It’s a brand new year with a whole new set of new resolutions. Some easier to keep than others! We believe you should spare a thought for your pet when your making your important life-changing decisions. Since its 2008, here are our top 8 steps to being a perfect pet owner. Add these pet promises to your own resolutions to make sure you both have a great and fulfilling year!

1. I promise to play with you every single day.

Our pets love to play. It provides them with both mental and physical stimulation. It’s great for using up excess energy and strengthening the pet and owner bond. Both cats and dogs alike should be engaged in short interactive play sessions every day. We think you should make this your first pet promise of the year.

2. I promise to feed you a balanced and nutritious diet.

New year is the time we look at our own feeding habits so why not reassess what we are feeding our pets. Its all too easy to fall into “easy” feeding routines but with pet obesity on the rise we think you should use the new year to make sure your pet is getting the best! Make smart choices for your pet, including a balanced diet and supplementation.

3. I promise to keep your coat groomed as well as I can.

Getting dirty is all part of being a healthy happy pet. Getting clean again is not always so much fun! Regular grooming sessions are essential to maintain coat and skin health. Grooming is another great way to strengthen the pet owner bond and if done properly can be enjoyed by both pet and owner alike.

4. I promise to make sure you’re as well behaved as you can be.

Discipline may not always be fun but you have a responsibility to your pet to ensure they know their place within the household and within society. Regular training sessions will keep them behaving properly and avoid any unpleasant behavioral problems.

5. I promise to make sure you’re healthy this year.

A visit to the vets may not be one of your pets favorite promises but it’s an essential one. A yearly vaccination will help prevent a range of infectious diseases and a general health check from your vet can alert you to any early problems.

6. I promise to think about your safety.

Every year thousands of animals are injured or killed on our roads. Does your cat have a reflective collar? Do you keep your dog on a lead at all time? Make a promise to your pet this year that you will do everything to keep them as safe as possible both outside and in the home.

7. I promise to treat you when you have been good.

Everyone loves a treat! Why not reward your pet for good behavior with something they enjoy. Remember, treats are aren’t just about food - attention, praise and exercise work just as well!

8. I promise to make time to give you as much exercise as possible.

One of the most important promises you can give your pet this year is to fulfill their exercise requirements. Busy lifestyles often mean our pet’s exercise sessions get cut short or missed. Make your promise for 2008 - more exercise, more fun and a healthier happier  year!!!
- 2007 Vital Pet Health

Editor’s Note:

It is well documented in medical literature and science that both animals and humans experience nutritional deficiencies when they are facing cancer and cancer treatments. Fortunately, research has shifted to supporting and enhancing the normal function of both the immune system and digestive system of cancer patients. With humans it is easier to target and get compliance. With animals, it is more difficult to get them to eat if they do not desire to, and more difficult to communicate with them. With the help of nutritional supplements, a pet’s immune system can be directly targeted toward the goal of supporting the body naturally so that it can heal and function properly. The B vitamins have been used for years and are needed for energy and cellular metabolism. Recent research has shown how cancer cells metabolize and use energy differently than normal cells, so compounds like lipoic acid palladium complex are being used both in humans and pets to support the body and help destroy the cancer. Finally, a concept of supporting the body and not poisoning it with drugs, something that can help the body and destroy the cancer in one compound!

Any illness, be it cancer or a benign disease, will have an impact on the patient’s metabolism. During disease, there are many changes in the way the body uses proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. It is important to realize that, for the most part, these are adaptations that are geared toward survival. In effect, the body is prioritizing its available nutrients for purposes like wound healing and maintaining the immune system. Sometimes, these metabolic changes can become exaggerated or prolonged to the point that they are harmful rather than beneficial to the patient. Significant weight loss and muscle wasting can occur rapidly and can be difficult or even impossible to reverse.

The specific nutritional requirements of the pet with cancer are unknown but are being studied. We have a good idea of the day-to-day nutritional needs of healthy dogs and cats but do not always know whether a pet with cancer has any special or different needs. Some nutrients are of higher priority than others. Water is the most essential nutrient. Next, a pet requires adequate calories and protein, followed by minerals and vitamins. Some commercial pet foods – but not all - are balanced so that when a pet eats adequate calories he will also get adequate amounts of all other required nutrients. The typical problem encountered in pets with cancer is reduced food intake, or refusal of pet foods and acceptance only of table foods that lack essential nutrients.

