Saturday, December 5, 2009

Dog Eating Poop

From Dr. Sarah, Veterinarian, Life's Abundance

From the
"According to Wikipedia, coprophagia is the consumption of feces, from the Greek κόπρος copros ("feces") and φαγεῖν phagein ("to eat"). Many animal species practice coprophagia as a matter of course; other species do not normally consume feces but may do so under unusual conditions.

It is a fact of life: many of us know and love a dog that practices this disgusting gustatory habit, and many dog owners are pulling their hair out trying to get their pet to stop!

Yes - dogs eating poop

You may or may not know that for canines in the wild, this is a natural instinct and not at all odd. Dogs are scavengers, after all, and this might be within the range of scavenger behavior. Wild canines may also be trying to prevent the scent from attracting predators. For domesticated adult dogs, however, this is usually not a normal behavior.

Most of the time, there are valid medical and psychological conditions that can contribute to the practice of coprophagia. Some causes include attention-seeking behavior, anxiety or stress. Health problems, such as pancreatitis and intestinal parasites, can cause coprophagia, and dogs will move heaven and earth to get to “kitty tootsie rolls”! (Apparently, dogs really like the taste of kitty poop.)

If you have a dog that eats poop, this all may sound too familiar, but do not worry. Even if your dog has done this their whole life, it is possible for them to stop, and there are training methods and products available to curb and possibly even end the behavior."



As Dr. Sarah said in the video, a check-up to your veterinarian to rule our any parasites or medical condition is important.
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Note from blog owner: I personally recommend as a balanced diet, Lifes Abundance Healthy Dog Food

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Pet Food Recall Update 11-27-09

From the FDA Updates:

Recall -- Firm Press Release


"FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.


Diamond Pet Foods Announces Recall of Premium Edge Adult Cat and Premium Edge Hairball Cat Food


Company Contact:

800-977-8797


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - November 27, 2009 - On September 23, Diamond Pet Foods issued a voluntary recall for Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat and Premium Edge Hairball cat because they have the potential to produce Thiamine Deficiency. Today’s announcement provides additional information from the company’s posted announcement of September 23 when the initial recall information was provided.


Thiamine is essential for cats. Symptoms of deficiency displayed by an affected cat can be gastrointestinal or neurological in nature. At the first stage the cat may show decreased appetite, salivation, vomiting, and weight loss. Later, neurologic signs can develop, which may include ventriflexion (bending towards the floor) of the neck, wobbly walking, circling, falling, and seizures. These ultimately may result in the death of the animal if left untreated. If your cat has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

The affected products were distributed in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida.

The affected date codes were RAF0501A22X 18lb. (BB28NOV10), RAF0501A2X 6 lb. (BB28NOV10), RAF0802B12X 18lb (BB30FEB11), RAH0501A22X 18 lb. (BB28NOV10), RAH0501A2X 6lb. (BB28NOV10, BB30NOV10, BB08DEC10)


To date, 21 cases of thiamine deficiency in cats have been reported and confirmed by Diamond. The reports have been confined to the New York and Pennsylvania areas and none have been received since October 19.

Diamond has tested the product and found the cat foods were deficient in thiamine. Samples taken by the FDA indicated that there were additional lots with insufficient levels of thiamine. No other complaints have been reported on any other product manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods.


Consumers who have purchased the affected lots are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-977-8797, Monday-Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Central Time."

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm192404.htm

Pet Treats and Toys May Cause Problems for Your Pet

Although this post may seem from years ago, I think it is great the FDA re-posted it. I feel this information is so important especially with the holidays right around the corner. We give and receive lots of pet toys.

"With the holiday season upon us, many pets will receive gifts such as pet treats and toys including chew toys. Each year FDA receives a small number of reports of adverse events associated with pet treats. Pet owners should be aware that occasionally, pet treats and chew toys may cause choking or blockage problems for their pets and may want to monitor their pets for signs of potential problems.

Pet treats that are meant to be consumed are most digestible (edible) when chewed into small pieces. It may be harder for your pet to digest larger pieces, and this can pose serious health consequences especially in small dogs. Through chewing, pet treats and toys may become broken into pieces that may become lodged in your pet’s airway or gastrointestinal tract.

The sign(s) that your pet exhibits may help your veterinarian determine where the obstruction has occurred. If pieces of treats or toys are stuck in the back of the throat, your pet may become frantic and you may notice signs such as drooling and choking. Severe airway obstructions are not uncommon, and they should be considered life threatening. This calls for an emergency visit to your veterinarian.

If your pet experiences an esophageal obstruction, you may notice repeated gulping and drooling. Also, your pet may regurgitate undigested food after eating.

If something is stuck in your pet’s stomach or intestines, your pet may vomit, exhibit depression or a loss of appetite, have abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Chronic obstructions may lead to severe illness and a life-threatening abdominal infection (known as peritonitis.)

If you observe your pet swallowing a piece of a holiday decoration, toy, or small piece of a pet treat, it is important to contact your veterinarian for medical advice. Your veterinarian may take x-rays to evaluate the problem. Veterinarians may also use other procedures (called endoscopic procedures) to remove objects from the esophagus and stomach. Your veterinarian may also need to perform surgery for intestinal blockages.

Please remember to always keep small objects from within reach of your pets and contact your veterinarian if you have concerns about something your pet has swallowed or exhibits symptoms of having a problem."
http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ResourcesforYou/ucm047105.htm

Friday, November 27, 2009

Lifes Abundance Dog Food has Treat Sample Packs






How exciting that we have the variety pack of samples that Lifes Abundance and HealthyPetNet offers. When you feed premium dog food, it is as important that the treats are just as high quality (and these are yummy too!)


In this amazing dog treat sample pack there is:



• Three Antioxidant Health Bars - Oatmeal & Apple Recipe (with oatmeal, flaxseed meal, peanut butter, apples, honey, eggs, cranberries, carrots, vitamin C, beta-carotene and vitamin E)• Three Gourmet Dental Treats – Honey Peanut-Butter Recipe (featuring harvest grains, top-quality proteins, calcium, vitamin C and parsley)
• Three Wholesome Hearts – Low-Fat Treats (with pumpkin, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, apples, yellow field peas, cranberries, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg)
• One-quarter-ounce of Tasty Rewards Nutritional Training Treats (mouthwatering morsels containing high-quality proteins, lecithin, vitamin B12 and pumpkin seeds)
• One Porky Puff, delicious, hickory-smoked pig snout.