Love Your Pet Day (February 20th)

Spoil your pet from sunup to sundown.

While your pet may not like getting a bath,  we know he won’t mind being showered - with a little extra love, that is. You love your pet every day, of course, but February 20 is a day where you can make him or her feel extra special. It's Love Your Pet Day, and petcentric.com has some tips to make your dog's or cat's day.

Wake up your pet with an extra good scratch. Going above and beyond can start with going up and to the left on your pet's belly. Or, if you're a bit more adventurous, you could read up on Tellington Touch, a form of massage that can relax and awaken your pet's mind, create focus, and enhance his willingness and ability to learn.

This is the perfect day to mix up the everyday routine and treat your pet to a special breakfast. If he's used to eating kibble, try mixing in a little wet food  Sounds like a great way to start the day!

Take a trip to the groomer so that your pet can strut his stuff for the rest of the day. A bandana, bow or other accessory would be a nice touch. Search for a groomer near you on Petcentric Places. If your pet doesn't enjoy going to the groomer, make up for this most unpleasant surprise by getting him a brand new toy. If you don't want to spend the day after Love Your Pet Day picking up clumps of stuffing, find some toys that are nearly indestructible and eco-friendly.

Time to break out the leash and go on a nice, long walk. Round out the physical exercise with some mental stimulation by teaching your pet a new trick. If you think your dog already knows it all, the adage "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" is more of a self-fulfilling prophecy than a truth. A dog of any age has the ability to learn something new, especially if it means impressing his best friend.

Let your pet tell family and friends how much fun he's having on his big day by sending card or a smilebox. Then cuddle up together and watch a classic pet movie. Now it's time for your pet to relive all the fun and excitement of Love Your Pet Day in his dreams.

Petcentric .com by Purina Foods

Beef Filet Dog Treats May Be Contaminated

FDA warns certain Beef Filet Squares for dogs may be contaminated with salmonella.

Updated: January 15, 2010, 3 p.m. EST

Dogchannel.com

Although no illnesses had been reported and after potentially contaminated dog treat products had been removed from store shelves, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers not to use Merrick Beef Filet Squares for dogs with a package date of “Best By 111911” because the product may be contaminated with salmonella.

On Jan. 11, 2010, Amarillo, Texas-based Merrick Pet Care notified 82 retail stores that may have received product from 72 affected cases of the product about the potential contamination. All potentially contaminated product (Item # 60016/Lot Code “9323 best buy 111911) had been removed from store shelves by Wednesday, Jan. 13, Merrick reported.

About 20 cases of the affected lot (0323 best buy 111911) were unaccounted for and presumed to be sold to pet owners.

The warning is limited to the affected product, which is packaged in a green, red and tan re-sealable 10-oz. bag. Merrick advises all consumers to review the lot code stamped on the top of the bag and to dispose of any Beef Filet Squares from lot “9323 best buy 111911.”

The date code is imprinted on the top portion of the bag and likely torn off when the package is opened, according to the FDA. The government recommended that consumers who are unable to determine the date code discontinue use of the product.

The FDA reported it detected a positive finding for salmonella during routine testing in December 2009. A subsequent inspection “found deficiencies in the packaging and manufacturing processes,” according to the FDA.

Specifically, the FDA warned consumers not to handle the product or feed them to their pets. Salmonella can affect both humans and animals, with symptoms including diarrhea, fever, vomiting and abdominal pain in both humans and animals. The FDA recommends contacting a physician or veterinarian if these symptoms occur.

Obsessive-Compulsive Gene Located in Dogs

 (AOL.com by Katie Drummond, contributor)

(Feb. 3) – If your dog seems to exhibit time-consuming, repetitive behaviors, new research suggests it might actually suffer from a mental illness. A study published in the January issue of Molecular Psychiatry reports that scientists have located a gene for obsessive-compulsive disorder among certain canine breeds.

OCD affects around 2 percent of people, and the canine research suggests that some breeds, especially Dobermans and bull terriers, are at an exceptionally high risk. Up to 70 percent of some litters seem to have obsessive tendencies.

For more than 10 years, behaviorists at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University collected blood samples from Dobermans that exhibited compulsive behavior, like blanket-sucking, as well as from unaffected, healthy Dobermans. In 2001, they teamed up with the Medical Genetics Program at University of Massachusetts Medical School for a widespread "genome association" study.

The team found that dogs exhibiting more compulsive behaviors, like chasing their tails or sucking their own body parts, were more likely to express a CDH2 gene. That gene, located on chromosome 7, mediates communication between neurons in the brain.

And what we now know about dogs might help explain certain human disorders, like OCD and autism spectrum disorder, by examining whether the same CDH2 gene is also implicated. Dr. Nicholas Dodman, a professor at Cummings and the study's lead author, said the CDH2 gene is located in the same area – the brain's hippocampus – in humans and dogs.

