Happy Thanksgiving!

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Hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

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Time out for a shameless plug...Vote for Solomon!

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Vote for Solomon in the World's Coolest Dog Contest

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25 Common Foods That Can Be Toxic for Your Pet

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My next article was going to be on the nutrient value of commercial pet foods, but between my typical hectic schedule and spending the last week and a half fighting off some sort of nasty, stubborn virus...well, I I simply haven't had time to get the article written. The article below was suggested to me by someone from the Vet Tech Schools Online website. I will be posting my nutrient article later this week, barring any unforseen delays.

25 Common Foods That Can Be Toxic for Your Pet

Your pet’s health is fragile. Sure, pets were once wild animals, but don’t forget that your pet isn’t the same as a human. Although it may think otherwise.

Knowing what can harm your pet is the first step in illness and disease prevention. By avoiding harmful substances and foods, your pet will live a longer, healthier life, and your wallet will thank you too for avoiding veterinary bills that could have been prevented with a little caution and care. These 25 common household foods can be lethal to your furry or feathered buddy. Many of these examples are foods that a typical pet owner would never think twice about giving their dog, cat, hamster or bird, but your pets can suffer greatly from things we humans love to eat on a regular basis. As a pet owner, your best bet is to stick with veterinary approved foods specifically made for your pet.

