Lucia's Premium Pet

2009-12-30T11:55:00.000-08:00

SLEEP.RUN.EAT.PLAY.SHOP

Downtown Daniel Island - 843.377.8740

Lucia's Premium Pet is Daniel Island's first pet food and supply shop. At Lucia's, we are committed to providing the best, natural products for you and your pet. If you don't see something in the store, just ask, chances are we can get it! We would never stock anything we would not give to our own pets so you can feel confident when shopping that you are getting the best of the best. Our goal is to make Daniel Island the home of tons of happy, healthy pets! Come see us in the Publix Shopping Center, Downtown Daniel Island.

Bake Sale for Greta

2009-09-28T07:17:00.001-07:00

Saturday, October 2 from 11-3 we will have a Bake Sale to benefit sweet Greta. Stop by to get a full tummy and support a great cause.

Needed:

Baked items to sell at the Bake Sale

A few volunteers to work the sale

Hungry customers to help raise money for Greta

Call me at 843.377.8740 if you have more questions or want to help!

Greta's Emergency

2009-09-25T11:22:00.000-07:00

Greta was spayed last week and last night she had to be rushed to the Emergency Vet after hemorrhaging. She spent the night in the hospital and remains there today. She is about to receive a blood transfusion which will last 3-4 hours then she will go into surgery. She is in good spirits and under the best care possible. The vets have been very gracious and are doing all they can to help the rescue, but as we all know - this is a VERY expensive situation. The Lucia's customers were AWESOME when we first found the dogs. Now I am asking you to step up again. We need lots of prayers and donations. Please consider donating anything you can to help sweet Greta. You can stop by Lucia's to drop off a donation, send them to 162 Seven Farms Dr. Suite 115 Daniel Island, SC 29492, or to give online, check out our Chip-In page linked below.

Thank you Thank you Thank you!

You guys are the best customers ever!

Daniel Island Rescue Dogs Still Looking for Homes...GRETA

2009-08-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

GRETA

Greta is a Boxer Mix who was found chained to a concrete slab with no food or water. She was severely emaciated but she is now on her way to good health. She is being fostered on Daniel Island and is now potty trained and crate trained. She loves lounging around and gets along well with others. She would love to be your permanent couch potato and love bug!

Daniel Island Rescue Dogs Still Looking for Homes...NELLIE

2009-08-13T11:43:00.001-07:00

Nellie

Nellie is a sweet, calm little girl. She has been living in a loving foster home with her brother Rusty. Rusty has since been adopted but Nellie is still looking for a family to call her own. She is mostly white with black on her head and face. Nellie will be spayed Fri. Aug 14th and is up to date on shots and dewormed.

Yappy Hour!

2009-08-03T17:32:00.000-07:00

Stop by Thursday, August 6 from 4-6 for beer, wine, and social time with tons of friends (2 and 4-legged) including the rescue puppies from Clements Ferry Rd. Bring your friends and dogs and come hang out! If you know anyone looking to add a furry friend to their family - bring 'em - we have lots of adorable adoptable babies!!!

Puppies

2009-07-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, the 9 puppies from Clement's Ferry Rd. now officially belong to Animal Rescue and Relief and are ready to be adopted. At a hearing on July 17 the judge awarded custody of the dogs to ARR. We are currently looking for homes for the 8 remaining puppies, a Boxer Mix named Greta, a Border Collie Mix named Calvin, and a Boxer Mix puppy named Petey. If you are interested, stop in and see the puppies or email Michelle at arrinc@yahoo.com.

For pictures of these precious puppies click here.

Update: Petey and another puppy (Hailey) have been adopted. We are still looking for homes for 7 puppies, Greta (boxer mix), and Calvin (lab mix). ALSO - PLEASE JOIN US FOR YAPPY HOUR THURSDAY, AUGUST 6 FROM 4-6 TO SEE ALL THE PUPPIES AND HAVE A FEW DRINKS!

YAPPY HOUR!

2009-04-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

Join us for Yappy Hour here at Lucia's Thursday May 7 at 6pm. It will be a fun time to socialize with other dog-lovers! We will have light refreshments and Bowser Beer for the pooches.

Call if you have any questions - 843.377.8740

SEE YOU THERE!

BBC Documentary - Pedigree Dogs Exposed.

2009-03-17T14:42:00.000-07:00

Documentary - BBC - Pedigree Dogs Exposed

Dog Wash NOW OPEN!

2009-03-11T07:53:00.000-07:00

Finally, we have opened our new

Self Serve Dog Wash!

Come in and have fun bathing your pooch in our new doggy spa!

Everything is included - shampoo, conditioner, ear cleaner, towels, dryer, brushes, spritzers - just bring the dog (the dirty dog of course)!

No appointment necessary. (Cost: $12)

To view a few more pictures of the dog wash, click here

2009-03-10T08:11:00.000-07:00

"Television commercials and magazine advertisements fro pet food would have us believe that the meats, grains, and fats used could grace our own dining tables. Choice chicken, beef, lamb, whole grains, and quality fats are supposedly the composition of commercially produced dog and cat food.

In recent years some small pet food companies have begun to use human grade ingredients in their products to provide healthy and nutritious food. However, the standard fare from most commercial pet food companies is far from nutritious. In fact many of the ingredients are potentially harmful and composed of the dregs from slaughterhouses and the rendering business. Even some of the "premium foods" promoted by pet food companies are really not any different than their standard line - other than being more expensive.

