Our Healthy Pets

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm216298.htm

Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc. announces a voluntary recall of Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Chicken Dry Dog Food Due to a Possible Health Risk

Contact:
Customer Service (800) 829-4493
Media Contact: Daniel Bernstein (310) 902-2554

“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — June 18, 2010 - Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc., of Pacoima, CA, announces a voluntary recall of Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Chicken Dry Dog Food with the “Best By” date of June 17, 2011, in 5-lb. and 28-lb. bags because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

No illnesses have been reported to date. The recall notification is being issued out of an abundance of caution based on an isolated instance in which a product sample with a “Best By” date of June 17, 2011, had a positive result for Salmonella in a random sample test conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This product was originally manufactured on December 17, 2009, and is the only Natural Balance product being recalled.

Salmonella can affect animals and there is a risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products. People handling dry pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product. This product was manufactured on December 17, 2009.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

Recalled products were only distributed in pet specialty stores in the states of Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The only product affected by the recall is the Sweet Potato & Chicken Dry Dog Food with the “Best By” date of June 17, 2011, product information as follows:

Product: Sweet Potato & Chicken Dry Dog Formula

Bag Size: 5 lb Bag

UPC Code: 7-23633-9000-4

Bale UPC Code: 7-23633-99003-5

Best by Date: June 17, 2011

Product: Sweet Potato & Chicken Dry Dog Formula

Bag Size: 28 lb

UPC Code: 7-23633-99002-8

Bale UPC Code

Best by Date: June 17, 2011

Consumers who have purchased Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Chicken Dry Dog formula with the “Best By” date of June 17, 2011, are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. A separate letter and instructions will be forwarded to all relevant Natural Balance customers. For additional information, please contact Natural Balance Pet Foods Customer Service at (800) 829-4493 (8am – 5pm, PDT) or by visiting www.naturalbalanceinc.com.”

Another great video by staff veterinarian with Lifes Abundance Pet Food.  In this video Dr. Sarah gives incredible instructions and tips on how to cut both a dog’s nails and a cat’s nails.  Great information on what to have before you even start!

In the Lifes Abundance Pet Food Newsletter, Dr. Jane says:

As a veterinarian, I am commonly asked “Why do cats purr?” Most people believe cats purr when they are content or happy. While cats do purr when they are content, researchers attempting to uncover the answer to this 3,000-year-old mystery are finding the answer more complicated than previously thought. All domestic cats purr, as well as many wild cats, like pumas, ocelots, lions and cheetahs. Purring can occur in a variety of situations. When cats purr in the presence of other unknown cats or kittens, the behavior may serve to convey submissiveness or a friendly greeting. While it is true that cats purr contentedly while on their pet parent’s lap, they also purr when they give birth, when they are frightened, severely injured and even while dying. Because kitties clearly cannot be content in all these situations, contentment or friendliness cannot be the only reason they purr.

So why else would they purr?

Perhaps it is helpful to look at purring in the context of natural selection. Natural selection tells us that a particular behavior or trait will persist from generation to generation only if it is beneficial to an animal’s survival. For purring to exist in both domestic and wild cats, there must be something vital about the behavior. Purring is created by the vibration of the cat’s larynx and diaphragm, and therefore requires an expense of energy. If a kitty is sick, they would not use precious energy to purr unless there was a very good benefit.

Researchers have found certain types of purrs are meant to communicate with their people. In 2009, researchers discovered a high-pitched cry, similar to that of a human infant, embedded in the purrs of cats soliciting food. They were using the purr to signal their human caretakers that they needed something. Those sneaky kitties!

I’m sure you have heard the expression that “cats have nine lives”. Similarly, veterinarians have an old saying that if you put a cat who has broken bones in a room with other cats, the breaks will heal. In fact, cats are amazing self-healers: they have fewer post-operative complications than dogs, have a lower incidence of bone and joint disease than dogs, and 90% of cats survive high-rise falls – I’m talking falls from 5 story buildings! (Robinson, et. al 1976) What could possibly account for these facts?

