**By Dr. Becker**
> If your canine companion gets plenty of strenuous exercise or participates in athletic events like agility, flyball or [dock jumping](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/09/10/dog-dock-jumping.aspx), you may have noticed some new products in the pet food aisle: formulas designed for active dogs. It seems a growing number of pet food manufacturers have discovered a new sales niche and are hoping to appeal to dog owners who exercise with their pets or get them involved in canine-oriented activities and competitions.
>
> Very active dogs do have somewhat different nutritional requirements than more sedentary pets, but their need for high-quality, biologically-appropriate food is just as important. In fact, I'm sure most parents of athletic, competitive dogs would argue their pets have a greater need than most for the right kind of excellent nutrition.
>
> Since I'm always curious to learn about new and improved pet foods and whether the quality matches the marketing hype, I took a closer look at three formulas for athletic dogs that were introduced in January, all made by the same pet food company.
## Ingredient List Does Not Impress
> There are three new products in the lineup, all kibble, ranging in dry matter protein content from 26 percent to 30 percent, and in dry matter fat content from 16 to 20 percent. Since most canine nutrition experts agree very active dogs need more fat and protein than average dogs, on the surface, these numbers might seem reasonable. But let's take a look at the ingredient lists.
>
> All three formulas list chicken as the first ingredient, but as we know, once chicken is processed for kibble, it slides down the list several positions and is no longer the primary ingredient. The next several ingredients in each formula include poultry byproduct meal, corn gluten meal, and animal fat.
>
> **Poultry byproduct meal**, according to AAFCO, is comprised of the _"ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcasses of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines, exclusive of feathers except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices."_ Note that "poultry" does not equal chicken, so we don't know exactly what type of fowl is in the mix. Byproducts are less expensive than chicken meat, and less digestible for pets. In addition, what winds up in each batch can vary tremendously in terms of ingredients, quality, and nutritional value.
>
> The AAFCO definition of **corn gluten meal** is _"The dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of corn starch or syrup, or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm."_
>
> The reason this ingredient is used so often in commercial pet food is because it's inexpensive and contains some protein, which helps to increase the overall percentage of protein contained in the formula. You, as a savvy dog owner, already know that animal-based protein - not grain-based protein - is the most beneficial protein source for your pet.
>
> AAFCO defines **animal fat** as derived _"from the tissues of mammals and/or poultry in the commercial processes of rendering or extracting. It consists predominantly of glyceride esters of fatty acids and contains no additions of free fatty acids."_
>
> No animal is specified in "animal fat," and this fat doesn't come solely from slaughtered animals. In fact, any kind of animal from almost any source can be used, including "4-D animals" (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), rats, roadkill, restaurant and supermarket waste, and even animals euthanized at shelters.
## Liberal Use of Inexpensive, Poor Quality, and Grain-Based Protein Sources
> All three formulas also contained, among the top ten ingredients, corn germ meal, fish meal, and animal digest.
>
> **Corn germ meal** is another inexpensive ingredient that's high in protein, and like corn gluten meal is used to boost the overall protein content of the formula without the need to use more expensive - and biologically appropriate - animal protein. As I discuss frequently here at Mercola Healthy Pets, corn and all corn-derived products are also well known in the holistic veterinary community as allergenic, problematic ingredients in pet food.
>
> AAFCO defines **fish meal** as _"The clean, rendered, dried ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish or fish cuttings, either or both, with or without the extraction of part of the oil."_
>
> Once again, "fish" isn't specific. In addition, unless the manufacturer can assure you they use human grade fish or fish meal, it's a sure bet this ingredient has been preserved with ethoxyquin. Ethoxyquin is a banned substance in human foods except for very small quantities used in spices. It has been implicated in liver failure and other health problems in dogs.
>
> **Animal digest** is essentially a cooked-down brew of unspecified pieces and parts of unspecified animals sourced from wherever. As is the case with animal fat, the source can be any combination of slaughtered or 4-D animals, horses, goats, pigs, rodents, roadkill, restaurant or supermarket garbage, or euthanized shelter pets.
## How to Feed Your Canine Athlete
> Your very active, athletic dog needs a nutrient-dense diet that provides optimum energy in a small quantity of food. The protein source should be good quality and animal-based, and the food should be relatively high in [dietary fat](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/10/14/facilitative-or-functional-fats-for-pets.aspx), including supplementation with raw organic coconut oil.
