World of Pets Expo starts today

The World of Pets Expo starts today at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium — a great chance to see the latest in pet products and learn more about your dog, cat, bird, snake, hamster, fish, frog or ferret.

Exhibitors will be touting thousands of products and services for pets, and some of the country’s foremost authorities in the pet industry will be presenting seminars and demonstrations about pet care and training.

Entertainment includes AKC agility trials, which will be going on all three days, grooming contests and demonstrations on everything from drug detection to dancing with your dogs, featuring the Boogie Woogie Bow Wows.

They include a talk by animal nutrition expert Richard Patton, PhD, lead nutritionist for K-9 Kraving, on the connection between diet and behavior (noon Saturday), and a seminar on hip dysplasia by Daren Roa, DVM, DACVS, of Chesapeake Veterinary Surgical Specialists (1 p.m. Saturday). Animal communicator Terri Diener, of Petspeak, will be holding two seminars, one on pet loss, and one on communicating with your animal.

Workshops and seminars take place all three days, You can find the full schedule here.

General admission is $9 for adults and $5 for children under 12. Admission includes all seminars and entertainment.

As for bringing your dog, well-behaved pets on a leash are welcome at the expo, but the organizers offer this note. “Due to the large number of pets performing in the many demonstrations and seminars, we believe you will have a greater enjoyment of the Expo, if you do not bring your pet.”

Are Today’s Dogs Outdressing their Owners? Dog Fashion Moves Mainstream as Style Goes to the Dogs

As Dogs become a Key Part of Peoples Families, Spending on Dog Fashion Products is on the Rise. Over the past few years the pet industry has been evolving as people begin more and more to accept their four legged friends as members of their family. As a result of the care and attention pet owners give their animals, the pet market has grown considerably over the past several years. According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, pet owners will have spent an estimated $38.4 billion on their pets this year. Todays pet industry continues to show strength and future promise, with fashion products becoming a key driver to future growth.

Pampering your pooch can range from purchases of fashionable dog apparel, collars, leashes, vogue carriers, jewellery, accessories and even spa products such as lotions, perfumes, robes etc. With prices ranging from $20 to $2000 and up, dogs can now outdress many of their owners.

There are a variety of factors contributing to the growth in spending on doggie fashion. Empty nesters are finding themselves with extra disposable income and are channeling a portion of that towards fashionable pet products; they are also filling their homes with the sounds of animals now that their children have grown up and moved on. In addition, with families having fewer children, or waiting a bit later in life to have kids, they are more likely to bring pets into the family and tend to treat these additions like their own children.

Helping the cause, personalities such as Paris Hilton, Martha Stewart, Nicole Ricchi, Paula Abdul and many others as well as movies such as Legally Blonde 1 & 2, As Good as it Gets, Bringing Down the House and Secondhand Lions to name but a few, have certainly moved dogs into the spotlight.

An added benefit to this booming industry is that with more dogs being accepted as family and deservingly pampered, the variety of products and available services has increased significantly. Doggie bakeries, dog spas, a long list of dog fashion designers and dog boutiques continue to create a luxury lifestyle for todays dog. Even the number of dog magazines has escalated with fashion coverage offered by publications such as Modern Dog, with covers featuring entertainments top stars and their beloved dogs.

According to Ann-Marie Fleming, Founder of K9Kloud9.com, an online dog fashion retailer and canine community, Peoples attitudes towards their dogs has definitely shifted to where the pets role has become as important as any family member, and with this attention comes a desire to bring fashion, style and an overall pampering of their furry companions. As a result, we are seeing escalating sales for our designer fashion items ranging from jewellery and carriers, to coats and dresses. Its fun for both humans and dogs alike and we see this trend continuing for many years to come.

Moving forward expect to see more dog friendly cafes, parks, condos, lofts, bakeries and even restaurants. Dog social activities are also on the rise as many dog lovers work to organize dog groups, weddings, playdates and of course dog birthday parties.

About K9 Kloud9:
Love Your Dog at www.K9Kloud9.com! K9 Kloud9 is an online canine community and dog fashion retailer with a unique selection of clothing, jewellery, collars, leashes, carriers and various accessories from around the world. You will also find valuable information through our dog stories, articles, forums, blogs and extensive global directories listing dog breeders, rescues and pet friendly destinations.

Posted in January 21st, 2009 Category:Dogs
Copyright K9 Kloud9 Creations

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Morris Animal Inn Reopens as Luxury Pet Resort

MORRISTOWN, N.J., Nov 13, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Morris Animal Inn, a 5-star luxury resort and spa for pets, announces the completion of its multi-million dollar expansion and renovation project. The full-service country inn for dogs and cats offers the finest amenities for four-legged guests anywhere -- including lodging, grooming, spa services, day care, doggie day camp and more.

