Holistic Pet Care Articles and Tips

A Commentary by Lucy Postins, Pet Nutritionist for The Honest Kitchen

Consumers should take time to read pet food labels, familiarize themselves with what various ingredients really are, research the companies who make the products they buy – and then decide what they would (and would not) like their pets to eat.

As pet owners come to terms with the gravity of this most recent, widespread tragedy in the pet food industry, it is important to learn as much as possible from what has occurred, to protect our animal companions and to try to evoke change in an industry that has become a ‘catch-all’ for industrial and human-food by-products and off-casts.

Many people are relying on the Internet for resources on the recall. Don’t forget elderly neighbors, family members or others who might not have computer access and still might be unaware of the gravity of the situation. The extent of this latest recall makes it impossible to convey brand names, lot numbers, batch codes and UPC’s effectively without computer access. Helping those who are still in the dark, to double check the food they’ve bought, could still save lives.

Pet Industry regulations allow manufacturers to use ingredients that most people would never knowingly give to their animal companions. Many conventional ‘grocery brand’ pet foods contain by-products, such as feet, beaks, feathers, blood, and other animal parts unfit for human consumption. Chemical preservatives including Ethoxyquin, TBHQ, BHA and BHT, are utilized to prolog the shelf life, and grains or grain-parts that are hard to digest and mostly unsuitable for cats and dogs (wheat, corn, rice and soy), are often used as a protein source instead of meat.

 
Understanding what various pet food ingredients are — and why they are included in some products — is an important part of a pet owner’s responsibility when selecting a food for their companion. The AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials) formal definition of gluten is “The tough, viscid nitrogenous substance remaining when the flour or wheat or other grain is washed to remove the starch.” Why is it included? It costs far less than meat and other wholesome ingredients!

Many customers have been particularly shocked to discover just how many different brands can be made by one major conglomerate (even well respected products that are not affected by the recall). And more disturbing, a vast number of products under so many different labels, names and price points, could all contain the same exact low-grade ingredient. In many cases, products with appealing names and labels that are marketed as ‘veterinary’ or ‘natural’ in some way, have turned out to be exactly the same as the generic store brands that are sold for a fraction of the cost!

Read the rest of this entry »

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Holistic Pet Care Articles and Tips

The extensive recall of dog and cat food announced this weekend does not include any of our products.

Our sympathies are with the pet parents who are dealing with the heartache of this situation.

If your dog or cat has eaten any of the foods listed on the recall list and they are showing any signs of illness, please contact your vet immediately.

If you are looking for alternatives to these foods, we invite you to review our web site for more on the healthiest possible pet foods, or call our order department toll-free at 877-387-4564 (Monday-Friday from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM Eastern Time) rep. ID#10063989

HealthyPetNet Customer Service

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Holistic Pet Care Articles and Tips

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pet owners were worried Saturday that the pet food in their cupboards could be deadly after millions of containers of dog and cat food sold at major retailers across North America were recalled.

Menu Foods — a major manufacturer of dog and cat food sold under Wal-Mart, Safeway, Kroger and other store brands — recalled 60 million containers of wet pet food Friday after reports of kidney failure and deaths.

An unknown number of cats and dogs suffered kidney failure and about 10 died after eating the affected pet food, the company said in announcing the North American recall.

Product testing has not revealed a link explaining the reported cases of illness and death, the company said.

“At this juncture, we’re not 100 percent sure what’s happened,” said Paul Henderson, the company’s president and chief executive officer.

However, the recalled products were made using wheat gluten purchased from a new supplier, since dropped for another source, spokeswoman Sarah Tuite said. Wheat gluten is a source of protein.

‘Cuts and gravy’ food sold in cans, pouches recalled
The recall covers the company’s “cuts and gravy” style food, which consists of chunks of meat in gravy, sold in cans and small foil pouches between December 3 and March 6 throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The pet food was sold by stores operated by the Kroger Co., Safeway Inc., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and PetSmart Inc., among others, Henderson said.

Menu Foods said it makes pet foods for 17 of the top 20 North American retailers. It is also a contract manufacturer for the top branded pet food companies, including Procter & Gamble Co.

