Animal Nutrition

Are Treats Making Your Pet Fat?

by Daphne Sashin (Subscribe to Daphne Sashin's posts): Mar 3rd 2010 @ 1:00PM Filed Under: Pet Health, Animal Nutrition

We love giving our pets treats, whether to reward good behavior, keep them occupied or because we simply can't resist their plaintive stares or begging. But all those jerky treats, dental chews and milk bones are making our domestic animals fat.

"If I could only point to one factor causing the modern-day pet obesity epidemic, it would have to be treats," says veterinarian Ernie Ward, founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention and author of "Chow Hounds: Why Our Dogs Are Getting Fatter – A Vet's Plan to Save Their Lives."

Vets and animal-nutrition experts point the finger at fattening pet snacks: Packed with sugar and carbohydrates, even the tiniest packaged cheese or bacon snack becomes what Ward calls "calorie grenades."

"It's that seemingly innocent extra 50 calories a day in the form of a chew or cookie that adds up to a pound or two each year. By the time a dog or cat reaches mid-life, it's overweight and health risks begin to skyrocket," Ward says. Obesity is being blamed for health problems such as diabetes, joint pain and breathing problems in pets.

That doesn't mean the snacks have to stop, but experts say treats should make up no more than 10 percent of your pet's daily calories. That's not much, considering a 10-pound cat needs less than 300 calories daily and a 40-pound dog should only get about 1,000 calories.

Making things trickier, manufacturers don't list calorie contents on their packages, and they don't have to.

How to Deal With Cat Dandruff

by Leigh A. Peterson (Subscribe to Leigh A. Peterson's posts): Mar 2nd 2010 @ 3:10PM Filed Under: Cats, Pet Health, Animal Nutrition

lierne, Flickr

The condition of a cat's coat is a good gauge of its overall health. Cat dandruff, characterized by a dry or oily coat with visible flakes, can be caused by anything from dry air to parasites, obesity, and serious diseases like skin cancer. Therefore, if you see these symptoms of dandruff on your cat, a trip to the vet's office may be in order.

"Many diseases show up first in the skin," says Dr. Jean Hofve, a holistic veterinarian and author of "The Complete Guide to Holistic Cat Care." "It's impossible to diagnose skin disease just by looking at it."

A veterinarian can analyze a cat's skin cells under a microscope and perform blood tests or biopsies to narrow down the cause of the dandruff.

"What we generally think of as dandruff is usually nutrition related. It is most common in overweight cats, and in cats eating mostly or only dry food," says Hofve. Therefore, says Dr. Hofve, dry kibble should be reduced or eliminated. Kibble is low in moisture and will dehydrate cats and, in turn, their skin.

"Canned, raw, and homemade foods are more likely to contain higher-quality ingredients, and therefore better quality and fresher fats," said Hofve, who also recommends looking for cat food labeled "all life stages" for higher protein and less carbohydrates.

DeeDee and Tino's Weight Loss Blog: Vegas, Kitty, Vegas

by Laura Gilbert (Subscribe to Laura Gilbert's posts): Feb 2nd 2010 @ 11:00AM Filed Under: Cats, Pet Health, Animal Nutrition

Getty Images/Laura Gilbert

Wherein I try to get my pets to a healthy cat weight. Catch up on past posts here.

Yes, yes, it's been a while since you last heard from the fat cats. They've been busy. As you can see, they've relocated to Las Vegas. One cross-country drive and some unpacking later, they are settling into their new routine.

Both cats have now lost three pounds each. I chalk it up to having more room in their Vegas apartment to play, plus marble floors that make toys extra hard to pin down. The commute from the bed to the food bowl is much farther here, so they naturally burn more calories. There's even talk of them soon having their own yard in which to play. (I, on the other hand, have found all six of those missing pounds since moving here, but that's a story for a different blog.)

A vet we saw in Topeka was actually worried that Tino had lost too much weight too quickly, so she upped his daily dose of insulin. A follow-up in Vegas revealed that he's maintaining nicely.

DeeDee and Tino have pretty much stuck to their two-cans-of-food-per-day regimen, but lately I've been giving in and serving them dry food when they wake me up for it in the middle of the night. To combat the extra calories, their dinner can has been downsized to one of the three-ouncers split between them.

Month 4
DeeDee: 17 pounds
Tino: 17 pounds

Cat Food Recall: 21 Cats Sickened

by Kristen Seymour (Subscribe to Kristen Seymour's posts): Dec 2nd 2009 @ 6:00PM Filed Under: Pets News, Pet Health, Animal Nutrition

kitten food Getty Images

On September 23, Diamond Pet Foods issued a voluntary recall of certain bags of Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat and Premium Edge Hairball cat food due to a lack of thiamine, an essential nutrient for cats. Now, the company has confirmed 21 cats became sick from the dried cat food, but there is no new or expanded recall, according to the Premium Edge Pet Food Web site.

