When the phone started to ring and my email started to fill, I knew something must have happened again in the world of dog and cat food. As of this writing more foods have been recalled and a few more ingredients besides wheat gluten have been added to the list of “not to safe.”

Evidence suggesting that a shipment of the ingredient “Rice Protein Concentrate” contained melamine has come to light. As reported by OregonLlive.com posted by The Associated Press and The Oregonian “Ingredients imported from China that went into recalled pet food may have been intentionally spiked with an industrial chemical to boost their protein content, federal officials said today.

That’s one theory being pursued by the Food and Drug Administration as it investigates how the chemical, melamine, contaminated at least two ingredients used to make more than 100 brands of dog and cat foods. Melamine has been found by U.S. laboratories in both wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate imported from China.”

Melamine, an ingredient in plastics and fertilizers could lead to kidney failure in animals.

Stephen Sundlof, chief veterinarian for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said melamine, which has turned up in more than 100 brands of cat and dog food, might have been used to falsely boost the apparent nutritional content of rice protein. Melamine can skew test results to make a product appear more protein-rich than it really is, Sundlof said.

You think when you are buying food that all pet food manufacturers have your pet’s best interests in mind …………..right? – After all, who doesn’t love your pets more? Current pet food regulations allow manufacturers to use ingredients that you would never knowingly give to your pet. For example: by-products used (feet, bones and intestines, etc.), or as some of you heard the 4 D’s, dead diseased, dying and disabled Chemical preservatives (BHA and BHT) should not be in your pet’s food. Look for grains that are often difficult to digest (corn, wheat, gluten and soy), which are often used as a protein source instead of meat, should be avoided

If you switch to premium dog food, switch your pet’s diet to premium treats, bones and supplements. Often times we over look what else we are giving them. Treats can contain the harmful and not so healthy ingredients as listed above.

Life’s Abundance premium pet food for puppies and adult dogs, cats and kittens is made using only fresh, human-quality ingredients. It is a nutrient dense food with high quality meat proteins and NO by-products, corn, wheat, gluten or soy. NO artificial flavors, colors, sugars or chemical preservatives.

Lori Matthews studies health, nutrition and wellness. She enjoys writing articles on health for both people and pets. Please visit premium4pets.com premium, healthy dog food by Lifes Abundance for more information.

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Tags: dog food, healthy dog, kitten

We have all been in the situation where we love our dog, and we want another JUST like him/her so we think of breeding in hopes the puppies will be just like our dog; or we have purchased a quality dog and think we’ll ‘make more’. It can work, but before you take the plunge, there are several factors to consider.

No German Shepherd should be bred until it has passed a hip x-ray for dysplasia no matter how good the pedigree is, and no matter how healthy your dog seems to be. A dog can function fine with mild dysplasia, but it will produce more of it, and it can be much more severe in the pups. The x-rays must be done at 2 years old. This means you will have to go through 3 or 4 heat cycles with your female bleeding for 3 weeks each time. This makes all males in the area HORNY. Females that have never tried to escape may try to do so when their hormones are raging, and by the way, guess where the term “bitch” came from…the way a female’s personality can change when she is in heat or pregnant or nursing pups. Males can congregate and get into fights trying to get in to your female. The only way to be sure your female is not accidentally bred is to keep her inside when she is in heat.

Let’s say your male and female have been x-rayed and have no dysplasia (cost is about $300 per dog), Now you need to think about the delivery. Yes, wolves do it on their own, but in nature, if there is a problem the mom and her pups die. We don’t want that to happen to our beloved dogs, so this means you must be able to be present to help with the delivery in case the mother has problems. There are books available you can read that will help you know when a female needs help so you DON’T lose her in puppy-birth. Can you take off work to be with her during delivery? Mom needs a quiet place to deliver and raise her litter where other dogs can not disturb her. It must not get over 80 degrees or under 60 degrees.

OK, so we’ll assume she has delivered OK. She may have a few puppies, or she may have 12 puppies. Where will you keep them when they start getting out of their box at 3 to 4 weeks old? No puppy should be placed into it’s new home before 7 weeks of age…..so, you’ve got a month of WORK ahead of you keeping the pups fed 3-4 times a day and cleaned at least as often. To do less sets the pups up for illness. It is not fair to the puppies to let them get sick due to lack of proper care. By the way, a good size litter can go through a 40 lb bag of puppy food EACH WEEK (cost about $35 each).

Worming needs to be done at least 2 times before they are old enough to sell, and at least one set of ‘puppy shots’ must be done. If you can do this yourself it will cost you around $100, but if you must have the vet do it….be ready to pay lots more! Oh, and don’t forget the cost for advertising the litter for sale!

