Whole Dog News

Extend Your Dog’s Lifespan by over 30%!

A study conducted at the Gerald P. Murphy Cancer Foundation and published in the December, 2009 issue of Aging Cell, has found a correlation between the age at which female rottweilers are spayed and their lifespan.The study compared long-lived female rotties (those with a lifespan of 13 or more years) with a group who lived a usual lifespan of about nine years.

“Like women, female dogs in our study had a distinct survival advantage over males,” said the lead researcher David J. Waters, associate director of Purdue University’s Center on Aging and the Life Course and a professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences. “But taking away ovaries during the first four years of life completely erased the female survival advantage. We found that female rottweilers that kept their ovaries for at least six years were four times more likely to reach exceptional longevity compared to females who had the shortest lifetime ovary exposure.”

Because death from cancer is so prevalent in rottweilers, researchers conducted a subgroup analysis of only dogs that did not die of cancer. This focused research further proved the strong association between intact ovaries and longevity.

Even in dogs that did not die of cancer, the female rotties that kept their ovaries the longest were nine times more likely to achieve exceptional longevity (13+ years). Read the rest

Looking for a great gift for your special canine companion this holiday season? This one is made by Simply Fido Organics and makes a great gift for your own dog or for a friend who will be getting a new puppy in the new year.

Simply Fido Organic Blankets (and toys) are made of organic fabrics and all-natural dyes. Organically grown, the fibers in each toy are unbleached, untreated, and unprocessed. Natural extracts from plants and minerals, such as gardenia seed, clove and chestnut bur, are used to dye the fibers.

Each blanket is 20″ x 20″ and comes with an adorable stuffed animal attached at the corner.

These wonderful toxin free blankets are on sale now until December 16th!

To order or for more information, just click HERE

As the weather gets chilly, we people start thinking of ways to stay warm. We get out the comforters, extra blankets, and bring out our warmer clothes – Many dog breeds lack an under-coat of hair to keep them insulated when the temperatures drop, and they benefit from bedding to stay comfortable and beat the cold. And let’s face it, most all dogs enjoy having their own beds.

More and more “dog parents” are giving their canine companiions a bed of their own, in fact, it is one of the top things dog owners are doing more often in recent years. Increasingly, beds top the list of holiday presents we give to our dogs.

If you’re considering a replacement or first-time bed for your dog this season, you’ll be in good company with those who have recognized the value of dog beds for our cherished companions. Here are some top four reasons to give your dog a bed this year:

1. Secure and happy dogs: Most dogs have a den-making urge, and a bed helps your dog feel more secure with a space of their own. Dogs can be quite sensitive to territory, and giving them their own special area can provide them with a place of sanctuary when they feel tired or emotionally stressed.

2. Extra support and comfort: Particularly for older dogs, a bed can insure better sleep by giving extra support and comfort to aching muscles and stiff joints. With their slower metabolism, older dogs may have difficulty regulating body temperature, so providing a source of additional warmth can make a difference in how restful their sleep time can be.

3. Better dog hair containment: There are also practical considerations for the human members of the household. Many dogs prefer sleeping in a bed of their own, and will be less likely to sleep or nap on furniture. When dogs use their bed as their primary sleeping space, there is less dog hair and dander all over the house to clean up or to be breathed in by the family.

4. More great choices: There are more great dog bedding options than ever before, with great beds made from all-natural materials like organic cotton and natural hemp, to sleeping pockets/snuggle sacks for smaller dogs that like to burrow under covers.

Your dog sleeps a lot – make sure their bed is ideal for them by seeing what great beds and snuggle sacks The Whole Dog’s Slumber Shop has to offer.

U.K. Canine Vaccination Survey

From England comes a report on the preliminary results of a well structured survey concerning possible health problems resulting from vaccination of dogs.

Although this is an ongoing survey the early tabulation on approximately 2,700 dogs appears to confirm our concerns with the potential for adverse effects from vaccination.

For the purposes of the survey they asked all participants to list their dogs’ illnesses and tell them how soon they started after the date of vaccination. In theory, if vaccination has no adverse effect or even a bearing on subsequent illness, then illnesses will occur in equal numbers at any time during the twelve months following vaccination. Read the rest

Diffusing Essential Oils For Pets
By Dr Jeannie (Jeanette) Thomason

Diffusion of *essential oils into the air of an enclosed space (such as a house, kennel or aviary) is popularly called aromatherapy.
* The only essential oils I recommend and use personally for myself and my own animals are Young Living Essential Oils. Please go read WHY – HERE

Because the highly aromatic, sweet-smelling molecules of the essential oils are literally breathed into the body, at which point they trigger numerous immune boosting, healing, relaxation or stimulation responses depending upon the specific oils being inhaled.

