March/April 2007 Newsletter

Spring is finally here! Hope this newsletter finds you all well and happy!

DOG & CAT FOOD - I'm sure you all are sharing in my concern for all the problems encountered recently with the tainted dog and cat food and all the recalls. I had begun to do some studying regarding the quality of food for cats and dogs which really started my questioning of the veterinarian recommended brands such as Hill's Science Diet and Iams/Eukanuba. The further my research took me the more concerned I became. Most veterinarians still stand by the two top brands they recommend, but there are many out there with high qualifications in nutrition that don't agree. My theory is that Hill's particularly puts money into the pockets of the vet schools with the outcome being that their brand ends up being the highest recommended simply because nutrition isn't a large part of the curriculum unless a vet student chooses to extend their studies in that area. Basically, they end up being brain washed into thinking their are no other foods better. PLEASE......Not all vets have this idea, and that is not what I am trying to get across.

I believe we all have to take responsibility for our health and well-being and same goes for our beloved companions. They depend on us completely for health and well-being.

I have received many phone calls over the past few weeks regarding which foods are best.
I changed Clover's dog food from Science Diet to Eagle Pack Holistic several years ago. She loves it, and is more excited to eat. Sometimes with her Science Diet she would smell it and walk away leaving it until she got hungry enough to eat it. Then some of the time she would throw it up. Mind you, she was not sick or lethargic.

There are alot of good foods out there, but even with those we need to make consciencious decisions as to what is best for out pets. Here are my recommendations on how to find good pet food outside of making your own homemade diets which you can do.

First - Look at the ingredients. Right now because it is the Wheat Gluten that was the particular problem stay away from products that have this ingredient. Wheat Gluten is used to make food stick together. You want foods that have more meat base (this should be the top ingredients) and veggie base that contain protein. Look for natural ingredients. Stay away from meat by-products and those with lots of grain fillers. Look for products that have organic ingredients.

The Whole Dog Journal puts out a list annually on what they consider to be the top rated dog foods distinquished by wet and dry.

Here is a list of a few I am familiar with. Please keep in mind that you cannot buy these at Petsmart and Petco. Some can be found at Wild Oats. Ma and Paw's Bakery sells some good quality food along with The Dog's Meow. These are all manufactured in the US.

Back to Basics Chicken Formula (Beowulf Natural Foods)

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul Adult Formula (Diamond Pet Products) Yuppie Puppie carries

Canidae All Life Stages Formula (Canidae Corp.)

Eagle Pack Holistic Select (Eagle Pet Products, Inc.)

Innova (Natura Pet Products)

Karma Organic (Natura Pet Products)

Natural Balance Organic & Natural Balance Ultra Premium ONLY THESE VARIETIES (Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance)

Organix (Castor & Pollux Pet Works)

Newman's Own Organics

These are just a few to mention. Read the ingredients and keep abreast as to what is going on with the dog and cat food industry. Here are some websites or articles that may be of interest to you.

List of Recalled Food Both Cat and Dog
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pets_related_news_and_events/recalled_pet_food_and_treats.html

Other Articles of Interest Regarding Food Recall Etc.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/02/recall.links/index.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/23/eveningnews/main2719464.shtml

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/04/23/national/a043804D26.DTL

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/24/business/worldbusiness/24pets.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Other Health & Safety Issues -

To let it my dog hang out there or not to let my dog hang out there, that is the
question. Hanging their heads out the window in the car is what I'm talking about. Here are some pretty
compelling reasons not to:

1. Dogs can jump out windows especially smalls dogs. I have actually seen this twice while driving in the
past year. Both went into traffic and were lucky enough to survive but not without causing alot of caos.
2. They can have things hit them in the eyes or elsewhere. Bee stings are also popular.
3. Dogs can accidently hit the window open/close button and get themselves caught or open it further so they can jump out.

Having your dog sit on your lap while driving is really dangerous for both you and your dog. They are a major distraction while driving. If your airbag deploys for any reason such as a fender bumper which does seem to happen more frequently your dog will more than likely not survive the impact between you and the airbag. They are much safer riding in a crate, harness, or doggy seat.

LIFE ON THE WILDSIDE - The two kestrels were released, and hopefully they are doing well. The kestrel with the head injury has been in an outside cage for quite sometime. I tried to release him, but he just wasn't ready. I still have the merlin which should be ready to go soon. Just have to test him out first. I have had a couple of bunnies that were brought in and released. I'm sure things will pickup towards the end of the month with bunny births and squirrel babies.

Thank you for reading! Have a wonderful spring, and we'll see you soon!

Kandy Thomas
Kandy's Kritter Kare & Consulting