April 6, 2011
Recently I got a Daily Cat Tip that disturbed me as this person is supposed to be a pet expert. Here is her tip and follows is the
explanation as to why this is such a BAD idea:
Anywhere that your cat spends a lot of time, dander can accumulate. These areas can (and should) be cleaned by treating them
with a dander-destroying spray. That includes a cat condo or cat tree, the backs of chairs and sofas, wall-to-wall carpeting and
area rugs, and cat beds (or dog beds if the cats also spend time snoozing on them). A great spray to look for is X-O, a
biodegradable organic product that is a cleaner and odor neutralizer, originally designed for use directly on humans in hospitals.
It can be sprayed anywhere kitty has left an odor.
Radio show host and pet expert Tracie Hotchner is the author of The Dog Bible and The Cat Bible.
As you all know I will never use or recommend a product without researching the ingredients and basically one of the things that
bothered me about this, is that she states to spray it directly on cat beds, condos, cat trees, etc. which will no doubt then be
absorbed into the cat’s skin. Categorized as all natural and biodegradable doesn’t make it safe! I’ve said this over and over
again and there are MANY licensed aromatherapists, who will tell you the same thing. That plant essentials in a product is also
essential oils. Essential oils can be highly toxic especially if you’re spraying this product on these areas several times and
building up the possibility of their skin absorbing some of it. Even if the symptoms aren’t shown immediately, these oils can be
built up over time and accumulate in the liver just as heavy metals do. I also checked on the company’s website for this product
and it states to spray it directly ON your pet’s coat! I don’t think so!
The other ingredient I found was cetylpyridinium chloride. Although the product contains a very small amount .10% of this
ingredient studies have been done where even a smaller amount on lab animals has caused horrible side effects:
"The Dictionary of Substances and Their Effects" reports the results of toxicity tests in which lab rats inhaled 0.05, 0.07, 0.13 and
0.29 mg of cetylpyridinium chloride. Fourteen days after the initial exposure, signs of toxicity included nasal discharge,
respiratory difficulty, weight loss, bloody tears, and inflammation of the iris, cornea and aqueous humor (the fluid part of the eye).
Other adverse effects in animals include nervous depression, convulsions and limb paralysis.
www.ehow.com/list_6396178_cetylpyridinium-chloride-side-effects.html
I’m not comfortable spraying anything like this directly onto my cat or anything my cat is going to lay or sleep on. The moral of this
story is that regardless of how “safe” a product claims to be, we have to always look at the ingredients and find out for ourselves.
This product doesn’t list it’s ingredients openly, I had to search for it. If you’re checking on a product and you can’t find the
ingredients on the site that’s selling it, google the name of the product and go to the company’s site. There you’ll have to search
the site and look for their product guidelines and information, usually it’s in a pdf format. Any and all ingredients you aren’t sure
of, google it, you’re bound to find the answers you’re looking for.
As far as cleaning products that contain plant oils I would say just be very careful with which ones you’re using and if you spray a
surface, make sure it’s completely dry before letting your cat near it. Some oils are more toxic than others even in diluted forms.
I’ve even been told by some holistic vets not to use any cat litter with cedar in it as cedar oil is toxic. Too bad too because there
was one I was using that was really working.
This is a great article about how to tell your kids when your pet has died:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42310680/ns/today-parenting/
Thanks to Tasha’s mom Julie for this fantastic video from Cornell University. It’s an online training video that teaches you how to
brush your cat’s teeth. Something I’ve got to start doing so I’ll be checking it out.
http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/Brushing-Your-Cats-Teeth/Entire-Video
Please be advised that feeding any albacore tuna to your cat for awhile is not a good idea. Albacore tuna swims from Japan to
the west coast of the U.s. and has already been found to have low levels of radiation in it. Good thing I already bought a few cans
for my own sandwiches but I don’t think I’ll be eating anymore of that and I certainly won’t give even a little to the cats. Also
beware of sushi or anyone feeding raw fish, until things are better tested and we have more information I personally wouldn’t risk
it. I know we’re all walking around with a low level of radiation in us already and even food that comes out of the ground has
radiation in it from the earth. But this is plutonium, and I’m no expert on anything to do with radiation. So exercise your own
cautions.
April 12, 2011
After my last newsletter with the information about that X-O spray, a couple of people have written me with some information and
concerns about other products. Dr. Barb reminded me that “the bigger problem isn't even that they absorb the oils through their
skin as most of it doesn't get to skin other than paws and maybe face due to all that fur, but that they groom themselves and
actually ingest it directly. You can't say often enough the importance of reading ingredients. Best way to get rid of dander (and
pollen, dust mites, and everything else) is to simply wash in hot water what you can and sweep/swiffer or vacuum the rest as
opposed to spraying another layer of something on.”
