Toxic Flea and Tick Collars

Americans spend more than $1 billion each year on products designed to kill fleas and ticks on household pets, especially dogs and cats. While some of these products are safe, others leave harmful chemical residues on our pets' fur and in our homes. These chemicals are highly hazardous to animals and humans, can damage the brain and nervous system, and cause cancer. The April 2009 paper Poison on Pets II details a first-of-its-kind study by NRDC showing that high levels of pesticide residue can remain on a dog's or cat's fur for weeks after a flea collar is put on an animal. Residue levels produced by some flea collars are so high that they pose a risk of cancer and damage to the neurological system of children up to 1,000 times higher than the EPA's acceptable levels. Read the entire article.

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Rabies Challenge Fund Updates

From the Rabies Challenge Fund

RHODE ISLAND -- 3 Year "Transition Policy" announced by State Vet 2/21/10
New R.I. Rabies Regulations Close to Approval, Providence Journal 2/21/10
Read the entire article.

"New rules, expected to go into effect about March 16, change the mandatory vaccination period from two to three years. In the meantime, the state veterinarian, Dr. Scott Marshall, has created a transitional policy so that pets now protected aren’t reimmunized unnecessarily just because the old regulations have not yet expired. "

If you have questions about the transition policy, contact Dr. Scott Marshall at scott.marshall@dem.ri.gov phone: (401) 222-2781 ext. 4503

VIRGINIA--Very good news! Rabies Medical Exemption Clause passed the House and Senate and has gone to Governor McDonnell for signature.

Medical Exemption Clause Legislation--HB 322 Rabies vaccination; exempts certain dogs and cats. read the entire article. Introduced by Delegate Kenneth R. Plum

"Animal care; rabies vaccination. Requires the Board of Health to provide, by regulation, an exemption to the requirement that an owner of a dog or cat must have his animal vaccinated for rabies if the veterinarian determines that the dog or cat has an underlying medical condition that is likely to result in a life-threatening condition in response to the vaccination."

West Virginia -- Passes 3 Year Rabies Law, but Excludes Medical Exemption Clause. Legislature Alters Rabies Vaccination Law Huntington News 3/10/10.

"Effective June 13, you only have to have your dog(s) or cat(s) vaccinated against rabies every three years. West Virginia becomes the last state to adopt the three year standard. The current law requires vaccinations every other year."

Matching Gift to The Rabies Challenge Fund

Inspired by the recent San Diego Safer Pet Vaccination Seminar, two anonymous dogs are making a $10,000 matching gift to The Rabies Challenge Fund. Through the month of April, they will match every dollar donated up to $10,000. Please consider taking advantage of this generous gift to double the amount of a donation.

Tax-exempt donations can be mailed to The Rabies Challenge Fund, c/o Hemopet, 11561 Salinaz Avenue, Garden Grove, CA 92843. Credit card donations can be phoned in to Hemopet (specify they are for The Rabies Challenge Fund) by calling (714) 891-2022, ext. 13 or made with Paypal by following the instructions on our link.


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Lawsuit: Flea and Tick Products

Several lawsuits have been filed over the past few months against companies that make flea and tick products. In the most recent case, five pet owners are suing Hartz Mountain and Summit VetPharm for selling flea and tick treatments laden with pesticides "known to poison animals."

The defendents in this wave of lawsuits are companies that represent products available in both grocery stores and vet offices. These lawsuits, most of which seek class action status, are long overdue, but the problem isn't likely to be completely resolved in court. The chemicals in pet products need federal regulations, and, as of today, it looks like that's going to happen for spot-on treatments.

The EPA just announced that they will immediately start evaluating labels to see which need stronger warnings, and they plan to develop improved testing requirements for both new and existing products.

Animals affected by these pesticides typically show neurological side effects, such as staggering, vomiting, and disorientation. Read the entire article.

Click here to read about natural solutions.
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One Day Specials!

One Day Specials!
March 25, 2010

Get 3 Liquid Chlorophyll (32 fl. oz. bottles) for just $25

and

Get $25 OFF Candida Clear!

These offers are available Thursday, March 25, 2010 ONLY!

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U.S. Senate Bill 3002

The McCain-Dorgan Senate Bill
Threatens Your Access to Nutritional Supplements!

If it is passed, McCain appears to want to over-regulate food and dietary supplements as if they were dangerous drugs instead of enforcing existing, effective food and dietary supplement laws. He sidesteps the safety history of dietary supplements in favor of more and more unnecessary and hostile regulation that will squelch a consumer-driven industry. He suggests additional pre-market registration requirements for all manufacturers and products. He suggests mandating reporting of "non- serious" adverse events even when there is no proof or verification of causation. This would be in addition to the current serious adverse event reporting requirements passed into existing law within the past three years.

