Search Results for: blog grain free food can improve behavior and allergies

Would You Lease A Pet?

If you’re thinking about getting a pet but aren’t sure you can handle the responsibility, you still have a few options.  Consider volunteering for a shelter, pet-sitting for a friend, or fostering a pet; there are even some short-term fostering situations.  If none of these appeal to you, or if you have a little extra money to spend on your pet, you now have another option: lease a pet.  MSN has the details. A company called Hannah’s Pet Society has started a new business: leasing pets.  Here’s how it works: interested parties go to one of the company’s two stores … Continue reading →

Wash Those Hands and Paws: More Salmonella Found in Dog Food

I can’t believe I have to take to my keyboard again so soon on this issue, but here I am. More Salmonella-related recalls have been issued for dog food, and once again they’re from parent company Diamond Pet Foods. This is all just getting so confusing and ridiculous. The problem is that several brands with different names are all manufactured at the same plant, so it’s hard to keep track of what’s safe and what might be infected. Eleven different brands of pet food are all under a voluntary recall for potential Salmonella contamination. They are: Chicken Soup for the … Continue reading →

Flaky Cats and What to Do About Them

My cat Chrestomanci is flaky. I don’t mean that he isn’t reliable or backs out on obligations (though I’m sure that too – he is a cat, after all), but that he has a dandruff problem. He’s had it ever since I’ve known him, even back when he was still just one of the cats kept by the rescue for which I volunteer. I’ve never been too concerned about Chresti’s dandruff, though I guess it’s a little gross. When I took him to the vet in February I asked about it, more out of curiosity than out of concern. At … Continue reading →

Salmonella Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul

Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul: it conjures images of family, warm eyes and wet noses, and heartwarming stories about our furry family members. But right now it’s the opposite of wholesome; last week Diamond Pet Foods issued a recall of certain lots of their Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul adult dog food due to a Salmonella infection. The information for the potentially affected bags is as follows, including production codes and expiration dates: * Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul 35 lb. CLF0102B31XCW 27/JAN/2013, CLF0102B32XWR 28/JAN/2013 * Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult … Continue reading →

Why My Veterinarian Is the Best

(but my cat doesn’t think so) Last Thursday I took Cole to the vet for his annual visit. Although I didn’t get many more answers there than I did when Chrestomanci had his trip, I left much more satisfied. I’m just continually reminded why I love my vet. I brought up my questions about Cole’s behavioral antics and, unfortunately (though I suspected as much) the vet didn’t really have any advice for me. She said many cats enjoy being in high places, and that there’s not a lot to do to deter them. I asked whether he would be happier … Continue reading →

Pets Have Allergies Too

It’s that time of year: my car, porch, deck, and even some of my plants, are covered in a yellow dust. Pollen season is upon us, and for many unfortunates that means it’s time to suffer through allergies. As is true with many things, humans aren’t the only ones that might be affected by the dreaded plant powder. All this past week my dog has come in with her snout, muzzle, and sometimes even her eyes, covered in pollen. She didn’t seem any different than normal, however, which leads me to believe that despite her many itching problems pollen is … Continue reading →

Grain-Free Food Can Improve Behavior and Allergies

I started an experiment the day I took Chrestomanci to the vet: I put all of the animals on grain-free food. I’ve always wondered about whether or not I ought to take my pets off of corn-filled kibble, but the extra expense has always given me, and especially my husband, pause. When I asked the vet about Chresti’s dandruff problem she said that wetter grain-free food might help. A locally-owned store next to the veterinarian’s office sells a variety of such foods, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to at least go in and get a bunch of samples. I … Continue reading →