NATURAL PET EXPO

THIS SITE HAS MOVED

2010-03-06T11:42:00.002-05:00

This site has moved to www.naturalpetexpo.net

Check it out for all the latest news, events and happenings.

2009 NATURAL PET EXPO, - RAIN, RAIN DIDN'T KEEP PEOPLE AWAY.

2010-02-24T21:46:00.010-05:00

A little rain, well, actually, a lot of rain, couldn't stop the Natural Pet Expo at Liberties Walk, in Northern Liberties from having it's day. Thank you to ALL you who showed up to share your passion for all things natural, all things pets!

Heather Fowler (www.heatherfowlerphotography.com) & April Ziegler (www.aprilziegler.com) captured the rain and shine of people, pets and products. Enjoy!

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INFINITE GRATITUDE TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED, VOLUNTEERED, DONATED PRIZES, SUPPLIES, TIME AND TALENTS.

RAIN or SHINE!

2009-09-26T19:17:00.002-05:00

The weather cannot stop pet enthusiasts interested in raising awareness & encouraging natural care.

The rain is expected to end around or before 10am!!

We'll be here so come on down and enjoy the event with us!

Cannot wait to see you.

Natural Pet Expo, Sunday Sept 27, 2009

2009-09-02T08:34:00.013-05:00

HEY PET ENTHUSIASTS. YOU care about your whole body, mind, health and nutrition. So it goes without saying that your pets health & welfare deserves the same attention. Perhaps you need more information? To find out all you need to know to keep them in the natural health groove, spend the day with US at the 6th annual Natural Pet Expo. This year is BIGGER & BETTER than ever with entertainment, games, prizes and exhibitors galore... THIS YEAR take part in the NATURAL PET STAR CHALLENGE - Grand Prize winner gets a free studio shoot with the chance that YOUR dog could be the next NPE cover pet!

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, @ LIBERTIES WALK, Northern Liberties, Phila, PA - 1040 North 2nd Street 10-5PM

LOCATION LOCATION: Liberties Walk (1000+ North 2nd Street), a four-square block mixed-use development with a village feel that consists of apartments over ground floor commercial spaces. Filled with shops, cafes and restaurants, the inverted layout runs cross grain to the grid of streets offers people a walkway from the western part of the neighborhood through to the adjacent Piazza which has it’s own courtyard, retail shops and vendor area. The unique array of businesses on Liberties Walk have fast become destinations for the city’s young, hip and trendy.

FREE PARKING!!! Yes, I said FREE PARKING! There is residential street parking around Liberties Walk Courtyard for residents and visitors, but the best place to park is across 2nd street at the Piazza parking. The event is NOT at the Piazza, but we may use their FREE parking. Look for signage labeled FREE PARKING off of Germantown Avenue adjacent to the Piazza. USE only the designated FREE parking. The other lot next door WILL ticket and tow.

IN ATTENDANCE: Over 60 exhibitors will grace Liberties Walk representing the following categories:

NUTRITION: organic, holistic & natural food, gourmet treats, supplements, vitamins.
NATURAL HEALTH: holistic vets & clinics, emergency care, acupuncture.
WELLNESS: natural health remedies, flower remedies, essential oils.
BEHAVIOR: experienced positive reinforcement specialists.
SPIRITUAL: animal communicators, healing touch for animals, reiki.
RETAIL: handmade clothing, leashes, pet items, groomers.
ARTISTS: photographers, mosaics,
ADVOCACY: educating on the topics of dog fighting, animal abuse, chained animals, canine cancer.
ADOPTION: PSPCA, Pennsylvania Animal Welfare Society-PAWS.
RESCUE: Greyhound, Boxers, German Shepherd, large breed and more...

MEDIA ALERT: Watch for us on the 10! show on NBC 10 on Friday, Sept 25th at 11am to promote the event. Paul Hellings will be talking about cost effective ways to care for your pet NATURALLY!

Check us out in the event section on CBS3’s Pet Page with Carol Erickson.

Listen to NOW 97.5 FM for radio commercials and airplay. NOW 97.5 will be at the event LIVE from 10-12 noon!

Meet the Stars and Co-hosts of the Pet Podcast Channel, Robbin & Joseph Everett. Stop by for autographs, pictures and a "Woofy Woo Casting Call". Give a big "Woofy Woo" and get on their show! Enter to win fun prizes too! The Pet Podcast Channel Show is free Web TV found at www.tppc.tv.

ALERT THE MEDIA: Be sure to tell your pet family, friends, lists and organizations. And don’t forget the social network on Twitter, FB, MySpace or any other media you can think of...

NATURAL TALENT, LOOKS, STYLE: NEW and oh-so-exciting this year is the NATURAL PET STAR CHALLENGE for ALL dogs including rescue, foster, adoptable and area pets. Pets & their people can register all morning at the NPE table, with a parade starting at 12:30 pm, winding through the event and judged in front of the stage. Prizes will be awarded for best costume, trick, style, pet/owner look alikes, healthiest coat, farthest traveled, etc. The Grand Prize winner is chosen by the crowd and earns a FREE studio shoot courtesy of Heather Fowler Photography. The winning pooch will be featured on the NPE website and may be used in next years Natural Pet Expo ad campaign! Woot!

HEAR YE, HEAR YE! After the Pet Star Challenge, star speakers take the stage: Chicago Animal Communicator Dawn Wrobel, fields questions from pets and their owners www.dawnwrobel.com, NPE featured guest Paul Hellings, traveled all the way from New Zealand to describe the benefits of a natural therapy called N.I.S. (Neurological Integrated System) www.ahh.co.nz. What IS it and how can it help both human and pets reach optimum health at a fraction of the cost of traditional care. And then, Dr. Tina Fuoco introduces veterinary acupuncture and how it can help keep down the cost of caring for an aging pet.

ENTERTAIN ME! Join in and get interactive in the PET-TAINMENT area with games for you and your pets including “So You Think You Can Sit” - a form of musical chairs for dogs who know how to sit and sit well; ‘Dog Gone A Limbo’ — how low can your pet go; “Agility Idol” - stay the course for agile dogs & their owners --- and more!!!

PET TUNES: Onstage will be several pet loving bands including Electric Yellow- www.electricyellowmusic.com, - an improvisational minded rock/funk/jam quartet based out of the Philly area. The band shares an uncommon love for music and an energetic stage show that has been entertaining audiences for the past year. After all, it is better to love and dance than to hate and not dance... Complimenting Electric Yellow is Adrienne's Cousin- www.myspace.com/adriennescousin - Five talented musicians born and raised in the Philadelphia area make up Adrienne’s Cousin., Adrienne’s Cousin has played in bars, coffee shops, and at weddings. Their sound is comparable to Coldplay, Damien Rice, Dave Matthews Band and many more. They are a versatile band covering songs from Brittany Spears, to Dr. Dre to DMB and Sublime and creating originals that fall into the genres of rock, reggae and just recently funk.

AUTHOR, AUTHOR, WRITE ALL ABOUT IT:

Stop by and see Valerie J. Wood and get Valerie’s new book, Breakfasts with Buster, a touching story of Valerie’s mixed breed dog, Buster, who was diagnosed with bone cancer at the age of 10. Breakfasts with Buster details the aggressive approach Valerie took with her choice to use holistic and natural methods to accompany traditional veterinary medicines for him.

SAY CHEESE PLEASE: Sit pretty, get your groom on and stop to get you and your pets picture taken with your pet onsite courtesy Heather Fowler Photography www.heatherfowlerphoto.com! Donate your sitting fee, proceeds benefit Street Tails Animal Rescue.

DONATE & WIN: Again this year, we are holding a raffle with proceeds to benefit Street Tails Animal Rescue. We would be delighted if you would participate to WIN. Please visit the NPE table to see the prizes and get a raffle ticket. ALL raffle winners will be announced from the stage at 4:30pm ---be there and win!

PET DETAILS: If your pet is friendly, controlled and safe, we welcome you to bring them. Please care for them accordingly: The location is urban, there is grass and a park nearby. please pick up after your pet, provide food, water, shade and/or beds to sit on if you are staying all day. NOTE: There will be signs posted informing you of your legal responsibilities. Please read them and be responsible for your own pet. Unruly pets & owners will be asked to leave.

IN GRATITUDE: Most gracious & infinite thanks to THE Linds at CHIC PETIQUE, Gwen Carry at CHEZ BOW WOW, Paul Hubert, the graphically talented Andrea Regusters, Rebecca Braglia of thephillydog,com, Lois Turpin, CBS3/CW Philly, NOW 97.5, Tppc-tv, Nathan Reinert, April Ziegler, Heather Fowler, TNT Rental, Tower Investments, Reliable Printing, Paul Hellings, Sascha the wonder dog, countless volunteers and ALL for choosing to participate and support this years Natural Pet Expo.

HOW DO I GET TO THE NPE?

2009-09-02T08:04:00.000-05:00

DIRECTIONS:

POINTS NORTH
South on Delaware Expy/I-95 S toward Philadelphia
Take exit 23 for Girard Ave/Lehigh Ave
Merge onto E Girard Ave
Turn left at N 2nd St to Liberties Walk Courtyard, 1040 N. 2nd Street.

POINTS SOUTH
Take I-95 N
Take exit 22 on the left for Callowhill St toward Independence Hall/I-676 E/US-30 E
Slight left at Callowhill St
Turn right at N 5th St
Turn right at W Girard Ave
Turn right at N 2nd St to Liberties Walk Courtyard, 1040 N 2nd Street.

POINTS WEST
East on I-76 E
Slight left at I-676 E/Vine St Expy (signs for Central Philadelphia/I-676 E)
Take the exit toward Broad St
Slight right at Vine St
Turn left at N Broad St/PA-611
Turn right at W Girard Ave
Turn right at N 2nd St to Liberties Walk Courtyard,1040 N. 2nd Street.

POINTS EAST - NEW JERSEY
Entering Pennsylvania over Ben Franklin Bridge (Toll)
Take the 5th St exit
Slight right at N 5th St
Turn right at W Girard Ave
Turn right at N 2nd St to Liberties Walk Courtyard, 1040 N. 2nd Street

NATURAL PET EXPO 2009

2009-08-18T17:16:00.002-05:00

6th Annual Natural Pet Expo
Sunday, Sept 27 10-5pm
1040 N. 2nd Street – Liberties Walk,

Northern Liberties/Phila PA

In it's 6th year, the Natural Pet Expo is quickly earning a reputation in the region for being THE venue for holistic & natural health care for pets. This years theme 'COST EFFECTIVE NATURAL CARE FOR PETS'.

The Natural Pet Expo raises awareness and encourages natural & holistic health for pets and also provides an excellent venue to gather information on products and services focused on natural, holistic, organic, spirituality, behavior and alternative health for pets & their pet families.

The event features opportunities to learn about the latest information on food, nutrition & health, behavior, wellness in addition to rescue organizations, pet adoptions, LIVE MUSIC, entertainment, prizes, giveaways and more...

At 12:30, show off YOUR pet's style, charm and talent in a pet parade with prizes for BEST COSTUME, MOST CHARMING, BEST TRICK.

Featured guest this year is Paul Hellings, a WORLD ACCLAIMED healer from New Zealand specializing in natural care. See following post for more info!

Partial List of Exhibitors include

NOW 97.5

Thephillydog.com

Phillydogsbiteback.com
TPPC-TV, The Pet Podcast Channel

Natura/Evo
Natures Variety
Merrick Pet Foods
Breeders Choice
Wellness
Dogswell
Canine Caviar
Stella & Cheweys
Regal Pet Foods
Deserving Pet Vitamins

K-9 Pet Chef
Dog Gone Deli

Chic Petique
Cutters Mill Natural Pet Store

Animal Healing Center

Injoy Health – Essential Oils, Reiki
Dawn Wrobel - Animal Communicator
Tina Fuoco – Veterinary Acupuncturist

Giant Breed Rescue /Animal Communicator

K-9Training & Behavioral Therapy

Your Dog & You - Behavior Training

The Denim Dog
Chez Bow Wow Grooming
Bow Wow Meows Grooming

Andrew Pinkham Photography
April Zeigler Photography

Moonshadow Mosaics

Pinup for Pitbulls

Canine Cancer Research USA

PSPCA
PAWS

Cares4Pets

NJ AId for Animals

Philadelphia Greyhound Connection

Adopt A Boxer Rescue

Greyhound Angels Adoption

German Shepherd Rescue

AND MORE...