Dodman has been working with canine obsessive-compulsive symptoms since the early '80s, but said he needed technology to catch up before he could confirm his suspicions that dogs and people might share a common illness.

"I've had a sneaking suspicion for decades," Dodman said. "Now, we've finally established an incredibly important finding." He predicts that the canine-human link could yield preventive medicine and better treatment for obsessive disorders in both species.

Other experts are cautiously optimistic. "It's certainly true we have basically the same gene in us, so it's an intriguing lead, but there's a lot more work that has to be done to see if this particular finding is relevant to human health and obsessive- compulsive disorder," Dr. Michael Slifer, an assistant professor of human genetics and genomics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, told HealthDay.

Silfer also cautioned that the CDH2 gene might not have as intense an impact on humans, because if it did, researchers would already have found it.

We'll know soon enough. The National Institutes of Mental Health is conducting its own study, looking for CDH2 in blood samples of human OCD patients. Dodman expects to receive the results any day.

"This would be the first confirmed psychiatric gene in humans," he said. "We're waiting with bated breath."

Dodman and his fellow researchers are also awaiting grants for an institute devoted to the study of "translational research" – comparing genetic information between animals and humans – in an attempt to solve more medical mysteries.

Top 10 Resolutions by Dogs include:  (As per akc.org)

10.Remember:  Owner on floor, dog in bed.
9. Stop begging and actually get a seat at the dinner table.
8. Give up the dream of ever catching my tail.
7. Bark like a big dog but still get cuddled on lap like a little dog.
6. Get back at  the cat for the  litter box incident.
7. Find every bone I have ever buried.
4. No more haircuts! (come fall, I can go as a Komondor for Halloween).
3. Become alpha dog in my house. Well, at least stop letting the cat push me around.
2. Invent goggles that allow me to see the electric fence.
1. Finally pass that darn AKC Canine Good Citizen test.

Christmas Eating Tips   

(Thank you, D. Davis)

1.     Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving holiday cookies .  

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare.. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think.  Try to limit yourself to 1 quart per day. It's Christmas!  

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano.  How about adding flavor to the fruit cake? Repeat.  

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.  

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?  

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a  25 -pound plate of food and that  quart of eggnog.  

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again. As a last resort- stuff your pockets. They are a good snack after the party is over.  

8. Same for pies. Apple ,   Pumpkin ,   Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor   Day? By the way- what exactly is mincemeat??? It's okay to actually tell the hostess- "I'm so full- I'll have to have some of that mincemeat pie later" (as in the year 2067)  

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost.. I mean, have some standards. Only kidding- show you have some built in bravery- EAT IT!!  

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:  

"WOO HOO what a ride!"  

H a v e   a   g r e a t a n d   M e r r y   C h r i s t m a s ! ! 

Study Finds Dogs Are Better Than Cats
Updated: Thursday, 10 Dec 2009, 7:30 AM EST
Published : Thursday, 10 Dec 2009, 7:25 AM EST

(Victoria Herald Sun) - A study of pets' character, intelligence and usefulness has shown dogs are better than cats - but only by a whisker.

In the "great pet showdown" experts compared 11 traits from brain size to environmental impact by looking at research published in scientific journals. Dogs came out on top in six categories, compared to cats' five.

Staff at New Scientist magazine said cats fared best in categories including having bigger brains in proportion to their body size.

But in the other six categories examined, many of which related to how the animals interact with humans, dogs had the edge.

Dogs have a longer shared history with people and may have been domesticated as long as 135,000 years ago. Cats are relative newcomers to human homes.

Canines also have a greater ability to bond with their masters. Even four-month-old puppies choose a human companion over another dog, research has shown.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/world/new-scientist-study-finds-dogs-are-better-than-cats/story-e6frfkyi-1225809115169

Holiday Travel Tips
 
It's the holiday travel season and airports are at their busiest. Here are a few tips to make your holiday travels easier.

·         Don't wrap your gifts before you go. Instead, wait until you arrive at your destination, as airport screeners may ask you to unwrap them for inspection at the security checkpoint.

·         Pack a collapsible bag to bring back gifts that you receive, or avoid the need to pack gifts by shipping them.

·         If you plan to bring a bottle or two of wine, remember that they must be packed in your checked luggage. Make sure they are well protected to withstand the rigors of the journey, and the luggage handlers.

·         If you are planning on wrapping gifts at your destination, be sure to pack the scissors in your check-in bag. While the Transportation Security Agency has relaxed the restrictions on small tools and small scissors, much of it can still be subject to interpretation by inspectors, so it's best to check in any sharp items to avoid confiscation. Or, avoid wrapping altogether by using gift bags.

·         You will probably be asked for your identification several times in your journey through the airport. Use an ID/passport holder worn around the neck to keep your documents readily accessible.

