Eukanuba 28 Day Challenge Champion: Michigan Labrador Lucy!
Lucy, a Two-Year Old Dog Noses Out the Competition to Win National Contest
MASON, OHIO (June 6, 2011) – Eukanuba announced today that two-year old, yellow Labrador Retriever, Lucy, from Cedar Springs, Mich. is the 28-Day Challenge Champion. The super-premium dog food brand encouraged dog owners to submit a photo, and in 100 words or less, explain how their dog went from good to extraordinary while eating any Eukanuba formula for 28 days; Lucy’s owner saw great changes during the Challenge, which helped her land top-dog honors in the national contest. As the Challenge Champion, Lucy won the “pink” carpet treatment with a Hollywood-style photo and video shoot, planned appearance in the September issue of Dog Fancy magazine and starring role in a Eukanuba print advertisement.
“The goal of the Contest was to find the best example of a dog going from good to extraordinary as a result of our premium nutrition,” said Manuel Miyar, Associate Marketing Director, Eukanuba. “Lucy is a fantastic example of a beautiful dog who with the right nutrition flourished in just 28 days. We’re very proud to name Lucy a Eukanuba dog and look forward to sharing her advertising and magazine debut with America in the coming months.”
As a representative of America’s most popular breed, Lucy is a fantastic ambassador for Labrador Retrievers. Lucy’s veterinarian recommended that she slim down, so her owner Madeline decided to test Eukanuba during the 28-Day Challenge. Upon completion, Madeline saw extraordinary results in the way the food fueled Lucy’s active lifestyle while helping her lose a couple of unnecessary pounds. She now has extra power in her activities, more muscle in her body, and a much softer and shinier coat. Lucy’s unique and inspiring story beat out many other notable canines, including the four other contest finalists, Holly (Shetland Sheepdog) of Magna, Utah, Chloe (Shih Tzu) of Yardley, Pa., Gunner (Australian Shepherd) of Bloomingburg N.Y. and Alex (Dalmatian) of Beverly, Mass.
“I am so excited Lucy is the Eukanuba 28-Day Challenge Champion,” said Madeline Sagorski, Lucy’s owner. “I’ve always thought of Lucy as my champion, so when I saw tremendous results while feeding Lucy Eukanuba, I had to enter her in the contest. I’m so glad I did and America will get to see what an amazing Labrador, hunter, mother and overall companion dog she truly is.”
Eukanuba 28-Day Challenge
Eukanuba launched the 28-Day Challenge in January asking consumers to feed their dogs any Eukanuba formula for 28 days to see first-hand how a high-quality diet can promote overall well-being. Dog owners can still sign up to take the Challenge on Facebook.com/Eukanuba, and throughout their experience will receive regular posts with customized nutrition, training and health tips. During the trial period, if participants aren’t completely satisfied, Eukanuba will refund 110 percent of the food purchase*.
About Eukanuba
Eukanuba offers the most complete food lineup, delivering nutrition that is customized by breed and breed size as well as health and performance requirements. Eukanuba is a division of Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG). Visit us on the Web at www.eukanuba.com or at Facebook.com/Eukanuba.
About P&G Pet Care
For more than 60 years, P&G Pet Care (NYSE:PG), the maker of Iams and Eukanuba, has enhanced the well-being of dogs and cats by providing world-class quality foods and pet care products. To learn more about Eukanuba® and Iams® Dog & Cat Foods or general pet care and nutrition information, call the Iams Consumer Care Center at (800) 446-3075. You can also visit us on the Web at www.iams.com or www.eukanuba.com.
About Procter & Gamble
Four billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun® and Fusion®. The P&G community includes approximately 127,000 employees working in about 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.
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Why is your cat on the prowl?
Whether chasing dinner or diving for dust bunnies, cats love the game of pursuit. Big cats, like cougars, lions and cheetahs, learn to prowl for their prey in the same way that little cats do: They practice. They master the basics of stalking, chasing, pouncing and shredding through daily play.
“All play behavior ultimately leads to some skill that is required for successful living,” says Raymond Van Lienden, DVM, of Clifton, Virginia. “And there’s little difference between a tiger, lion or cheetah and the little gray domestic short-haired cat next door; they all use the same skills they develop and sharpen by play.”
From the time a kitten rears up on her wobbly hind legs to gain the advantage over one of her fellow playmates, until well into adulthood, cats never seem to lose their keen fascination with movement, light and shadow, and the element of surprise.
Sixty Percent Success
Although cats have the reputation as the ultimate predator, statistically cats don’t always catch what they chase. The most successful of these exotic big cats, the cheetah – running at 60 miles an hour – catches his prey only about 60 percent of the time.
The lion succeeds only 30 percent of the time. So it’s a good thing that wild cats enjoy practicing their skills – indeed their livelihood depends on it.
