What’s Your Dog Eating?
By Holly Noonan

Have you ever noticed that dogs tend to develop growths after a decade or so of eating commercial pet food? My sister’s dog has a couple of growths on his leg that are developing their own personalities and arguing with each other. It’s fascinating in a grotesque sort of way. And did you hear about “Gus, the World’s Ugliest Dog?” He must be seen to be believed. He had some tough competition, too. Poor Gus is missing one eye and one leg and will be spending his prize money on cancer treatment.

OK I’m getting predictable in my refrain “It’s all about the food,” but doesn’t that make a heap of sense? Modern industrial commodity pet food is literally the garbagey by-products of our industrial meat system, which isn’t that clean or palateable to start with.

Our dog Tenzin started growing growths on her face and body last year and that’s when I made the switch away from commercial dog food. (Her growths have stopped growing.) Also, she is part husky and blows out her undercoat in the spring. Every year it was getting earlier and earlier, until at 7 years old, she started losing her undercoat in the coldest part of winter: February. We switched to natural dog food (more on that below) and this year she didn’t start losing her undercoat until May. It was a really conspicuous change in one year.

According to the Animal Protection Institute, we should “avoid foods that rely on by-products as the sole source of animal protein. By-products consist of organs and parts either not desired, or condemned, for human consumption…. (Another) potential problem with commercial pet food is pesticide residues, antibiotics, and molds contained in pet food ingredients. Meat from sick animals may be loaded with drugs, some of which are known to pass unchanged through all the processing done to create a finished pet food (such as penicillin and pentobarbital).”

To read more of this article waldo.villagesoup.com

From chocolate to raisins, here’s what not to feed Fido — even if he begs

It feels good to treat your pet to human food every once in a while. Those puppy-dog eyes are hard to resist as they watch you eat and try to convince you that they are starving! It makes you want to give them a taste of everything you eat. But beware: Giving in to those eyes and giving dogs human foods can actually harm them.

In 2007, the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center received more than 130,000 calls. Most cases of animal poisoning were caused by common human foods and household items.

Many foods we enjoy can be dangerous to animals. It’s best to stick to pet food and a diet recommended by your vet. Here are a few of the most toxic foods that can harm your pet:

Bad news foods
Avocados
They contain a toxic component called persin, which can damage heart, lung and other tissue in many animals. This fruit is very toxic to dogs, cats and most animals.

Beer
Alcoholic beverages can cause the same damage to an animal’s liver and brain as they cause in humans. But the effects can be deadly on animals since they are much smaller than us. The smaller the animal, the more deadly the effects can be. Even a small amount of alcohol may cause vomiting and damage the liver and brain.

Nuts
Walnuts and macadamia nuts are especially toxic. Effects can be anything from vomiting to paralysis to death. Within 12 hours of eating the nuts, pets start to develop symptoms such as an inability to stand or walk, vomiting, hyperthermia (elevated body temperature), weakness, and an elevated heart rate. These symptoms can be even worse if your dog eats some chocolate with the nuts. The effect can cause kidney failure, often leading to death.

Chocolate
Chocolate contains theobromine, which can kill your pet if eaten in large quantities. Dark and unsweetened baking chocolates are especially dangerous. Giving your pup a piece of chocolate cake or even letting him lick the chocolate icing on the cake could cause him to become ill. Theobromine can also cause a dog or cat’s heart to beat very rapidly or irregularly, which could result in death if the pet is exercising or overly active.

Candy
Candy or anything containing Xylitol (a common sweetener found in some diet products) can cause a sudden drop in an animal’s blood sugar, loss of coordination and seizures. If left untreated, the animal could die.

Caffeine
Coffee, tea or any product that contains caffeine stimulates an animal’s central nervous and cardiac systems. This can lead to restlessness, heart palpitations and death, depending on how much the animal consumes.

Grapes and raisins
Grapes and raisins can lead to kidney failure in dogs. As little as a single serving of raisins can kill them. And the effects are cumulative, which means that even if a dog eats just one or two grapes or raisins regularly, the toxin that builds in his system will eventually kill him.

Onions
Onions are another common food that can be highly toxic to pets. They can destroy an animal’s red blood cells and lead to anemia, weakness and breathing difficulties. Their effects are also cumulative over time.
Click on msnbc.com to read more of this article.

For the modern day Dr Dolittle, Dog Whisperer, Veterinarian, K9 Acupuncturist,Dog psychic, Dog Trainer and all dog lovers who speak canine! .

See the “i speak canine” (copyright 2007 jmk) on bumper-stickers, buttons, t-shirts and other fun items at the Tao of Dog Cafe shop.

April 23, 2008 — From Scientific American

WASHINGTON - U.S. makers of pet food and all other animal feed will be prevented from using certain materials from cattle at the greatest risk for spreading mad cow disease under a rule that regulators finalized on Wednesday.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which oversees animal feed, said excluding high-risk materials from cattle 30 months of age or older from all animal feed will prevent any accidental cross-contamination between ruminant feed (intended for animals such as cattle) and non-ruminant feed or feed ingredients.

