The Natural Healthy Pet

Several studies recently confirmed that owning a pet has major impact upon your environmental footprint. In fact, the claim by Robert and Brenda Vale's book Time to Eat the Dog: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living, a dog has the same affect on the environment as a standard SUV. Although pets such as dogs and cats will have greenhouse effect regardless of who owns them, a responsible pet owner can effectively reduce and manage how much detriment their beloved best friend inflicts on the world around them through these five steps:

1. Use eco-friendly items, including leashes, beds, toys, and grooming products.

Cotton, wood chip, alpaca, and hemp-based fabrics and roping are ideal for pet toys, bedding, leashes, and other woven items. The natural fibers are biodegradable, utilize more ready resources of clean growth and manufacture, and are even more washable. An example of a green grooming product is shampoo or flea bite treatment comprised of non-toxic ingredients such as chamomile, witch hazel, and other plant based extracts.

2. Buy pet food from eco-friendly sources.

Go for an organic pet food that is produced specifically for the green marketplace without use of high emissions equipment or release of toxins in the environment. Such a plant will often be referred to as a green operation and will often boast FDA approved human-grade food production. Also seek hormone and antibiotic free meat-based foods. Feeding your pet food such as fish heads and other non-choice parts (just as they would eat in the wild) will also reduce use of manufactured products and promote a cleaner environment while presenting Fido or Fluffy with the pleasure of satisfying some of their predatory instincts.

3. Choose your pet wisely.

The smaller your pet, the smaller their impact upon the environment. Smaller breeds are a greener choice versus a Great Dane or Labrador, just as a fish or gerbil are even better than a dog or cat. If you are not going for the "cuddle factor" and primarily seek an interesting companion at home, go for a hen, rabbit, or pig. With a hen, you can keep your refrigerator stocked with eggs. A rabbit provides consumable meat as do pigs, and they eat your table scraps.

4. Feces should be properly disposed of, not left where they fall.

Picking up and disposing of pet feces properly prevents pollution of air, rivers, streams, and other water sources. Some pets' feces can be composted along with food waste for garden fertilization. Use eco-friendly bags for pickup and disposal of waste. There are also cat toilet seats on the market that provide a means of training your cat to use the toilet instead of the highly environmentally impactful litter.

5. Buy carbon offsets.

Carbon offsets are bought much like commodities on a financial market. The funds generated through sale of carbon offsets are then put to use in environmental research, reduction of environmental impact, and cleaning of the environment. If your pet's affect on the environment is tugging at your conscience, purchase carbon offsets to aid prevention of greening in varied industries or areas of focus.

When selecting a household pet, the objective for the owner is generally that of companionship or purpose. Pets not only enhance our social lives and perform work (such as a seeing eye dog), but promote general well-being and happiness. By becoming a smarter, more conscientious pet owner, anyone can enjoy ownership of their furry friend without negatively impacting the world around them.

About the Author:
Darla Blackmon writes for EverythingLongBeach.com, a community website that covers Long Beach attractions, news, music, art and entertainment. If you visit Southern California, you might find her relaxing at a Long Beach Dog Park with her eco-friendly pet.

"We are seeing disease conditions in animals that we did not see years ago. Many of these may be traced to nutrition as the source…" Don E. Lundholm, DVM

Dr. Kollath, of the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm, headed a study done on animals. When young animals were fed cooked and processed foods they initially appeared to be healthy. However, as the animals reached adulthood, they began to age more quickly than normal and also developed chronic degenerative disease symptoms. A control group of animals raised on raw foods aged less quickly and were free of degenerative disease. In nature, we see another example of wild animals eating entirely enzyme rich raw foods being free of the degenerative diseases that afflict humans.

If you spend a little time observing the physical condition of animals in the wild, you will find that so-called degenerative or old age diseases are relatively unknown to them. Except for the danger from natural predators, wild animals generally live quite long and healthy lives. Now, what happens when we domesticate animals and make them into house pets? Are you aware that they quickly develop the same diseases as their human "owners"? We must be making the same mistake with them that we're making with ourselves. Some years ago, Dr. Francis Pottenger tried an experiment on several hundred cats. He divided them into two groups and fed one group their natural diet of raw meat and the other group a man-made diet of cooked pet food. He carried on this experiment through three generations. The cats that were fed their normal uncooked diet thrived. The cats that were fed a cooked diet developed the same diseases, and required the same medical treatment, as we humans. (excerpt from an article at the NewVeg site)

Dr. Donald Ogden D.V.M. writes that commercial pet food (even the best known and most expensive brands) have had their nutrients altered, adulterated, devitalized and destroyed by heat, processing, coloring, preservatives and other chemicals. Feeding your animal such food on a regular basis causes waste-toxins to accumulate in the blood, lymphs and tissue which contributes to a weak immune system and renders our pet susceptible to chronic diseases.