OK, what if your female did not have an easy delivery. What if she had to have a c-section (cost is about $700 to $1000)? This happens more than most people think. Will you be able to help the female by bottle feeding the puppies every 3 hours day & night for 3 weeks until they can start eating baby pablum?

So, now it’s time to sell the little darlings. This is where you make a killing, right? Well, Kennel X sells their dogs for hundreds of dollars each. You paid a lot for your dog as a pup, so you should be able to get a lot for your pups, right? Maybe, maybe not. Kennel X has been in business for years and years. They have shown many dogs successfully. They are well known. They can usually sell their pups for more than a newcomer to breeding can…they have ‘paid their dues’. Also, part of what you pay for when you buy a puppy is access to the breeder for advice and help when you have questions or problems as your puppy grows up. Do you have the same level of knowledge to offer to your puppy buyers?

Now all the puppies are in their new homes. If you were lucky, they were reserved and sold by 8 weeks old. If you weren’t so lucky, you may still be cleaning and feeding them at 12-16 weeks of age. Let’s say you were lucky and they all went to new homes. Now you can take a huge sigh of relief! But, what about the owner that calls you when the puppy is 6-8 months old and is in the destructive stage and they don’t want it any more…are you prepared to take it back, and give it the training it should have received from the buyers, and then find it another home? Or what if the owner develops a serious health problem, or there is a divorce, or they are moving and they can’t keep the dog? Do not create these new puppies unless you are prepared to help them if they need it.

Breeding a litter and seeing them develop into wonderful, healthy dogs that enrich the lives of their new owners can be VERY satisfying. The process may go very smoothly, but it is YOUR responsibility to be ready and able to do what ever is needed if things go wrong. After all, the female got pregnant because you wanted (or allowed) her to. You might lose money on the litter. You may break even on costs. You might even make a little money, but if you consider how many hours of work it takes to raise the pups, and the time spent educating and interviewing of potential buyers, you probably made only a few dollars an hour. So, why do people become Breeders? Because they love the breed and they are willing to do what ever is necessary to produce those wonderful dogs for others to own and LOVE.

asuperiorgsd.com asuperiorgsd.com

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Tags: healthy dog

Approximately 7 years ago I started using natural therapies in my practice as I became a more integrated doctor. Practicing in Texas I was seeing many allergic pets who really didn’t get better using conventional drug therapy. By incorporating natural therapies into my treatment regimen I immediately started seeing unbelievable results!

In addition to the great results I regularly see with natural therapies in my patients, one of the nice things that attracted me to this type of pet care is the relative lack of side effects. It’s rare to see any side effects using supplements in the care of my patients. Yet it’s been reported in human medicine that side effects of drugs is one of the leading causes of illness and death in people (I’m sure the unreported statistics are similar in veterinary medicine!)

While many pet owners think “natural” equals “safe,” this is not always true. There are some supplements (such as ephedra) that can be extremely toxic and even fatal if not used properly. This article will explore some of the more commonly used supplements, as well as any side effects that may occur. As always, the best way to incorporate natural therapies into your pet’s treatment regimen is to do so under proper veterinary supervision, as this will also decrease the chance of any side effects.

“Natural” does not automatically mean “safe”

Most supplements are safer than prescription drugs for long term control of medical problems

Examples: NSAIDS vs. joint supplements, choline vs. Anipryl or anticonvulsants, Fatty acids and antioxidants vs. corticosteroids, olive leaf extract vs. antibiotics.

Sometimes conventional medications are safer than supplements

Example:coventional deworming medicines vs. wormwood/ black walnut/ pennyroyal oil.

Ex.decongestants/bronchodilators vs. ephedra.

Sometimes species differences make natural therapies potentially toxic:tea tree oil/volatile oils/white willow bark with cats and small dogs.

Natural therapies may show interactions with conventional medications that could be toxic.

Examples:White willow bark with NSAIDS, ephedra with cardiac drugs, decongestants, and asthma medications drugs, ginkgo biloba with high dose fish oil.

In following articles, I’ll review some of the most commonly used supplements.

Shawn Messonnier, DVM

Author, 8 Weeks to a Healthy Dog, The Allergy Solution for Dogs, and the award-winning The Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats. Dr. Shawn is the medical consultant for Pet Togethers, a pet supplement company.

pettogethers.net/healthypet pettogethers.net/healthypet

petcarenaturally.com petcarenaturally.com

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Tags: healthy dog

Echinacea is among the best known supplements and has been touted in people for helping in the recovery from a variety of illnesses, especially the cold and the flu. Echinacea is usually prescribed as an immune-boosting supplement for pets. I use it for a number of disorders, especially bacterial, fungal, and viral infections, and chronic diseases of any organ. It’s also one of my favorite supplements for pets with demodectic mange.