So, how do you determine if a particular pet food is nutritious or not? Ultimately, the best defense is to feed your animal companions human grade food, either homecooked, or made by pet food companies that use human grade foods. If you decide to feed your animal companions commercial pet foods that do not use human grade ingredients, then read the labels. And even then, buyer beware."

Above is an excerpt from the book Foods Pets Die For by Ann N. Martin. This is a great book on the realities of the ingredients in foods that pet food companies want you to believe are healthy and "nutritionally balanced". At Lucia's, all of our pet foods are comprised of all human grade ingredients and do not contain any meat by-products or other unhealthy ingredients such as corn, wheat, or soy. Check out Foods Pets Die For to learn more about how to read pet food labels and what really goes into commercial foods.

Great Video

2008-12-29T06:28:00.000-08:00

Watch CBS Videos Online

Help for Feline Acne

2008-12-12T08:11:00.000-08:00

I thought I would address a very common problem among many cat owners: Feline Acne. Ever go to scratch your kitty and feel some scabs under their chin? This is a very frequent problem called Feline Acne. It is often caused by bacteria that they pick up as they eat. The first thing to do when you notice this problem is examine his/her bowls. Pets should eat out of ceramic or stainless steel dishes as they harbor less bacteria than plastic bowls. Also, be sure to wash your pets' dishes often. As for the acne itself, here is a suggestion from Vera (via earthclinic.com):

"In the morning, I cleaned my cat's chin with a cotton square soaked in 3% hydrogen peroxide. He did not seem to mind much at all, and there were no residues to worry about. At night (or sometimes right after), I treated the sores with 2% iodine tincture (the yellow kind), then rubbed it in with my finger so he would not lick it. He liked this less than the peroxide, but all in all, it was a trouble-free treatment, easy on us both. There was a visible improvement within days. In 2-3 weeks, he was completely cured. It recurred a month or two later; I started treatment right away, it disappeared in several days, and he has been free of it for over 2 years. (Be sure to also switch to clean ceramic or metal cat dishes, the plastic kind harbor bacteria.)"

I have had success with this method. Both products clean and dry out the acne and clear it up quite well. My kitty, Tyson, had feline acne earlier this year and I was able to clear it up with the 3% hydrogen peroxide. I also switched his food to Innova EVO (eliminating grains from his diet) and his fur has grown thick and soft.

Howl-O-Ween Pictures

2008-10-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

Click below to view the pictures of the Howl-O-Ween Party at Lucia's

Howl-O-Ween Pics

2008-10-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

The Principles of Natural Healing

Dr. Martin Goldstein, D.V.M.

1. Disease is an absence of health and vice versa: health is an absence of disease. But health was here first.

2. Disease is a process used by nature in an attempt to get itself healthy.

3. Degenerative disease is not caused by nature. It is an aberration of nature (caused mostly by – in my opinion – man)

4. Cancer is nothing more than a severe aberration of nature manifested in and by the body.

5. Sickness is an excuse to get healthy.

6. Don’t mess with Mother Nature.

7. The mechanism for healing is already built into all individuals. Healing therefore occurs most rapidly when we realign with the natural laws governing that mechanism

8. Pure health is spontaneous healing

9. The immune system functions maximally and at peak efficiency in its totally unaltered state.

10. The degree to which we have to work toward health is directly proportional to the amount we have messed it up in the first place. Health is simple; disease brings in complexity.

11. Generally it’s not what you put into the body that restores health; rather its what you let the body eliminate.

12. Physically health isn’t everything, but without it, everything is nothing.

13. Food, including the necessary vitamins and minerals, was intended not to improve, but rather to maintain, the body. Therefore, the need for treatment reflects the degree to which the individual has strayed from nature.

14. The body does not have to degenerate or age nearly as quickly as we presume. Each body cell has the ability to replicate itself 100 percent, and the process should continue for longer than we currently expect if we minimize deleterious effects on the cellular structure. It is only what we choose to do to the body, both consciously and unconsciously, that leads to the premature aging we experience.

15. Genetic predispositions to disease are only predispositions, and do not have to manifest if health is maintained. Once a genetically predisposed disease condition appears clinically, it can be reversed, although with more difficulty, as a course toward health is taken.

16. Nature and the being itself are the true healers. The practitioner, in the guise of being the healer, is truly the guide. Or: Physician, heal thyself!

17. Nature uses disease to establish balance. Only when our bodies are out of balance are we subject to disease, and if we can just endure the natural healing process, the disease will soon abate having restored us to the balance that is optimal health!

18. In the holistic perspective, there is no such thing as coincidence.

Stella and Chewy's

2008-08-02T11:50:00.000-07:00

Stella & Chewy's

At Lucia's, we are happy to introduce Stella and Chewy's Raw Diets and Freeze-Dried Treats! We currently carry Nature's Variety Taste of Raw and are considering a total switch over to Stella and Chewy's. The reason for the switch is that the meats in Stella and Chewy's are all free-range and hormone and antibiotic free. The fruits and vegetables in their diet are organic creating a more nutritious product. One HUGE benefit (in my opinion) is that it contains Apple Cider Vinegar. Apple Cider Vinegar (as I have explained to many) is GREAT for digestion, urinary health, skin and coat, and almost anything you can think of. YAY for Stella and Chewy! Read below for a little more info and check out their website for more... www.stellaandchewys.com

Stella & Chewy’s Products for Dogs

We at Stella & Chewy’s believe that all pets deserve to thrive on real, raw food — the way nature intended. Our products combine free-range meats, with no hormones or antibiotics, and the freshest farm-grown ingredients, organic where possible. Our food is uniquely formulated to strengthen your pet’s immune system and add healthy years to your pet’s life.

