Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Wild Critters Winter Preparation


The warmth of summer will soon be slipping into the chills of fall. We are now preparing for our children to go back to school. What are we doing to help our exquisite wild critters that frequent our yards? What about the various wild birds, deer, squirrels, etc. They all could use our assistance to make it through the tough cold season ahead.

I personally have a large variety of wild birds and a couple of grey squirrels. Occasionally, a small red squirrel frequents the bird feeder and picks up sunflower seeds on the ground. Knowing this I pour a few extra seeds on the ground for them to find. I also put squirrel food (sunflower seeds, corn, and peanuts) under a big pine tree. I keep suet feeders, thissle and sunflower seed feeders year round as well.

This year, the forest behind my house was cut down. An entire family of red squirrels and a family of raccoons have disappeared. The loan red squirrel visiting my feeder may be the only survivor. I am one of the people who enjoy all kinds of wildlife and do my best to afford some food for them all year. I try to pay closer attention to what they need in the fall and winter as food is scarcer at that time of year. One year I fed a pair of Nuthatches all winter. In the spring they brought their babies to my feeder for food. That was my reward. They went off to forage but would still come back to visit my yard. What a blessing.

To help us prepare for our wild critters, the following are some product suggestions and where to find them.

Wild Bird Seed can is available by any type no matter how hard it is to find such as: a blend of sunflower hearts, millet, canary seed and cracked corn to attract buntings, woodpeckers, juncos, cardinals, grosbeaks, chickadees, nuthatches and more. Many other varieties are available so look this one up. Automatic deliveries as often as you need can be arranged so you always have your wild birds favorite seed available.
Bird Feeders, Fruit & Nut feeders, Meal Worm Feeders: the largest variety I have ever seen in one place. Something for every type of bird.
Suets: Berry Treat, Birdsblend Song Bird, Blueberry Suet Cake, and Orange Delight suet cakes.
Oriel feeders: Beautiful glass designs as well as many colorful designs.
Squirrel Food & Feeders: Fifteen varieties of squirrel foods and feeders that are entertaining for you to watch like Corn on the Cob Jungle Gyms.
Deer Blocks: Whitetail Deer Block is full of vitamins, minerals and many other nutritious ingredients for attracting deer to your yard all year round.
Bird Houses: From Victorian style, to Window View Houses, to Nesting Houses, to Bat Houses, you have it all here to choose from.
Bird Bathes: Elegant styles, some with drippers, some with heaters, some are solar. Best variety of bird baths anywhere.
Bird Seed Containers: To store your bird seeds safely there needs to be a proper container. You will also find seed scoops.
Bird books, guides & DVDs: A library of bird books on topics like: Enjoying Cadinals, Enjoying Humingbirds, Enjoying Bird Feeding, Creating Your Backyard Bird Garden, Identification Guide to Common Back Yard Birds, Enjoying Squirrels, Guide to Bird Homes, Lost in the Woods movie, and many more.
Bird Seed Blocks: Bird seed blocks for hanging feeders as well as ground feeders.
Brackets & Poles for Feeders & Houses: Forty two styles and items from fancy to simple for hanging your feeders and bird houses.
No More Window Collision Decals: No more birds crashing into your windows. Decals that can be seen by birds on the windows but not by you inside.
Night Guard to stop Bears, Deer, Raccoons from entering your yard: If you don't want these critters in your yard or garden, this is a safe solar powered red flashing light that keeps them out.
I hope you find enough wild bird and wild critter supplies at EverythingNaturalPetFood.com to keep your yard filled with wildlife this fall and winter. I also recommend a good visit to this site to see other items you may need like: Pet Health Insurance, Natural-Human Grade-Organic-Holistic dog and cat food, Pet Wellness Care Products including Pet Rx Prescriptions, all small animal, reptile, and fish supplies. There is a very large selection of Pet Education Books including on Horses. If you like to buy pet gifts, they are here including pet gifts for we humans. If you find anything missing, send me a comment and we'll find it for you.

Friday, August 15, 2008

ALERT Pet Food Recall

The Food & Drug Administration issued this announcement today, August 15, 2008. If you have this type of pet food in your house, do not feed it to your pets. Take it to the store for a refund or dump it. Here is the FDA announcement:
Mars Petcare US Issues Voluntary Recall of Limited Bags of PEDIGREE Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites at Albertsons in Southern California and Las Vegas due to Potential Salmonella Contamination (August 8) Fri, 15Aug2008 08:35:00 - 0500
Mars Petcare US today announced a voluntary recall of limited bags of PEDIGREE Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites sold in Albertsons stores in Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. The pet food is being voluntarily recalled because of potential contamination with Salmonella. There have been no complaints or reports of injury resulting from consumption or handling of the recalled product.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Pet Food Ingredient Artificial Vitamin K3


How many times have you read food ingredient articles that really made you think about what you eat, drink, and prepare your food? Did you stop to think that those same ingredients are also harmful and potentially fatal to your pets? If you did, you were right. Most of the time what is bad for humans is bad for pets. Most of the time, with some exceptions, what is good for humans is also good for pets.

