Charlotte Dog Walking & Pet Sitting News

Gus's New Pool

2011-08-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

"Freedom" for some Charlotte Area Dogs...

2011-07-12T14:34:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Saw this article yesterday and thought I would share:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/07/11/2444904/group-links-dogs-freedom.html

... Although fences are certainly no substitute for one-on-one, human-to-canine contact (i.e. play time and, most importantly, walk time), they are a great alternative to tethering (i.e. rope, cable or chain leads)!

If you'd like to find out how you can help this worthy cause, please check out their site at: http://unchaindogs.net/

In other news, here are a couple of the latest photos of some of our Best Friends...

Pig ear recall...

2011-05-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

Pig ears recalled due to possible salmonella contamination
by THERESE on MAY 3, 2011
in PET FOOD RECALL,PET HEALTH
Pig ears manufactured by Keys Manufacturing Company, Inc. are being recalled due to possible salmonella contamination. From the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON (AP) — An Illinois company is recalling pet chews made of pig’s ears because they could be contaminated with salmonella.

One illness, to a dog in Missouri, has been linked to the chews, called Pig Ears for Pet Treats. The product is being recalled by the Keys Manufacturing Co. Inc. of Paris, Ill.

Salmonella can affect animals, and there is risk to people from handling contaminated pet products.

The bacteria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people and those with weakened immune systems. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Pets with salmonella may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea fever and vomiting.

The pet treats were distributed in Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.

Consumers can return the pet treats to the place of purchase for a full refund.

I called the company to find out more but the guy I talked to didn’t know the details. I suspect there will be more info out tomorrow though because he said the FDA was scheduled to pay them a visit.

Another kitty, Macy, needs a good home...

2011-04-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

Little Macy is 8-years old and is grey in color. She is a loving cat and is good with other animals....may be a little standoffish at first but comes around. She currently lives with 2 dogs. She is good with kids, too. She is timid and keeps to herself a lot. She likes to go outside some, but is mainly an indoor cat. Her front paws are declawed. Litterbox, dishes, bed will be sent along with Macy to her new home. Vaccinations are up-to-date.

Foster home needed for "cuddly citties" :-)

2011-04-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

A client of ours has been deployed to Afghanistan for a year. He has 2 adorable cats. They are both 4 years old and very affectionate. They were previously in a foster home; but the foster parents cannot keep them any longer.

Our client has reached out to us; and we are reaching out to you all to find a new foster home for these kitties. They are current on all vaccinations; and our client will pay for their food, litter, et. al. every month.

If you can help -- please let us know!

We -- and the kitties -- THANK YOU!

50% of US dogs and cats are now overweight

2011-03-06T09:56:00.000-08:00

The latest report from the Association for Pet Obesity prevention shows more than 50% of US dogs and cats are now overweight or obese, according to an article by Gwendolyn Bounds in the Wall Street Journal.

Conducted in partnership with Banfield, the line of pet hospitals owned by Mars, the survey also indicates pet owners deserve the main share of blame, Bounds writes, because they regularly overfeed their pets, don't give them enough exercise and are not educated about the serious health consequences of pet obesity.

The article goes on to highlight products designed to help combat the problem, including, of course, petfoods formulated to help reduce weight. But the focus is on owner awareness and education, because, as Steven Budsberg, director of clinical research at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine is quoted in the article: "I never met a German Shepherd who could open the refrigerator or food bag and pour himself another bowl."

Which makes it all the more essential, I believe, for petfood packaging and labels to include calorie content information and -- perhaps even more importantly -- feeding directions and measurements that are clear and easy for the average pet owner to understand and follow. That means directions in terms of common measurements such as cups or portions of cans. (Let's face it, most people cannot interpret and apply things like kilocalories per grams.)

In January the Association of American Feed Control Officials moved one step closer to mandating that such information be included on all dog and cat food and treat labels, via an amendment to the AAFCO Model Regulations. The amendment still has several hurdles to clear in the AAFCO approval process; if it passes them all, the earliest it could be approved would be 2012. Then a grace period to allow manufacturers to comply would likely mean another year or two before the information was available to pet owners.

