Spring Naturals now low glycemic, diabetic friendly

The entire super-premium line of dry Spring Naturals Dinners has been deemed low glycemic and diabetic friendly by the Glycemic Research Institute.
“Receiving dual approval from this influential organization is very gratifying for everyone involved in building this brand,” said Rob Cadenhead, vice president of sales and marketing at Spring Naturals. “But it’s especially good news for parents of older and overweight cats.”
Cat foods with a high-glycemic index lead to elevated blood glucose levels. This in turn can increase the risk of epilepsy, hypothyroidism, allergies, yeast infections, cancer and diabetes. Diets formulated with low glycemic ingredients are digested slower than high-glycemic foods, allowing all of the nutrients to be properly absorbed. When food is digested slower and the nutrients are properly absorbed, pets will remain fuller longer, which helps maintain weight control.
Nate Thomas, vice president of research and development adds, “With between 25% and 33% of cats being overweight and diabetes on the rise, it’s clear that we need to focus on nutrition and prevention. Feeding cats a certified low-glycemic, diabetic-friendly feline pet food like Spring Naturals can help regulate blood sugar levels and may help prevent obesity. Another thing to keep in mind is that cats give us so much affection at feeding times that it becomes very tempting for us to overfeed them. Helping our cats regulate their body weight by paying attention to their weight and overall health is a responsibility that we cannot ignore.”
The dry formulas submitted to the Glycemic Research Institute for testing were Spring Naturals Grain Free Turkey Dinner, Grain Free Turkey & Salmon Dinner, Grain Free Chicken Dinner, Grain Free Tuna & Chicken Dinner, and Grain Free Tuna Dinner.

Spring Naturals dog food certified low glycemic, diabetic friendly

Performance Pet Products Spring Naturals whole grain and grain-free dry dinners have been certified low glycemic and diabetic friendly by the Glycemic Research Institute. The super-premium brand is the only made-in-the-US dog kibble to receive this accreditation, according to the company, due to its philosophy of using only real meat, poultry or fish as the #1 protein source rather than rendered meals.

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Dry petfoods that use rendered meals require a binding agent that is high in simple carbohydrates and starches to hold the kibble together, which converts rapidly into glucose. A diet full of carbs and starches can be unhealthy for pets because the higher the carbs, the higher the glycemic index. Since Spring Naturals doesn't use meals, the brand's dry dinners are free of high-carbohydrate binding agents such as wheat, soy, tapioca, white rice, brown rice and potato starch. 
"We couldn't be more thrilled about achieving this certification," said Rob Cadenhead, vice president of sales and marketing at Spring Naturals. "Now consumers know just how healthy our dinners are and that we are dedicated to providing the best nutrition for their beloved pets." 

State of Pet Health Report finds rise in chronic diseases in pets

Banfield Pet Hospital, a veterinary practice chain, released its State of Pet Health 2012 Report, which found that certain chronic diseases in dogs and cats have risen drastically since 2007. 
The report, compiled by the Banfield Applied Research and Knowledge team, captured and analyzed medical data from nearly 2 million dogs and 430,000 cats that were cared for at one of Banfield's hospitals in 2011. The 2012 report shows overweight and obesity increased 37 percent in dogs and 90 percent in cats, while arthritis increased 38 percent in dogs and 67 percent in cats. Additionally, the report found that nearly half of arthritic dogs (40 percent) and more than one of three arthritic cats (37 percent) are also overweight; almost half of diabetic dogs (42 percent) and diabetic cats (40 percent) are overweight; and 40 percent of dogs with high blood pressure and 60 percent of dogs with hypothyroidism are also overweight. 
Banfield also recently conducted a survey of 2,000 dog and cat owners to better understand pet owner perceptions about pets' chronic diseases and the measures they should take to keep their pets healthy. Although the 2012 report shows an increase in chronic diseases, just 36 percent of dog owners and 28 percent of cat owners said they would take their pet to see a veterinarian to manage an existing disease or condition. 
“As outlined in this year’s State of Pet Health Report, chronic diseases are on the rise, and as a profession, we need to continually focus on regular preventive care and early disease detection,” said Ron DeHaven, DVM, chairman, CEO, American Veterinary Medical Association and chairman, Partnership for Preventive Pet Healthcare. “The primary reason we formed the Partnership for Preventive Pet Healthcare was to help veterinarians understand and communicate the importance of regular preventive care for pets. We are pleased that Banfield is both a founding partner and a primary supporter of the PPPH, and that they are committed to sharing this valuable information in an effort to help us achieve our mission.”

