‘Pet Health’ Articles
The Kroger Co. announced Saturday that it was recalling three brands of pet food. Tests showed that select packages may have come into contact with aflatoxin, which can pose a health risk to pets.
The company advises customers: if you bought a contaminated bag of pet food, stop using it immediately and return it to where you purchased it for refund or exchange.
The affected packages of Pet Pride, Old Yeller, and Kroger Value brand pet foods were all produced at a Kroger-owned factory in Springfield, Tenn., according to Denise Osterhues, spokeswoman for the Cincinnati-based grocery store.
The recall affects customers at Kroger’s, Dillons, Gerbes, Baker’s, Food 4 Less, Jay C, Hilander, Owen’s, Pay Less and Scott’s stores in 19 states across the Midwest and South: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
If you buy Pet Pride, Old Yeller, or Kroger Value brand products, first check the sell-by date and then the UPC code. All of the recalled products have a sell-by date of either Oct. 23 or 24, 2011. Your package would read OCT 23 11 DP or OCT 24 11 DP.
If that sell by date appears on your package, “check the numbers on the packaging,” advises Gilda Rogers of Krogers. If both the date and UPC code match the recall list, “Take them back to a store.”
Kroger is recalling these products:
Pet Pride Cat Food sold in 3.5 lb. packages with UPC code 1111088128.
Pet Pride Cat Food sold in 18 lb. packages with UPC code 1111071357.
Pet Pride Tasty Blend Poultry & Seafood Cat Food sold in 3.5 lb. packages with UPC code 1111088152.
Pet Pride Tasty Blend Poultry & Seafood Cat Food sold in 18 lb. packages with UPC code 1111074580.
Pet Pride Kitten Formula Food sold in 3.5 lb. packages with UPC code 1111071903.
Old Yeller Chunk Dog Food sold in 22 lb. packages with UPC code 1111074566.
Old Yeller Chunk Dog Food sold in 50 lb. packages with UPC code 1111074563.
Kroger Value Cat Food sold in 3 lb. packages with UPC code 1111000018.
Kroger Value Chunk Dog Food sold in 15 lb. packages with UPC code 111107155.
Kroger Value Chunk Dog Food sold in 50 lb. packages with UPC code 1111000108.
If you believe your pet has been exposed to aflatoxin, and is showing symptoms of sluggishness, yellow-tinted eyes, and diarrhea, you are encouraged to seek treatment for your pet immediately.
Customers who have questions about this recall may contact Kroger toll-free at (800) 632-6900 or visit www.kroger.com/recalls.
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If all dog owners had to worry about were a checkup, yearly shots, and an occasional injury, it would be hard to justify the cost of pet insurance. After all, premiums can run into the thousands of dollars over the life of your pet.
But the fact is that today, pet medical care rivals what’s available to humans in complexity and cost. For example, an MRI is a diagnostic tool once reserved for humans but is now available for pets as well–at an average cost of $1,200. Sophisticated procedures such as radiation therapy, can start at $900 and quickly reach $5,000.
And it’s not as if it can’t happen to you. Statistics show that one out of three pets will need emergency treatment every year, and two out of three experience at least one major health crisis in their lifetimes.
Given these catastrophic and skyrocketing costs, and with monthly premiums as low as $10 for some pets and plans–they average around $35–pet insurance may be a worthwhile option for you and your animals.
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Tags: advice, Dog Tips, education, pet insurance
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Dog flea medicines today are a far cry from the harsh chemical dips and messy powders pet owners used to use to combat fleas. The easy to use topical spot on products such as Frontline Plus are popular with pet owners as they are inexpensive and they kill fleas for up to 30 days. For owners of multiple pets, Frontline also offers a flea killing spray that will treat several dogs.
The price of flea killing pet meds goes higher when other parasites are also killed by the product. You may choose to provide wide ranging protection or may only be focused on killing fleas. No matter which product you choose for your dog, you can find significant savings by purchasing online from a site dedicated to discount pet medicines.
If you live in a hot, humid climate, flea control is a year round pet health care necessity. Such locations have heavy flea populations as well as ticks, heartworm and other nasty parasites that pose dangers to your dog’s health. Advantage flea medicine was one of the first topical products with residual killing power and has been gratefully accepted by pet owners as a real solution to fleas. The newest addition to the Advantage line of pet products is Advantage Multi which kills fleas and also protects your dog from roundworm, whipworm, hookworm and heartworm.
Frontline Plus kills fleas and flea eggs and also kills brown dog ticks, American dog ticks and lone star ticks as well. The spot on treatment lasts a full 30 days and remains effective after bathing your dog. Frontline Plus controls chewing lice and helps control sarcoptic mange for dogs 8 weeks and older. K9 Advantix is a good choice for flea prevention where high mosquito populations are present. K9 Advantix kills both adult fleas and larvae to break the flea life cycle. Ticks are killed and the product also repels mosquitoes. K9 Advantix should not be used on dogs that come into physical contact with cats or on pregnant or nursing dogs. For older or sick dogs, consult your veterinarian before using K9 Advantix to control fleas.
Revolution is a prescription medicine that is well named. This topical treatment offers a wide range of protection for dogs, killing fleas and flea eggs and American dog ticks. Revolution also treats ear mites, controls sarcoptic mites and is a heart preventive dog med. It is considered safe for use on puppies over six weeks old and for pregnant or lactating dogs.