Yet to me, it's good to know at least the movement is still under way. I understand some people and companies in the industry have what they consider valid reasons for fighting this amendment. But can you really argue against a 50%+ overweight/obesity rate in companion animals?

It's true that providing the information is no guarantee that pet owners will follow it; you could argue that human food labels have been required to include information on calories, fat, sodium and all sorts of other substances for a while now, and the overweight/obesity rate in humans (at least in the US) keeps climbing, too. But unless and until such data is available for petfoods, veterinarians, other experts and conscientious pet parents trying to combat pet obesity are fighting without what could prove to be the most valuable weapon of all: information.

Cats prefer food similar to their natural prey

2011-03-06T09:53:00.000-08:00

Research finds cats prefer food similar to their natural prey
Cats self-regulate protein, fat, carbohydrate intake
Release Date: February 28, 2011 Comments(2)
According to research carried out in collaboration with Professor Steve Simpson at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Australia, and Professor David Raubenheimer at the Institute of Natural Sciences, Massey University, New Zealand, healthy pet cats regulate their protein, fat and carbohydrate intake to mimic the types of food they would eat in the wild.

The research, carried out over a two-year period at the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, demonstrated that cats have an intake target that equates to approximately 52% of their daily calorie intake from protein, 36% from fat and 12% from carbohydrate. “This is a fascinating discovery and we are intrigued to know more about why cats have the ability to do this,” said lead study author Dr. Adrian Hewson-Hughes. “It is particularly remarkable that, even after thousands of years of domestication, cats still select a diet nutritionally similar to their natural prey.”

Waltham intends to pursue further research in this area and will now focus on the selection of these key nutrients in other cat lifestages including gestation, lactation and growth, as well as in dogs.

Wellness Recall!

2011-03-03T05:35:00.000-08:00

The PetsitUSA Blog

Pet Food Recall: Wellness Canned Cat Food
Posted: 01 Mar 2011 06:49 AM PST
New recall, this one’s from Wellness, due to insufficient levels of thiamine in their canned cat food:

WellPet is committed to delivering the very best in pet food nutrition, as nothing is more important than the well-being of our dogs and cats. So when we found through product quality testing that specific product runs of our Wellness canned cat food might contain less than adequate levels of thiamine (also known as Vitamin B1), we decided to voluntarily recall them.

Please know, the vast majority of products tested had the appropriate levels of thiamine; however, with the number of recipes we offer, we did not want to make this more confusing. Therefore to avoid confusion and in an abundance of caution, we have decided to recall all canned cat products with the specific date codes noted below. Cats fed only product with inadequate levels of thiamine for several weeks may be at risk for developing a thiamine deficiency. If treated promptly, thiamine deficiency is typically reversible.

Though the chance of developing this deficiency is remote, withdrawing these products is the right thing to do and we are removing it from retailers’ shelves.

The lots involved in this voluntary recall are:

Wellness Canned Cat (all flavors and sizes) with best by dates from 14APR 13 through 30SEP13;
Wellness Canned Cat Chicken & Herring (all sizes) with best by date of 10NOV13 and 17NOV13.
If you have cat food from these lots, you should stop feeding it to your cats. You may call WellPet at 1-877-227-9587 to arrange for return of the product and reimbursement.

You’ll find the info on the Wellness website here.

Thanks, Wellness, for not waiting until Friday evening to post this recall! You done good.

What's your dog eating for breakfast?

2011-02-04T17:24:00.000-08:00

"Pet Food: A Dog's Breakfast" will premiere on Thursday, February 10th at 10pm and will repeat that evening at 1am.

The documentary will also repeat on Sunday, February 13th at 10pm.

When a major recall rocks the $16 billion dollar pet food business, pet owners and governments take notice. "Pet Food: A Dog's Breakfast" takes you inside the industry and looks at what caused 50,000 pets to fall seriously ill in North America. "Pet Food" shows you what is being done to regulate what our dogs and cats eat and tries to answer the ultimate question, is your pet's food safe?

