PAWPRINTS

Archive for the ‘Pet Nutrition’ Category

The typical Thanksgiving meal consists of turkey with gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, an assortment of other vegetables, and pumpkin pie for dessert.

Should you let your beloved furry family member indulgein this feast?  After all, what are holidays for? You love your dog. You want to share with him.

There is no good reason why you should not…BUT don’t forget about portions. To a small dog, just three hefty slices of turkey, chicken, or ham is like you eating at least a half an entire turkey, chicken, or ham.

The impact can be more severe than an upset tummy. Vets see more pancreatitis around the holidays than at any other time of the year. Eating very fatty food may cause pancreatitis, and it can be life threatening. Ham is often especially fatty as well as salty ( very bad for your dog).

Keep an eye on your pet. There are lots of cases of counter surfing dogs scarfing huge hunks of meat when their owners’ backs are turned, and their pancreas just can’t process all that fat at once.

Even lean meat can take a toll if everyone at the table contributes. At a large family dinner  little Muffin may be offered “tidbits” by everyone as they surreptitiously sneak her more turkey under the table. By the time the night is over, little Muffin will have had more to eat than anyone else at the dinner table.

Refrain from feeding your pet at the table -  do so only by putting the the food in her food bowl. That way you can control the amount of food.

Also, feeding your pooch from the dinner table can inadvertently trains him to beg for food.

Enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with your pet…just be discriminating about the amounts he is offered.

NEW YORK, September  2008 – The ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) has advised pet owners to discontinue using certain dog and cat foods manufactured by Mars Petcare US, which has voluntarily issued a nationwide recall because of potential contamination with Salmonella serotype Schwarzengrund. This voluntary recall only affects several brands of dry pet foods in the United States including Pedigree, Special Kitty, Paws & Claws, Natural Dog Food, Red Flannel, Country Acres, Buju & Ziggie, Member’s Mark, Natural Cat Food, Retriever, Bruiser, Doggy Bag, PMI Nutrition, and Pet Pride. For a complete list of affected brands and more information on the recall, please visit http://www.petcare.mars.com/.

“The ASPCA recommends that pet parents discontinue the use of all affected products immediately until further information has been received,” said Dr. Steven Hansen, the ASPCA’s Senior Vice President of Animal Health Services. “Pet parents should wash their hands after handling any potentially contaminated pet food and immediately consult with a veterinarian if any signs or symptoms are noticed in their pets.”

The recall may affect several brands that are widely distributed at pet specialty stores, supermarkets, mass retailers, as well as other retail and wholesale outlets.

In an emergency situation, pet owners may also call the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.