WORLD ACCLAIMED HEALER featured at Natural Pet Expo

2009-08-18T17:01:00.001-05:00

World Acclaimed Healer for People & Pets returns to Philadelphia,

September 20 - October 2nd --- BOOK NOW!

PAUL HELLINGS, WORLD ACCLAIMED HEALER returns to the East Coast to appear at the 6th Annual Natural Pet Expo --- September, 27, 2009 – 1040 N. 2nd Street, Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, PA 10-5pm.

Paul Hellings is an experienced, trained practitioner in N.I.S. Neurological Integration System, [formerly known as *NeuroLink] See more detailed description below.

An N.I.S consultation, uses acupressure points and kinesiology (muscle testing) to access the blueprint of the body held by the brain. In one hour long session, it offers the ability to check and have the brain re-set internally. It works on allergies, digestion problems, hormonal and behavioral issues, infections, yeast imbalances, organ and gland functions,

intermittent lameness and skeleton realignments --- again, ALL within 1 session and without a need for repeat consultation. ALL N.I.S treatments are gentle, non invasive and time is taken to allow you, your cat and/or dog to become familiar with the process in a stress-free friendly environment.

N.I.S. is a paradigm shift in the way our Western culture views healthcare

& medical treatment, however I and many others are living testimonies to it's success.

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TESTIMONIALS:

"I had to just say THANK YOU! one more time... It was amazing how Paul was able to pinpoint things that I didn't mention upfront ~ he is the best! And, knowing how I feel, I am positive Shadow, my cat is feeling the same way. Paul is an absolutely gifted, sweet, special person, let alone the wonderful service he provided for us. I never expected to meet anyone in my life like him. I'm forever grateful! I don't even want to say that it made my day ~ it made my lifetime!!" ~Maria M, Philadelphia, PA

"It was such a pleasure to meet Paul and be treated by him. Roman and I had a wonderful experience with NIS. I feel great and went from feeling like an old lady needing a hip replacement to absolutely no pain and feeling myself again! I feel lighter, more energetic and healthier than ever! I have been spreading the word and hope to introduce many people to Paul next year when he returns. He is a great asset to our community." ~Suzanne B, Philadelphia, PA

"THANK YOU so MUCH for guiding me to see Paul! Daniel and I saw him today. I am very happy we did. I told my friend M. about my experience and she wants to call to make an appointment for this weekend for a whole family. They will be coming from NY. ~ Anna D, Philadelphia, PA

"My experience with Paul was wonderful. My husband would like an appointment. I am hoping to return at least one more time." ~Sandy H. Philadelphia, PA

"He was amazing --- I was skeptical and then he nailed things about me --- it was quite amazing. I am in the process of researching his suggestions and plan to adjust my diet accordingly." ~Andrea M., Philadelphia, PA

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BOOKING CONSULTATIONS & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Paul will be speaking at the Natural Pet Expo on Sept 27 at 1pm about NIS & Natural Home Cooking for Pets! He is also available to speak to your group or organization of 10+ people. Please contact me for available dates.

To book a speaking engagement for groups OR to book a personal appointment for YOU or YOUR pet --- SEPTEMBER 20 thru OCTOBER 2, 2009 please contact me.

Email: natrlpetexpo@earthlink.net

or call 215-356-9365.

REGISTER to PARTICIPATE in the next Natural Pet Expo - September 27, 2009

2009-05-05T12:15:00.003-05:00

Calling all exhibitors, vendors, non-profit service organizations, integrative health practitioners, rescue groups, authors, entertainers and artists.

Please join the Natural Pet Expo's (NPE) mission: Raising awareness and encouraging holistic and natural care --- to educate and empower pet owners to make confident and healthy choices regarding their pet’s health.

NPE attracts and targets scores of enthusiasts dedicated to caring for themselves and their pets in the best way they can --- naturally and holistically. Join our efforts and take advantage of reaching YOUR target market. In its 6th year, the NPE brings together leading pet experts, veterinarians, animal advocates, nutritionists, alternative care specialists, rescue groups, authors, business’, products and services dedicated to natural care and wellness. It ALL takes place at Liberties Walk, Sunday, September 27, from 10am to 5pm in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia, PA. Email natrlpetexpo@earthlink.net for information on rates, advertising & sponsorship.

In addition to the event, we print an auxiliary NPE Resource Guide which is given away as a valuable resource. The booklet includes advertisements, articles on holistic and health related topics and lists business, services and product by category as a helpful resource for area pet families concerned about the natural care and wellness of their animals. The theme for 2009’s Guide is ‘Cost Effective Natural Care for Pets’ and any article submitted for consideration should reflect this topic. The NPE Guide is offered free at the event and distributed throughout the year at area pet stores within the Greater Philadelphia area extending it’s reach and value.

CBS3/CW Philly have joined in support of the NPE mission. Don't miss this opportunity to reach your target client/customer/audience by choosing to be a sponsor on the Event, Corporate or Marketing level and receive valuable exposure.

There are several ways in which you can participate in the 2009 Natural Pet Expo to reach key demographics interested in natural living & care for their pets!

PARTICIPATION:

Sponsor: Event, Corporate, Marketing Level
Vendor
Advertise in the NPE Resource Guide·
Author/Speaker
Submit sample products for giveaways
Submit article for consideration in the NPE Resource Guide - 2009 Theme: ‘Cost Effective Natural Care for Pets’
Submit YOUR listing in the NPE Resource Guide - Catagories: NUTRITION, BEHAVIOR, VETERINARY, RESCUE, ALT/SPIRITUAL, ARTISTIC MISC

Act now, space is limited. The deadline for sponsorship, advertising and early registration ends July 1!

NPE is a not-for-profit organization which began in 2004, to educate pet consumers about the benefits of natural & holistic care. A portion of proceeds benefit Street Tails Animal Rescue facilitated by Chic Petique Pet stores.

WORLD HEALER IN PHILLY MAY 9-22!

2009-04-09T14:50:00.008-05:00

PAUL HELLINGS, WORLD ACCLAIMED HEALER RETURNING TO PHILLY!
To book a personal appointment, May 9 thru May 22, 2009
Email: natrlpetexpo@earthlink.net,or call 215-356-9365.
The cost: $75 per session for either people & pets reserved in advance, $95 at time of session... ========================================================
I am happy and excited to share a WONDERFUL and amazing opportunity with you to experience for yourself the talents of an internationally acclaimed healer Paul Hellings!

Paul Hellings is an experienced, trained and certified practitioner in N.I.S. Neurological Integration System [formerly known as *NeuroLink] (See FULL description below) N.I.S. is a paradigm shift in the way our Western culture views healthcare& medical treatment, however I and many others are living testimonies to it's success.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2008 Testimonials:
"I didn't know what to expect and was amazed at how quickly and effectively Paul could identify, diagnose and treat the issues going on in my body." ~Jennifer B, Philadelphia, PA

"Conventional medicine doesn’t have all of the answers when it comes to addressing human or canine medical issues. If you’re still in search of answers, schedule an NIS treatment with Paul Hellings, International Healer ….you won’t be disappointed.” ~ P.Bentz, Queen Village '

“Thank you again for connecting me with Paul Hellings. My NIS experience with him was absolutely wonderful! Now that several months have passed I have had a chance to reflect on my health and Paul's analysis. He helped me understand the cause of my symptoms and since I have eliminated the gluten from my diet I have felt great! Thanks again for hosting Paul and recommending him! Let me know when he is coming into town because I would like to see him again... and I have a few friends that would like to meet him as well! ~Ted Wolfe, Philadelphia
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
For those who might not know me, my name is Bette Hanson and in 2004, I started the Natural Pet Expo, an annual event in Philadelphia, dedicated to raising awareness about holistic and natural care for pets.

For those of you who know me, you may remember HOW EXCITED and transformed I was after one single session of N.I.S. back in May of 2007. I am NOT one to gush, norexaggerate, but N.I.S. literally changed the life of both myself and my 6 year oldEnglish Shepherd, Sascha!
Here's the short version of my N.I.S. story:My 4 yr old dog Sascha was lame from a chronic case of Lymes disease. I was heartbrokenat her condition and devoted/determined to try anything to get her well. After readinga glowing testimonial about N.I.S. in a friends webzine (thanks Kat!), I drove from Philadelphiato Charlotte, North Carolina in May of 2007 to get help from Paul Hellings.

I decided that since I was there, I might as well get a treatment too because he works on both people & pets.

When I started, I had NO expectations and began the session thinking that I was 'problem free'. After all, I was there for my dog, not me - right? Well, the practioner Paul Hellings, proceeded to find every single injury I had experienced since I was a child. He found old sports injuries and several minor injuries from accidents that I had long since forgotten that were affecting my alignment, balanceand comfort. After the problems were identified, Paul did some cranial stimulation to open the pathways and WOW... a lifetimes worth of imbalances were instantly restoredin the span of an hour!

But I am burying the lead --- next, N.I.S. pinpointed a gluten allergy which I never knew I had! Since that visit in May of 2007, I have changed my eating habits to reflect an entirely gluten free diet and it's changed my life in ways that would fill pages and pages to describe.

In addition, Paul and NIS also helped lead to Sascha's FULL RECOVERY from chronic Lymes disease!

Paul Hellings practice is based out of New Zealand and he makes annual trips to the USA. He is scheduled to visit Philadelphia EXCLUSIVELY thru the Natural Pet Expo MAY 9 thru MAY 22.

This is indeed a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience a unique and gentle healing for yourself or your pet(s). If this resonates with you, OR you simply want a fabulous opportunity to experience a paradigm shift in healthcare that is not currently available here in Philadelphia - then PLEASE contact me to book an appt.

RESERVE YOUR 1 HOUR SESSION SOON - SPACES ARE LIMITED.
EMAIL: natrlpetexpo@earthlink.net PHONE: 215-356-9365

$75 SESSION if booked in advance

$95 unreserved.

Should you have ANY questions or want to hear more about my experience, please contact me... I cannot say enough good things about Paul and NIS!
Bette Hanson - Director, Natural Pet Expo
===========================================================
N.I.S. DESCRIPTION: http://www.ahh.co.nz/
N.I.S. ¬ Neurological Integration System* [formerly known as *NeuroLink]
The brain is the ultimate computer. It holds a blueprint of how the bodyshould be and knows everything that has ever happened to the body. Goodhealth can be promoted so long as the pathways by which the braincommunicates with all other parts of the body remain clear.
N.I.S incorporates muscle testing to check the systems of the body atspecific neurological pathways and anatomical points. A strong muscle testindicates all is okay with the analysis. A weak muscle response indicates a breakdownin the neurological circuitry and that a correction is needed.Cranial stimulation (tapping over a certain portion of the brain) whileholding the point that elicited the specific weak muscle test initiates areintegration of the brain and body working together to correct theimbalance. Essentially, this is a customized health check and treatmentprotocol each time, rather than a building up or unwinding or adjustment process that needs to occur.

The potential of N.I.S. to restore good health is immense! N.I.S. doesn't treat the names of a set of symptoms (i.e. irritable bowel disease,dermatitis, psoriasis, sciatica, etc.) but addresses the root cause of illhealth by identifying the neurological breakdown between the brain and thebody's system and restoring the 'setpoint' for that function.
N.I.S. can address spinal problems and cranial/sacral imbalances withoutmanipulations.
N.I.S. may help to eliminate lingering viral, bacterial and fungalinfections.
Muscle knots often melt away.
N.I.S may assist to systematically improve the functions of the liver,pancreas, kidneys and all other organs and glands.
N.I.S helps the body optimize its immune system function, with positiveresults.
Temperament and behaviour problems dissipate when the body is relieved ofpain or stress.
All of this without the aid of invasive intervention or pharmaceuticals!
Please view this website http://www.neurolinkglobal.com/ for a greater appreciationand understanding of the N.I.S. process.

