Pets column: Dog-food business is fine recipe for healing

Akron woman no stranger to tragedy or the love of pets
By Connie Bloom

The love of animals has helped a Kenmore woman overcome terrible physical and emotional losses.

Car crashes have cast long shadows across the life of Pat Straw, who is grateful to be alive and have a mission, helping cats and dogs live healthier.

These mind-boggling events were spread out over 59 years. They began when her parents were killed in a wreck just after she was born, when her mom and dad were bringing her home from the hospital. She was eventually adopted but lost her new mom to another accident in 1968, just before her graduation from high school.

Then, in 2002, she was in a truck that took a blow from a teen driver. It took her five years of recovery to get as good as she's going to get. She can walk now — and work up to four hours a day.

Then in January, her adoptive father and stepmother were killed in yet another car crash. She broke the news to me while I was standing in the snow on her doorstep, ready to do an interview. We didn't talk again until we rescheduled the meeting for last week.

Her story is a testament to the buoyancy of the human spirit.

''Everything came flooding out and I ended up with post-traumatic stress disorder from all of those traumas,'' said Straw, in front of a neat row of homemade dog food treats.

''I wouldn't let my granddaughter learn to drive until she was 19. It gave me so much time to think and that's how the business came about.

''I've always loved animals,'' she said. ''I took classes in nutrition at Akron U and had a hankering to help animals.''

Then she picked up a copy of the book, Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food, she said. It played a pivotal role in her personal metamorphosis from doting pet mom to local entrepreneur.

The expose, published in 1997 by author Ann N. Martin, explores alarming practices within the pet food industry and calls attention to dubious ingredients and methods used in manufacturing. It's the book that fell into her hands, but not the only book of its kind. The wisdom is simple: Fresh food is better.

''In the '40s, when people didn't have dog food, dogs ate the food they had,'' said Straw. ''It had no preservatives and pets were healthier and so were we.'' How can a product labeled ''Best used by 2010'' be safe and nutritious, she asked.

She ultimately founded Naturally Better Pet Food Co., a company that focuses on human-grade, preservative-free dog meals and treats that are made fresh and delivered to about 30 customers weekly.

She eventually teamed up with Deb Ward, human mom to the CEO, Blaze, a firecracker Maltese mix with bows on her ears. The women live next door to each other, which made the commute pretty convenient, but the cooking will soon move off-premises to a plant in Montrose.

Nicki Zamarelli, a nutritionist, is their head cook. For the meantime, she is wielding her magic out of their dedicated, kosher kitchen, which is lined with immaculate bins of organic this and that.

The company (330-475-6190; naturallybetter@yahoo.com) makes an array of dog biscuits plus six formulations of dog food: puppy food, weight-loss recipe, arthritis diet, low-fat diet, diabetic diet and regular adult diet. A month's supply runs $55 for puppy food to $59 for the other diets, delivered to your door.

They are all made with fresh vegetables, grains, fruits and meats, no preservatives, artificial dyes or byproducts, she said.

Perfecting recipes

While pretty much anybody can whip up a batch of cookies to share with the gang, making dog food for commercial sale is no party.

Before Straw could even begin to consider selling anything, she underwent five years of nutrition trials under the

scrutiny of the Association of American Feed Control Officials, which sets up standards and makes recommendations for the industry. AAFCO requires dog food makers, no matter how small, to meet nutrient profiles or pass feeding trials in order to receive a stamp of approval.

It's a hair-tearing process invented to teach patience.

She included all of her rescues, except Oreo, her bunny: Scruffy, a schnoodle; Dobber, the affable Lab; and Mikey, the Airedale; plus Blaze and a few of her relatives' dogs.

It was Blaze who got all the attention after suffering years of poor health from a genetic problem that turned around when she started eating better, the women said.

''A small business can cater to the animal's needs and help them,'' said Straw. ''Medicine doesn't always work. Sometimes you have to go back to the basics and square one. That's what we did with Blazey.''

The dogs were monitored carefully, weighed monthly and vet checked. Every change was logged. Did they gain weight? Get fleas or mites? Develop cavities? Develop cancer?

