January 2012 Newsletter

January 1, 2012
I’m pleased to announce that we’re offering a 10% discount on calming collars here on IBD Kitties. If you don’t
know what a calming collar is please go to http://ibdkitties.net/giftshops.html for the discount and Finney’s story
of why he needed one. This thing amazed me immediately and I’m a skeptic about things working that well and
that fast! But it DOES! These collars are perfect for sick kitties especially due to all the vet visits, stress, anxiety
and medications. They also make some for motion sickness due to car rides and also one for keeping cool in the
summer. If you have any questions about them let me know.

(thank you Barb for this link) Something that may help some IBD kitties and others as well. Cerenia is used for
vomiting/nausea, but they're realizing it has anti-inflammatory properties. It may be worth looking into, possibly to
help reduce prednisone. This blog belongs to a veterinarian:
I Couldn’t Live Without: Cerenia
http://thelearningvet.wordpress.com/2011/02/05/what-i-couldnt-live-without-cerenia/

Atherton police dog dies after eating leaves of popular sago palm plant
www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_19604604

Prevention and Monitoring of Feline Urinary Issues
www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2011/dec/prevention_monitoring_feline_urinary_issues?
utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=20111223&utm_campaign=FullyVetted_prevention-
monitoring-feline-urinary-issues#.TvpEuvLoaSp

Pancreatitis in pets
www.gilroydispatch.com/blogs/pet_blog/article_ec712eb0-2cea-11e1-8efa-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=story

This is a wonderful story and thank goodness for people like her AND the people who run the shelter!
Mystery donor gives $1.5 million to build Detroit's 1st no-kill dog shelter
www.freep.com/article/20111230/NEWS01/112300444/Mystery-donor-gives-36-1-5-million-to-build-Detroit-s-1st-
no-kill-dog-shelter

As much as we hate vaccines I guess this could certainly make the argument for them in our pets. This is the
SECOND person in one month to contract rabies from a bat. Unfortunately this is fatal and both these people will
not survive. The other one is in South Carolina:
Mass. rabies patient likely caught disease from bat bite
www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1392056&srvc=rss

Getting a cat ups allergy risk in adults
www.courant.com/health/sns-rt-us-cat-allergy-risktre7bq0pu-20111227,0,7675853.story

Extra pounds can weigh heavily on animal's health
www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/lifestyles/family/s_773635.html

Two Legged Cat Thriving In New Home
www.kfor.com/news/local/kfor-two-legged-cat-thriving-in-new-home-20111227,0,5446355.story

GREAT article!
Some Startling New Thoughts on Cats and Hairballs
http://consciouscat.net/2010/04/28/some-startling-new-thoughts-on-cats-and-hairballs/

This is not a pleasant story but one that should be told! There’s a lot of outrage over this and rightfully so. Thank
you Jeannine for this link: Rescue group in crisis mode after cat euthanized
http://news.yahoo.com/rescue-group-crisis-mode-cat-euthanized-194826690.html

Thanks everyone! Happy New Year!

January 7, 2012
19 Ill in Drug-Resistant Salmonella Ground Beef Outbreak
That's three more cases of Salmonella infection confirmed since the CDC's last report on the outbreak, Dec. 20,
2011. The new cases were reported in New Hampshire and New York.
www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/01/19-ill-in-drug-resistant-salmonella-ground-beef-outbreak/?
utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=120106

I recently emailed Weruva to see how long it will take to remove spinach from those products and this is the
answer I received:
Thank you for checking in. Unfortunately, the slightest changes to formulas take many, many months before the
items become available. We carry several months worth of inventory in our warehouse, and many stores carry
up to a year of inventory. It also takes us about 4 months to receive product when we order it. It is quite a slow
process and it will take 6-8 months before the first stores start to receive the items without spinach.
I do understand this and it stinks that it’s going to take that long but I look at it in the sense that this is a lot of
trouble to go through for them to give their customers exactly what they want so I’m willing to be patient and I
thanked him very much for their great work on this issue. So it may be awhile.

The other companies we need to write to are:

Wellness which is owned by Old Mother Hubbard:
www.wellnesspetfood.com/contact.aspx
It’s only the Wellness Cubed entrees in the can that contain spinach, nothing else.

The Honest Kitchen’s Prowl Dehydrated cat food:
www.thehonestkitchen.com/contact-us/
If you look on this page there’s a place that says “we’d love to hear from you with suggestions blah blah blah to
improve our foods”. Click on the comment link there.

