DOG FOOD RECALLS & REVIEWS: DogFoodAdvisor.com provides unbiased dog food reviews, advice and recall alerts. DogFoodInsider.com provides unbiased dog food, supplement and product reviews. PetFoodRatings.org is a reference service for dog food and cat food. DogFood.guru provides unbiased information about each dog food brand on the market. VetNutrition.Tufts.edu/PetFoodology is a clinical nutrition service offering assistance with nutrition plans, commercial diet selection, customized home-cooked diets and more. PetNutritionAlliance.org promotes the importance of nutrition in the health of pets. FDA.gov/Animal-Veterinary/Safety-Health posts recalls and withdrawals, and encourages owners to report pet food complaints as well as adverse drug experiences and product defects. WINTER SAFETY: FOR PETS... Consider dog boots or paw wax to protect sensitive paws. Use pet safe melt instead of salt. Avoid anti-freeze spills. Be aware of rock salt poisoning. Trim long hair between toes to minimize snow and ice buildup. FOR WALKERS... Place extra towels by the door. Please shovel and treat walkways for ice, or provide alternate entry. During impassable conditions or a state of emergency, please understand we reserve the right to cancel for our safety. WHAT TO DO IF A PET IS LOST: Contact local police, animal control, and all shelters within a 60 mile radius. Search the neighborhood, under decks, garages and sheds. Post signs and talk to neighbors. Alert the pet's microchip registry. Put food, water and a bed outside should they return overnight. Consider hiring a tracking team. Search internet databases. THIS IS WHY PET BOWLS SHOULD BE WASHED DAILY: Bacteria love to grow. Those tiny bits of food that get stuck to the bowl attract bacteria and the microbes present in saliva create an ideal environment for bacterial growth. From the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the FDA: “What kind of bacteria grow in the bowls depends on factors like the environment, exposure and oral hygiene of the animal, but possible examples include Staphylococcus aureus, Pasteurella multocida and different species of Corynebacterium, Streptococcus, Enterobacteria, Neisseria, Moraxella, Bacillus and, less frequently, Salmonella and Pseudomonas.” Food bowls should be washed after every meal, and water bowls should be washed and wiped dry every day or so. Basic hot and soapy water will do the trick, either by hand or dishwasher. Pets who eat raw food, canned food or fresh food especially need a sanitized bowl at every meal. Stainless steel, porcelain and glass bowls are the best as they can be easily sanitized and withstand hot water. Plastic bowls aren't the best choice, as plastic breaks down, cannot be sanitized and can leach toxicity. TICK SEASON DOESN'T END WITH SUMMER: Autumn is also a peak season for pesky ticks. Trees, shrubs, compacted vegetation and piles of leaves along with wet weather provide an ideal environment for ticks to thrive well past Summer. Continue tick prevention and routine tick checks until Winter. NEWSLETTER LINKS: Kuranda.com DogFoodAdvisor.com DogFoodInsider.com PetFoodRatings.org DogFood.guru VetNutrition.Tufts.edu/PetFoodology PetNutritionAlliance.org FDA.gov/Animal-Veterinary/Safety-Health
