Paws 2 Love Pet Adoption Festival 

 

The 10th Paws 2 Love Pet Adoption Festival sponsored by the Manetto Hill Animal Hospital, will take place on Sunday June 5, 2022 from 11am to 3pm on the grounds of the Manetto Hill Animal Hospital and Paw Seasons Hotel at 122 Manetto Hill Road in Plainview, New York. The festivities include music, vendors, food but MOST importantly Animals to adopt! 

  

We started this event in 2010 after being contacted by a rescue organization that did not have a brick and mortar building but wanted to get their animals seen.  Over10 years later, we have joined together with over 60 rescue organizations and shelters across Long Island to create a festival of celebration and to bring awareness of the many homeless animals in our shelters and foster organizations.  This is a community event and we invite everyone to participate in this family fun day.  It has been a huge success in past years and we hope to continue to grow this very worthy event.

 

Over these past years, we have had over 150 homeless animals adopted as a result of this event as well as introduced the public to an alternative to pet stores which notoriously sell puppy mill puppies. 

 

Many of this year’s attendees include rescue groups that have been with us from the start.  Attendees for this year’s event include Little Shelter, Yorkie 911 Rescue, Remember Me Rescue, For Our Friends, Pits of Our Soul, Fabulous Felines, Paw It Forward, Long Road Home, Jakes Rescue Ranch, The Adoption Center and BARRKLI all bringing their adoptable animals to the festival.  The rescue groups span the entire island and we are happy to host them all in one place. 

 

All of our vendors will be donating part of their proceeds to the rescue organizations that are in attendance. Many companies are sponsoring free food and activities.

 

It’s evident that everyone has a heart when it comes to this cause. 

 

By far the most exciting aspect at the pet adoption event will be the many lovable dogs and cats available for adoption.  We will have a small breed and large breed dog park for those who bring their own pets as well as a separate area for a meet and greet for potential adopters. Adoptable animals will be at the booth with their respective rescue organizations. 

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If you would like to donate a raffle prize or for sponsorship opportunities, please send an email to Tami at Info.ManettoHillAnimalHospital@gmail.com

Grain Free or Gluten Free Diet Update.

Recently the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a list of 16 diets linked to a form of heart disease known as Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM).  Although no recalls have been issued this matter is being closely monitored.   Specific Grain-free/Gluten-free formulations on this list are usually made with no corn, wheat, soy, or rice.  They may be made with Legumes, peas, lentils, potato or sweet potato. A suspicion of taurine deficiency maybe to blame in non-grain diet. 

 

Unless a pet has specific reason for using a grain-free diet I would suggest not using it until this investigation shows more clarity.  You may switch to a diet in the same brand with a different formulation that includes some of the above named grain.  Gradual diet change is recommended to allow pet to become accustomed to a new formulation.

My advice for choosing brands is to stick to those made by large, experienced manufacturers who invest in (and publish) research, have comprehensive quality control including nutritional adequacy testing, have qualified nutritionists on staff (board certified veterinary nutritionists or well-trained PhD companion animal nutritionists), etc. There is a list of these guidelines from the World Small Animal Veterinary Association- see link e.

 

These guidelines encompass a range of brands to meet most philosophies, price points, store types, marketing categories, etc (Purina brands: ProPlan, Merrick, Chow, ONE, etc.; Hill's brands: Science Diet, Healthy Advantage, etc.; Mars brands: Royal Canin, Iams, Eukanuba, Nutro, Pedigree, etc).

 

I still advise use of the uncommon/limited and hydrolyzed ingredient diets in the veterinary therapeutic lines we carry (Purina, RC, and Hill's). Diets best suited for dogs with specific food allergy conditions.

Owners (and their Veterinarians) are asked to report any possible suspect cases of dogs diagnosed with DCM who have been on Grain-Free diets to the FDA.

 

Further information including the brands list (Starting with Acana, Zignature, Taste of the Wild) can be found on the following websites:  

www.fda.gov,   www.wsava.org,  www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu