Nutrition

Camden, N.J. - 4/3/08 - Another chapter in the lengthy pet-food recall saga is drawing to a close with the reported settlement of more than 100 class-action lawsuits brought on behalf of pet owners in the United States and Canada.

We see it every day: fat cats, fat dogs, fatter cats and fatter dogs.

The petfood contamination and recall incident in 2007 was a learning experience, for the government, the petfood industry, pet owners and veterinarians.

The massive amount of information and misinformation about petfoods on the World Wide Web, in books and publications, and elsewhere has led to considerable concern and confusion by the pet owning public.

The history of commercial petfoods is relatively short.

Petfood labels are regulated at both the federal and state levels.

The trend in the media, on web sites, and other sources of information on the topic of human nutrition to identify particular foods as "good" or "bad" is confusing at best.

The United States petfood market has been estimated to be over 18 billion dollars annually.

Passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) dramatically changed the market for both human and pet supplement products.

Proper nutrition for companion avian species has long been and still is a central focus of avian veterinarians and aviculturists.

The fat feline is a problem all practitioners face.

But you'll need the owners in your corner.

The 2-pound Yorkie was carrying a huge mountain oyster. It was hanging out both sides of his mouth, and he was proud as a peacock.

We have adapted NBC's hit reality show "The Biggest Loser" for our canine patients.

Almost everyone struggles at some point to keep his or her pets' at a healthy weight. I know how important it is. And still, we've had to fight hard to win the battle of the bulge.

Rockville, Md. - She wants to build collaborations, share ideas in a transparent system with one over-arching ethos: ensure public health.

Kansas City, Mo. - A federal grand jury indicted two Chinese firms, an American firm and their principals on multiple counts related to tainted pet foods that sickened or killed perhaps thousands of pets last year and triggered the largest pet-food recall in the nation's history.

National Report - 2/8/08 - A federal grand jury indicted two Chinese firms, an American firm and their principals on multiple counts related to tainted pet foods that sickened or killed perhaps thousands fo pets last year and triggered the largest pet-food recall in the nation's history, involving some 150 brands or about 1 percent of the total pet-food supply.

Schaumburg, Ill. - 1/15/08 - The American Veterinary Medical Association and Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. launched an outreach program targeting pet obesity.

Pet owners are clearly learning about nutrition. But where are they getting their information? Brian Conrad, practice manager at Meadow Hills Veterinary Center in Kennewick, Wash., worries that it's not from you.

Washington, D.C. - 12/27/07 - Improved communication between veterinarians and the pet food industry, the development of state feed regulations and the establishment of DVM-patient diet histories can all help improve the safety and monitoring of pet food, according to the National Pet Food Commission (NPFC).

How Dr. Little talks to clients about cat obesity and raw food.

To provide optimal treatment for dogs and cats with chronic kidney disease, you'll need to thoroughly evaluate the animal and diligently monitor the natural course of the disease as well as the patient's response to intervention.

Reno, Nev. - 11/29/07 - This year's pet-food crisis points to a need for more efficient means of finding, evaluating and halting any future food-supply contamination.

St. Louis, Mo. - 10/19/07 - More than 200 attendees from 22 countries gathered at the 2007 Nestle Purina Nutrition Forum, focused on feline health, including obesity and diabetes developments.