SYMPTOMS TO LOOK FOR IN DOGS:

Compiled by: Animal Holistic Health

Always look anxiously back to see whether you are going to touch me on my tender spot
Am unable to stretch out fully after arising from sleep
Only shake part of the way down my spine
Struggle to jump in and out of the car
Have become withdrawn and not wanting to participate in normal daily activities
Lie on the same side every time
Gnaw and lick an area continually and you know that I don¹t have fleas or a rash
Wag and carry my tail to one side
Keep showing you my stomach
Picky eater or a snacker
Have muscle wastage
Tremble in the rear legs when it's not cold and I'm not frightened
Am unable to cock my leg
Have become extra hyperactive
Have become unsettled and anxious in unfamiliar environments
Am nervous and anxious in unfamiliar surroundings
Lazy/puppy sit
Am roached and my stomach muscles are tight on one side
Am normally passive and friendly towards all, but at the present I am snappy and short tempered
Pungent smell even though I am bathed regularly
Hot spots on my spine
Dislike having toes touched or clipped or chew at feet a lot

Is how I tell you that I am in discomfort. Please help me.
Animal Holistic Health has assisted many dogs to regain their optimum wellbeing experiencing one or more of the above indicators.

SYMPTOMS TO LOOK FOR IN CATS:

Does not like being picked up, especially speyed females
Has become quiet, withdrawn, hiding
Scratching, chewing, gnawing at itself
Doesn't like being patted or cuddled
Is unable to jump up on furniture or high objects
Has no interest in hunting
Appears dull and lethargic
Appearing demanding, constant meowing etc.
Lacks appetite
Unable to clean myself as well as I used to

If your cat is displaying any of the above, he/she is trying to tell yousomething is not right with him/her.

NATURAL PET NUTRITION workshop

2009-03-05T16:01:00.003-05:00

Natural Pet Nutrition
Facilitated by Bette Hanson
Executive Producer @ CBS3 & Founder - Natural Pet Expo

Saturday, April 4, 2:30-4:30
FEE: $10

LOCATION: The Reiki School & Clinic
525 South 4th StreetSuite 248, Philadelphia, PA 19147 (215) 238-0659
PLEASE RSVP: reiki@thereikischool.com

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Faced with the onslaught of colorful advertising, misleading marketing claims and an overly commercial pet food industry, pet owners struggle to know what is really in the food they are feeding their animal companions. This beginner’s workshop is designed for people who want to learn more about natural diets, food facts and other general nutritional issues for animals. Samples of different foods provided.

*The basics of natural pet nutrition
*Find out what to look for
*Find out what to look OUT for
*How to read the labels of pet food packaging
*Free samples

BIO: Bette Hanson is an Executive in television, with a background working for ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, Animal Planet & Discovery Education. After her dog Frank, developed a terminal illness, she learned first hand about holistic pet care and quickly developed a passion for animal advocacy & nutrition. In 2004, she founded the Natural Pet Expo, bringing together experts & resources in animal wellness, in order to educate & inform pet caretakers.

PLEASE RSVP: reiki@thereikischool.com

NATURAL PET EXPO 2009

2009-01-14T10:31:00.003-05:00

The sixth annual Natural Pet Expo is scheduled for
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2009
at Liberties Walk, Northern Liberties. Look for more information and education on nutrition, wellness, natural care, behavior, books, products and so much more for your pets!

Stay tuned to this website for updates.

Please contact Bette Hanson natrlpetexpo@earthlink.net for more information on participating, sponsoring or volunteering.

Natural Pet Expo, Sunday Sept 7th - Pictorial!

2008-09-12T11:59:00.023-05:00

The rain held back, the sun was out, pets were adopted, information was handed out, doggies were paraded, puppy kisses graced a kissing booth, money was raised to aid rescue efforts, advice was given, samples were sampled, music was played, authors signed books, prizes were won and people gathered, celebrated and soaked in natural pet wellness! Enjoy these pictures snapped by our wonderfull talented photographer Charles!

Thank you ALL for participating, exhibiting, attending and taking interest in this year's Natural Pet Expo. It was another success!

SEPTEMBER, 2009! We look forward to next year! Mark your calendars, we are tentatively planning for Sept 27th, the last Sunday in September. We hope you'll join us!

YOU are what makes this event such a wonderful opportunity to help raise awareness of holistic and natural care for our animal friends! A special pet-rific thanks to our sponsors Natura EVO/California Naturals & Chic Petique who helped make the event possible. Howling thanks to SPCA, PAWS, Cares 4 Pets & Philly Fosters who brought dogs, cats and even a Guinea Pig to adopt!

HIGH FIVE PAWS to our exhibitors: Nature's Variety, Merrick Weruva, NuHemp, Dr's Fulton & Forsyth @ Bethel Mill Animal Hospital, Dr. Tina Fuoco, The Reiki School & Clinic, K9 Beharioral Training & Therapy, Jane Brydon Dog Training Coach, Chez Bow Wow, Soozy Pooch Training, Puppy Love Home Made Treats, Healthy Treats, Custom Pet Potraits, Healthy Solutions - Healing For Animals, Sniffles & Friends Dog Walking, Dawn Elaine Animal Specialties...

A gigantic thank you to Author Judith Kristen & Henley - Immortalized in his own book: "My Name is Henley"!

And our GRATITUDE to the lovely musicians: Trent, Dylan Minacci, Nathan Reinert & Wave Length www.myspace.com/phillywavelength jazz combo!

For more NPE pictures - PLEASE visit "Bette Jill Hanson" on facebook!

EVENT IS RAIN OR SHINE

2008-09-05T15:46:00.002-05:00

According to the latest weather forecast, Sunday's weather is supposed to be partly cloudy with sun and no rain. Please plan on attending. We'll see you there!

NATURAL PET EXPO 2008

2008-08-25T09:54:00.020-05:00

Satisfy your pets NATURAL curiosity at the 2008 Natural Pet Expo SUNDAY SEPT 7, from 10-5pm at Liberties Walk, (1040 N. 2nd Street) in Northern Liberties in Philadelphia sponsored by Natura - The Healthiest Pet Food in the World brand EVO, The Ancestral Diet Meets Modern Nutrition.

The fifth annual event is free, fun filled festival for people & pets! At the Natural Pet Expo (NPE) you'll get the latest information on animal wellness and how to help companion animals find it, keep it, or get it back. Our mission is to raise awareness and encourage natural and holistic care with expert advice on nutrition, behavior, health and alternative care. You'll also find pet adoptions, entertainment, prizes, authors, sample giveaways and a pet parade.

DEDICATED TO ANIMAL WELLNESS
Exhibitors featured include homeopathic veterinarians, chiropractors, Reiki, Healing Touch massage, organic & holistic supplements, natural food choices, positive reinforcement behavior specialists and more. Choose from a selection of adoptable pets from PASPCA, PAWS and area rescue and foster animals. There's plenty to see and do for any animal enthusiast.

Free 'Ask a Vet' courtesy of Bethel Mill Animal Hospital
Professional dog training and grooming tips
Loveable dogs & cats for adoption
Pet portraits
Free treats for all
Paw-lenty of live music for you and your pooch
BBQ for your pet courtesy of Nature's Variety
Sample Reiki & Bio Energetic Healing
Author signings
Sample home made, organic & holistic pet food & supplements
Raffle prizes & FREE samples
1pm Pet Parade

YUMMY-YUMMY & A TON OF DOG GONE FUN
Join Nature's Variety as they host a BBQ with delectable-edible delights just for pets. Soothe the beast with live music, gather free samples from vendors, and register for raffle prizes like a family fun-pack of tickets to Hershey Park! Proceeds benefit Streetails Animal Rescue. Then at 1pm, get ready to dazzle or be dazzled with an enchanting pet parade featuring shelter, rescue, foster and area pets with prizes for the MOST ADORABLE & BEST DRESSED pet!!

AUTHOR-AUTHOR READ ALL ABOUT IT

MEET Judith Kristen, author of My Name is Henley: My Life & Times as a Rescued Dog. Henley, an Old English Sheepdog starts out his life at a puppy mill in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Abused, neglected, and left to die, he is finally rescued by a shelter worker and then adopted into a loving home. This is a story of kindness, patience, love, respect, and understanding for lovers of all creatures great and small.

The Natural Pet Expo is proudly sponsored in part by Natura - The Healthiest Pet Food in the World brand EVO, The Ancestral Diet Meets Modern Nutrition. EVO is a Grain-Free, Meat-Based Pet Food. While all Natura Pet Products use high-quality meat as the main pet food ingredient, EVO dog and cat food is completely grain-free. In fact, EVO has the highest protein content of any meat-based dry pet food on the market and uses whole, fresh meat sources such as turkey, chicken and herring meal!

DIRECTIONS:

POINTS NORTH
South on Delaware Expy/I-95 S toward Philadelphia
Take exit 23 for Girard Ave/Lehigh Ave
Merge onto E Girard Ave
Turn left at N 2nd St to Liberties Walk Courtyard, 1040 N. 2nd Street.

POINTS SOUTH
Take I-95 N
Take exit 22 on the left for Callowhill St toward Independence Hall/I-676 E/US-30 E
Slight left at Callowhill St
Turn right at N 5th St
Turn right at W Girard Ave
Turn right at N 2nd St to Liberties Walk Courtyard, 1040 N 2nd Street.

POINTS WEST
East on I-76 E
Slight left at I-676 E/Vine St Expy (signs for Central Philadelphia/I-676 E)
Take the exit toward Broad St
Slight right at Vine St
Turn left at N Broad St/PA-611
Turn right at W Girard Ave
Turn right at N 2nd St to Liberties Walk Courtyard,1040 N. 2nd Street.

POINTS EAST - NEW JERSEY
Entering Pennsylvania over Ben Franklin Bridge (Toll)
Take the 5th St exit
Slight right at N 5th St
Turn right at W Girard Ave
Turn right at N 2nd St to Liberties Walk Courtyard, 1040 N. 2nd Street

JOIN US for the 2008 NATURAL PET EXPO!

2008-07-01T10:48:00.009-05:00

We are now taking registration for vendors for the fifth annual Natural Pet Expo taking place Sunday, September 7th @ Liberties Walk in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, PA!

PLEASE mark your calendars.

TO register, obtain sponsor information, advertise in our bulletin or submit an article please
email natrlpetexpo@earthlink.net for more information.

CBS3 JOINS US AS OUR EXCLUSIVE MEDIA PARTNER FOR THE 5th ANNUAL NATURAL PET EXPO !!

ANIMAL ENTHUSIASTS, ADVOCATES AND RETAILERS DEDICATED TO THE HEALTH & WELFARE OF PETS you know that pets are a loving part of our families in 71 million American homes across the country. These families spend over 43 BILLION to feed, care for, house, spoil and supply happiness to their animal companions. But what exactly makes a pet happy? This year, the 2008 Natural Pet Expo hopes to find out with our theme HELP YOUR PET BE HAPPY!

At the Natural Pet Expo (NPE) you'll get information on the many aspects of wellness and how it can help our companion animals find it, keep it, or get it back. From nutrition, behavior and health care to making choices and deciphering the latest educational information and articles Please join us in Philadelphia, Sunday, September 7, from 10am to 5pm in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia, PA for the 2008 event - and find out how to help your pet be as happy as you want them to be.

The NPE is outdoors in the Liberties Walk Courtyards and is free to the public. With pet adoptions, entertainment, prizes, family fun, speakers, authors and giveaways --- the 2007 event was well attended and successful. We already have great response for 2008 with local TV partners and plans for other appearances & publicity.

BACKGROUND:
For over 5 years, the Natural Pet Expo has provided a community for pet owners to get access to key information so they can make healthy choices on the natural care and welfare of their pets. In addition to a safe diet, environmental toxins, pharmaceuticals, treatment and stress all play a part in the health of companion animals. Please contact natrlpetexpo@earthlink.net if you feel your business, organization or service is in alignment with our goals. We cordially invite you to join us as an exhibitor, sponsor or event contributor.

Founded by two animal enthusiasts turned activists, the Natural Pet Expo's mission is to gather together leading pet experts, veterinarians, animal advocates, nutritionists, alternative care specialists, rescue groups, authors and animal lovers of all kinds to help educate and inform pet owners on natural wellness. By providing a community forum -- pet owners are welcome to explore, gather facts, ask questions and get one-on-one advice. In this way, common myths are debunked, services are shared, information is dispensed and people can make responsible decisions and actively participate in their pet¹s wellness and well being.

Run strictly by volunteers, the first Natural Pet Expo in 2004, involved over a dozen wellness-related animal health care providers, advocates and businesses related to natural and organic pet care. By 2007, the NPE tripled in number of exhibitors and participants. 2008 promises to be bigger and better than ever with CBS3 joining us our exclusive television partners expanding our reach into television and the web.