A pet with cancer loses weight in part because of decreased food intake and in part because of the metabolic effects of the disease. There is usually more than one cause for decreased appetite and food intake. Some of the causes are related to the disease itself and some are side effects of cancer treatment. We know that human patients with cancer can experience alterations in their sense of smell and taste. Sometimes this is the result of the disease, sometimes secondary to a nutrient deficiency such as zinc, and sometimes due to side-effects of drugs or other forms of treatment.

Tumors may physically interfere with eating and digesting food. For example, tumors of the oral cavity may cause difficulties with chewing and swallowing. Tumors of the stomach or intestines may obstruct the normal passage of food or the absorption of nutrients. Cancer therapies may also have a direct impact on the gastrointestinal tract. Some drugs cause nausea and vomiting. Others may actually injure the cells lining the intestines. Radiation is often used to treat tumors of the oral cavity which can cause inflammation and ulceration of surrounding mucous membranes. Surgical removal of tumors involving parts of the digestive tract can obviously affect a patient’s ability to eat or digest food. For example, it might be necessary to remove part of a patient’s jaw, tongue, or intestines. Surgery and radiation therapy require anesthesia which involves periods of fasting before and after each episode.

One serious potential outcome of unpleasant side effects (such as nausea, pain or indisposition) is that the patient may associate them with the act of eating or even the sight or smell of food. This is called learned food aversion. Food aversion is a well-recognized phenomenon in human patients. Most everyone has experienced an occasion when they have become ill after eating a particular food. Whether or not that food was responsible for the illness, it becomes associated with it in our minds. Although difficult to prove, we believe that this occurs on dogs and cats as well. One of the greatest challenges in feeding the pet with cancer is preventing the development of food aversions whenever possible, and dealing with this condition when it does occur.

Because we have to guess what a pet is experiencing when he refuses food it can be hard to determine the best course of action. On the one hand we might work hard to coax a pet with palatable or novel food items in the hope of finding something that will be eaten voluntarily. On the other hand it might be best to back off for awhile and rely on an artificial form of nutrition (such as tube feeding) or even not feeding at all because of the risk of causing or exacerbating a learned food aversion. Listed below are some general guidelines on how to approach these patients. Remember that every patient is different, and requires individualized care and attention. No one thing will work in for every animal–be patient and sensitive to the pet’s changing needs.

Resist the temptation to coax a pet to eat when he or she is feeling or showing overt signs of nausea or discomfort. Pets that gulp or drool at the sight or smell of food, turn their heads away, spit out food when placed in the mouth, or bury the food under their bedding should be left alone. Pushing food on a patient who clearly does not want it is a good recipe for creating a learned food aversion.

Discuss the possibility of anti-emetic drugs with your veterinarian if you think nausea and vomiting are a problem. Also discuss the use of tube feeding. Many factors must be considered when deciding whether a pet is a candidate for nutritional support. These techniques are not appropriate or feasible for every pet, but can be used successfully in many cases.

A few drugs have been used to stimulate the appetite. In our opinion, these drugs are best used in helping patients get over learned food aversions AFTER they have begun to feel better.

If your pet is showing some interest in food, there are many things you can try in order to increase interest in food.

Try novel food items. If your pet has begun to associate a previously favorite food with unpleasant sensations, introducing a very different type of food may overcome the aversion to eating. This can backfire if the patient is still unwell, since the aversion may simply transfer to the new food. Any type of food can be used including dog foods (for dogs), cat foods (for dogs or cats), and palatable table foods. Remember that table foods will not provide all of the nutrients that a pet needs. If a pet eats an exclusively home-cooked diet for any period of time, you should get some advice on how to make that diet more complete and balanced.

Try offering food in a novel setting or have someone different do the feeding. Sometimes an animal will associate its surroundings with past unpleasant experiences. For instance, a patient may no longer eat in the kitchen but will eat on an outside deck. Also, remember that dogs are social animals and may be more likely to eat with their pack–which includes you! Coaxing a dog to eat during family mealtimes or with other pets present might be successful.

