HUGE thanks go out to Crystal Goodrich and everyone with SoPo Dog and ShareWillard who worked so hard , and so effectively, on bringing out the vote against the proposed ordinance that sought to eliminate dog walking from April 15 to October 15, and off-leash use year-round, on Willard Beach in South Portland.  The ordinance was voted down yesterday by about a 50% margin.

Victory is never a good time to relax. OK maybe for a few minutes.  But then it’s time to get back to the work of preserving our rights. That means we as good dog-owning citizens can’t let down the people who came out to support us, and we can’t let ourselves and each other down.  We need to continue to keep the beach clean and our dogs on good behavior while on or off leash.  The people behind the proposed ban feel strongly enough about their point of view to take it this far, so it’s really unlikely that the issue will get buried.  It’s pretty clear (isn’t it?) that the only answer to this problem of sharing our green spaces among different camps of use is personal responsibility, through communication and education.  What are the real sources of concern among non-dog-owners in regard to exercising dogs on Willard or any other beach or green space?  While the dog-owning population of tax payers is consistently answering to those concerns, if there’s still opposition to sharing our green spaces, then it’s time for those opposing to look hard within themselves.  Discrimination, favoritism, and elitism aren’t reasonable grounds for opposition.

We’re big fans of Orijen, manufactured by Champion Pet Food in Alberta.  I consider it a value food, meaning that you get what you pay for, and then some, relative to cheaper foods.  But not everyone can afford that level of value.  Acana is Champion’s lower-priced sibling to Orijen, and our November Food of the Month.  Take a look at the ingredients of the grain-free Pacifica Dog Food, with the protein/fat/fiber coming out to 33%/15%/3.5%:

Salmon meal, russet potato, peas, fresh boneless salmon (source of DHA), fresh
boneless herring, herring meal, pumpkin, fresh boneless flounder, salmon oil
(preserved with mixed tocopherols and rosemary), ground lobster shell (natural source
of glucosamine), sun-cured alfalfa leaf, red delicious apples, carrots, turnip greens,
organic kelp, organic bladderwrack, organic dulse, juniper berries, cranberries,
Saskatoon berries, black currants, angelica root, chicory root, red clover, red raspberry
leaf, dandelion root, peppermint leaf, marigold flowers, chamomile flowers, rosemary,
Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium.
Vitamins (vit. A, vit. D3, vit. E, niacin, riboflavin, lysine, thiamine mononitrate, vit. B12,
pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin). Minerals (iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, manganese
proteinate, cobalt proteinate, copper proteinate).

It’s about $16 cheaper in the 29.7# bag than Orijen 6 Fish.  The 6 Fish analysis comes out to 40%/18%/3% for protein/fat/fiber, so it is significantly higher in protein especially, but the ingredients are very similar:

Fresh deboned salmon, salmon meal, herring meal, russet potato, fresh deboned lake whitefish, sweet potato, peas, salmon oil (preserved with vitamin E), fresh deboned walleye, fresh deboned herring, sun-cured alfalfa, fresh deboned flounder, fresh deboned lake trout, dehydrated organic kelp, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, saskatoon berries, black currants, choline chloride, psyllium, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile flowers, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, sea salt, vitamin supplements (vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, vitamin C, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12), mineral supplements (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, selenium), dried Lactobacillus acidophilus product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.

I’m pleased to have a high quality, lower-priced, grain-free, lower-protein option in the house.  Come and get it, at 10% off throughout November. Just mention the Secret Sale at checkout.

Wysong has a few more batch numbers (located on the top flap of the Wysong box, or on the bottom seal of a bag) on their recall list, as of today:

MaintenanceT (lot#090817)
SeniorT (lot#090811)
SynorgonT (lot#090629)

Wysong is currently taking any Wysong product back, no questions asked, in an effort to earn back any trust lost through the recalls, FYI.  We’ll definitely stand behind the returns, so no problem if you’re feeling uncomfortable and would like to return a batch that isn’t on the recall list.  Also, check out Wysong’s website directly if you’d like.

