Natural Pet News - April 2007

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A NOTE FROM DONNA

As you can see, Squeek is enjoying her Springtime outdoors on our screened porch. She thinks she's a queen since our neighbor gave her a high perch with a cozy throne (uh, I mean, place) to lay.

It's been very upsetting with the pet food recalls. I've received several emails about pets that died or were sick from the foods. I enjoy sharing your joy and grief, since both are meant to be spread amongst friends.

We've gained a lot of new customers with Flint River Ranch and Life's Abundance, neither of which has ever had recalls, but it's been hard to rejoice considering the reasons and the loss of some of our subscribers' pets. As my friend reminds me, it means that more animals will be on good food and more pet owners are educated about the deceitful pet food industry.

Thank you for thinking of us not only for shopping, but also to know that we care about your pets enough to share your grief when you lose one. I consider it an honor that you email me.

Spring Blessings to All!

PETS IN THE NEWS

Dog Saves Woman's Life With Heimlich Maneuver

How smart is your dog?

However clever your four legged friend may be, your pet likely can't hold a candle to a two-year-old golden retriever named Toby. He lives with a woman named Debbie Parkhurt in the small town of Vert, Maryland.

The 45-year-old owner was alone in her home eating an Apple on Friday when a piece of the fruit got lodged in her throat. She began to choke and tried to perform the Heimlich maneuver on herself. It didn't work.

Toby suddenly came up to Parkhurst, got up on his hind legs, put his paws on her shoulders, pushed her to the ground and began jumping up and down on her chest. Incredibly, his efforts succeeded and the apple bit came out of the relieved woman's mouth, allowing her to breathe again.

Read the entire news story here:
www.citynews.ca/news/news_9211.aspx

Cat Saved Family From Poisonous Fumes

A cat helped spare a family from death by carbon monoxide poisoning by jumping on the bed and meowing wildly as fumes filled the home. Eric and Cathy Keesling said their 14-year-old cat, Winnie, played a crucial role in saving their lives March 24 after a gasoline-powered water pump in their basement caused the odorless but deadly gas to build up.

About 1 a.m., the domestic shorthair began nudging Cathy’s ear and meowing loudly. “It was a crazy meow, almost like she was screaming,” said Cathy, who hesitated to get up until Winnie’s caterwauling and jumping persisted.

Read the entire story here:
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17972624/

FEATURED PET PRODUCTS

Cats: Eliminate Hairballs With a Gourmet Treat

Cats groom …and grooming can lead to hairballs. Purrfectly Natural Treats contain high-quality proteins needed for a healthy skin and coat so less hair is swallowed. And, the wholesome blend of vegetable fibers and natural glycerin support your cat’s healthy GI tract, which helps eliminate hair that naturally accumulates in the digestive tract. Newly formulated with an improved flavor for finicky feline palates!

Dogs: Reward Good Behavior With Tasty Rewards

Good behavior should be rewarded, but often training treats are the equivalent of “junk food” … empty-calorie treats with no nutritive value and undesirable ingredients. Healthy Pet Net’s Tasty Rewards are wholesome nutritional training treats made from free-range, farm-raised chicken and venison. More dog treats.

PET SUCCESS STORY

"I have acquired my mothers 7 year old cat (Kali) and she had some sores that even the vet didn’t seem to know what they were from. They thought fleas but there were no fleas in her house.

I went online and it seemed that comfrey was the thing for cats. I had some comfrey salve and started using it on those nodules. At first she was not happy, but they are all gone now.

When she jumped up for a brushing she seemed to like getting the salve. Quick learner! Just thought it was interesting. Wish I had known about all this stuff years ago! Have a wonderful day!" Sheila

Golden Salve is our herbal salve with comfrey and it has had many success stories over the years. We always have some in our First Aid drawer and even take it when we travel. Read more success stories on herbal salves for pets and people.

FOR PET OWNERS

How to Cope With Losing a Pet

Since we live a lot longer than our pets, it stands to reason that we will, at some time or another, come face to face with losing one. Whether you know it's coming or it's unexpected, it is a sad and emotional time. Fortunately, there are many ways to cope with the loss. Access a great article on this topic and add your own comments or suggestions: www.wikihow.com/Cope-With-Losing-a-Pet

BEHAVIOR AND TRAINING

Question: My husband thinks I’m crazy when I say we can teach our cats to do tricks. Is it possible for cats to learn things like dogs do or are they too independent?

Answer: Cats can most definitely be trained; however, the training process is a little different than it is with dogs. Dogs are eager to please their humans and want to learn what is expected of them. (Most problems that dogs have are the result of humans forgetting to teach what those expectations are.)

