09 August 2023 - 

Aloha !   As some of you saw on KHON news -  there is a couple dog suspect flu (Canine Influenza) cases on island .  

This virus has not been here before so most dogs are not vaccinated.

I would say this as of now —. It was VERY premature to draw any conclusions or even alert media at this point .   

The cases need to be verified (there are false positive results ). And both dogs were in same family .   So a lot more needs to be revealed and tracked before we have answers if this is real or not .    

Watch this page for updates as we get them !   

Please don’t text or email us since this is all we know .   

There is a vaccine available at some Veterinary Hospitals, but before you inject your pet, we should wait on confirmation that it is real and is spreading (2 cases same family could be potentially stopped) .  

If you feel the need to vaccinate your pet, that is totally fine, please as your veternarian if it is truly required.

A common ingredient in sugar-free products like chewing gum and breath mints is safe for human consumption but toxic to dogs. Labeled as “xylitol” within the ingredients list for most products, the same plant-derived substance can also be identified as “birch sugar” or “birch sap” in others, an important distinction for pet owners to make when screening a product to determine if it is safe for pets.

“This is tricky for us as pet owners, because if we know ‘xylitol’ but not ‘birch sugar,’ we won’t be looking for it,” said Dr. Camille Torres-Henderson, a veterinary nutritionist at Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital. “And just one product is enough to make a dog sick.”

While xylitol is particularly poisonous to dogs, it can also cause adverse effects in cats and ferrets, so it’s best to keep any products containing xylitol out of reach of all pets. If your pet is notorious for getting into spaces where you store these products – for example, if you keep sugarless gum in your backpack or purse – be sure to make them inaccessible.

“Dogs are more susceptible because they have more sweet receptors in their tastebuds, so they’re generally more interested in products containing xylitol,” Torres-Henderson said. “Even though cats can’t taste sweet as well as dogs can, they’re still at risk.”

 Signs of xylitol toxicity include vomiting, weakness, collapse, seizures, or uncoordinated gait. When a product containing xylitol is consumed by a dog, it is rapidly absorbed, causing insulin to be released from the pancreas and blood glucose levels can drop very low. Low blood sugar levels, or hypoglycemia, is life threatening and requires immediate treatment. Depending on the amount consumed, xylitol can also damage the liver, but these signs may be delayed for several days. 

Barks and Purrs will be temporarily closed from 10-20 November 2023 and will re-open on 21 November 2023.  Please plan accordingly, we will not be accepting any boarders during this time.