Wednesday, February 24, 2010


Is Your Cat Getting Too Many Calories?

Wide Variation In Calorie Content Among "Low Calorie" Pet Foods


"Dog and cat owners buying weight-control diets for their overweight pets are faced with a confusing two-fold variation in calorie density, recommended intake, and wide range cost of low-calorie pet foods, according to a study by the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University."

"...Among their findings is that dry dog foods range in calorie density from 217 to 440 kilocalories per cup (kcal/cup) and a recommended intake that ranged from 0.73 to 1.47 times the dog's resting energy requirement. The diets also varied wildly in price - from 4 cents to more than $1.10 per kilocalorie."

"Similar findings were made in wet dog food (189-398 kcal/can) and cat food (235-480 kcal/cup) marketed for weight control."

"...Another important issue identified in this study was the high variability in feeding recommendations for weight loss based on the labels that were evaluated. In fact, for most of the diets, pets would not lose weight or would actually gain weight if owners adhered to the labels' feeding directions and did not adjust according to their pet's individual calorie requirements."

(read the full article)

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Aksum Notes: The average adult cat needs 20 to 30 calories per pound of body weight every day.

A 5 lb. lean adult domestic cat needs 150-170 calories and a 10 lb cat needs about 200-280 calories. Add about 25 calories per lb to calculate correct calorie needs. For example, an 8 lb cat needs 210-240 calories per day. Adjust up if your cat is very active, and adjust down if your cat is not active.

Enough protein is very important for a cat. With too much carbohydrates in their food, cats are susceptible to diabetes. A 10-pound cat should have about 12.5 grams (approximately 90 calories) of protein and 5.5 grams (about 70 calories) of fat each day. Grains provide "empty calories" for cats, the same way doughnuts and other snack foods do for humans.

Pregnant/nursing cats and kittens need much more calories than adult cats (a 10 lb nursing cat needs about 600 calories). Allow them to eat what they want (free feed).

Measure out the amount of food for adult cats each feeding (Taste of the Wild dry cat food has 390 calories per cup), and feed them when you are there. Feed twice a day or more often. Take up the food after 10-30 minutes.

Tips: Change from dry food to wet food. Limit treats or give no treats. Add canned pumpkin to the food to add fiber intake. Increase exercise. It's fun to play with your cat!

Sources:
The One Best Thing For Your Cat's Health
Your Cat's Nutritional Needs
Adult Cats - Caloric & Nutrition Requirements
Daily Caloric Intake For Cats
Taste of the Wild Rocky Mountain Feline Formula
Feeding Your Cat: Know The Basics Of Feline Nutrition


Pets Help Reduce Pain Meds

Recovering With Four-Legged Friends Requires Less Pain Medication


"Adults who use pet therapy while recovering from total joint-replacement surgery require 50 percent less pain medication than those who do not..."

"'Evidence suggests that animal-assisted therapy (AAT) can have a positive effect on a patient's psychosocial, emotional and physical well being,' said Julia Havey, RN, study presenter and senior systems analyst, Department of Medical Center Information Systems, Loyola University Health System (LUHS). 'These data further support these benefits and build the case for expanding the use of pet therapy in recovery.'"

(read the full article)

Thursday, February 11, 2010


Advantage topical flea products now in retail outlets

Bayer to sell Advantage, K9 Advantix products directly to pet retailers

Feb 9, 2010
DVM NEWSMAGAZINE

"Shawnee, Kan. -- Beginning in March 2010, Bayer HealthCare’s Animal Health Division will sell Advantage Topical Solution (Dog), Advantage Topical Solution (Cat) and K9 Advantix directly to pet specialty retailers and specialty Internet sites, the company reports today. The company will also launch a multi-million dollar national advertising campaign aimed at consumers in an effort to drive return visits to veterinary clinics" including coupons for purchases of Advantage and Advantix directly from vets. (read entire article)

Monday, February 8, 2010


Cat urinating outside of box?

Dr. Barchas, well known for his Dogster and Catster articles answering questions for dog and cat owners, has some well-proven methods for solutions to inappropriate urination.

Behavior Modification for Urinating Outside of the Litter Box, by Dr. Eric Barchas

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Aksum Notes: Favorite products used successfully here at Aksum are: Dr. Elsey's Kitten Attract Litter, Simple Solutions Enzymatic Cleaner, Urine Off Enzymatic Cleaner (don't use Urine Off on things that are not easy to rinse off such as mattresses), and various products such as "No Go" that smell bad to cats. We also have several litter boxes that we scoop daily and change out weekly or more often.

Aksum Store - use it as an idea source or click on the links to buy the products online.