>
> The main components of a raw diet for an athletic dog with no health problems include [raw meaty bones](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/05/09/bone-supplements-for-pets.aspx), muscle and [organ meats](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/11/21/organ-meats.aspx), a few dark green vegetables, a constant supply of fresh clean water, and appropriate supplementation as needed. As always, I recommend you talk with your holistic vet about the right diet for your active pet's individual needs.
>
> In my experience, no dog - whether a couch potato or an elite athlete - will thrive on the kind of low quality, biologically inappropriate nutrition found in the new formulas described above. So again I must caution you to look past the attractive marketing claims and beautiful packaging, and go right to the ingredient list to determine whether a newly niched pet food formula is really all it's cracked up to be.
Sources:
* [PetfoodIndustry.com January 10, 2013](http://www.petfoodindustry.com/News/Nestle_Purina_to_launch_new_petfood_for_athletic_dogs.html)
**Related Articles:**
 _place_holder; [Prey-Model Diet Sparks Online Demand for Wild Game](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/03/17/prey-model-diet-sparks-online-demand-for-wild-game.aspx)
 _place_holder; [The Things You NEVER Want to See on Your Dog Food Label...](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/02/03/choosing-a-healthy-dog-food-for-your-pet.aspx)
 _place_holder; [Four Simple Stretches to Keep Your Dog Moving](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/04/09/dog-athletes-stretching-exercise.aspx)
[** _place_holder;Comments _place_holder;(6)](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/03/20/new-dog-food-formula.aspx?ShowAllComments=True#comments)**
URL: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/03/20/new-dog-food-formula.aspx
Everything you ever wanted to know about your pets
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
 _place_holder){kind=link}
Ridgewood resident wins DWAA award
The Dog Writer's Association of America annually gives awards to the best of their peers for excellence in writing, broadcasting, illustration and photography, heralding the beginning of Westminster week.
URL: http://www.topix.com/pets/2013/03/ridgewood-resident-wins-dwaa-award?fromrss=1
URL: http://www.topix.com/pets/2013/03/ridgewood-resident-wins-dwaa-award?fromrss=1
Dog training tips every dog owner needs to know
Every dog owner dreams of having that perfectly behaved dog - the one who is calm, knows his commands and doesn't have any bad habits.
URL: http://www.topix.com/pets/2013/03/dog-training-tips-every-dog-owner-needs-to-know?fromrss=1
URL: http://www.topix.com/pets/2013/03/dog-training-tips-every-dog-owner-needs-to-know?fromrss=1
It's High in Protein, High in Fat - But Should You Feed It to Your Dog?
**By Dr. Becker**
> If your canine companion gets plenty of strenuous exercise or participates in athletic events like agility, flyball or [dock jumping](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/09/10/dog-dock-jumping.aspx), you may have noticed some new products in the pet food aisle: formulas designed for active dogs. It seems a growing number of pet food manufacturers have discovered a new sales niche and are hoping to appeal to dog owners who exercise with their pets or get them involved in canine-oriented activities and competitions.
>
> Very active dogs do have somewhat different nutritional requirements than more sedentary pets, but their need for high-quality, biologically-appropriate food is just as important. In fact, I'm sure most parents of athletic, competitive dogs would argue their pets have a greater need than most for the right kind of excellent nutrition.
>
> Since I'm always curious to learn about new and improved pet foods and whether the quality matches the marketing hype, I took a closer look at three formulas for athletic dogs that were introduced in January, all made by the same pet food company.
## Ingredient List Does Not Impress
> There are three new products in the lineup, all kibble, ranging in dry matter protein content from 26 percent to 30 percent, and in dry matter fat content from 16 to 20 percent. Since most canine nutrition experts agree very active dogs need more fat and protein than average dogs, on the surface, these numbers might seem reasonable. But let's take a look at the ingredient lists.
>
> All three formulas list chicken as the first ingredient, but as we know, once chicken is processed for kibble, it slides down the list several positions and is no longer the primary ingredient. The next several ingredients in each formula include poultry byproduct meal, corn gluten meal, and animal fat.
>
> **Poultry byproduct meal**, according to AAFCO, is comprised of the _"ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcasses of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines, exclusive of feathers except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices."_ Note that "poultry" does not equal chicken, so we don't know exactly what type of fowl is in the mix. Byproducts are less expensive than chicken meat, and less digestible for pets. In addition, what winds up in each batch can vary tremendously in terms of ingredients, quality, and nutritional value.