The state-of-the-art facility has doubled in size and offers a heated indoor pool, whirlpool, pet suites with soothing music and videos, skylights, indoor and outdoor play areas, pampering and activities packages, daily maid and room service, Happy Hour with homemade pet treats, tuck-in service and more.

Morris Animal Inn ( http://www.morrisanimalinn.com) will roll out the red carpet for a Grand Reopening Celebration for its VIPs (Very Important Pets) and their people beginning at 6 p.m. on Thursday, November 20. The private event will feature behind-the-scenes tours, a visit from the "Puparazzi," a bone bar for dogs, music and refreshments. The media is invited.

The United States pet industry continues to grow. Americans will spend $43 billion dollars on their pets this year, and $3.2 billion on boarding and grooming -- up 7 percent from last year, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association.

"Our Inn is not a typical boarding kennel but rather a first-class experience for companion animals," says owner Walter Morris.

Located on a quiet country lane with over 12 acres, the new facility was designed by Morris with state-of-art engineering to provide for both the comfort and safety of his pet guests. The facility is climate-controlled with purified air, smoke and sprinkler systems, back-up generators, 24-hour surveillance cameras and the capability for daily floor-to-ceiling sanitizing for the cleanest environment. Perimeter fencing encloses the facility.

Spacious, comfortable and affordable accommodations range from $29 to $52 for dogs, $23 to $49 for cats, depending upon size of the pet and season. Additional add-on services are available.

Family-owned and -operated for over four decades, the Inn was established by Walter Morris Sr., a professional dog handler who won "Best in Show" at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Current owners Walter Morris Jr. and wife Marianne built the current facility in 1986 and put years of experience into transforming Morris Animal Inn into a luxury pet resort and spa.

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Organics abound as animal care goes green

Tribune Media Services

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Even if people don’t get on the “think green” ecological bandwagon, apparently our pets will be there.

Backer’s 42nd Annual Pet Industry Christmas Trade Show is one of the largest pet product shows in the world, offering an array of newly released and soon-to-be-released products. Many years, there’s a clear theme at the show, which turns out to predict a hot trend. A few years ago, everyone was offering nutritional supplements for pets. More recently, the buzz has been all about furry fashion, including outfits, accessories and carriers for toy dogs. (The truth is Paris Hilton followed the trend first seen at the trade show.)

With more than 900 exhibitors gathered at the Donald Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill., Oct. 3-5, you might think spotting a clear trend would be tough. Without a doubt, however, it seemed like everyone was thinking green, organic and all natural at this year’s show.

“There’s a hypersensitivity in the pet category, which began with the pet food recall,” says David Levy, president of Zeus and Company, a distributor of pet food and other products. “It could be pet store products will soon have more emphasis on environmental friendliness than products for people.”

> Perhaps the ultimate environmentally friendly pet product is called FlushEze. While it’s a good thing when people use plastic bags to pick up after their dogs, the plastic lingers in landfills for a long time. Lots of communities are strongly discouraging their use, even for carrying groceries, let alone doggy doo. FlushEze bags appear to be made of ordinary plastic but it’s more like magic plastic. After you use a FlushEze bag to pick up after your dog, you can flush it down the toilet. The bag disintegrates, while the feces is properly treated.

Levy says this “Star Trek” technology is the same as hospitals use to dispose of biohazard clothing (it dissolves in water). FlushEze is $3.99 (for 10 bags) to $14.99 (60), www.zeusandco.com; 847-869-6961.

> Instead of disposing of plastic water bottles, use them as dog toys. Products from Katie’s Bumpers have always been environmentally friendly, including rugged dog toys made from fire hose material. This same sturdy material is used to make a toy called the Bottle Tracker. It has an opening for a used water bottle. Dogs can safely chomp on the toy while still making that appealing crunchy sound they love; $14, www.katiesbumpers.com; 866-642-0544.

> Disposing of cat litter presents another environmental conundrum. Close To Nature Now is a cat litter, though the ingredient list reads more like a healthy lunch: soy meal and organic potato starch. It’s a scoopable, flushable and environmentally friendly litter; $12.99 to $30.99, www.zeusandco.com; 847-869-6961.

> PAWZitive Therapy is packaged exactly as if it were human underarm deodorant. However, it’s an over-paw conditioner, made with hemp seeds and natural botanicals to provide moisturizing relief to paw pads. The hemp rub provides a protective barrier against ice, salt and general wear and tear. If you happen to find PAWZitive in your bathroom cabinet by mistake, you could use it under your arms. “It would be good for your skin, and you might start to bark,” says Trevor Ottley of NuHEMP; $9.99, www.nuhemp.com, 866-466-0686.

“Hemp is a natural product and has been used by people for 10,000 years,” Ottley said. NuHEMP Botanicals are all natural shampoos and conditioners with certified organic ingredients, most notably essential oils and hemp seed oil. These coat products are 100 percent biodegradable. Ottley suggests these products may be higher quality than what most people use for themselves; $9.99, www.nuhemp.com, 866- 466-0686.