One theory is that the purr has healing properties. Researchers have found that vibrations in the frequency range between 25 and 50 hertz promote bone strength, stimulate healing of fractures, provide pain relief, and help heal tendons and muscles. In 2001, National Geographic reported a study where chickens grew stronger bones after been placed on a vibrating plate for 20 minutes daily. Bio-acoustic researchers have recently studied purring in 47 cats, both wild and domestic. They studied the frequency, pitch, loudness and duration of purring in relation to the cat’s behavior, and guess what they found? The domestic house cat purrs in the range of 25 and 50 Hz: the exact range associated with healing properties such as increased bone density.

Maybe this has something to do with a cat’s uncanny ability to “heal by association”. Perhaps purring is part of the reason why, when we fall ill, having a cat sit on our laps can actually make us feel better. Whether it is simply the comfort of having a friend nearby, or whether it’s the vibrational frequencies of your kitty’s rumble, the joy of a cat purring on your lap is priceless.

Whatever the reason, I encourage you to take care of your cat. Keep him happy and purring and you’ll likely both lead healthier and happier lives.”

Dr. Jane Bicks, DVM

References:

McComb K, Taylor AM, Wilson C, Charlton BD. The cry embedded within the purr.
Curr Biol. 2009 Jul 14;19(13):R507-8.

Rubin C, McLeod K. Promotion of bony ingrowth by frequency specific, low amplitude mechanical strains. Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research, 289, 165-174, 1994

Elizabeth von Muggenthaler The felid purr: A healing mechanism? Presented, and published in the proceedings from the 12th International Conference on Low Frequency Noise and Vibration and its Control held in Bristol, UK, 18th to 20th September 2006.

Chen et al, The Effects of Frequency of Mechanical Vibration on Experimental Fracture Healing. Chinese Journal of Surgery, 32 (4), 217-219, 1994.

Kidd L, Stepien, RL, Amrheiw DP. Clinical findings and coronary artery disease in dogs and cats with acute and subacute myocardial necrosis: 28 cases. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 36, 199-208, 2000.

Leduc A, Lievens P, Dewald J. The influence of multidirectional vibrations on wound healing and on regeneration of blood and lymph vessels. Lymphology, 14(4), 179-85, 1981.

Rothschild BM, Rothschild C, Woods RJ. Inflammatory arthritis in large cats: an expanded spectrum of spondyloarthropathy. J Zoo Wildl Med. 1998 Sep;29(3):279-84.

Garman R, Gaudette G, Donahue LR, Rubin C, Judex S. Low-level accelerations applied in the absence of weight bearing can enhance trabecular bone formation. J of Orthop Res. 2007 Jun;25(6):732-40.

Lundeberg TC. Vibratory stimulation for the alleviation of chronic pain.
Acta Physiol Scand Suppl. 1983;523:1-51.

___________________________________________________________
AWESOME when I hear my BabCat purring!

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm214996.htm

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.

Our Healthy Pets Blog tries to post all recalls when it involves pet products.

“P&G Recalls Specific Canned Cat Foods Due to Low Levels of Thiamine (Vitamin B1)

Contact:
Jason Taylor
513-622-3205

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - CINCINNATI, June 9, 2010 – The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) (NYSE:PG) is voluntarily recalling specific lots of its Iams canned cat food in North America as a precautionary measure. Diagnostic testing indicated that the product may contain insufficient levels of thiamine (Vitamin B1), which is essential for cats. Cats that were fed these canned products as their only food are at greater risk for developing signs of thiamine deficiency.

The following Iams canned cat foods are included:

Product Name

Date on Bottom of Can
Iams ProActive Health canned Cat and Kitten Food – all varieties of 3 oz & 5.5 oz cans 09/2011 to 06/2012

This recall is limited to only Iams canned cat food distributed in North America. No other Iams pet food is involved.

Early signs of thiamine deficiency may include loss of appetite, salivation, vomiting and weight loss. In advanced cases, signs may include ventroflexion (downward curving) of the neck, wobbly gait, falling, circling and seizures. Contact your veterinarian immediately if your cat is displaying any of these signs. If treated promptly, thiamine deficiency is typically reversible.

Consumers who have purchased canned cat food with these codes should discard it. For further information or a product refund call P&G toll-free at 877-340-8826 (Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST).”