Stella & Chewy’s is also free from grains, which means it can help with weight loss, is excellent for dogs with allergies, and helps reduce plaque and tartar buildup on canine teeth.

All of our products are formulated with a panel of animal nutritionists and veterinarians; all food meets the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages. Free of hormones and antibiotics. Natural enzymes and amino acids preserved.

Stella & Chewy’s Products for Cats

We at Stella & Chewy’s believe that all pets deserve to thrive on real, raw food — the way nature intended. Our products combine free-range meats, with no hormones or antibiotics, and the freshest farm-grown ingredients, organic where possible. Our food is uniquely formulated to strengthen your pet’s immune system and add healthy years to your pet’s life.

All of our products are a great source of naturally occuring taurine.

Stella & Chewy’s is also free from grains, which means it can help with weight loss, is excellent for cats with allergies, and helps reduce plaque and tartar buildup on feline teeth.

All of our products are formulated with a panel of animal nutritionists and veterinarians; all food meets the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages. Free of hormones and antibiotics. Natural enzymes and amino acids preserved.

Our cat food contains the same mix of fresh meat, bone and veggie ingredients as our dog food, with a slight difference in the fat and protein ratios so that it is perfectly suited for your cat.

The Most Amazing Video Clip Ever!

2008-08-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

2008-08-01T13:56:00.000-07:00

deShedding Tool by Furminator

Dog Grooming Review - A Merryvaluation

by Angie McKaig

Oh, pugs are so cute. They have such short hair.

If you've never met a pug before, I bet you think they're all easy to care for and practically shed-free, right?

Oh, silly reader - that's where you'd be totally wrong. Because pugs are whirling dervishes of shed. They create entire tumbleweeds of cream colored hair everywhere you turn. They save up extra piles of the stuff for the moment you've finished cleaning the floors and furniture, or the moment when you're about to walk out the door wearing black, and then they unleash their scary pounds of fur all over. And I mean all over.

Most grooming brushes are a nightmare with their tiny short hairs. I've met one or two that are almost worth it, but still, it's always been an uphill battle.

Until I fell in love. With the Furminator.

It sounds like a funny name. You may gasp at the price compared to other grooming brushes. But I'm here to tell you:

I'm never going to use another brush on the pug again as long as we both shall live.

This brush was a revelation. It easily doubled or tripled the amount of fur I could pull off the pug in a single grooming session, thereby reducing the amount of pug tumbleweed running around the house afterwards. The product is billed as something that helps to:

Remove the dead undercoat

Not damage the top coat

Reduce shedding by up to 90%

It does all that, and how. You can completely see how it pulls out the undercoat; it's a different texture and color than the top coat. But it left Merry with a smooth and glossy top coat. And yes, she sheds less as long as I keep up with the tool at least once a week.

You can see in the third and fourth pictures how much came off the pug in a single, simple, five minute grooming session. And frankly, we tried it on our long haired kitty, and it pulls off BAGFULS of her hair every time we groom her, which saves my clothes (and my allergies!). I can imagine that on a long haired dog it would be nothing short of miraculous.

Keep in mind the brush won't work for every breed - cat or dog. The Furminator web site has lists of which breeds and which breeds can't use the brush.

One caveat: these grooming sessions can get messy. Because its focus is on pulling out dead overcoat, a fair amount of static cling builds up in the dead hairs as they're being removed. And that means they stick - to everything. Your clothes, the floor, your hands, the dog, and anything else that wanders by. My suggestion: dress lightly (shorts and a tank top work best, since the hair has a harder time sticking to your legs than to, say, a pair of yoga pants), and grab big handfuls of hair and roll them between your hands to make a rolled up ball of hair, thereby neutralizing the "static" to some extent.

But honestly, this mess is totally worth it. Think of the mess you're saving yourself later on.

Hands down, four paws (well, actually eight since the cat gets a go with the brush weekly too) down, the best grooming product we've ever tried.

If you have a shedfest in your house, and you don't have this product yet, you are seriously missing out. Go right now. Buy buy. Thank me later.

2008-08-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

TASTE OF THE WILD
Dogs
High Prairie Canine Formula
A grain-free formula for all life stages with sweet potatoes
and peas provides highly digestible energy for your active
dog. Made with real roasted meats, this formula offers a
taste sensation like no other. Supplemented with fruits
and vegetables, this hearty formula delivers natural
antioxidants to protect your friend's body from the
damage of everyday living, supporting a healthy immune
system and overall good health.
Pacific Stream Canine Formula
A fish protein, grain-free formula for all life stages with
sweet potatoes provides highly digestible energy for
your sensitive dog. Made with real smoked salmon,
this formula offers a taste sensation like no other.
Supplemented with fruits and vegetables, this fish
and potato formula delivers natural antioxidants to
protect your friend's body from the damage of everyday
living, supporting a healthy immune system and
overall good health.
Wetlands Canine Formula
A grain-free formula for all life stages with sweet
potatoes and peas provides highly digestible energy
for your active dog. Made with real roasted and
smoked fowl, this formula offers a taste sensation like
no other. Supplemented with fruits and vegetables, this
hearty formula delivers natural antioxidants to protect
your friend's body from the damage of everyday living,
supporting a healthy immune system and overall good
health.
Cats
Rocky Mountain Feline Formula
A grain-free formula for all life stages with peas and
sweet potatoes provides highly digestible energy
for your active cat. Made with real roasted venison
and smoked salmon, this formula offers a taste
sensation like no other. For today's healthy cat,
this formula is supplemented with fruits and
vegetables, providing natural antioxidants to
support a healthy immune system and overall good health.
Your cat craves a taste of the wild.
Go ahead and give him one.

