It is about time that pet insurance companies increase coverages

Pet insurance provider Trupanion now covers theraputic petfood

Trupanion expands coverage of previously excluded treatments due to veterinary advancements

Release Date: Thursday, January 12, 2012 Comments(0)

Pet insurance provider Trupanion is expanding coverage for a variety of previously excluded treatment options such as therapeutic petfood, pet supplements, mobility devices, alternative therapies, feline kidney transplants and special disorders associated with working pets.
Trupanion expanded its coverage for these treatment options, once considered unconventional, because of veterinary advancements making the treatments more common.
“We always want to give the pet owner the freedom to pursue the best course of treatment for their pet.” said Darryl Rawlings, CEO at Trupanion. “So, we are happy to be able to expand our scope of coverage to include these new options that are becoming more commonplace.”
Core Trupanion coverage now includes half the cost of therapeutic petfoods purchased through a veterinarian to assist in care of a pet for two months, as well as nutritional supplements purchased through a veterinarian for treatment of an illness or injury. Previously, these foods and supplements were an out-of-pocket expense for pet owners, but Trupanion says its policyholders will now be able to recover these costs in their core coverage.
“Working pets often provide a great service to their owners and these owners want to protect them as best they can,” said Rawlings. “We are happy to now be able to offer these pet owners the peace of mind that if their pet becomes sick or injured, their treatment is covered.”

The continued controversey Raw vs Cooked

There was an interesting study published recently using cats to determine if extruded (kibble) diets, raw meat diets, or cooked meat diets caused any change in nutrient availability.  The answer was that extruded foods weren't as good as raw or cooked, which were the same.
Here is a brief abstract and the source of the study results if you want to read it.  Granted, this will not answer the question nor settle the debate, but it is an interesting "tidbit" just the same.
Smooches from the Pooches

Extruded vs. raw vs. cooked beef-based diets for cats

The objective of this study was to determine differences in apparent total tract energy and macronutrient digestibility, fecal and urine characteristics and serum chemistry of domestic cats fed raw and cooked meat-based diets and extruded diet. Dietary treatments included a high-protein extruded diet (EX, 57% crude protein), a raw beef-based diet (RB, 53% CP) and a cooked beef-based diet (CB, 52% CP) fed to nine adult female domestic shorthair cats.

Apparent total tract DM, OM, CP, fat and GE digestibilities were greater in cats fed RB and CB than those fed EX. Total fecal short chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations did not differ among dietary treatments; however, molar ratios of SCFA were modified by diet, with cats fed RB and CB having an increased proportion of fecal propionate and decreased proportion of fecal butyrate compared to cats fed EX. Fecal concentrations of ammonia, isobutyrate, valerate, isovalerate and total branched-chain fatty acids were greater in cats fed EX compared to cats fed RB and CB.

Our results indicated cooking a raw meat diet does not alter apparent total tract energy and macronutrient digestibility and may also minimize risk of microbial contamination. Given the increasing popularity of feeding raw diets and the metabolic differences noted in this experiment, further research focused on the adequacy and safety of raw beef-based diets in domestic cats is justified.

Source: K.R Kerr et al., 2011. Apparent total tract energy and macronutrient digestibility and fecal fermentative end-product concentrations of domestic cats fed extruded, raw beef-based and cooked beef-based diets. J. Anim. Sci. online October 2011. doi: 10.2527/ jas.2010-3266

Vitamin B Complex vitamin reviews

Just a short note today to relay some information about B Complex vitamins.  Consumerlab.com reviewed 25 of these products and found 5 that did not meet requirements.  These are listed here:
Isotonix Advanced B Complex powder. 1 capful per day.  No detectable B6 was found and only 53% of advertised biotin was present and only 80% of claimed folic acid was present.
Kirkland Signature B-100 Hi-Energy Complex (1 delayed release tablet, 1 per day) Only 18% of stated B-12 levels were present.
Other products were 5 Hour Energy and Stacker 2.
There was a long list of approved products, but the products I frequently recommend that were approved included Solgar, NOW, Freeda, Country Life and TwinLab.

If you need more info, let me know.

The price of treats

I have to tell a funny story about myself. While shopping in one of Knoxville's large pet food/treat/toy stores last week, I found myself searching the treat aisles.
A store clerk asked if I needed help.  I explained that my dog, Seeker, had inflammatory bowel disease and there seemed no treats he could eat. The clerk quickly brought me to a product that was 100% cheese.  He stated that his dogs loved them.  I looked at the price, $5.95.  Well, that was quite high for the small box of treats, but I thought heck, it's the holidays.  Well, the dogs loved them, and when I looked at the receipt, I realized that I paid $15.95 for less than a pound of cheese.  They are very good; we are all eating them.

http://www.petfoodindustry.com/45516.html  The Nylabone people have come out with a line of grain free dog treats. We've always thought of those as the nylon chew toys, but now healthy treats are available.  If anyone tries them, let us know how they are.

Time to get back on the horse.

I've been away from my blog for entirely too long.  While gone, we published a cookbook! I am very proud of it, and I hope it helps some dogs, somewhere, lead healthier lives. You can find things about the cookbook and how to purchase at www.backtobasicspetcare.com  Be on the lookout for new publications this year. The next book should contain cat recipes.

It seems that almost every day, more food recalls are announced.  Apparently this is a particularly bad year for aflatoxin.  Aflatoxin, a fungus, is one of the most toxic substances known.  It grows on mostly on corn crops, in storage silos of corn, and cottonseed meal.  Only corn is used extensively in the manufacture of dog foods.