Jesse Dallas writes that Processed foods and drugs have seriously depleted the natural vitality and immune systems of many pets. Dogs and cats are anatomically very different to humans. Their intestinal tract, for example is only about half as long as a human's, and food is therefore processed and assimilated very differently. Whereas large amounts of red meat can cause cancer in humans, a lack of raw red meat in an animal's diet can lead to serious health problems.

Animals, like humans, require the enzymes, amino acids and other nutrients in the raw meat in order to stay healthy. Many skin and coat problems are a direct result of a lack of raw animal fat in the diet – fat which humans often believe is bad for their pet. Animals need at least 30% raw fat, and their systems are not designed to handle cooked meat or cooked fat. In the wild, a panther or jackal does not barbecue, grill or smoke its prey. It definitely does not walk to the local supermarket to buy dry food either. Yet most pet owners recoil at the thought of feeding raw meat to their dog or cat, concerned about bacteria or parasites. However, dogs and cats don't get salmonella poisoning because their digestive system is so acidic (or at least it should be) that it kills everything. This is why a dog can bury a bone and dig it up two weeks later and eat the rotting meat.

For a return to health, pets require a diet which strengthens the immune system and most closely resembles that which they would get in the wild. It's really easy to do. Essentially, you feed your pet a combination of certain raw meats and select from a host of raw vegetables.

About the Author: by Shirley Lipschutz-Robinson. For more information about the healing power of RAW DIET for animals, including as sample recipe and if you want to know what's really in commercial pet food visit Shirley's Wellness Cafe: Optimum Pet Nutrition & Natural Health Care for Animal at http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/1158/animals.htm

Two weeks ago most pet owners had not even heard of the term "Swine Flu". But now, as well as being worried about ourselves, pet owners are concerned that the new strain of flu could affect our pets.

All birds and mammals can be infected with a form of influenza virus, of which there are three types (A, B and C). Humans can be infected by forms of all three, but most flu varieties in animals and humans that cause serious health concerns are Influenza Type A. Viruses can mutate rapidly, and because hosts' immune systems do not initially protect against new mutations, new strains can subsequently cause widespread infection. Often new strains result from the spread of an existing flu virus from one species to another, which provides the virus with the necessary tools to transmit between members of a different species to it's usual host.

Swine Flu

The latest flu strain to hit the headlines (H1N1) – known popularly as "Swine Flu" is a strain of Influenza Type A. While the normal version of "Swine Flu" causes outbreaks of influenza with low mortality rates in pigs, the strain which is currently causing human deaths is not the same virus. The new strain combines genes from human, pig, and bird flu and is similar to the strain that caused "Spanish Flu", responsible for a human pandemic in 1918. "Swine Flu" is an entirely different virus to the "Bird Flu" which was widely talked about last year, and among the most important differences is that "Bird Flu" infected humans who had direct contact with infected birds, where as "Swine Flu" is being transmitted from human to human.

Flu in Horses

Influenza is widespread in horses and is believed to have a nearly 100% infection rate in unvaccinated populations. Flu in horses is primarily caused by the H7N7 and H3N8 strains. In 2007, an outbreak caused the Sydney Races in Australia to be suspended.

Flu in Cats

An avian strain ( H5N1) of Influenza Type A, which was given the popular name "Bird Flu", had until recently posed the greatest risk for a new influenza pandemic since it first killed humans in Asia in the 1990s, but it did not mutate into a form that spreads easily between people. H5N1 is unusual in being deadly to many species, including domestic cats which were never previously susceptible to any influenza virus. Aside from when infected with H5N1, the term "Feline Flu" does not actually refer to infection by influenza, but instead generally refers to the symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection. Because cats have little exposure to influenza viruses, any case of flu which was able to transmit between humans or dogs and cats would probably lead to a widespread infection, since cats have no natural immunity to any influenza virus.

Flu in Dogs

Type A Influenza viruses also include equine influenza (H3N8), which in 2004 was discovered to be responsible for Canine Influenza. Because of the lack of previous exposure to this virus, dogs have no natural immunity to this virus.

Flu in Pigs

Although this new influenza is being called "Swine Flu," it is being spread from person to person, not from pigs to people. None of the infected humans in North America have had contact with pigs, and no pigs in North America have been found to be infected with this strain. Pet pigs are therefore not known to be able to contract the strain of "Swine Flu" which is being talked about in the news, however they are able to contract normal "Swine Flu", which does not normally have any more serious consequences than seasonal flu does for humans.

Conclusions

In general, influenza viruses are not transmitted from one species to another. For example, dogs and cat do not develop flu after exposure to owners with a seasonal flu virus. While it is theoretically possible for a new influenza strain to be transmissible between humans and other domestic animals, it is likely that such a strain would be transmissible between only humans and one other animal. Because the "Swine Flu" virus contains genetic elements of human, pig and avian flu viruses, it would seem very unlikely that this strain would have the ability to infect hosts which are not humans, pigs or birds. And, according to the American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA), "there is no evidence that pets are susceptible to this new strain of influenza; it appears to be transmitted solely from person to person".

About the Author: Daphne Reid
http://www.petpeoplesplace.com

Feb. 8th marked the two year anniversary of playboy model and reality T.V. superstar Anna Nicole Smith’s tragic death. But we here at Only for Pet Lovers have found a beacon of light to shine on what became a heartbreaking ending to a sparkling career.

Her four beloved dogs Sugar Pie, a black toy poodle; Marilyn, a white Maltese; and two Shih Tzus, Frankenstein and Puppy are all in warm homes.

Howard K. Stern, Smith’s boyfriend and former attorney, is now caring for Marilyn, Puppy and Frankenstein. While Sugar Pie, a frequent face on E!’s Anna Nicole Smith Show, is staying with a close friend of the family.

"At first, they were with me in the Bahamas and now they are in my home in Sherman Oaks, California," said Stern in an exclusive interview with Onlyforpetlovers.com

"Wherever I go, they go. They used to follow Anna everywhere and now they follow me. When I sleep, they sleep in my bed."

Anna holding her black Toy Poodle Sugar PieStern says he was devastated after his girlfriend’s death. His life was distraught with the media turning on him and his pending paternity lawsuit over Dannielynn, Smith’s daughter. However, he believes, the only thing that kept him through were the dogs.

"I love these dogs. They have helped me more than I’ve helped them. They were my constant companions after Anna’s death, and were by my side the whole time. They were probably my only source of joy."

Stern added that he relates to actor Mickey Rourke, who recently thanked his dogs during an acceptance speech at the 2009 Golden Globes.

"Sometimes when a man’s alone, all you got is your dog and they meant the world to me," Rourke said after winning Best Actor for his role in The Wrestler.Smith and her dogs campaining to boycott Iams brand dogfood because of their animal testing practices.

According to Stern, Puppy took Anna’s death the hardest. For a while, he wouldn’t stop shaking or leave his travel bag. But now, two years later, he is doing much better.

"Puppy is the leader of the pack. He eats before the other two. When he runs out of the room, the others follow. They are a family. He’s the big brother and Frankie and Marilyn are the little sisters," Stern said.

Sugar Pie had to be separated from the other dogs due to aggression problems in her old age. Before Anna Nicole’s death, Sugar Pie began developing vision problems, which will eventually lead to her blindness.

Because she was Anna’s first dog she never became accustomed to sharing the spot light with the other three.

"Sugar Pie is staying with a friend because she got really violent with Marilyn. A couple times she even got her by the back of the neck. I was concerned that she could actually do serious harm, so we separated the two of them," Stern said.

Daniel Smith and his mother stand with Marilyn in hand near the ocean.Besides Sugar Pie none of the other dogs seem to have any health problems.

An average day for these celebrity pets is not that different from other dogs. They enjoy chewing up bones, sitting on laps and most of all being pet. They live north of Los Angeles in a well-sized house with a big backyard.

They do, however, have certain pop idol tendencies dating back to Smith’s nurturing.

"Anna used to feed them human food. So for a while after she passed away, we were feeding them the same types of food like chicken or beef and rice. But gradually I’ve been transitioning them to dog food. Now, it is half and half because I am trying to get them to eat more dog food for health reasons."

The dogs also prefer cuddling to chasing tennis balls or playing games.

"They’re not really dog’s dogs. They are more like lap dogs. They always want to be on you being pet."

They love taking trips in Stern’s car, and have travelled to New York, Atlanta and the Bahamas several times.

The main difference fans may notice is the dog’s hair. Stern has trimmed it about an inch and a half shorter to avoid knots

"They all have shorter hair than Anna kept them. The Shih Tzus hair would go all the way to the ground. Even though I brushed it every day, it was so thick that when she scratched herself she would get her nail caught and pulled off," Stern said.

He thinks the dogs even prefer the shorter hair because when he pets them he actually touches skin as opposed to the outside of their fur.

According to Larry Birkhead, Dannielynn’s father, the decision to give Stern the dogs was a difficult one. But because of Sugar Pie’s tendency to snap at people, Birkhead figured it would be best to keep her away from the newborn baby girl. Plus, he believes splitting up the other three would have been overwhelming.

"It was decided that Howard would keep all of the dogs and I would get Dannielynn a dog of her own that she could play with," said Birkhead. "Raising a two-year-old and three dogs would be tough for me! So, Dannielynn got a new Yorkie named Pop Tart."

Stern insists any rumors of Sugar Pie being run over by a CNN truck in the Bahamas were totally false. He believes the truth is no longer a priority within the media, and the story was just a publicity stunt.

Regardless, all of the dogs are healthy and cared for. They get plenty of exercise in the backyard and spend entire days together. Slowly, they’ve adjusted to life without their passionate mother, and luckily have had the good fortune of falling into the hands of a loving and caring father

He is just as grateful to have them as they are to have him.

Article Source: http://www.articleinfo.org

By: ONLY for PET LOVERS