Nature’s Variety INSTINCT® RAW DAILY BOOST™ FREEZE DRIED SUPPLEMENTS
www.naturesvariety.com/contactus
That’s a new product line.

I’ve attached a page with all the important info and links that some of you supplied to me and a quote from Dr.
Pierson that she gave me permission to use. I’ll leave it up to any of you who want to write to these companies to
write your own emails, it will be more personal that way. And you can use the info provided if you like. I’d
absolutely include Dr. Piersons’ quote.

There are a lot of other foods on the market that contain spinach that I don’t have listed on my site because of
the grains. Fancy Feast Elegant Medleys all have it. Castory & Pollux Ultramix and I’m sure many others. Feel
free to write to these companies. Fancy Feast is Purina owned so good luck with that one. If you do write to any
of these companies please keep me posted on responses so we know what companies are even willing to
listen.

“Given the serious nature of calcium oxalate stones in the urinary tract of cats, I would not ever be feeding
spinach to any cat in my care - in any amount. Spinach contains one of the highest oxalate levels of any
vegetable. CaO stones often form in the kidneys of cats. This location (versus the bladder) makes removal
virtually impossible. Struvite stones can be dissolved with diet whereas CaO stones cannot and at times can be
extremely painful. Of course, as with any ingredient, amount is important but the bottom line is that it has no
place in cat food…..even in small amounts. I’d like to see spinach removed from all pet products.”
Dr. Lisa A. Pierson, DVM - www.catinfo.org

Here are some links with information on spinach and oxalate crystals:
www.ehow.com/info_8253957_foods-calcium-oxalate-kidney-stones.html
www.ehow.com/about_6365676_definition-calcium-oxalate-crystals.html
www.ehow.com/list_7451990_calcium-oxalate-crystals-plants.html

PubMed – J. Am Vet Med Assoc. 2006 Mar 1; 228(5): 743-9 “Renal transplantation in cats with calcium oxalate
urolithiasis: 19 cases (1997-2004) and this says “Renal transplantation appeas to be a viable option for cats in
renal failure secondary to calcium oxalate urolithiasis”. Calcium oxalate stones have been found in research to
be caused by pet food companies acidifying dry pet food because all the carbohydrate in it alkalises the urine
and to counteract this pet food companies began acidifying pet food because the alkalization caused by the
carbohydrate was cause struvite which can stop a cat passing urine and could kill it if it is not catheterized.
However, acidifiying pet food is a completely unnatural thing to do and this in research has been found to cause
a considerable increase in calcium oxalate stones which can cause kidney failure. www.mousabilities.
com/nutrition/research.html

In older times (25 years or so ago), cats virtually never developed calcium oxalate bladder stones. Cat bladder
stones could reliably be assumed to be made of struvite (a matrix of ammonium-magnesium-phosphate). In those
days, feline lower urinary tract symptoms were generally thought to be caused by struvite crystals in urine and
feline lower urinary tract symptoms were extremely common. The pet food industry responded by acidifying cat
foods to prevent the development of crystals. In a way it worked. Feline lower urinary tract symptoms declined.
Male cats with struvite urinary blockages became far less common. The trade off was that calcium oxalate
bladder stones began to develop. Acidifying the body leads to an acid urine pH and more calcium loss into the
urine, both factors in the development of a calcium oxalate stone. Currently most bladder stones formed by cats
are calcium oxalate stones.
www.marvistavet.com/html/body_feline_oxalate_bladder_stones.html

January 10, 2011
I’d really like to know why these things run in patterns. Have you noticed that? Once a contaminant is found, it’s
suddenly in everything!
Cargill Animal Nutrition Recalls River Run and Marksman Dry Dog Food due to aflatoxin levels that were
detected above the acceptable limit.
www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm282753.htm

Let’s hope this is true after all those people died from cantelope with listeria. Now we’re seeing it everywhere!
Cornell Researchers Find Listeria-Stopping Compound
www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/01/cornell-researchers-find-listeria-stopping-compound/?
utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=120104

Awesome story!
Winter getaway includes volunteer work for Edmonton vets
www.edmontonjournal.com/life/Winter+getaway+includes+volunteer+work+Edmonton+vets/5936317/story.html

This is actually very informative about what anesthesia they use for cats.
Discussing pets and anesthetics
www2.starexponent.com/lifestyles/2012/jan/03/discussing-pets-and-anesthetics-ar-1583173/

