Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Canine Heritage Breed Test

Walk into any animal shelter and you may find various breeds of dogs, including possible purebreds, but you will also find several "hound" mixes, "lab" mixes, "retriever" mixes and "shepherd" mixes. This labeling, while based on the best guess of shelter staff, leaves it up to the imagination to determine whether your new-found furry friend will have the fun-loving spirit of a Golden Retriever, the brilliance of a German Shepherd, or the aloofness of a Chow.

Enter the Canine Heritage Breed Test. This brand new dog-breed DNA test, will allow you to send away a swab of your dog's mouth to a lab in California for analysis and determination of your dog's exact breed(s). Sound interesting? Check out NBC's "Today" show next month when Meredith Vieira has her dog Jasper tested.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Pet Food: The Alternatives

While the news about this alarming pet food recall doesn't seem to be subsiding, there does seem to be hope in the headlines for desperate pet owners trying to protect their beloved companions. The headlines lately, are focusing on alternatives for so many pet owners at a loss for finding safe nourishment for their furry friends. While I am not a veterinarian and do not specialize in what is best for Fido or Fluffy's health, I can bring you the news I have found on supposedly safe alternatives.

Here are the latest headlines:

Pet owners choosing locally made pet food

Basic recipes for homemade dog, cat food

Business booms in alternative pet food sources

After recall, pet owners go gourmet

Feeding dogs' inner beast
Orders jump for Winter Park firm's raw-meat food


It is good to see that information on what TO do is now as readily available to pet owners as what NOT to do.