Multistate Outbreak of Human Salmonella Infantis Infections Linked to Dry Dog Food

If you buy store bought pet food, be careful. Another voluntary pet food recall but it could affect YOU or your family and not just your pets. Possible Salmonella contamination.

Here is a excerpt from our Life's Abundance blog. It's a very informative article by Dr. Jane Bicks on how to look for signs of heart health problems in our cats.

"When I consider what I like most about cats, I’d probably say it’s their mysterious demeanor. I never know why one of my cats will suddenly pounce on my computer keyboard, why another might hide for hours on Wednesdays, or what could possibly be going on inside the head of one who spends time shadow boxing in my bathroom. Just as their motivations and desires remain secret to us, they are also, unfortunately, masters at concealing any illnesses they might have. A cat can have a medical problem and even the most watchful owner may not realize it until the condition becomes full-blown.

An unhealthy heart is an all too common feline problem, regardless of age. The good news is that heart conditions are best treated when found early. Additionally, early detection and treatment also give felines opportunities to live relatively healthy and happy lives. All you have to do is be proactive by routinely giving your cat a quick home-health examination. Don’t worry – it’s easy, fun and can even save a life."

Read the entire blog post on cat heart health for more information and how to properly examine your cat.

Our exclusive Life's Abundance pet food formulas contain multiple types of direct fed microbials, all of which are guaranteed to be viable after cooking so they can take up “residence” in the GALT. To protect these beneficial bacteria, we micro-encapsulate the direct fed microbials prior to cooking our foods. This process ensures that they will survive in order to establish and maintain healthy digestive system cultures.

Click the link above to read more from Dr. Jane Bicks, Life's Abundance product formulator.

For all caring pet owners, the very thought of our beloved companions becoming sick or injured is very frightening. Now add to that a true animal emergency situation makes it even worse. We feel helpless, powerless to provide the proper help for our pets. However, with some basic knowledge on how to determine what an emergency situation is, you can help your companion animal successfully navigate an emergency situation.

First of all, what constitutes an emergency? Many pet parents are unsure and often fail to seek appropriate treatment after an emergency, thus hampering your pet’s chance for a positive outcome. Conversely, some become anxious over a problem that may not need immediate attention. Reasons to seek immediate care for your companion animal include:

• profuse, bloody diarrhea or continuous vomiting
• abdominal swelling, restless behavior or retching (especially in large breed dogs)
• an inability to urinate (any species)
• consumption of poison, such as rat bait or antifreeze
• trauma, such as a car accident or injuries sustained from another animal (like a deep bite wound, etc.)
• breathing problems, such as shortness of breath, extending head or neck to breathe, or wheezing
• seizures, convulsions or fainting
• eye problems, such as foreign objects in the eye, loss of vision, squinting or sudden appearance of cloudiness in the eye

If your pet is experiencing any of these signs, you likely have an emergency and the most important thing for you to do is stay calm. Don’t panic! Your pet is likely frightened or experiencing pain, and will need calm and reassuring words from you. Be alert and breathe. Keep your eyes open and assess the situation. The more you know, the more you will be in control.

The second most important thing to do is be prepared. You often can’t prevent emergencies from happening, but you can help decide the outcome. Watch this video for more information as Dr. Sarah details the steps to take before and during an emergency situation.

Basically, probiotics are helpful bacteria that reside in the intestinal tract. In fact, every digestive system contains millions of bacteria, both those with a healthful purpose (like probiotics) and some that are not so beneficial. While some kinds of bacteria can be harmful, many (like direct fed microbials) actually help the immune system adapt to internal changes within the body and thus naturally support good health.

Read more on digestive health...

What you may not know is that there’s plenty of science to back it up. A study published in The British Journal of Health Psychology reports that people who have companion animals tended to be healthier than those who did not. Additionally, when a dog was part of the family, the human family members had fewer minor ailments, lower blood pressures and lower cholesterol levels. Although the explanation for these advantages is unclear, these researchers guessed that all benefits might be accounted for by reduced stress levels. In these cases, lower stress levels might have been due to increased physical activity (like walking the dog) and levels of social interaction (hanging out with other pet-friendly folks).

The positive effects of having a canine companion have also been published in the prestigious American Journal of Cardiology. A recent year-long study looked at the effect of having a canine companion in 369 patients who had previously suffered an acute heart attack. The positive effects were nothing short of extraordinary! The patients who had a dog in the home had a much better chance of long-term survival. Over 7% of patients without a dog died during the study, compared with only 1% of those who had a canine companion. Even though these seem like small percentages, the difference between these groups is enormously significant.

Researchers at the University of Leicester found that when pets are in a household, children six years and younger develop social skills at an accelerated rate. Additionally, these children tend to have better coordination, improved confidence, superior communication skills and are even less likely to have allergies!

The British Medical Journal concluded that companion animals serve a vital need for socialization, especially for people at a higher risk for isolation, like those who suffer from physical limitations that might prevent them from interacting socially. Most medical professionals agree that the broader the network of social contacts, the better we are able to deal with the difficult times in life. This study, and others like it, supports the idea that this need for social relations can be fulfilled equally well by companion animals as with people.

These and many other studies reinforce what we as pet parents have suspected all along. That our beloved animal companions play a huge role in our health and happiness as members of our families.

And now I’m off to find the cats for a little happy, healthy playtime!

It's important that you provide a year-round health and wellness program for all your pets. With dogs, it's even more important to provide the necessary exercise each day and not just during the time when the weather is warm.

A number of animal behavioral specialists claim that if dogs do not receive regular exercise periods during the winter and cold weather months can become restless and reactive in the Spring and even can develop unwanted behavioral patterns.

Winter and cold months can present a number of challenges that make it difficult to keep up a regular exercise routine for our dogs. Watch this video where Dr. Sarah gives viewers tips and advice from venturing outside to transforming your indoor space into a canine activity center. Most activities do not require fancy technology or major space overhauls – just some creativity and a sense of fun.

When dogs carry too much weight they place an extra strain on all their organs. And, they can be at an increased risk for other health problems. But how do you determine whether or not your dog is overweight? And, if your dog is overweight, what can you do about it? Watch this helpful video to find out more about this important topic.

Click to read full story on dog's weight problems and see video.