When we are armed with wisdom, we are powerful consumers. Wise consumers are starting to change the pet food industry by refusing to buy harmful pet foods for their pets. They are writing letters and emails to pressure pet food companies into changing their methods of providng food for pets. Some citizens of Victorville, CA picketid the Nutro pet food plant and brought national attention to what was going on at this factory. See http://video.aol.com/video-detail/nutro-dog-food-plant-protest/552407059 for the video. Many reports were published online stating that dogs & cats who ate Nutro had bloody stools, vomiting, & diarrhea as well as deaths. This public outcry has brought much attention to the fact that we need to stay on top of the pet food industry. It wasn't over after the China incidents of 2007. It conitnues today.

Most of us know we should not feed our pets chocolate, onions, garlic, grapes, or raisons. These foods have chemicals in them that cause major illness or even death. These are natural ingredients of which we need to be concerned. There are many more chemical ingredients we also need to watch. Most of them we can't even pronounce. We certainly don't know what they are or if they are harmful. It is usually very confusing.

This is one very bad chemical ingredient that you should never feed your pets. "Menadione Sodium Bisulfate." This chemical is artificial vitamin K3. Also known as Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfate, vitamin K3, K3, and Menadione. The Material Safety Data Sheet on Menadione Sodium Bisulfate says:

Potential Chronic Health Effects:

CARCINOGENIC EFFECTS: 3 (Not classifiable for human.) by IARC
MUTAGENIC EFFECTS: Not available
DEVELOPMENTAL TOXICITY: Not available.
The substance is toxic to kidneys, lungs, liver, and mucous membranes. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage.

The FDA used to allow it in human foods and vitamins but now has banned its use for humans. So why has it not been banned for pet food? It is used largely in farm animal feed. They assume it is acceptible for out pets who live years longer than chickens or cows. Long term feeding of Menadione Sodium Bisulfate in pets is asking for major trouble. There needs to be testing and take it off the market until the tests are complete.

In humans, K3 can cause, vomiting, toxic liver, weak immune system, skin ittitatios, allergic reactions and much more. If the FDA banned its use in human food and vitamins, then why has it not been banned for pet food? Farm animals who have been fed K3 show up in the grocery stores in eggs, dairy products, and meats. Humans and pets eat those foods! Pet food is made from those farm animals! It's not only added as vitamin K3 but is added through the eggs & meats in the foods. So, FDA, how is that banned for human use? I'm feeling pretty bad for farm animals right now as well as our pets. What about our children who eat eggs, dairy, and meats?

Vitamin K1 & K2 are natural sources of vitamin K. K1 and K2 should be all that we and our pets consume. Vitamin K is responsible for clotting blood in our systems so we need some of it. You can find natural vitamin K1 and K2 in fish, liver, alfalfa, sea kelp & seaweeds, nettle leaf, blue-green algae and spirulina. Suddenly the Nori on sushi looks retty good to me! I purchased a package of Nori and will break it up in my dog food. Maybe I'll roll up some brown rice inside and make us a sushi treat.

Seriously, I believe "Menadione Sodium Bisulfate" is a killer. We need to all write letters and emails to the FDA, AAFCO, pet food manufacturers who use this artificial form of K3, and your politicians. It is up to us to stop this with a huge public outcry. It has already started and several brands of pet food have stopped using artificial vitamin K3 in their foods. Actually, several countries in Europe have banned it also. The United States needs a little push from the educated consumers. Keep up the pressure by starting your letter/email writing today.

For more information on Menadione Sodium Bisulfate, see this website: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=menadione

Find your Congressman: http://www.visi.com./juan/congress/

Find your Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

AAFCO: http://www.aafco.org/

FDA: http://www.fda.gov/

The good news is that many premium pet food manufacturers are making natural, human grade, organic, and holistic pet foods without artificial vitamin K3 (Menadione Sodium Bisulfate) or other toxic ingredients. You can investigate a large variety of these foods at: http://www.EverythingNaturalPetFoods.com/.

Here you will find a variety of natural, human grade, organic, and holistic dog and cat foods both in canned and dry kibble. You will also find all pet supplies, pet wellness care products, Rx prescriptions, pet health insurance, gifts for human pet lovers, and books on homemade pet food recipes, dog training, pet care, horse training & nutrition, small animal care, etc.