Bosco the Boston Terrier

2011-02-03T14:50:00.000-08:00

Hi!

One of our clients, Bosco the Boston Terrier, is in need of a new home. BTW: Bosco, in case you haven't guessed, is the little guy on the right.

If you, or anyone you know, is interested, please contact us here at Walkin-n-Waggin.com for more information.

Walkin-n-Waggin Dog Walking & Pet Sitting Services update...

2011-02-01T18:56:00.000-08:00

MERRICK PET CARE RECALLS JR TEXAS TAFFY PET TREAT (ITEM # 27077, ALL LOTS UP TO AND INCLUDING 10364) BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE SALMONELLA HEALTH RISK
01.30.2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - January 28, 2011 – Merrick Pet Care, Inc. of Amarillo, Texas is recalling the Jr. Texas Taffy pet treat (ITEM # 27077, UPC # 02280827077, All Lots up to and including 10364) because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Merrick Pet Care has made the decision to recall all Jr. Texas Taffy pet treats in the abundance of caution. Salmonella can affect animals and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products. People handling the treats can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the chews or any surfaces exposed to these products. Consumers should dispose of these products in a safe manner by securing them in a covered trash receptacle.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers immediately.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian immediately.

The Jr. Texas Taffy was shipped to distributors and retailers throughout the US. These individuals have been notified and have activated their recall procedures.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

Consumers who have purchased the Jr. Texas Taffy are urged to return the unused portion to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-664-7387 M-F 8:00am – 5:00pm CST.

Blue Buffalo Recall: too rich in vitamin D...

2010-10-10T08:29:00.001-07:00

Your friendly, neighborhood pet sitter here to inform you of the latest recall...

http://www.petsitusa.com/blog/p=3628&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ThePetsitusacomBlog+%28The+PetsitUSA.com+Blog%29

Pet food recall: Blue Buffalo dog food
by THERESE on OCTOBER 8, 2010
in DOGS,PET FOOD RECALL

Blue Buffalo has been under scrutiny lately due to dogs becoming ill after eating some of their food. As a result, they are now recalling specific lots of their the following Blue Buffalo dog foods: Wilderness Chicken-Dog, Basics Salmon-Dog and Large Breed Adult Dog products. It’s been discovered to be due to an increased amount of Vitamin D in the food.
At Blue Buffalo, nothing is more important than the health and well being of our dogs and cats, so it’s consistent with this guiding principle that we are voluntarily recalling specific production runs of our Wilderness Chicken-Dog, Basics Salmon-Dog and Large Breed Adult Dog products, as we have reason to believe that the products from these runs may contain a higher level of Vitamin D than is called for in our product specifications.
We came to this conclusion after discovering that our ingredient supplier had made a scheduling error and produced a Vitamin D supplement immediately prior to preparing the ingredients for the BLUE products that are in question. We believe that some of the Vitamin D supplement may have been carried over into our products, resulting in more Vitamin D than is called for in our formulas.
While the potential of increased Vitamin D presents no serious health risk, and any negative reaction to these products has been confined to a very small segment of the canine population who appear to be sensitive to higher levels of Vitamin D, we have a zero tolerance for any product that does not meet our specifications. I think you’ll agree that our decision to withdraw these specific products is simply the right thing to do.
From a next steps standpoint, all products with the specific manufacturing dates in question will be removed from retailer’s shelves. If you have any products with the codes shown below you should stop feeding them immediately.You may call Blue Buffalo at 1-877-523-9114 to arrange for return of the product and reimbursement.
These are the ONLY code dates being recalled:
▪ BLUE Wilderness Chicken (Dog) Bag sizes: 4.5 lb., 11 lb., 24lb.  Best Used By Dates: JUL1211B, JUL1311B, JUL2611Z, JUL2711Z, JUL2811Z
▪ BLUE Basics Salmon (Dog) Bag sizes: 11 lb., 24 lb. Best Used By Dates: AUG2111B, AUG2211B
▪ BLUE Large Breed Adult Chicken Bag size: 30 lb. Best Used By Dates: SEP 22 11 P, SEP 23 11 P, OCT 26 11 P
This Vitamin D issue does not effect any other code dates of these products or any other Blue Buffalo dog or cat foods. In addition, new bags of Wilderness Chicken, Basics Salmon and Large Breed Adult Chicken will be available on the shelves so you can continue to feed BLUE with complete confidence.
If your dog has shown any adverse reaction to the recalled products, have him checked by your veterinarian. Typical symptoms might include excessive water intake and/or excessive urination, and in some cases vomiting. Blue Buffalo will reimburse any veterinary or testing expenses related to illness caused by these products.
Earlier today the Michigan State University website published this about the vitamin D problems in the
A team of researchers at Michigan State University has discovered a group of illnesses reported in dogs across the country is linked to a specific brand of dog food from the Blue Buffalo Co.
Veterinarians from across the country recently began sending samples from dogs with elevated levels of calcium in their blood to MSU’s Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health, director Carole Bolin said. The sick dogs had increased thirst and urination, and some of them also suffered weight loss, loss of appetite and signs of kidney damage.
Endocrinologists with the Diagnostic Center, a service unit of the College of Veterinary Medicine, soon noticed the pattern and found a common factor: All 16 dogs whose samples were tested had very high levels of vitamin D in their blood and were fed a diet of Blue Buffalo’s Wilderness Chicken Recipe.
[...]
It is routine for veterinarians across the country to contact the center for specialized testing to explore the causes of clinical conditions. In this specific case, all the dogs were found to have very high levels of vitamin D in their serum, a quite unusual finding. Endocrinologist Kent Refsal picked up on the pattern of cases and began to investigate.
The affected dogs ranged in age from 8 months to 8 years. There were three mixed-breed dogs and 13 purebred dogs. The samples originated from eight states: Michigan, Texas, Colorado, Wisconsin, California, Illinois, North Dakota and Utah. In addition to the testing, there was either a brief written history and/or communication with the referring veterinarian to discuss the possible sources of excess vitamin D.
Here’s the rest from MSU: MSU researchers link pet food, dog illnesses nationwide