1. Fatty Meats like Ham - Fatty and greasy meats that people eat like ham or beef can seriously damage a dog’s pancreas and cause pancreatitis. Actually a high fat diet of anything is very bad for dogs and can lead to this serious and costly illness. Most dogs will recover from severe pancreatitis, but other complications can develop like diabetes. Avoid giving your pooch table scraps no matter how sad their eyes may be.
2. Walnuts - Walnuts and their hulls are particularly poisonous to dogs and horses. Even laying on black walnuts can cause respiratory distress, stomach upset and laminitis, or the inability to move around. Dogs are more susceptible to black walnut poisoning after ingesting the hulls or shells of the nut. Dogs poisoned by walnuts will often vomit and have diarrhea.C
3. Coffee and Espresso Beans - Coffee and espresso beans, as well as the grounds of both, can have strong side effects on dogs if ingested because of the caffeine in the beans. Dogs can experience excessive hyperactivity, restlessness, difficulty breathing, increased heart rate, seizures and tremors. Too much caffeine can also be fatal. If you suspect that your dog has eaten coffee beans or coffee grounds, look for signs of vomiting or diarrhea.
4. Teas and Sodas - Teas and sodas are also bad for dogs because of the caffeine in them. Don’t let your dog eat the tea leaves either.
5. Salt - Salt can seriously dehydrate dogs and cause gastrointestinal irritation. Depending on how much salt a dog ingests, the symptoms may be more or less severe. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, excessive thirst, sluggishness and disorientation.
6. Potato, Tomato and Rhubarb Leaves, Vines and Stems - The leaves, stems and other green parts of these roots and vegetables are highly toxic to most pets including birds. The leaves, stems and vines of these plants contain oxalates, which can harm the digestive, nervous and urinary tract. Symptoms of oxalate toxicity are dilated pupils, heart arrhythmias, irregular heart beat and tremors.
7. Liver - A diet of too much liver can lead to vitamin toxicity. Liver flavored pet food and treats are fine to give to your furry friends though.
8. Peaches - Peach pits contain small amounts of cyanide that can be toxic to all pets.
9. Pears - Pear cores also contain trace amounts of cyanide. Avoid giving your pets pears, peaches and plums.
10. Plums - Another pit that contains trace amounts of cyanide. These revelations may almost makes you want to give up the fruits yourself, but the cyanide levels contained in plums, peaches and pears are not harmful to humans.
11. Fruit Pits like Cherry Pits or Apricot Pits and Apple Cores - Other fruit pits and cores like the kinds from cherries, apricots and apples also contain cyanide which is harmful to pets of all kinds. The fruit of apples are fine to give to pets, but be sure to core the fruit thoroughly first.
12. Broccoli - In large amounts, broccoli can possibly be bad for pets. Gastrointestinal upset is common in livestock that are fed broccoli in excess of 10 to 25 percent of the animal’s diet. The same could be true for pets like dogs and cats, but since most people do not give their pets a diet consisting of 25 percent broccoli, the same conditions have not been recorded in great detail. Broccoli contains isothiocyanate, the tummy upset culprit. To be on the safe side, don’t give your pets the green stuff.
13. Milk or Dairy Products - Just like humans, pets especially dogs can be lactose intolerant. Some cats and dogs will be able to digest dairy products with no problem, while others will get bad stomach aches. The ability to digest dairy products depends on a person or pet’s ability to produce an enzyme called lactase, which is used in the break down of lactose. Giving your pet a lick of your ice cream cone won’t kill it, but if your pet happens to be lactose intolerant you may be responsible for your pet’s tummy ache later.
14. Tuna - Tuna seems like a natural choice to give your feline friend, but it can be toxic. Feeding a cat too much canned tuna can result in Steatitis or yellow fat disease, a painful inflammatory condition caused by a diet high in unsaturated fatty acids. Feeding your cat excessive amounts of canned or packaged tuna can also lead to mercury poisoning.
15. Onions and Onion Powder - If a dog or cat ingests onions or even onion powder, the animal may develop a condition called Heinz body anemia, a form of hemolytic anemia that destroys red blood cells. Chives should also be avoided. Common signs that your dog has developed Heinz body anemia are pale gums, diarrhea, rapid heart rate, weakness, bloody urine, vomiting and lethargy. This particular type of anemia can also cause kidney damage. Cats are particularly at risk for this illness.
16. Garlic - Garlic should not be given to cats or dogs since it can cause stomach and digestive problems. Garlic can also cause Heinz body anemia, a form of hemolytic anemia that destroys red blood cells. Small amounts of garlic can be given to pets, but is not recommended by the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center.
17. Yeast Dough - Yeast dough can rise in your pet’s stomach and cause major gastrointestinal issues like stomach or intestine ruptures. Fully baked bread is fine to feed pets in small amounts, but should not make up a significant portion of your pet’s diet.
18. Macadamia Nuts - Giving a dog macadamia nuts can make it very ill. Veterinarians are not sure of the cause, but also recommend not giving macadamia nuts to other animals as well. Side effects from ingesting macadamia nuts include drooling, tremors, weakness in the hind legs, vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy. With proper care, most dogs make a full recovery within 48 hours according to CBS news.
19. Avocados - Avocados should not be given to any pets since the fruit, its bark and the seed contain Persin. Persin can cause diarrhea and vomiting in dogs, and difficulty breathing, congestion and fluid build-up around the heart in birds and rodents. Cats, goats, cattle, rabbits and horses are also at risk for avocado poisoning.
20. Grapes and Raisins - Grapes and raisins can be fatal if dogs ingest them in large quantities. There is no need to worry if your dog accidentally eats one or two grapes, but veterinary care may be needed if a whole bunch or box of the fruit is missing and your dog is looking guilty. Signs of toxicity include vomiting and diarrhea. Kidney failure can follow if the dog goes untreated over a period of as little as 24 hours according to Michael Richards, DVM.
21. Alcoholic Beverages, Hops used in homemade beer brews and Tobacco - Alcoholic beverages and tobacco can cause vomiting, diarrhea, decreased coordination, central nervous system depression, difficulty breathing, tremors, abnormal blood acidity, coma and even death the ASPCA reports.
    Hops, a type of plant used to brew beer, is toxic to dogs for unknown reasons. Reactions to ingesting hops include panting, high body temperature, seizures and death.
22. Candy and Gum Containing Xylitol - Xylitol, a sweetener used in candies and chewing gum, is extremely toxic to pets especially small pets. According the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, xylitol can cause liver failure and even death in dogs, cats and ferrets in as little as 30 minutes after ingestion from hypoglycemia, a sudden drop in blood sugar levels.
23. Wild Mushrooms - Wild mushrooms can be very toxic to your pets. If your dog or curious cat happens to ingest some mushrooms growing in your yard or elsewhere, take the incident seriously since it’s hard to tell which mushrooms are poisonous and which are harmless. Poisonous mushrooms can cause kidney and liver damage, gastrointestinal problems and neurological trouble. If you suspect your pet has eaten any type of fungus, take it to the veterinarian immediately.
24. Chicken Bones – All bones, not just chicken bones, are bad for your pet dog. Cooked bones have been softened and may splinter off in the dog’s mouth, stomach or digestive tract causing major problems. Chicken bones are a big no-no for dog-owners though since these bones tend to splinter easily.
25. Chocolate - Everyone knows chocolate is toxic to dogs, but often not in what quantities. Chocolate, particularly baking chocolate that contains high amounts of cocoa, can be fatal to dogs depending on how much is ingested. For instance, if a 15 pound dog eats two ounces of baking chocolate it may be enough to cause severe heart, lungs, kidney or central nervous system damage and even death, but if the same dog ate only two ounces of milk chocolate, it will probably only experience some digestive issues according to Talktothevet.com. A dog would have to ingest a large amount of white chocolate to experience adverse effects.
    The reason that dogs cannot eat chocolate is because of a chemical called theobromide found in cocoa. Signs of theobromide poisoning include restlessness, hyperactivity, tremors, seizures, problems walking normally, vomiting, diarrhea, abnormal heart rhythm, hyperthermia and coma. In some cases, theobromide can prove fatal for dogs.