At one point, the dogs started to gain weight, a signal that she should reformulate the amount of bone meal she was using.

Like life itself, the business is a work in progress.
''This dream to help the animals has kept me going,'' she said. ''To this day, it still does. I can get down if I hear a siren or see an accident and this is what I hold onto. This is the happy side of life. It's this way for a reason.''

5 great fish that make great first pets

Most kids these days would rather look at an Xbox than a 10-gallon fish tank, but all is not lost. Introducing youngsters to fish-keeping can end well if you set things up for success. Since the first step is choosing species that are survivors, here are five candidates for the newbie's fish tank.

1 Siamese fighting fish. Also called bettas, these often iridescent beauties are the poster fish for low maintenance, says Gene Sanchez, owner of Tropical Showcase in Hicksville, N.Y. "They don't need a filter, and they can live in a jelly jar."

Although bettas get along with many fish, they are less gregarious with their own kind.

2 Goldfish. Don't dismiss these as too "everyday," says Dominick Caserma, owner of A Lot of Fish in Babylon, N.Y. Goldfish come in dozens of colors and varieties.

3 Gourami. Anthony Mansueto, proprietor of South Shore Tropicals in Lindenhurst, N.Y., votes for these hardy Asian natives. Male gouramis can be fin nippers, and so are not a good choice with bettas or guppies, although many of the other fish on this list – including tetras and danios – are compatible with them.

4 Danios. This torpedo-shaped member of the minnow family is hardy and, like the betta, needs no water filtration, just a water change once or twice a week.

5 Tetras. "Most aquarists don't check the pH of their water," and without intervention a tank will become acidic – an environment the tetra thrives in. Silver dollars also are part of this family.

Master of unusual pets and a rooster named Robinhood

WHEN dawn breaks, his live alarm clock starts crowing and cackling, waking him up for a morning jog. For 78-year-old Felipe Obrince, this morning ritual does not bother him at all as he looks forward to an early jog with San Pedro’s (St. Peter’s) favorite pet: a rooster.

Obrince’s pet rooster, Robinhood –his fourth pet– jogs with him around the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) campus every morning or when weather permits.

According to Obrince, Robinhood has actually other names, including Kaber and Burtik.

Obrince said he has been changing Robinhood’s name in the last three years to allow his talented rooster to join pet shows.
In the beginning, Obrince didn’t want to join pet shows that were hosted by an organization in UPLB until students invited him in 1995.

“Nagja-jogging lang ako kasama yung aso ko. Tapos bigla akong kinumbida diyan sa pet show nila (I was jogging with my dog when they invited me to join the pet show,” Obrince recalled.

He grabbed the chance and luckily, his first pet dog, Monelpa, won the competition.

Later, he was surprised when UPLB students dropped by his house to deliver the prize.

He said he didn’t expect that the competition had a cash prize. Since then, he joined pet shows, fielding different pets, including a goat, a Japanese pig, and of course, Robinhood, his rooster.

Obrince said that he has developed fondness for unusual pets

“Gusto kong maging kakaiba. Ayoko ng may kapareho (I want to be different, and I don’t want to be a copycat,” he said.

Training a goat, a pig, and a rooster was never a headache for him because he knew the secret in making his unusual pets obey his orders.

“Maliit pa, inuumpisahan ko na (I start their training early],” he said.

He started Robinhood, for instance, when it was still, er, a chick. But he admitted that training pets was not really his intention.

“Noon, gusto ko lang kasi na may kasamang nag-ja-jogging, (All I wanted was to have them jog with me),” he said.

Obrince said all he wanted was companionship, but somehow got more than what he wanted.

He said that his talented and unusual pets were not only mere companions but now prized possessions.

At the age of 78, he still wants to continue training new and unusual pets. He plans to train a deer someday.

“Ang gusto ko sana ay ung usa para ipakita sa kanila kung paano sumunod at kung pano kasama ito na hindi mailap, (I wish to train a deer and make them follow and unafraid of people),” said Mang Felipe.

