Wellness Cat Food Recall

I thought this to be of great importance to my cat loving clients and friends so please read and pass it along.

February 28, 2011

Dear Pet Parents,

My name is Tim Callahan and I'm the CEO of WellPet, makers of Wellness® natural pet food. Over the years, we at WellPet have worked hard to earn the reputation of being a company that does everything possible for the pets that depend on us.

WellPet is committed to delivering the very best in pet food nutrition, as nothing is more important than the well-being of our dogs and cats. So when we found through product quality testing that specific product runs of our Wellness canned cat food might contain less than adequate levels of thiamine (also known as Vitamin B1), we decided to voluntarily recall them.

Please know, the vast majority of products tested had the appropriate levels of thiamine; however, with the number of recipes we offer, we did not want to make this more confusing. Therefore to avoid confusion and in an abundance of caution, we have decided to recall all canned cat products with the specific date codes noted below. Cats fed only product with inadequate levels of thiamine for several weeks may be at risk for developing a thiamine deficiency. If treated promptly, thiamine deficiency is typically reversible.

Though the chance of developing this deficiency is remote, withdrawing these products is the right thing to do and we are removing it from retailers' shelves.

The lots involved in this voluntary recall are:

Wellness Canned Cat (all flavors and sizes) with best by dates from 14APR 13 through 30SEP13;

Wellness Canned Cat Chicken & Herring (all sizes) with best by date of 10NOV13 and 17NOV13.

If you have cat food from these lots, you should stop feeding it to your cats. You may call WellPet at 1-877-227-9587 to arrange for return of the product and reimbursement.

No other Wellness products that your pets currently enjoy are impacted, so you can continue to feed your pets Wellness with full confidence. This is an isolated situation, as we have had only one reported issue. We are taking all the necessary steps to ensure it does not happen again.

Speaking on behalf of our entire Company, I apologize for any concerns this may have caused you. As a parent of a yellow lab named Hope, I understand the sense of responsibility we all share for our dogs and cats. Rest assured, product quality and safety will always be our top priority.

Sincerely,

Read the Press Release (also listed below)

Contacts:

Consumer Inquiries: Media Inquiries:

(877) 227-9587 Claire Burke

Hunter PR

(212) 679-6600

WELLPET LLCVOLUNTARILY RECALLS

CERTAIN LOTS OF CANNED CAT FOOD

No Other Lots, Products or Dates Affected

Tewksbury, MA (February 28, 2011) - WellPet LLC announced today it has voluntarily recalled certain lots of

Wellness

canned cat food.

While recent laboratory testing found that most lots of Wellness canned cat food that were tested contain

sufficient amounts of thiamine (also known as Vitamin B1), some of the lots listed below might contain less

than adequate levels of thiamine. However, out of an abundance of caution, WellPet has decided to recall all

of the lots listed below.

Cats fed only the affected lots for several weeks may be at risk for developing a thiamine deficiency. Thiamine

is essential for cats. Symptoms of deficiency displayed by an affected cat can be gastrointestinal or

neurological in nature. Early signs of thiamine deficiency may include decreased appetite, salivation, vomiting,

and weight loss. In advanced cases, neurologic signs can develop, which may include ventriflexion (bending

towards the floor) of the neck, wobbly walking, circling, falling, and seizures. If your cat has consumed the

recalled lots and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian. If treated promptly, thiamine

deficiency is typically reversible.

The lots involved in this voluntary recall are:

Wellness Canned Cat (all flavors and sizes) with best by dates from 14APR 13 through 30SEP13;

Wellness Canned Cat Chicken & Herring (all sizes) with 10NOV13 or 17NOV13 best buy dates.

Consumers who still have cans of cat food from these lots should stop feeding them to their cats and call us at

(877) 227-9587 Monday through Friday, 9:00 am – 7:00 pm Eastern Time. Consumers with further questions

should visit our website at

www.wellnesspetfood.com

or call us at this same number.

WellPet discovered the lower thiamine levels during independent testing conducted together with the U.S.

Food and Drug Administration in response to a single, isolated consumer complaint received by the FDA.