>
> The AAFCO definition of **corn gluten meal** is _"The dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of corn starch or syrup, or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm."_
>
> The reason this ingredient is used so often in commercial pet food is because it's inexpensive and contains some protein, which helps to increase the overall percentage of protein contained in the formula. You, as a savvy dog owner, already know that animal-based protein - not grain-based protein - is the most beneficial protein source for your pet.
>
> AAFCO defines **animal fat** as derived _"from the tissues of mammals and/or poultry in the commercial processes of rendering or extracting. It consists predominantly of glyceride esters of fatty acids and contains no additions of free fatty acids."_
>
> No animal is specified in "animal fat," and this fat doesn't come solely from slaughtered animals. In fact, any kind of animal from almost any source can be used, including "4-D animals" (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), rats, roadkill, restaurant and supermarket waste, and even animals euthanized at shelters.
## Liberal Use of Inexpensive, Poor Quality, and Grain-Based Protein Sources
> All three formulas also contained, among the top ten ingredients, corn germ meal, fish meal, and animal digest.
>
> **Corn germ meal** is another inexpensive ingredient that's high in protein, and like corn gluten meal is used to boost the overall protein content of the formula without the need to use more expensive - and biologically appropriate - animal protein. As I discuss frequently here at Mercola Healthy Pets, corn and all corn-derived products are also well known in the holistic veterinary community as allergenic, problematic ingredients in pet food.
>
> AAFCO defines **fish meal** as _"The clean, rendered, dried ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish or fish cuttings, either or both, with or without the extraction of part of the oil."_
>
> Once again, "fish" isn't specific. In addition, unless the manufacturer can assure you they use human grade fish or fish meal, it's a sure bet this ingredient has been preserved with ethoxyquin. Ethoxyquin is a banned substance in human foods except for very small quantities used in spices. It has been implicated in liver failure and other health problems in dogs.
>
> **Animal digest** is essentially a cooked-down brew of unspecified pieces and parts of unspecified animals sourced from wherever. As is the case with animal fat, the source can be any combination of slaughtered or 4-D animals, horses, goats, pigs, rodents, roadkill, restaurant or supermarket garbage, or euthanized shelter pets.
## How to Feed Your Canine Athlete
> Your very active, athletic dog needs a nutrient-dense diet that provides optimum energy in a small quantity of food. The protein source should be good quality and animal-based, and the food should be relatively high in [dietary fat](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/10/14/facilitative-or-functional-fats-for-pets.aspx), including supplementation with raw organic coconut oil.
>
> The main components of a raw diet for an athletic dog with no health problems include [raw meaty bones](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/05/09/bone-supplements-for-pets.aspx), muscle and [organ meats](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/11/21/organ-meats.aspx), a few dark green vegetables, a constant supply of fresh clean water, and appropriate supplementation as needed. As always, I recommend you talk with your holistic vet about the right diet for your active pet's individual needs.
>
> In my experience, no dog - whether a couch potato or an elite athlete - will thrive on the kind of low quality, biologically inappropriate nutrition found in the new formulas described above. So again I must caution you to look past the attractive marketing claims and beautiful packaging, and go right to the ingredient list to determine whether a newly niched pet food formula is really all it's cracked up to be.
Sources:
* [PetfoodIndustry.com January 10, 2013](http://www.petfoodindustry.com/News/Nestle_Purina_to_launch_new_petfood_for_athletic_dogs.html)
**Related Articles:**
 _place_holder; [Prey-Model Diet Sparks Online Demand for Wild Game](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/03/17/prey-model-diet-sparks-online-demand-for-wild-game.aspx)
 _place_holder; [The Things You NEVER Want to See on Your Dog Food Label...](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/02/03/choosing-a-healthy-dog-food-for-your-pet.aspx)
 _place_holder; [Four Simple Stretches to Keep Your Dog Moving](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/04/09/dog-athletes-stretching-exercise.aspx)
[** _place_holder;Comments _place_holder;(5)](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/03/20/new-dog-food-formula.aspx?ShowAllComments=True#comments)**
URL: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/03/20/new-dog-food-formula.aspx
> If your canine companion gets plenty of strenuous exercise or participates in athletic events like agility, flyball or [dock jumping](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/09/10/dog-dock-jumping.aspx), you may have noticed some new products in the pet food aisle: formulas designed for active dogs. It seems a growing number of pet food manufacturers have discovered a new sales niche and are hoping to appeal to dog owners who exercise with their pets or get them involved in canine-oriented activities and competitions.