Carol then wrote me with some information from the X-O’s own website about their so called “essential oils” - Proprietary
essential oils compound HS: 3.5% The specific chemical identities of the ingredients of this compound are considered by X-O
Corporation to be trade secrets and are withheld in accordance with the provision of 1910.1200 of title 29 of the code of Federal
Regulations.
So not only are essential oils toxic to pets but we’re going on hearsay that they even ARE essential oils and not something else.
A couple of other people then wrote me about using Febreeze. Just today I received an email from Simba’s mom Tracey about
what happened to her. Yesterday she was outside spraying some clothes with it that she was giving to charity. This is what
happened. “I was spraying the clothes and some of the spray must have drifted onto my face but I didn’t notice at the time. A
couple hours later I felt awful, my eyes felt gritty, headaches and the skin on my face felt tight. I went into the bathroom and looked
in the mirror, my face had swelled up!!!!! I looked awful, I couldn’t see my eyelids and my eyes looked like they had sunk into my
head. I washed my face and went and took an antihistamine. My face has mostly gone down now but I am just so glad that I never
use these things around my cats.” She said that today she still has a headache and her skin still feels prickly and uncomfortable.
Obviously it was a good thing she used it outside and won’t be using it again I’m sure.
I would also suggest not using any of the automatic room air fresheners. These emit Phthalates into the air which can cause liver
damage and interfere with the reproductive system, not to mention cause respiratory issues:
www.ewg.org/chemindex/term/480.
And PLEASE remember that if you have to use pesticides for any reason, remove clothing and shoes immediately when
entering the house, wash yourself up very well (showering would be best, also washing your hair) and wash your clothing in the
laundry. Pesticides are sometimes a necessary evil, especially when you have a horrible pest infestation that’s doing some
major damage. These days as the climate is changing, we’re experiencing all kinds of new things in our areas. I can vouch for
that as last year my house was literally covered with Box Elder bugs which mate like little magic rabbits. I’m really not
exaggerating when I say I felt like I was in an Alfred Hitchcock movie! It was a nightmare and they came into the house just as
much as outside. So I have to spray that tree whether I like it or not because I’m not up for eating these things! Just be extremely
careful not only for your pets but for yourself and your family as well. These agents cause nerve and brain damage to insects so
try to also make sure there isn’t too much run off on your property as neighborhood animals and wildlife can become ill and it can
also enter the local water supply.
Switching to meat safety; if you feed your pets any meat at all from grocery stores, take a look at this investigation that aired on tv
today. This is for the state of Massachusetts but I wouldn’t stop there. I’d be willing to bet this happens everywhere.
www1.whdh.com/features/articles/hank/BO145397/. Basically there are TWO sell by dates on meat packages, not just one
(which I didn’t know). Always look on the side or the bottom of the package and go by that date which is the meat company’s sell
by date. The labels on the top, put there by the supermarkets, are not reflecting the correct date at all. Read the article to see
what kind of problems can arise from that.
April 25, 2011
In these two situations I don’t personally know the kitties or parents but I did speak with both of the parents on some forums and
their stories are tragic. I feel I must briefly discuss what happened to each of them as a warning to other parents. I never assume
that people know all the dangers that your pet can get into. The first one was no one’s fault at all and just a horrible accident but
serves as a reminder to make sure all of your curtains and curtain rods are VERY securely attached to your walls. This poor cat
was clawing at the window because he saw another kitty outside and wanted to go out there. The mom was in another room
when she heard the curtain rod come crashing down and a loud meow. She ran in to the room and screamed when she saw that
the rod had hit her kitty in the head and he’d passed away. It was beyond tragic and heartbreaking to read her diary on this and
all I could think how awful she feels.
The loss of this second kitty is an example of human error and not checking with your vet first. On Saturday a young girl posted
that her cat had been to the vet for an upper respiratory infection and had antibiotics. Shortly after the antibiotics were done she
wrote in that he didn’t seem to be any better, his breathing was getting shallow, he was lethargic, inactive and apparently had a
fever. She then posted that a days prior to this her mom had given the kitty some Panadol (acetaminophen). I had no idea what
Panadol was and after I looked it up I completely freaked out and told her to get that kitty to the ER NOW! It’s extremely toxic and
I couldn’t have stressed that enough, I even emailed her. Regardless of my attempts, they waited another day to take him into the
vet and by then it was too late. The kitty developed blood and water in his lungs and didn’t make it through the night. Two huge
mistakes they’ll have to live with now. ALWAYS make sure to check with a vet first, call the ER if you vet is closed and ask them if
it’s okay to give your pet something, they will tell you! And ALWAYS get your kitty to the vet or ER if they seem distressed in any
way, especially breathing! This is all just so very sad!