Procter & Gamble announced Friday the recall of specific 3 oz., 5.5 oz., 6 oz. and 13.2 oz. canned and 3 oz. and 5.3 oz. foil pouch cat and dog wet food products made by Menu Foods but sold under the Iams and Eukanuba brands. The recalled products bear the code dates of 6339 through 7073 followed by the plant code 4197, P&G said.

Menu Foods’ three U.S. and one Canadian factory produce more than 1 billion containers of wet pet food a year. The recall covers pet food made at company plants in Emporia, Kansas, and Pennsauken, New Jersey, Henderson said.

Henderson said the company received an undisclosed number of owner complaints of vomiting and kidney failure in dogs and cats after they had been fed its products. It has tested its products but not found a cause for the sickness.

“To date, the tests have not indicated any problems with the product,” Henderson said.

FDA also working to target brands
The company alerted the Food and Drug Administration, which already has inspectors in one of the two plants, Henderson said. The FDA was working to nail down brand names covered by the recall, agency spokesman Mike Herndon said.

Menu Foods is majority-owned by the Menu Foods Income Fund, based in Ontario, Canada.

Henderson said the recall would cost the company the Canadian equivalent of $26 million to $34 million.

Below are lists of specific brands recalled by Menu Foods, in addition to Procter & Gamble’s recall of certain Iams and Eukanuba products. Menu Brands lists the brands on its Web site, www.menufoods.com, and advises consumers to call 1-866-895-2708 for more information.

Recalled cat foods
Americas Choice; Preferred Pets; Authority; Best Choice; Companion; Compliments; Demoulas Market Basket; Fine Feline Cat, Shep Dog; Food Lion; Foodtown; Giant Companion; Good n Meaty; Hannaford; Hill Country Fare; Hy-Vee; Key Food; Laura Lynn; Li’l Red; Loving Meals; Main Choice; Nutriplan; Nutro Max Gourmet Classics; Nutro Natural Choice; Paws; Presidents Choice; Price Chopper; Priority; Save-A-Lot; Schnucks; Sophistacat; Special Kitty; Springfield Pride; Sprout; Total Pet; My True Friend; Wegmans; Western Family; White Rose; and Winn Dixie.

Recalled dog foods
America’s Choice; Preferred Pets; Authority; Award; Best Choice; Big Bet; Big Red; Bloom; Bruiser; Cadillac; Companion; Demoulas Market Basket; Fine Feline Cat; Shep Dog; Food Lion; Giant Companion; Great Choice; Hannaford; Hill Country Fare; Hy-Vee; Key Food; Laura Lynn; Loving Meals; Main Choice; Mixables; Nutriplan; Nutro Max; Nutro Natural Choice; Nutro; Ol’Roy; Paws; Pet Essentials; Pet Pride; President’s Choice; Price Chopper; Priority; Publix; Roche Bros; Save-A-Lot; Schnucks; Springsfield Pride; Sprout; Stater Bros; Total Pet; My True Friend; Western Family; White Rose; Winn Dixie and Your Pet.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/17/petfood.recall.ap/index.html

Do you Know What’s In Your Pets’ Food

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Holistic Pet Care Articles and Tips

We love our companion animals. For many of us, they are our family, and we cannot imagine life without them. We expend a lot of energy and effort to ensure their happiness and wellbeing. And when we’re confronted with signs of ill-health, it’s upsetting and confusing, especially when we can’t locate an appropriate solution. Even if you’ve not yet dealt with similar situations, chances are that you know someone who has.

Unfortunately, it’s often difficult to pinpoint the stressors on the body that can prevent your dog or cat from enjoying optimal health. And unless you have visited a veterinarian concerned about nutrition, you may not have considered the importance of your companion animal’s diet.

In almost all cases, your dog or cat eats the same food every day. As a consequence, the food that you provide is his or her main source of nutrition. Nutrition is vital to a long and healthy life, which is why the brand of food that you give your dog or cat is such an important choice. It’s a decision that should not be made lightly, based simply upon clever packaging or the “fun” appearance of kibbles, which may be loaded with artificial colors.