Knowing how to keep your pet safe and happy is a top priority as a pet owner. Your pets aren’t just man’s best friend, they’re your best friend. It’s tempting to cave when you only want to treat your best friend, but discipline when it comes to food shows your pet that you care more even though those sad eyes may disagree with you at the time. Don’t feed your animals table scraps even if the scraps aren’t toxic or poisonous because you want your pets to around a long time to snuggle and love.

For more information on pet health and toxicity, visit the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center website

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A PET OXYGEN MASK SET FOR EVERY FIRE TRUCK CAN SAVE PETS’ LIVES

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I received the following press release from a reader. It was originally posted on the
Bark Buckle Up website.

A PET OXYGEN MASK SET FOR EVERY FIRE TRUCK CAN SAVE PETS’ LIVES

“Bark 10-4™” Campaign Created to Help Fire Departments Across America
Get Pet Oxygen Masks

Annually, an estimated half million pets are affected by fires in the United States and more than 40,000 pets die each year due to smoke inhalation. With the right equipment, police, fire and emergency medical service (EMS) rescuers can often save a pet's life. Losing a pet in a house fire can be a devastating experience for a family member. Even the best value pet insurance won't help here. SurgiVet® Pet Oxygen Masks are effective with dogs, cats and other companion animals, but only if they are on hand at the scene of an emergency.

Smiths Medical, the US manufacturer of the SurgiVet® brand of animal health products, announced today that it has teamed up with Bark Buckle UP® to launch the “Bark 10-4™” campaign. During October, which is National Fire Safety Month, industry leaders and pet safety experts Bark Buckle UP®, and Pet Safety Lady™ Christina Selter are teaming up with Smiths Medical and fire departments nationwide to launch the “Bark 10-4™” campaign to raise awareness of the need for Pet Oxygen Masks.

Currently, most of the more than 30,000 fire departments and EMS offices nationwide have more than one truck, and funds to purchase Pet Oxygen Masks often fall short.

The “Bark 10-4™” Campaign was created with the goal of getting a Pet Oxygen Mask on board every fire truck in the country by encouraging the public to sponsor the purchase of Pet Oxygen Masks for their local fire departments. A $25 sponsorship ensures that one mask can be purchased for a fire department; a $65 sponsorship buys a mask set, which includes a small, medium and large mask.

Sponsorship can be completed at www.Bark10-4.com or from a link at www.surgivet.com. The sponsor designates the specific fire department to receive the gift, which will be delivered with the shipping/handling costs paid by Smiths Medical.

“Vets have used oxygen masks designed especially for animals for years,” according to Lisa Huston, SurgiVet® Product Manager at Smiths Medical. “These masks have found their way into the hands of first responders primarily through word of mouth and the generosity of compassionate pet owners. This program will go a long way toward raising awareness about a product that can save a lot of pets’ lives.”