Although WellPet has received no other reports concerning thiamine in its products, WellPet has taken

additional steps with the manufacturer to ensure that this does not happen again.

“As a pet parent myself, I’m concerned for the health and welfare of all pets, and as a company we are

committed to delivering the most nutritious natural pet food,” said Tim Callahan, chief executive officer of

WellPet, the maker of Wellness products. “Even though the chance of a cat developing a thiamine deficiency is

Heat Stroke and Your Dog

Heat stroke in dogs is a life-threatening situation. When your dog's body temperature rises too high, numerous organs can become damaged. The most important organs put at risk include the heart, liver, kidneys, and brain. Canine heat stroke usually affects older or overweight dogs. Those that are less than six months old are also at risk. Also, dogs that have a heavy or dark coat are more at risk.

Causes

Your dog's body temperature should be between 100 and 102.5 Fahrenheit. Various factors can cause it to rise. Heat stroke is normally brought about when dogs are locked in parked cars or other areas with little ventilation. In addition to heat and poor ventilation, excessive humidity or muscular activity can cause heat stroke in dogs. Other factors that increase your dog's risk are his weight and age.

Symptoms

Canine heat stroke can bring about a range of symptoms. In the early stages of the stroke, your dog will start to salivate excessively. As the condition gets worse, his gums will turn dry and turn dark pink. Most dogs also experience weakness, diarrhea, and vomiting. Your dog's heart rate will also rise which will cause him to pant much more than normal.

Treatment

It is very important to treat heat stroke in dogs as soon as possible. Failure to treat the condition promptly can cause chronic problems in the future or even death. Your dog's body temperature needs to be lowered quickly. If you choose to take him to a vet immediately, you should put some ice packs on your dog to help lower the temper

ature. At the very least, you should roll down the windows or use the air conditioner on the drive to the veterinarian's office.

Treatment involves administering fluids intravenously. As mentioned earlier, canine heat stroke can cause damage to various organs such as the liver and kidneys. Therefore, the veterinarian will monitor your dog's liver and kidney function for a few days after the stroke.

Prevention

There are a few important things you can do to prevent heat stroke in dogs. Most importantly, you should never lock your dog in the car on a hot, sunny day for too long. If you leave your dog in the car, make sure the windows are rolled down far enough to provide plenty of ventilation. Also, if your dog is outside on hot days, make sure he has plenty of water to drink so he doesn't become dehydrated.

Heat stroke in dogs is very serious. There are also a variety of other illnesses that you should know about as a dog owner, such as canine congestive heart failure So, be a responsible dog owner and stop by dog-illnesses.com today to read about conditions such as canine heartworm disease

How to Treat Dogs and Heat Stroke

Leaving your dog in a hot car can be deadly. I hear it every year.

Heat stroke in dogs is a life-threatening situation. When your dog's body temperature rises too high, numerous organs can become damaged. The most important organs put at risk include the heart, liver, kidneys, and brain. Canine heat stroke usually affects older or overweight dogs. Those that are less than six months old are also at risk. Also, dogs that have a heavy or dark coat are more at risk.

Causes

Your dog's body temperature should be between 100 and 102.5 Fahrenheit. Various factors can cause it to rise. Heat stroke is normally brought about when dogs are locked in parked cars or other areas with little ventilation. In addition to heat and poor ventilation, excessive humidity or muscular activity can cause heat stroke in dogs. Other factors that increase your dog's risk are his weight and age.

Symptoms

Canine heat stroke can bring about a range of symptoms. In the early stages of the stroke, your dog will start to salivate excessively. As the condition gets worse, his gums will turn dry and turn dark pink. Most dogs also experience weakness, diarrhea, and vomiting. Your dog's heart rate will also rise which will cause him to pant much more than normal.

Treatment

It is very important to treat heat stroke in dogs as soon as possible. Failure to treat the condition promptly can cause chronic problems in the future or even death. Your dog's body temperature needs to be lowered quickly. If you choose to take him to a vet immediately, you should put some ice packs on your dog to help lower the temper
ature. At the very least, you should roll down the windows or use the air conditioner on the drive to the veterinarian's office.