Remember to keep furry friends warm
www.timesleader.com/TheDallasPost/news/Remember_to_keep_furry_friends_warm_01-01-2012.html

Great! Just what we need! Another form of Coccidia.
UW professor and student find something exciting ... A new parasite!
www.casperjournal.com/education/article_9f8e93e9-0749-5610-ae04-1214885f98c5.html

Lawsuit looks to prove dogs have souls
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-01-03/news/30586305_1_puppy-mills-puppy-lemon-law-dog-owner

Great article and has a phone number for the FDA
Trying to Keep Pets Safe from Tainted Foods
www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/01/keep-pets-safe-from-tainted-foods/

Pet Vet: Indoor or outdoor cat?
www.kvoa.com/news/pet-vet-indoor-or-outdoor-cat-/

This not about medicinal antibiotics but for the cattle, chickens, turkeys, etc.
FDA bans use of popular antibiotics in animals
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45873641/ns/health-health_care/#.TwtN6_noaSp

January 11, 2012
ZIP INTERNATIONAL GROUP LLC, Issues An Alert On Listeria In Sliced Herring Fillet In Oil (Forelka)
www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm286708.htm

Very thorough explanation of the toxins in this article and why they pose a threat.
Veterinary Q&A: Chocolate, rat poison, slug bait, marijuana and antifreeze are common toxins for pets
http://seattletimes.nwsource.
com/html/tailsofseattle/2017201015_veterinary_qa_the_classic_big_5_in_veterinary_toxicology.html

This is something to watch out for in pets as well
E. Coli O157 Increases Risk of Diabetes
www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/01/diabetes-linked-to-e-coli-and-other-illnesses/?
utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=120110

Could a Probiotic Pill Decrease Listeria Risk?
www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/01/could-a-probiotic-pill-decrease-listeria-risk/?
utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=120110

Great article. And no, they aren’t sitting at the computer typing, that would be funny though, LOL.
Animals use social networking too
www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iI4Tl1ES23V59lEU8KKiZNfAQwqg?
docId=N0894711326193817934A

I’m sorry to have to announce that Dr. Barb’s kitty Bumbly, here on my website, http://ibdkitties.net/BumblyA.html,
has lost her battle with lymphoma. She was released from her pain yesterday after losing so much weight she
could hardly stand anymore. Another beautiful life lost to these horrible diseases.

And thank you to Becky for bringing to my attention that Stella & Chewy’s raw food has spinach in it. All of the
cat and dog flavors/meals contain spinach except for two of them. Not sure which two yet, I haven’t checked. But
I’ll need to call them, they are a good company so I’m hoping they listen to reason about this and remove the
spinach. Sigh. Thank you again Becky! This is important! If anyone wants to contact them yourselves here’s
their contact info: www.stellaandchewys.com/contact.php.

January 23, 2012
I know I haven’t sent out a newsletter in about a week. Which is abnormal for me. Lots going on here at home
with oil tanks, water heaters, furnaces, busted pipes, you name it. So anyway I have quite a bit of catching up to
do with links so I’m going to send out quite a bit of them now.

I stumbled onto this vet’s ask a question site and really love all of his answers to these people. He’s very
thoughtful and educated:
Between a rock and a hard place
http://pets.sonomaportal.com/2012/01/12/between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place/

FDA has a new blog: FDA Voice
https://blogs.fda.gov/fdavoice/?p=25

This is hard to read but a great safety lesson:
Paper Shredders Risks and Dogs
www.petplace.com/dogs/paper-shredders-risks-and-dogs/page1.aspx

These are also very good tips that I haven’t thought about before:
Think Snow Safety for Pets
http://blog.vetdepot.com/think-snow-safety-for-pets?
utm_source=contactology&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=December_Newsletter_2011

Frostbite in Cats
www.petmd.com/cat/emergency/common-emergencies/e_ct_frostbite?
utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=20120120&utm_campaign=petMD_jack_frost_nippin
g_at_fi dos_n ose#.Tx35B_nO-Sp

This isn’t good news at all and I’m sure we’ll be doing the same thing soon here in the states:
Food Safety Spending in Canada Might Be Cut
www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/01/food-safety-spending-in-canada-might-be-cut/?
utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=120118

Amazing and I certainly hope it happens!
Minnesota researchers on the cusp of a diabetes cure
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/01/17/diabetes-part2/