OUR MISSION:

To educate, inform, debunk myths and increase awareness, inspiring health conscious individuals to take responsibility for their animal companions well being, strengthening and allowing that special bond to grow between human and animal.
We aspire to gather and provide the latest information and data on safe & natural care for pets and provide access to this information in a community forum.
Our focus is on holistic, homeopathic, organic, natural and non-traditional approaches to animal Wellness.

PARTICIPATE:
Last year's pet food recall really brought an awareness to the public eye on the inherent dangers carried in commercial pet food. Please help our grassroots effort to inform and educate the pet consumer in any way you can: as an exhibitor, sponsor, contributor or resource. Space at this years Expo is limited so please let us know how you would like to participate at your earliest convenience. The deadline for early registration is July 31, 2008.

If you cannot attend in person, there is still a way you can participate. We encourage you to be a part of the Natural Pet Resource Guidebook as an advertiser, list your product or service or contribute an article based on the theme: HELP YOUR PET BE HAPPY!. More than 1-2000 will be printed and given away FREE as a valuable tool and resource for discriminating pet owners and attendees. It is specifically designed as an information source that will be kept and used frequently. The booklet will contain a listing of expo participants, and resource information under the categories: NUTRITION, BEHAVIOR, VETERINARY, RESCUE ALT/SPIRITUAL, ARTISTIC, MISC.

In addition, the Resource Guide includes articles on animal nutrition, health and alternative care dedicated to the holistic & natural care and welfare of our pets revolving around the theme - Help Your Pet be Happy! If you would like to purchase an ad in this booklet, submit a listing unfer the categories listed above, write an original article or suggest an original article cleared for reprinting, please contact: Bette Hanson at natrlpetexpo@earthlink.net Deadline for approval and submission is July 31, 2008.

Again, we encourage your participation and appreciate any effort on your part to help us accomplish our mutual goals. Please review the attached documents for registration, ad submission and benefits. Email us separately for sponsorship information. A portion of our proceeds benefit Streettails Animal Rescue www.myspace.com/streettails Deadline for early submission is July 31! We would appreciate it if you can please have all your registration documents, advertisements, listings and articles submitted by that date.

VISIT OUR FACEBOOK LISTING, JOIN OUR NPE GROUP AND BECOME A FRIEND

Join us Sunday, Sept 7th, for the 5th annual Natural Pet Expo at 1040 N 2nd Street @ Liberties Walk in Northern Liberties, PA!
----------------------------------------------
"...raising awareness & encouraging holistic and natural care of our animal friends."

WORLD ACCLAIMED HEALER COMING TO PHILLY!

2008-04-10T10:01:00.005-05:00

To book a personal appointment, June 6th thru June 10th --- Email: natrlpetexpo@earthlink.net, or call 267.455.0579. The cost is $75 per session for a single session for both people & pets if booked before June 2nd, $90 after June 2nd...

In addition, see Paul Hellings at the Animal Wellness & Health Fair, Saturday, June 7, 2008 from 10-2pm @ 1040 N 2nd Street, Northern Liberties, PA

================================
I am happy and excited to share a WONDERFUL and amazing opportunity with you to eperience for yourself the talents of an internationally acclaimed healer! N.I.S. Neurological Integration System² [formerly known as *NeuroLink - See FULL description below) is a paradigm shift in the way our Western culture views healthcare & medical treatment, however I and many others are living testimonies to it's success.

For those of you who know me, you remember HOW EXCITED and transformed I was after one single session of N.I.S. (See a more detailed description of how NIS works below) I am NOT one to gush, nor exaggerate, but N.I.S. literally changed the life of both myself and my 5 year old English Shepherd, Sascha! For those who might not know me, my name is Bette Hanson and in 2004, I started the Natural Pet Expo, an annual event in Philadelphia, dedicated to raising awareness about holistic and natural care for pets.

Here's my N.I.S. story:
My dog Sascha was suffering from a chronic case of Lymes disease that was causing her great discomfort. At the young age of 5, she was almost entirely lame and walking like a crab, unable to enjoy anything but the shortest of walks or excercise without getting fatigued. This was a complete turnaround from an energetic English Shepherd - a working/cattle dog breed used to sprinting FULL speed after squirrels and tearing around at the dog park with wild abandon. I was heartbroken at her condition and devoted/determined to try anything to get her well. After reading a glowing testimonial about N.I.S. in a friends weblog, I drove down from Philadelphia to Charlotte, North Carolina in May of 2007 to experience it for myself.

I decided that since I was there, I might as well get a treatment too because he works on both people & pets.

When I started, I had NO expectations and began the session thinking that I was
'problem free'. After all, I was there for my dog, not me - right? Well, the practioner Paul Hellings, proceeded to find every single injury I had experienced since I was a child. He found old sports injuries and several minor injuries from accidents that I had long since forgotten that were affecting my alignment, balance and comfort. After the problems were identified, Then Paul did some cranial stimulation to open the pathways and WOW... a lifetimes worth of imbalances were instantly restored in the span of an hour!

But I am burying the lead --- next, N.I.S. pinpointed a gluten allergy which I never knew I had! Since that visit last May of 2007, I have changed my diet to reflect an entirely gluten free diet and it's literally TRANSFORMED my life in ways that would fill pages and pages to describe. In addition, Paul and NIS also helped lead to Sascha's FULL RECOVERY from chronic Lymes disease.

When he met Sascha she was lethargic, lame and walking with pained effort. In two separate sessions, he identified problem areas and her energy immediately returned! It took many more months for Sascha to recover, however I give N.I.S. significant credit in her on the road to recovery!

So THAT being said, The aforementioned Paul Hellings practice is based out of New Zealand and he makes annual trips to the USA. He is scheduled to visit Philadelphia EXCLUSIVELY thru the Natural Pet Expo June 6 through June 10.

This is indeed a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience a unique and life-altering healing for yourself or your pet(s). If this resonates with you, OR you simply want a fabulous opportunity to experience a paradigm shift in healthcare that is not currently available here in Philadelphia - then PLEASE contact me to book an appt soon. Spaces ARE limited.

EMAIL: natrlpetexpo@earthlink.net PHONE: 267-455-0579

Should you have ANY questions or want to hear more about my experience,
please contact me... I cannot say enough good things about it!

Bette Hanson
Director, Natural Pet Expo

=================================
DESCRIPTION: www.ahh.co.nz

N.I.S. ³Neurological Integration System* [formerly known as *NeuroLink]

The brain is the ultimate computer. It holds a blueprint of how the body
should be and knows everything that has ever happened to the body. Good
health can be promoted so long as the pathways by which the brain
communicates with all other parts of the body remain clear.

N.I.S incorporates muscle testing to check the systems of the body at
specific neurological pathways and anatomical points. A strong muscle test
indicates all is okay with the analysis. A weak muscle response indicates a
breakdown in the neurological circuitry and that a correction is needed.
Cranial stimulation (tapping over a certain portion of the brain) while
holding the point that elicited the specific weak muscle test initiates a
reintegration of the brain and body working together to correct the
imbalance. Essentially, this is a customized health check and treatment
protocol each time, rather than a building up or unwinding or adjustment
process that needs to occur.

The potential of N.I.S. to restore good health is immense! N.I.S. doesn¹t
treat the names of a set of symptoms (i.e. irritable bowel disease,
dermatitis, psoriasis, sciatica, etc.) but addresses the root cause of ill
health by identifying the neurological breakdown between the brain and the
body¹s system and restoring the ³setpoint² for that function.

N.I.S. can address spinal problems and cranial/sacral imbalances without
manipulations.

N.I.S. may help to eliminate lingering viral, bacterial and fungal
infections.

Muscle knots often melt away.

N.I.S may assist to systematically improve the functions of the liver,
pancreas, kidneys and all other organs and glands.

N.I.S helps the body optimize its immune system function, with positive
results.

Temperament and behaviour problems dissipate when the body is relieved of
pain or stress.

All of this without the aid of invasive intervention or pharmaceuticals!

Please view this website www.neurolinkglobal.com for a greater appreciation
and understanding of the N.I.S. process.

Bach Flower Remedies

2008-01-08T15:49:00.000-05:00

NOTE: the article below is written for horses but the information contained is applicable for all pets.

Bach Flower Remedies/ Bach Rescue Remedy
Bach Flower Remedies are a system of holistic natural healing that grew up out of homeopathic medicine. Flower Remedies are to the emotional body what homeopathics are to the physical body. Each of the 38 Remedies correlates to an emotional state such as fear, self doubt or worry. The Flower Remedies act as a catalyst so that an animal's own system can achieve balance after being in a state of imbalance due to the stress of a period of strong emotion. These strong emotions scientists have found to be the seed of most physical disease. It, therefore, is logical to say if you achieve an emotional balance you also will affect the physical dysfunction.

The Flower Remedies are an approved Food and Drug Administration over the counter remedy and available to anyone without a prescription. They have no side effects, can be taken with any homeopathic remedy or allopathic drug and overdose is impossible.

Note: Please substitute the word ANIMAL for any species listed below (such as horse).

Bach "Rescue Remedy"
In the early 1930's the noted British physician and scientist, Dr. Edward Bach, observed that many of his patients would display emotional and psychological difficulties such as apprehension, worry, loneliness, boredom, depression, uncertainty, hopelessness or fear prior to the onset of physical illness. He also noted these same difficulties inhibited the body's natural healing ability to prevent and/or overcome disease. Leaving his lucrative Harley Street practice, Bach moved to the English countryside and dedicated his life to studying the relationship between a person's state of mind and the onset of progression of disease.

Unlike standard medical approaches which treat physical symptoms, Bach believed the only way to truly prevent or deal with an illness, once manifested, was to address the underlying emotional causes. Concerned over the misusage and side- effects of most chemical drugs, Bach believed a safe, gentle treatment could be found in nature.

After many years of research and testing, Bach discovered that the preparation of 38 flowering plants, trees and special waters alleviated a broad range of emotional and psychological difficulties. Bach also developed a highly effective combination emergency rescue formula for the relief of stress during acute stressful situations. "Rescue Remedy" is regarded as the panacea Remedy, having the ability to calm and distress any situation especially, those created by traumatic incidents where an animal was terrorized, injured, or abused.

But, how does one know what emotions animals are experiencing? You would be surprised as to how easy it is to "read" an animal. All it takes is some observation and a little insight. You might discover that animals take less effort than humans!

The Flower Remedies come in small stock bottles. Cost is anywhere from $16 (10 ml) -$25 (20ml). This concentrate is used to make a dilution of a formula just for you or your horse. Four to six drops are added along with a teaspoon of brandy or apple cider vinegar to a 1 ounce dropper bottle. Fill the rest of the way with spring water and shake vigorously up and down.

The Remedies can be taken directly from the stock bottle or from the personal dilution bottle by placing 2 - 4 drops in your horse's feed or water. The Remedies are easy and convenient to use with varied methods of application that can be selected to suit an individual's specific needs. The most common forms of administering the Remedies are placing them into the animal's food or water; dropping them directly into the animal's mouth; or rubbing the needed remedies on one's hands before petting them. Another innovative method for stalled horses is to place the Remedies into an automatic misting units such as fly repellent units.

In acute or emergency situations, you can apply the Remedies every few seconds until a change is noticed, then every 5 minutes until another change is noticed, and then every fifteen minutes. By this time, your horse should be calm and restored to an acceptable level of homeostasis. Normally giving the Remedy 4 - 8 times daily is acceptable, especially immediately upon rising and before retiring.

There is no improper or wrong method of applying the Bach Remedies. It is truly not necessary to be precise in counting the number of drops in any of the dilution methods. The suggestions given, herein, are merely to offer a reasonable parameter of accepted dilution methods. Follow your own judgment and insights. Remember, you cannot overdose the Remedies for they are non-toxic.

The following is a description of the Flower Remedies that make up Rescue Remedy, the most commonly used Bach Flower Remedy. Rescue Remedy is not a Flower Essence in itself but a combination of five of original Remedies. Once these five remedies are combined, the Rescue becomes an essence unto itself. It is different combined, than its individual essences.

Clematis
- Increases attention span and ability to focus on the training lesson at hand.
- When the animal is comatose or unconscious for any reason; returning the animal to consciousness.
- After any surgery to increase recovery alterness time.

Impatiens
- For the very nervous animal.
a. Any form of nervous difficulties, especially those that have the nervous shakes.

- For the overly anxious animal.
a. At feeding times
b. Before a race
c. For animals that have epileptic type fits especially when agitated by being overly excited or upset.

Impatiens is for any form of pain.

