC conference last month and it was so well received that many organizations asked him to send them a link to the presentation so they could share the “message” with their followings.

Below you will find the full presentation and a shorted (6 minute) version for your viewing pleasure and to share as you see fit.

Short version (5+ minutes) of:

What You Need to Know About Mega-agriculture and Its Effects on the Health of Animals Introduction

Full Version (1 hour) of

What You Need to Know About Mega-agriculture and Its Effects on the Health of Animals

Thank you for your commitment to excellence and to making a difference in the lives of companion animals and wildlife!