Practicing Being Stealthy
As surprising as it sounds, cats actually have to practice stealth as well. In the wild, cats often lose out on a meal because their prey can run faster and farther than they can. These cats’ only other alternative is to rely on their instinctive feline ability to blend into their surroundings and remain perfectly still until an unwary target happens by.
Cats have many astounding talents that develop with age. A mature cat’s eye captures three times more light than a human eye does. They hear five times better than we do, too. In fact, a cat’s hearing is three times more acute – especially when it comes to high-pitched sounds – than even the most sensitive dog.
Cats can even move and listen with their ears independent of each other. This goes a long way in explaining how Fluffy can be between your feet the minute you open the refrigerator door, when just seconds ago you saw her sacked out on the couch with no signs of movement.
Chase, Catch and Claw
Though they have no need to catch a meal, domestic cats enjoy prowling as a form of play. Just like practicing a sport helps keep people feeling more alive and alert, playing keeps cats of all ages healthy and in good physical condition. It also does much in helping prevent boredom, which oftentimes leads to mischief.
Cat owners should provide their pets with plenty of opportunities to play, and make sure there are ample toys available to maintain their cat’s physical motivation, says James Isaacs, DVM, of Encino, California. “Without this outlet, cats may be prone to destructive behavior, or even worse – complete lethargy,” he says.
So the next time your cat cues you to clear out the toy box and play, go ahead and have a ball. After all, little cats, like big cats, need the stimulation of play to be at their very best.
Your Dog’s Coat Equals Good Health
The next time your son or daughter needs a gross fact for show-and-tell, send him to school with a baggie of dog hair and this information: Some dogs grow 100 feet of fur per day — the equivalent of the length of six SUVs! (That’s adding up all the new strands covering the entire animal end-to-end, including the fluff between your dog’s toes.)
So if it seems your four-legged best friend sheds a lot on your blue velvet sofa, well, it’s probably true. In fact, your dog expends so much energy growing its coat that nearly 30 percent of its protein requirement is dedicated solely for that purpose.
And your dog isn’t growing all that fur just to look pretty. Consider that dog fur:
- Is eight times warmer than wool
- Is fire-resistant
- Wards off dirt
- Repels static
- Protects from parasites
In addition to these amazing traits, your dog’s coat is a good indicator of its overall health. So even if you don’t show your Maltese on the breeder’s circuit, it’s critical you keep an eye on your dog’s fur to ensure it’s in top condition.
Maintaining a Healthy Coat
One of the best ways to help your dog maintain a full and healthy coat is to ensure your dog is eating right. A high-quality commercial dog food should be:
- Rich in protein. If your dog lacks this essential building block, its body will dedicate the nutrients to muscle first, leaving its fur and skin dry and dull.
- Balanced in omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. These essential fat building blocks keep your dog’s coat healthy, thick and lustrous. They may also help reduce itching, dandruff and allergy-related skin problems.
Talk with your vet to determine your dog’s daily nutritional needs. By feeding your dog the right food and practicing regular grooming, you’ll keep your dog safe from the elements — and its coat will gleam with good health.
This article originally appeared on www.exceptionalcanine.com, an independent editorial source.
Looking for the right diet for your dog? Look no further than www.Eukanuba.com,send us a email http://bit.ly/ContactEuk or call us 1-888-EUKANUBA M-F 9am – 6pm EST.
Is your cat or dog diabetic?
What Is Diabetes?
Diabetes (complete name is diabetes mellitus) is a disease caused by deficiency of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. Insulin is needed to move sugar (glucose) and other nutrients into the body’s cells to supply energy. A lack of insulin can cause increased urination, drinking and eating, as well as weight loss. Without proper treatment, diabetes can lead to severe illness and even death.
Diabetes occurs in both dogs and cats. Obese and older animals are more likely to develop this disease. Veterinarians diagnose diabetes by finding abnormally high levels of glucose in an animal’s blood and urine. Most animals with diabetes require treatment with insulin injections to decrease and stabilize blood glucose levels, as well as feeding management.
What Should a Diabetic Dog or Cat Be Fed?
A diabetic pet should be fed a food that supplies optimal amounts of all required nutrients. A veterinarian may recommend a special food that contains ingredients to nutritionally manage diabetes. Otherwise, a dog or cat with diabetes should be fed a complete and balanced dry or canned diet that is appropriate for life stage and body condition.
- Feeding a food that contains consistent types and amounts of essential nutrients is important for diabetic pets, especially if they are receiving insulin treatment. Only pet foods that are prepared using a fixed formula should be fed to diabetic animals. If information on formulation is not available on the package of a commercial pet food, contact the manufacturer. Diabetic pets should not be fed homemade diets because of the problems in maintaining nutrient consistency.