In case the recall is news to you, let me first clarify that this is not due to tainted ingredients from China.  Wysong had a problem with instruments that were supposed to accurately measure moisture content in the food.  According to my latest email from Wysong, “There is the potential for excessive mold growth where there is the combination of natural foods and moisture above about 13%, and/or water activity (aw) above about 0.7. In portions of the recalled batches these targets must not have been achieved. As far as we can tell this was due to faulty instrumentation, which has been addressed.”

Further, “The danger with mold is not the mold itself, but rather the mycotoxins emitted by the mold. Mycotoxins can be harmful if they rise above a certain ppm, and are consumed for an extended time. Internal and external tests thus far of recalled product have been negative for mycotoxins. We do not believe the recalled products to be of any imminent danger to animals at this time.”

It’s true that Wysong has not had a recall in 25 yrs.  In terms of integrity and going the extra 10 miles, Wysong is really pretty irreproachable.  Let me  know if you feel otherwise.

I received an email from an artist in SF the other day.  I get lots of emails from people who’ve designed pet products or want to launch a treat company, and also, but much less often, from artists who do pet portraits.  I wish I received more of them.  Especially if they could all be like this one.  Sometimes art work hits me with a mild jolt, kind of like stepping on a rake.  A whack but it feels right, because I was clearly not paying attention.  But this one was more like sun on the face.  Take a look at this work by Sam Price and then look at some of the pieces close up (don’t miss the sepia and b/w) to get the detail.   Read his bio if you get a chance.  Self-taught.  I almost can’t hold a gaze at the one of Buster.  Only because it’s plain how much reverence there is, for the dog and maybe too for the relationship between people and animals.

The other reason I liked hearing from him is that he said he got my email from some Best of San Francisco list, which cracks me up, and mystifies me.  My email address isn’t on our website, and we’re on the other coast.  It’s got to be another Fetch in SF that got confused with us, but ‘whatev’ as the guy I’m taking yoga from likes to say; Sam, it’s nice hearing from you.

Right now everyone at Fetch is feeding our Food of the Month,  Honest Kitchen.  Zip has been on it for a while (Preference, with either Nature’s Variety raw medallions or our own meat mixed in) and it’s his maintenance plan.  It’s the perfect choice while we’re staying with family in Dover, as I don’t have to pull  out the Cuisinart to grind vegetables.  Blog disclosure!  Honest Kitchen provided us with 4 free 4# boxes to try out, so that the staff would know first hand the benefits.  But as the store owner, I passed on the free box, so you can be sure that this endorsement is not influenced by free swag .

Some things I love about Honest Kitchen:  the meat in the meat formulas are USDA and hormone- and antibiotic-free, and HK is committed to transitioning to 100% certified humanely-raised meats.  The fruits and vegetables are certified non-GMO, and the grains are certified organic and fair trade.  Dogs love, really love the taste.  Dehydration kills pathogenics in the meat, yet preserves almost all of the enzymes and nutrients.

And, think about this.  Dehydrated food consumes less oil.  Every 4# box of Honest Kitchen reconstitutes to 16# of food, and the water, supplied by you in preparing your pet’s meal, is not shipped all the way across the country.

Then there is the ease of feeding a raw diet, either 100% Honest Kitchen (using one of the meat-based formulas) or the Zip plan (what I do for my dog Zip), vegetable and fruit Preference formulas as a base with a defrosted raw diet (we use Bravo or Nature’s Variety right now) or ground meat mixed in.  Makes raw approachable for people who otherwise wouldn’t try it.

I’m really sorry for the lateness of this, but I only just received notice from our Wysong distributor about a very limited recall.  While they say they’ve let retailers know, they didn’t contact us.  I will make sure that we’re on their contact list for all future email updates.

