Does your cat poop or pee outside the box?

I am fostering five kitties whose people mom just passed away from cancer.  One of the kitties, a female, the momma of the brood, had developed a habit of pottying outside the box.  The hospice caregivers wondered if that would keep me from fostering her.

No way!  Why?  Because I know something they don’t.  Pottying outside the box means something, physical or emotional, is going on with the kitty.  Furthermore, with the scent still present in the carpet, she is likely to go to that place again.

One of the holistic HealthyPetNet vets has a great video on their pet health blog about cats going outside the box.  It’s part one of a two-parter and I can’t wait to see the second one!  If you have kitties, this is a Must See.

http://blog.trilogyonline.com/post/2010/04/27/Feline-Inappropriate-Elimination-%28Part-1%29.aspx?realname=40032957

P.S.  Is the kitty, Gabby, going outside the box at my place?  No   Not once.  See if you can learn something from Dr. Sarah’s video that helps you with YOUR kitty.

Should your pet attack his food?

Pet parents often judge the quality of a food based on how their dog or cat “attacks” it.  They often think it’s cute to hear their fur baby growling as it eats or snapping at other animals who come near.  And if a pet approaches a food calmly, they think it must be “off its feed”.

Think about humans.  Do your kids approach their vegetables and potatoes with as much gusto as a pizza or big slice of chocolate cake?  When you sit down to a wonderfully expensive gourmet meal at a nice restaurant, do you want your spouse to “attack” it like participants in a hot dog eating contest?

We have some odd values in our pet food choices that seem imprinted on us largely through advertising.  The truth of the matter is, while there is no question that taste and palatability are essential, having an animal attack his food like a wild animal is not the goal.  It is no measure of nutritional value.  Cats and dogs eat by scent and taste but there is no need to have them go “hog wild”.

Put your pet on a healthy food that your homework says is well made and contains wholesome ingredients.  Introduce them to it with a few kibbles on a plate by the side of their regular food or by mixing in a few kibbles with their existing food.   They will tell you they enjoy it by eating it, not by avoiding it or looking at it you to get them something else.  It’s not necessary that they come racing into the room, tearing at the bag and displaying uncontrolled behavior whenever it’s mealtime.

… Then again,  it sure is funny when they DO attack their food!
Funny YouTube Videos…

Fluoride in Pet Food – Another reason to avoid by-products

Have you been following the recent news about excessive fluoride levels in pet food?

“Eight of 10 dog food brands tested by an independent laboratory commissioned by Environmental Working Group (EWG) contain fluoride in amounts up to 2.5 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) national drinking water standard.”  http://www.ewg.org/node/28070

How is it getting into pet food?  Through the inclusion of the bones of animals that have been fed fluoridated water.  Consequently, you may wish to look at your pet food label to see if you are feeding anything with by-products or with “meat and bone meal”. 

I looked at a comparison of some popular foods at http://bit.ly/17LsHM but because it only shows the top five ingredients, it showed lots with by-products but none with bone meal.  A google search on “pet food” or “dog food” and “bone meal” was not productive.  So, you are going to have to do this simply by looking at your own pet food label.

Why do you care whether or not fluoridated by-products or bone meal are in your pet food?  Three studies link osteosarcoma in young boys with “fluoridated tap water”.  Guess what is the primary bone tumor found in dogs?  Osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone tumor in dogs; it is estimated to occur in over 8,000 dogs each year in the U.S., primarily in larger breeds (Chun 2003; Dernell 2001; Priester 1980; Withrow 1991). According to a recent expert review, the actual incidence is probably higher, since not all cases are confirmed and registered (Mueller 2007). Large dogs with fast growing bones are especially at risk. Only 5% of all osteosarcomas develop in dogs weighing less than 30 pounds and giant dogs generally develop osteosarcoma at a younger age compared to smaller-sized dogs and (Cooley 1997; Misdorp 1979). 
http://www.examiner.com/x-10491-Houston-Pet-Care-Examiner~y2009m7d10-Fluoride–dangerously-high-levels-found-in-pet-food

Play it safe.  Learn to read your pet food label and avoid anything at all of questionable value.  We’re truly moving to an era where we feed our pets the same high quality that we seek for ourselves.

FDA BARS Evangers from shipping pet food via interstate commerce

Folks, does this get your attention?  After more than a year of FDA investigation into unsafe manufacturing processes that could permit botulism from getting into their canned pet food, the FDA said to Evangers, ENOUGH.  They took the drastic measure of stopping Evangers from shipping their pet food across state lines.  Here is the FDA press release:

http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm166265.htm

This was a high-end premium natural food, on the pricey side.   They have been around since 1935 and claim to be the “oldest natural pet food company”.   And yet, this company apparently did not take the FDA seriously enough.  Ultimately, the FDA sent a “strong message” that this was NOT SAFE for American pets.

Evangers released a statement yesterday that was similar to the one released in 2008, i.e., that this was a recordkeeping problem, and somebody “inadvertently deleted pertinent filings” and stated that this FDA action is only in relation to the canned foods, not the dry.

Thank you, FDA.  Well done.  You gave them many chances.

My questions are:  Will there be a vast recall of Evangers canned dog food or cat food?  Will they be permitted to ship what was made under the supposedly unsafe conditions once the “problem” (manufacturing or recordkeeping) is cleared up?  Or is this the end of the action?

This is going to have some pet parents awake at night.  I suspect someone at Evangers is going to have a bad night, too.

Teresa Holladay
The Holistic Pet Food Blog
http://IsYourPetFoodSafe.com

It doesn’t matter how many carbohydrates dogs and cats get because why?

