Egg-citing new year

by winecountrydog Tilin Corgi and Jackie Nippers

Looking furward to new year of walkies and fresh foods from farmers' markets and food co-ops!

Ourselves love neffurr-ending variety of fresh whole local and regional foods. Tis healthful diet. Furrmly based on certain principles. One principle for a meat eater is to have calcium source. If not, da meat, high in phosphorus -- includin' da steaks and other muscle and organ meats we dogs and cats luv to nom -- will leach calcium from bones and teeth of our pawsonal systems.

Our fave vet sez, "All meats are higher in phosphorus than calcium, but organ meats are proportionately higher in phosphorus than muscle meats. Unless raw bones are part of a meat meal, you need to adjust the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio by adding a calcium source."

Da lack of calcium and other minerals is one reason that pawpular "cooked chicken and rice" is not good doggie diet. Lacking bone minerals. Pawleeze take calcium supplement at least. 

One of pawrimary sources of calcium in our diet is eggshell. Ourselves can digest whole pieces of shell from fresh local cage-free eggs. Some of you get ground eggshell with meals? We doo know many staff use instructions in good book by veterinarian Dr Pitcairn, saying to wash, dry, and grind eggshell.

Our staff (aka Mum) sez, "I don't want to add the task of grinding eggshells to my kitchen routine. I make my companions' meals every day, and I'd lose my mind if I didn't keep pet food preparation fast and simple. But I would turn to grinding eggshells if one of my animals lost the ability to digest fresh shell pieces."

Furtunately ourwoofselves and our Meezer kitty doo have super strong digestion. We love nomming eggshell pieces. Meezer will leap onto kitchen counter and nick eggshells if Mum not looking. BOL

Our furriend Palette Corgi gets to eat whole egg! Howl egg-citing! Wot a wonderfur game herself gets to play, bitin' on shell and lickin' out da insides and rollin' da egg around on plastic mat. 

Palette sez "Here is me eating whole egg. See? I love egg and I eat egg shell too! Nom,nom,nom..."

Palette Corgi is one of few furriends we know who doo eat amazing variety of fresh foods.

In olden day, before mid-20th century 'splosion of processed pet food industry, dogs and cats did eat almost all parts of prey animals, cooked or raw, and also nommed scraps of humans' foods. Palette Corgi is lucky to have staff (herself's name is Yassy) who does know about diffurrent foods. Palette noms some foods that most modern dogs neffurr even get to sniff: fur example, chicken feet and tripe. Nommy!

Our staff is not so thrilled about tripe. BOL

Tripe or no tripe, Mum is longtime health researcher who did learn how to promote good health and strong digestion. You might notice Mum is always watching us ... seeing not only wot goes in but also wot comes out other end. BOL

Impawtant: Doo not assume that you can digest whole eggshell or big shell pieces. If your digestive system is used to handling only processed foods (kibbled or canned), you will likely need to build up digestive vigor first, before nomming da big shell pieces. 

Enjoy your new year. Hope your life is filled with walkies and fresh foods from your local and regional humane farmers.

Paw-note: Dr Pitcairn's book, Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, is 'stremely useful for dog and cat owners. Howlever Mum, who is furry knowledgeable about complementary and "natural" medicine, does not follow Dr Pitcairn into homeopathy. ... To each her own modalities eh.

Calcium caveat from winecountrydogma for dog and cat owners:
A fresh whole food diet for dogs or cats includes several ways to provide calcium and other minerals with meals. However, there are risks involved with excessive calcium supplementation, particularly for puppies and young dogs, and especially for growing large-breed and giant-breed dogs and pregnant bitches, and also for dogs or cats with certain health conditions. Regardless of the type of diet you feed, homemade or commercial, please don't simply add a daily calcium supplement without first determining a safe level of calcium intake for that dog or cat. Ask your veterinarian to help you calculate the amount of calcium you can give, and how to provide it in a good calcium-to-phosphorus ratio.

"Fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth"

by winecountrydog Tilin Corgi

Someone said 58 billion animals are killed in factory farms and slaughterhouses every year. Whether or not tis accurate number, following are real numbers from NASS for just one month of commercial U.S. "livestock" slaughter. And only for red meat, as the number of hogs slaughtered is not included ere:

"Commercial red meat production for the United States [in August 2011] totaled 4.30 billion pounds  ... Cattle slaughter totaled 3.10 million head ... Calf slaughter totaled 79,900 head. ... Sheep slaughter totaled 198,200 head. ..."

Did any of these millions of animal furriends live pleasant pastoral lives or die a peaceful death?

Here is extreme pawsitive contrast: the practices of farmer and Border Collie lover Elissa Thau, an artisanal meat producer in Umpqua Valley who raises and slaughters sheep humanely. You will see in this video howl carefully and lovingly tended are all the animals on her farm.

Wot a grrreat video. Ms Thau first introduces you to her beloved Border Collie working dogs. Then she talks about her philosophy of raising and respecting animals.



We must paw-point to some highlights of wot Elissa Thau has said:

"The [Border Collie] is bred as a working dog. ... They're an incredible working partner. It's a real privilege to work with a dog. ... And our dogs all live in the house. ... My mum used to say 'They'll never work if you spoil them like that' 'cause she was from an old farming family in England. ... In the UK ... it's really an art ... among the old shepherd and farmers.

"The dogs don't need to bite to move sheep. ... They move sheep with the power of their eye and their presence ... and the fact they have quiet power.

"... And the whole point of raising sheep the way that we raise them it is to raise them quietly and humanely. . . .

"It's a hard thing to kill a lamb or a cow. ... We actually take ours down to the butcher, and then they're killed there quickly and humanely. . . .

"It's a very serious thing to kill an animal. ... People should take it very seriously. They shouldn't be expecting to eat meat seven days a week, two times a day. ... It just becomes agribusiness, greed, and suffering. . . .

"Who wants to eat an animal that's been standing in a feedlot ... through the winter with no shelter . . .? . . . I don't eat any meat that I don't know where it's come from. . . .

"Have you ever read Henry Beston? He wrote [The Outermost House] ... 'Animals are not brethren, they're not underlings, they are other nations, caught with ourselves in this net of life and time, [fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth.]' And hopefully we treat them that way too."

High paw for Elissa Thau! A gentle, wise, and caring human.

Paw-notes: Thanx woofs to Daniel Klein of The Perennial Plate -- "online weekly documentary series dedicated to socially responsible and adventurous eating" -- for sharing this inspirational interview.

Magnolia Farm is a small family farm in the rolling hills near Riddle, Oregon, in the Umpqua Valley (also known as a wine region), where Elissa Thau, her husband, Mel Thau, and their family of Border Collies have been raising sheep for a couple of decades.

Ms Thau also does Border Collie herding trials. If you are thinking bout getting a BC dog, we doo recommend that you consider the decision carefully and talk to an expert like Ms Thau. Pawleeze note that there are many BCs and other herding dogs in rescue. Humans doo surrender us cuz they find us hard to handle. (Ask furbro Jackie Nippers to tell you bout his own experience.)

Ere is website where you can read bout naturalist and author Henry Beston.

This little pig did not go to market

by winecountrydog Jackie Nippers

Have you ever spent time talking with a pig, or running across a farm field together on a sweet summer afternoon?

Pigs are wonderful, smart, playful, social animals. They deserve to be regarded with respect and treated humanely!

So then why does the popularity of factory-farmed bacon continue to grow?

Sadly, not often do humans stand up and say publicly "Eating bacon and other meats is one thing. But if you can't get meats from pastured farm animals who've been humanely raised, we don't want any of it!"

Maybe everybody just needs to see the truth of how pigs are confined and abused on "factory farms" -- intensive industrial facilities that are not farms at all.