I also wanted to let you all know that the kitty we’re having the Facebook auction for, Vern, was not bitten by a tick or anything
while camping. He has had this condition with his discs for months and they thought they could get the swelling down enough with
pred so the discs may heal itself but it’s not the case and now 3 more discs have been displaced. It’s been suggested about
lyme disease a couple of times so I just wanted you all to know that it’s a disc problem that had already been there.
I have several new case studies on the site. 3 of them are in the same family; Lulu P. & Teddy P. are in the Living with IBD
section and Gismo P. is in the Tributes section.
We also have Frankie who is in the Living section and Scooter who is on the Tributes page. Thank you again so much to these
parents who have given their time, effort and painful stories to help others learn from their experiences.
Study Links ProMeris to Pemphigus Foliaceus; Pfizer Stopping Its Production
This is linked to a condition in dogs but I would not use it on my cat if that’s the case.
www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-breaking-news/2011/04/18/study-links-promeris-to-pemphigus-foliaceus-pfizer-stopping-
its-production.aspx
This is a study on humans and gluten diets but is interesting in that if you scroll to the bottom, there’s a list of symptoms for gluten
sensitivity. Absolutely kitty related in regards to symptoms.
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40968573/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/
I encourage you all to go to this site and sign the petition for congress to adopt the Animal Bill of Rights!
Animal abuse and neglect of ANY kind should be a Federal offense!
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5154/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5078
That’s all for now and PLEASE everyone who is in the path of these dangerous tornadoes and storms here in the U.S., please
stay say and take care of yourselves, your families and your pets. These families are proof of why you should have an evacuation
or disaster plan for your entire family, including your pets. http://www.ibdkitties.net/disasters.html
Recently I got a Daily Cat Tip that disturbed me as this person is supposed to be a pet expert. Here is her tip and follows is the
explanation as to why this is such a BAD idea:
Anywhere that your cat spends a lot of time, dander can accumulate. These areas can (and should) be cleaned by treating them
with a dander-destroying spray. That includes a cat condo or cat tree, the backs of chairs and sofas, wall-to-wall carpeting and
area rugs, and cat beds (or dog beds if the cats also spend time snoozing on them). A great spray to look for is X-O, a
biodegradable organic product that is a cleaner and odor neutralizer, originally designed for use directly on humans in hospitals.
It can be sprayed anywhere kitty has left an odor.
Radio show host and pet expert Tracie Hotchner is the author of The Dog Bible and The Cat Bible.
As you all know I will never use or recommend a product without researching the ingredients and basically one of the things that
bothered me about this, is that she states to spray it directly on cat beds, condos, cat trees, etc. which will no doubt then be
absorbed into the cat’s skin. Categorized as all natural and biodegradable doesn’t make it safe! I’ve said this over and over
again and there are MANY licensed aromatherapists, who will tell you the same thing. That plant essentials in a product is also
essential oils. Essential oils can be highly toxic especially if you’re spraying this product on these areas several times and
building up the possibility of their skin absorbing some of it. Even if the symptoms aren’t shown immediately, these oils can be
built up over time and accumulate in the liver just as heavy metals do. I also checked on the company’s website for this product
and it states to spray it directly ON your pet’s coat! I don’t think so!
The other ingredient I found was cetylpyridinium chloride. Although the product contains a very small amount .10% of this
ingredient studies have been done where even a smaller amount on lab animals has caused horrible side effects:
"The Dictionary of Substances and Their Effects" reports the results of toxicity tests in which lab rats inhaled 0.05, 0.07, 0.13 and
0.29 mg of cetylpyridinium chloride. Fourteen days after the initial exposure, signs of toxicity included nasal discharge,
respiratory difficulty, weight loss, bloody tears, and inflammation of the iris, cornea and aqueous humor (the fluid part of the eye).
Other adverse effects in animals include nervous depression, convulsions and limb paralysis.
www.ehow.com/list_6396178_cetylpyridinium-chloride-side-effects.html
I’m not comfortable spraying anything like this directly onto my cat or anything my cat is going to lay or sleep on. The moral of this
story is that regardless of how “safe” a product claims to be, we have to always look at the ingredients and find out for ourselves.
