Top 10 Dog Breeds for 2007 

The American Kennel Club announced their top ten dog breeds for 2007 based on registration statistics of its members...

2007 Most Popular Dogs in the U.S. 

1. Labrador Retriever 

2. Yorkshire Terrier 

3. German Shepherd Dog 

4. Golden Retriever 

5. Beagle 

6. Boxer 

7. Dachshund 

8. Poodle 

9. Shih Tzu 

10. Bulldog 

 Something for our feathered friends

 The Nederlands Vita Seeds

SPRING IS IN THE AIR! 

Reducing commercial cleaning products for your spring cleaning chores will not only benefit you, but your household companions. By using simple ingredients, including water, baking soda, lemon juice, white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, club soda, olive oil and cornstarch just to name a few; you are declaring a clean and safe environment for both you and your pets. By properly combined these products you can clean just about anything and more safely. Although you might have other chemical ingredients on hand, just a word of advise never mix bleach and ammonia together for cleaning the combination is highly toxic to both humans and animals.

 Feature Story - A special message from Dr. Jane

Do you really know what’s in your pet’s food? 

Outdoor Tips

Antifreeze is deadly. If enough is ingested, it can cause kidney failure. It is a cruel fact that this toxic substance has a sweet taste, so animals are drawn to it. Even a small amount can be extremely hazardous to your pet’s health. Please clean up spills in the driveway and store containers out of the reach of your companion animals.  An alternative is to purchase a non-toxic antifreeze.  Check with your car mechanic for more information on this.

Keeping Our Pets Safe

Although I live in Florida, it still gets cold here on my small farm in the winter. In fact, just recently the overnight temperature was forecast to fall to 35 degrees and I made sure that all my outside animals were safe and warm and my dog, Otto, and his feline playmates were just as comfortable inside the house. This experience reminded me of how hard the winter cold can be on our companion animals. It can even be deadly at times. And while I am sure that most of you do not live with two horses, a goat, a cow, a dog and two cats, protecting your companion animals from the hazards of the cold weather is quick and easy. 

Senior Security

1. Keep litter boxes, food and water dishes at a comfortable height, easily accessible, and on a non-slip surface such as a rubber bath mat or a piece of indoor-outdoor carpet. In a multi-level house, keep them on every floor.

2. Make slippery surfaces like wood or tile floors safer with non-skid runners. Ramps also work as a good assist helping your pet on and off the porch or in and out of the car.

PetSmart suspends bird sales in California, 45 other states

PetSmart Inc. has suspended bird sales at 775 stores in 46 states, including California, and pulled the animals from store displays.

The move came after the Phoenix, Ariz.-based pet retailer (NASDAQ: PETM) found an unusually high number of cases of psittacosis, a bacterial disease found in birds that can be spread to humans. 

Miss. court to decide if pet food maker must give research documents to PETA

 Feature Story - A Special message from Dr. Jane

We’re coming up on the holiday season, a time of year in which many of us abandon our better dietary judgments and eat pretty much whatever we want.  Unfortunately, some pet parents believe that this “free pass” on nutrition and overeating extends to their companion animals, too!  I’d like to caution you against sharing any high-calorie or fatty foods with your lovable pets.

 Current Trends - how the moon affects dogs and cats

What does scientific research and Halloween have in common?  Absolutely, nothing but we thought this recent report in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association was ghoulishly clever, considering the season.  Researchers at Colorado State University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences looked at the incidence of canine and feline emergency room visits and the lunar cycle.  They reviewed 11,940 cases (9,407 canine and 2,533 feline) and found that more emergency room visits occurred on fuller moon days for dogs and cats.  Boo!

 Animal Welfare - the wonderberry

The colorful cranberry is truly a health-promoting fruit for humans and our companion animals.  Research conducted over the last several years has validated what Native Americans knew all along about this remarkable berry.  The cranberry is rich in flavonoids and vitamin C, important antioxidants that help to strengthen the immune system.  Additionally, this berry contains nutrients called proanthocyanidins, which also support a healthy immune system and contribute to a healthy urinary system.  The amazing cranberry is a little fruit that packs a big nutritional punch.

 Why Do They Do That - Feline memory

It appears what a feline sees and what a feline does affects his or her memory in different ways.  Researchers from the University of Alberta in Edmonton studied how feline memory works.  They conducted two obstacle tests.  In the first set of tests, researchers placed obstacles in front of cats.  When the cats’ front legs cleared the obstacles, they were distracted with food.  Then the obstacles were placed in front of the cats again.  In the second set of tests, the cats were stopped just before their front legs cleared the obstacles.  Interestingly, the cats that stepped over the obstacles with their forelegs, remembered to clear their hind legs even when distracted for up to 10 minutes.  However, when the forelegs did not step over the obstacles, memory of the obstacles was quickly lost.  Although it is not clear how these tests relate to humans, they may play a role in how we navigate objects in the dark.  You may have noticed that when you move through a cluttered lighted room that when you turn the light off, you still have the ability to avoid objects even though you cannot see them. 

 Science News - Canine and Human diseases

Researchers have found that pure bred dogs are ideal for mapping genes that cause diseases, which may help scientists understand the molecular basis for both canine and human diseases.  Almost two years ago, researchers at the Broad Institute decoded the genome of the domestic dog and they created a catalog of about 2.5 million specific genetic differences across breeds.  Due to the selective breeding of dogs over the past two centuries, scientists uncovered a genomic structure about 100 times larger than those found in the human genome. This will provide a shortcut that will allow researchers to investigate canine disease by using a few hundred animals to characterize diseases, compared to thousands of subjects that are required to study similar diseases in humans.  If you want to learn more about the work of the Broad Institute and perhaps help with their research efforts, visit dogDNA.org.

 Feature Story - A Special Message From Dr. Jane

Dr. Jane Bicks, DVM
HealthyPetNet Veterinarian Formulator

This month I would like to touch on the immune system because it is very important to your companion animal’s health and longevity.  You probably know that a strong immune system is essential, but what is it and how does it work?

 Current Trends - Quality time with your companion

Once again, a new school year has begun. With busier school and activity schedules, it’s also the time when pet parents may find themselves with less time to spend with their companion animals. Here are some easy tips for making the most of the time that you do have:

 Warning Signs - House Dust Linked to Feline Illness

Hyperthyroidism has become a frequently diagnosed illness in cats in recent decades. And new research implicates an environmental source.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE’s), chemicals used only in recent decades as a flame retardant, have been shown in research to cause injury to the feline nervous system, as well as interfere with the production of certain hormones. Scientists are concerned that these chemicals could also lead to similar symptoms in humans, too.

 Animal Welfare - More Quality time with pet parents

Increasingly, American businesses are welcoming companion animals into the workplace. According to a recent survey, nearly 20% of U.S. businesses are adopting open-door policies to pet parents and their companion animals. The importance of this newfound acceptance is evidenced in the recent phenomenal success of simplyhired,com, a job search web site that allows job seekers to sort results by companies that are pet-friendly!

 Feature Story - A Special Message from Dr. Jane

Dr. Jane Bicks, DVM
HealthyPetNet Veterinarian Formulator

For years I’ve been working to persuade countless people to recognize one simple notion – that nutrition is the foundation of life. In my years at HealthyPetNet, I’ve done my utmost to formulate foods and treats that help to establish and maintain this important foundation. Our companion animals depend on us to provide much-needed proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and other crucial nutrients – to help them grow when they are young and to maintain health through their hopefully long adult years.