Low-fat pet food may benefit dogs with gastrointestinal disease

Low-fat pet foods may provide health benefits to dogs with gastrointestinal disease, according to Dr. Jorg Steiner, associate professor in the Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at Texas A&M University. 
Lipids, water-insoluble molecules, have many crucial functions in dogs, specifically triglycerides and cholesterol. Dr. Steiner says that hypertriglyceridemia is common in dogs, but affects some breeds more than others, as some recent studies have indicated. In the study, 611 routine chemistry profiles in dogs were performed at a veterinary laboratory in Italy and evaluated; findings showed that 33 dogs (5.4 percent) showed hypertriglyceridemia. 
Another study tested 192 healthy miniature Schnauzers, finding that 63 (32.8 percent) had hypertriglyceridemia. According to Dr. Steiner, differentiating between primary or secondary hypertriglyceridemia can be difficult, but is based on exclusion of suspected risk factors of secondary  hypertriglyceridemia, such as diabetes mellitus, obesity or pancreatitis, while primary hypertriglyceridemia is often associated with a higher breed-related frequency. 
Dr. Steiner says the most important consequence of hypertriglyceridemia in dogs is pancreatitis, as supported by a study which found the risk of pancreatitis was nearly five times higher in miniature Schnauzers with severe hypertriglyceridemia (above 10,17 mmol/l or 900 mg/dl) than in the study's control dogs. Generally, treatment of hypertriglyceridemia is recommended when serum triglyceride concentrations are above 5.65 mmol/l (500 mg/dl), though there is little scientific evidence to support this, Dr. Steiner says. 
The primary therapeutic approach for treatment of hypertriglyceridemia in dogs is to feed a pet food diet that is low in fat (generally less than 20 grams of fat/1,000 kcal). A recent study of miniature Schnauzers whose hypertriglyceridemia was managed with a dietary chence to a low-fat pet food found that none of the dogs had serum triglyceride concentrations that were above 500 mg/dl after the dietary change. Additionally, the liboprotein profile of the dogs changed after being switched to the low-fat food to more-closely resemble the liboprotein profile of a healthy dog.
Because the digestion of dietary fat is more complex than that of proteins or carbohydrates, dogs with a wide variety of gastrointestinal problems may show maldigestion or malabsorption of fat. So, Dr. Steiner says, decreasing the fat content in pet food may improve clinical signs in dogs.

Report: Diabetes rising among US pets

Diabetes is on the rise among pets, according to a national analysis of pet health recently released.
The 2011 "State of Pet Health" report  is based on data from more than 2.5 million dogs and cats that visited Banfield Pet Hospital facilities in 43 states. The study found that diabetes and other "human" diseases are on the rise in animals, with rates of diabetes in cats and dogs rising faster than for humans.  
"We have increasing obesity in dogs and cats, just like in humans. It's no mystery how that occurs: overfeeding and lack of exercise," said Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, veterinarian and chief medical officer for the Banfield Pet Hospital chain.
The survey found that over the last four years, diabetes rates in the US rose by nearly one-third among dogs and by 16% among cats. By comparison, human diagnoses of diabetes rose 10% over the same period. 
The most common signs of diabetes in pets include: excessive urination, excessive thirst and weight loss, despite a good appetite, according to veterinarians. Once diagnosed, managing the disease can be time-consuming, and usually includes twice-daily insulin injections, a change in diet and regular monitoring by a vet.
Overall, the most common problem among pets was dental disease, according to the report. Other common pet problems the report found were internal parasites, inflamation of the outer ear canal, and fleas and ticks.

The Honest Kitchen releases free educational booklet for pet parents

The Honest Kitchen released a free educational booklet for pet owners, entitled “Feed your Way to a Healthy Pet.”
This eighteen-page booklet contains information on petfood and nutrition, pet obesity, pet dental health, petfood allergies and homemade petfood. Its emphasis is on the link between pet health and food quality, focusing on how common health concerns that pets visit the vet about are related to diet.
“Many commercial pet foods are produced under extreme heat and pressure, contain artificial chemical preservatives and hard-to-digest by-products, which can gradually deplete an animal’s immune system over time,” said Lucy Postins, author of  the booklet, and founder and president of The Honest Kitchen. “With ailments like pet obesity and pet diabetes on the rise, our goal is to give pet owners the tools to evaluate their pets’ current diet, an understanding of the direct links between diet and health, and the confidence to add real, species-appropriate whole foods to their pets’ meals.”
The copyrighted content was provided in volume to authorized Honest Kitchen retailers so these stores can pass the booklet out to consumers and utilize it as a petfood training manual for employees. An e-book version of "Feed your Way to a Healthy Pet" is also available for download.