Rock Rose
- For any form of terror and panic
a. After an accident, injury, fire or any terrifying event.
b. For the overly fearful animal that possibly was terrified sometime in their life. Fear does not dissolve naturally.

- Rock Rose is for dauntless courage.
a. For animals that are used in service to mankind such as police work.
- For the courageous animal to accentuate their already innate abilities.

Cherry Plum
- For the animal that looses control, becoming wild and crazed.
a. for vicious animals that become dangerous when provoked.
b. For the high strung animal, including horses, that lose control easily.
c. for the animal that is destructive, losing control.
d. Losing control when seeing another animal enter into their territory.
e. To help retain control during mating season for both sexes.

- To remain in control when:
a. In competition when stressed by strange people, noises, animals.
b. Training animals not to react to gun fire.

- For the animal that becomes frantic when traveling such as horses that spook when being placed in trailers.

- For the animal that suffers from:
a. Seizures or anxiety attacks

- The animal who chews himself
a. Allergies to grasses
b. Staying away from stitches after surgery.

Star of Bethlehem
- Star of Bethlehem is for all forms of trauma.
a. For the emotional trauma from the loss of a loved master or mate.
b. Physical trauma after an injury of any kind.
c. Birthing trauma
d. Traumatized from extreme cold or heat.

- Star of Bethlehem is needed any time comfort is indicated. a. To give comfort to animals who were left alone or are in a kennel feeling unloved.
b. For an injured or ill animal who is required to remain at a veterinary clinic, during which one time their owners are there with them.

NOTE: Rescue Remedy is not meant to take the place of emergency medical treatment. In serious conditions or situations requiring medical attention, a veterinarian should be notified immediately.

Agrimony
- Agrimony is for the animal that never complains, even when it is obvious that the animal is in pain.

- Useful for any kind of skin infestation or irritation that causes the animal to chew themselves raw: biting ticks, fleas and flies, parasites, mange, eczema.

- For the restless animal that roams from place to place. For the animal that paces back and forth - stall weaving in horses.

Aspen
- For horses that "spook" very easily.

- For use when a horse is anxious for some unknown reason and refuses to enter certain stalls.

Beech
- Beech cures those picky eaters, who of course, prefer only the most expensive foods.

- When intolerant of grasses, insects, dampness, light or dark, heat or humidity or cold.

- For traveling long distances.

Centaury
- For the timid horse that gets easily pushed around in the pasture.

- Increases an animal's will to live when fighting an illness, after an accident or during a difficult delivery for a mare and foal.

- For horses used in the military or police service.

Cerato
- For the "air head" or inattentive horse that appears too stupid to learn or learns very slowly.

- Cerato keeps animals "on track". Therefore, it is ideal to administer before and during a training session and during competitive events.

Chestnut Bud
- To break bad habits such as: horses that won't leave the barn or trailer.

- During any new training session to increase memory retention.
- To break old habits taught by other trainers.
- Enables horses to be more sure-footed on mountain trails - more keenly aware of their surroundings.
Chicory
- For the animals who thinks they "own" their master.
- Use at weaning time to help mare and foal to separate.
- The key word for Chicory is "congestion". If an animal has organic,congestive symptoms such as in the lungs, bowels, heart or nasal passages and the animal is desirous of attention, then, chicory could be indicated.

Crab Apple
- To cleanse all wounds, abrasions, or rashes.
- To rid animal and surroundings of any annoying odors.
- To help diminish their scent when in season.

Elm
- Anytime an animal is overwhelmed by rigors of traveling, such as horses traveling in trailers or airplanes.
- For being overwhelmed by something. Horses being shod, too many strangers in their space, being placed in unfamiliar territory.
- for easily-overwhelmed, high strung horses.

Genetian
- For set backs of any kind, such as being relocated, sold or given again and again.
- For long illnesses or when there is a relapse.
- Depression resulting from the set back experienced by an animal when, for example, it's baby dies.
- For horses that have had a bad experience due to injury or an abusive trainer and now has little initiative to re-begin a training routine.

Gorse
- Gorse is indicated when there is a challenging situation where there are signs that the animal has given up or feels that the condition is hopeless. For example: A horse badly abused or abandoned needing to have their hope of living restored; a critical injury or surgery, for a horse that has been severely neglected.

Heather
- For the horse that has to be the center of attention.

Holly
- For horses who are known to be mean and dangerous.
- When the horse is performing unacceptably. Being dangerous, or a horse causing other horses to react.
- To be taken when mare rejects her foal.
- For the surrogate mother and adopted baby to accept each other.
- When there is a need for more love such as in abused and neglected horses.

Honeysuckle
- for the sulking horse that is lamenting the loss of their master, mate or baby caused by death or separation.
- For horses that have been over-exerted or exhausted.
- For horses that do not perform well when away from home.

Hornbeam
- For the horse that appears mentally lethargic and tired during riding but when it is freed it jumps about with plenty of energy to spare. Or, for the horse that peps up when near the barn.
- For race horses to face the race and jump out of the shoot first.

Larch
- To increase confidence. For the horse that has had their confidence beaten out of them, or for the horse that performs better in pairs.

Mimulus
- For known fears such as thunder and lightning, crossing water, of strange noises, of strange objects. - For the shy, timid, fearful, or abused horse.

Mustard
- For the horse that is experiencing very deep depression.
- For the horse that has personality changes when "in season".

Oak
- For the horse that is a hard worker yet seems to be over burdened, needing to struggle with the task at hand.
- to rebuild the strength of horses that have been starved or mal-nutritioned, over bred, over worked, over exposed to weather extremes.
- Take Oak in preparation for strenuous times ahead.

Olive
- For exhaustion from an especially long ordeal, as in the case of long term pain or abuse caused by the elements, an illness, man's cruelty or predators.
- If plagued with allergies that cause the adrenal system to become exhausted.

Pine
- Pine is the suffering remedy. The Pine type will take it upon themselves their master's pain or illness.

Red Chestnut
- For use when an animal sense impending danger such as: tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, being taken away to the vet or being put to death.

Rock Water
- Increases flexibility for animals that have stiff joints and muscles. Massage topically into stiff sore joints and muscles. Will achieve a more fluid gait.
- For the stubborn or cantankerous horse who refuses to flow with when forced to adhere to a new set of rules. Is uncompromising and inflexible.

Scleranthus
- For the horse that has equilibrium difficulties. For horse that are clumsy.
- for neurological confusion - such as might happen with some kinds of seizures.
- For mares with "yo-yo" hormones that often cause "yo-yo" emotions.
- For horses that suddenly buck or bite.

Sweet Chestnut
- Give Sweet Chestnut during competitive events when the horse shows sign of fatigue that indicate it might not finish the event. Sweet Chestnut strengthens them mentally so that they can perform well physically.
- Sweet Chestnut is for endurance energy and therefore, ideal to tap hidden reservoirs of energy before a physically taxing event.
- To prevent burn out.

Vervain
- For the very intense, hyperactive, high energy horse. This type of horse appears to have inexhaustible energy. This type is anxious to learn but is often difficult to teach because it has it's own way of achieving a lesson's objective.

Vine
- For the horse that thinks he is the "master" and rules the barn, stall or pasture.

Walnut
- Walnut protects against outside influences such as insecticides, pollution and sensitivities to pollens and grasses.
- Protects by insulating the horse due to changes in it's environment - new owners, new barn or when traveling.
- Walnut eases hormonal cycles.

Water Violet
- Water Violet is indicated for the horse that prefers to be left alone, especially when ill.
- For horses that never receive attention and are forgotten by their owners, rarely being released from their stall.

White Chestnut
- White Chestnut works to quiet and still an animal's mind during training sessions or competitive events, enabling them to listen only for their master's command.

Wild Oat
- For the horse that appears depressed, possibly because it is idle and not doing what it was trained to do.
- To create more opportunities to win competitive events.

Wild Rose
- Wild Rose remedies apathy as it's virtuous action evokes the happiness and jubilation for life necessary for: horses confined to stalls and never let out, helping old and grouchy horses to have more fun, for horses that have lost their spirit.

Willow
- Willow is basically for resentment which is caused by feeling victimized by an abuser.

Maker of Tainted Dog Food to Pay $3.1M

2008-01-04T13:24:00.000-05:00

By MEG KINNARD (Associated Press Writer)
From Associated Press, January 04, 2008 12:57 PM EST

COLUMBIA, S.C. - A company that made contaminated pet food that killed dozens of dogs nationwide will pay $3.1 million in a settlement with pet owners, an attorney said Friday.

The pet food, which contained a mold called aflatoxin, was produced at Diamond Pet Foods' plant in South Carolina. The company will set up a fund to reimburse pet owners for the loss of their dog, veterinarian bills and the cost of any unreturned contaminated food, said attorney Jim Andrews, who represented a Knoxville, Tenn., family that sued the company.

Diamond Pet Foods, based in Meta, Mo., acknowledged that workers at its Gaston, S.C., plant failed to follow internal testing procedures to ensure its products were safe. The company made the acknowledgment after the Food and Drug Administration released a report showing the company has no record of test results for 12 shipments of corn in 2005, when grain tainted with the deadly fungus slipped into the plant.

The company contends it did nothing illegal, according to the settlement. Mark Schell, Diamond's assistant general manager, did not immediately return a telephone message.

Aflatoxin, a naturally occurring chemical that comes from a fungus sometimes found on corn and in other crops, can cause severe liver damage.

The contaminated pet food was sold in 23 states. Diamond recalled about 20 varieties of dog and cat food when a New York veterinarian said in December 2005 that she had linked a dog's death to the company's food.

The 2005 recall is unrelated to the contamination problem that prompted recalls of more than 100 pet-food brands in early 2006. In that case, investigators traced pet deaths to a toxic chemical, melamine, that had been added during manufacturing in China.

---

On the Net:

Diamond Pet Food Settlement: http://www.recalledpetfoodsettlement.com/

Diamond Pet Foods: http://diamondpet.com/

Animal Wellness Report

2007-07-19T08:52:00.000-05:00

Animal Wellness Report
Ten tips for a healthier dog or cat

1. Good food!
A wholesome diet made from ingredients that are as natural and organic as possible is crucial to your dog or cat’s wellness. Choose from a raw frozen or premium canned food and avoid low-end commercial diets that include by-products, high grain content, and artificial additives. Round out his diet with plenty of fresh, pure water. Avoid city tap water – it’s full of chlorine. Use good spring or reverse osmosis water.

2. Vitamins = verve
Your best buddy may also benefit from supplements to boost his wellness. Antioxidants such as vitamins E and C, grape seed extract and CoQ10 are important, as are Omega 3 essential fatty acids, found in salmon and flax oils. Probiotics and digestive enzymes enhance GI health. Consult a holistic vet before starting a supplement program.

3. Don’t overvaccinate
Too many vaccines have been associated with a host of health problems in dogs and cats. Stick with the core vaccines for kittens and puppies and avoid annual boosters. The duration of immunity for core vaccines ranges five to nine years – that’s half a lifetime in most cases! The exception is rabies, which is currently required by law in most regions.

4. Let’s get moving
Regular exercise is as good for your animal as it is for you. It strengthens bones and immunity, oxygenates the blood and organs, and increases mental and emotional well being. Take your dog for a daily walk, or schedule an outdoor playtime. If you have an indoor cat, encourage a few short periods of play throughout the day.

5. Visit the vet
Because your animal can’t talk, he can’t tell you when he’s experiencing unusual symptoms, especially if they’re subtle. Annual veterinary check-ups can catch potential problems before they become serious. It also gives you a regular chance to talk to a professional about the best way to ensure a long and healthy life for your companion.

6. Open wide
A healthy mouth means a healthy body. Gum infections can spread to other body organs and cause serious disease. A proper diet, including raw meaty bones, goes a long way towards good dental health, but it’s also wise to regularly check his teeth and gums for problems, and if necessary, clean his teeth with a holistic dental product for animals.

7. Safe surroundings
A safe, stress-free environment is vital to your animal’s well being at all levels. Avoid using toxic household and lawn care products, including pesticides, and make sure your home and garden don’t pose any safety hazards. Be aware of and remove or minimize any elements or situations that may be causing your dog or cat emotional anxiety.

8. Don’t go hairy
Grooming is something a lot of animal guardians overlook, especially if their companions have short hair. But regular bathing and brushing actually contribute to good health by helping to keep fleas away, getting rid of dirt and dead hair, and preventing skin problems. Brushing also spreads the natural oils over the hair and massages the skin.

