Allergies How can I spot the signs of allergies? What are the symptoms? Where do allergies come from? How can I recognize allergens and treat them? – these are the questions that guardians of cats and dogs often ask. In this article, we will provide answers to questions about allergies in animals and help you solve this problem in your pet. Allergies occur more often in dogs than in cats. Although it’s a common problem, it’s not an easy one to treat, mainly because it is difficult to figure out what causes it. What is an allergy? The definition of the word “allergy” is well established – it’s a “state of hypersensitivity of a living organism to a given substance or...
Obesity is an epidemic As with humans, obesity in pets is at epidemic proportions. According to Dr. Jim Berry, president of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, an estimated 60 percent of Canadian pets are overweight or obese. A similar survey by Association of Pet Obesity Prevention identified 59 percent of cats and 54 percent of dogs in the United States as overweight or obese. It leads to health and emotional problems While overweight pets may not face the same social stigma as humans, medical and emotional damage is being done all the same. Obesity in animals can cause complications in almost every system in the body, with conditions ranging from diabetes [1] to osteoarthritis [2], cancer, digestive problems, mobility difficulties, heart issues and, possibly, premature...
Conventional biology, as taught in schools and universities, teaches us to assume that consciousness only exists in the human mind. The idea that animals aren’t intelligent, emotional or self-aware has long been used as an excuse for their exploitation. These prejudices are rapidly breaking down in the face of a growing body of scientific evidence, and a study by the University of Warwick research team. “The study answers a very old question: do animals have a sense of self? Our first aim was to understand the recent neural evidence that animals can project themselves into the future. What we wound up understanding is that, in order to do so, they must have a primal sense of self,” said Professor Hills,...
New Canadian study shows plant-based diet is excellent for nutrient absorption in dogs! How does a plant-based diet affect mineral absorption in dogs? Recently, a group of researchers at the University of Guelph, Ontario, conducted a study that compared dogs on plant-based and meat-based diets, to determine whether digestibility of added minerals like calcium, phosphorus, iron and potassium varied.[1] This study found that digestibility of supplemented minerals were similar or greater in dogs fed diets that were vegetable based. In other words, minerals essential for health and growth were absorbed similarly or better in dogs on a vegan diet vs. meat-based diet. Kate Shoveller, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Animal Biosciences at the University of Guelph focuses...
Canadians killed more than 771 million land animals for food in 2016 We know that veganism as a global movement is on the rise - self-reported 6% of Americans are now vegan, and the number is probably similar among Canadians. More and more vegan restaurants open every year, vegan food is more accessible in hospitals and university campuses, and research on veganism is being funded and published. This is great, however.. We also know that Canadians killed 20 million more animals for food in 2016 than they did in 2015.[1] The report from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada indicates that we killed 771,625,940 land animals for food in 2016—up from 750 million farmed animals killed in 2015. Here are the numbers...