Treatment involves administering fluids intravenously. As mentioned earlier, canine heat stroke can cause damage to various organs such as the liver and kidneys. Therefore, the veterinarian will monitor your dog's liver and kidney function for a few days after the stroke.

Prevention

There are a few important things you can do to prevent heat stroke in dogs. Most importantly, you should never lock your dog in the car on a hot, sunny day for too long. If you leave your dog in the car, make sure the windows are rolled down far enough to provide plenty of ventilation. Also, if your dog is outside on hot days, make sure he has plenty of water to drink so he doesn't become dehydrated.

Over 20 thousand animals die from heat stroke every year. Send this to a friend. It is a reminder they will thank you for.

Dogs,heat, stroke,locked car

DID YOUR PET COME WITH EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE?

OK, be honest how many of you sometimes loath your pet. I mean really get to the end of your rope?

Dogs chewing through table legs. Cats diving for the family dinner. Biting cockatiels. At a time when many people are scrimping on themselves to indulge their animals, the love is lost for owners of infuriating pets.

Still, many cannot bring themselves to dump their wayward animals in shelters. Instead, they pay sky-high vet bills for intervention that does not work. They endure in-your-face barking rants in the middle of the night or are startled awake by the routine hacking of hairballs.

Some wish out loud their pets would just run away.

When Cherie Miller's 16-year-old cat, Kitty, goes out, he wants in. When he is in, he wants out. He whines relentlessly and refuses to eat unless a human stirs the kibble around in his self-feeder. The family calls it "whooshing."

"When it scratches on the bedroom door at 3:21 a.m. to have its food whooshed, it's enticing to imagine creative ways to ditch this cat. I'm a pet lover, but come on," said Miller, who lives in suburban Atlanta, Georgia, and was inspired to start a blog about pesky pets called pet-peeves.org.

So how does a human make peace with a problem pet? Venting helps, said an expert, though the griping may be more emotionally complicated for the humans involved.

"We all know couples who look like they like to fight. They let fights happen because, it seems, they're getting something out of it. Some people have that relationship with their pets," said psychologist Stephanie LaFarge, who specializes in the human-animal bond as senior director of counseling services at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

"Some people like to think they love their animals so much they are willing to be victimized by them," she said. "It's proof of how much they love that animal and proof of what a good animal person they are and what a good person they are. It's part of their identity."

There is no national clearinghouse for where and how people acquire their pets, but about 63 percent of all U.S. households have at least one, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Ten to 20 percent of cats and dogs come from shelters and rescue organizations, sometimes arriving in well-meaning homes with heavy emotional baggage.

So how do we start to address some of these wild neurotic pet issues? First and most important when bringing a pet into your household, learn more about the pets background or previous home. Rescue organizations usually do their best to obtain history from the previous owner and being responsible, they will give you a 30 day window to adjust to the pet and its habits. There is a rescue for just about every breed of animal but first try and learn as much about the breed or culture of a pet before you buy or adopt one. If you find yourself in a position where you have to deal with a dog, for instance, that has behavioral issues or neurotic tendency's, there are some great trainers in the Austin area. Depending on your budget and love for the dog. One of my favorite organizations that deal in rescue and training is The Austin Dog Alliance. They work very hard to find good homes for good dogs and they will work with you to address any bad habits and offer training to develop good manners. If you want the trainer to come to you I would suggest Steve Haynes, Fidelio Dog Works. Steve is an awesome trainer and though a little on the upside of ones budget, he offers first class training and you will not be dissatisfied with his results. Remember, no matter which form of training you go with, the home work is up to you. The trainer is not a nanny. You have to become the pack leader.

You can never predict an animal's behavior in a home 100 percent. To some extent, every adopter is expected to roll with the punches a little bit, to know that animals, like children, come with their personae and sometimes come with the sniffles and sometimes they might develop personality traits that we wouldn't have put on top of our list.