TASTE OF THE WILD has been one of the most
well-accepted foods from Lucia's.
Dogs LOVE the taste. If you have a picky
pup or kitty,these formulas might just be
perfect for you. Come by for a free
sample today. Even if your pet isn't
picky,everyone loves the yummy taste
and uncompromised quality of TOW!

Information on Wellness

2008-07-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

Wellness Super5Mix^® recipes are formulated holistically. That means we think about your dog as a complete system of health and believe that total wellbeing starts from the inside - out. So our natural recipes use the optimal balance of nutrient rich whole-foods to meet the unique health needs of your dog.

We start with premium, human-grade ingredients — including pure protein sources and wholesome grains — and combine them with our unique mix of complementary nutritional supplements — we call it our 5 for Life™ Supplement System. We use fruits and vegetables for their antioxidant power, phytonutrient rich botanicals and herbs for wellbeing, and utilize omega-fatty acids for cellular function. We also include essential vitamins, chelated minerals and active probiotic cultures.

Each of our Super5Mix^® recipes represents a synergistic combination of natural ingredients created with your dog's whole-health in mind. Our complete line includes flavors, life stages and special solutions to offer you a healthful, flavorful alternative in holistic pet nutrition. Over the years our Super5Mix recipes have helped thousands of pets and their owners see and feel the difference choosing Wellness can make.

HIGHEST QUALITY PROTEIN SOURCES OF ANY DOG FOOD

	Wellness^® uses real, USDA grade, "Fit for Human Consumption," naturally preserved meats including Deboned Chicken, New Zealand Lamb and Ocean White Fish.

UNSURPASSED DIGESTIBILITY AND NATURALLY PALATABLE

	We ensure excellent nutrient digestibility through our Digestool™ studies - less nutrients in the stool, means more nutrients stay in the body and reduced stool volume.
	With satisfaction guaranteed, Wellness does not contain unsavory digests, unidentified "natural flavors," salt or sugars. The "cleanest" ingredient deck of any dog food. Holistic and healthy.

5 FOR LIFE SUPPLEMENT SYSTEM

All Super5Mix recipes* include a mix of complementary ingredients for overall wellbeing
	Fruit & Veggie Antioxidant Rainbow - a proactive step towards fighting disease.
	WellCoat^® Omega 3 & 6 Mix - essential fatty acids for cellular function and healthy skin at guaranteed levels.
	Botanical & Herb Blend - nature's best ingredients each with their own nutritional properties.
	Essential Vitamins & Minerals - designed for cellular health, immunity and disease resistance.
	ActiCoat™ with Live Active Probiotics - added after the cooking process to promote a healthy intestinal tract and overall digestive health at guaranteed levels.

THE MOST ROBUST GUARANTEED ANALYSIS STATEMENT IN THE INDUSTRY

	Wellness recipes include guaranteed levels key nutrients and nutriceuticals like Taurine as a preventative step toward optimal heart health and a combination of Glucosamine and Chondroitin as a preventative step to optimal joint health. Calcium, Phosphorus, Vitamin E, Beta Carotene & Lycopene are also at guaranteed levels.
	The caloric content of each diet is stated to help pet parents manage feeding intake.

THE WELLNESS DIFFERENCE

At Wellness, we do whatever it takes to create the healthiest foods for the pets that depend on us. For each of our recipes we never compromise — selecting nature's finest ingredients and combining them in exact proportions to help support a pet's health and wellbeing.

What is Protein-focused Nutrition?
Wellness CORE is based on the raw feeding philosophy of providing nutrient-rich, high-quality meat to a dog’s diet. Each grain-free kibble is packed with meat from deboned turkey and chicken, turkey meal, chicken meal, whitefish meal and chicken liver along with a proprietary blend of fruits, vegetables, oils, botanicals that nurture your dog to the core.

Why is CORE different?
In a word…balance. When you add more meat to your dog’s daily feeding program, you also add more protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus and calories. And since daily health requires a delicate nutritional equation, these levels must be managed to create balance, not excess-especially when fed everyday as the sole source of your pet’s nutrition.

Considering your animal’s whole health, we have created CORE with the meat content you’re looking for but without the excess nutrient levels your dog does not need. CORE provides incredibly flavorful, protein-focused nutrition the WellnessWay with nothing in excess and everything in balance.

We are proud to add this choice to the Wellness line of natural food for pets. This diet supports our continued belief that thoughtfully balanced natural nutrition is the foundation of wellbeing, happiness and longevity we want for all of our family members, including our animals.

