It’s that time of year again. Time for us to get ready for the summer explosion
of the kitten and puppy population. Next to the holiday season, this is the time
of year when many people decide to bring a new pet into their home. It’s time
for their clumsy skittering across our kitchen floors and an unfortunate influx
of hungry cries on America’s streets and alleyways. According to the American
Humane Association, 64% of animals that enter shelters in the United States are
euthanized, which equals 2.7 million in a national survey which involved 1,000
shelters. Sadly, about 20% more cats tend to be euthanized than dogs because
cats are more likely to enter a shelter without owner identification.
Some pets are lucky. They are raised in a loving environment with careful
attention to their health. Since most Americans are more concerned about our
health than we’ve ever been, we should have equal concern for our pets …
especially regarding the ingredients in their food. In theory, we would want the
ingredients in our pets’ food to be acceptable for human consumption. If
byproducts are no longer tolerated in our food, why should they be tolerated in
our pets’ food? We’re also starting to realize that our pets need daily
supplements just like we do, in order to take care of their bodies for the
inevitable woes of aging. In the span of an animal’s life, an early start at
good health ensures less vulnerability to degenerative diseases, joints that are
less likely to creak with pain and a healthier heart. We love our pets and we
want them to live with us for as long as possible. That’s why we are dedicating
this month’s issue of the HealthyPetNet News to the holistic care of pets
starting from puppy and kittenhood onto adulthood, covering things from feeding
to ear cleaning and grooming. If your pet is not an infant, it’s not too late!
Hop on the HealthyPetNet wagon and come along for the ride!
Before we start, we must stress that HealthyPetNet is dedicated to the optimal
care of dogs and cats. All of our products are formulated by Dr. Jane Bicks, a
highly respected and nationally recognized holistic veterinarian.
She formulates products to help support the body’s
natural defenses in order to encourage good health and discourage illness. Dr.
Bicks reminds us that a family veterinarian is the other part of the wellness
package. Our products are in no way formulated to tackle a sick dog or cat that
should be seen by their doctors. HPN knows that through a healthy eating
regimen, a good maintenance system and a healthy lifestyle, many health concerns
don’t have to manifest into the painful reality of illness.
The Food Factor
The very first thing we usually encounter
as new pet owners is the issue of food. What should we snatch off the shelves
and what should we run away from? Introducing a young animal to the world of
food should be a very delicate and sensitive process. We must monitor closely
how much food we give our new pet versus how much they are eating. We should be
stringent about how quickly we increase the amount of food because we always run
the risk of overfeeding.
It’s also important to be weary of dyes, chemicals, artificial preservatives as
much as possible. For example, BHA … one of the most common synthetic
antioxidant preservatives mainly used to prevent food discoloration and
rancidity … has been found in scientific studies to cause stomach cancer in lab
rats at certain doses. In lesser doses, the preservative doesn’t have a
cancerous effect but there is no telling what BHA can do to the body in small
doses over long periods of time.
Protein is crucial in a pet’s natural development. Look for foods with whole
ingredients such as meat, eggs, fish and dairy rather than byproducts.
Unbleached rice is also one of the most digestible carbohydrates and supplies a
wonderful source of energy for your pet. Corn and wheat, on the other hand, are
much harder to digest. It’s also a really good idea to look for antioxidants. In
recent years, we have become much more conscious of our antioxidant intake, so
why shouldn’t we have the same attitude towards our pets? Free radicals also
wage war on their bodies so let’s fight off those rascals so that we can all
live longer together!
HealthyPetNet’s Life Abundance is
easily digestible for both dogs and cats and it is formulated with all of these
things in mind. Life’s Abundance foods contain no corn and wheat, no dairy, no
artificial colors or flavors and no added chemical preservatives.
It utilizes all whole-ingredients
as opposed to eyebrow-raising byproducts. It’s comprised of quality chicken
meal, egg, chicken liver meal, herring meal and turkey meal, all coming straight
from a human processing plant. After all, our pets don’t deserve less quality
foods than we do. Also, Life Abundance is dense with vitamins, nutrients, fatty
acids and antioxidants extracted from the inside of seeds. It’s a great way to
start out your pet’s eating life. A healthy food means a hearty immune system,
healthy bones, and healthy skin and coat.
The Ear Police:
Saving Our Pets from
Unnecessary Suffering
Ears should be a real point of concern for
owners of young animals. They’re so active in their youth. They play on the lawn
and roll around on the carpet. These surfaces can contain bacteria and
parasites that can affect their ears. From puppy and kittenhood, we should get
ourselves and our pets into the habit of ear cleaning at least once a week. This
also applies to other types of grooming. It’s much harder to train an older pet
to stand still while we brush their teeth, clean their ears and shampoo their
coats.
If you have just brought home a youngin’, then now is the time.
It’s advisable to avoid cleaning their ears with the chemical solutions found at
most pet stores. They may irritate your pet’s ears.
Natural minded people would be more apt to use
herbal solutions. Since the turn of the century, we have gone back to our roots
and become more partial to herbs, which help rebalance tissue.
Herbs support the ear by providing the skin of
the ear and the ear canal with the nutrients it needs to remain healthy. A
properly formulated natural ear product changes the ear’s environment so that
it’s less apt to fall prey to unwanted organisms. A wax-ridden, oily, unhealthy
ear is a magnet to parasites.