January 25, 2012
Thank you to Natalie for providing me with these links! Please read both of these, it’s very important.
Pepto-Bismol and Kaopectate are both toxic to cats and dogs because they contain salicylates (NSAIDs),
which is similar to aspirin.
http://blogs.dogster.com/vet_blog_information_advice/does-pepto-bismol-work-for-cats-and-dogs/
http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/vetmed/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=752242&sk=&date=&pageID=4

Safety and warning label change for Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate) tablet
www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/ucm225843.htm

Watch for warning signs before a catfight breaks out
www.coloradoan.com/article/20120117/COLUMNISTS143/201170313

The other day I was on another forum I’m on and this poor man was so upset. His cat of five years had suddenly
attacked his newborn baby! He and his wife freaked out of course! The baby is okay, just minor scratches but as
you can imagine it was traumatic for the baby, the parents and yes, even the kitty. The cat had never, ever
shown any aggression before this. But this does happen. I did some research and came across some great sites
about how to prepare your cat for bringing home a new baby and handling the changes in the household for
everyone. Both of these sites have information about all kinds of cat behavior, not just to do with babies but with
other cats, people, etc.
Bringing Home Baby
www.catsinternational.org/articles/natural_cat_behavior/bringing_home_baby.html
www.purrfectcatbehavior.com/cats_and_babies.html

Very good information on how to deal with any drug shortages that are affecting your pets and even yourself
Confronting Pet Drug Shortages
www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-palmquist-dvm/pet-drug-shortages_b_1220890.html

This is very alarming to me. I’ve always known that the pollution content was higher here in the northeast. My
lungs tell me so! Now nature is suffering greatly in all forms. Read the entire article.
Mercury’s Harmful Reach Has Grown, Study Suggests
www.nytimes.com/2012/01/24/science/study-finds-mercury-in-more-northeastern-bird-species.html?_r=1

I have readers all over the world so this is important for those of you that are anywhere near volcanic activity.
Protect Your pets From Lingering Vog
www.kitv.com/news/30282184/detail.html

Podcast on Handling an Injured Pet
www.avmamedia.org/display.asp?sid=234&NAME=Handling_an_Injured_Pet

Veterinary Q&A: Food allergies
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/tailsofseattle/2017274985_veterinary_qa_food_allergies.html

This is exciting! First, a sex offender registry. Next, an animal abuser registry?
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2012/01/registry-of-animal-abusers-gains-support-.html

Number of deer ticks surging across Ohio
http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2012/01/18/Number-of-deer-ticks-surging-across-Ohio.html

Selecting the Right Environmental Enrichment for Your Cat
www.petplace.com/cats/selecting-the-right-environmental-enrichment-for-your-cat/page1.aspx?
utm_source=catcrazynews001et&utm_medium=email&utm_content=petplace_article&utm_campaign=dailynewsl
etter

Facebook video contest featuring Weruva cat food. You can win free Weruva cat food for 6 months!
www.heartypet.com/t-weruvacontest.aspx?coupon=75SHIP

January 30, 2012
First I wanted to let you know that one of our members has had some problems recently with Pill Pockets. She’s
gotten a couple of different bags after bringing them back and they’re still horrible. She said they smell rancid
and from the pictures, they look like the coloring seems to be missing. Like albino pill pockets. LOL.

Secondly I need to let you all know a few things if you’re a home owner. It’s extremely important to get your
furnace and your oil tank filter cleaned and serviced if not yearly, then every two years! This month has been
very hard for us financially but most importantly everyone in my house, including our cats, could have died. Our
oil tank filter was so filthy it was jammed and was spewing petroleum fumes throughout the house badly! We’d all
been feeling nauseas and lethargic. I smelled it immediately because even though I’m a human I seem to have
been born with a bloodhound’s capability to smell. (And that’s not a plus, trust me). Because the oil was not
feeding properly into the furnace due to BOTH of them being filthy it was causing a lot of fumes to escape, the
furnace finally broke during 15 degree weather and we were forced to open all the windows in the house and
freeze while letting the fumes out. The repairman came immediately and told my dad (who is 84 and really just
forgets these kinds of things), that the Co2 level was supposed to be -250 and it was now at 0. We were on the
cusp of a disaster. Luckily yours truly is smarter than the average elderly dad and I have Co2 detectors on every
floor including the basement and they are always kept up to speed as far as battery changes. Most likely those
would have went off but as he explained, sometimes you’re so out of it, you don’t even hear them, it’s not fool
proof. We’d just had to get a new water heater put in a week before this because that broke down also. So you
can imagine I was afraid my dad was about to have a stroke with all of this. We’re all okay but I’m going to be
doing some detox stuff on everyone, including the cats just to make sure. I have asthma and I’ve noticed my
breathing a lot worse since this incident. But my sister’s cat Midnight lives downstairs and is already not well so
this was not doing her any favors at all. Since cats have a much stronger sense of smell I can’t imagine what this
has done to her. I can only hope it hasn’t done too much damage. I’ve shared this with all of you to show you that
even though these services to your home can be expensive, it’s not worth losing, or almost losing, your lives
and/or your pet’s lives. We’re very, very lucky and everything is fine now (knock on wood).