9. Training tactics
Just like kids, dogs and cats can develop bad habits if they’re not taught how to behave, and that causes tension for everyone. Make positive training an integral part of your companion’s daily life (consult a professional if you need help). Gentle, reward-based training ensures good behavior and a relationship free of conflict and power games.

10. Lots of love
Last but far from least, your dog or cat needs loads of love and attention. It’s easy to get side-tracked by our jobs and lives, but make sure you spend quality time with your animal every day, petting him, relaxing with him, and telling him how much you appreciate the unconditional love and companionship he gives you. You’ll both benefit!

Reiki Article in Phila Inquirer, July 8, 2007

2007-07-18T13:34:00.000-05:00

Try a little reiki
Alternative medicine for furballs with issues
By Meredith Broussard
For The Inquirer

Harlow Whitleigh spends her days gazing out the window of her Fishtown townhouse, eating bonbons and lounging with her best friend, a Yorkshire terrier named Rosco.

Harlow also barks. A small white bichon frise/poodle hybrid, she barks at cars, at the letter carrier, at birds, at customers coming to nearby Johnny Brenda's tavern, and at anyone walking by on the street.

Jeniphur Whitleigh and Michael Pasquarello, who own Harlow and the Loft District's Cafe Lift, have learned to live with Harlow's high-pitched ways. But when Kimberly Fleisher, the director of the Reiki School & Clinic on South Street, offered to try to reduce Harlow's anxiety with a session of reiki, the restaurateurs were happy to see if the Japanese healing method would calm Harlow down.

"She's always been very anxious. She's overanxious about everything," Pasquarello says, as Harlow races back and forth across the living room in a frenzy, jumping on and off the black leather couch.

In a reiki session, the practitioner lays hands on or above the patient in order to direct "ki," a life-force energy, at the area of difficulty and restore proper energy flow and balance. People use reiki as a complementary therapy to treat numerous conditions, including stress, anxiety, chronic pain, and the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation.

Now reiki for pets is catching on. Just as increasing numbers of pet owners have sought out conventional therapies, such as antidepressants and antianxiety drugs, to treat pet-behavior problems, many are turning to alternative medicine for their pets.

Twenty-one percent of pet owners have used some form of complementary medicine on their pets, according to the American Animal Hospital Association's 2003 National Pet Owner Survey. That's up from the 1996 survey, in which only 6 percent of pet owners said they had used alternative therapies on their pets.

Statistics on the number of pets receiving reiki are not available, though Fleisher reports that the number of requests at the Reiki School & Clinic has increased steadily in the last year. The school offers reiki sessions for $40 in the animal's home, where the pet will be most comfortable.

Harlow's reiki session starts slowly. She perches on her owner's lap, her body tensed and taut, snout thrust out in an anxious pose. Fleisher ignores Harlow at first, instead chatting with the dog's owners and petting Rosco.

It's clear why people turn to Fleisher for stress reduction: With her short dark hair and the erect carriage of the serious yoga-trained, the diminutive 31-year-old radiates a sense of calm.

"If there was one thing that you would want to happen as a result of the reiki, what would it be?" she asks.

"We don't want her to be a different dog. She's our dog, and we love her. But for her own sake, I'd like her to calm down a little bit," Pasquarello says.

Still chatting, Fleisher sits on the floor. Harlow tentatively walks over to sniff her, then dashes across the room, scoots back to hop up on the couch behind Fleisher and buzzes from end to end briefly; Rosco climbs on the couch, too, and the dogs begin to wrestle.

Fleisher often works with terminally ill pets - reiki helps the process of letting go, she says - and often comforts the pet and its owner. One of Fleisher's students, reiki master and health educator Sandi Herman, specializes in pet reiki and animal-bereavement counseling.

Herman has eight cats, all of whom love reiki. "My cats usually know it's reiki time. When I'm working on one, everybody else comes over," says Herman, a Bella Vista resident. "They yawn and get really relaxed."

Stressful events such as veterinarian visits, moving, or the introduction of a new pet to the household are often mentioned as reasons that pet owners seek out reiki to relax their pets.

"Animals are closer to nature than we are. They don't wear clothes; they wear their own fur. They're more in tune with energy and nature," says Bette Hanson, who, along with Chic Petique owner Lindsay Condefer, organizes Philadelphia's annual Natural Pet Expo.

Hanson learned about complementary and alternative medical treatments from the Animal Healing Center in Yardley, which also offers pet reiki. Her dog, Sascha, receives a number of holistic therapies for chronic health problems; she received reiki from Fleisher recently during an informal visit.

"Sascha lay down on her side; it was very natural. She was almost asking for it to be done," Hanson says. The next day, she says, Sascha seemed relaxed - much like a person might the day after a massage.

As with many complementary and alternative medicine treatments, there is controversy over reiki's benefits. "Not every patient is going to respond to every treatment. Make sure it's the right thing for your pet," suggests Christina Fuoco, a veterinarian at Queen Village Animal Hospital. "Every pet is different, so speak to your veterinarian about pursuing complementary medicine."

Owners may want to also want to ask their vet if there are any problems that can result from using reiki to treat a pet, especially in the case of serious illness.

Anyone can perform reiki after taking a class, though there are three levels of training; the highest level, which Fleisher holds, is reiki master.

During Harlow's reiki session, Fleisher and Harlow spend some time sitting alone in the living room. Fleisher waits patiently for Harlow to calm down and sit near her. When Harlow pauses, Fleisher reaches over and starts scratching the dog above her right front leg. The dog is instantly blissful; she lifts her chin for more attention, then sits up on her hind legs, offering her belly to be scratched.

Fleisher centers herself briefly, putting her palms together and closing her eyes. To administer the reiki, Fleisher holds Harlow in her lap and cups her hand over the dog's head, passing it back and forth about two inches above Harlow's curly white mop. Fleisher centers most of her attention on Harlow's head; the dog seems to be asking for the reiki there, Fleisher says, as well as on a spot low on her spine.

When her owners return, Harlow greets them leisurely - none of the frantic barking or jumping seen earlier. The dog's face is relaxed, her tongue hanging out, her ears droopy.

"She's warm," Whitleigh comments as she scoops up the dog at the end of the session. Reiki practitioners report that their hands become extremely warm during sessions - Fleisher recalls doing reiki on a fish once, and her hands left sweaty prints on the bowl when she was done.

As Fleisher prepares to leave, Harlow is significantly calmer. She ambles off to take a nap. Is it the reiki, or has she calmed down due to familiarity with the visitor? Hard to say.

But one thing is clear: she isn't barking.

Pet Expo 2007 -In Pictures

2007-07-05T11:33:00.000-05:00

June 10, 2007, Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, PA

The Natural Pet Expo was a success.

Under partly sunny skies, hundreds of attendees sampled, viewed, and talked to over 30 vendors and exhibitors gathered in the shadow of Liberties Walk retailers.

They listening to the beautifully smooth, acoustic sounds of Pete Tramo & WilliamZboy, sampled products, asked questions, won prizes and learned more about holistic & natural care for their animal friends.

The Pennsylvania SPCA brought an assortment of cats and dogs which all soon were adopted and went to new, loving forever homes! They then called for a second assortment to be brought out to the Natural Pet Expo and many MORE were adopted and found new homes!

Participating exhibitors included: Chic Petique, Natures Variety, Whole Foods, Super Dog, Natura/Innova, Primal Pet Foods, Canidae, Aunt Jeni’s Raw Pet Food, Pennsylvania SPCA,

Dr. Jennifer Forsyth - Bethel Mill Animal Hospital, Dr. Wendy Rodriguez - Animal Healing Center, Inc., Dr. Karen Hoffman - Mt. Laurel Animal Hospital, Young Living Essential Oils, Nupro Research, Inc. - pet food supplements, Animal Chiropractics from Christina Fuoco, VMD, The Reiki School and Clinic,
The Animal-Human Connection, Custom Pet Tags, K-9 Training & Behavioral Therapy, Custom Pet Portraits, Central Bark, Opportunity Barks,

Jane Brydon-Dog Training Coach, Harnessed to Hope Northern Breed Rescue, Inc, Northeast Animal Rescue, Dog Gone Deli, Proper Paws Training, Chez Bow Wow Grooming, Bonejour Pet Store and more…

Throughout the day, attendees enjoyed free pet massages, aromatherapy, reiki,sessions, oil essence treatments, tons of free samples, coupons and raffle prizes were given out to some lucky winners amidst the beautiful acoustic music of Pete Tramo & WilliamZboy.

Photo's courtesy Mark Gambol & Ed Snyder.

Thanks to our sponsors: Grace Misiti, Natures Variety, Lindsay Condefer, Chic Petique, Brett Mapp, Whole Foods & Bette Hanson, Natural Pet Expo Director.

NATURAL PET EXPO - June 10, 2007

2007-04-27T14:52:00.000-05:00

This years NATURAL PET EXPO will take place in Philadelphia, PA from 10am to 4pm at 1040 N 2nd Street in the courtyard of the Liberties Walk complex in Northern Liberties.

The theme this year is PET FOOD & NUTRITION.

Starting at NOON - hear LIVE MUSIC from acoustic and folk/blues artists Pete Tramo and Williamzboy. Check out their musical offerings at www.myspace.com/octobertreeproject and www.myspace.com/folkabilly

At 1pm, Veterinarian Jennifer Forsyth, V.M.D from Bethel Mill Animal Hospital will give a talk on the Pet Food Recall -- Making the Right Choices for Your Pet. Find out exactly what to look for and what to avoid on pet food labels and how to pick the best food for your pet. Is raw food the best alternative? Dr. Forsyth will talk about the benefits, weigh the costs versus the time and give you THE answers you need to make informed and -safe- decisions for your pet. You won't want to miss this. NEXT, Dr. Karen Hoffman, from Mt. Laurel Animal Hospital will give a talk on "Safe Alternatives to NSAIDS/Aspirin" and "The Importance of Animal Dentistry"

See what else you'll find at the Natural Pet Expo!

+ PET FOOD AND NUTRITION Find out what food is BEST (and worst) for your pet!
+ ARE VACCINATIONS DANGEROUS? Evaluate true risk of exposure – get informed.
+ HOMEOPATHIC & HOLISTIC CARE What is it and what are the benefits for your pet?
+ ALTERNATIVE CARE Learn about Reiki, Pet Massage, Acupuncture, Chiropractics, Flower Essences, Young Living Oils, Amazon Herbs and other all-natural care and health options.
+ ALL- NATURAL FLEA REMEDIES, BEST SELLING BOOKS, TREATS, TOYS AND MUCH MORE!
BE PROACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE -- Talk to the experts and get the REAL scoop on the safety of commercial pet foods, learn about alternative health care and how to recognize the benefits & limitations of conventional and holistic options for your animal companion.

Our Sponsors this year are Chic Petique pet stores, dedicated to the natural care and wellness of your pet and serving you in two convenient locations, 3rd & South Streets and 1040 N. 2nd Street in the Liberties Walk retail Courtyard in Northern Liberties.

Coming back for a 2nd year is NATURE'S VARIETY The Nature's Variety line of natural pet products was developed by families who have been engaged in sustainable production agriculture for over 140 years - raising quality livestock and growing crops in America's heartland. They are passionate about improving the health of your pet through better nutrition. With better ingredients and better nutrition, you can help your pet maintain proper body weight, reduce the risk of allergies, and enjoy a longer, healthier life by maintaining a healthy diet. They select the highest quality ingredients for the production of nutritionally dense and bio-available diets anhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifd treats. Their natural, nutritious products are produced with integrity and care for the health of your companion animal.

And joining us in 2007 as a new sponsor is WHOLE FOODS!

Whole Foods believe in a virtuous circle entwining the food chain, human beings and Mother Earth: each is reliant upon the others through a beautiful and delicate symbiosis.

Whole Foods obtains products locally and from all over the world, often from small, uniquely dedicated food artisans. They strive to offer the highest quality, least processed, most flavorful and naturally preserved foods. Why? Because food in its purest state — unadulterated by artificial additives, sweeteners, colorings and preservatives — is the best tasting and most nutritious food available. Whole Foods also believe companies, like individuals, must assume their share of responsibility as tenants of Planet Earth.

The Natural Pet Expo team offers infinite gratitude & thanks our sponsors for all their generous support of our cause!