>
> Very active dogs do have somewhat different nutritional requirements than more sedentary pets, but their need for high-quality, biologically-appropriate food is just as important. In fact, I'm sure most parents of athletic, competitive dogs would argue their pets have a greater need than most for the right kind of excellent nutrition.
>
> Since I'm always curious to learn about new and improved pet foods and whether the quality matches the marketing hype, I took a closer look at three formulas for athletic dogs that were introduced in January, all made by the same pet food company.
## Ingredient List Does Not Impress
> There are three new products in the lineup, all kibble, ranging in dry matter protein content from 26 percent to 30 percent, and in dry matter fat content from 16 to 20 percent. Since most canine nutrition experts agree very active dogs need more fat and protein than average dogs, on the surface, these numbers might seem reasonable. But let's take a look at the ingredient lists.
>
> All three formulas list chicken as the first ingredient, but as we know, once chicken is processed for kibble, it slides down the list several positions and is no longer the primary ingredient. The next several ingredients in each formula include poultry byproduct meal, corn gluten meal, and animal fat.
>
> **Poultry byproduct meal**, according to AAFCO, is comprised of the _"ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcasses of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines, exclusive of feathers except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices."_ Note that "poultry" does not equal chicken, so we don't know exactly what type of fowl is in the mix. Byproducts are less expensive than chicken meat, and less digestible for pets. In addition, what winds up in each batch can vary tremendously in terms of ingredients, quality, and nutritional value.
>
> The AAFCO definition of **corn gluten meal** is _"The dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of corn starch or syrup, or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm."_
>
> The reason this ingredient is used so often in commercial pet food is because it's inexpensive and contains some protein, which helps to increase the overall percentage of protein contained in the formula. You, as a savvy dog owner, already know that animal-based protein - not grain-based protein - is the most beneficial protein source for your pet.
>
> AAFCO defines **animal fat** as derived _"from the tissues of mammals and/or poultry in the commercial processes of rendering or extracting. It consists predominantly of glyceride esters of fatty acids and contains no additions of free fatty acids."_
>
> No animal is specified in "animal fat," and this fat doesn't come solely from slaughtered animals. In fact, any kind of animal from almost any source can be used, including "4-D animals" (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), rats, roadkill, restaurant and supermarket waste, and even animals euthanized at shelters.
## Liberal Use of Inexpensive, Poor Quality, and Grain-Based Protein Sources
> All three formulas also contained, among the top ten ingredients, corn germ meal, fish meal, and animal digest.
>
> **Corn germ meal** is another inexpensive ingredient that's high in protein, and like corn gluten meal is used to boost the overall protein content of the formula without the need to use more expensive - and biologically appropriate - animal protein. As I discuss frequently here at Mercola Healthy Pets, corn and all corn-derived products are also well known in the holistic veterinary community as allergenic, problematic ingredients in pet food.
>
> AAFCO defines **fish meal** as _"The clean, rendered, dried ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish or fish cuttings, either or both, with or without the extraction of part of the oil."_
>
> Once again, "fish" isn't specific. In addition, unless the manufacturer can assure you they use human grade fish or fish meal, it's a sure bet this ingredient has been preserved with ethoxyquin. Ethoxyquin is a banned substance in human foods except for very small quantities used in spices. It has been implicated in liver failure and other health problems in dogs.
>
> **Animal digest** is essentially a cooked-down brew of unspecified pieces and parts of unspecified animals sourced from wherever. As is the case with animal fat, the source can be any combination of slaughtered or 4-D animals, horses, goats, pigs, rodents, roadkill, restaurant or supermarket garbage, or euthanized shelter pets.
## How to Feed Your Canine Athlete
> Your very active, athletic dog needs a nutrient-dense diet that provides optimum energy in a small quantity of food. The protein source should be good quality and animal-based, and the food should be relatively high in [dietary fat](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/10/14/facilitative-or-functional-fats-for-pets.aspx), including supplementation with raw organic coconut oil.
>
> The main components of a raw diet for an athletic dog with no health problems include [raw meaty bones](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/05/09/bone-supplements-for-pets.aspx), muscle and [organ meats](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/11/21/organ-meats.aspx), a few dark green vegetables, a constant supply of fresh clean water, and appropriate supplementation as needed. As always, I recommend you talk with your holistic vet about the right diet for your active pet's individual needs.