If this isn't what you want, contact your senator online so you can keep your health freedoms. Click here for more details.

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Georgia Housebill 788

If you live in Georgia, we need your help!

HB 788, a bill to ban gas chambers for euthanasia in Georgia, just passed out of the Rules Committee and will be voted on by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, March 16. Please call your GA state representative and ask him/her to vote YES on HB 788. When you call you will likely speak to an assistant. Please state that you are a constituent in the district and leave your address. This is important!

You can find your legislator by going to www.hsus.org/leglookup. Scroll down a few paragraphs and click on “you can find your state lawmakers here”. Put in your zip plus four if you know it.


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Dog Trying to Dominate Your World?

By Rosie Barclay BSc (Hons) MPhil CCAB

Have you ever been told that your dog’s behavioural problem behaviour is due to it trying to “dominate “you? Have you read or seen on television that your dog is behaving badly because it wants to take over as “Alpha “male? Or told that your dog is defying you to become “leader of the pack”? If the answer is yes then you have to ask yourself are you being given the correct advice. The answer to this is quite simply no you are not. Your dog is not trying to dominate your world; it never has or ever will do. There is no such job description within a group of domestic dogs as “the Dominant Dog, the Alpha Male or Leader of the Pack”. Surprised? Read the entire article.


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Nature's Variety Expanded Recall

Nature's Variety Expands Nationwide Voluntary Recall to Include All Raw Frozen Chicken Diets with Any 'Best If Used By' Date On or Before 2/5/11

LINCOLN, Neb., March 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Nature's Variety has expanded its voluntary recall of Chicken Formula Raw Frozen Diets for dogs and cats to include the "Best If Used By" dates of 10/29/10 and 11/9/10 because these products may be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products. People handling pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the product or any surfaces exposed to these products.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may become lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, or vomiting. Some pets may experience only a decreased appetite, fever, or abdominal pain. If your pet has consumed any of the affected products and is experiencing any of these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

The recall includes the following products with a "Best If Used By" date of 10/29/10 or 11/9/10:

•UPC#7 69949 60131 9 – Chicken Formula 0.75 lb trial sized medallions
•UPC#7 69949 60130 2 – Chicken Formula 3 lb medallions
•UPC#7 69949 60120 3 – Chicken Formula 6 lb patties
•UPC#7 69949 60121 0 – Chicken Formula 2 lb single chubs


In an abundance of caution, Nature's Variety has also chosen to expand this voluntary recall to include all Chicken Formula and Organic Chicken Formula Raw Frozen Diets for dogs and cats with any "Best If Used By" date on or before 2/5/11. Nature's Variety has elected to clear the market of raw frozen chicken diets as it implements a state-of-the-art new food safety process called High Pressure Pasteurization for use on all Nature's Variety Raw Frozen Diets. Read the entire article.


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Flea Collars - Carbaryl

Published: October 22, 2009

No pet owner wants to see his cat or dog suffer from fleas, much less have fleas in the home. But in some cases the treatment can be worse than the illness, so it is with some relief that we heard yesterday’s EPA announcement that carbaryl will no longer be allowed for use in flea collars. In 2005 NRDC petitioned the EPA to end the use of carbaryl in flea collars, but the petition was denied in 2008, making this new development a welcome surprise.

Carbaryl, a likely human carcinogen, has already been voluntarily removed from use in flea dips, powders and other pet products, but Wellmark, a collar manufacturer, continued its use—and will do so until September 2010. read the entire article.

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GreenPaws Directory

Just this past week I found a flea on one of the dogs that we are fostering for our local humane society! Argh...it's still winter time! It reminded me that even in the coldest of weather, those things seem to survive. Below is some great information about the details on the flea and tick products out there.

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GreenPaws Flea and Tick Products Directory

Keep your pets safe, by choosing your flea and tick treatments with care. NRDC checked the listed ingredients of more than a hundred flea and tick products and found that many contain toxic chemicals that could poison pets and harm people, even when applied as instructed on the box.
Click here to read the article and review the list.

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Cold and Flu Busting

Chinese medicine has a concept called the wei qi ('way chee'), an energy system, that protects the body from disease. The energy pushes outward on the surfaces of the mucus membranes lining our lungs, digestive tract and skin. Herbs with a pungent taste, like capsicum, horseradish and ginger help generate the wei qi energy. Think about what happens when you eat spicy foods! You perspire, your nose runs, your eyes water and then you notice mucus clearing. Pungent herbs activate the energy that helps the body discharge whatever is irritating it. That's why they're your best friends when you have a cold. To read more ideas on battling colds and flu, Click here.

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