Make mealtimes as comfortable and unstressful as possible. Try not to schedule them at the same time that you do other treatments such as pilling. Avoid pushing food on your pet. Stroke and talk to your pet with food nearby and watch for any signs of interest.

Divide the day’s food into as many small meals as your schedule will permit. The food ingredients that increase palatability for most dogs and cats are moisture, fat, and protein. Adding water to a dry pet food or switching to canned food may improve food acceptance. A pet’s tolerance of certain nutrients must be considered when trying new foods. Animals with kidney or liver dysfunction may not tolerate high protein intake. Animals with some types of gastrointestinal disease cannot tolerate large amounts of dietary fat.

The standard advice for getting anorexic pets to eat has been to warm foods to just below body temperature. This is believed to increase the aroma of food, which in turn will enhance taste. Recently, there is some evidence that this might be counterproductive in animals that are exhibiting food aversion. This makes sense, since these patients may be hungry but have learned to associate certain smells or flavors with feeling badly. In these cases, offering food at room temperature or even chilled may meet with more success.

Because the syndrome of cancer cachexia (profound weight loss) can involve more than decreased food intake, even the best efforts in encouraging a pet to eat may not prevent weight loss. This is because cancer can involve alterations in normal metabolism that are not overcome simply by providing calories and nutrients. Certain types of tumors can produce substances that affect energy and protein metabolism. The tumor itself competes for some of the nutrients that should be going to the patient. In addition, the patient’s immune system produces a variety of substances in response to the tumor. For the most part these are beneficial, but they can cause alterations in metabolism that result in decreased appetite, weight loss, and loss of muscle mass. 

Meeting the basic nutritional needs of a cancer patient can be a significant challenge. In human cancer patients, it is established that malnutrition can increase the risk of complications and decrease survival rates. Patients with good nutritional status have an improved response to therapy and better quality of life. While the effects of malnutrition have not as yet been studied in veterinary patients, it seems likely that the results would be similar.

If you take a multivitamin every morning and perhaps a supplement or two because you care about your health, does it make sense to do the same with your dog or cat? Stephanie Pendleton of Emerald Isle, North Carolina, would say yes.

Pendleton caught on to pet supplements a few years ago when she noticed that her 13-year-old cat, Sierra, wasn’t up to her usual antics.

“She was having a hard time jumping up on the counter, and she wasn’t playing as much as she used to,” Pendleton says. “Finally, she just spent less time up there, I think, because it was painful for her.”

Pendleton researched Sierra’s problem online, and learned about the joint supplements glucosamine and chondroitin. She asked her veterinarian, and they agreed to give the cat a product that combines both joint supplements.

“Sierra is jumping all over the place again,” Pendleton says.

Now, Pendleton is a believer in pet supplements. She gives Sierra and her other cat, 2-year-old Serenity, a multivitamin, probiotics to help their immune systems and essential fatty acids for skin and coat health. Sierra gets seven pills, Serenity four.

Demand for supplements is on the rise. The pet supplement market has grown about 15 percent annually since 2000 and is now a $1.3 billion business, according to the National Animal Supplement Council. Simmons Market Research Bureau says approximately 17 percent of pet owners give their cats and dogs some type of supplement.

A pet supplement is a product that is intended to complement the diet and help support and maintain a normal biological function. Products range from multivitamins for overall health to targeted formulas that claim to alleviate joint problems as well as ones to address degenerative diseases or canine cognitive dysfunction.

Dr. Tim Montague, a veterinarian at Eads Animal Hospital in Eads, Tennessee, started using supplements in 1992. He was wary at first because he didn’t learn about them in veterinary school, and there weren’t many on the market. But when an old professor of his recommended a joint supplement for one of Montague’s patients, he took notice. Montague’s golden retriever Ayla had an arthritic shoulder, so he also tried a joint supplement on her.

“She could barely make it up and down the stairs, but within a week after the supplement she was running and catching Frisbees in the yard,” Montague says. “That sold me on that product.” He said his patients have had good success with joint supplements and he prescribes them all the time.

The FDA urges pet owners to talk to their veterinarians, as well as other pet owners, before giving supplements to their animals, something Montague agrees with.

