Hill’s is working with the American Veterinary Medical Foundation and Merial to stabilize pet families and vet clinics along the Gulf Coast following the oil spill. Neil Thompson, Hill’s CEO, comments on these efforts at the AVMA conference in July .

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Today’s TV commercials always show a happy pet that eats the company’s food. But, in some cases, that is not totally true. Pet food may seem tasty for your dog or cat, but this does not mean that it provides the proper pet nutrition.

Pet foods are all processed and that can cause loss of nutritional value and vitamins are especially degradable and can be lost from the processing and even just length of time the food is on the shelf or a bag is open.  Pet vitamin supplements are processed specifically with that in mind to preserve the vitamin availability and are stored and bottled to protect it as well.

Also consider that different animals have different needs. For example, cats need Taurine in their diet to protect their eyes and heart, whereas other animals can produce this amino acid from other ones.  Some dogs are prone to skin allergies and supplementing certain oils can help. On a closer look to all the cat breeds or dog breeds, you will immediately notice that there are small and big cats or dogs, hairy or less hairy cats and dogs, dogs that go blind sooner than others, cats that have early kidney disease compared to other breeds. Knowing your animal can be the perfect place to start once you decide to put it on pet supplements.

Pet vitamin or supplements manage to give the animal exactly what it needs. Just like in humans, the pet has to go first through a medical check. This is to ensure there is no contraindication for such a supplement and also to determine if there is any need for specific ones such as to support liver or kidney function, vision, etc..The vet can tell you precisely what type of pet vitamin or supplements your animal needs after and exam and possible some blood tests.

Good pet nutrition is what makes a healthy animal. A healthy animal is a happy animal that has a strong body to protect him from diseases and even raise the length of life for the pet. Some of the pet vitamin supplements address specific areas of the body to improve your pet’s life expectancy, allowing you to enjoy your animal for extra years.

That and allowing your pet to feel his or her best while here are ultimately what is important.  Our furry friends deserve the best.

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Grooming a cat is a necessary task for every cat owner, and it doesn’t end with a simple brushing or nail trim. Learn more at www.hillspet.com

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In recent times pet nutritionists have come to the conclusion that many of today’s health problems in animals, including physical and behavioral conditions have their roots in poor nutrition. Many of the leading manufacturers of so-called ‘quality’ pet food are responsible for this decline in your pet’s health.

Veterinarians are noticing this deteriorating health in pets and believe that chemical additives and preservatives play a part.

So, just what is in your dog or cats pet food?

The fact that when you open up a can of dog food you turn your nose, is a sign that there are all sorts of gases and odors released that are unfit for human and animal consumption. The heavy use of preservatives such as BHT/BHA and Ethoxyquin are likely to be responsible as well as urine, faecal matter, hair, pus, meat from sick or adrenalin filled animals (most animals just prior to the kill in abattoirs release a rush of adrenalin into their bloodstream as they intuit they are about to die). Ethoxyquin is actually an herbicide and has had detrimental effects on humans who were working with it in the rubber industry. Reports of liver/kidney damage, cancerous skin lesions, hair loss, blindness, leukemia, fetal abnormalities and chronic diarrhea were noted and in animals it has been linked to immune deficiency syndrome, spleen, stomach and liver cancer, as well as the above mentioned diseases.

It is no doubt that the increased use of chemical preservatives in pet food is linked to the rise in pet disease over the last 25 years.

Rancid animal and poultry fat (by-products of the meat industry) that have escaped human consumption are the staples of most canned pet food. These unhealthy putrid fats are difficult to digest and are likely linked to stomach and liver disorders resulting in bloating, gas, diarrhea and the notorious bad breath our pets are known for.

At present, the department of agriculture does not have mandatory inspection of the ingredients used in pet food. They are allowed to use “4D” classification sources such as meat, tissues, skin and insides of animals that are dead, dying, disabled, or diseased (AND UNFIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION). Some of the animal meat used will be loaded with heavy hormones, steroids and antibiotics from the farming industry that continue to be ‘active’ in dead tissue!

Add to this a host of artificial colorants, preservatives and sweetening agents such as cornstarch and sucrose and you have a chemical concoction bound to cause disease in any animal that ingests it. Cat food manufacturers use corn syrup, which cause addiction and over stimulate the production of insulin and acidic digestive juices. These empty sugars put a great deal of stress on the pancreas and may result in diabetes. They also interfere with the animal’s ability to absorb nutrients and vitamins from their food. As with humans, artificial sweeteners can cause hyperactivity and behavioral problems in animals and destroy friendly bacteria that aid in digestion. The added sugar content could also be responsible for diseases such as diabetes, hypoglycemia, obesity, allergies, loss of vision and cancer.

Another harmful chemical is propylene glycol, which is responsible for prolonging the shelf life of dry products. However, they also dehydrate the colon, causing constipation and the formation of small, dry,hard stools. These kinds of stools may be uncomfortable for your pet to pass as well as leading to diseases of the digestive tract in the long term.

The addition of salt to canned pet food is also a health hazard. Too much refined salt can lead to hypertension, water retention, kidney damage, palpitations and other ailments.

To add fiber, soybean meal is added to pet food, which hinders digestion in dogs. Peanut hulls are also used but can be an irritant to the colon and cause constipation.

As you can see from the above, properly feeding your pet is an essential part of caring that you, the owner is responsible for. Just as there is a growing awareness today of what’s healthy for humans to eat, it is just as crucial to make sure your pet is also getting the proper healthy nutrition it needs for optimum health.

A happy pet = a happy owner. Give YOUR pet the best chance of optimal health through proper nutrition today.

May you both live long happy healthy lives together.

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Duffy has helped the owners of these rescue cats find a diet that works for them.

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