You’ll get a kick out of this.  Some veterinary nutrition textbooks actually say that it doesn’t matter how many carbs a dog or cat NEEDS … ’cause the commercial foods have them, anyway.

Say what?!  Shouldn’t the “experts” advise us on what the dogs and cats need and let the pet foods be made accordingly?

Canine and Feline Nutrition ( co-authored by two scientists from Iams®): “The fact that dogs and cats do not require carbohydrate is immaterial because the nutrient content of most commercial foods include (carbohydrates).(1)

Small animal Clinical Nutrition III, written by the founder of Science Diet® (Mark Morris Sr.) and his son (Mark Morris Jr.): “Some question exists regarding the need of dogs and cats for dietary carbohydrate. From a practical sense, the answer to this question is of little importance because there are carbohydrates in most food ingredients used in commercially prepared dog foods.”(2)

The Waltham Book of Companion animal Nutrition: “There is no known minimum dietary requirement for carbohydrate….”(3)

1. Case: Cary, and Hirakawa, Canine and Feline Nutrition, Mosby, 1995. 93.
2. Morris, Mark, Lewis, Lone and Hand, Michael, Small Animal Clinical Nutrition III, Mark Morris associates, 1990. 1-11.
3. Burger, I., Ed. The Waltham Book of Companion Animal Nutrition, pergamon 1995. 26-27: 10

Teresa Holladay
http://www.twitter.com/petfoodlady
The Holistic Pet Food Blog at http://IsYourPetFoodSafe.com
Independent HealthyPetNet rep http://www.trilogyonline.com/theyloveit

Warning to Pet Owners is true – Don’t use cocoa mulch if you have dogs

There is an email going around entitled:  “Warning to Pet Owners – Not a Joke!”  Snopes says this email is “partially true”.  The details of the email warning (manufacturer, stores where it is sold, how many dogs died) are what make it possibly more of a rumor.  But the FACTS are absolutely true.  If you receive email updates to this blog, feel free to forward the blog article or link via your email.  The link to this article is:

 http://holisticpetfood.wordpress.com/2009/06/08/warning-to-pet-owners-is-true-dont-use-cocoa-mulch-if-you-have-dogs

What are the FACTS?  Cocoa, chocolate, the theobromine contained in cocoa, the caffeine contained in cocoa, are TOXIC to both dogs and cats.

Here are the precise quotes from the ASPCA:

ASPCA

Chocolate

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/ask-the-expert/ask-the-expert-poison-control/chocolate.html

 

Is chocolate as dangerous for cats as it is for dogs? 

—Carla H.

Carla, while dogs tend to be most commonly affected largely due to their eating habits, chocolate can indeed be toxic to cats, as well as other pets. Depending on the type and amount ingested, chocolate can cause vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, panting, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures—and even death in severe cases. Because of its toxic potential, we would advise against allowing your cat to consume chocolate.

Cocoa Bean Shell Mulch

 http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/ask-the-expert/ask-the-expert-poison-control/cocoa-bean-shell-mulch.html

Cocoa bean mulch is popular in our neighborhood. Is this toxic to dogs?

—Julie M.

It depends, Julie. Dogs who consume enough cocoa bean shell mulch could potentially develop signs similar to that of chocolate poisoning, including vomiting and diarrhea. In cases where very large amounts of mulch have been consumed, muscle tremors or other more serious neurological signs could occur. To date, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center has not received any cases involving animal deaths due to cocoa mulch ingestion.

One key point to remember is that some dogs, particularly those with indiscriminate eating habits, can be attracted to any kind of organic matter. If you have a dog who tends to be, shall we say, less than finicky, it is important that your dog not be left unsupervised or allowed in areas where such materials are being used.

In case you have not already seen it, please read this article (.pdf) on our website that provides additional information on cocoa bean shell mulch.

Cocoa Bean Mulch as a Cause of Methylxanthine Toxicosis in Dogs

Low doses of methylxanthines in dogs cause gastrointestinal upset in Dogs

High doses cause tachycardia, muscle tremors, seizures and even death

Drolet documented the death of a dog after eating a large amount of cocoa bean shell mulch containing 0.46% theobromine

Cases we managed involved dogs which developed vomiting, tremors, tachycardia, hyperactivity, or diarrhea with full recovery

Clinical severity appears to correlate with increasing qualitative dose descriptions

Treatment of affected dogs includes multiple dose activated charcoal (2 g/kg PO) and tremor control with cardiac monitoring

Urinary bladder catheterization may reduce reabsorption of methylxanthines

Other potential exposures include pesticides and mycotoxin-producing mold

Dogs may experience clinical effects from large ingestions of cocoa bean shell mulch but life-threatening signs were not reported

We recommend avoiding use of cocoa bean shell mulch in landscaping around unsupervised dogs

You may wish to play it safe rather than sorry.

Teresa Holladay
http://www.twitter.com/petfoodlady
The Holistic Pet Food Blog at http://IsYourPetFoodSafe.com
Independent HealthyPetNet rep  http://www.trilogyonline.com/theyloveit

ChemNutra to plead guilty in 2007 pet food recalls

ChemNutra Inc. and owners Stephen and Sally Miller have signed a plea agreement admitting to 27 misdemeanor counts of distributing adulterated and/or misbranded food and one felony count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, PetProductsNews.com reported Wednesday. They will formally enter their pleas June 16 in federal court in Kansas City, Mo.

This is related to the 2007 melamine-tainted pet food disaster.  The government claimed they new the products were mislabelled in China to prevent inspection and that the protein content was overstated. 

UPI: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/06/03/Pet-food-suppliers-to-plead-guilty/UPI-48301244081082/