“People need to be careful about starting any kind of regimen,” he says. “I’ve seen animals harmed by people getting the wrong information over the Internet.”

Dr. John Bauer, professor of clinical nutrition at Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, offers four factors to consider when evaluating supplements:

1. Product quality -  How much of the functional, active ingredient is in the product? Responsible manufacturers will have 800 numbers on the package to call with technical questions about the ingredients, and your veterinarian should know what specific questions to ask.

2. Efficacy - Is there any scientific basis to support the use of this supplement? If information about product testing isn’t available on the company’s Web site or elsewhere, call the company for details about the studies that have been performed.

3. Tolerance - Check the list of ingredients carefully before giving a supplement to your pet. For example, a supplement might include lactose, which some cats and dogs can’t tolerate. It’s a good idea to consult your veterinarian first to discuss how the supplements may react with any medications the pet is taking.

4. Safety - A product’s safety should be proven. For example, the company might state in its literature that it was tested in high doses on mice and found to be safe, or the number of adverse events reported might be few to none

By Joan Shim

For many pet owners, significantly cold weather is now in full swing. This means it’s time to give special attention to your pets, both inside and out.

Cold weather creates its own set of stress for all animals, but your pet needs your undivided attention now more than at almost any time of the year. Here are some winterizing tips for optimizing your animal’s comfort and well-being.

When the temperatures reach sub-zero, it’s time to give the outdoor cat and dog a break and invite them in, even if it’s in the garage. By “inside,” that doesn’t mean letting dogs and cats in and out of a warm house from night to day. Creating an abrupt temperature contrast can increase the risk of some infectious diseases. Consider housing them in the shelter of a well-built doghouse or bringing them into a tool shed or garage.

When you take your inside pooch out for “bathroom break,” stay out with them. If you’re cold enough to go inside, it probably is too cold for the pet to stay out much longer as well. When you bring a pet in, wipe its paws and underside, making certain there are no ice balls clinging between the toes or on the sole of the foot. They can cause frostbite to an animal that is left outside for a significant time in sub-zero temperatures.

If you opt not to bring the dog inside, make certain its shelter is clean, dry and well insulated with straw, wood shavings or a blanket. Animals drag a lot of moisture onto their bedding from every trip outside in snow. Plan on changing the bedding as frequently as necessary or simply placing it in the dryer for a warm-up. Equally critical, position the opening, which should have a door flap, away from the direction in which snow and wind usually comes.

Outdoor cats will seek warmth and sometimes this includes near or on a car engine. This means that if they don’t move when you go out to start the engine the next time, they can be seriously injured or killed. Before starting the engine, rap on the hood a couple of times to chase them off from beneath the hood.

Pets that move about on sidewalks, driveways or streets run the risk of picking up rock salt, ice and other chemicals in their foot pads. Each time they are brought in, make certain to wipe all four feet thoroughly. There is a tendency for them to lick the salt off their feet, which can cause an inflammation of the digestive tract.

Keep an eye on your pet’s outside water. If it is not heated, it will need to be changed several times daily when temperatures dip far below freezing. Ice is not a substitute for clean water. Pet stores sell heated bowls, which can prevent water freezing.

For short-coated animals, you might want to put them in a protective sweater before taking them outside. They will become chilled quickly after leaving a 72-degree house and walking onto single-digit-temperature turf. Also realize, sweaters are not a substitute for shelter. They can get wet and actually remove more heat from an animal than they conserve.

Be particularly careful when escorting elderly, arthritic pets outside. They will become stiff and tender quickly and may find it difficult to move about in the snow or ice. Keep them tethered tightly to your side if the route to the yard is icy. A bad slip can cause a ruptured disc, broken leg or other major injury.

If you live near a pond or lake, don’t allow your pets to run loose without some thought on your part. They may head for thin ice and fall through if they are not familiar with icy ponds. It is very difficult for a pet to escape these situations and equally challenging for you to reach the site safely.

Nutrition is a particularly important concern. Outdoor pets require more calories in the winter to generate energy to ward off the cold. As a result, add 10 to 15 percent more to its daily diet to allow it to meet those needs. Another way to meet cold weather calorie requirements is by adding some fats to their regular ration. Be careful though, fats can lead to diarrhea and dehydration if too much is added. And make sure they’re getting their supplements, for increased energy as well as overall health!