> Steve Schneidermeier of Etta, a company named for a “fabulous dachshund,” says a pet psychic read Etta’s thoughts, and it turns out what Etta really wanted was to create collars and leashes from recycled materials. Working with bicycle shops around Seattle, the company fashions collars and leashes from old tires. Schneidermeier says that unlike leather leashes, which can smell after they get wet, these do not. Leashes and collars are $28, www.ettasays.com, 866-439-3882.

> You don’t need a psychic to figure out that just about every new pet food or treat is natural, organic and usually made in the U.S.A. (never in China). Pet ‘n Shape Natural Catch is actually “caught” in Iceland; fresh lobster, salmon, shrimp and whitefish are Natural Catch dog treat flavors. The treats contain fish oil. Of course, the company touts the healthful benefits of Icelandic fish and their high concentrations of Omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids. And there’s nothing artificial about these natural treats, which the company says will increase your dog’s energy (not always a good thing). Natural Catch treats are $6.99 at www.petnshape.com, or 1-800-317-1017

> Ottley says hemp is as rich in Omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids as anything found in nature. NuHemp’s new line of gourmet dog treats called 2-Chomp come in various flavors, including crunchy peanut butter and butter maple, hearty fish and sweet potato; $6.99 to $8.99, www.nuhemp.com, 866-466-0686. “All hemp is as green as anyone can be,” Ottley said.

All these products are also available in many pet stores, particularly smaller, independent stores.

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Bark Busters Launches its First-Ever Internet Radio Network

	NewswireToday - /newswire/ - Lakewood, CO, United States, 11/05/2008 - Bark Busters—the world’s largest, most trusted dog training company—has unleashed its new Internet Radio Network on Bark Busters website.
	Dog lovers nationwide can now listen to extensive interviews with nationally known pet industry experts as well as learn training and safety tips for their furry friends. These pre-recorded 60-minute barkcasts are available by logging on to Bark Busters website. “Bark Busters Internet Radio Network is a great way to educate, entertain and empower dog owners and pet professionals,” said Liam Crowe, CEO and master dog behavioral therapist of Bark Busters USA. “Our barkcasts cover anything and everything dog related, including new pet products and helpful training techniques.” Stephanie Scroggs, director of communications for the SPCA International is featured on the network’s first barkcast discussing the SPCAI’s one-of-a-kind Operation Baghdad Pups program. Scroggs also warns of two disturbing trends: pet theft and adoption scams. Along with Scroggs, Justin Price, vice president for Environmental Biotech, the manufacturer of the revolutionary product BUSTER’S SECRET shares his expertise about this high-performance, all natural pet odor and stain eliminator available exclusively through Bark Busters. And, finally, an interview with Liam Crowe revealing his journey as CEO of Bark Busters USA and fascinating facts about Bark Busters’ training techniques wraps up the first barkcast on Bark Busters Internet Radio Network. Bark Busters dog behavioral therapists, serving 4,000 communities nationwide, are renowned authorities in understanding, correcting and managing dog behavior. Bark Busters’ natural training technique leverages the same communications methods—body language and voice control—that dogs follow as part of their instinctive pack mentality. All training takes place right in the home where problems generally occur. In every market where Bark Busters is established, a majority of veterinarians familiar with the technique recommend the company’s services. About Bark Busters Bark Busters (barkbusters.com), the world's largest, most trusted dog training company, started in Australia in 1989 and came to the United States in 2000. Since inception, nearly 400,000 dogs have been trained worldwide using its dog-friendly, natural methods. With 250+ franchised offices in 42 U.S. states and more than 400 offices in 10 countries, Bark Busters is continuing its mission to build a global network of dog behavioral therapists to enhance responsible dog ownership and reduce the possibility of maltreatment, abandonment and euthanasia of companion dogs. Bark Busters is the only international dog training company that offers guaranteed lifetime support. SPCA International selected Bark Busters dog behavioral training services as the “Best of the Best” in its category. No other training company or dog trainer has received such a distinction. To fetch a trainer in your area, call 1-877-500-BARK (2275) or visit Bark Busters website, where dog owners can complete a Dog Behavioral Quiz to rate their dogs' behavior.

Animals Asia calls for action as pathologists warn of contaminants in bear bile

22 Sep 2008

Animals Asia Foundation has called on the Chinese authorities to look urgently into the possible harmful side-effects of contaminated bear bile sold as a cure-all in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The foundation has also relayed its concerns to the Hong Kong Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, and the World Health Organisation.

Animals Asia’s China Relations Director Christie Yang said she had decided to go public in the wake of the contaminated milk powder scandal that has left three infants dead and more than 6,000 ill. Ms Yang said experts had compelling health concerns about the bile taken from farmed bears as it was riddled with impurities, including faeces, urine, blood and pus.