If you have any of the following Wysong products in the specific date ranges below, please return them to us for full credit toward whatever else you’d like.  And please email me personally if you do, as I’d like to stay in touch to be sure all is well.  Here’s the info:

To: Wysong Distributors and Retailers
9.29.2009

This is to notify you that some batches of product made during a week in June, 2009 may contain mold.

It appears that the extremely high heat and humidity at that time raised the moisture level of the product during its transition from drier to package. Normally, moisture levels below 12-14% are not conducive to mold. Our tests during production were less than our target of 10%. But tests of suspect lots are around 12%.

Although we have not detected mycotoxins (we formulate with ingredients that inhibit mold growth and adsorb mycotoxins), anytime there is mold that possibility exists. No harm to animals has been reported, but we would still ask that the product not be sold.

Maintenance™: June 17, 2009 (090617)
Maintenance™: June 24, 2009 (090624)
Senior™: June 23, 2009 (090623)

Telecommuting is a great concept but in practice it takes some getting used to.  I’ve got a 30 minute timer set continuously throughout the day to help stay on track, or switch from one track to another.  Just realized how long it’s been without a post.  Zip and I have been on the move since October 1, first in Chicago and now in Boston.  Actually, the burbs of Boston.  We’re staying with family while we get resettled.

We’ve discovered that ticks are alive and well here.  After not finding a single tick on Zip for 3 years, I pulled about 12 off both of us the other day.  Yes, we were in the woods, but on well-worn paths literally right off the street we’re living on.  Weighing the pros and cons of going chemical with him; it’s not just Lyme I’m concerned about, but other tick-borne diseases.  And as we’re staying with family, in a house with kids, I have to take responsibility for what Zip and I bring into the house.  If it were just Zip and me, I would trust that I could monitor the situation and handle the consequences.

Meantime, sharing has been great for Zip.  His cousin Ajax, a big Portuguese Water Dog with a goofy personality, helps define the hierarchy and it has put Zip at ease.  No aggression, even with a visiting puppy.  More to learn here and I’m looking forward to it.

Both dogs by the way are on Honest Kitchen Preference, and though it’s not new for Zip, it is for Ajax.  Word is that he’s normally indifferent to food.  I don’t know if having another dog in the house has increased his interest in eating, but I can say for sure that he cleans up, and my sister’s very happy.

One of the excellent talks I had the opportunity to take in at the Integrative Health Pet Expo recently was by the brilliant, and very entertaining, Jean Dodds DVM.  She’s a pretty famous and prolific vet and hematologist, pathologist and immunologist.  Can you imagine a better background for investigating vaccines and their relationship to disease?  She’s also the founder of Hemopet, the first private, non-profit blood bank for pets.

Check out Dr. Dodd’s vaccine protocol for her recommendations on which vaccines & boosters to give, at what ages, and as she also recommends, print it out and bring it with you to discuss vaccinations with your vet.  One interesting blurb for you to take away from her talk….don’t vaccinate puppies or kittens until their immune systems reach maturity (12-16 wks for puppies, 10 wks for kitties); after your first round of vaccinations are complete, titer every 3 yrs (only revaccinating if antibody levels drop below minimum) stopping completely at 10 yrs (or earlier with jumbo breeds).

Please check out The Rabies Challenge Fund, and please consider donating.  Jean Dodds launched the non-profit fund to establish data that will push the rabies booster requirement from every 2-3 yrs in some states to every 5, then to every 7 yrs.  Changing the rabies vaccine laws will  not happen without this research, and it’s really important that research be funded entirely from private sources (ie, not through drug companies).

