Is Raw Food Diet for Pets Safe?

A lot of pet owners are now giving their furry family members raw-food diet instead of giving them bag dry foods or wet canned pet foods. Raw food diets has become increasingly popular for pet owners but could this could put them at risk of food-borne illnesses.

On CBSNews cat owner Bobby Fintor of New York said that his cats are more lively and energetic when he switched to raw meats.

"My cats are 10 and 11 years old and they act like they're five. They poop less. They shed less. They seem to be full of more energy."

People who say raw meats are good for pets say that it is their natural diet and that it can give pets better digestion, a healthier coat and superior oral and general health since when you cook foods it destroys natural enzymes and nutrients pets needs for their well-being.

However, veterinarians said that this practice may endanger your pets since raw meat, fish, pork poultry, and eggs may contain disease-causing organisms like salmonella, E. coli, listeria, staph, campylobacter and clostridium according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA). These disease can also be passed to their owners. Pets could transmit these bacteria to their owners even if they don't show symptoms.

Before and After Pictures of Rescued Pets

Check out some very touching pictures of pets before and after finding a new home and a family to take care of them. You will see their faces changed within days after being adopted. The pictures are uploaded by pet owners from all over the world on Reddit, BeforeNAfterAdoption

Here is Spokey a Labrador mix, you can see the remarkable change in the dog's face and aura after just one day when he was adopted. The owner said that Spokey was very shy when he first saw the dog at the  Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals centre (SPCA) in West Virginia. But it all changed when Spokey was adopted, as you can see in the 2nd picture, Spokey looked so happy.

Here's another rescued dog! so cute!

Dog Takes Bus Ride to dog park

I saw this on the news today, a 2-year-old black lab named Eclipse ride the bus alone without her owner to get to the dog park and other passengers in Seattle love her. It was first reported on KOMO-TV they were surprised to see the dog get off the bus alone at the dog park.

Eclipse is owned by Jeff Young who lives near a bus stop. Once the bus stopped in front of Eclipse she hops onto it, sit and ride about five stops to get to the dog park.

Pets Safety In Cold Weather

You pets may have thick coat to protect them from cold but animals can still suffer hypothermia or frostbite even with those thick coats. When wind chills drop to minus-5, you will feel cold even if you are in a fur coat.

Here are some pet safety tips during Cold weather:

• During cold weather your pets should be inside the house. Similar to humans, pets are susceptible to frostbite and hypothermia and should be kept inside. Their fur is not enough to keep them warm. Huskies or dogs with thick coat are more tolerant of cold weather, but still you should not leave your pets outside for long periods of time in below-freezing weather.
• If it is too cold even inside the house, give your pets a coat or sweater with a high collar or turtleneck. They should be covered from the base of the tail to the belly.
• If your pets have to stay outside during cold weather, give him/her a solid shelter that can withstand wind and will keep your pets warm inside. It should have three enclosed sides. The floor of the pet house should be a few inches above ground to minimize heat loss into the ground. The beddings like straw or hay should also be thick and dry that is changed regularly.
• The door to the pet house should be build away from prevailing winds. Avoid space heaters and heat lamps due to fire and burn risks.
• Provide your pets with unlimited access to fresh, non-frozen water. You can use heated water bowls so that their water does not freeze, and replenish them frequently. Lack of enough fresh water can cause dehydration which can lead to kidney failure.
• Old and sick pets may suffer more from arthritis during cold months. Outdoor exposure should be limited during extreme weather.