Because prevention is the most powerful cure!

Not surprisingly, our animals’ health is beginning to mirror our own. Today we’re seeing many of the epidemics that have plagued humans, such as obesity, diabetes and chronic inflammation, and even cancer, manifest at epidemic levels in our pets. If you take a good look around, you’ll find that people really do look like their pets. More accurately, they tend to have similar characteristics, and unfortunately, that includes similar health problems.

Some professionals claim this is caused by the emotional burden that pets absorb from the family environment; the animals manifest similar symptoms as the people. This emotional influence does, in fact, play a larger role than most of us think. But the majority of symptoms are a result of similar eating habits – a heavily processed diet. Research shows that the high glycemic (raises blood sugar dramatically) state of processed food promotes inflammation throughout the body. This inflammation is too small to diagnose but it does increase the incidence of chronic inflammation.

Processed foods, like low quality pet kibbles, tend to be higher in glycemic index than whole foods, and the addition of low cost grain or other starch sources are mostly to blame. These higher glycemic diets have also been linked to insulin resistance, which also increases the risk of obesity.

Obesity and cancer affect a huge number of canines these days, and our felines seem to be suffering from diabetes and obesity in epic proportions. Recent genetic research shows that a greater free radical load on the body caused, in large part, by poor quality food, adversely affects gene function. One of the gene systems pinpointed is directly involved in the production of hormones (prostaglandins) that contribute to inflammation and tumor formation.

What’s the significance of this? It provides a direct scientific link between processed, high glycemic index foods, and diseases like cancer, chronic inflammation, and obesity.

For our animals, these risks increase as they get older. Just like us, our furry companions can tolerate metabolic strains imposed by diet, environment and/or emotion when they are young. But as we age, our ability to produce internal antioxidants to protect us from these strains declines.

Supplements to consider

Fortunately, there are things we can do to block these nasty metabolic influences, starting with supplementation. Here’s what you should consider:

Antioxidants — Research shows that uncontrolled free radicals accelerate genes beyond their normal activity. This causes us to age faster. For our companion animals, this is an even greater problem since they already have a faster rate of aging then we do. Antioxidant supplementation literally helps protect us from the unnatural influence our food and environment deliver. Supplementing our animal companion’s food with a basic multivitamin/mineral formula that contains a healthy concentration of bioavailable, active forms of antioxidants and mineral and vitamin cofactors, is the key to better health and improved quality of life. Recommended is lipoic acid, specifically in the form of palladium lipoic complexes, which can help to neutralize the free radicals within your pet’s body that are thought to influence the aging and disease processes and convert them into energy.

Grapeseed proanthocyanidins and boswellic acid (from the herb boswelia serrata) – These contain protective and anti-inflammatory effects as well. However, many who administer these herbs, or other nutrient-based therapies such as glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate for joint problems, experience limited results due to a failure to address the animal’s primary needs. This involves more basic daily nutritional requirements such as active essential fat, vitamin and mineral nutrients.

Manganese, copper, sulfur, vitamin C, and vitamin E – Our bodies and those of our companion animals are complex, requiring multiples of nutrients in tandem. Cartilage regeneration, for example, depends on much more than just glucosamine. Canned and dry kibble foods are fortified with many of these essentials, including vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. However, the gut’s ability to absorb them in this form may be limited. Vitamins degrade rapidly in these environments and the integrity and activity of essential fatty acids cannot be protected even if they are added back to the denatured food.

Choosing the right supplement for therapy or prevention

Our pets’ digestive system is shorter than ours; it runs faster than our own. Liquid forms, or properly manufactured powdered forms which do not contain binders, are absorbed more efficiently. If you are using tablets, make sure your animal chews them thoroughly. Additionally, these nutrients must be provided in the correct proportionsfor the specialized metabolism of your canine or feline companion. Human supplements are designed for our own metabolic needs and are not best suited to treat and maintain our pet’s health. Instead, use products formulated especially for animals.

Remember, prevention is extremey important. A correctly proportioned vitamin supplement is the most powerful health support you can offer your loyal friend.

by Franco Cavaleri