Public health officials issues a warning not to feed pets certain bags of Pedigree Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites because of possible salmonella contamination. Most bags were sold at Albertson's and Costco. The symptoms of salmonella poisoning include: lack of energy, diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Pets that have eaten the recalled food should see a veterinarian. For more information go to: http://www.petcare.mars.com/ or call 1-877-568-4463.
I hope that the pet owners that are feeding their pets this food will please look at the ingredients.
The first ingredient is corn (then corn is listed 3 other times); wheat is listed 2 times; animal fat (which is usually from rendered animals); by-products (anything but meat); artificial flavors, colors and preservatives (BHA & BHT) can cause cancer; and salt. It's like eating Fruit Loops everyday. These ingredients will not keep your pet healthy!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Choosing A Name For Your Family Pet
While working at Petco, a trainer was working with a 12 year old boy and his dog. The boy kept using several names when calling his dog, Shadow, Shaddie, and Shad. The trainer told him, for training always use the same name. When you play with him then you can use "nicknames".
Serious thought should be put into choosing a name for the family pet. Below are some tips to consider when choosing a name.
1. Animals respond better to one or two syllable names, so keep it short. 2. Remember that this is a name you will be calling out, so make it easy to say and something you are comfortable with. 3. It is best to avoid names that sound like commands such as "no" (Joe). 4. You may want to wait a few days to see what your pet's personality is like before coming up with a name. 5. Take into consideration your pet's size, breed and gender. 6. Don't give your pet a name with a negative or aggressive meaning; they just might live up to this. 7. Avoid names that sound similar to other members of the family. 8. If there are children in the family, it is a good idea to let them participate in naming the new pet.
If you have adopted an adult pet that already has a name, it is best to stick with this name or change it just slightly to avoid confusion.
Serious thought should be put into choosing a name for the family pet. Below are some tips to consider when choosing a name.
1. Animals respond better to one or two syllable names, so keep it short. 2. Remember that this is a name you will be calling out, so make it easy to say and something you are comfortable with. 3. It is best to avoid names that sound like commands such as "no" (Joe). 4. You may want to wait a few days to see what your pet's personality is like before coming up with a name. 5. Take into consideration your pet's size, breed and gender. 6. Don't give your pet a name with a negative or aggressive meaning; they just might live up to this. 7. Avoid names that sound similar to other members of the family. 8. If there are children in the family, it is a good idea to let them participate in naming the new pet.
If you have adopted an adult pet that already has a name, it is best to stick with this name or change it just slightly to avoid confusion.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
My Dog Has Been Crowned "King Buddy"
My granddaughter has decided that Buddy should be treated like a king. She has been "waiting on" him for 2 days now. Here is a picture of King Buddy. He has dog biscuits under the lid, surrounded by rose petals. He also get his water on a tray. He gets a back rub and he gets fanned, too. What a life!
Pets Lose Their Lives When Owners Lose Homes
Today, in Dear Abby, a worker for a major lending company, wrote in telling about pets left behind after foreclosure. The employee has found many animals that have died from exposure or have starved to death. She said that it can be weeks before someone enters the foreclosed homes, after they are vacated. This is a slow horrible death.
These pets can easily be given to a rescue organization, ASPCA or a local shelter. If you have a foreclosed home in your neighborhood, make sure that the owners did not leave their pets behind. If you are facing foreclosure, don't leave your pets behind to fend for themselves. Give them a chance for a new life in a new home.
These pets can easily be given to a rescue organization, ASPCA or a local shelter. If you have a foreclosed home in your neighborhood, make sure that the owners did not leave their pets behind. If you are facing foreclosure, don't leave your pets behind to fend for themselves. Give them a chance for a new life in a new home.
Monday, August 11, 2008
The Horrors of Puppy Mills
Puppy mills are, according to the ASPCA's definition, any large-scale commercial breeding operation where profits are given a higher priority than the well being of the dogs.
The puppies for sale at pet stores look adorable and sweet. Where they come from is not so nice. I won't go into graphic details, but the parents are there to breed and nothing else. They are kept in cages in warehouse settings. Their "lot in life" is to reproduce so the puppies can be sold for a big profit. The ASPCA figures that there are over 700 puppy mills, all over the country. The ASPCA has successfully closed hundreds of them and investigations have led to more than 1,000 arrests of animal cruelty.