The new rule takes effect in April, 2009.

Contamination could occur during manufacture, transport or through the accidental misfeeding of non-ruminant feed to ruminant animals.

Canada and the United States banned the inclusion of protein from cows and other ruminant animals such as goats and sheep in cattle feed in 1997, following a mad cow outbreak in Britain.

The measure issued today finalizes a proposed rule opened for public comment in October 2005. It goes into effect on April 23, 2009.

The major U.S. safeguards against mad cow disease are the feed ban, a prohibition against slaughtering most “downer” cattle — animals too sick to walk on their own — for human food, and a requirement for meatpackers to remove from carcasses the brains, spinal cords and other parts most likely to contain the malformed proteins blamed for the disease.

Mad cow disease is a fatal, brain-wasting disease believed to be spread by contaminated feed. People can contract a human version of the disease, know as Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, or vCJD, which scientists believe can be spread by eating contaminated parts from an infected animal.

The United States has found three cases of mad cow disease, including the first one detected in December of 2003. Soon after, U.S. beef exports were virtually halted. U.S. official have been slowly working to resume beef shipments.

FDA bans certain cattle parts from all animal feed………..
To read the entire story, click Here

Eco Dog
By Corbett Marshall and Jim Deskevich

Amazon Book review writes,”If the family is eating organic foods, recycling, and steering clear of chemicals, why shouldn’t it be the same for Fido?

Eco Dog is a comprehensive guide to nontoxic and planet-friendly dog care. It delivers information on the potential dangers of conventional pet food, grooming products, and accessories and then offers shopping tips and 25 home projects for all-natural alternatives.

Rosemary Conditioner replaces chemical-laden flea collars while a Felted Dog Blanket recycles sweaters long past their prime. With cheerful photos of doggies enjoying organic treats, Eco Dog is a clear reminder that a healthy dog is a happy dog.”

You can find Eco Dog at your friendly neighborhood bookstore, library or Amazon.com

Toxic chemicals found in dogs, cats, study finds
By Doug Oakley
East Bay Daily News
Article Launched: 04/17/2008 08:27:40 PM PDT

Fire retardants, mercury and stain-proof coatings are just some of the chemicals found in the bodies of live dogs and cats in a new study by an environmental group pushing for more regulation.

The chemicals could point to an increase in cancer and hyperthyroidism in cats and dogs, according to the Environmental Working Group, which released the study at a news conference in Berkeley on Thursday.

The group tested blood and urine from 20 dogs and 37 cats in a Virginia veterinary clinic. It found 48 industrial chemicals were present.

The pets likely ingested the chemicals because they live close to floors and lick the ground and their paws, the group said. Infants and toddlers also are close to the ground and put things in their mouths, which puts them at the same kind of risk as cats and dogs, the group said.

That scenario underscores the need for state and federal legislation requiring proof that chemicals are safe before putting them in consumer products, said Bill Walker, vice president of the group’s West Coast operations.

“We need a better system of regulating toxic chemicals in this country,” Walker said. “We need to test the chemicals before they are allowed on the market. Our animals are trying to tell us something here.”

Gary Richter, a veterinarian at Montclair Veterinary Hospital in Oakland who attended the news conference, said he is worried about household chemicals and their effects on pets.

“There’s been an increase in cancer in dogs and cats and hyperthyroidism in cats,” Richter said. “Household toxins are concerning. We hope the research community can determine if the causes are environmental.”

Richter said the high number of cases of cancer and hyperthyroidism in pets can be attributed to better diagnosing of the illnesses. The fact that cats and dogs are living longer means they get more diseases as a result, he added.

Kendra Borja, a spokeswoman for the American Chemistry Council, which represents chemical manufacturers, said she had not seen the animal study, but said tests of chemicals in humans can be misleading without some context.

To read the rest of this article visit mercurynews.com

More than 4 million tons of dog poop is collected each year. Dog waste is thought to be third or fourth on the list of contributors to bacteria in contaminated waters. Yuck! (One more reason for you or your pets not to drink tap water.)

What can you do help? First, always pick up after your dog. But what do you put it in? Most people like to use the plastic bags that come from grocery stores. Unfortunately these bags are not biodegradable, becoming something that our great grandchildren will still be finding. It would be better to bring your own canvas totes to the grocery store and skip using their plastic bags at all. Many stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joes now sell reusable grocery totes for a mere dollar.

Back to the problem of where to put your dog poop. I never thought I would be suggesting this in a blog, but there is a solution: 100% biodegradable dog poop bags are now available.

For more information on dog poop bags, cat box liners and other environmental friendly pet products check out the Poop Bag website.

www.poopbags.com