What's in This Issue:

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Articles

Zoonotic Diseases caused by your pet's worms. by Dr Keith Perrett

Why We Feed Raw: An Insider's Perspective from Only Natural Pet Staff

Crucial Petting Strategies For Cats by Quinn Devlin

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Zoonotic Diseases caused by your pet's worms. by Dr Keith Perrett

While many animal diseases are zoonotic, we are going to highlight some of the more common ones caused by worms.

A) Hookworm (Ancylostoma caninum)

These are distributed worldwide and are found wherever dogs live.

In dogs they can cause anaemia(bloodloss), weight loss, loss of appetite, poor growth,bloody stools, coughing and localised skin inflammation, especially of the feet, legs and abdomen.

In humans they are responsible for a condition known as Cutaneous Larval Migrans. The migration of the larval stages causes localised skin inflammation, especially in the lower leg region.

Preventative measures include:

1) Regular removal of dog faeces from the environment and avoiding contact with dog faeces and soil contaminated with dog faeces. 2) Disinfection of Kennels etc 3) Regular Deworming (pets and people!) 4) Basic Hygiene - washing hands after playing with dogs, before meals etc.

B) Roundworm (Toxocara canis) are also distributed worldwide.

Usually only dogs up to about 8 months old are infected. Symptoms include poor growth, weight loss, pot bellied appearance, coughing, occasional vomiting, slimey diarrhoea with worms sometimes visible.

In humans they are responsible for a condition known as Visceral larval Migrans. The larvae migrate through the body and the symptoms experienced by the person depend on where the larvae end up in the body. Common symptoms include a fever, muscle pains, coughing, loss of appetite, blindness (usually only one eye) etc.

Prevention is the same as for hookworm.

C) Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is one of the best known of the zoonotic diseases that involve pets and is the disease that leads many pregnant women to (unfairly) toss the pet cat out the door!

Although cats play a major role in the life cycle of Toxopllasma gondii, the causative organism, humans can in fact become infected 3 different ways, only one of which is direct contact with cat faeces. In fact, cat ownership is not a big factor for human infection with Toxoplasma.

The three ways that humans can become infected:

1) Eating undercooked meat This is THE major route of infection for humans, NOT contact with cat faeces. In one study, up to 60% of infections were as the result of the consumption of undercooked meat.

2) Transplacental Infection The foetus is infected while still in the uterus. This infection is the result of the mother becoming infected during pregnancy.

3) Ingestion of the organism shed in cat faeces.

Preventative measures thus involve cooking meat properly, wearing gloves when gardening, washing hands and utensils after working with raw meat and cleaning litter trays out daily. About the Author

Dr Keith Perrett is a Veterinarian with over 20 years experience in trying to get people to do what is good for their pets! His site, Pet Health for Humans is a valuable resource.

Why We Feed Raw: An Insider's Perspective from Only Natural Pet Staff

If you’ve called us for help with your order or with pet care questions, you may have spoken with the some of our Customer Care team members who are offering their insights on feeding raw. Diann, Cynthia, Sarah, and Deanne have all made the choice to serve raw food to their pets, and their stories, as well as their picks for food and supplements are outlined below.

Diann and Crinkles, the Black Lab-Cattle Dog Mix & Only Natural Pet “Princess”Crinkles, the ONP Office Princess

Crinkles is an approximately 7-year-old rescued black lab cattle dog mix dog that is three-legged. Although we have a large selection of food options here at Only Natural Pet Store, feeding raw is important because we know it is the optimal diet. We personally eat a primarily vegetarian and organic diet, so we know the importance of species-appropriate diets, and how impactful it can be with or without specific health issues. And it really is easy. So easy that our 10-year-old boys do it without complaining!

We typically use Nature’s Variety raw, mostly rabbit, but we do alternate protein sources. The medallions are easy. We just take out the number of medallions for a couple days & put them in a container in the fridge to thaw. If we ever forget, we put the medallions we need for the immediate meal in a zip loc, run it under hot water, and a few minutes later it’s thawed. We put four medallions in her bowl, add her other supplements & if I have chopped any veggies from dinner, slide those in as well. Occasionally we add the Sojo's pre-mix items too. We soak the veggies or even the grains.

While we don't have a picky dog, she has never left a drop of anything in her bowl! It is actually fun preparing your animal’s meal; there a sense of pride that goes with doing it, knowing it's much better than pouring some dry kibble in a bowl. I know if I had to have cold cereal everyday I would be so disappointed!

This is a time share dog, and we know, unfortunately, on occasion she gets fed dry food at the other house, but she never has a problem coming back to raw and we do not see bowel movement issues. Because we give her variety, she transitions easy.

The benefits of the raw diet are the obvious - she's happy and she loves it. She sits at the edge of the kitchen "crinkling" her face into a smile & wagging her tail like crazy until the bowl is set down for her. She is so mobile for a three-legged doggie, and that's the raw & the supplements working together. The enzymes are invaluable. The obvious benefit for our 10-year-old boys is that they don't have a bunch of gross poo to clean up!

