Happy National Pet Week!

Are are you celebrating?  You could do something fun with your pet, like some extra play time, or give him his favourite treat.  You could help your kids draw pictures of the family pet or talk to them about the importance of being kind to animals and pet health care.  You could use it as a reminder to make an appointment for your pet's next check-up, volunteer at a pet shelter, make a donation, sign an animal issue petition, or even just post a photo of or poem about your pet online!

The American Veterinary Medical Association has a site full of ideas, information and even games for you to check out.  But of course, the best things you can give your pet are affection, attention and letting her know you love her.  Take a little time out and give your animal friends love and appreciation.  They'll thank you in return.

Update: Wellness Adds Brands to Voluntary Pet Food Recall

In response to the pet food recall issued by Diamond Pet Food, Wellness has decided to voluntarily recall some of its brands made in the same plant. Please read the letter from Wellness after the jump for more information.

Warning: Pet Food Recall

Diamond Pet Foods has issued a recall for several pet food brands due to concerns about possible salmonella contamination. These are:

• Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
• Country Value
• Diamond
• Diamond Naturals
• Premium Edge
• Professional
• 4Health
• Taste of the Wild

No deaths have been reported, and it is a voluntary recall.  It is mostly for dry dog foods, but they have expanded the recall a couple times, so better to be safe than sorry and check your pet food.  For more information or to check to see if the serial number on your pet food matches the recall list, go to http://www.diamondpet.com/information

Bees: Not Just For Honey

You might not think of insects when you think about animal communication, but as groups and individuals, they have purposes in our world and feelings, too.  (If you want to read about one conversation I had with a very urban fly, check out pages 69-70 in Dawn Baumann Brunke's Animal Voices, Animal Guides, a wonderful book about about animal communication and how to try it yourself.)

Bees, for example, play an extremely important part in our environment and lives.  Most people know that bees make honey and pollinate flowers, but they may not realize that pollination is what allows many fruits and vegetables to grow.  Without bees, the world's food supply would be in big trouble.

However, you may have heard over the last few years that many bees have been suffering from a syndrome called colony collapse disorder.  According to the Natural Resource Defense Council, researchers believe that  over a third of all bee colonies in the United States alone may have fallen to this disorder, wherein bees die off or disappear en masse.  In fact, the problem has possibly affected billions of bees worldwide.