·         To avoid the crowds, you may want to consider flying on the actual holiday, when demand is lower.

·         Delays are common at this time of year, so bring plenty of snacks and reading material. Fly as early in the morning as possible - delays become longer as the day goes on. If you can, choose less crowded airports.

·         Avoid connecting flights if possible. Flights are solidly booked this time of year, and if weather or some other common delay causes you to miss a connection, chances are slim that you will find room on a later flight.
 

                 Magellan’s Travel Catalog, 2009

Canine Nutrition - Dog Food
How to avoid food-related digestive, weight, and allergy problems, including those caused by trying to feed the very best pet food!  Whether you feed commercial dog food, BARF, raw, or home cooked, feeding a dog should not be worrisome or expensive.  Since man first threw a bone to the wolf, feeding our best friend was easy.  It still is.  We guarantee this section will simplify your life and make your dog healthy, happy, and glad you took the time to read it!

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OPEN LETTER ON VETERINARY CARE
Dear Worthless Mainstream Media,

Although it cannot compare to messages of the big stars & other celebrities, I'd like to show my gratitude for unending A-Rod, Tom Cruise, and Brittany Spears coverage by submitting information for animal owners.  Also, later in this letter, I'll be tipping you off on the Alternative Reality (show) brought to us by: Those People 'Just Saying Stuff' on the Internet.

Thursday, I went to the doctor with Poison Ivy outbreak and along with some ointment, he put me on a prescription diet of Corn Chips, which has proven most convenient!  He sells them right there; the company not only funded his education but still keeps him up to date regarding nutrition, therefore no more time and money wasted on Health books. Chips are so very tasty that I can't eat enough of them, thus won't miss all that cooking and grocery shopping; my weight has improved as I need to drink more water; and his practice also makes a nice profit selling the chips.  Sorry, perennially healthy people: These special Prescription chips are available only through doctors!

Far fetched?  Well, if you believe the vast majority who insist that veterinarians are "no different from our doctors" in this regard, then why hesitate to ask an M.D. what junk foods he'll be "prescribing" (and selling) during your next checkup?!

Just this week when I had my dog in again for diarrhea, thyroid symptoms and chronic skin infections, I was telling my vets about "Those Internet People Saying Stuff"  such as having completely healed their chronically ailing pets themselves by spending a fortune on "Those Fancy Foods" loaded with MEAT when we all know that "feeding tests have proven" carnivorous mammals much prefer the taste of corn, glutens, peanut hulls, restaurant grease, sawdust, soy mill run and cheap melamine filler from China anyway!

My carnivorous companion animals are plump and pleasant and overall very HAPPY on their "special 'prescription' diets." One dog even tolerates dreaded car rides because he knows he'll get his special treats when we go to the vet for his inflamed bowels, diarrhea, throwing up, urinary tract infections, and probably bladder stone removal!  I'm taking another of my little carnivores along for his chronic itching, vomiting, hypothyroidism blood re-test and pill refill, so obviously I'm far too busy to be scouring the Web reading "Stuff" by "Those Internet People." sardonic

As a side note, these things (hyperthyroidism, bowel issues, urinary tract infections) must be contagious as my pets keep catching them from each other just when one dog or cat's this-or-that might be healing!  I've considered quarantining although their Vets say it's "pretty common for both kinds of animals to get them" - and it's not like it's bloody tumor, intestinal growths, seizures, and/or kidney-liver failure, (yet) so I feel better.

When they snarl at me, I really get a kick out of my little carnivores' fangy-looking teeth and the weird way they are shaped. I do wonder just why they are shaped that way instead of like cows' and horses' teeth and what I learned in Biology Class back in grade school!  Considering the Veterinary profession has had much more schooling than I have and has apparently totally forgotten as well, I'm not too embarrassed.

Some of "Those Internet People" are actually DVMs and have written books such as "The New Animal Doctor's Answer Book"; and the brand new "Not Fit For A Dog! The TRUTH About Manufactured cat and dog food" and other such "silly stuff" of which the vast majority has no clue. Here's a sampling:  A Dr. Michael W. Fox has a lot of secret cure information and research unknown to the vast majority, which would no doubt include my vets.  Although this Dr. Fox writes a syndicated newspaper column for The Real World, his healing secrets will probably remain secrets to The Vast Majority because he's not Michael J. Fox. 

This guy actually says "stuff" like: "A 2004 listing in order of frequency of the ten most common claims of over 6,400 medical conditions that Veterinary Pet Insurance Inc received from cat and dog owners certainly reveals a high incidence of the most probable 'junk food' related diseases in the dog and cat population of the U.S., with the exception of bite abscesses in cats and soft tissue trauma in dogs, (both conditions being associated with animals who are allowed to free-roam).