It never ceases to amaze me. I see it in most every home and client I work with. The human bond with a pet is one of life's greatest pleasures. Do your best to pick a pet that fits your lifestyle. If you run into an issue get help from a professional. If you need further advice pick up the phone and call me or email me. gerry@austincitypaws.com (512) 699-0000. I will be glad to point you in the right direction.

Your comments and responses are always welcome.

Have a great week.

Dog Tips Car Trips and Car Safety

Have you ever seen this look of Terror on your dogs face? Lets hope not. Thousands of animals are seriously hurt and killed every year in automobile crashes and emergency stops.

For safety, do not allow pets to ride in the front seat, no matter how much they love it. Pets riding in the front seat car be thrown thrown into the windshield if you have to make a sudden stop. Airbags are another hazard. They can launch out of

a dashboard at a great enough force to severely injure a pet or small human. For more safety information visit this site. It always pays to make sure that everyone is buckled while riding.

I did a little research and found this to be the best harness system for the average size dog. There are a lot of great sites that can provide just the right size for your pup. You might want to call our friends at Dogadillo. They always have the best selection of pet needs or they can surely point you in the right direction.

Have you found any new pet friendly restaurants to share with you K9 companion? If you have write me with the details. I am going to be adding a page especially for pet friendly businesses.

Lodging seems to be the latest thing in attracting pet owners that want to travel with their pets. The Westin Austin at the Domain. This is a brand new facility. Right next door in the Domain you will find Aloft Austin, another Westin property that is pet friendly and not as pricey.

I have visited both of the locations and found them to be five star hotels. They go out of their

way to service their clients and the clients pet needs.

Have you traveled to distant places and taken your pet along? I would like to hear about your

experiences and how you managed your pet along the way. I want to write reviews as we get into the travel months.

By the way, don't forget to book early if you would like us to take care of your pets and your home while you are away on business or pleasure. Visit Austin City Paws and check in.

Have a great week. Happy Valentines Day and hug those pets.

Pets Win Big on Valentines Day

I was amazed to see that while people are spending almost 3 % less on that special person in their life, they are actually expected to spend 2.7% more on their pets for Valentines Day this year than they did last year.
I took the time to research what pet owners buy
their pets for V day and found out that it is usually a Valentine related toy or maybe a collar but the most popular is treats. And yes, there are heart shaped pouch treats that appear to be covered with, you guessed it, chocolate.

All this is good news for the pets but not so good news for that special person in the pet owners life.
As a matter of fact it seems that when things go south in a relationship the time, love and tenderness is directed to, you guessed it again, the pet and especially the dog or cat. Rather hard to hug a fish and have a good cry.

One of the main reasons for this shift in purchasing is due to the economy. It seems that over
the last 18 months the loss of jobs has also affected the loss of relationships. This was either due
to a break up when one of the love birds had to move to find a job or the effects and stress of
being unemployed caused the relationship to be tested and then, well, you know.

So, as they say, "Love Conquers All". They might consider changing that to "Love for Pets Conquers All." Boy friend out, the pet gets to sleep in the bed.

What are you getting your special pet for Valentines Day? Please write me and let me know and I will post the most unusual gift in next weeks blog, just in time for V Day. Send me a picture of
your pet either enjoying the gift or dressed in it and I will post the best entry along with the
story about the gift.
Oh well, Duke is snoring on the couch, that says a lot for my love life, so I guess that means it time to head to bed.

____________________________________

I have been talking with a Friend who is a naturopathic doctor. She deal in Nutrition, homeopathy and botanicals. I hope to have a report on how this can really improve the well
being of your dog or cat. Check back next week for what might be a very interesting and money
saving report.

And by the way, if you have been improving your pets health with a special diet write and let me know. I am sure we can share some good tidbits with out friends.

Don't forget my new referral program. If your referral books five days of sitting, you get
a $25.00 fee or a full day free.

Have a great week,

Gerry

Keep it local Keep it Austin.

I hear this time and time again and now my associates are driving it home more than ever. Please check out my Austin City Paws blog on my page. Here is the link; http://wwwaustincitypawscom.blogspot.com/