Mum sez she does defy anyone to go on eating factory-farmed bacon, ham, and pork once they've seen what those pigs endure.

Howl. Let us now visit with a happy pig. Furhaps you remember Bella the Piglet, rescued from a factory farm back in 2004?



Bella became a spokespig for the Australian campaign SaveBabe.com, which works to bring an end to factory-farming practices there.

Compassion changes the world, and it all begins with taking a closer look at what's in our food bowls.

Paw-notes: If you're interested in learning about sustainable humane pig operations in the U.S. (free-range animals, raised without antibiotics or hormones), have a look at Sonoma County's Black Pig and the Food Alliance certification organization.

Escape The Meatrix!

by pawlitico

Factory farming is a horrible thing!

As Moopheus, the star of The Meatrix, points out, "In the mid-twentieth century, greedy agriculture corporations began modifying sustainable family farming to maximize their profits at great cost to humans and animals."



Remember what Moopheus says: "It's you, the consumer, who has the real power. Don't support the factory-farming machine."

Paw-leeze, if you eat meat and dairy, shop for humanely-farmed food!

Ask California Governor not to tax veterinary care!

by pawlitico

Read it and howl: The State of California wants to impose a 9% sales tax on veterinary care!

Remember when my buddy Tilin "winecountrydog" Corgi had major emergency veterinary surgery and looked like he did in this photo?


Do you think we corgis had lotsa cash to pay for all that wonderful surgery and after-care? . . . Imagine what adding an extra 9% to our vet bills would've done to us!

We're not the only ones who can't afford a tax on vet care.

I want to bark to Governor Schwarzenegger on behalf of humane "food animal" farmers and California consumers: A 9% increase in the cost of farm animal vet care will not only cause food prices to rise but also cause some farmers to go under.

The cost of biz for farmers has gone up, as feed costs and other prices have soared. The implementation of State Proposition 2 to set standards for confining farm animals will also increase the cost of doing business for "food animal" farmers, albeit it for the right reason. Howl, we're trying to suppawt humane farmers who raise free-range "food animals" and produce cage-free eggs, and here the State comes along with an idea that'll hurt these good guys.

All farm animals require veterinary care — and deserve good healthcare — just as we dogs do, but farmers can't afford higher medical costs.

This is the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) Action Alert:

Governor Schwarzenegger recently announced his plans to add a sales tax on veterinary services as part of his budget plan to stimulate the California economy. This was part of a larger combination of program cuts and revenue increases to solve the multi-billion dollar budget shortfall. It is particularly disturbing that veterinary services were included with "appliance and furniture repair, vehicle repair and golf." All of the other healing arts professions were excluded from the sales tax proposal.

A special session of the Legislature must be convened to approve the Governor’s plan. The proposal would need to be approved by the Legislature with a two-thirds majority of both the Assembly and the Senate.
The CVMA is strongly opposed to this proposal.

Our legislative team has been working hard to get sales tax on veterinary services removed from the Governor’s proposal. We know you are concerned for the welfare of your patients, the difficult choices your clients may need to make if the cost of veterinary care increases, more animals being abandoned to shelters, increased euthanasia, and the overall strain placed on small businesses.

It is imperative that the voice of the veterinary profession is heard with respect to this important issue. We urge you to write personal letters to the Governor, your state representatives and their leadership expressing your concerns. We also encourage you to get your clients involved and ask them to write letters as well. It is easy to do. View the CVMA Fact Sheet and contact information. Visit the Legislative Action Center for contact information for your state representatives.

Your letter should be mailed directly to the Governor with copies forwarded to key members of the Legislature, including your local representatives. The letter should be on your practice letterhead, and if possible we would appreciate it if you would fax the CVMA a copy of your letter as well at (916) 646-9156.
If you have any questions, please call the CVMA office at 1(800) 655-2862.