Capstar is a unique flea product that is meant for specific occasions. Capstar is a single dose of one pill given to the dog that kills all adult fleas present on the animal quickly. This pet med does not kill flea eggs or have a residual effect. It is a good solution for dogs that have adult fleas as it kills the fleas quickly and can followed 24 hours later with a topical, long term flea medicine. Capstar is useful for dogs that are shown or boarded, or for a newly adopted animal brought into your home. The newest flea medicine for dogs is Comfortis. Unlike spot on treatments, Comfortis is a beef flavored wafer your dog will eagerly accept as a treat. This new product begins killing flea within 30 minutes of ingestion and keeps your dog flea free for 30 days.
Before buying flea medicine for your dog, decide what level of protection you need. What parasites does your dog need protection from in your area and which method of administering the medication do you prefer. Most flea prevention products (except Revolution) are available without prescription and can be purchased online directly from a veterinarian at discount pet med sites.
Fleas are adaptive little critters and can quickly become immune to flea killing products. Pet owners who live in states where flea protection is a year round task should change the brand of topical product every 6-12 months. By rotating the flea medicine treatments pet owners will hinder the ability of fleas to develop immunity to flea killers.
Choose from the latest dog flea medicine online.
Tags: canine flea medication, dog flea meds, dog fleas, dog health, flea allergy dermatitis, Pet Health, spot on flea drops
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About a third of dog owners allow their dogs to sleep on the bed with them. Many single men and women get company from their dogs in the day and the night time in this way. The lovers of no other pets allow their pets to sleep with them as much as dog owners do.
It is handy that dogs have a similar sleep pattern to humans, whereas cats tend to like hunting at night. Dogs also seem to dream and enter into the REM (rapid eye movement) sleep stage.
Every dog owner has observed his dog running and barking softly in his sleep. What else can they be doing other than dreaming? When a dog is sound asleep like this, it can be as difficult to wake him up as any child and when they do wake up they seem drowsy and they shake themselves awake.
Some dogs have been bred for definite purposes and this has lead to facial characteristics which have given rise to breathing abnormalities. Pugs and other dogs with squashed faces often breathe very noticeably in their sleep and at other times in the day.
Some dogs even snore and some snore very noisily. If your dog sleeps with you, this can be a concern. The causes why dogs snore are usually the same ones that lead to humans snoring, although, as stated above one of the main causes for breathing abnormalities is breeding.
One cause of snoring is a constraint of the nasal passages because of an allergy. If you suspect that this is the case, you can begin by thinking whether you have added anything new to your home or whether you use a new air freshener. If you cannot discover the cause yourself, you might have to call in a vetinary surgeon.
One of the principal causes of snoring in humans is being overweight and the same is true of dogs, particularly the smaller breeds. If your dog has just begun snoring, maybe he just put on that extra pound that broke the camel’s back, so to speak.
If you believe that this might be the cause of your dog’s snoring, the clear answer is to help him to lose weight through exercise and dieting. There is a good probability that that will stop the snoring.
If all else fails and you are being driven to distraction by your dog’s nonstop snoring, there is some minor remedial surgery available to open up the nasal passages. It is a quite routine operation that does not take long and should result in both you and your dog getting a better night’s sleep..
If you choose to go down this route, ring around a few vets to get prices as the fees that vets can charge differ considerably.
Tags: chemicals, cooking, dogs, family, health, illness, kids, medicines, other, Pet Health, poison, recreation, snoring, teens, uncategorised
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Natural pet products have primarily consisted of healthier food for cats and dogs that doesn’t contain the types of additives and chemicals found in lower-quality pet food. However, that is no longer exclusively the case. Holistic products for pets now include a wide assortment of herbal and organic remedies geared towards alleviating all kinds of problems, from stress and depression to physical ailments such as arthritis. Whether it’s a tincture, a tablet or an ointment, herbs for pets are relatively harmless and have fewer side effects than traditional medicine. There are some drawbacks, but except in rare instances, natural health and nutrition products for pets are safe alternatives.
Easily administered and free of harmful fillers, chemicals and colorants, herbal tinctures for pets consist of purified water, herbal extracts and grain alcohol. While tablets and pills can be hard to get a pet to swallow, tinctures are liquids and can usually be mixed in with food. Plus, the remedy is absorbed into the pet’s system more quickly when administered this way. Some uses of herbal tinctures for pets include:
* Anti-parasitic
* Antibiotic
* Detoxification
* Allergy relief
* Stress/fear relief
Numerous other herbal and organic remedies for pets are available to treat everything from urinary tract infections and mucous congestion to inflammation of the intestinal tract and respiratory problems. Perhaps one of the more popular uses for herbal remedies is flea and tick control. There are many sprays available made up of essential oils that are known to repel insects.
A short list of herbs and their effectiveness on cats and dogs includes echinacea, an immune-system stimulant; milk thistle, which is useful for treating renal problems; the antiviral St. John’s Wort; and gingko, which can help stave off dementia in older pets. Both ginger root and slippery elm help relieve upset stomachs, while aloe vera is as effective on pets as on humans for soothing sunburns or moistening dry, itchy skin.
Besides herbs, purified water and grain alcohol, natural remedies contain ingredients such as sugars, proteins and minerals of various kinds. Herbal supplements have the advantage of using the whole plant which can improve absorption and ease any side effects.
Despite the anecdotal evidence that herbs for pets are effective, there is no conclusive scientific research indicating that this is so. Moreover, there are no industry-wide guidelines that determine proper dosage, and due to the complexity of the remedies, the exact cause of any side effects can be hard to gauge. Regardless, herbal remedies provide a greater margin for error and have, at worst, limited side effects. When administering a tincture or herbal supplement to a pet, the animal’s weight largely determines the right dosage. It’s important to be patient and consistent, for holistic health products can take longer to work than traditional medicines.
More information on organic and natural flea ontrol to treat your pet.
Tags: Natural Pet Products, Organic Remedies for Pets, Pet Health
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