Hartz Recall!!

2010-09-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

Hartz Mountain Corp. recalls Naturals Real Beef Treats for dogs
Release Date: Tuesday, September 07, 2010 Hartz Mountain Corp.recalled its Naturals Real Beef Treats for dogs after a random sampling by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found Salmonella
contamination in at least one bag.

The recall affects nearly 75,000 packages of the company’s dog treats. The affected products were sold in 8-ounce bags, stamped with the lot code BZ0969101E. The company says it has not yet received any reports of illnesses associated with the recall, but consumers who purchased the product should throw it away and contact Hartz at +1.800.275.1414.

Charlotte Pet Sitting News ALERT -- IAMS RECALL!

2010-08-02T10:11:00.001-07:00

Hello Fellow Pet Lovers,

Your friendly, neighborhood pet sitter has just received the following alert regarding an IAMS recall. Please follow this link:

http://www.iams.com/iams/en_US/data_root/html/recall_message.html

Sincerely,

Don I. Waldo

Leave your pets at HOME and your worries to US!!

Charlotte Pet Sitting: A Dog Walker's lament

2010-05-19T19:15:00.001-07:00

Hello, Petlovers,
I just wanted to post something that I've been meaning to get the word out about for some time...

A while back I read a listing that graded some of the most common dog foods. I don't remember exactly what food got what grade, EXCEPT for Beneful: it received a 60 out of 100 score... Dead last. :( So, contrary to the ads and the bag adorned with pictures of healthy foods, I feel safe in saying that Beneful is not a quality dog food.

I bring this up because I've noticed that a great many of our clients, probably mislead by their ads, feed their pets Beneful. Unfortunately, it's sometimes difficult for me to bring up my feelings regarding Beneful for fear that I may offend. However, in this forum, I'm hoping I can inform without offense.