NATURAL PET EXPO - JUNE 10, Philadelphia, PA

2007-04-19T17:40:00.000-05:00

ANIMAL LOVERS, ADVOCATES AND ENTHUSIASTS DEDICATED TO THE HEALTH & WELFARE OF PETS -- PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE 4th ANNUAL NATURAL PET EXPO – SUNDAY, JUNE 10, 2007 at Liberties Walk in Philadelphia, PA. from 10am to 4pm. RAIN OR SHINE.

As an animal enthusiast, you may or may not be shocked by the recent Pet Food Recall. Our sympathies are with the pet parents who are dealing with the heartache of this situation and our hearts go out to any and all who may have suffered as a result. While the media played it's part in getting out the message, it has not done enough in covering the full and true story out...

Four years ago, Chic Petique joined with Bette Hanson to help educate others on natural pet care, founding the Natural Pet Expo with their primary topic ‘the dangers of feeding commercial grade pet food’. With the plight of thousands, and thousands of pets affected by tainted pet food recently in the news, it is more important than ever to get the word out about healthier choices in the care and welfare of our animal companions. Please join us for the NEXT Natural Pet Expo on Sunday, June 10, in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, PA

Excerpt from Ann Martin’s “Foods Pet Die For” 1997 Sage Press "There are several reasons you really do not want to feed your dog or cat commercial foods. Perhaps the most compelling moral reason is that there are rendered, euthanized pets in much of this food. These pets have been mixed with other materials, including some condemned for human consumption: "rotten meat from supermarket shelves, restaurant grease..'4-D' (dead, diseased, dying and disabled) animals and roadkill."

In addition, two thirds of the pet food manufactured in the United States contains added preservatives, according to the Animal Protection Institute. There are also coloring agents, emulsifiers, lubricants, flavoring agents, pH control agents, synergists and solvents. "Of the more than 8,600 recognized food additives today, no toxicity information is available for 46% of them," the institute says.

EQ (ethoxyquin) is the most common antioxidant preservative in pet foods. It has been found in some dogs' livers and tissues months after the animal stopped ingesting it. Ethoxyquin is manufactured by Monsanto Chemical, the largest manufacturer of
bioengineered foods. EQ is listed as a hazardous chemical by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and is considered a pesticide by the USDA. It is used in most US dog food, but is banned in Europe. The FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine requested that pet food manufacturers voluntarily reduce the maximum level for ethoxyquin by half to 75 parts per million. Courtesy of 'New Living' Newspaper March 2001

NONE of this is good for your pets, help us continue our mission to get the word out! Our last big event was extremely successful and generated quite a buzz. Both Lindsay and I heard feedback from many attendees who were inspired, influenced, intrigued and informed by the strength of the content. Many have approached us all year asking again and again - "when is the next one?"

At the 4th annual Natural Pet Expo you can learn from the experts about what food is SAFE to feed your pet, holistic and homeopathic remedies, complete nutrition, commercial raw food vs making your own, alternative care modalities like Reiki and acupuncture, natural flea & tick remedies, the latest pet books and more!

Founded in 2004, the Natural Pet Expo’s goal is to gather together leading pet experts, veterinarians, animal advocates, nutritionists, alternative care specialists and animal lovers of all kinds to help educate and inform YOU the pet owner. By providing a friendly and open forum -- you are welcome to explore, gather facts, ask questions and get one-on-one advice. In this way, common myths are debunked, valuable information is shared and you can make responsible decisions and actively participate in your pet’s well being.

Our mission is simple:

• We aspire to follow, gather and provide the latest information and data on natural health choices, alternative care and nutrition for pets and provide access to this information in a practical, clear and easy to understand friendly forum.

• Our goal is to educate, inform, debunk myths and increase awareness, inspiring health conscious individuals to take responsibility for their pets’ well being, strengthening and allowing that special bond to grow between human and animal.

Run by volunteers, the first Natural Pet Expo took place in November, 2004 and involved over a dozen wellness-related animal health care providers, advocates and businesses relates to natural and organic pet care.

In 2005 and 2006, the Natural Pet Expo continued our quest to increase awareness about healthy pet care, health and nutrition. We added an informative Resource Booklet loaded with articles and information.

Our mission is a big one. Just one company, Ralston Purina makes more than 4 billion dollars in profit off of dog owners a year! Much time, effort and advertising dollars are spent misinforming the consumer. The pet food recall has brought to light the dangers carried in commercial pet food to the public eye. Now is the time to act when interest and a search for knowledge is at the forefront. Please join us in helping spread the word about our grassroots effort to bring even more awareness on more natural choices to the pet consumer.

Please join us at the 4th annual event on Sunday, June 10 from 10-4pm at the Liberties Walk location of pet store Chic Petique in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia. Call 215.238.0981 or email me here for more information!

Bigger than you think: The story behind the pet food recall

2007-04-19T17:24:00.000-05:00

YOUR WHOLE PET
Bigger than you think: The story behind the pet food recall

By Christie Keith, Special to SF Gate

The March 16 recall of 91 pet food products manufactured by Menu Foods wasn't big news at first. Early coverage reported only 10-15 cats and dogs dying after eating canned and pouched foods manufactured by Menu. The foods were recalled -- among them some of the country's best-known and biggest-selling brands -- and while it was certainly a sad story, and maybe even a bit of a wake-up call about some aspects of pet food manufacturing, that was about it.

At first, that was it for me, too. But I'm a contributing editor for a nationally syndicated pet feature, Universal Press Syndicate's Pet Connection, and all of us there have close ties to the veterinary profession. Two of our contributors are vets themselves, including Dr. Marty Becker, the vet on "Good Morning America." And what we were hearing from veterinarians wasn't matching what we were hearing on the news.

When we started digging into the story, it quickly became clear that the implications of the recall were much larger than they first appeared. Most critically, it turned out that the initially reported tally of dead animals only included the cats and dogs who died in Menu's test lab and not the much larger number of affected pets.

Second, the timeline of the recall raised a number of concerns. Although there have been some media reports that Menu Foods started getting complaints as early as December 2006, FDA records state the company received their first report of a food-related pet death on February 20.

One week later, on February 27, Menu started testing the suspect foods. Three days later, on March 3, the first cat in the trial died of acute kidney failure. Three days after that, Menu switched wheat gluten suppliers, and 10 days later, on March 16, recalled the 91 products that contained gluten from their previous source.

Nearly one month passed from the date Menu got its first report of a death to the date it issued the recall. During that time, no veterinarians were warned to be on the lookout for unusual numbers of kidney failure in their patients. No pet owners were warned to watch their pets for its symptoms. And thousands and thousands of pet owners kept buying those foods and giving them to their dogs and cats.

At that point, Menu had seen a 35 percent death rate in their test-lab cats, with another 45 percent suffering kidney damage. The overall death rate for animals in Menu's tests was around 20 percent. How many pets, eating those recalled foods, had died, become ill or suffered kidney damage in the time leading up to the recall and in the days since? The answer to that hasn't changed since the day the recall was issued: We don't know.

We at Pet Connection knew the 10-15 deaths being reported by the media did not reflect an accurate count. We wanted to get an idea of the real scope of the problem, so we started a database for people to report their dead or sick pets. On March 21, two days after opening the database, we had over 600 reported cases and more than 200 reported deaths. As of March 31, the number of deaths alone was at 2,797.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE...

Christie Keith is a contributing editor for Universal Press Syndicate's Pet Connection and past director of the Pet Care Forum on America Online. She lives in San Francisco.

Do You REALLY Know What is in Your Pets Food?

2007-04-19T15:35:00.000-05:00

ANIMAL HEALTH & WELFARE:

Although you may think all pet food manufacturers have your pet’s best interests in mind, this is not always the case. Current pet food regulations allow manufacturers to use ingredients that you would never knowingly give to your pet. In fact, you may be shocked to learn what some brands of pet food really contain. For example: the use of by-products (feet, bones and intestines, etc.), chemical preservatives (BHA and BHT) and grains that are often difficult to digest (corn, wheat, gluten and soy), which are often used as a protein source instead of meat.

Mini Natural Pet Expo - May 13, 2006

2006-04-28T14:14:00.000-05:00

Philadelphia residents and those interested in the best care for your animal companions. Join us Saturday, May 13th from 12-3 at Head House Books located at 619 S 2nd Street (just S of South Street) for a Mini Pet Expo. We'll have pet authors with info on where to go andhow to entertain YOUR pet this summer; tons of books on animal welfare and experts on hand with valuable information to help you take care of your pet. Join us!

MEET FAST EDDIE!

Meet Fast Eddie, who's face is on most of our merchandise. He's a 2 yr old bulldog that I fell in love with instantly. He has an undiagnosed neurological problem that we have been treating since January of 2005. He is NOT up for adoption, but we are looking for help with his medical needs. He goes weekly for aqua therapy at Pet PT and has acupuncture treatments every Sunday.

Eddie is a VERY SPECIAL dog, and deserves the best out of life. We feel the more people that become part of his life, the better off he is...if you'd like to meet him, please feel free to stop by The Chic Petique, 1040 N 2nd St Phila, Pa 19123.

NATURAL PET EXPO 2005

2005-09-19T22:52:00.000-05:00

The Natural Pet Expo is a non-profit, grass roots organization dedicated to helping educate pet owners and enthusiasts on the health and welfare of their animal companions -- strengthening and allowing that special bond to grow between human and animal and extend each other's quality of life .

Education is key to taking control of your pet's health and well being.

The Natural Pet Expo’s goal is to use education as a tool for understanding the many choices we make in the health of our pets. As caretakers, we are in charge of food, water, medical care, exercise and happiness. With the most current information we can make informed decisions about our pets care and actively participate in the their well being. The NPE mission is to introduce valuable information and holistic approaches that help and inspire health conscious individuals to take responsibility for their pets health and well being.

Why do we believe holistic approaches to animal care are so important?

Since these methods address the whole organism and support the body’s own abilities to heal itself, many holistic methods focus on prevention and cure of disease, not just treatment. Proper nutrition is the foundation upon which many holistic practices build our pet's (and our own) quality of life and wellness. Poor nutrition is one of the major contributors to our pet's lower life expectancy. By feeding our pets most commercially available pet foods, we are unintentionally depriving these animals of important nutrients needed for sustaining the states of greater wellness.

As lovers of companion animals, we want to take an active role in the care of our pets. We must assume responsibility for their quality of life and their “Wellness.” Statistics show that the average life expectancies of companion animals have rapidly dropped in the last 40 years despite improvements in the medical model, veterinary diagnosis, and treatment modalities. Poor nutrition, inbred genetic defects, and over-vaccination have led to an epidemic of allergic reactions that challenge our pets’ bodily defenses. Their shortened lives are further complicated by symptoms ranging from skin rashes to epilepsy, kidney and liver ailments as well as other chronic disease processes. Our pets have grown hypersensitive to many common environmental allergens their ancestors casually threw off.

The pet food industry is a strong force. According to the December 2004 issue of "The Pet Food Industry", Americans spend about 34 billion dollars on their 61.4 million dogs. That is $554/year/dog on average. Kibble counts 40% of this, or $222/year/dog - averaging all sizes of dogs. The remaining 60% do not include veterinary services, but encompass all kinds of pet products and paraphanelia, like beds, toys, leashes, crates, and so on.

Not all seekers are looking for this kind of enhanced wellness. Most people in fact are satisfied with their dog or cat “looking” normal on the current commercial food; they assume the animal is just fine. It is not our wish to tell them otherwise. It is our hope that encouraging or inspiring even a small change by switching your pet to a more natural diet, will enhance the quality of life of not just your pet, but your entire household.

Some concerns about Commercial Pet Food:
Pet labels mislead and distort nutritional facts.
Some animal by-products make regularly consumed pet food poisonous and toxic.
Food additives, like coloring, are for the human purchaser, not the animal consumer.
Product deficiencies lead to overeating, the buying of more products, and the creation of greater malnutrition.
Our companion animals’ life expectancies are growing shorter every generation.
Chronic allergic reactions are primarily food based; cause suffering; and require additional treatments that often exacerbates underlying disease.
Nutritional issues receive little publicity because the subject matter is technical and usually leads to the “naming of names”. Pet food advertising revenue is huge and consequently, the advertisers are very powerful. Common editorial policy must balance “news-worthiness” with business; this usually results in avoiding negative references to advertisers’ products.