She said that together with Chinese and Vietnamese pathologists, Animals Asia was compiling a growing dossier of evidence that the bears tapped for their bile were developing liver cancers at an alarming rate. Asiatic black bears (or moon bears) held in captivity rarely contract liver tumours unless they are very old, but almost half of the rescued bears that have died were euthanised because of liver cancer.

Animals Asia Founder and CEO Jill Robinson said the authorities should be asking what the bile taken from such sick bears was doing to the health of humans who consumed it. “The bears’ livers and gall bladders are often severely diseased, the bile contaminated with pus, blood and even faeces. A healthy bear’s bile is as fluid as water and ranges in colour from bright yellowy-orange to green. Our vets have described bile leaking from the gall bladders of our rescued bears as ‘black sludge’.”

The prized ingredient in bear bile, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), is used by TCM practitioners for a myriad of complaints, everything from hangovers to haemorrhoids. However, UDCA can be synthesised easily under laboratory conditions – the UDCA produced is pure, clean and reliable.

“For two years now, we have been telling the authorities of our concerns, but still nothing is being done. We can’t just stand by when so many families have been affected by the milk contamination scandal. Here we have a very similar scenario; people who take bear bile as a traditional medicine cure have a right to know just what it is that they are consuming,” Ms Robinson said.

Dr Wang Sheng Xian, a Chengdu pathologist, who is analysing the livers of bears that have died from liver cancer said: “The more I learn about the extraction of bile from bears, the more I would never recommend this kind of drug to my family and friends. I personally think we are better to use alternative drugs and never extract bile from bears … this kind of drug could be harmful to people. There are many effective and affordable synthetic alternatives as well as more than 50 herbal alternatives.

“Although I respect TCM, what I have seen from the samples from caged bears makes me doubt that products like this work. Bear bile products produced by farmers are only processed by baking the bile into a powder and not refined. This kind of preparation does not eliminate the contaminants in the bile. As we can see, the bile causes very sick bears – can we use this kind of bile for medicine for humans, especially as it is baked at a low temperature? I personally think we had better use alternative drugs and never extract bile from bears,” Dr Wang said.

A Vietnamese pathologist has also expressed grave concerns for the health of both humans and bears after conducting clinical examinations of the damaged gall bladders of three moon bears rescued from bile farms by Animals Asia.

Dr Dang van Duong, Chief Pathologist at the Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi said he was shocked by the condition of the bears and urged consumers to think twice before taking the bile from such diseased animals.

Dr Duong made the comments after conducting histo-pathological examinations of the gall bladder specimens of three bears that recently underwent cholecystectomies (removal of the gall bladder) at Animals Asia’s new Moon Bear Rescue Centre at Tam Dao near Hanoi. He found a substantial thickening of the wall of the gall bladder, a consequence of the bile extraction process.

Bears on farms in China, where bear farming is still legal, are subjected to the so-called “humane” free-dripping method of bile extraction on a daily basis. A permanent hole is cut into the bear’s abdomen through to its gall bladder. To extract the bile, the farmer pokes a tube into the hole and lets the bile drip out. Some farms still use permanently implanted catheters to drain the bile – a method that is now against China’s regulations.

In Vietnam, bile is extracted with the assistance of an ultrasound machine, catheter and medicinal pump. The bears are drugged – usually with ketamine – restrained with ropes and have their abdomens repeatedly jabbed with four-inch needles until the gall bladder is found. The bile is then removed with a catheter and pump.

After examining the gall bladder of one of the Vietnam bears, and concluding that she had “severe chronic cholecystitis”, Dr Duong said: “I am wondering how this bear could have survived, because if this was a human sample, the person would have been dead long ago.” The other bears to undergo cholecystectomies had similarly degenerative gall bladders.

Dr Duong is collaborating with the Dean of Sydney University's medical faculty in establishing online pathology between Sydney University/Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney and Bach Mai Hospital. His pathology department provides pathology consultancy services to the French International Hospital in Hanoi and is a recognised reference laboratory.

Last year, Animals Asia’s veterinary team released the report, “Compromised health and welfare of bears in China’s bear bile farming industry, with special reference to the free-dripping bile extraction technique”.

The report, which was widely distributed among both conservation and health authorities on the mainland, stated: “AAF’s veterinarians hypothesise that the etiology of the cancer [in farmed bears] is related to the chronic inflammation, infection and trauma caused by bile extraction. Research is under way to investigate this hypothesis. In another context, consideration must be given to the potential effects on humans of the consumption of bear bile that is so contaminated with pus and inflammatory material.” Ms Yang said senior members of Animals Asia had met with and conveyed their concerns a number of times to various departments in Beijing and Sichuan and the foundation was seeking a meeting with Sichuan authorities next week.