Just check out the ingredients:

Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, beef tallow preserved with mixed-tocopherols (source of Vitamin E), rice flour, beef, soy flour, sugar, sorbitol, tricalcium phosphate, water, animal digest, salt, phosphoric acid, potassium chloride, dicalcium phosphate, sorbic acid (a preservative), L-Lysine monohydrochloride, dried peas, dried carrots, calcium carbonate, calcium propionate (a preservative), choline chloride, vitamin supplements (E, A, B-12, D-3), added color (Yellow 5, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 2), DL-Methionine, zinc sulfate, glyceryl monostearate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, manganese sulfate, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, biotin, thiamine mononitrate, garlic oil, copper sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, sodium selenite.
F-4090

In my opinion, carnivores don't need corn or corn gluten (too much Omega 6 or aflatoxin, both found in corn, are NOT beneficial); and even the whole wheat flour (which is probably fungal by the time it reaches the shelf) is put in there as a cheap filler -- as are rice and soy flour. Moreover, no one NEEDS sorbitol AND sugar; and worse yet -- Yellow 5, Red 40 and BLUE 2????

If you need more, here's a detailed breakdown of the ingredients:

Ground yellow corn- as a first ingredient this food is going to be a grain based food. It's the third common allergy in dogs.

chicken by-product meal, AAFCO definition- Consists of the dry, ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines -- exclusive of feathers except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices.
Basically it's the left overs of dog food. It may contain organs but chances are any type of good meat that can be used and sold for higher cost isn't included.
corn gluten meal,the dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of corn starch or syrup, or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm.
Basically it's the left overs of the corn, it has no nutritional value.
whole wheat flour, AAFCO-flour together with fine particles of wheat bran, wheat germ and the offal from the "tail of the mill". This product must be obtained in the usual process of commercial milling and must not contain more than 1.5 percent crude fiber.
Depending on how much is used it may not be bad, but so many dogs develop allergies to it. I belive it's the number one allergy in dogs.
beef tallowAAFCO: Fat with titer above 40 degrees Celsius, obtained from the tissue of cattle in the commercial process of rendering. Also called Beef Fat.
Generally used for adding taste it is low in linoleic acid and there are much better quality ingredients like chicken fat that can be used. Beef tallow is a low quality ingredient.
rice flour, is probably the same as soy flour.
beef, while beef is good it's at the lower end of the list.
soy flour, AAFCO: The finely powdered material resulting from the screened and graded product after removal of most of the oil from selected, sound, cleaned and dehulled soybeans by a mechanical or solvent extraction process.
I believe it's the second most common allergy.
sugar, dogs don't need it in daily feeding. It's just there to add taste and dogs can get addicted to sugar.
animal digest, AAFCO: A material which results from chemical and/or enzymatic hydrolysis of clean and undecomposed animal tissue. The animal tissues used shall be exclusive of hair, horns, teeth, hooves and feathers, except in such trace amounts as might occur unavoidably in good factory practice and shall be suitable for animal feed. If it bears a name descriptive of its kind or flavor(s), it must correspond thereto.

You don't know what animal is used at all. It may include one of the 4D's (dead, diseased, dying, disabled).
(Yellow 5, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 2), These dyes have been tested a little bit and it is believe they may cause cancer, but the test results are unsure.
menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity) This has been banned by the FDA for use on over the counter supplements. It's synthetic vitamin K and isn't natural. It's known to cause death in high doses, weaken the immune system and damage the liver. These findings were discovered in humans. No test on animals have been conducted.

Well, I hope this helps some of you when choosing a food for your dogs. Just remember: don't believe everything you see; make an informed choice for your pet.

All the best,

Don Waldo

PetSit USA News you can use...

2010-03-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

https://www.petsitusa.com/news/2008/feb08p1.htm

Daddy's BIG helper...

2010-03-16T15:54:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Just wanted to give a big THANKS to those owners who have entrusted their pets to my (our) care; in particular, I would like to personally thank the owners of Mr. "Fenway"; Miss "Loo-Li" and Lil' "Bailey" (you all know who you are) as my 2 yr. old, Ben, would not be garnering such valuable experience without the help of such wonderfully cooperative pups... Won't be long before he's taking over our entire pet sitting enterprise :)