If your dog is eating a dog food with corn in it, I'd highly recommend a change of food. A small patch of aflatoxin in a huge corn field, or a multi-ton storage silo can be very hard to detect. Since the toxin is so deadly, just a tiny amount is all that is needed. I'd rather be safe than sorry when it comes to fur family safety.

What physical signs would you see if your dog were affected by aflatoxin in their food? Dr. Sharon Center of Cornell University College of Vet Medicine tells us that
"Early signs that a dog has been poisoned by aflatoxin include lethargy, loss of appetite and vomiting and, later, orange-colored urine and jaundice (a yellowing of the eyes, gums and nonpigmented skin that reflects substantial liver injury). Severely affected dogs produce a blood-tinged vomit and bloody or blackened stools. "Since dogs can take several days to three weeks to exhibit serious signs of illness, all animals that consumed recalled lots of food should be examined by a veterinarian as early as possible."

I will begin posting FDA recalls on this blog.  Check daily for updates.

Hello fellow dog and cat lovers

Apparently I've not been a good blogger, and have neglected sharing information on the wonderful field of nutrition. 
As has been the trend since the 2007 recall, new foods have been popping up on the market daily.  It is hard to get your head around the sheer volume of new foods.  Some look great, some need two pages for their ingredient list. Each product is more than likely created with love and care, and the wish to share wholesome nutrition with every 4-legged family member in the world.  There are, however, some cautions and things to remember when shopping for dog and cat foods. For brevity, I'll list some concerns.

• Most of the new foods are not AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) tested.  Although AAFCO is very far from perfect, it is the best we have, and better than nothing.  They usually contain a statement that they have been formulated to meet the requirements of AAFCO. However, if you think about it............if they don't test the food, who will?  I guess that would be you, the consumer and your dog or cat.  Not only are you testing their food, you are being asked to pay for that food.
• AAFCO formulated diets can be great, and 5 or 6 years of great reviews from consumers should be more than  adequate "consumer testing"
• Small start up companies with new foods, likely do not have the capital to purchase all of the manufacturing equipment required to make the food for national distribution.  So, in a nutshell, someone else is manufacturing their food for them.  These are called co-packers.  Several recall problems have been traced back to employees of co-packers who make errors while producing the food.  I would think that we wouldn't see as much of that if the company owners were producing food in their own facilities.
• Quality control.  It is expensive to practice excellent quality control.  Just a few of the areas involved, are
• Checking the quality of purchased ingredients
• Checking the quality of supplements, shelf life of vitamin mineral premixes.
• Assuring the proper storage of ingredients, supplements and vitamins/minerals prior to manufacture.
• Cleanliness of and proper function of equipment used to manufacture.
• Quality of employees running the manufacturing line.
• Is the food dry enough to package?
• Is the product stable enough to withstand someone leaving it in the sun, in a hot car for several days?  Will the preservative hold up for the entire time of the "use by" period?
• How well preserved is the food to withstand the shipping, cross-country in the back of a very hot tractor trailer?

These are just a very few of the areas that need to be addressed by the maker of a new food.  Lastly though, please know that there are absolutely NO requirements of education, qualifications, experience of those formulating these recipes. Same goes for the plethora of home-cooked diet recipes on the Internet. Everyone means well, but it does not mean it will turn out well.

Susan, Seeker, Weezie, and ZuZu

Testimonial - Mr. Darby the Weimaraner

This is a case I am very proud of, and cannot believe I have met and am now friends with a most wonderful person as a result of this field of work.
Mr. Darcy had a very unusual medical condition that would have cost him his life if not repaired.  This problem is usually found after the dog is over a year of age.  Mr. Darcy was nearly 2 (if I remember correctly) when his trouble started.  Short story here.  Mr. Darcy was to have a liver biopsy, but what the surgeon found was what is called a peritoneal pericardial diaphragmatic hernia (PPDH). This means that he had a hole in his diaphragm and in the sac that surrounds the heart.  Instead of all of his "innards" being in his abdomen, they were all scrambled up.  Some were in his chest and I believe his heart was in his abdomen.  Karin can correct me if I have said something incorrectly. The surgeon was able to repair this, but it was a long, hard, recovery for Mr. Darcy.  It is hard for the body to heal itself if there is inadequate nutrition. Thank you for your kind words Karin.

"I have known Dr. Susan Lauten since September 2009 when I contacted her as a last resort for my dog who was not getting back on his paws after extensive surgery. The veterinarians agreed that nutrition may be the key to his recovery and provided me with 20 pages about canine nutrition from a veterinary textbook. I WAS COMPLETELY LOST. Somebody recommended Dr. Lauten, and she agreed to take on a complicated case.
It required out-of-the-box thinking in a scenario rarely seen, and with Susan's guidance and advice, my dog began his slow process of recovery.
He is now healthy, but I still consult with Susan periodically because adjustments in his diets are still necessary.
I have found in Susan a person of exceptional knowledge and attention to detail. I also found a friend who was willing to listen to my fears and nursed me through the recovery process as much as my dog.
I cannot recommend Dr. Susan Lauten more as an expert in her field of pet nutrition and as a wonderful human being."
I think you all need a picture of Mr. Darcy and my friend (his Mom) Karin to go with this story.  I think he is doing very well :-)