Hi Dr. Carol,

My cats are doing very well, thanks! The PAAWS vitamins do a great job on their coats, alertness, energy levels, everything! I can only imagine the internal benefits they are getting from them. Whats great is there have been no more issues with vomiting or diarrhea so I have to guess that your PAAWS has also helped Margies IBD clear up.

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Results arrived this week revealing toxic zinc levels in an unopened bag of Nutro Max Cat Adult Roasted Chicken Flavor food. The Nutro cat food bag stated it was best if used by June 7, 2010. The zinc levels were deadly coming in at 2100 parts per million. A cat eating this food would receive over 38 times the amount of zinc recommended by the National Research Council, or 175 mg of zinc a day. A 9 pound cat would ingest a lethal dose of this food in just over 2 days. Chances of any cat surviving after eating this food would be very unlikely. Signs of Zinc toxicity are similar to those of pancreatitis with severe episodes of vomiting and diarrhea. If the cats survived long enough liver and kidney damage could be possible consequences as well.

The receipt for the purchase of this food showed that it was purchased 1 day AFTER the Nutro Cat Food recall was announced. Apparently Nutro had not yet informed the retail store of the problem. Nutro didn’t seem to be overly concerned. Pfpsa.org is glad to work with clients and law firm’s interested in pursuing a class action against Nutro Pet Products.

Most of us remember the deadly pet food recalls of 2007. What few people realize, is that AAFCO aggressively lobbied for allowing non-protein nitrogen in pet food and was able to slip this allowance past numerous state legislatures, including Washington State. By AAFCO standards, melamine and cyanuric acid in pet food was nothing more than a labeling violation. AAFCO sees nothing wrong with including those substances in pet food at up to 1.25%. Using cyanuric acid, for example, by AAFCO standards, would allow 5,875 ppm cyanuric acid content in pet food, provided the label included a decidedly deceptive disclaimer of “This includes not more than 1.25% equivalent crude protein, which is not nutritionally available as protein”. What is the real value of the pet food safety guidelines offered by AAFCO? If pet owners purchase pet foods and products that comply with AFFCO guidelines, how would they impact the health of their pets? In one study, as little as 30 mg/kg day of cyanuric acid destroyed the kidneys of lab animals in just six months.

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This past week, we saw two more food recalls of concern. First, about 96,000 pounds of ground beef were recalled in Ohio, Illinois and Pennsylvania after several people became ill because of contamination, with a bacteria, commonly found in fecal material, called E. Coli. E-Coli bacteria cause severe diarrhea in people and pets. The recall included meats produced by Valley Meats, LLC.

Next, Nutro Pet Products announced the recall of two brands of their dry cat foods (Nutro Max Cat and Nutro Natural Choice Cat). The foods were deficient in potassium and had too much zinc.

Nutro Products recall is for select varieties of NUTRO(R) NATURAL CHOICE(R) COMPLETE CARE(R) Dry Cat Foods and NUTRO(R) MAX(R) Cat Dry Foods with “Best If Used by Dates” between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010. The cat food is being voluntarily recalled in the United States and ten additional countries. This recall is due to incorrect levels of zinc and potassium in our finished product resulting from a production error by a US-based premix supplier.

Two mineral premixes were affected. One premix contained excessive levels of zinc and under-supplemented potassium. The second premix under-supplemented potassium. Both zinc and potassium are essential nutrients for cats and are added as nutritional supplements to NUTRO(R) dry cat food.
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Over the last decade advances in veterinary medicine have nearly doubled the canine life span. The technological innovations we now offer for pets, parallel those available for people, reaching far beyond our previous expectations. What are the factors limiting longevity in pets? What impact do anti-oxidant supplementation and dietary intervention have on lengthening healthy life spans for pets? Successful techniques for rejuvenating the body and lengthening life spans in people have been documented. Would similar strategies prove effective for dogs?

George, a 7 year old Dalmatian not only suffered from severe arthritis, he was also paralyzed, due to a spinal injury. Surgery cost was estimated at $4000, with no guarantee of success and little hope of him ever walking again. George’s owners, Don and Pam Brennan were devastated and sadly carried George out of the office that day on a stretcher. He couldn’t even stand up to go to the bathroom. With tears streaming down their faces, they knew it was the end. They spent that night together saying their final goodbyes.

The next morning a friend told them about ongoing clinical trials of an anti-aging pet product. This was their last chance. They had nothing to lose, so they gave it a try. Within 30 days, George was out in the front yard playing with the other dogs. He was back to the way he used to be, playful like a puppy. George enjoyed several healthy, happy years thereafter. Pam and Don were thrilled-they got their dog back!

Anti-Aging medicine, although not yet formally recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association, is the newest clinical medical specialty offered to human physicians. So, why wouldn’t this be applicable for veterinarians as well?
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We trust that medications for our families and our pets are made with the highest regard for purity and safety. But, several recent high profile cases have unnerved many people and created a negative spotlight for compounding pharmacies. So, can you trust the medications your veterinarian orders for your pet?

From the very first time our ancient ancestors mixed certain tree barks with water to create a pain-deadening tea, the art and science of pharmacology have flourished. Through great civilizations like Rome, into the Middle Ages and straight through to modern times, the pharmacist (or “chemist”) has been an integral part of patient care in both human and veterinary practices.

Most people do not realize there are two types of pharmacies. Compounding pharmacies are those that actually make, mix or “compound” therapeutic medications “in-house” as compared to those that simply count and dispense prepared medications.

This concept is not new…in fact, for most of this profession’s history, pharmacists used their knowledge of chemicals and base ingredients to create the appropriate drug ordered by the doctor. It has only been within the last 50 years that pharmacists have moved from being compounders of medicines to dispensers of pre-made drugs.