Ten Ways You Can Help Fight Puppy Mills
1. Don't buy your puppy from a pet store. 2. Adopt. If you are looking to adopt a puppy, check your local shelter first. If you are set on a specific breed, check a breed rescue. 3. Use a responsible breeder, these breeders want to put their puppies in good homes. 4. See where your puppy was born and bred. Ask to see the breeding premises and to meet both parents (or at least the mother). 5. Internet buyers, beware. This is just as risky as buying from a pet store. 6. Share your puppy mill story with the ASPCA. They are trying to get legislation to ban puppy mills. 7. Speak out. Inform your state and federal legislators that you are disturbed by the inhumane treatment of dogs in puppy mills. 8. Tell your friends. If they are planning to buy a puppy, please direct them to the ASPCA website for information on puppy mills. 9. Think globally. Have a webpage, a MySpace page or a blog to inform people about puppy mill cruelty. 10. Act locally. When people are looking to buy or adopt a pet, they will often ask the advice of their veterinarian, groomer or pet supply store. Get the word out about puppy mills!
For more information go to: www.aspca.org/puppymills
My Buddy came from a family's own puppy mill. Their female was kept in a pen and had at least 2 litters a year. The conditions were deplorable. Buddy has a huge overbite, a sign of overbreeding. He got so sick after we had him one week, that he almost died. I should have reported it at the time, but didn't. I kept seeing the same ad for Border Collies, that I answered to get Buddy in the newspaper, a couple of times a year. I finally called and told them that I was going to report them. I didn't see anymore ads from them in the paper. They probably advertise somewhere else. I can only hope they stopped over breeding their dog for profit.
The puppies for sale at pet stores look adorable and sweet. Where they come from is not so nice. I won't go into graphic details, but the parents are there to breed and nothing else. They are kept in cages in warehouse settings. Their "lot in life" is to reproduce so the puppies can be sold for a big profit. The ASPCA figures that there are over 700 puppy mills, all over the country. The ASPCA has successfully closed hundreds of them and investigations have led to more than 1,000 arrests of animal cruelty.
Ten Ways You Can Help Fight Puppy Mills
1. Don't buy your puppy from a pet store. 2. Adopt. If you are looking to adopt a puppy, check your local shelter first. If you are set on a specific breed, check a breed rescue. 3. Use a responsible breeder, these breeders want to put their puppies in good homes. 4. See where your puppy was born and bred. Ask to see the breeding premises and to meet both parents (or at least the mother). 5. Internet buyers, beware. This is just as risky as buying from a pet store. 6. Share your puppy mill story with the ASPCA. They are trying to get legislation to ban puppy mills. 7. Speak out. Inform your state and federal legislators that you are disturbed by the inhumane treatment of dogs in puppy mills. 8. Tell your friends. If they are planning to buy a puppy, please direct them to the ASPCA website for information on puppy mills. 9. Think globally. Have a webpage, a MySpace page or a blog to inform people about puppy mill cruelty. 10. Act locally. When people are looking to buy or adopt a pet, they will often ask the advice of their veterinarian, groomer or pet supply store. Get the word out about puppy mills!
For more information go to: www.aspca.org/puppymills
My Buddy came from a family's own puppy mill. Their female was kept in a pen and had at least 2 litters a year. The conditions were deplorable. Buddy has a huge overbite, a sign of overbreeding. He got so sick after we had him one week, that he almost died. I should have reported it at the time, but didn't. I kept seeing the same ad for Border Collies, that I answered to get Buddy in the newspaper, a couple of times a year. I finally called and told them that I was going to report them. I didn't see anymore ads from them in the paper. They probably advertise somewhere else. I can only hope they stopped over breeding their dog for profit.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Vaccines - Do the Benefits Outweigh the Risks?