“The mask only works if it is on the truck,” states Jose M. Torres, Battalion Chief ‘A’ Platoon Santa Monica (California) Fire Department. “Together we can save pets lives.”

About Bark 10-4™
Bark Buckle UP®, is a nationally recognized innovative leader in pet safety that created the program Bark 10-4™ to assist first responders and the public on pet emergency issues and needs. With tours throughout the USA and Canada, and company volunteers in over 20 cities, Bark Buckle UP® leads the charge for educating and promoting awareness for pet safety. For more media information about the Bark 10-4™ campaign,
visit: www.BARK10-4.com, BarkBuckleUp.com or Petsafetygear.com

About Pet Safety Lady™, Christina Selter
Pet Safety Lady™, Christina Selter works closely with Fire, Police, Coast Guard and EMT personnel who support the pet safety program. She has been featured on television, radio, international auto shows, pet expos, news articles and guest speaking engagements nationwide. For more information about Pet Safety Lady™, visit www.PetSafetyLady.com

About Smiths Medical - SurgiVet®
Smiths Medical designs, manufactures and distributes a line of veterinary-specific medical devices under the SurgiVet® brand. SurgiVet® is a globally recognized brand of products specific to the animal health industry, including a comprehensive range of monitoring devices, anesthesia systems and critical care consumables. Smiths Medical is part of the global technology business Smiths Group.

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How do they make this stuff? (and who are these uninvited guests?)

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By now we have covered most of the ingredients found in commercial pet foods, both the good and the bad. We have learned how to read the labels, what to look for, and what to avoid. Even with that it is sometimes difficult to determine whether or not a food is really a good choice for our pets.

While most pet parents want to give their babies what is best for them, it isn't easy to do. If we were to believe all the advertisements and commercials, all we would have to do is pour some commercial kibble in their bowl, give them fresh water, and all will be right in their world.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Let's look at the processes by which commercial pet foods are made. And what can go wrong.

Most dry kibble is made with a machine called an extruder (or expander). The raw ingredients are blended according to each company's recipes, usually developed by their own animal nutritionists. This blended mix is fed into the expander, then subjected to steam, pressure and high heat as it is extruded through dies that determine the shape and size of the final product. The steam expands and "puffs up"the kibble. The food is allowed to dry, and then usually sprayed with some sort of fat or flavoring to make it more palatable to the pet. A few foods are baked at high temperatures rather than being extruded. This results in more dense, crunchy kibble that is palatable without the need for sprayed on enhancers. Pets can eat about 25% less of these denser baked foods.

Food ingredients are similar for wet, dry and semi-moist foods. Wet or canned foods start with ground ingredients mixed with various additives. Special extruders are used if chunks of any type are to be included. The mixture is cooked and then canned. Some foods are cooked right in the can. The sealed cans are then put into large pressure cooker type containers and are commercially sterilized.

The cooking process kills most of the bacteria present in the food, but drying, fat coating, and packaging processes may reintroduce bacteria so that the food loses its sterility. The cooking process does not get rid of the endotoxins that some bacteria produce as they grow and are released as they die. Mycotoxins may also be present. These are toxins from mold or fungi from improper drying and/or storage of grain crops such as wheat, corn, or soy meal. Most pet food manufacturers do not test for these toxins.

Commercially produced or rendered meat meals and by-product meals often contain animals that have died because of disease, injury or natural causes. Sometimes the deceased animal is not rendered right away, allowing the growth of bacteria such as Salmonella and E. Coli. More than 50% of meat meals are estimated to be contaminated with E. Coli.

Improper food storage and some feeding practices may result in the growth of toxic bacteria.
Adding water or milk to a dry kibble and then leaving it at room temperature causes bacteria to multiply, yet this feeding method is suggested on the packages of some puppy and kitten foods.