This situation is neither political nor, by contemporary standards, even sensational. It is however, something we deal with everyday. It is lack of information. Food manufacturers are silent; they sell pet food in a highly competitive market at prices that haven’t changed in many years. Have you ever asked yourself, why not? The raw materials these food manufacturers mix together to produce typical pet foods you find along the supermarket aisles come from highly questionable, and in some cases, unbelievable sources unfit for either person or beast. Compounding this situation is the fact that pet food labels give only vague ideas of a pet food’s content. The listed items are essentially “catch-all terms” for more specific, and often less desirable, substances. Protein, fat, carbohydrate, and crude fiber are general food categories; they have no functional meaning in terms of nutritional source, quality, or digestibility.

Our biggest concern as consumers of commercially available pet foods is that this food:
Contains ingredients, chemicals, toxins, and poisons that should not be consumed.
Lacks ingredients that should be part of our pet’s daily food diet.

We invite pet owners and enthusiasts interested in learning MORE to join us at the 2005 NATURAL PET EXPO! 10am – 3pm, Sunday, October 2nd - at Liberties Walk 1040 North 2nd Street in Northern Liberties, PA. For more information call 215.238.0981

Along with Christine Matturro McLaughlin, the author of "The Dog Lover's Companion to Philadelphia", the Natural Pet Expo will have on hand veterinarians practicing homeopathic and holistic medicine, certified specialists in Pet Massage, Acupressure Reiki and Acupuncture, an Animal Behaviorist and representatives offering natural pet foods.

Some of the things you will learn will include the following:

TIPS FOR ANIMAL HEALTH & WELLNESS:

* FEED THE BEST DIET POSSIBLE – Find out what diet is BEST (and worst) for your pet.

* VACCINATE THE LEAST - Evaluate true risk of exposure – get informed.

* REDUCE TOXINS - Offer quality filtered water & LIMIT EXPOSURE of possible sources.

* BUILD UP OVERALL HEALTH AND LET THE ANIMAL HEAL ITSELF

* PROVIDE THE BEST ENVIRONMENT POSSIBLE FOR THE INDIVIDUAL ANIMAL.

* BE PROACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE – Educate yourself, find a healthcare provider and recognize BENEFITS and LIMITATIONS of conventional and holistic medicine.

Foods Pets Die For

2005-08-16T13:54:00.000-05:00

Foods Pets Die For by Ann Martin

This is very important. Processed foods, no matter how high the quality, are still cooked foods. Cooking destroys essential enzymes that aid the dog in digesting foods. If you feed any kind of processed or cooked food, ALWAYS add a digestive enzyme supplement before you feed. One quality brand is Prozyme® that can be ordered through Drs. Foster and Smith catalog (1-800-826-7206). In many cases, replacing the enzymes can make a big difference, but feeding a higher quality food is necessary, too.

Raw Food Diets Include Raw Meats and Raw Meaty Bones

Quite an eye opener-feeding dogs raw meats and raw meaty bones. Aren't we told those are bad for dogs? Would you believe it if I said that was untrue? Those of us who believe our dogs should be fed what nature intended for them to eat, understand that our dogs, even though domesticated, are still mainly carnivores, just like their cousins the wolf and their ancestors going back millions of years. In fact, in 1993, scientists designated the wolf and dog as the same species. Therefore, our dogs are "domesticated wolves." I believe our dogs should be fed the way nature intended for them to be fed, before the invention and convenience of processed dog food came onto the market. Dogs have a short digestive system, which is perfect for digesting raw meat and bones. They are designed by nature, over the millions of years, to eat and stay healthy on a species-appropriate raw food diet or ARF for short. There is great evidence linking processed dog food products (and other things) to the epidemic of cancer and disease seen in dogs today, as well as digestive problems.

So what then are my options?

http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=comp-wiz&naturaid=1
Click on this link to compare ingredients in dog foods

If you choose to continue to feed processed dog food products, it is important to try to feed a food with higher quality ingredients to start off with. Sometimes, switching to another quality kibble can make the difference. Big advertised brands do not guarantee they are better or of top quality ingredients. The top 10 dry dog foods according to The Whole Dog Journal (March 2000) are:
• Wellness Super5Mix (hormone free lamb) [1-800-225-0904]
• Best in Show (Solutions) [1-800-364-4287]
• Canidae [1-800-398-1600]
• California Natural (Chicken & Rice) [1-800-532-7261]
• Flint River Ranch (Dry Water) [1-909-682-5048]
• Innova [1-800-532-7261]

These companies are producing good, high-quality foods by using clean, fresh meat and whole ground grains and vegetables. They shun the chemical preservatives and poor quality ingredients that the majority of the larger dog food companies use. Avoid foods of any caliber that list any of these on their label:
• by-products (chicken by-products, beef by-products, etc.)
• fats or proteins named generically (animal fat, poultry fat, meat meal as opposed to beef fat, chicken fat or lamb meal)
• food fragments (brewer's rice, corn gluten)
• animal digest
• artificial sweeteners (corn syrup, sucrose, and ammoniated glycyrrhizin (added to attract dogs to unappealing food)
• propylene glycol
• artificial preservatives (BHT, BHA and Ethoxyquin)
• artificial colors
• sodium nitrate
• flavors

Canine Nutrition

2005-07-21T17:35:00.000-05:00

Feeding Your Dog for Optimum Health and Longevity

Canine digestive system anatomy and physiology is, mainly, that of a carnivore, the most distinct characteristic being the voluminous stomach and shorter intestinal length indicative of a carnivore to aid in rapid digestion of raw meat. The entire anatomy of the dog is adapted for a raw meat diet. A natural diet (raw meat and predigested plant material) are the foods best suited to the dog. Although domestication has changed their external appearance, their nutritional needs have not changed from those of their wild ancestors.

This brings us to the undisputable conclusion that there are many undesirable aspects of the commercial pet food industry. Among the many reasons to avoid feeding commercial pet food, two predominate: All commercial pet foods are heat processed, thereby effectively destroying the natural enzymes present in the ingredients and the fact that the vast majority of pet foods are made with animal parts that have been determined unfit for human consumption and have been treated with chemicals to ensure they do not get back into the human food chain. Enzymes are an essential aid in proper digestion of foods and supply the body with the energy needed for such activities as the formation and elimination of urea and carbon dioxide and other toxins from the kidneys, lungs, colon, liver, spleen, and skin created during the process of metabolism. Ingesting quantities of contaminated and indigestible animal parts and plant material (and usually combined with chemical preservatives and other additives) on a daily basis cannot be considered conducive to good health. Studying carnivore anatomy, physiology, and eating habits shows us that we are doing our domestic friends a great disservice by not feeding them the way nature intended.

Carnivore Anatomy and Physiology

Carnivores have a simple hinge jaw that works in a scissoring/slicing fashion rather than the rotational fashion of the herbivore and therefore do not chew and cannot grind grains, vegetables and fruit. Their saliva is acidic, of which they produce large amounts to lubricate the food bolus and the esophagus for transport to the stomach, but do not produce the carbohydrate digesting salivary enzymes herbivores do – it is not necessary for the food to remain in the mouth and be well-mixed with saliva as it is with the herbivore.

The carnivore stomach has a voluminous capacity and plays the largest role in the digestive process (it makes up 60-70 percent of the total volume of the digestive tract, the herbivore less than 30 percent) and is where the majority of protein, i.e., meat, digestion takes place. Food stays in the stomach for up to eight hours, as opposed to the herbivore's 2-3 hours. This ensures the meat is well broken down before entering the intestinal tract where toxins released by putrefying meat could be absorbed; it secretes large amounts of hydrochloric acid (ten times more than the herbivore) creating the highly acidic stomach environment necessary for digesting meat protein and killing any dangerous bacteria that may have been ingested. The carnivore small intestine is short (3-6 times body length) compared to the herbivore at 10-12 times the body length.

Carnivores have a poorly developed sense of taste – smell is much more important to them (the dog has 1,700 taste buds to people's 9,000)

The carnivore liver is large (the dog has the largest liver of all animals) and produces uricase, an enzyme that breaks down uric acid. The carnivore liver is capable of eliminating 10-15 times more uric acid than the liver of the herbivore (meat digestion releases large amounts of uric acid).

The carnivore, in nature, sleeps an average of 18-21 out of 24 hours in a day. The herbivore sleeps from 1-3 hours a day, eating (grazing) on a continuous basis for the other 21-23 hours.

Carnivore Eating Habits

Carnivores, including dogs, gorge themselves on their prey, swallowing large chunks of food that we, as humans, would choke on; usually the organs are eaten first, followed by the stomach and intestines. This is nature's way of ensuring a balanced diet by supplying a source of semi-digested carbohydrates and plant material for intestinal flora and important nutrients and unsaturated fats needed by the carnivore, as well as the nutrients stored in the organs that are not found in the bones and muscle tissue. They will eat the whole carcass – skin, hair and bones included – the extremely acidic stomach environment can digest bones and skin, the hair acts as a natural fiber, bulks up the stool and protects the intestinal walls from sharp objects such as fragments of bone. (Note: commercial foods do NOT promote an acidic stomach environment). After gorging they will then sleep off and on for an extended period of time while digesting their meal. Gorging ensures that the stomach gets fully exercised, strengthened and toned the way it is meant for proper functioning.

Fasting is an important part of carnivore behavior, allowing for complete digestion of the raw meat protein while allowing the stomach to be cleaned and completely emptied regularly.

The Importance of a Raw Meat Diet

Raw meat helps to maintain the acidic environment necessary for its digestion and absorption of calcium from bones; the acidic environment simulates the pancreas to produce its digestive enzymes – this maintains pancreatic health and prevents atrophy of this important organ; the strong digestive secretions allow very few parasites to get past the stomach. It is important to note that cereals, i.e., grains, are alkaline forming – this means that commercial pet foods, which are cereal based, do not nurture an acidic stomach environment.

Cooking meat artificially semi-digests it instead of allowing the stomach, intestines, and digestive enzymes being allowed to do so. This leaves these organs improperly exercised and over a period of time their ability to function naturally and to cope with the work they were meant to do is compromised, opening the door for the development of chronic health concerns.

Cooking destroys many important nutrients and also the enzymes necessary for all of the body's physiological functions. The body does manufacture enzymes, but in the absence of the enzymes obtained from raw food, the body overworks its natural supply. This creates a strain on its enzyme reserve which can impair and stress the functioning of all the major organ systems of the body – leading to a state if disharmony and disease. Cooking causes the amino acid chain found in meat protein to coagulate and become useless and/or toxic to the body, increasing its burden to detoxify.

Cooking also depletes the vital high water content of natural foods. Heating extracts the natural water and dries and concentrates the food; water is critical for all functions, as well as storing the water-soluble vitamins required by the body.

Cooked food passes through the digestive trace more slowly than raw food, tending to putrefy and throw toxins back into the bloodstream; prolonged intestinal toxemia may manifest itself in a myriad of disease symptoms, including allergies and arthritis.

A raw meat diet prevents the formation of plaque on the teeth and the high acidity of the oral cavity destroys any harmful bacteria before they have a chance to contribute to periodontal disease. Periodontal disease has become almost epidemic in our dogs today and plays a major role in the creation of ill health in our pets. Note: carnivores need predominantly a raw meat diet, but also require some raw plant material in a predigested form (as found in the stomach and intestines of their herbivore prey).

Conclusion

The complex metabolic processes of the body must be fueled in a supporting and vitalizing fashion, the way nature intended, in order for good health and a disease-free state to be maintained. A natural, chemical-free diet nurtures optimum health, and as concerned and loving pet guardians we owe it to them to take a serious look at what and how we are currently feeding them.

Copyright © 2001-2007 Know Better Dog Food Ltd.

The Truth About Commercial Pet Food

2005-07-18T13:07:00.000-05:00

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 cornstarch 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 world's 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 caregivers 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 cat’s 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 also 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 catchall term of the pet food industry, is a misnomer because these byproducts contain little if any meat. Byproducts contain little if any meat. Byproducts 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 animal 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 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 2003 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 seven-fold. Although manufacturers clam that millions of companion animals can thrive on a diet consisting of nothing by 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, ureic 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 caregivers to their four-legged friends could be hazardous to the animals' health and longevity. Caregivers 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 optician for everyone -- the cost and time commitment is sometimes prohibitive. By taking more moderate steps, however, caregivers can still greatly improve a companion animal's diet and quality of life.

Tina Perry is an animal advocate with the Animal Protection Institute. Reprinted from The Animals' Agenda Nov/Dec 1996