Everything Natural Pet Food is the source of natural, human grade, organic, and holistic pet food. Remember, "Feed them life!"

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Obese Dogs & Cats - Hommade Pet Food Recipe


We have all seen very obese dogs & cats. Sometimes people laugh and say how cute they are. In fact, it is not any cuter or healthier on dogs & cats than it is on we humans. Did you know that most obese dogs and cats are not only the seniors? About 45% of dogs & 13% of cats are obese in their youth and middle age.Osteoarthritis causes many problems in pets just like it does in humans. In fact, I know because I have it. Overweight causes pain and inflammation in the joint cartilage. Damage to joints is excelerated with weight on these same joints. A restrictive supervised diet is necessary to help your pets loose weight immediately. I recommend natural, human grade, organic, or holistic Homemade Pet food supplemented with the following weight reduction pet foods listed below.
Obesity diet, Homemade Dog food, use the following ingredients using one of type of ingredient in each meal; protein, carbohydrate, oils, and vitamins.
Proteins:
  1. chicken (skinless with fat cut off; use light or dark meat)
  2. cooked egg whites
  3. cottage cheese (fat free)

Carbohydrates:

  1. Brown Rice
  2. Potatoes (with skins, any variety, my dogs love red potatoes)
  3. Steamed veggies: green beans (french cut more tasty, carrots, broccoli (unless gas is a problem), or spinach (chopped - fresh or frozen)

Oils for Omega 3 fatty acids:

  1. Fish oils (sardine oil is great: increases metabolism and helps arthritis, skin, & coats)

Vitamins:

  1. Bonemeal 1 tsp sprinked on meal (calcium & phosphorus)
  2. Multi-vitamin & Mineral (Made from raw natural foods is best for plant phytochemicals, enzymes & a variety of nutrients)

Obesity diet, Homemade Cat food, use the following ingredients using one of type of ingredient in each meal; protein, carbohydrate, oils, and vitamins.

Protein:

  1. chicken
  2. tuna
  3. salmon

Carbohydrates:

  1. Steamed veggies: green beans (french cut more tasty, carrots, broccoli (unless gas is a problem), or spinach (chopped - fresh or frozen) Chop veggies very small and mix well with meats as cats will usually not eat veggies.

Oils for Omega 3 fatty acids:

  1. Fish oils (sardine oil is great: increases metabolism and helps arthritis, skin, & coats)

Vitamins:

  1. Bonemeal 1 tsp sprinkled on meal (calcium & phosphorus)
  2. Multi-vitamin & Mineral (Made from raw natural foods is best for plant phytochemicals, enzymes & a variety of nutrients)

Dogs & cats loose more weight if fed frequent very small meals. Take the regular amount you feed them, reduce it to 80% of normal size, and divide it into four meals to feed over the day and evening. Like with humans the metabolism is increased with small frequent meals and we all loose weight faster.

Now, some of you say that you work, have small children to care for, etc. and it's too hard to cook homemade pet food. Here are some natural, human grade, organic, and holistic brands of dog and cat food that you can feed your dogs and cats. Try to supplement with foods and give fish oils (sardine oil) and vitamins as recommended above.

Recommended foods for dogs are:

  1. Artemis Fresh Mix Weight Management Formula
  2. Canine Caviar Special Needs Formula Adult Dog Dry Food
  3. Innova EVO Reduced Fat Dry Dog Food
  4. C&P's Organix Canine Adult Formula Dry Dog Food

Recommended foods for cats are:

  1. Innova EVO 95% Chicken & Turkey Canned Cat Food
  2. Wellness Healthy Weight Formula Dry Cat Food
  3. California Natural Chicken & Brown Rice Cat and Kitten Canned Food
  4. Orijen - Adult Cat & Kitten Formula Dry Cat Food
  5. Fromm Gold Holistic Mature Dry Cat Food

Supplements for Dogs & Cats:

  1. Nature's Logic North Atlantic Sardine Oil for Dogs & Cats (a must for every pet owner, go to EverythingNaturalPetFood.com, Wellness Care, Nutritional Supplements, click Nature's Logic.
  2. Go to EverythingNaturalPetFood.com, Wellness Care, Nutritional Supplements for a large variety of supplements.

Natural, human grade, organic, & holistic pet foods, pet wellness care, and other pet supplies can be found at EverythingNaturalPetFood.com. You will also find hundreds of books on homemade pet food recipes, pet wellness care, pet training, etc. If you like gifts for pet lovers, this is the place to find them along with the ever important Pet Health Insurance. Remember, we love our pets and need to "Feed them life!"