While the higher end, super premium foods tend to use much stricter manufacturing methods, contamination can occur even in these. In recent years, vomitoxin and aflatoxin have appeared in a couple well-known premium foods, causing many pets to get sick...and even a few deaths. These cases were caused by mold or fungi from the cereal grains used, not by the manufacturing process of the pet food company itself.

This doesn't leave us feeling particularly confident in any commercial food, does it? Bear in mind that the best super-premium foods do usually have higher standards for their ingredients, avoid the use of cheap "filler"products and cereal grains, stricter controls over their manufacturing processes, and more thorough testing of the raw ingredients going into the food, as well as the finished products. As always, read your labels and, if you have any doubts, research the company that produces the food to see if there have been any problems in the past or what methods they use in their production process.

Next time we will take a look at the nutrient value of commercial food. Regardless of how good the raw ingredients going into a food are, if all the nutrients are cooked out of them......

Well, you get the idea.

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Great new site for holistic pet care!

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Most of us try our best to provide our pets with wholesome, natural foods, organic if possible. Avoiding the “junk” that is in most commercial pet foods goes a long way toward maintaining the health of your pet and possibly extending their life. But what do you do if your pet gets sick? Or what if your pet already has a chronic condition that you are trying to deal with?

First of all, ALWAYS have your pet checked out by a veterinarian before you do anything. Don’t try to diagnose it yourself. Veterinarians, of course, will most likely want to give some type of prescription drug, and maybe even a special “prescription” diet. Most of the so-called prescription diets are of questionable quality at best. And so many of the drugs we use to treat our pets can have awful side effects. Even the prescription diets, while addressing one issue, may actually aggravate or cause another. For example, years ago I had a cairn terrier with a weight problem. The vet had me put her on Science Diet R/D. Sure, she lost weight, but she also got very dry skin and a dull coat. In reading the ingredients, one of the main items on the list was peanut hulls! Yes, you read that right. Peanut hulls, because they are very fibrous and bulk up the food so your dog gets full faster. They have no nutritional value so she wasn’t getting enough nutrients from what she did eat. That, combined with the very low fat content of the food, caused her skin and coat issues.

So where do you go from here?

When your dog or cat is facing health challenges like liver disease, cancer, skin problems or kidney disease, you have a lot of decisions to make. In addition to conventional treatments, you may also want to consider complimentary medicine like nutritional supplements, diet changes or even massage or acupuncture. With everything you have to consider, the choices can be overwhelming.

I recently found a website that helps put many of your options into perspective. The company is Pet NutriSystems and their specialty is well-organized kits that are designed to take a lot of the guesswork (and homework) out of complementary, holistic alternatives. Each kit contains the appropriate nutritional supplements, dietary recommendations (along with recipes) and helpful guides that put it all together and keep you organized. (more......)

There are kits for skin problems, immune boosting for cancer, liver function, urinary tract problems, pets with kidney disease and much more. The supplements and information appear to be well-researched and the guides are clearly written. The website is nicely organized and easy to navigate. It contains a great deal of free information that most readers will find useful. There is also a “Freebie of the Month”, so be sure to check back often.

Here is how it works. From their homepage you click on the condition your pet has. There is a section for dogs and one for cats. For example, if you click on “My dog needs help with allergies”, it will take you to a brief overview of the condition and give a description of symptoms and generally accepted treatments. From there you can go to a wellness plan that outlines a multi-step plan toward health using a natural approach. Often the steps include diet, nutritional supplements and lifestyle considerations. Each step is explained so you understand why it is necessary. The purpose of each supplement is also detailed.

From the wellness page, you can navigate to the Essential Kit and see the contents of the kit and ordering information. Because the kits contain multiple items, there is a price break when ordering a kit as opposed to getting the items individually, making the kit an attractive option. Once the kit is ordered, you have immediate access to the kit instructions and the reports and guides via a link to a pdf download. The whole process is very streamlined and convenient to the pet owner.

They are also starting a blog which will have all sorts of articles on pet health and nutrition, etc.

The bottom line is a site that puts a great deal of information at your fingertips, without being overwhelming. If you have a pet with health challenges, check them out. You may very well find the help and answers you have been looking for.

Check them out: http://www.petnutrisystem.com

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