"For dogs: Ear infection; Stomach inflammation; Skin irritation; Tumors/growths; Skin infection/hot spots; Urinary tract infection; Osteoarthritis; Hypothyroidism; Inflammation of the intestinal tract; Soft tissue trauma.
"For cats: Urinary Tract Infection; Stomach inflammation; Kidney disease; Bite Abscess; Diabetes; Hyperthyroidism; Inflamed colon; Conjunctivitis; Ear infection; Skin irritation
"As for the contribution of highly processed commercial diets to the sickness and suffering of cats and dogs, the fact remains that animals often make spectacular recoveries, not when put on special prescription diets, but when taken off all such 'junk' convenience foods, and are instead fed balanced diets appropriate for their species (e.g. no cereal-based diets for carnivorous...) - Michael W. Fox, B. Vet. Med., Ph.D., D.Sc., M.R.C.V.S."

Although they are right here Harvard Law Paper - ANSWERS NOBODY KNOWS:

1) Can anyone enlighten as to any actual medicine and/or nutritional benefits within these examples of "Prescription Formulas" (main ingredients listed below) which are "prescribed" by veterinarians for:

a. Canid, mammal in the order Carnivora (Canine): Ground Whole Grain Corn, Powdered Cellulose, Peanut Hulls, Chickenby-product Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Soybean Meal, Soybean Mill Run, Dried Egg Product, Soybean Oil, Corn Gluten Meal... preserved with BHT, BHA and Ethoxyquin.

b. Felid, obligatory carnivorous species (Feline): Ground Whole Grain Corn, Pork Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean and Corn Gluten Meal, Soybean Mill Run, Chicken Liver Flavor, Calcium Sulfate, Dried Egg Product, Soybean Oil...

2) WHY would a client-consumer totally suspend all belief and logic in regard to these species and actually feed this stuff?  (Because it's being labeled and sold as "Prescription", therefore it’s perceived as MEDICINE.)

3) Can anybody cite any actual MEDICINE in these "prescription formulas"? (Answer is right on the INGREDIENT LABELS.)

4) Then how can they possibly justify the PRICE -- as much as $75.00-- which naive clients shell out, especially when comparing the INGREDIENTS side-by-side with those in bargain brands?

5) Can they also explain why they think carnivorous companion animals should be consuming carcinogenics which are banned for use in human food; sawdust of PINE tree ... peanut HULLS?

a.) Are they even aware of just what Ethoxyquin is?   (An FDA regulated PESTICIDE originally developed for use in the production of rubber.)

6) How many pet owners are aware that eating these things is what actually causes the most common ailments and diseases in our companion animals? Don't they know that a carnivore's dentition and digestive systems do not permit efficient processing of grains and vegetable matter (let alone the inexplicable "things" listed above) -- Can anyone deny this?

7) Would we consider it ethical and legal if our family Physicians had such a "relationship" with the Snack Food Industry and convinced everybody that "prescription" corn chip diets were necessary - while they profited from the corn chip sales, as well as drug company points for additional medications sold to mask the ailments resulting from such a strict diet?  Would we accept this as we unhesitatingly do for our chronically ailing, over-drugged companion animals.

Are there any differences between the Oath veterinarians took with that of Physicians/M.D.s? 

Naive companion animal owners are told by trusted veterinarians that their pets "need" to ingest these "special" foods in order to get well, yet corn (tough to digest) - along with soy and wheat which are also prevalent in most of the foods - are among the most common, proven causes of allergies and other health issues in dogs and cats. Oh, and guess who are among the biggest stockholders in the companies that make the pet foods most often seen in veterinary lobbies?

And nobody's ever warned us?!  I had to find it all out from "Those Internet People" after having learned it the hard way because virtually everybody who should be alerting companion animal owners to this scam is invariably tied to, and profits from, the Commercial Pet Food Industry. Unlike Physicians, Veterinarians only have to answer to their own governing body which incidentally, is largely funded by the Commercial Pet Food Industry.

9) So guess who gets to "teach" our Veterinarians about NUTRITION?

I know I should be thanking the Worthless Mainstream Media for alert, prompt reporting and headlines which WOULD have prevented widespread confusion, heartbreak and sparing of countless companion animals from easily preventable ailments, diseases and premature deaths.
BUT - The only ones who, apparently, knew anything at all and have been sharing such information all this time were just ... THOSE PEOPLE “Just Saying STUFF On The Internet!!”

And so it goes, the Vast Majority shall continue to look forward to ARod's and the Spears and the Cruise family’s every move which The Worthless Mainstream Media continues to do such a fine, diligent job of keeping us all abreast of...

Signed: Deceived and Defrauded Companion Animal Owners

D.M. McGowan © TheDogPlace / December 2009 -

http://www.thedogplace.org/Articles/DogCare/Nutrition/Veterinary-Care_McGowan-09121.asp