Agric4Profits

Glyphosate found in cat and dog food

January 31, 2020 Benadine Nonye

A new Cornell study published this month in Environmental Pollution finds that glyphosate, the active herbicidal ingredient in widely used weed killers like Roundup, was present at low levels in a variety of dog and cat foods the researchers purchased at stores. Before you go switching Fido or Fluffy’s favorite brand, however, be aware that the amounts of the herbicide found correspond to levels currently considered safe for humans. The study grew out of a larger interdisciplinary research project led by Brian Richards, senior research associate in biological and environmental…

Reasons why Overweight Dogs may live shorter lives

January 31, 2020 Benadine Nonye

New research from the University of Liverpool and Mars Petcare’s WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition reveals overweight dogs are more likely to have shorter lives than those at ideal body weights. Results from the study, conducted retrospectively across two decades and published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, revealed the lifespan of dogs that were overweight was up to two and a half years shorter when compared to ideal-weight dogs. The study examined more than 50,000 dogs across 12 of the most popular dog breeds. The effect of being…

In the battle of cats vs. rats, the rats are winning

January 31, 2020 Benadine Nonye

The first study to document interactions between feral cats and a wild rat colony finds that contrary to popular opinion, cats are not good predators of rats. In a novel approach, researchers monitored the behavior and movement of microchipped rats in the presence of cats living in the same area. They show the rats actively avoided the cats, and only recorded two rat kills in 79 days. Published as part of a special “rodent issue” in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, the findings add to growing evidence that any benefit…

How to feed a Cat

January 30, 2020 Benadine Nonye

The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) today released the AAFP Consensus Statement, “Feline Feeding Programs: Addressing Behavioral Needs to Improve Feline Health and Well-being” and accompanying client brochure to the veterinary community. The Consensus Statement, published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, explores the medical, social, and emotional problems that can result from the manner in which most cats are currently fed. This statement focuses on “how to feed” because an often-overlooked aspect of feline health is how cats are fed. This Consensus Statement identifies normal feeding…

How Diabetes can be detected in Gut of Cats

January 30, 2020 Benadine Nonye

The cat is the only animal, aside from humans and primates, which spontaneously develops type 2 diabetes. Therefore, researchers are interested in studying how diabetes develops in cats in order to learn more about the disease in general. Now an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Copenhagen have come a step closer to understanding the disease by studying it in cats. The new study shows that the composition of gut bacteria in cats suffering from diabetes is different from the composition seen in healthy cats. ‘We can tell…

Research shows How cats and cows protect farm children from asthma

November 17, 2019January 30, 2020 Benadine Nonye

Source: University of Zurich Summary: It is a known fact that microbes on farms protect children from asthma and allergies. But even non-microbial molecules can have a protective effect. Immunologists have shown that a sialic acid found in farm animals is effective against inflammation of lung tissue. This study opens up a wide variety of perspectives for the prevention of allergies. FULL STORY Milking cow (stock image). Credit: © Ror / Fotolia It is a known fact that microbes on farms protect children from asthma and allergies. But even…

15 Foods Your Dogs and Cats should “NOT EAT” and How to Cure them

November 16, 2019 Benadine Nonye

There are a number of common “human” foods that your dogs and cats should “NOT EAT”. The important thing is to know exactly what to avoid. There are some very commonly known ones, such as Chocolate, Alcohol, and Coffee but some lesser known ones such as Grapes, Nutmeg, Onion and the artificial sweetener in gum, Xyitol. In this article, I will give you an overview of the toxins, PLUS what to do if your dog or cat ingests any of these poisons. Alcoholic Beverages It is often sweet attracting dogs…

Are you barking up the wrong tree by sleeping with your dog?

September 30, 2019January 30, 2020 Benadine Nonye

Let sleeping dogs lie … in the bedroom. That’s according to a new Mayo Clinic study that’s sure to set many tails wagging. It’s no secret that Americans love their dogs. According to the American Veterinary Association, more than 40 million American households have dogs. Of these households, 63 percent consider their canine companions to be family. Still, many draw the line at having their furry family members sleep with them for fear of sacrificing sleep quality. “Most people assume having pets in the bedroom is a disruption,” says Lois…