INQUIRER.net

Pets suffer when owners split

This year, Sainsbury’s Finance estimates that over 60,000 cats and dogs in Britain could suffer from "Master Separation Syndrome" – a term coined by the Bank to describe the mental trauma caused by their owners separating.

Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance offers a range of benefits including up to £1,000 per condition for complementary treatments and £250 a year for behavioural problems.

Over the last year, Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance has seen a 28 per cent increase in the number of claims linked to behavioural problems, the Bank believes that Master Separation Syndrome is one of the reasons for this.

Neal Devine, Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance Manager said: “If a couple separating have pets, their animals can also suffer from the anguish and stress caused by the breakdown. Cats and dogs can be very susceptible to their owner’s feelings and if they sense they are unhappy they can easily become agitated and depressed.”

“Pet owners should be aware that good quality pet insurance doesn't just cover vet fees but will provide cover for behavioural issues as well.

“Also, if you suddenly become reliant on one income to look after a pet the need for pet insurance will usually be greater as it will help you to cope more easily with any large unexpected vet bills.”

Sainsbury’s Finance estimates that the cost of owning a pet is increasing by around five per cent a year. Indeed, it has calculated that the lifetime cost of owning a dog bought today stands at around £9,000, while the corresponding figure for a cat is around £7,000.

Despite the rising costs of veterinary bills, its research shows that as many as 11 million British pet owners have no insurance cover for their pet cats and dogs.

Good quality pet insurance does not need to be expensive, good cover at a competitive price can be found by shopping around. Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance is designed to offer some of the widest range of benefits available at a competitive price. For further information call 0800 056 5758, log on to www.sainsburys.co.uk or pick up a leaflet in a Sainsbury’s supermarket.

NewsXtra

Everson pet food plant remains closed

By Daily Courier

Due to a potential salmonella contamination at the Mars Petcare plant in Everson, a voluntary recall has been announced and the facility has been shut down until the source of the contamination has been found.

On Sept. 12, Mars Petcare US announced a voluntary recall of products manufactured at its Everson facility. The pet food is being voluntarily recalled because of potential contamination with salmonella Schwarzengrund. The voluntary recall only affects the United States.

Salmonella can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is cross-contamination caused by handling of the pet food, in people as well, especially children, the aged and those with compromised immune systems. Healthy people potentially infected with salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of these symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. On rare occasions, 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 health care providers.

Pets with salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Animals can be carriers with no visible symptoms and potentially can infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, contact your veterinarian.

The company stopped production at the facility on July 29 when it was alerted of a possible link between dry pet food produced at the plant and two isolated cases of people infected with salmonella Schwarzengrund.

Even though no direct link between the product produced at Everson and human or pet illness has been made, Mars Petcare US is taking precautionary action to protect pets and their owners by announcing a voluntary recall of all products produced at the Everson facility beginning Feb. 18 until July 29 when it stopped production.

The company is continuing to work collaboratively with the Food and Drug Administration to determine the nature and source of salmonella Schwarzengrund. Since it has not yet identified the source, Mars Petcare US does not plan to resume production out of a commitment to the safety of pet owners and their pets, customers and associates, the company said.

The top priority of Mars Petcare US has always been and continues to be the health and welfare of pets and their owners. Consumers can continue to have confidence in the quality and safety of the products produced at other Mars Petcare US facilities, the company reported. Only those products produced at the Everson facility are impacted by the voluntary recall.

Mars Petcare US will work with retail customers to ensure that the recalled products are not on store shelves. These products should not be sold or fed to pets. In the event that consumers believe they have purchased products affected by this voluntary recall, they should return the product to the store where they purchased it for a full refund. Specific product details and other information can be found at www.petcare.mars.com.

In an effort to prevent the transmission of salmonella from pets to family members and care givers, the FDA recommends that everyone follow appropriate pet food handling guidelines when feeding their pets. A list of safe pet food handling tips can be found at: www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/petfoodtips080307.html

A representative on behalf of Mars Petcare US had no comment on whether the Everson plant will open if the salmonella source is found.