Our Healthy Pets

The joys of becoming a new pet parent are obvious. Although we want what is best for them, sometimes new pet parents aren’t experienced with certain areas of having a dog or cat.
In this video Dr. Sarah, veterinarian with Life’s Abundance does an excellent job of explaining ideas from start to finish about getting a pet and even if you should or not

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I always recommend Life’s Abundance cat food and feed my baby this as well.

From the FDA News Center: Information current as of noon October 20, 2009 

“Note: This compiled list represents all pet food recalled since January 1, 2006. If and when new information is received, this list will be updated. The “Information Current as of” date provided above indicates when this Web page was updated; it does not indicate the date when the pet food recalls listed below were initiated. Once listed, each of the recalled pet food products remains listed, even if there are no new recalls associated with that product. Although we have taken care to make sure the information is accurate, if we learn that any information is not accurate we will revise the list as soon as possible. For initiation dates of specific recalls, click on the brand name and then the recall numbers that appear on these pages. For recalls that occurred before September 1, 2008, a date range might appear in the initiation date field. The date range indicates the timeframe within which multiple recalls of this product were initiated. For recalls that occur September 1, 2008 and after, the actual initiation date of each recall event is provided for each product. If a new recall is initiated for a product that had previously been recalled before September 1, 2008, the food product will be listed again, with the new recall initiation date. If a new recall is initiated for a product that had previously been recalled after September 1, 2008, the initiation date of the new recall event will be added to the previous date listed.” 

Please visit http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/newpetfoodrecalls/ for all information and brands

October 20, 2009

From the FDA Updates: 

“FDA is providing the following information from Premium Edge Pet Foods to alert pet owners of a voluntary recall of certain cat foods manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods for Premium Edge. The affected brands were found to contain an inadequate level of thiamine, which may cause clinical signs of thiamine deficiency in cats eating this food. FDA is working on this situation and will provide additional information as it becomes available. If your veterinarian diagnoses that your cat has become ill from consuming the affected pet food, please ask your veterinarian to file a report with FDA. 

Diamond Pet Foods has issued a voluntary recall on the following date codes of Premium Edge Finicky Adult cat food and Premium Edge Hairball cat food:  RAF0501A22X 18lb., RAF0501A2X 6 lb., RAH0501A22X 18 lb., RAH0501A2X 6lb. The date of manufacture is May 28, 2009. All retail outlets shipped the above lots were contacted, asking them to pull the product from the store shelves. The retailers were also asked to contact their customers via email or telephone requesting them to check the date code of the food. However, if you or anyone you know has these date codes of Premium Edge cat food, please return them to your retailer. 

Symptoms displayed by an affected cat will be neurological in nature. Symptoms may include wobbly walking or muscle weakness, paralysis of the hindlimbs, seizures, ventroflexion (bending towards the floor) of the neck, and abnormal eye movement called nystagmus. Any cats fed these date codes that display these symptoms should be immediately taken to a veterinarian. 

The company tested the product and found no contaminants in the cat food; however the cat foods were deficient in thiamine. Diamond tracked the vitamin premix lot number that was utilized in these particular cat foods and have performed testing on another lot of Premium Edge cat food that used the same vitamin premix, and it was not deficient in thiamine. No other neurological signs have been reported on any other product manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods.” 

To contact Premium Edge Pet Foods, please call 800-977-8797 between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm central time, Monday through Friday.

http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm187218.htm#

Many of us often associate the whole enterprise of treat-giving with dogs and not with cats. Our perception of dogs is often colored with their inexorable weakness for table scraps and bone-shaped treats, while cats…not so much. To the cat owners who believe this…boy have you been missing out!While treat-giving is in fact a fantastic way to train canines, it’s equally effective for our felines as well. Through using treats, you can train your cat to do a plethora of things, from fetching small things and coming when you call him, to toilet training. HealthyPetNet’s Gourmet Cat Treats - Hairball Formula are the perfect treats not only for positive reinforcement, but also for shameless cajoling. Not only are they yummy, but they are also great for intestinal health, which is so important to felines because of their hair. 

Using Positive Reinforcement
to Train Your Cat Treat-giving is an integral part of positive reinforcement. In fact, we think it is one of your most powerful tools for shaping or altering your cat’s behavior. Positive reinforcement is essentially a form of mental conditioning. We believe that positive reinforcement or giving your pet something rewarding immediately after a display of desirable behavior, makes your pet more likely to repeat that behavior in the future. Some people give their cats treats while others combine treat giving with a gentle brushing.