>
> In my experience, no dog - whether a couch potato or an elite athlete - will thrive on the kind of low quality, biologically inappropriate nutrition found in the new formulas described above. So again I must caution you to look past the attractive marketing claims and beautiful packaging, and go right to the ingredient list to determine whether a newly niched pet food formula is really all it's cracked up to be.
Sources:
* [PetfoodIndustry.com January 10, 2013](http://www.petfoodindustry.com/News/Nestle_Purina_to_launch_new_petfood_for_athletic_dogs.html)
**Related Articles:**
 _place_holder; [Prey-Model Diet Sparks Online Demand for Wild Game](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/03/17/prey-model-diet-sparks-online-demand-for-wild-game.aspx)
 _place_holder; [The Things You NEVER Want to See on Your Dog Food Label...](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/02/03/choosing-a-healthy-dog-food-for-your-pet.aspx)
 _place_holder; [Four Simple Stretches to Keep Your Dog Moving](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/04/09/dog-athletes-stretching-exercise.aspx)
[** _place_holder;Comments _place_holder;(5)](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/03/20/new-dog-food-formula.aspx?ShowAllComments=True#comments)**
URL: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/03/20/new-dog-food-formula.aspx
Ingenious Kitty Defies Gravity to Score Fish Sticks
Oscar the cat performs a two-step process to steal fish sticks from the freezer. (And watch as Oscar notices the camera at :07!)
[** _place_holder;Comments _place_holder;(3)](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/03/20/ingenious-kitty-defies-gravity-to-score-fish-sticks.aspx?ShowAllComments=True#comments)**
URL: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/03/20/ingenious-kitty-defies-gravity-to-score-fish-sticks.aspx
[** _place_holder;Comments _place_holder;(3)](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/03/20/ingenious-kitty-defies-gravity-to-score-fish-sticks.aspx?ShowAllComments=True#comments)**
URL: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/03/20/ingenious-kitty-defies-gravity-to-score-fish-sticks.aspx
400 Research Chimpanzees to Be Retired
**By Dr. Becker**
> In late January, a recommendation was made to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to stop using chimpanzees in studies. It was further recommended (by an NIH-created "Working Group on the Use of Chimpanzees in NIH-Supported Research") that 400 of the approximately 450 chimpanzees currently owned or supported by the NIH be retired and moved to sanctuaries.
>
> The remaining 50 chimps would be maintained for possible use in future research projects, but within five years, their housing must be upgraded to meet specific criteria.
## Move to Retire NIH Study Chimps Began in Earnest in 2010
> What prompted the investigation into whether chimpanzees should continue to be used as research subjects by the NIH began in late 2010, when three U.S. senators requested the National Academies evaluate the current and future need for chimpanzees in biomedical research. At the same time, the NIH commissioned a study by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies to determine current and future needs for chimpanzees for biomedical and behavioral research.
>
> A year later in December 2011 the IOM, in collaboration with the National Research Council (NRC) released its findings in a report titled _Chimpanzees in Biomedical and Behavioral Research: Assessing the Necessity.[1](http://healthypets.mercola.com/rss/healthypet-rss.aspx#_edn1)_ The report brief[2](http://healthypets.mercola.com/rss/healthypet-rss.aspx#_edn2) gives the following background:
>
>> _"For many years, experiments using chimpanzees have been instrumental in advancing scientific knowledge and have led to new medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening and debilitating diseases. However, recent advances in alternate research tools, including cell-based technologies and other animal models, have rendered chimpanzees largely unnecessary as research subjects._
>
>> _Over the past decade, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has financed the largest amount of federal research involving chimpanzees. A 2010 announcement that the NIH intended to consolidate chimpanzee colonies, saving an estimated $2 million annually, generated significant feedback from the public, state officials, and members of Congress, and raised questions about the necessity for chimpanzees in biomedical and behavioral research._
>
>> _At the request of the NIH and in response to congressional inquiry, the Institute of Medicine, in collaboration with the National Research Council, conducted an in-depth analysis of the scientific necessity of chimpanzees for NIH-funded biomedical and behavioral research."_
>
> The IOM/NRC committee concluded that "_while the chimpanzee has been a valuable animal model in past research, most current use of chimpanzees for biomedical research is unnecessary_." But the committee also stated that certain areas of research might continue to require use of chimpanzees. It also conceded that new, emerging and reemerging diseases could also require their use.