Thank you for your assistance,
William Grant II, DVM
CVMA President

Paw-leeze, veterinarians and everybuddy everywhere, growl to the Governor and State pawliticans to stop this doggone crazy tax proposal — even if you don't live in California!

Tell the State to spread out a sales tax increase across the board, or add it to some high-demand consumer items like electronics and booze. Human medical care isn't taxed. Veterinary care should NOT be taxed either!

The CVMA is asking its membership of more than 6,000 veterinarians to write letters to the Governor about the hardship this proposed vet sales tax would create. Read more at CVMA.net and at Veterinary Newsmagazine's DVM360.com.

I'm hoping you pets and people out there will write your own letters. Woof!

The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor of California
State Capitol Building Sacramento, CA 95814
916.558.3160 Fax
---
The Honorable Karen Bass
Speaker of the Assembly
State Capitol, Room 319 Sacramento, CA 95814
916.319.2147 Fax
---
The Honorable Don Perata, Senate President pro Tempore State Capitol, Room 205 Sacramento, CA 95814 916.327.1997 Fax
---
The Honorable Darrell Steinberg
Senate President pro Tempore
State Capitol, Room 4035 Sacramento, CA 95815
916.323.2263 Fax
---
The Honorable Mike Villines
Assembly Republican Leader
State Capitol, Room 3104 Sacramento, CA 95814
916.319.2129 Fax
---
The Honorable Dave Cogdill
Senate Republican Leader
State Capitol, Room 3048 Sacramento, CA 95814
916.327.3523 Fax

When you write to the Governor and legislative leaders, ask them to remove the proposed sales tax on veterinary services in the 2008-09 Special Session proposal.

Today's the day U.S. humans vote fur humane change!

by winecountrydog and pawlitico

Today's the day that U.S. humans elect a new president. California humans also vote on State Proposition 2 today.

A YES vote will create some humane farming standards that alleviate the suffering of pigs, calves, and laying hens.

A YES vote will also create the opportunity fur humane consumers like us to support strong growth of a humane farm economy.

The following video shows what some Bel Air celebrities had to say about farm animal welfare at a big gala benefits fur YES on Prop 2. Be fur-warned: Watch this video only if you can handle some disturbing images of animals on factory farms.



Did you know that our pro-Prop 2 pawsition isn't 'cuz we want to make everyone vegan or vegetarian? What we hope to see is California farmers becoming leaders of the HUMANE Future Farmers of America (FFA).

Woof thanks to all humane farmers! You're the humane change we need in the world.

And woof thanks to orgs like HSUS and Farm Sanctuary, and to consumers everywhere who vote YES every day with their forks for the humane treatment of farm animals.

Wolfgang Puck on Prop 2 & humane farming

by pawlitico

You pawbably know celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck as the Los Angeles-based restaureteur, businessman, and owner of Spago Beverly Hills -- where Puck put Cal-Pan-Asian fusion on the world food map.

Back in 2007, when I was a young, carefree corgi, I wasn't following the news the day Chef Puck said he was rejecting the use of crated veal and foie gras. He then announced he was going to use eggs, meat, and poultry only from animals raised under strict humane care standards.

The other day, I pawed across a Humane California video in which Chef Puck told the world about this humane commitment. He also urged Californians to vote for Prop 2 -- the State ballot initiative to set humane standards for confining farm animals.



When a successful businessperson with a company the size of Wolfgang Puck Companies -- which includes 15 fine-dining places for humans, fancy catering services, express-food operations, canned foods, and much more -- announces he's limiting meat, poultry, and egg buying to only humanely-farmed sources, you've got to sit-stay and listen!

Chef Puck's humane pawsition negates doomsdayers' fears that implementing State Proposition 2 standards will put California farmers out of business. What his decision tells us is that huge consumer demand for humane food products is in the wings.

A word to the paw-wise: Farmers and food purveyors had better get ready now to supply humanely-farmed foods!