Why do we spend extra time and money to provide good food, herbs and supplements to our companion animals? 
The obvious answer, of course, is because we love them. It’s no big secret that people like you and I cherish our pets as integral, non-human family members. But the attraction and bond to animals goes deeper than just affection and respect— animals help heal us. They keep us healthy and happy, and its our job to return their gifts by providing them with the care and attention they need. A new article titled, Why Pets are Good for Us by Steve Dale in USA Weekend illuminates the healthful gifts that dogs and cats give to their humans everyday. Read it, then go hug and kiss your companions— and always make sure they get the food, exercise, holistic care and environment they need to be healthy and happy— the rewards are tremendous! Read More…
The Center for Veterinary Medicine would like pet owners to know that Evamist (estradiol transdermal spray), a topical hormone replacement product, sprayed on the forearm to reduce hot flashes in women during menopause, has the potential to cause health problems in pets exposed to the product on the owner’s skin. Read More…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — CINCINNATI, July 25, 2010 – The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) (NYSE:PG), is voluntarily recalling two specific lots of its prescription renal dry cat food as a precautionary measure, as it has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella.
The following products are included:
| Product Name | Lot Code | UPC Code |
|---|---|---|
| Iams Veterinary Formulas Feline Renal 5.5 lbs | 01384174B4 | 0 19014 21405 1 |
| Iams Veterinary Formulas Feline Renal 5.5 lbs | 01384174B2 | 0 19014 21405 1 |
This product is available by prescription through veterinary clinics throughout the U.S.
No illnesses have been reported. A FDA analysis identified a positive result on the lot codes listed above. Lot codes can be found in the lower right corner on the back of the bag.
Consumers who have purchased dry cat food with these codes should discard it. People handling dry pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product. Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.
Pets with Salmonella infections may have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, pets may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian. To Read the Press Release at FDA, Click Here
Menhaden (Brevoortia patronus)
A new article posted at PetFoodConnection.com reports that Menhaden fish populations in the Gulf of Mexico are doing well despite the BP oil spill disaster, and analysis of the fish has not revealed any significant toxicity issues associated with this horrible event. This is very good news… even though the Menhaden oil that Animal Essentials sells is sourced from fish that are harvested off the Virginia and North Carolina coasts, we remain vigilant of the impact that this disaster might have upon the species as a whole. Our concern is that fishing closures in the Gulf might add additional fishing pressure upon Atlantic populations of these oily little fishes. So far it appears that this hasn’t happened. Regardless, we will monitoring the situation closely. Read More
From the Wall Street Journal…
During the past five years, 122 dogs have died while traveling as cargo aboard airline flights, and the Department of Transportation has a theory: “short-faced’’ dog breeds like pugs and bulldogs are more at risk.
About half of the dog deaths airlines reported are short-faced breeds, including English bulldog, pug, French bulldog and American Staffordshire terrier. That’s a far higher mortality rate than other dog breeds, the DOT said. Data on deaths of “unknown’’ and “mixed’’ breeds was eliminated from the study. Read More
For a long time scientists and pet care experts thought that animals could get all of the vitamin D they need from a combination of healthy food and sunlight— and that the only real need for supplemental vitamin D came with old age. Well, we were wrong. It turns out that all dogs and cats require supplemental amounts of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol)—not just when they are old, but at all ages. It is now known that vitamin D3 supports a wide range of body functions ranging from nerve transmission and muscle contraction, to bone formation, healthy immune function and more. And because vitamin D3 is susceptible to oxidation and destruction during food processing, many commercial pet foods may be deficient in this critical vitamin. Check out this brand new article by Greg Aldrich, PhD, published in the June 2010 issue of Petfood Industry magazine… read more
c.2010
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From what I see at the pet stores there must be a alot of stressed out pooches out there. Or maybe it’s just that the pet product industry is learning to tap into the frustrations of consumers who cannot tolerate their high energy pets.
Valerian
But are these products really effective? Are they safe?
The good news is that most of the herbal calming products found at reputable pet stores are very safe.
Most contain what herbalists like myself consider to be the old “calmative” standards— valerian root, passion flower, skullcap, chamomile and other herbs that have been widely used in animals for many years with few, if any, adverse effects.
Likewise, some products also contain natural calming agents that are not herbs, such as L-Tryptophan; the safe and naturally-occurring amino acid that is responsible for the post pig-out drowsiness that many of us experience after a large turkey dinner.
The question of efficacy however, is not as easy to answer.
Despite the apparent safety of most herbal calming products, questions remain as to whether many of them contain enough active ingredients to actually do the job of bringing about a more restful state. Many contain so many “inactive” ingredients, such as grain byproducts, binders, and flavoring agents, that the active (and usually more expensive) herbal components of the product are only minutely present. In a way this is good— calmative herbs are much weaker in effect than conventional sedative drugs. Therefore are generally much safer and forgiving to the uninformed user. In fact, in my experiences as a consultant to over 400 veterinarians over the past fifteen years, I have yet to see any serious adverse effects from the use of valerian, skullcap, passion flower, oat flower, or Kava kava in dogs or cats. read more…
Study Links Pesticides to ADHD; May be Linked to Hyperactivity and Cognitive Deficits in Animals
A recent study published in the journal Pediatrics substantiates what many holistic minded animal lovers already suspect: pesticides pose a real and present danger to our children and our pets. Meanwhile, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has a published its updated Dirty Dozen list of 12 fruits and vegetables highest in pesticide residue. Celery, peaches, strawberries, apples and blueberries ranked as the top five. read more…
Virtually anyone who pursues an interest in natural health has heard of controversies surrounding genetically modified foods. Two of the big questions of this topic: When the molecular structure of a food source has been altered through genetic manipulation, will the body still metabolize it the same way when consumed? And, if not, what might be the consequences?
Well, a new study published in the International Journal of Biological Science strongly suggests that the consequences of eating or feeding genetically modified corn— a common ingredient of grain based pet foods— might be anything but good.
The study concludes that genetically modified maize can damage the liver and other internal organs in mammals. Other effects were also noticed in the heart, adrenal glands, spleen and haematopoietic system
In the study, rats were fed three GM maize products (NK 603, MON 810, MON 863) found in food and feed around the world, for four and half months. Compared to the rats consuming non-GM feed, the GM-fed rats experienced adverse impacts to many organs but particularly the liver and kidneys. “Our analysis highlights that the kidneys and liver are particularly important on which to focus such research as there was a clear negative impact on the function of these organs in rats consuming GM-maize varieties for just 90 days,” the researchers said. Read more…
Milk Thistle
A brand new study, funded by the American Institute for Cancer Research, the Tamarind Foundation, and the National Cancer Institute, has just been published that supports what most herbalists have known for quite sometime— milk thistle (Silybum marianum), helps to reduce liver toxicity in patients receiving chemotherapy. The study, which was published on December 14, 2009, also shows that milk thistle appears to have no antagonistic impact on chemotherapy drugs. To read more, click on this link: http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyOncology/Leukemia/17506