## Rigorous Criteria for Future Chimp Studies
> The NIH responded to these recommendations by creating a "Working Group on the Use of Chimpanzees in NIH-Supported Research" to implement the IOM committee's guiding principles and criteria. The three guiding principles that will be used to assess the need for chimps in biomedical and behavioral research studies are:
>
> 1. _The knowledge gained must be necessary to advance the public's health._
> 2. _There must be no other research model by which the knowledge could be obtained, and the research cannot be ethically performed on human subjects. _
> 3. _The animals used in the proposed research must be maintained either in ethologically appropriate physical and social environments or in natural habitats. _
>
> The criteria for evaluating the need for chimpanzees for biomedical research would insure the following standards are met:
>
> 1. _There is no other suitable model available, such as in vitro, nonhuman in vivo, or other models, for the research in question. _
> 2. _The research in question cannot be performed ethically on human subjects._
> 3. _Forgoing the use of chimpanzees for the research in question will significantly slow or prevent important advancements to prevent, control, and/or treat life-threatening or debilitating conditions. _
>
> The criteria for evaluating the use of chimpanzees for comparative genomics and behavioral research mandate that:
>
> 1. _Studies provide otherwise unattainable insight into comparative genomics, normal and abnormal behavior, mental health, emotion, or cognition._
> 2. _All experiments are performed on acquiescent animals, using techniques that are minimally invasive, and in a manner that minimizes pain and distress. _
>
> In addition, the chimps must be maintained in ethologically appropriate physical and social environments or in natural habitats.
>
> The report produced by the Working Group[3](http://healthypets.mercola.com/rss/healthypet-rss.aspx#_edn3) sets a comparatively high bar for future research and effectively closes 16 current research projects.
## Recommendations Well Received
> The Working Group's recommendations have been generally well received. Dr. John Pippin of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, speaking to Discovery News, said his committee is pleased. _"A home run would have been to not have those 50 chimps held back. But we are inexorably moving toward the end of invasive chimpanzee research in the U.S. I think we're going to see chimpanzee research dry up," _said Pippin.
>
> And according to Barbara King, professor of anthropology at the College of William and Mary, citing a 2007 study[4](http://healthypets.mercola.com/rss/healthypet-rss.aspx#_edn4) titled _The Poor Contribution of Chimpanzee Experiments to Biomedical Progress_:
>
>> _"Chimp research makes very little to no advance of medical knowledge. The advance of medical knowledge is important, but if you look at the medical literature and ask what's the source of the advance, chimpanzee-based literature is hardly ever cited."_
>
> The U.S. is the only country that owns chimpanzees for research.
Sources:
* [Discovery News January 23, 2013](http://news.discovery.com/animals/zoo-animals/chimp-research-curtailed-will-science-suffer-130123.htm)
**Related Articles:**
 _place_holder; [African Grey Parrot is First Known Non-Ape Species to Possess Reasoning Ability](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/10/03/african-grey-parrot.aspx)
 _place_holder; [In the World of Baboons, Nice Girls Finish First](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/11/09/baboon.aspx)
 _place_holder; [The Scourge of the Exotic Pet Trade](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/04/13/exotic-pet-trade.aspx)
[** _place_holder;Comments _place_holder;(9)](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/03/18/research-chimpanzees.aspx?ShowAllComments=True#comments)**
URL: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/03/18/research-chimpanzees.aspx
> In late January, a recommendation was made to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to stop using chimpanzees in studies. It was further recommended (by an NIH-created "Working Group on the Use of Chimpanzees in NIH-Supported Research") that 400 of the approximately 450 chimpanzees currently owned or supported by the NIH be retired and moved to sanctuaries.
>
> The remaining 50 chimps would be maintained for possible use in future research projects, but within five years, their housing must be upgraded to meet specific criteria.
## Move to Retire NIH Study Chimps Began in Earnest in 2010
> What prompted the investigation into whether chimpanzees should continue to be used as research subjects by the NIH began in late 2010, when three U.S. senators requested the National Academies evaluate the current and future need for chimpanzees in biomedical research. At the same time, the NIH commissioned a study by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies to determine current and future needs for chimpanzees for biomedical and behavioral research.