Like we said earlier on, the whole idea of the
natural mentality is to keep your pet well and out of the vet’s office. If we
nip the cause in the bud, there will be no effect. For instance, say your dog
gets an ear infection. The typical way of thinking is to fix it right away with
medication without giving much thought as to what the cause of the ear infection
was in the first place. Perhaps your dog has oilier-than-normal ears because of
its breed. Maybe we can decrease the amount of oil its ears produce by changing
the food from a supermarket brand to a premium brand and by cleaning the ears
more often. This is holistic living.
Also, take a look at the skin and coat. If the coat is lackluster and the skin
is flaky and oily, who’s to say that the ears won’t be a reflection of that?
After all, the ear is just skin. This means our pets should be eating the best
food and getting their ears cleaned two to three times weekly.
HealthyPetNet’s Herbal Ear Formula is a blend of therapeutic herbs and mild
cleansers to help clean ears, remove wax and other debris that could potentially
lead to infections and parasites. It also soothes minor irritations and leaves
ears dry, which discourages the regrowth of harmful organisms. Our Herbal Ear
Formula is not made to deal with serious ear problems.
If your pet’s ears don’t look
better within one week, it’s best to contact your family veterinarian.
Keeping Their Area Clean
Cat Litters … There are so many different kinds out there, but they are really
separated into two categories. First, there are the ever-popular clay pebbles.
These dominate the kitty-litter industry because they’re most convenient to cat
owners. Though this litter is easiest for pet owners, it’s not the best for
kittens that are still experimenting and apt to sample their own litter while
digging and playing around in the litter box, inhaling dust into their lungs.
Green environmentally friendly litters, the second category of litter, are ideal
for kittens. Green litters are made of everything you can think of: recycled
paper, crushed walnut shells, sawdust, pine, corncobs, wheat and even alfalfa!
Though there are all these fancy litter boxes out now that can dump out the old
litter automatically, the boxes still need human hands to clean them. We suggest
two of our pet friendly products to keep kitty boxes clean and deodorized: our
Microbest Floorwash followed by our Microbest BioDeodorizer. Both of these
products are environmentally friendly and non-toxic. They do not contain any
harsh chemicals and are great for the environment in your home and the
environment at large. One mistake people often make is using a chemical cleanser
to clean the litter box, exposing those little feet to toxins they don’t
deserve. Use the Floorwash to clean the box out before replacing litter and the
BioDeodorizer for the box in between cleanings to keep it smelling nice and
fresh. Many of us know that cats can be really finicky and if they don’t like
the smell of their litter box, they might relocate to a place you don’t like!
Trick and Treat!
Treats can be used to enhance the human-animal
bond and to reward pets on good deeds and behavior. They’re a fantastic training
tool. Our whole philosophy on giving treats is that if we’re going to reward our
pets, why not reward their taste buds, their minds and their bodies? The idea is
to bestow treats with a purpose, not just a biscuit stuffed with artificial
flavor and vacant calories. Did you know that there are edible dog bones out
there made with so called “edible” plastic? The companies claim this is
perfectly safe. Best believe there are plenty of bones out there with other
questionable ingredients.
HealthyPetNet has a vast array of delicious treats for dogs and cats, geared
towards making a difference. Unlike the plastic-edible bones just mentioned, our
ingredients are naturally based … from our Antioxidant Health Bars for Dogs to
our Purr-fectly Natural Gourmet Cat Treats (Hairball Formula) for Cats. Along
with brushing and combing your cat’s coat, the fish oil and the protein in these
treats are great for strengthening the hair and supporting a healthy intestinal
tract. You say you don’t see hairballs?
No your cat is not hiding them
some place in the house. They could be in the litter box or in their stomach,
which will eventually interfere with their health.
Purr-fectly Natural Gourmet Cat
Treats (Hairball Formula) promote good health. They’re not just for cats that
have visible hairballs. Instead of using petroleum or mineral oil in our treats
to lubricate the intestinal tract, we use natural glycerine as well as slippery
elm to further enhance the health of the intestine so that it will work well in
handling the inevitable hair.
We also have Gourmet Dental Treats
with Microdent for dogs to promote healthy teeth and gums as well as Porky Puffs
Gourmet Dog Chews, deliciously smoked pork that dogs are guaranteed to love.
Out of the Woods
Your pet is becoming more mature. While it’s
good to maintain some of the same concerns that you had in its infancy, some of
these concerns you can shed away (like the kitty eating its cat litter for
breakfast). However, you’re inevitably going to pick up a few new concerns as
your pet ages. One of these concerns should definitely pertain to their bones
and joints. For medium to large breed dogs in particular and dogs with longer
backs, there are many things we can do to support their joints now in order to
discourage problems later on. Same goes for all breed types of cats, especially
those prone to obesity. We can support the joints and surrounding tissue by
moderate exercise to keep the joints working. Of course, it’s also important to
prevent obesity, which can really put pressure on the joints. For instance,
instead of allowing your pets to sleep on the hard floor, get them in the habit
of sleeping on some padding that you provide.
Keep nails trimmed for better traction on wood
and kitchen floors. These are a couple of natural ways of supporting the joints
without having to give your pet anything to eat, drink or swallow.
In conjunction with these joint
friendly activities, a wonderful supplement for dogs and cats starting at age
two is our Agility with Glucosamine & MSM for dogs and cats. This supplement is
a holistic multi-action formula with sea mussels, antioxidants, herbs and fish
oils, which support the biochemical functions necessary for healthy bones and
joints, supporting our pets well into their charming and ripe old age!
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