THE WELLNESS WAY™

	All-Natural

	Grain Free with Lower Carbohydrates

	Higher Protein while still Controlling Fat, Calories, Calcium and Phosphorus

	5 High Quality Meat Sources in our CORE Original & Reduced Fat Formulas

	4 High Quality Meat Sources in our CORE Ocean Formula

	Fish & Flax Omega Blend

	Living Food with Active Probiotics

	Power Greens Phyto-Nutrient Mix

DID YOU KNOW?

The majority of the grain-free diets available today contain extreme, super-concentrated nutrient levels far beyond that of everyday super-premium dog food:

• 75% more protein • 87% more calcium
• 57% more fat • 53% more phosphorus
• 16% more calories

*ALL percentages calculated on a dry matter basis

These nutrient levels (calories, fat, protein) have been historically recommended only during sustained levels of high stress, high energy and peak nutritional demand including:
• Hunting, racing, showing, competition
• Accelerated recovery from surgery or illness
• Breeding, lactation and weaning

The high levels of Calcium and Phosphorus are generally not recommended for any special condition or circumstance.

Should I Really Rotate My Pet's Food?

2008-07-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

Everyone used to say, "If you find a pet food that works, stick with it!" However, this is not the case. Once you get your pet onto a high-quality food, (contrary to popular belief) it will not upset his or her stomach to switch around proteins. In fact, it is highly recommended. Nature's Variety's website had this to say about rotating diets -

"Just like you wouldn't eat the same thing every day, neither should your pet. When you rotate foods, your pet benefits from the diverse nutrients unique to each protein source, and enjoys a variety of wholesome tastes. By feeding a variety of foods, you are giving your pet a diet more like what he or she would eat in nature. Rotating can help provide biologically appropriate weight control, sustained interest in the food dish (especially for that picky eater), and better overall health and happiness. Importantly, by rotating foods, your pet is less likely to develop allergies to certain proteins. "

The Truth About Commercial Pet Food

2008-07-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

Curious about what is really in commercial pet food? Here is a great essay on the truth about what is truly in these diets. It is a lot to read, but it is worth it. At Lucia's, we are proud to say that all of the foods that we carry are human-grade and contain NO corn, wheat, soy, by-products, or artificial preservatives or colors. The information in this article is the reason this store exists. We strive to help companion animals get healthy, one at a time. We all know they deserve it!

-Katharine

What's Really for Dinner?
The Truth About Commercial Pet Food

by Tina Perry

Cow brains. Sheep guts. Chicken heads. Road kill. Rancid grain. These are a few of the so-called nutritionally balanced ingredients found in the commercial pet food served to companion animals every day.

More than 95 percent of US companion animals derive their nutritional needs from a single source: processed pet food. When people think of pet food, many envision whole chickens, choice cuts of beef, fresh grains, and all the nutrition that a dog or cat may ever need -- images that pet food manufacturers promote in their advertisements. What these companies do not reveal is that instead of whole chickens they have substituted chicken heads, feet, and intestines. Those choice cuts of beef are really cow brains, tongues, esophagi, fetal tissue dangerously high in hormones, and possibly diseased and even cancerous meat.

Those whole grains have had the starch removed for corn starch powder and the oil extracted for corn oil, or they are hulls and other remnants from the milling process. Grains used that are truly whole have usually been deemed unfit for human consumption because of mold, contaminants, poor quality, or poor handling practices.

Pet food is one of the worlds most synthetic edible products, containing virtually no whole ingredients.

Pet food manufacturers have become masters at inducing companion animals to eat things cat and dogs would normally spurn. Pet food scientists have learned that it's possible to take a mixture of inedible scraps, fortify it with artificial vitamins and minerals, preserve it so that it can sit on the shelf for more than a year, add dyes to make it attractive, and then extrude it into whimsical shapes that appeal to the human consumer. For this, pet food companies can expect to earn $9 billion in sales in 1996.

Scraps and Byproducts

For years, many care givers have tried to avoid feeding their companion animals people food leftovers, having been warned by veterinarians about the heath problems they can cause. Yet much scrap material from the human food industry is ending up in dogs and cats dinner bowls. What the consumer purchases and what the manufacturer advertises are often two entirely different products, and this difference threatens the animals healthy, especially as they age.

Learning to read ingredient labels and taking the time to read them carefully is crucial to making an educated choice when purchasing pet food. Ingredients are listed in descending order of weight (heaviest first) under standards established by the Center for Veterinary Medicine for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The name of the product (in most states) is dictated by the regulations of the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). The trouble is, AAFCO standards can lead to deceptive product names due to the weight and volume variations between wet and dry ingredients. Also, the average consumer has no idea what the definitions for the listed ingredients mean. Preservatives, vitamins, minerals, flavorings, and cereal make up most of what the companion animal eats.

It is not happenstance that four of the top five major pet food companies in the United States are subsidiaries of major multinational food production companies: Colgate Palmolive (which produces Hills Science Diet), Heinz, Nestle, and Mars )see The Corporate Connection). From a business standpoint, multi-national food companies owning pet food manufacturers is an ideal relationship. The multinationals have captive market in which to dump their waste products, and the pet food manufacturers have a direct source of bulk materials.

Both make a profit from selling scraps that originate from places far worse than the dinner table. In his 1986 book Pet Allergies veterinarian Al Plechner sums up what goes into companion animals food: Condemned parts and animals rejected for human consumption are routinely rerouted for commercial pet foods. A similar fate applies to so-called 4-D animals. These are food animals picked up dead, or that are dying, diseased, or disabled, and do not meet human-food qualifications. They are processed straightaway for companion animal consumption. Little goes to waste.