>
> A year later in December 2011 the IOM, in collaboration with the National Research Council (NRC) released its findings in a report titled _Chimpanzees in Biomedical and Behavioral Research: Assessing the Necessity.[1](http://healthypets.mercola.com/rss/healthypet-rss.aspx#_edn1)_ The report brief[2](http://healthypets.mercola.com/rss/healthypet-rss.aspx#_edn2) gives the following background:
>
>> _"For many years, experiments using chimpanzees have been instrumental in advancing scientific knowledge and have led to new medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening and debilitating diseases. However, recent advances in alternate research tools, including cell-based technologies and other animal models, have rendered chimpanzees largely unnecessary as research subjects._
>
>> _Over the past decade, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has financed the largest amount of federal research involving chimpanzees. A 2010 announcement that the NIH intended to consolidate chimpanzee colonies, saving an estimated $2 million annually, generated significant feedback from the public, state officials, and members of Congress, and raised questions about the necessity for chimpanzees in biomedical and behavioral research._
>
>> _At the request of the NIH and in response to congressional inquiry, the Institute of Medicine, in collaboration with the National Research Council, conducted an in-depth analysis of the scientific necessity of chimpanzees for NIH-funded biomedical and behavioral research."_
>
> The IOM/NRC committee concluded that "_while the chimpanzee has been a valuable animal model in past research, most current use of chimpanzees for biomedical research is unnecessary_." But the committee also stated that certain areas of research might continue to require use of chimpanzees. It also conceded that new, emerging and reemerging diseases could also require their use.
## Rigorous Criteria for Future Chimp Studies
> The NIH responded to these recommendations by creating a "Working Group on the Use of Chimpanzees in NIH-Supported Research" to implement the IOM committee's guiding principles and criteria. The three guiding principles that will be used to assess the need for chimps in biomedical and behavioral research studies are:
>
> 1. _The knowledge gained must be necessary to advance the public's health._
> 2. _There must be no other research model by which the knowledge could be obtained, and the research cannot be ethically performed on human subjects. _
> 3. _The animals used in the proposed research must be maintained either in ethologically appropriate physical and social environments or in natural habitats. _
>
> The criteria for evaluating the need for chimpanzees for biomedical research would insure the following standards are met:
>
> 1. _There is no other suitable model available, such as in vitro, nonhuman in vivo, or other models, for the research in question. _
> 2. _The research in question cannot be performed ethically on human subjects._
> 3. _Forgoing the use of chimpanzees for the research in question will significantly slow or prevent important advancements to prevent, control, and/or treat life-threatening or debilitating conditions. _
>
> The criteria for evaluating the use of chimpanzees for comparative genomics and behavioral research mandate that:
>
> 1. _Studies provide otherwise unattainable insight into comparative genomics, normal and abnormal behavior, mental health, emotion, or cognition._
> 2. _All experiments are performed on acquiescent animals, using techniques that are minimally invasive, and in a manner that minimizes pain and distress. _
>
> In addition, the chimps must be maintained in ethologically appropriate physical and social environments or in natural habitats.
>
> The report produced by the Working Group[3](http://healthypets.mercola.com/rss/healthypet-rss.aspx#_edn3) sets a comparatively high bar for future research and effectively closes 16 current research projects.
## Recommendations Well Received
> The Working Group's recommendations have been generally well received. Dr. John Pippin of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, speaking to Discovery News, said his committee is pleased. _"A home run would have been to not have those 50 chimps held back. But we are inexorably moving toward the end of invasive chimpanzee research in the U.S. I think we're going to see chimpanzee research dry up," _said Pippin.
>
> And according to Barbara King, professor of anthropology at the College of William and Mary, citing a 2007 study[4](http://healthypets.mercola.com/rss/healthypet-rss.aspx#_edn4) titled _The Poor Contribution of Chimpanzee Experiments to Biomedical Progress_:
>
>> _"Chimp research makes very little to no advance of medical knowledge. The advance of medical knowledge is important, but if you look at the medical literature and ask what's the source of the advance, chimpanzee-based literature is hardly ever cited."_
>
> The U.S. is the only country that owns chimpanzees for research.
Sources:
* [Discovery News January 23, 2013](http://news.discovery.com/animals/zoo-animals/chimp-research-curtailed-will-science-suffer-130123.htm)
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[** _place_holder;Comments _place_holder;(9)](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/03/18/research-chimpanzees.aspx?ShowAllComments=True#comments)**
URL: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/03/18/research-chimpanzees.aspx
Florida Kitty’s Long Journey Home Stumps Experts
**By Dr. Becker**
> Holly is a 4 year-old tortoiseshell kitty who, after going missing two months earlier, magically resurfaced very close to her home in West Palm Beach, Florida. Her return was all the more miraculous for the fact that Holly, an indoor housecat, was separated from her owners during a visit to Daytona Beach, 200 miles away!