But even the modernization and convenience of prepared pharmaceutical drugs did not remove the need for many special or out of production drugs to be made on site. Some patients have allergies to ingredients in the medications. Others, especially children and veterinary patients, require unique flavorings to help disguise bitter drugs and improve compliance. And, as the age old joke describes, giving a pill to a cat can be a hair-raising experience!

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Although automobile accidents are the number one cause of broken bones in pets, surprisingly enough the second most common cause of fractures in pets is furniture in your home. Pets jump or fall from, for example, your couch or bed and break a bone. A recent survey of pet fractures sums up the most common ways, from which broken bones in pets result. In 2008, hit by cars topped the list, followed by accidents in which pets fell or jumped, primarily from everyday household furniture.

Top 10 Ways Pets Break Bones

1. Hit by Car
2. Jumping
3. Falling
4. Fighting With Other Pets or Animals
5. Running and Slipping
6. Being Hit or Struck With an Object
7. Getting Caught in or Between an Object
8. Running into Object
9. Getting Stepped On
10. Being Injured in a Car Accident
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Hi Dr Carol,

Very well, thanks..As I type, Sampson is “flirting” with Maggie again! I still have to be careful re: Maggie’s food – she still seems to be able to eat only the chicken or else she gets a little “loose” – I tried her on a whole vitamin night and day but went back to 1/2 dose…she looks fantastic and I think is gaining a little weight…things seem so much better now, than they did a year or even six months ago!

Maggie is still off insulin and her heart murmur, at least at the moment, has not cramped her style. She is agile and alert (though she has always acted a little schizo). What I really notice with the PAAWS vitamins are all three cats’ coats…so much softer, really beautiful for three “senior citizens”!

I wish for the sake of convenience that I could feed Maggie a commercial food, but I think I have tried the best of them (all canned)…It seems, she is fine with your home made recipe and I am able to add a tiny bit of wet food now and again, but then I have to back off the wet as the smelly stools return (though not as before). A real puzzle to me…but she doesn’t look jaundiced or anything, otherwise I would suspect a liver problem…her ALT came down too, so that’s another positive.

As much as I’d love to put a label on whatever “condition” Maggie has, I am so pleased that she is holding her own, and is so much improved WITH ALL YOUR WONDERFUL HELP AND ADVICE, as opposed to how she suffered with her diarrhea and vomiting before I contacted you!

Thanks for all you have done and for your ongoing concern…and for PAAWS. I recommend them to all my pet-owning friends.

Sylvia W.
San Francisco, CA.

Dear Dr. Carol,

I’m writing to thank you so much for your wonderful product. I truly believe that PAAWS is one of the main reasons that the love of my life, Lindy, enjoys her remarkable health. My vet calls her the miracle dog!

Lindy turned 16 in Febuary. She has lost her hearing and her vision is challenged but her spirit and energy remain strong. She is happy to go out every morning with her friends, also PAAWS dogs! They have been walking together every morning for a least 14 years.

She still rides on the console of my car and just about jumps out of the car window when we get to her favorite park. Lindy still breaks out into vigorous runs every morning.

She has been on PAAWS for as long as I can remember. She always had a delicate constitution, after she began PAAWS Vitamins, I immediately noticed that the problem all but vanished.

I don’t know what Lindy’s life would have been like without PAAWS, but I know what it’s been with them…wonderful!

Thank you so much!

Lori P.
Las Vegas, NV

We are in the midst of a Swine Flu, level 5 Pandemic. Today the Center for Disease Control (CDC), confirmed 90 confirmed cases in the US, spread over 11 states with 2 reported fatalities. I have prepared some useful tips and information based on published research, that should be helpful to protect us from this deadly virus.

Alternative Therapies including natural foods and herbal remedies can effectively help prevent and treat the Flu. There are some natural nutrients and herbs that are effective against the Swine Flu virus and a few that should be avoided.

The current H1N1 strain of the influenza “Swine Flu” virus evolved through a combination of three mutated strains of the human bird and swine strains of the influenza viruses. These natural remedies and herbs are cost effective, readily available and may be used to help prevent infection in healthy individuals. For those already infected with Swine Flu, they may be life saving!

Certain nutrients such as Spirulina and Echinacea should be avoided with the flu because they can make the condition worse. This is because of the fact that the Swine Flu virus itself is immune to two different “cytokines” that the body of people and pets naturally produce. Specifically the two cytokines are referred to asTNF-a and IL-6.

Cytokines are compounds naturally produced by the immune system of people and pets that attack and remove foreign bodies, which generally protect us from disease and infection. The problem is that when a foreign particle is immune to a certain cytokine, your body thinks that its immune response is not working properly and therefore tries even harder to remove the foreign particle. This response often leads to what is termed a “cytokine storm.”
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A National Health Emergency has officially been officially declared for Swine Flu in the US!

April 28, 2009, Chagrin Falls, Ohio: The world is on the brink of the first influenza pandemic in more than 40 years. This escalated last Sunday as France, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Spain reported potential new cases in which people had been infected with swine flu. According to the World Health Organization, there are 66 confirmed human cases of Swine Flu in the U.S. and two people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported as of today.

The threat of a worldwide pandemic is real! President Obama spoke to a group of scientists and said that his administration’s Department of Health and Human Services “has declared a public health emergency as a precautionary tool to ensure that we have the resources we need at our disposal to respond quickly and effectively.” The alert level has been raised from three to four now that the virus is being spread directly from person to person.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) announced that Americans should be prepared for this problem to become more severe, and that for some, it may become fatal.

Over 150 people in Mexico have died and spread of the virus appears to be gaining momentum. Two thousand people in Mexico are currently under observation for Swine Flu.
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