The pet food was distributed in a total of 18 states (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida), but all 21 accounts of thiamine deficiency were reported in New York and Pennsylvania.

All incidents were reported prior to October 19. However, if you've given this food to your cat, it's not a bad idea to be familiar with the signs of thiamine deficiency. The company's Web site states that cats deficient in the nutrient will exhibit neurological symptoms, such as "wobbly walking or muscle weakness, paralysis of the hindlimbs, seizures, ventroflexion (bending towards the floor) of the neck, and abnormal eye movement called nystagmus."

The issue has been rectified through numerous tests -- other Diamond foods do not have a problem -- but if you find that you have any bags with the codes below, you should return the recalled cat food for a full refund to the place where it was purchased, or call 800-977-8797.

Affected codes: RAF0501A22X 18lb., RAF0501A2X 6 lb., RAF0802B12X 18lb (BB30FEB11), RAH0501A22X 18 lb., RAH0501A2X 6lb. The dates of manufacture are May 28, 2009 and August 30, 2009.

How to Make Homemade Dog Food

by Rose Martelli (Subscribe to Rose Martelli's posts): Nov 18th 2009 @ 2:00PM Filed Under: Dogs, Pet Health, Animal Nutrition

homemade dog food Flickr/soggydan

With both the economy and pet-food recalls appearing in headlines more and more, making your own homemade dog food may be something you're thinking about doing for the first time. Luckily, it's remarkably easy to do, requiring just a few inexpensive everyday ingredients. Plus, it allows you to customize your dog's nutritional and caloric intake.

A very basic recipe would include any kind of flour, water, eggs, powdered milk, and maybe a little cooking oil. You can find specific measurements for these ingredients here or here. Mix these together into a pasty dough and roll it out on a cookie sheet. Then cut it into bite-sized (or bone-shaped!) morsels, and bake.

As is, this recipe is going to taste very plain. If your dog picky, he may even turn up his nose at it. Luckily, this is just the start -- the rest is up to you, so get creative! Throw in whatever fruits and veggies you like (which also allows you to put your salad leftovers, or that half an apple that's browned a little in the fridge, towards smart, money-saving use). Use chicken or beef broth instead of water to give the food more flavor. Mix in any sort of browned, ground meat. If your dog is vegetarian, add some protein with peanut butter. Just as with humans, dogs love food that's been spiced and seasoned.

Follow Pawnation on Twitter Follow Pawnation on Facebook

Can't Miss Galleries

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,localizationConfig,entry&id=754150&pid=754149&uts=1269035019

http://www.aolcdn.com/ke/media_gallery/v1/ke_media_gallery_wrapper.swf

Miniature Dogs

Miniature Poodle
Miniature Poodles, like all Poodles, are excellent swimmers who originated as a water retrievers. All Poodles, Standard, Miniature and Toy are actually one breed, just different sizes. Miniature Poodles, who can be white, black, apricot or gray, are usually 15 inches or under, according to the American Kennel Club.

David McKelvey/http://www.flickr.com/photos/dgmckelvey/3748491903/

Miniature Dogs

Miniature Dachshund
The Miniature Daschund, only 11 pounds or under, is not a separate classification of the Daschund -- it's just a smaller version of the Standard. The miniature dog, with its long bodies and strong sense of smell, are both hunters and lapdogs, according to the American Kennel Club.

Miniature Dogs

Miniature Schnauzer
The Miniature Schnauzer is of German descent and was originally bred to be a small farm dog. The most popular of the three Schnauzer breeds, the Miniature Schnauzer is a attentive, lively and a favorite among celebrities like Mary Tyler Moore and Bill Cosby. The strongly built miniature dog is between 12 to 14 inches, according to the American Kennel Club.

Miniature Dogs

Miniature Bull Terrier
Just like the playful Bull Terrier, the Miniature Bull Terrier, who originated in England, has a similar personality. Don't let its size fool you – the Miniature Bull Terrier is strong, energetic and audacious. Miniature Bull Terriers are between 10 to 15 inches and can be solid white or colored, according to the American Kennel Club.

Miniature Dogs

Miniature American Eskimo Dog
The American Eskimo Dog is one of three separate categories of the American Eskimo Dog. Between 12 to 15 inches, the bright white dog is loving, protecting and sociable. Now a great companion dog, the miniature dog was once a circus dog, according to the American Kennel Club.

Miniature Dogs

Miniature Pinscher
Also known as the "Min Pin," the Miniature Pinscher is a German Breed whose ancestry includes the Daschund, Italian Greyhound and the shorthaired German Pinscher. The quick, curious dog is the perfect apartment dog. Despite its small size, the compact pooch makes a wonderful watchdog. The spirited miniature dog, about 10 inches to 12 1/2 inches, can be red, black, or chocolate with tan, according to the American Kennel Club.

Miniature Dogs