Vital Essentials announces 2015 resolution focusing on pet health

Vital Essentials has announced its 2015 resolution—to encourage American pet parents to feed healthier diets. Throughout 2015, Vital Essentials is planning a number of events to call attention to its Alpha prey-model diet, which the company touts as a healthier way to feed dogs and cats.

“Most Americans are typically more health conscious during January,” said Lanny Viegut, Vital Essentials CEO. “We want them to think about a healthier lifestyle for the entire family, including their dogs and cats.” To kick off the new year, Vital Essentials will be promoting three of the top-selling Purely RAW frozen entrées in support of its Feed Healthycampaign at independent pet specialty retail stores throughout the US. These entrées will be marked with a “Special Price” tag on packages.

New tools help vets choose petfood, diet plan for pets

A new set of tools, called the Healthy Weight Protocol, have been developed to help veterinarians and pet owners select a petfood and determine the correct amount to feed their pet.
Hill's Pet Nutrition and the University of Tennessee collaborated to develop the tools, which help veterinarians to more accurately diagnose overweight pets and create a feeding and monitoring plan for pet owners to follow.
The tools use a veterinarian’s measurements of six parts of a cat’s body or four parts of a dog’s body to calculate the pet’s body-fat index and ideal weight. If measurements can’t be taken, a body-fat index risk chart can be used. The program then produces a detailed feeding and weight-loss plan that can work with a combination of dry petfoods, canned petfoods and treats.

'Prey model' pet diet sparks illegal online wild game business

The "prey diet," which involves feeding animals raw game similar to what they would hunt in the wild, has jump-started an illegal wild game-selling business on the Internet, according to Florida officials quoted in a USA Today article.
According to wildlife investigators, people caught selling raw meat without a permit face up to five years in jail and a US$5,000 fine. Those buying the illegally obtained game face up to six months in jail and a US$500 fine. "It's happening nationwide," said Lt. George Wilson, head of the Florida Fish and Wildlife's Internet Crimes Unit. "The philosophy behind it is feeding your pet a hormone-free, naturally grazed diet. We're seeing solicitations for wild ducks, anything wild." So far, the crime unit has logged 177 arrests and 92 warnings for cases involving illegally buying or selling raw wildlife, and some of those involved have been purchasing for their pets.
For now, raw wild game for pets is difficult to come by legally because the market is so small. Officials say that people attempting to buy from illegal sources online have been given warnings, but that leniency won't last forever. "Our interest here is to protect our natural resources," said Wilson. "If this is allowed to go unchecked, it could create a black market that would impact the populations of wildlife in Florida."

North American virus kills crickets raised for pet reptiles

A cricket paralysis virus killed millions of crickets that were raised to feed pet reptiles and zoo animals across North America, putting some producers out of business and limiting cricket supplies, according to seattlepi.com.
The virus swept through European cricket farms in 2002; however, this virus was not discovered in the US and Canada until 2009, in the house cricket species, Acheta domesticus. The virus does not affect animals that eat crickets or other cricket species, according to Peter Tijssen, a virologist at he University of Quebec.
The cricket paralysis virus already killed 60 million of the insects at a Canadian operation, forced a Florida,USA, farmer to declare bankruptcy and prompted a Michigan grower to temporarily close. David Fluker, president of Fluker's Cricket Farm Inc., estimated that of the 10 major US cricket farms and other smaller operations, about four or five are currently fighting the virus.

Healthy human food, diet choices translate to pets

A recent article from LiveScience detailed the transformation of a Fort Worth, Texas, resident, Maribeth Ashley, and her two dogs as they journey to a healthier lifestyle, and it explored how some petfood companies are tapping into this trend.
Nulo, under the direction of founder and CEO Michael Landa, not only offers food, but weight-tracking and meal-planning tools and home delivery, similar to myriad human weight-loss plans on the market today.
Companies are also selling exercise equipment for dogs, including treadmills and wheels (like a larger version of a hamster wheel), according to the story. The amount of food owners feed their companion animals can be another contributor to pet obesity, as well as nutritional content of food.
"We've switched from feeding a high-protein diet 40, 50, 60 years ago to basically a high-carbohydrate diet," said Ernie Ward, a veterinarian from North Carolina.

Cloud Star Corp. gives back to the community

Cloud Star Corp., maker of dog treats and products based in San Luis Obispo, California, USA, donates at least 10% of net profits each year to non-profit organizations that benefit animals, women, children and the environment. In 2009, the company donated 59,000 pounds of product and expects to surpass that number in 2010, with a donation of over 70,000 pounds.

Blogger: Grain-based foods may cause intolerance in pets

Grain-based foods may be blamed for illnesses in some pets and could be avoided with diet changes, according to an article on celiac.com.
The grains in many petfoods can cause gluten-intolerant pets to become sick, claims blogger Destiny Stone. Switching a pet to a gluten-free diet must not only encompass petfoods but also other products the pet come in contact with because pets often lick themselves, she adds. A number of pet products are available gluten-free, including food, treats, care products and medications.

Vegetarian Week rehashes debate of veggie-only petfood

In light of the UK’s National Vegetarian Week, the controversy over feeding pets vegetarian diets has come into focus once again.
Consumers question the treatment of animals used in meaty petfoods as well as the environmental impact of producing petfoods with meat, according to a recent article, but the real question is: Are vegetarian pet diets healthy and nutritious?
A 2006 study by Nestlé found that the 34 vegetarian cats it examined were healthy. However, a main concern that stems from vegetarian feline diets is the risk of taurine deficiency, which most meaty cat food has added back during the production process.
Dogs may also struggle to get the nutrients they need from vegetarian petfood. Top lacking nutrients for canines include taurine and L-Carnitine.
Whatever route owners decide to go, the authors of the article recommended they talk to their veterinarian first to ensure their pets’ proper nutrition.

Book provides pet owners, vets info for home-made meals

Recently released Home-Prepared Dog and Cat Diets, Second Edition by Patricia Schenck provides an introduction to dog and cat nutrition, pet diets listed together in a cookbook style, and recipes that are adjustable for any size dog or cat.

Column: Meat pet diets impact environment

In The Green Lantern, a weekly environmental column, author Nina Shen Rastogi debated the impact of the carnivorous diets of pets on the environment.
She contended that the process of pets consuming offal that humans would not eat recycles animal parts while on the other hand, it takes resources like feed, land, fertilizer to produce such meat.
Her suggestions to pet owners on how to cut back their pets’ carbon paw print were to reduce the pets’ consumption of meat and/or feed pets with leftover human food, like meat and vegteables that would otherwise be thrown away.

Pet insurance company advises vets to approve pet diets

Whether homemade or commercial petfood, Animal Friends Insurance advises pet owners to consult with a vet about the specific needs of their pets before outlining a diet plan.
The company said that with pre-packaged animal products, vets could also advise on how to read the packaging to determine the quality and nutritional value of the ingredients before purchasing.

Pudgy pets support group works with petfood company

Smith Veterinary Hospital in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada, has created a Chub Club to offer support to owners of pets that need to lose weight, according to The Canadian Press.
Jennifer Febel, a practice manager at the hospital, said the club offers mostly nutritional counseling, but it is working with an unspecified petfood company to devise a website allowing pet owners to access tips.