- Semimoist pet foods should be avoided, because these foods often contain sugar and have been associated with high blood glucose levels and problems in regulating insulin treatment in dogs.
- An overweight diabetic pet may benefit from eating a low-calorie, low-fat food designed to promote weight loss, but this type of diet is not recommended for underweight diabetics.
How Should a Diabetic Dog or Cat Be Fed?
A veterinarian will usually recommend a feeding schedule for a diabetic pet that takes the medical treatment schedule into account. Although feeding multiple small meals throughout the day may help in controlling blood glucose levels, diabetic animals may do well on two daily meals, and many diabetic cats can be managed with free-choice feeding. Maintaining a consistent feeding schedule (timing and amount of food) is an important component in the feeding management of diabetic pets.
What About Fiber in the Diet?
Some types of fiber can be beneficial in the diet of dogs and cats. Certain types of fiber can be broken down (fermented) by bacteria that normally live in the intestines of dogs and cats. One of the effects of this fermentation is to provide energy for the cells of the intestines, thereby helping to maintain intestinal health.
Veterinary-exclusive diets may include moderate amounts of fermentable fiber and other unique fibers that can be specifically helpful in the nutritional management of diabetic dogs. Excessive levels of fiber, however, especially fiber that cannot be fermented, can cause problems in dogs and cats. Adverse effects of high dietary fiber levels include:
- Poor skin and coat quality
- Flatulence
- Increased frequency of defecation
- Increased amount of stool
- Excess fiber may also interfere with absorption of essential nutrients, which may be a significant concern in diabetic animals.
- High-fiber diets are generally too low in calories to be fed to underweight diabetics.
- Adding supplemental fiber to a higher-calorie complete food (designed for maintenance or all life stages) may dilute those calories and unbalance the diet, increasing the likelihood of nutrient deficiencies.
Diets containing a normal level (less than 5 percent on a dry-matter basis) of a moderately fermentable fiber (like beet pulp) are appropriate for feeding diabetic, as well as nondiabetic, cats and dogs.
What Does This Mean to Eukanuba and Our Customers?
- Feeding management is an especially important consideration when dealing with a diabetic pet.
- Our products provide optimum nutrition for dogs and cats, with fixed formulas suited to various life stages and lifestyles. These foods can be used to nutritionally manage glucose-impaired pets with your veterinarian’s help.
- Veterinarians can prescribe one of our appropriate veterinary diets, which contain unique ingredients for specific dietary management of impaired glucose metabolism in normal-weight or overweight dogs.
- We also have a formula for underweight glucose-impaired dogs or cats.
AKC Humane Fund Seeks Canine Heroes for 12th Annual Awards for Canine Excellence
[Wednesday, March 16, 2011] via http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=4357 |
| Heroes, like dogs, come in all shapes and sizes. Since 2000, thousands of dog lovers have nominated special canines for the AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE). ACE nominees range from skilled assistance dogs and law enforcement K-9s that keep U.S. citizens safe to Search & Rescue dogs who have aided in recovery missions. Equally important are the Therapy dogs who provided much needed comfort in the wake of tragic national events such as the attacks on 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina as well as the companions who aspire to be champion leg warmers at the foot of their owner’s bed at night.
“Over the past eleven years, the AKC has had the honor of recognizing some truly outstanding dogs through ACE,” said Ronald Rella, Director of Project Administration. “We encourage anyone that owns or knows of a heroic dog to submit a nomination as a way to pay tribute to the canines that devote their lives to making ours better.” Each year, five dogs that have performed an exemplary act or series of acts that have significantly benefited a community or individual, whether large or seemingly small, are selected for an ACE. One award is given in the following five categories:Companion, Law Enforcement, Search and Rescue, Therapy, and Service. Honorable Mentions are awarded to outstanding entries in each category. In addition to the prestige of being chosen from hundreds of entries, each of the five honorees receives a cash award of $1,000, an engraved sterling silver medallion and an all-expenses-paid trip for dog and owner to Orlando, Fla., to be honored at the eleventh annual AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in December 2011. The engraved names of the five recipients will also be added to the ACE plaque that is on permanent display in the AKC’s Library in New York City. Dogs receiving honorable mention will be awarded an engraved bronze medallion. All entrants will receive an ACE Certificate of Recognition in acknowledgement of their nomination. Anyone, including the dog’s owner or handler, may submit a nomination. Submissions for the AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence for 2011 must include:
*Please note that to be considered, dogs are not required to be AKC registered but must be an AKC recognized breed. Nominations will be accepted until June 1, 2011 and should be sent to: Ronald N. Rella: ACE Awards 2011 For more information about the ACE awards or to download a nomination form visit http://www.akchumanefund.org For past ACE Award Nominees and Honorees: http://www.akc.org/news/ace/ |
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