>
> Holly was found staggering around a backyard about a mile from her own home, weak and weighing only seven pounds, having lost half her body weight.
## Holly's Travels Leave Scientists Stumped
> Scientists have been asked about Holly's amazing feat, and they seem as stumped as the rest of us. John Bradshaw of the Anthrozoology Institute at the University of Bristol in the U.K. suspected it was not Holly, but another cat. However, not only does Holly have distinctive markings, she also has a microchip.
>
> Marc Bekoff, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Colorado concedes stories like Holly's are difficult to explain. "I have no data for this," is what he told the _New York Times_.
>
> Unlike migratory animals that use magnetic fields, their sense of smell or the orientation of the sun, it seems there's very little research on how cats navigate.
>
> An animal behaviorist in New York theorized that Holly may have followed the Florida coastline somehow.
>
> New research, including the [Kitty Cams Project](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/10/05/kittycams-reveal-secrets.aspx) indicates the behavior of domesticated kitties is incredibly complex. Some free-roaming cats visit other families to get food and attention. And the majority take risks in the outdoors, like darting across roadways and ingesting things that could be unsafe.
## Holly Isn't Alone...
> Holly isn't the only "homing kitty." According to Jackson Galaxy, a cat behaviorist who stars on Animal Planet in a show called "My Cat from Hell," he too had a cat that disappeared after a move and reappeared over a week later at his former residence. The trip required Galaxy's cat to traverse five miles of completely unfamiliar terrain.
>
> Other documented cases include:
>
> * Murka, another tortie in Russia, who covered 325 miles to return home to Moscow from her owner's mother's house
> * Ninja, who returned to her home in Utah after her owners moved from there to Washington State
> * Howie, a Persian kitty in Australia who escaped his sitter's home while his family was on vacation and traveled over a thousand miles to get home
>
> In Holly's case, though some suspected she might have hitched a ride down I-95, her little feet said otherwise. Her pads were bleeding, according to her mom, and her front claws were very sharp, while the back claws were almost invisible they were so worn down.
>
> The appearance of Holly's paws is proof she walked a very long distance, with her back feet propelling her, and her front feet used for tearing and similar activities.
## Did Holly's Start in Life Make Her an Adventurer?
> Holly's kittyhood also holds no real clues to how she did what she did. She was born inside an air conditioning unit to a feral mother and came to her owners with scars on her tummy, presumably from the switch on the A/C equipment.
>
> Scientists don't think Holly's early hardships lasted long enough to explain how she developed the toughness to make her way 200 miles down the Florida coast on her own. They think it could, however, point to innate personality traits. According to Dr. Bekoff, Holly may have "the personality of a survivor," and being an indoor cat does not extinguish survivalist behaviors like the ability to hunt or get information from the orientation of the sun.
>
> According to Holly's owners, Bonnie Richter, 63 and her husband Jacob, 70, they only began taking Holly on road trips last year, but she seemed quickly comfortable with whatever lodging they provided, whether a hotel room or their motorhome. But in Daytona Beach, in a very crowded R.V. park, Holly scooted out of the R.V. door one evening and disappeared. The Richters alerted local shelters, posted fliers and searched for days, but eventually they were forced to make the sad trip home without their cat.
## Rescued and Returned
> On New Year's Eve, a woman in West Palm Beach was startled by the sight of a scrawny cat in her backyard who seemed too weak to stand. For the next week, the woman and her children took care of the cat, putting food outside for her, until eventually the kitty ventured inside.
>
> They named her and took her to a veterinarian, who reported the cat was thin, dehydrated, and her feet were a mess, but she was otherwise healthy. The very nice lady who rescued the cat didn't want to ask about a microchip, but knew she should. When the vet confirmed the kitty was chipped, the woman started to cry.
>
> Of course, the Richters did some crying, too, when they were reunited with their beloved Holly.
Sources:
* [The New York Times January 19, 2013](http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/19/one-cats-incredible-journey/?src=me&ref=general)
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[** _place_holder;Comments _place_holder;(4)](http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/03/20/holly-returns-home.aspx?ShowAllComments=True#comments)**
URL: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/03/20/holly-returns-home.aspx
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