Goodbye my friend

April 7, 2008

More than a dozen years ago it was clear this day would come. But in the knowing it would arrive does little to dam the torrent of tears it brings. Between there and here is was so easy to forget. Even in the last weeks, reminded by Sam's passing, and knowing that the time was near doesn't really prepare one for what will be. The deep sadness that comes with the passing of a friend. A couple of decades back Linda Rondstat sang:

So goodbye, my friend
I know I'll never see you again
But the love you gave me through all the years
Will take away these tears
It's okay now...
Goodbye my friend

Life's so fragile and love's so pure
We can't hold on but we try
We watch how quickly it disappears
And we never know why

But I'm okay now
Goodbye my friend.
I can go now
Goodbye my friend.

Indeed goodbye my dear friend. The memories are so plentiful that it's hard to know where to begin in telling the story. Read more about Goodbye my friend

In passing... remembering Samantha

March 10, 2008

When we are young we hold on to this belief that things get easier when you "grow up" or at least the more times you face them. Once we are grown up we come to understand that things don't get any easier when it comes to the passing of a beloved dog. We know our dogs have a good life and are well cared for. We know from the time we are young that we will throughout our lives face the passing of our beloved companions all too frequently. We know the pain of watching an aging dog reach the end of their days. Yet through all of this we know too that we must have these wonderful companions in our lives. And so it comes that in remembrance of Samantha I write here. Read more about In passing... remembering Samantha

Anoter day another pet food recall

April 2, 2007

Fresh on the heels of the Menu Foods and related recalls for contaminated wheat gluten, another brand of dog and cat treats has been recalled. All lots of Dingo CHICK'N JERKY treats for dogs, cats and ferrets have been recalled because of contamination with Salmonella.

FDA: No rat poison in pet foods

April 1, 2007

According to Time the FDA has been unable to find rat poison in samples of Menu Foods. The contaminate appears to be melanie, used in plastic manufacturing instead of the rodent poison.

More pet food recalls

March 31, 2007

Nestlé Purina PetCare Company announced Friday it is recalling some of it's ALPO Prime Cuts wet dog food. The food is contaminated with melanine, a plastic substance, that contaminated many recalled foods made by Menu Foods in Canada. Hills Pet Nutrition also recalled m/d Feline dry food on Friday over concerns of contaminated wheat gluten. The Hills recall marks the first recall of dry pet food. Hills did previously recall canned cat food.

Before switching to human food for pets, pet owners would be well advised to see the list of recalled foods.

Rational pet food diets

March 26, 2007

Recent deaths caused by contaminated pet food at from Menu Foods have pet owners wondering what to do to best care for their pets. There are some who would suggest throwing out the whole pet food industry and going with human quality food or the B.A.R.F. diet. Fortunately Newsweek has an article on it's website discussing the sitution with Dr. Tony Buffington a professor of veterinary medicine at Ohio State University. He concludes it would make as much sense to stop using pet food as to condem the entire human food chain because of the E. Coli problem.

We should call upon the FDA to step up their work on both the human and the pet food supply chains, but we also must resist the temptation to run to the rumor mongers at the expense of our pet's health.

Dogs