Cats, on the other hand, are more independent and take the attitude of, “What’s in it for me?” Therefore, when training a cat you must always have a reward ready. With dogs this reward is faded eventually from training - not so with cats.

The other important aspect of training cats is the trust that must be built between cats and their humans. Without trust, the cat will not be willing to try new things. Start out simple to build that trust.

Most of us who live with cats already have trained them to do some things. When we open a can of cat food, the cat comes running. This is easily put on command as a “come,” with the cat food being the reward. Soon the cat will learn to come whenever you call, not just when you open a can of cat food.

If you hold the cat food bowl just slightly over the cat’s head, she will sit back on her legs to look up at it. Now you can put a “Sit” to this movement and begin to ask your cat to sit before feeding her. If you raise the dish slightly higher and say “Up,” you will teach your cat to sit up. If you feed your cats on a high place like a dryer, you can teach the cat to go “Down” by bringing the bowl slightly lower than the top of the dryer. The cat will squat down trying to reach the food.

Be sure to praise cats profusely and tell them how clever they are during training sessions - they love their egos to be stroked! Spending time with the animals that share our lives creates a greater bond and understanding of each other. There is so much to be gained whenever we train with our animals, and that’s true with those kitties too!

Ask About Your Pet's Behavior Problem

Cheryl Falkenburry has traveled the world helping people make sense of mind-boggling animal behavior. Working with animal behaviorists in Tucson, Arizona and England, majoring in psychology, and becoming a certified parenting educator prepared Cheryl to teach both humans and animals.

Cheryl recognized that the concepts of positive parenting and loving leadership worked whether her clients were parents of human children or furry ones and applies her positive parenting skills to her animal training sessions. She has helped thousands of people develop new and exciting relationships with the animals who share their lives.

Get details on phone and email consultations.

PET INFO

Shedding & Healthy Coats

Unless you have a Hairless Terrier or a Sphynx, it’s the season once again to expect increased shedding. Dogs typically lose their winter coats in the spring, when it is replaced by a shorter, lighter one for summer. Prevention for hot spots and allergy problems is wise to begin before the heat arrives.

The amount of shedding varies widely from breed to breed. For example, German Shepherds are prolific year-round shedders, while poodles seem to lose little fur at all. While hair cycles are affected by mental state, hormones, and nutrition, changes primarily occur due to fluctuations in temperature and the amount of daylight.

The length of daylight hours is thought to have more impact on the shedding cycle than temperature, which is why all pets shed during particular times of the year, whether they are in Montana or Florida.

Pets that are kept primarily indoors experience fluctuations in both temperature (going in and out of the house) and light (including the artificial light in our homes) all year long. Because they are in a constant state of change, these pets tend to shed their hair, sometimes profusely, throughout the year. Most pets will shed excessively during the winter due to the dry heat in the home. The average humidity of a heated home in the winter is similar to that found in some desert regions. Using a humidifier provides great help in combating excessive shedding during the winter months.

An unhealthy coat can have negative impacts on pet parents, too – most commonly in the form of allergies. Contrary to popular belief, hair is not the main cause of allergies in humans. We are primarily allergic to dander (dead skin cells, like dandruff) and proteins (FEL d 1 in cats and CAN d 1 in dogs) in the oil produced by the sebaceous glands.

A study by the Cornell Veterinary University found that by simply washing a dog or cat, many of the allergens are eliminated. The frequency of bathing depends upon the severity of the allergies, from every two to three weeks or two to three months. If you are experiencing pet allergies, we also recommend brushing or combing daily – preferably outdoors. This will help to remove the allergens from your pet’s coat.

For all of the hair support systems to function properly, they require a variety of nutrients, including fatty acids, minerals and vitamins. The body delivers these nutrients to the primary organs (heart, lungs, liver) first, and the remainder is sent to the sebaceous glands. Additionally, a healthy coat requires protein – and lots of it! In fact, at optimum nutrition levels, almost 95% of the protein that’s ingested is used by the body to support hair production and maintenance.

Just as it is important to feed a high-quality, nutrient-dense food, it is also advisable to give your companion animals a balanced supplement that provides the additional nutritional support necessary to achieve the utmost in a healthy coat and skin.

Liquid oils are not recommended because they can turn rancid quickly. Many find that capsules are difficult to give to their pets. Along with the necessary oils, the supplement should contain a spectrum of vitamins for proper nutrition. Lastly, but equally important, the supplement must taste good to your pets.

HealthyPetNet’s Skin & Coat Formula is a unique formula that provides a perfect balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. These oils are certified-free of contaminants and are microencapsulated to increase absorption, so your pet receives the full nutritional benefit.