While many of us assume that most pet food manufacturers have the best interests of pets in mind when creating their products, you should know that current regulations allow them to use ingredients that you would never knowingly feed your pet. In fact, you may be appalled to learn what some brands of pet food really contain. Many of the pet foods on the market today include some or all of the following ingredients:

• Poultry and meat by-products including bones, intestines, feet, heads, lungs, spleens, stomachs, etc. These by-products can be difficult to digest and we consider them to be inferior sources of protein.
• Excessive reliance on grains like soy, corn and wheat gluten (i.e., more than two in the top five ingredients). These grains are inferior protein sources that can be difficult to digest, irritate the G.I. tract and may even carry dangerous molds.
• Chemical preservatives like BHA, BHT, Ethoxoquin and others. These substances have shown to be harmful to animals, especially when ingested on a daily basis over long periods of time.
• Artificial colors and flavors which, just like chemical preservatives, have been linked to numerous health problems. Many foods that position themselves as healthy feature colorful kibbles, which often contain artificial colors. While some foods may be shaped and colored like fruits and vegetables, do not be swayed by this tactic.

All of these ingredients may put unnecessary stress on your pet’s system.

The more you do now to bolster the health of your pet, the more likely your pet will be able to enjoy a happy and healthy life. The single best thing you can do for your dog or cat is to feed the healthiest diet possible.

Life’s Abundance Premium Health Foods for Dogs and Cats are nutrient dense and contain premium selections of the freshest possible ingredients. We use high-quality meat proteins, rather than by-products, corn, wheat, gluten or soy. You can be confident that you are providing your companion animal with the healthiest possible diets, because our products are completely free from chemical preservatives, sugars, artificial flavors and colors.

The Life’s Abundance diets are formulated to be highly digestible, so that the nutrients are more easily absorbed, and therefore convey more positive benefits. Our premium foods contain a superior blend of proteins, vitamins, proteinated minerals, antioxidants, fruits, vegetables, healthy grasses as well as healthy bacteria cultures known to significantly improve the overall health of pets.

Additionally, the select quality ingredients in Life’s Abundance are cooked in small batches using an exclusive “fast-cook” process to gently lock in the natural goodness and fresh tastes of real food. And at HealthyPetNet, we maintain strict inventory and use climate-controlled warehouses to ensure the freshness of our products. After all, what is the sense of using the best possible ingredients if the food is stored in warehouses for months on end? When you feed your cat or dog Life’s Abundance Premium Health Food, you’re providing the complete nutrition that your pets need, and the tastes they crave.

Remember when choosing a food, base your decision upon the facts. Select a brand that has an established track record of promoting health. Keep in mind that you have more choices than what is on the shelves in your grocery store. Just because it’s handy does not make it the only convenient choice. When you purchase HealthyPetNet foods, you can have the freshest foods delivered right to your front door. For the ultimate in convenience, take advantage of our Autoship program, where HealthyPetNet products arrive on a schedule that fits your unique needs.

Isn’t it time your companion animal became another in long line of HealthyPetNet success stories? Take steps today to make a positive change in the life of your companion animals. Your dog or cat deserves nothing less than Life’s Abundance Premium Health Food.

For more information about what’s really in pet food, and for handy comparison charts that clearly demonstrate exactly how Life’s Abundance standards exceed the competition’s, visit the Dog Food Comparison page or the Cat Food Comparison page.

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Holistic Pet Care Articles and Tips

Do you want your pup’s full attention focused on you? Tasty Rewards Training Treats will definitely peak your dog’s interest.

We use free-range, farm-raised chicken and venison raised in New Zealand to create a savory treat that your dog will love.

Tasty Rewards are perfectly-sized for carrying in your pocket during training sessions, or as a great treat anytime! Because these yummy treats are semi-moist, they are pliable and won’t break into crumbs in your pocket.

These protein-rich treats are backed by veterinary science. We’ve added nutrients known for their positive effect on your dog’s brain health, including …

Pumpkin Kernels, which contain ample protein and vitamins. The oil of the pumpkin seed consists of iron, fiber, zinc, magnesium and linoleic acid. Additionally, pumpkin kernels contain L-tryptophan.

Lecithin, which is a great source of essential fatty acids. Additionally, lecithin aids in the digestion of dietary fats and helps to improve the sheen of your dog’s coat.

B12 Supplement, a naturally-occurring vitamin that helps to support a healthy nervous system and brain functioning.
And, like all of HealthyPetNet’s foods, supplements and treats, you’ll find no added chemical preservatives or artificial coloring.

With Tasty Rewards Training Treats, discipline can be delicious!

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Holistic Pet Care Articles and Tips