Dr. Valnet points out that “whether applied directly, or inhaled, essentials oils have virtually the same therapeutic impact on the body”. Dr. Gary Young points out that “the body’s response time to inhalation of essential oils can be as quick as one to three seconds!” This is why, for many people and the treating of household pets, inhalation is the preferred method of use of the essential oils.

Inhalation of essential oils allows the oil to enter the bloodstream via the lungs, (The lungs govern the immune system) and they then enter the blood stream and are then metabolized in the liver.

Moreover, when oils are diffused in a home, kennel or aviary, they purify the air itself by removing toxins, metallic particles and other harmful microscopic debris. They also increase the atmospheric oxygen of the air, and boost levels of beneficial ozone and negative ions which, dramatically inhibit the growth and reproduction of airborne pathogens. Further, as the odorous molecules drift to the various surfaces of each room (ie., ceilings, floors, walls, tiling etc.), they rapidly kill virtually all pathogenic bacteria, rifles, molds and fungi they come into contact with. And lastly, they completely destroy odors from mold, cigarettes, and more.

Essential oils can be diffused into the air in a number of ways. Read the rest

Good Dog, Smart Dog
By SARAH KERSHAW The New York Times

The matter of what exactly goes on in the mind of a dog is a tricky one, and until recently much of the research on canine intelligence has been met with large doses of skepticism. But over the last several years a growing body of evidence, culled from small scientific studies of dogs’ abilities to do things like detect cancer or seizures, solve complex problems (complex for a dog, anyway), and learn language suggests that they may know more than we thought they did.

Read the entire article HERE

MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NOVEBER 2009

A dog receives a massage at the Chateau Poochie, the luxury hotel for dogs and cats in Pompano Beach, Fla.
Photograph by: Herald Archive, AFP-Getty Images, Calgary Herald

Announcement:

Canine Massage Exam
November 2009 …….The National Board of Certification for Animal Acupressure & Massage (NBCAAM) is pleased to announce that the Canine Massage Examination is now “live” and available.

All 4 examinations are now available for applicants to take, Canine and Equine massage and Canine and Equine acupressure. This is a very important step toward supporting and promoting individuals within the profession and standardizing the profession itself through voluntary meeting of standards. Applicants are encouraged to review the Study Guides for the examinations posted on the NBCAAM website. Read the rest

Diamond Pet Food Recalled AGAIN!

Diamond pet food has recalled cat food due to problems reported in cats in the Rochester, NY area.

Diamond Pet Foods has withdrawn from distribution the following date codes of
Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat & Premium Edge Hairball cat:
RAF0501A22X 18lb. RAF0501A2X 6 lb.
RAH0501A22X 18 lb.
RAH0501A2X 6lb.

The calls from pet owners or veterinarians regarding this issue have been centered in the Rochester, NY area. All retail outlets shipped the above lots were contacted, asking them to pull the product from the store shelves. The retailers were also asked to contact their customers via email or telephone requesting them to check the date code of the food. However, if you or anyone you know has these date codes of Premium Edge cat food, please return them to your retailer.

Symptoms displayed by an affected cat will be neurological in nature. Any cats fed these date codes that display these symptoms should be immediately taken to a veterinarian.

Product testing proved no contaminants were discovered in the cat food; however the cat foods were deficient in thiamine. Diamond tracked the vitamin premix lot number that was utilized in these particular cat foods and have performed testing on another lot of Premium Edge cat food that used the same vitamin premix, and it was not deficient in thiamine. No other neurological signs have been reported on any other product manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods
Read the rest

Wysong has recalled some of their dry dog food due to mold.

Established in 1979, Wysong Corporation is one of the true pioneers of natural pet foods and holistic pet health care & nutrition.

While Wysong is a producer of “Natural and Holistic” pet food, this re-call only helps make the point in my recent article: Kibble Is Kibble Is Still Kibble

“The following batches of Wysong Canine Diets Maintenance™ and Senior™ have shown above acceptable moisture levels and may contain mold.

Wysong Maintenance™: lot #: 090617
Wysong Maintenance™: lot #: 090624
Wysong Maintenance™: lot #: 090706
Wysong Maintenance™: lot #: 090720
Wysong Senior™: lot #: 090623

We ask that if you have received any of these Wysong products to please not feed them, and contact Wysong for product replacement.

Email: Wysong@Wysong.net
Subject: Product Replacement

Alternatively, please return or exchange at the store from which you purchased the product. Credit will be issued via our Distributors to the Retailer.

We apologize for the inconvenience.” Wysong

I was told the notice was sent to distributors about a week ago. Information about the recall was just posted to their website yesterday.