Most of the problems with vaccines involve the immune system. They stimulate it in an unnatural way and it can be overwhelmed and confused. The body may overreact to normally harmless substances (allergies, especially flea allergies and other skin problems), or even produce antibodies to itself (auto-immune diseases). Their bodies may be sluggish in responding to those things that it should reject, such as common viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. This can result in increased susceptibility to acute infections (such as parvovirus), chronic or recurring infections (such as ear infections in dogs, bladder infections or feline leukemia in cats or other chronic problems such as arthritis, kidney disease, or even cancer. Vaccines can trigger a fatal cancer in cats and a deadly blood disorder in dogs. There is a great deal of evidence implicating vaccination as the cause of many serious chronic health problems.
Booster shots don't work when your pet's system already has antibodies from previous vaccinations. Those existing antibodies neutralize the booster shot. Your dog can't get "more" immune.
Humans get lifetime immunity from most of their childhood vaccines. The same is true for pets.
Ronald Schultz, a Veterinarian Immunologist at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinarian Medicine did an experiment. He vaccinated dogs for rabies, parvo, kennel cough and distemper and then exposed them to the disease causing organisms after three, five and seven years. The animals remained healthy. He continued his experiment by measuring antibody levels in the dogs' blood nine and fifteen years after vaccination. He found the levels sufficient to prevent disease!
The more vaccines a pet gets, the greater the chance of adverse reactions. Veterinarians have known for years that yearly vaccines are dangerous, but continue the practice. My suggestion is to find a vet that doesn't believe in annual or bi-annual vaccines.
Remember, that all vaccines, including rabies, are medically approved for use in HEALTHY ANIMALS ONLY. This is explicitly stated in the package insert for every vaccine. If you have a older pet or one that has health problems, do not get them vaccinated. Since the rabies is required by law, ask to have a rabies titer to avoid unnecessary re-vaccination. IF YOU DO VACCINATE, DO NOT GET MORE THAN ONE VACCINE AT A TIME!
It was heart breaking for me to do this research and read the stories of beloved pets that died as a result of a vaccination. These pet owners were all just following their veterinarians recommendations and they wanted what was best for their pets. The conclusion is clear: YOU must take charge of your dog's vaccination schedule. Please share this information with anyone you know that have pets, so they will be informed also.
Booster shots don't work when your pet's system already has antibodies from previous vaccinations. Those existing antibodies neutralize the booster shot. Your dog can't get "more" immune.
Humans get lifetime immunity from most of their childhood vaccines. The same is true for pets.
Ronald Schultz, a Veterinarian Immunologist at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinarian Medicine did an experiment. He vaccinated dogs for rabies, parvo, kennel cough and distemper and then exposed them to the disease causing organisms after three, five and seven years. The animals remained healthy. He continued his experiment by measuring antibody levels in the dogs' blood nine and fifteen years after vaccination. He found the levels sufficient to prevent disease!
The more vaccines a pet gets, the greater the chance of adverse reactions. Veterinarians have known for years that yearly vaccines are dangerous, but continue the practice. My suggestion is to find a vet that doesn't believe in annual or bi-annual vaccines.
Remember, that all vaccines, including rabies, are medically approved for use in HEALTHY ANIMALS ONLY. This is explicitly stated in the package insert for every vaccine. If you have a older pet or one that has health problems, do not get them vaccinated. Since the rabies is required by law, ask to have a rabies titer to avoid unnecessary re-vaccination. IF YOU DO VACCINATE, DO NOT GET MORE THAN ONE VACCINE AT A TIME!
It was heart breaking for me to do this research and read the stories of beloved pets that died as a result of a vaccination. These pet owners were all just following their veterinarians recommendations and they wanted what was best for their pets. The conclusion is clear: YOU must take charge of your dog's vaccination schedule. Please share this information with anyone you know that have pets, so they will be informed also.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
More Resources Regarding Vaccinations
Here are more websites:
www.earthclinic.com/Pets/vaccination_side_effects.html This is a website to report side effects and read about other pet owners who have reported adverse reactions to vaccines.
The website for the memorial for vaccine victims is: www.dogsadversereactions.com/vaccinelist.html
A website with more information: www.dogsadversereactions.com/scienceVaccineDamage.html
www.earthclinic.com/Pets/vaccination_side_effects.html This is a website to report side effects and read about other pet owners who have reported adverse reactions to vaccines.
The website for the memorial for vaccine victims is: www.dogsadversereactions.com/vaccinelist.html
A website with more information: www.dogsadversereactions.com/scienceVaccineDamage.html
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