Echinacea is generally considered safe when used under supervision. In the older literature, there is a warning not to use this herb for certain immune disorders (autoimmune diseases, diabetes) and disorders with diminished immune systems with low white blood cell counts (feline leukemia and immunodeficiency diseases.) However, echinacea has been used in these instances without obvious harm. Generally, echinacea is not meant for long term use and most doctors limit its use to a few months at a time.

Garlic is a favorite herb used by many pet owners to control fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, and other insects. While many of my clients swear by the ability of garlic to control fleas, and while I have no problem recommending its use, controlled studies have shown garlic to be ineffective as an insecticide. Garlic also has show antimicrobial and anti-cancer properties. Garlic can cause anemia in dogs and cats due to the presence of S-methyl cysteine sulfoxide and N-propyldisulfhide. Therefore, it should not be used in pets with anemia. As a general guideline, 1 clove of garlic per 10 pounds of body weight for dogs (and 1/2 clove per cat) can usually be fed safely each day. If you use garlic regularly (as a general food supplement,) it would be wise to have your pet’s blood checked every few months to make sure anemia is not occurring.

Ginkgo is a well-known and popular herb that has a number of uses. It is best known as a supplement that may improve cognitive disorder in aging people and pets, particularly in those with mild dementia (Alzheimer’s in particular.) While its ability to prevent blood clots can be beneficial in certain cases, a well-known side effect of ginkgo is increased and potentially serious bleeding problems. In people, bleeding (including fatal brain hemorrhages) have been reported when ginkgo was combined with high doses of fish oil or other anticoagulants.

Shawn Messonnier, DVM

Author, 8 Weeks to a Healthy Dog, The Allergy Solution for Dogs, and the award-winning The Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats. Dr. Shawn is the medical consultant for Pet Togethers, a pet supplement company.

pettogethers.net/healthypet pettogethers.net/healthypet

petcarenaturally.com petcarenaturally.com

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Tags: healthy dog

Where is the place on a dog where you can rub and it will curl up in ecstasy? The belly, of course! Dogs adored being rubbed on the tummies, and they can even be put to sleep that way. I have personally put my Chihuahuas to sleep by rubbing their bellies for ten minutes only!

When approached, most dogs will roll over and stick their paws up in a silent demand to be rubbed on the belly. Certain owners may see this as an act of submission and it should be fixed. However, this is not a submission issue. Overly submissive dogs who are stressed out may display this particular behavior, but a normal, healthy dog does the rollover just as often, especially when it is with the people it loves and trusts.

When your dog is willing to roll over for you to rub its tummy, such as when it is around you or members of the family, it shows that your dog trusts you 100%, as dogs don’t just flip onto the backs for mere strangers.

Here are some tips you can learn to understand your dog’s favourite treat and the next time you give it a belly rub, it may be a lot more enjoyable for it.

- The places where you can rub would be like places your dog cannot normally reach, like its chest, for example. Dogs normally cannot scratch or nip at their own chests, and if it gets rubbed they will respond affectionately. This is a way of exchanging gestures of respect and appreciation between you and your dog.

- Don’t leave the belly out, after all this is about belly rubs. A dog’s belly is usually furless. This shows that the area is more sensitive than other parts of the body. By rubbing this particular spot on his body will give it so much pleasure it can even fall asleep while you do it for a certain period of time.

- Exert a little pressure. You can choose to rub lightly which will result in a light tickling sensation to your dog, which will feel great, but using some pressure will be invigorating for your dog as well. Use your fingertips and add a little pressure as well while massaging his belly in a circular motion. Squeeze and massage the top of his legs, if possible, for that is pleasurable for your beloved dog as well. See below for more information on puppydogobedience.com/ Dog Obedience.

For more information on puppydogobedience.com/make-your-dog-roll-in-ecstasy-by-following-these-3-tummy-rubbing-tips/ How To Rub Your Dog’s Belly or visit puppydogobedience.com/make-your-dog-roll-in-ecstasy-by-following-these-3-tummy-rubbing-tips/ puppydogobedience.com/make-your-dog-roll-in-ecstasy-by-following-these-3-tummy-rubbing-tips/, a popular website that offers information on Dogs, Dog Training, and Dog Breeds. Please leave the links intact if you wish to reprint this article. Thanks

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Tags: chihuahua, dog breed, dog breeds, dog training, healthy dog