Crinkles gets several regular supplements with every meal - Only Natural Pet Super Daily Vitamins + Joint Support and Only Natural Pet Get Up & Go to help support her joints due to her three-legged issue, and Only Natural Pet Pure Icelandic Salmon Oil. She also takes Pet Essences Anxiety/Fear flower essences (because she is a rescue dog and sensitive to noises - this goes right in the food, too).

For treats she gets lots of Only Natural Pet bully chews for her teeth (and to bribe her when we need to clip her nails).

Cynthia and Kaylee the Yellow Lab

KayleeWhen I got my six-year-old yellow Lab from the shelter, I thought I would feed her a half raw-half kibble diet. We tried some dry food, but she did so much better with the raw food that I decided to make that her whole diet. I know that Labs in America have a short average life span, and this is my first dog, so I want her to live as long as possible! I truly believe that a raw food diet will prolong her life – when I first got her, the fur on her face was whiter than it is now – she’s actually regained color on her muzzle, and her teeth have far less plaque than they did when I first brought her home nine months ago.

I’ve noticed many benefits from feeding her a raw diet. She doesn’t have a greasy, smelly coat – she hasn’t needed a bath once in 9 months! She sheds very little, and her breath smells good – both signs of good health. She has great energy, and she digests the raw food much better than kibble. Her stools are firm, small, well-formed, and not very smelly. Kaylee loves her food so much that she will come find me to wag her tail profusely and say thank you after every meal!

Kaylee eats one pound of Nature’s Variety raw food each day, divided into two meals. We use the 2-pound chubs, and alternate between the beef and the chicken & turkey formulas. I just thaw the chub and squeeze out ¼ of it for each meal. We mix this with the Sojo’s Europa Grain-Free Pre-Mix. I figured out how much raw food to feed based on the 2-3% of body weight rule of thumb, as follows:

* 2% - to reduce weight, or for inactive dogs * 2.5% - to maintain weight, and for normally active dogs * 3% - for very active dogs or to increase weight

Kaylee weighs 60 lbs., and with her activity level and taking into account the other things she eats, 1 pound per day is the right amount.

She has quite a few supplements with each meal. She has Only Natural Pet Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil for those critical essential fatty acids (great for Labs with their skin sensitivities!). She also gets Dr. Harvey’s Multi-Vitamin & Mineral Herbal Supplement and/or Only Natural Pet Super Daily Greens, and Dog Vitals Paws de Leon Antioxidant Blend or Only Natural Pet Whole Food Antioxidant Blend for overall health (we alternate for variety). For digestive and immune support, she takes Animal Essentials Plant Enzymes and Probiotics and Only Natural Pet Probiotic Blend. She also gets ProDen PlaqueOff (GREAT for reducing plaque and tartar!) and In-Clover Connectin or Only Natural Pet Glucosamine + Asta for joint support.

For treats, she enjoys Bones Galore bully sticks, raw beef or bison bones, Only Natural Pet HealthTreats Jerky Bites and Poultry Crispies, and Castor & Pollux Organix Dog Cookies. She gets a Dr. Harvey’s Power Patty whenever I clean her ears. This is by far her favorite treat, and it's so nutritious I feel great giving it to her as a reward!

Lacey, the Gray GoddessDeanne, Lacey the Weimaraner & the Kitty Crew:

First, I put my puppy on raw, 3½ years ago. I rescued her from a severe neglect situation. She was on death’s door at 4 months of age with horrific digestive problems. I spent months of trying different commercial foods, every kibble in the world, and I also tried adding things to her diet such as pumpkin and fiber. NOTHING worked. She had permanent diarrhea. It seemed there was nothing I could do to get her to have a solid stool. It was very frustrating, and I felt bad for my baby to be so uncomfortable. The worst thing about it was the amount of food we were going through, and the amount of poop in the yard. It was extremely obvious that she was not absorbing a single nutrient from her food. Even when I was feeding her massive amounts, she wouldn’t gain any weight.

After several months of misery for both of us, I decided to try a raw diet. I had just heard about it, and although skeptical, I felt it would be worth a shot- nothing else was working, and she couldn’t possibly get worse. It was an IMMEDIATE improvement. Literally, the next day she had a solid stool. It was like a miracle! She started to gain weight, she had energy, her coat was shiny, and I could tell she was finally receiving nourishment from her meals. I could not believe what I was seeing, but I was sold for life.

She has been on raw ever since, and she is the picture of health. If you didn’t meet her as a puppy, you’d never know the horrible beginning she started with. She is a little small from her breed, which I basically attribute to her just not growing for the first year of her life, but other than her size, she is totally normal.