This product doesn’t list it’s ingredients openly, I had to search for it. If you’re checking on a product and you can’t find the
ingredients on the site that’s selling it, google the name of the product and go to the company’s site. There you’ll have to search
the site and look for their product guidelines and information, usually it’s in a pdf format. Any and all ingredients you aren’t sure
of, google it, you’re bound to find the answers you’re looking for.
As far as cleaning products that contain plant oils I would say just be very careful with which ones you’re using and if you spray a
surface, make sure it’s completely dry before letting your cat near it. Some oils are more toxic than others even in diluted forms.
I’ve even been told by some holistic vets not to use any cat litter with cedar in it as cedar oil is toxic. Too bad too because there
was one I was using that was really working.
This is a great article about how to tell your kids when your pet has died:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42310680/ns/today-parenting/
Thanks to Tasha’s mom Julie for this fantastic video from Cornell University. It’s an online training video that teaches you how to
brush your cat’s teeth. Something I’ve got to start doing so I’ll be checking it out.
http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/Brushing-Your-Cats-Teeth/Entire-Video
Please be advised that feeding any albacore tuna to your cat for awhile is not a good idea. Albacore tuna swims from Japan to
the west coast of the U.s. and has already been found to have low levels of radiation in it. Good thing I already bought a few cans
for my own sandwiches but I don’t think I’ll be eating anymore of that and I certainly won’t give even a little to the cats. Also
beware of sushi or anyone feeding raw fish, until things are better tested and we have more information I personally wouldn’t risk
it. I know we’re all walking around with a low level of radiation in us already and even food that comes out of the ground has
radiation in it from the earth. But this is plutonium, and I’m no expert on anything to do with radiation. So exercise your own
cautions.
April 12, 2011
After my last newsletter with the information about that X-O spray, a couple of people have written me with some information and
concerns about other products. Dr. Barb reminded me that “the bigger problem isn't even that they absorb the oils through their
skin as most of it doesn't get to skin other than paws and maybe face due to all that fur, but that they groom themselves and
actually ingest it directly. You can't say often enough the importance of reading ingredients. Best way to get rid of dander (and
pollen, dust mites, and everything else) is to simply wash in hot water what you can and sweep/swiffer or vacuum the rest as
opposed to spraying another layer of something on.”
Carol then wrote me with some information from the X-O’s own website about their so called “essential oils” - Proprietary
essential oils compound HS: 3.5% The specific chemical identities of the ingredients of this compound are considered by X-O
Corporation to be trade secrets and are withheld in accordance with the provision of 1910.1200 of title 29 of the code of Federal
Regulations.
So not only are essential oils toxic to pets but we’re going on hearsay that they even ARE essential oils and not something else.
A couple of other people then wrote me about using Febreeze. Just today I received an email from Simba’s mom Tracey about
what happened to her. Yesterday she was outside spraying some clothes with it that she was giving to charity. This is what
happened. “I was spraying the clothes and some of the spray must have drifted onto my face but I didn’t notice at the time. A
couple hours later I felt awful, my eyes felt gritty, headaches and the skin on my face felt tight. I went into the bathroom and looked
in the mirror, my face had swelled up!!!!! I looked awful, I couldn’t see my eyelids and my eyes looked like they had sunk into my
head. I washed my face and went and took an antihistamine. My face has mostly gone down now but I am just so glad that I never
use these things around my cats.” She said that today she still has a headache and her skin still feels prickly and uncomfortable.
Obviously it was a good thing she used it outside and won’t be using it again I’m sure.
I would also suggest not using any of the automatic room air fresheners. These emit Phthalates into the air which can cause liver
damage and interfere with the reproductive system, not to mention cause respiratory issues:
www.ewg.org/chemindex/term/480.
And PLEASE remember that if you have to use pesticides for any reason, remove clothing and shoes immediately when
entering the house, wash yourself up very well (showering would be best, also washing your hair) and wash your clothing in the
laundry. Pesticides are sometimes a necessary evil, especially when you have a horrible pest infestation that’s doing some
major damage. These days as the climate is changing, we’re experiencing all kinds of new things in our areas. I can vouch for
that as last year my house was literally covered with Box Elder bugs which mate like little magic rabbits. I’m really not
exaggerating when I say I felt like I was in an Alfred Hitchcock movie! It was a nightmare and they came into the house just as
much as outside. So I have to spray that tree whether I like it or not because I’m not up for eating these things! Just be extremely
careful not only for your pets but for yourself and your family as well. These agents cause nerve and brain damage to insects so
try to also make sure there isn’t too much run off on your property as neighborhood animals and wildlife can become ill and it can
also enter the local water supply.