This move to Boston means much back and forth, and uncertainty where home will be.  I’ve had to let go of my Portland apartment and until I get financing for the new business, I’m floating.  Short-term, I’ll be with family in Dover, who’ve offered to put me up but can’t have cats (asthma and cat allergies).  I’m looking for great places for Max & Clarabelle to stay.  They are both very independent, but very affectionate, and I think they will adjust easily into the right home, but I think the right home for each means separate homes.  Short or long term, depending on what’s best for them.  You’ll see what I mean if you read about each of them.  They don’t spend time together; he’s always inside and she’s always outside.  Their temperaments are so sweet…but they fight with eachother…sometimes with tufts of fur flying.  Max is a shy boy who likes to hide in closets when visitors come over, until he knows them.  Conversely though, he seems to love going to the vet…I think what he loves is one-on-one attention.  Long & lean, with silver and black tiger stripes, white socks, a white chin and chest, and a Marilyn Monroe freckle, he moves like a fish and articulates his very long tail like people use eyebrows.  Most often it’s up, in a question mark shape.  He loves attention and often drools when you pet him.  He is very playful, and very dexterous….a great catcher of catnip pillows.  He likes to drink from the tub, and I usually find his toys in the bathroom in the morning.  He doesn’t like dogs, and would love to be the King of the House. He needs to be someone’s ‘one and only’.  He has a sensitive stomach, and needs to eat a clean healthy diet of good canned food topped with enzymes and probiotics.   All of his food, litter and veterinary needs will be provided by me through Fetch.

Maximumly Affectionate

Clarabelle of the Jungle

Clarabelle is his sister.  They are from a feral litter, and she has the wild genes of the two of them.  While Max is very shy, Clarabelle is very outgoing.  While Max is happy to nap & play inside, Clarabelle lives to troll the neighborhood and is a huntress.  She would make a very good mouser.  She can’t be kept inside, or at least, I have not been able to do that.  She is too quick, and can dart through a cracked door before you’ll even know she’s gone.  She’s  a sporty and agile  little gray tiger with white paws and a little white tip on the end of her tail.   She needs to be in a safe neighborhood where she can patrol outside when she’s not napping or playing with (especially) dangling toys that she can catch.  She is very social, and loves dogs, cats, and  people.   She has had urinary tract infections in the past, so it’s clear that she can’t have any dry food at all.  She does very well on healthy canned diet with enzymes and probiotics.  Her food, litter & veterinary needs will continue to be provided by me through Fetch too.

They are adorable, sweet, playful and ageless little creatures.  I can’t believe they are 11.  They seem like they’re about 3.  You can email me if you are interested in hosting.  I don’t know how long, and am open to short or long term, depending on what is best for them.  In either case, long or short, I will continue to provide for all of their needs into the future, I just need the right places for them to stay.

My cats are a little bit sensitive.   They have always had a clean & healthy diet, so I’m assuming their food sensitivities are hereditary.  I have been feeding Wellness grain-free cans most often in the last 5 years (Clara can’t tolerate dry, as she’s very prone to uti’s), with either Prozyme, Wysong’s All Life, or more recently NaturVet’s Probiotic & Enzyme powder, but even that would sometimes come up.  By the way, yes, I’ve tried them out on raw too….first Wild Kitty, which worked out well for a while and then started coming back up; then Nature’s Variety.  There was a good 6 months or so when everyone (my pug Zip, and both Max & Clara) were eating Nature’s Variety raw, and I can’t remember exactly what happened to derail the family dining experience, but we had to move on.  I think the cats started rejecting it, or upchucking, one or the other (or maybe both).

Which brings me to the food of the month for September, Evo.  Since switching the cats to Evo cans, I’ve not had one regurgitated meal, and I’d say it’s been about 5 weeks.  Thanks Natura!  It’s nice not having to re-examine cat food on my Angela Adams rug after it’s touched down briefly in the GI tract!  In appreciation, Fetch offers our blog readers, Facebook fans, email recipients and Twitter followers an invitation to try out Evo, for cats or dogs, dry or canned, at 10% off this month.  It’s a Secret Sale, which means we don’t advertise it other than the ways I mentioned above, and you have to mention it at checkout to get the discount.