Skin & Coat Formula contains Vitamins A, D, and E, all of which are necessary for the maintenance of healthy skin and a glossy coat. Skin & Coat Formula is manufactured in a human pharmaceutical plant to ensure the highest product quality, and it has a delicious roast beef flavor that both cats and dogs love.

Source: Healthy Pet Newsletter, a free monthly email newsletter

HERBS FOR PETS

Herbs for Pets Online Catalog by Health Topic

Pet Success Stories Using Natural Remedies

Herbs and Supplements for Pet Owners
One reason to keep yourself healthy is because your pet needs you! Find a natural solution for yourself. Many pet owners do everything to keep their pet healthy, but neglect their own health. We use Nature's Sunshine Products.

NATURAL HEARTWORM PROGRAMS

Yes, there are herbal and supplement programs for pets. Robin Sockness has been working with people for many years and has helped over a thousand pets now.

Read more about natural heartworm programs or read some success stories that Robin has shared with us.

PET FOODS

Flint River Ranch Oven-Baked Pet Foods
The baking process results in a greater degree of nutrient absorption. All natural ingredients include chicken, lamb, fish, whole grains of wheat, rice and millet, vitamins and chelated minerals along with flax seed and herbs for super nutrition.

No by-products, chemical preservatives or anything artificial. Read customer comments about Flint River Ranch.

What's In Your Pet's Food?

Diet is so important for health. Many health issues directly link to diet and can affect long-term health and life of your pet. Watch an online video about what might be in your in your pet's food.

Free Samples of Pet Food, Treats, & Supplements Formulated by Dr. Jane Bicks

Your pet depends on you to make the right choices when it comes to his or her health. HealthyPetNet wants the best for your pets. That’s why they promise to provide products that are inspired by nature and made using good nutritional science.

Free sample pack of food, treats and supplements.

PET SAFE CLEANING PRODUCTS

There are three ways toxic chemicals enter the body: by swallowing, by breathing, or by contact with the skin or eyes. An EPA report concluded that toxic chemicals in household cleaners are three times more likely to cause cancer than oudoor air pollution.

In one study conducted over a 15-year period, women who worked at home had a 54% higher death rate from cancer than women who had jobs away from the home. The study concluded that the increased death rate was due to daily exposure to hazardous chemicals found in ordinary household products.

What is not being reported are the slow poisonings that occur in every home from continual exposure to household cleaning chemcials. Cancer, birth defects, heart disease, genetic changes - almost any symptom imaginable, both physical and psychological, has been associated with certain chemicals in common household products. At greatest risk are fetuses, children, the elderly, pets, and those who are already ill.

Microbest Safe Cleaning Products
Sunshine Concentrate Household Multi-Use Cleaner

HEALTHY PET CORNER

This site provides links and resources for dogs, cats, birds, horses, rabbits and reptiles. You'll find links to basic care, health, safety, etc. Visit Healthy Pet Corner.

HEALTHY PET NEWSLETTER

We recommend this other complimentary monthly email pet newsletter which contains:
* Helpful Pet Information
* Interesting Stories
* Nutritional Advice
* Insight From Veterinarian, Dr. Jane Bicks

Our newsletter is sent on the 20th and this one is sent around the 7th.

Register now to get the next issue or view a sample issue.

ADOPT A PET
Find the perfect pet for your family at PetFinder.com. You can search by breed, locality, age, size, gender, etc. It's so rewarding to take an animal who really needs a home.

WHY AREN'T ALL THE LINKS BLUE TO CLICK ON?

We are no longer linking to the sites referenced in the newsletters unless they are maintained by us or are a long-standing domain name link. Over the years we have archived newsletters on our sites with thousands of links in them. Sites disappear, they change programming which changes their links, and news sites do not hold old news very long, so we end up with a bunch of dead links that affect our search engine rankings. This has become a laborsome monthly task and although we will still have years of work with what's already there, we're not adding more.

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COPYRIGHT & REPRINT INFORMATION
© 2007 Healthy Pet Corner

The stories, suggestions, and information in this newsletter are not meant to diagnose or prescribe. If your pet has amedical problem, you may want the advice and recommendations of a veterinarian. All stories and information content that is passed along in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and is not necessarily endorsed by its editor, Donna L. Watkins, its sponsor, HealthyPetCorner.com, or its owner, Sunshine Life Center, Inc.

Forwarding and Use of This Newsletter
You may forward this to a friend and/or use this copyrighted newsletter on a website if you include the following credit:

Editor, Donna L. Watkins, of HealthyPetCorner.com, provides this free newsletter to subscribers. Healthy Pet Corner provides quality natural pet foods. Visit now to subscribe or shop: http://www.healthypetcorner.com