I decided to make the switch to raw for my cats after learning about important enzymes they are missing out on when they eat kibble, not to mention the dehydration issue. I was already sold on the raw concept; it was just a lot more work when it came to getting six cats switched over! Free feeding kibble was so convenient. Nevertheless, I committed to making the change because I decided their health was more important than convenience.

Over all, the transition went ok. Three of my cats were immediately sold on the idea. They absolutely love it, and actually start meowing when I bring in their bowls. Two of them were not super excited about it at first, but would nibble on it eventually. One of my cats was not at all interested, and actually refused to eat it altogether. Over time I have worked out a schedule that works for all of us, including my budget. They still get to nibble on a high quality kibble through out the day. They get canned food in the morning and evening, and the raw mixed in whenever I’ve got the time to prepare it.

I can definitely tell a difference as far as their energy level goes. My favorite feature of the raw diet is the effect it has on the litter box. The amount of stool is greatly decreased. This tells me they are absorbing their nutrients, and the smell is virtually non-existent! There is plenty of urine, which assures me they are staying properly hydrated. I also add Dr. Harvey’s Power Patties crumbled and sprinkled on top, which they all go nuts for. In fact, once I left the bag on the counter (totally sealed up), and they totally ransacked it. I’ve never seen them shred something like that before. They are addicted to that stuff. I also add some canned tripe to their canned food, which is very stinky, but they like it.

In addition to the raw food diet, I also add many supplements. Everyone gets Animal Essentials Plant Enzymes and Probiotics, and Animal Essentials Essential Fatty Acids. The cats get Only Natural Pet Super Daily Feline Vitamins, and the dog gets Only Natural Pet Super Daily Vitamin Skin & Coat. Also, my cat with liver problems gets the Only Natural Pet Whole Food Antioxidant Blend, L-Carnitine by Integrative Therapeutics, and Vetri-Science Nu-Cat vitamins. Lacey the dog also gets Halo’s Hip & Joint Supplement, Dr. Harvey’s Multi-Vitamin and Mineral Herbal Supplement, ProDen PlaqueOff & Sojo’s Europa!

Only Natural Pet Store

Crucial Petting Strategies For Cats by Quinn Devlin

Ironic as this sounds I grew up having no interest in cats let alone didn't really even like them. As a child my personal experiences with cats were never good for me because I never could understand them and having such a passion for dogs at the time I didn't realize how extravagant these creatures really were. As I started growing up around the age of 18 at Christmas time I had an unknown kitten living in my garage and my dad that didn't accept this continually tried to drive it away but it didn't ever seem to leave. Well after a week of trying to flee the kitten away it would just start hanging out by our backdoor of our house. As this became a daily thing for us my dad finally found it in his heart to let this poor little creature live at our place until we could find it a new home.

Unfortunately, we kind of put it off because of our busy lives and we decided that this kitten is now our new pet. Long story short I feel like our new pet was blessed because of the pride this cat had and never gave up. He now is spoiled completely and is one of the most important things in my dad's life.

With all this being said I started learning a lot about cats and their behavior. Which led me to creating my petting strategies. The two favorite spots a cat likes to be scratched is on their forehead and between the ears for instance my cat will approach me using his head to throw up my hand telling me what he wants.

Also scratching under the chin and along the throat can be just as effective especially when you do it right after the forehead and ears. Keep in mind always pet a cat in the direction of its fur and be careful of the sensitive spot above the tail. Depending on the cat they may like to be petted there but some do not so find out if yours does.

Also, be aware of too much petting, your cat could nip at you letting you know it's too much or too hard. If you happen to walk by your cat in the house I recommend to bend down and pet him or her, they seem to enjoy the acknowledgment and care you show.

Never force your cat to do anything thats the number one wrong thing to do, cats extremely dislike being pushed or forced. You have let your cat want to cuddle with you or any other task you are trying to achieve. The calmer you are the better off you are cats get spooked very easily and have keen senses so never be too aggressive.

If you pick up your cat make sure to always use two hands and place your hands one under the chest and the other under his or her back legs. You will know when you have created this special bond with your cat by the end trust in you.

Once you have acquired this relationship put the icing on the cake with cat products for your cat. Owning cat beds and cat toys can really influence your cat's sense of importance to you.

These petting strategies may seem basic to some but you try these methods and your bond will literally change before your eyes. You may even get a little irritated at your cat for demanding too much attention, it's a good thing.

My name is Quinn Devlin owner of Silex Web Enterprises Inc. and I currently sell cat products and am looking forward to start selling all types of pet products. I thank you all for reviewing my article and hope you took it into consideration. Take a look at our online cat store at KittyClass for quality products to help boost your relationship with your cat.

Offers for August

Havahart Feral Cat Trap Rescue Kit	Cat Cottage Triplex
CatStop Outdoor Cat Repellent	FleaBusters DE Powder
Advantage for Cats	Frontline for Cats
Natures Variety Instinct Raw Cat Food	ParaClenz wormer for cats

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