Says Plechner, Food processing refuse of all sorts winds up in your animals dinner bowls. Moldy grains. Rancid foods. Meat meal. The latter is ground-up slaughterhouse discards often containing disease-ridden tissue and high levels of hormones and pesticides, the very things that may have contributed to the death of the steer or hog. A decade later, his words still apply.

When cattle, swine, chickens, lambs, or other animals meet their ends at a slaughterhouse, the choice cuts -- lean muscle tissue and organs prized by humans -- are trimmed away from the carcass for human consumption. Whatever remains of the carcass (bones, blood, pus, intestines, ligaments, subcutaneous fat, hooves, horns, beaks, and any other parts not normally consumed by humans) is, according to the pet food industry, perfectly fit as a protein source for cat and dog food.

The Pet Food Institute, the trade association of pet food manufacturers, acknowledges in its 1994 Fact Sheet the importance of using byproducts in pet foods as additional income for processors and farmers. The purchase and use of these ingredients by the pet food industry not only provides nutritional foods for pets at reasonable costs, but provides an important source of income to American farmers and processors of meat, poultry, and seafood products for human consumption.

Many of these remnants are indigestible and provide a questionable source of nutrition. The amount of nutrition provided by meat byproducts, meals, and digests varies from vat to vat of this animal protein soup. A vat filled with chicken feet, beaks, and viscera is going to make available a lower amount of protein than a vat of breast meat.

James Morris and Quinton Rogers, professors with Department of Molecular Biosciences at the University of California at Davis Veterinary School of Medicine, assert that there is virtually no information on the bioavailability of nutrients for companion animals in many of the common dietary ingredients used in pet foods. These ingredients are generally byproducts of the meat, poultry and fishing industries, with the potential for wide variation in nutrient composition. Claims of nutritional adequacy of pet foods based on the current AAFCO nutrient allowances (profiles) do not give assurances of nutritional adequacy and will not until ingredients are analyzed and bioavailability values are incorporated.

Meat byproducts, the catch-all term of the pet food industry, is a misnomer because these byproducts contain little if any meat. Byproducts contain little if any meat. Byproduct are animal parts leftover after the meat has been stripped from the bone. Chicken byproducts include heads, feet, entrails, lungs, spleens, kidneys, brains, livers, stomachs, noses, blood, and intestines free of their contents. What the pet food manufactures fail to mention is that most byproducts, digests and meals are also filled with other substances, such as cancerous tissue cut from the carcass, plastic foam packaging containing spoiled meat from supermarkets, ear tags, spoiled slaughterhouse meat, road kill, and pieces of downer animals.

Canned Cannibalism

Another source of meat that isn't mentioned on pet food labels is pet byproducts, the bodies of dogs and cats. In 1990 the San Francisco Chronicle reported that euthanized companion animals were found in pet foods. Although pet food company executives and the National Renderers Association vehemently denied the report, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the FDA confirmed the story. The pets serve a viable purpose by providing foodstuff for the animal feed chain, said Lea McGovern, chief of the FDA's animal feed safety branch.

Because of the sheer volume of animals rendered and the similarity in protein content between poultry byproducts and processed dogs and cats, rendering plant workers say it would be impossible for purchasers to know the exact contents of what they buy. In fact, Sacramento Rendering cited by inspectors five times in the past two years for product-labeling violations.

Grease and Grain

The most nutritious dry pet food is no better than the worst if an animals will not eat it. Pet food scientists have discovered that spraying the kibble or pellets with a combination of refined animal fat, lard, kitchen grease, and other oils too rancid or deemed inedible for humans makes an otherwise bland or distasteful product palatable. Animal fat is mainly packing house waste or supermarket trimmings from the packaging of meats. Animals love the taste of this sprayed fat, which also acts as a binding agent to which manufacturers may add other flavor enhancers. The pungent odor wafting from an open bag of pet food is created by this concoction.

Restaurant grease has become a major component of feed-grade animal fat over the last 15 years. Often held in 50-gallon drums for weeks or months in extreme temperatures, this grease is usually kelp outside with no regard for its safety or further use. The rancid grease is then picked up by fat blenders who mix the animal and vegetable fats together, stabilize them with powerful antioxidants to prevent further spoilage, and then sell the blended products to pet food companies. Rancid, heavily preserved fats are extremely difficult to digest and can lead to a host of animal health problems, including digestive upsets, diarrhea, gas, and bad breath.

Once considered a filler by the pet food industry, the amount of grain products included in pet food has risen over the last decade as the American population has focused its attention away from consuming beef and toward a healthier diet of grains and vegetables. Commonly two of the the top three pet food ingredients are some form of grain products. For instance, Alpo's Beef Flavored Dinner lists ground yellow corn, soybean meal, and poultry byproduct meal as its top three ingredients. 9 Lives Crunchy Meals lists ground yellow corn, corn gluten meal, and poultry byproduct meal as its top three ingredients.

Of the top four ingredients of Purina's O.N.E. Dog Formula -- chicken, ground yellow corn, ground wheat, and corn gluten meal -- two are corn-based products from the same source. This is an industry practice known as splitting. When components of the same whole ingredient are listed separately (ground yellow corn and corn gluten meal) it appears that there is less corn than chicken, even when the whole ingredient may weigh more than the chicken.