Switching to meat safety; if you feed your pets any meat at all from grocery stores, take a look at this investigation that aired on tv
today. This is for the state of Massachusetts but I wouldn’t stop there. I’d be willing to bet this happens everywhere.
www1.whdh.com/features/articles/hank/BO145397/. Basically there are TWO sell by dates on meat packages, not just one
(which I didn’t know). Always look on the side or the bottom of the package and go by that date which is the meat company’s sell
by date. The labels on the top, put there by the supermarkets, are not reflecting the correct date at all. Read the article to see
what kind of problems can arise from that.
April 25, 2011
In these two situations I don’t personally know the kitties or parents but I did speak with both of the parents on some forums and
their stories are tragic. I feel I must briefly discuss what happened to each of them as a warning to other parents. I never assume
that people know all the dangers that your pet can get into. The first one was no one’s fault at all and just a horrible accident but
serves as a reminder to make sure all of your curtains and curtain rods are VERY securely attached to your walls. This poor cat
was clawing at the window because he saw another kitty outside and wanted to go out there. The mom was in another room
when she heard the curtain rod come crashing down and a loud meow. She ran in to the room and screamed when she saw that
the rod had hit her kitty in the head and he’d passed away. It was beyond tragic and heartbreaking to read her diary on this and
all I could think how awful she feels.
The loss of this second kitty is an example of human error and not checking with your vet first. On Saturday a young girl posted
that her cat had been to the vet for an upper respiratory infection and had antibiotics. Shortly after the antibiotics were done she
wrote in that he didn’t seem to be any better, his breathing was getting shallow, he was lethargic, inactive and apparently had a
fever. She then posted that a days prior to this her mom had given the kitty some Panadol (acetaminophen). I had no idea what
Panadol was and after I looked it up I completely freaked out and told her to get that kitty to the ER NOW! It’s extremely toxic and
I couldn’t have stressed that enough, I even emailed her. Regardless of my attempts, they waited another day to take him into the
vet and by then it was too late. The kitty developed blood and water in his lungs and didn’t make it through the night. Two huge
mistakes they’ll have to live with now. ALWAYS make sure to check with a vet first, call the ER if you vet is closed and ask them if
it’s okay to give your pet something, they will tell you! And ALWAYS get your kitty to the vet or ER if they seem distressed in any
way, especially breathing! This is all just so very sad!
I also wanted to let you all know that the kitty we’re having the Facebook auction for, Vern, was not bitten by a tick or anything
while camping. He has had this condition with his discs for months and they thought they could get the swelling down enough with
pred so the discs may heal itself but it’s not the case and now 3 more discs have been displaced. It’s been suggested about
lyme disease a couple of times so I just wanted you all to know that it’s a disc problem that had already been there.
I have several new case studies on the site. 3 of them are in the same family; Lulu P. & Teddy P. are in the Living with IBD
section and Gismo P. is in the Tributes section.
We also have Frankie who is in the Living section and Scooter who is on the Tributes page. Thank you again so much to these
parents who have given their time, effort and painful stories to help others learn from their experiences.
Study Links ProMeris to Pemphigus Foliaceus; Pfizer Stopping Its Production
This is linked to a condition in dogs but I would not use it on my cat if that’s the case.
www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-breaking-news/2011/04/18/study-links-promeris-to-pemphigus-foliaceus-pfizer-stopping-
its-production.aspx
This is a study on humans and gluten diets but is interesting in that if you scroll to the bottom, there’s a list of symptoms for gluten
sensitivity. Absolutely kitty related in regards to symptoms.
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40968573/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/
I encourage you all to go to this site and sign the petition for congress to adopt the Animal Bill of Rights!
Animal abuse and neglect of ANY kind should be a Federal offense!
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5154/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5078
That’s all for now and PLEASE everyone who is in the path of these dangerous tornadoes and storms here in the U.S., please
stay say and take care of yourselves, your families and your pets. These families are proof of why you should have an evacuation
or disaster plan for your entire family, including your pets. http://www.ibdkitties.net/disasters.html
| Copyright © IBD Kitties 2008-2012, all rights reserved |
| Newsletter Archive April 2011 |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
