Are Foreign Countries Intentionally Trying to Poison Your Pets?

Is China or any other country intentionally trying to poison your pets? That is the question. And if they are doing so intentionally, why isn’t our government stopping the imports?  The answer to these questions is not an easy one to answer. Of course we would love to think that another country is not targeting our pets intentionally and if they were that surely our government would stop the imports from said country.  So what is the answer because you know that we have had FDA warnings on treats made in other countries and they are still on the shelves?

Bad China Treats

One answer is that other countries are not INTENTIONALLY targeting our pets with poison treats. American made treats occasionally have been recalled and we don’t think anything about it. Heck, we have recalls on eggs all the time. Why is it so damning when it is another country. Other countries do not have the high standards or the inspections that American Made treats have so the problem may occur with their treats more often than with American Made treats. See what the USDA is doing to try to help by clicking here.

As I see it, the answer is twofold.

One: You need to stop buying foreign made treats and foods for your beloved pets. The problem does not cure itself without consequences. If you don’t buy foreign made treats the “demand” is gone and they may clean up their act. I wonder why such a simple thing is not happening. When we are told a particular brand is killing dogs, we continue to buy it because “Well, gee, I’ve been feeding it for years with no problem.”

Two: Buy American Made.  But you don’t do that either because “American Made treats are just too expensive”.

Ok, the answer to that is make your own treats.. Nope, that doesn’t happen either because “ I’m too busy to make my own treats.”

So, you will continue to buy treats you know are killing dogs, hoping for a miracle that it doesn’t kill your dog because foreign treats are less costly and you are to busy to make your own.

I am very busy and I have a bunch of dogs. I use veggies as treats. Yep, every day baby carrots that you can buy in any supermarket that is FDA inspected and graded for human consumption.  Carrots are also good for your dog. Carrots provide roughage and nutrients. No muss, no fuss and best of all they can be used right out of the refrigerator.

Baby Carrots

Another idea for you is to buy an American made bone that has “goodie” on it. When your dog has cleaned the meat off the bone, run it through the dishwasher.  Now you have a sterilized bone that you can put peanut butter or another spread goodie in and it’s good for another week. Every time the new goodie is gone, run it through the dishwasher again to sterilize it. Lasts forever!

Hollow Bones

I don’t know about you, but I love my companion pets. I don’t think they live long enough as it is so I am certainly going to do everything in my power to give them food and treats that are not tainted with something that can kill them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Problem Solved: Dogs Jumping Up

Imagine your dog greeting you and guest by sitting in front of them to receive petting. Even small dogs can cause harm to an older person. Dogs should be taught to not jump on people, period.  Many dogs, despite your best efforts, and after using all the “tried and true” methods, simply will not stop jumping. This can be extremely annoying, and sometimes dangerous, for owners and their guests. Now there is a harmless, no pain, solution to the jumping problem.

stop-jumping-up-behavior

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Do You Use Flea & Tick Shampoo AND a Spot On Product

Now that Flea & Tick season is here I see people buying Flea & Tick Shampoo and some kind of Spot On product like Front Line or Advantage.  Got me to wondering if maybe I should do a post on poisoning our pets with Flea & Tick preventive.diatomaceous-earth1

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I have addressed the most popular and their down sides. In my studies I conclude that pyrethrin is the least toxic to our beloved pets and D-Earth is NON-Toxic. Keep in mind that we are a hectic society, we want it and we want it Now. Ticks & Fleas have a habit of re-infesting our pets unless we treat the environment too.  To keep the killing of beneficial insects, like bees, to a minimum you might want to try the D-Earth. It applies to both vegetation and to your pet. It’s easy to apply and just kills jointed legged insects like fleas, ticks, ants and spiders.   Read the rest of this entry »

Keeping your furry friends safe during the holidays

Happy soon-to-be Christmas everyone!  The weather’s getting colder.  You may or may not be getting snow, but you can feel the changes in the air and your pets can too.  Dogs, cats, and other pets are quite perceptive.  They know when the holidays are coming, because the atmosphere changes.  It’s around this time of the year that we can forget about our pets, not just in terms of getting them those Christmas treats they love so much, but they may also get lost in the holiday shuffle.

 

Trupanion—an industry leader in pet insurance, offering cat and dog insurance in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico—wants to remind us not to forget about our furry friends during the holiday season.  In the article “Trupanion Reminds Pet Owners to Consider Pet Safety During the Holiday Season”, they write, “Dr. Kerri Marshall, Chief Veterinary Officer at Trupanion, […] says that it is important during the holidays to pause and think of the unique needs of your pets.  While other family members understand the chaos around them and can plan accordingly, our pets experience stress and anxiety with the unexpected break in their routine and can react in ways that are potentially harmful.”

Keeping your furry friends safe during the holidays

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Santa Paws!

 

I agree with Dr. Marshall.  It’s tough going to holiday parties and seeing how confused the pets are.  They can feel the changes; they just don’t know what to do about them.  We, as pet owners, always need to keep an eye on our pets, especially around the holidays.  The article is worth a look as it gives some nice holiday tips for pet owners.  You may want to consider getting pet insurance.

 

You can purchase many of the products mentioned in the article through me, such as dog crates.  They make great people AND pet gifts.  You and your family may be traveling for the holidays.  There’s no better way to protect your dog than putting him or her in one of our sturdy crates.  I offer a wide variety of crates, including airline approved carriers, galvanized crate pans, plastic crates, and wire crates.  You can find them here. Perhaps the best Christmas gift is one given before Christmas: a safe crate to carry your loved pet from house to house, city to city.

 

As always, hug your furry friends for me.  Happy holidays!

 

*Image courtesy of Dog Santa Outfit by József Verőczei

Treats From China Are Poisoning Our Dogs!

Yes, it’s true and the FDA still claims that there is no pending recall of Chinese-made pet treats, even though it has repeatedly issued warnings about the problems associated with chicken jerky treats since 2007. Some of the treats are ones that we have been conditioned to trust as natural treats. For 5 years our dogs have been dying from known contaminated foods from China and our government will not stop the imports nor will our people stop buying the contaminated items. Read the rest of this entry »