Soy is another common ingredient in many pet foods. It is used by the manufacturers to boost the claimed protein content and add bulk so that when animals eat a product containing soy they will fell more sated. Tofu is suitable for humans, but most forms of soybean do not agree with a dog or cat's digestive system. Like many other pet food ingredients, soy is virtually unusable by an animal's body. Being obligate carnivores, cats have little ability to digest any nutrients from soy. The problem is worse for dogs because they lack the essential amino acid to digest soy products. Soy has also been linked to bloat and gas in many dogs.

Additives and Processing

Pet food industry critics note that many of the ingredients (such as corn syrup and corn gluten meal) used as humectants to prevent oxidation also bind water molecules in such a way that the food actually sticks to the animal's colon and may cause blockage. Blockage of the colon may cause an increased risk of cancer of the colon or rectum.

Two-thirds of the pet food manufactured in the United States contains synthetic preservatives added by the manufacturer. Of the remaining third, 90 percent includes ingredients already stabilized by synthetic preservatives. Because most pet food contains large percentages of added fat, a stabilizer is needed to maintain the quality of the food. Sodium nitrite, often used as a coloring agent, fixative, and preservative, has the ability to combine with natural stomach and food chemicals (secondary amends) to create nitrosamines, powerful cancer-causing agents, according to A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives.

Many pet foods advertised as preservative-free do not contain preservatives. Almost all rendered meats have synthetic preservatives added as stabilizer, but manufacturers aren't required to list preservatives they themselves haven't added.
Premixed vitamin additives can also contain preservatives. In the 1003 Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, veterinarian Philip Roudebush reported finding low concentrations of synthetic antioxidant preservatives in all analyzed samples of products labeled as chemical free or all-natural.

Other types of additives depend on whether the pet food is semi-moist, dry or canned. Because semi-moist food contains 25-50 percent water, antimicrobial preservatives must be used. Propylene glycol was frequently used in cat food until it was pulled in 1992 for causing a variety of health problems.

Processing greatly alters the nutritional value of the food ingredients. Veterinarian R. L. Wysong states in Rationale for Animal Nutrition: Processing is the wild card in nutritional value that is, by and large, simply ignored. Heating, freezing, dehydrating, canning, extruding, pelleting, baking and so forth, are so commonplace that they are simply thought of as synonymous with food itself.

Because the ingredients that pet food companies use are not wholesome, and harsh manufacturing practices destroy what little nutritional value the food may have had in the first place, the final product must be fortified with vitamins and minerals.

Questionable Nutrition

How, then, can any pet food be guaranteed to be 100 percent complete or nutritionally adequate? As long as it meets the AFFCO minimum standards, such a guarantee can be on the label. Yet in 1994, feed tests conducted by the New York State Agriculture Department showed 7 percent of all pet foods analyzed failed chemical analyses for guaranteed nutrients. Other states report similar findings, with failure of analyzed feed ranging from to 12 percent.

Even if a pet food meets AAFCO standards, certain nutritional requirements (for example, lysine) can vary between species by as much as sevenfold. Although manufacturers claim that millions of companion animals can thrive on a diet consisting of nothing but commercial pet food, research and an increasing number of veterinarians implicate processed pet food as a source of disease or as an exacerbating agent for a number of degenerative diseases. For example, kidney disease is on of the top three killers of companion animals. According to Plechner, the extra protein and harsh ingredients of many pet foods place an overload on the kidneys. Left untreated, the toxic buildup leads to vomiting, loss of appetite, uremic poisoning, and death. Wysong adds, In the last few years, large statistical studies have shown the link between the diet (of processed foods) and a variety of degenerative diseases, including cancer, heart disease, allergies, arthritis, obesity, dental disease, etc.

After extensive research, the Animal Protection Institute (API) published a Pet Food Investigative Report to educate companion animal care givers about pet food ingredients, ingredient definitions, labeling, and dietary ailments resulting from processed commercial pet food, including the most commonly know brands. Yet, whether such food is purchased at the supermarket, pet store, or from a veterinarian, it makes little difference in terms of the quality -- only in the cost.

Since the report was published earlier this year, API has conducted more research on holistic pet care and pet food alternatives, but still claims that the vast majority of pet foods available on the market today provide less that optimum nutrition for companion animals.

It is sad to think that the food provided by animal care givers to their four-legged friends could be hazardous to the animals'; health and longevity. Care givers should assume responsibility for providing as healthful a diet as possible for the animals in the care. Consumers should be informed: speak with a holistic practitioner or herbalist, or consult your veterinarian (but be aware that a veterinarian's knowledge of nutrition may be limited to the two weeks of nutrition he or she had veterinary school 20 years ago).

Although the ideal solution would be for companion animals to be fed only wholesome homemade and/or vegetarian diets, this is not an option for everyone -- the cost and time commitment is sometimes prohibitive. By taking more moderate steps, however, care givers can still greatly improve a companion animals' diet and quality of life.

Tina Perry is an animal advocate with the Animal Protection Institute.