Onto website business. I’ve added a new store to the gift shops section. http://ibdkitties.net/giftshops.html, scroll
down to the see the Cat Fun Attic. They make the cutest custom made figurines of your cat! We still haven’t
gotten some for Finney and Lacey yet but it’s on my list of things to do. They also have a blog where they take
donations for their stray cat foundation, http://bentearsfund.blogspot.com/. Funds for them are very low right now
so if you’d like to make a donation they’d very much appreciate it.

I’m pleased to announce that I’m now an affiliate with Dr. Becker’s Bites, that’s Dr. Karen Becker DVM, NMD.
Some of you know her already from her Mercola site. Dr. Becker’s Bites are great products that are condition
specific and also just plain treats and appetite flakes and shakers. They all come in either treat form or shaker
form to sprinkle on food. As always, not all her products are what I call “safe and clean”. Even the most famous
vets include ingredients that they should know better to include. So I’ve looked at all of her products and
researched the ingredients and only the ones I feel to be safe and good for kitties are listed on my site, which is
actually most of her products. There’s some on almost each of the sections in the supplements pages so check
them out when you have a chance, they’re pretty affordable as well. And yes, they are for both dogs and cats.

I’ve also got several of the PetAlive products on the pages as well, I’m only one quarter through researching
those. That’s more complicated and time consuming but some are up on the site now. I have started a new
section that I want to explain about.
http://ibdkitties.net/Memorialgifts.html. That page contains products that are all pet specific and are suited for the
Tributes and grieving sections. They’re all made with taste and dignity, are very beautiful and affordable
products. This is unfortunately a fact of life and I know just about everyone loves to get something to
commemorate their baby’s passing in some way. This is a section I hope you’ll find that’s meant to help with the
grieving process and help you pay tribute to your furchild in the way you see fit. I’ve chosen some of the
products that I like to put on that page but they offer so much more. In the future I may include other companies
but for now this is the one I chose to work with as they are very nice and loving pet parents themselves. They’ve
expressed how much they love the work we’re doing and have lost pets to many of these diseases themselves. I
always hate to hear this but it is beneficial to us that they understand the pain of our loss and what we went
through. I’ve also moved the grief page to the Tributes section links as well, it makes more sense there.

I started working on a newsletter about cat litter and the different ones but I think now I’m going to make it into a
blog of some kind. It’s a bigger issue and process than when I started. I’ll let you know what I decide to do with it
but hopefully it’ll be done soon. It’s just as complicated as the food issue and I’m learning there’s nothing easy
about ANYTHING to do with caring for our babies.

This lady and her pets are not members of our newsletter but I wanted to talk about this. Yesterday I found out
that one of my favorite kitties on Catster had passed away 3 weeks ago in a horrible way. The family live in a
nice country home with land and yes, they were allowed outside. It’s just as dangerous for cats to be outdoors in
a rural setting as it is in the city. I know for some of you who rescue MANY cats it’s not possible to have them
stay inside. This is a household of only 3 (now 2) kitties. Apparently she found him in a field of grass between
hers and the neighbors house. The neighbor’s two dogs had mauled him to death. I can’t tell you how traumatic
this has been for her and for all of us who know them, we are devastated! She’s now got to retrain her other two
cats to stay inside because she doesn’t trust her neighbors anymore and she’s obviously afraid. Frankly I think
that if those dogs are that vicious, something should be done to contain them from running around free but that’s
for her to pursue if and when she’s ready. Her other cats are now clambering and driving her nuts to go outside
and it’s going to be difficult to keep them in. The best compromise would be for walking harnesses to take them
out daily. It’s a good reminder of why it’s safer for your babies to stay inside and if you take them out, they
shouldn’t roam free. There are so many ways now to let your kitties go out without subjecting them to this kind of
danger. I know it’s very hard to keep them amused being indoors all the time, believe me I know! But it’s better
than the alternative.

Newsletter Archive
January 2012

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