Reprinted from The Animals' Agenda, Nov/Dec 1996

Kidney Dogs...there is a natural alternative

2008-06-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

As many of my customers know, there is often a natural alternative to both medications and prescription diets - without the harmful side effects. I have recently had many questions about dogs with kidney disease and renal failure. Conventionally, a veterinarian will say to put the dog on a low-protein diet. If you look at the label of some such diets, you can see that their ingredients are low-quality. Among the first few ingredients in Hills k/d are Brewers Rice (a by-product of rice), Pork Fat, and Corn Gluten Meal. Although the Royal Canin mp and lp are better choices, they still contain both Corn, and Corn Gluten Meal. I began to ask around, "What is the alternative?" I know these formulas contain 11%-15% protein and no natural food I have found has a protein level that low. I started researching the topic and emailed a holistic vet about the issue. What I found is that it is not, in fact, the protein itself that cannot be processed by the kidneys; it is the substance used in processing the protein that is not easily digested. There have been many scientific tests done which point to the fact that high protein is bad for a dog with diseased kidneys, however, all such tests were done with processed proteins. More modern research done using high quality, unprocessed proteins show that in fact, a higher protein diet with a low phosphorus content is preferable.

The holistic vet I contacted had this to say: "I suggest feeding a high-protein, raw meat based diet. I have seen dramatic reductions in elevated kidney blood tests within two weeks for some patients. Why does conventional medicine do the opposite? Because all of the conventional nutrition research is done with processed foods."

A raw diet may be easier to feed than you think. Nature's Variety makes a raw diet that is complete and frozen. You simply thaw the patties and serve them at meal time. It is easy and healthy!

Please let me know if you want more information on this topic. I have several websites I can refer you to, plus I can send you a copy of my correspondence with the vet.

**I have recently heard of a remedy called Kibow. The research I have found on the product explains that it is a combination of three good bacteria that work together to absorb the toxins that diseased kidneys do not break down. Check out: http://www.kibowbiotec.com/ for more info on this product.

Traumeel

2008-06-09T13:50:00.000-07:00

I have spoken with many customers and fellow animal lovers about a product called Traumeel -I believe that many animals could benefit from its use and therefore I wanted to provide a little more information on the product.

Traumeel is a natural anti-inflammatory, analgesic that is beneficial in many ways, including relief from pain and stiffness caused by:

"Injuries of all kinds (sports, accidents) such as sprains, dislocations, contusions, burns, effusions of blood and effusions into a joint, fractures etc; post-operative and post-traumatic edema and swelling of the soft tissues; inflammatory processes and degenerative processes associated with inflammation on the various organs and tissues, including, in particular, on the support and mobility apparatus (tendovaginitis, styloiditis, epicondylitis, bursitis scapulohumeral periarthritis, arthrosis of the hip, knee and small joints); parodontitis, suppuration of the gingival pockets, paradontosis, commotio cerebri." (nutritiondynamics.com)

Many of you know that when I got Juno, she had a very hard time walking, running, jumping, and even standing up. After several weeks on a great diet and supplements of Traumeel, she is running and jumping with the other dogs. Although she still needs the surgery on her hind legs, she is FAR more comfortable as she waits for us to raise the funds. Several people have even commented "there's nothing wrong with that dog!" This product is amazing!

I am working on bringing it into the store. Currently, I get it at Whole Foods in the liquid form. When I get it in stock, I will let everyone know. Feel free to call me if you have any questions.

A Benefit For Juno

2008-06-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

Throw Juno some $BONES$!

Juno is a beautiful lab who came from the Greenville shelter earlier this year. There, they decided she was not healthy enough to rehabilitate and adopt out and therefore she was placed on the euthanasia list. Before she was sent to her sad, sad fate, WILD HEIR LAB RESCUE stepped in and saved the life of this amazing dog. Many of our customers have come to love Juno dearly. With her laid back disposition and eagerness for a belly scratch, who could resist her? Many people come simply to show Juno the love and affection she so deeply craves.

When she was picked up, she was heartworm positive. She went through heartworm treatment (which is very intense and painful). She was also sent to be spayed and when opened up, it was evident that she had already been spayed. While under, she had fatty tumors removed from her stomach. After several weeks of inactivity, Juno is now ready to have the procedures she needs to repair her hind knees.

In both of her back legs, Juno has torn ACLs. The specialist has said that she also has bad cartilage damage. She will need to have two surgeries. The first on her right knee (the worse of the two). The ligament and cartilage will be repaired and she will go through 6 weeks of rehab; both inpatient and outpatient. Once she has recovered, we will do it all over again on the left side.

This is where we need help! Although the wonderful vet we are using has discounted the price of the procedures, it is still VERY expensive. We need to raise $5,500. We had a benefit Wednesday, June 4 at Red's Ice House where we raised $260. We have been collecting money at Lucia's Premium Pet over past few weeks as well. We are also selling raffle tickets for the Grand Opening Celebration of the store. Many gracious friends of Juno have donated cool prizes to the raffle so stop by and get a ticket for a chance to win! Wild Heir Lab Rescue will be at Lucia's Saturday, June 7 for the celebration (Publix Shopping Center, Downtown Daniel Island) . We will have all sorts of fun and goodies for humans and pets so please stop by our party with a cause! We are on our way to raising the money and we will NOT stop until she is all well. If you cannot attend but would still like to give, please send checks to

Lucia's Premium Pet

162 Seven Farms Dr. Ste 115

Charleston, SC 29492

Made out to Wild Heir Lab Rescue (for: Juno)

Thank everyone so much for your generous donations and support. See you Saturday!!!

-Katharine, Juno, and Lucia!