We regret to announce that the annual picnic and barbecue in Calgary has been canceled for this year.  But, don't worry!  You are all invited to Edmonton's Family Picnic, being held in September.  We encourage all southern Albertans (as well as all of our adopters from wherever you live!) to join the fun in Edmonton.  The picnic is always well organized and a greyt time!   Details are in the news item, below.  The Calgary Picnic will be back, bigger and better in 2010.

The Edmonton Family Picnic will be here before we know it!  It will be held on Saturday, September 12 from 11:00 - 5:00 p.m. in Gibbons, Alberta.  All greyhound owners and their greyhounds are invited!  Please click here to view the invitation.  We hope to see all of our adopters in attendance!

Cocoa Mulch, which is a gardening mulch sold by Home Depot and other garden supply stores, contains a lethal ingredient called 'Theobromine'. It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey's, and studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm (to a variety of degrees depending on each individual dog). Theobromine is in all chocolate, especially dark or baker's chocolate which is toxic to dogs. Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, axanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline.  For more information, click on the following link:

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp 

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center cautions animal owners that xylitol, a sweetener found in certain sugar-free chewing gums, candies, baked goods and other products can potentially cause serious and even life-threatening problems for pets.

According to Dr. Eric Dunayer, veterinarian and toxicologist for the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, dogs ingesting significant amounts of items sweetened with xylitol could develop a fairly sudden drop in blood sugar, resulting in depression, loss of coordination and seizures. Dr. Dunayer also stated that there appears to be a strong link between xylitol ingestions and the development of liver failure in dogs.

While it was previously thought that only large concentrations of xylitol could result in problems, this appears to no longer be the case. For more information, click on each of the links below:

http://www.aspca.org/site

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/xylitol.asp

Hello Everyone,
The new Bach product Rescue Remedy Pastilles (candies) contain Xylitol, a sweetening substance that can be toxic to some dogs (also cats). Please DO NOT give these to your animals. (There is always a choking possibility as well with hard candies).
Upon receiving emails to this effect, I contacted the Bach Centre in the UK who were unaware of the effects of Xylitol on animals. They immediately notifed Nelson's, the manufacturer of the Bach line. I have yet to hear what will be done to the formulation.
The original liquid Remedies have not changed and can continue to be used.
I had not seen the Pastilles as they're not yet in my area, and would like to thank Deb Stanton and Jean Kingston for informing me of this situation.
As always, with any product you haven't used before, be sure to carefully read the label before giving to your precious animal friends - and to you and your family :-)

Best wishes to all,
Sue

Hello Friends,

There is a new FDA recall involving possible salmonella contamination in pet foods and treats made with peanuts and peanut butter from Peanut Corporation of America at its Georgia plant. Several human food products are also involved.

Check specific product names at this FDA webpage:

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm

Several 'Grreat Choice' products sold at Petsmart are included. They are voluntarily recalling these products which I understand can be returned for a refund.

In wellness,
Sue

Sue Becker BFRP, CTTP
Animal Communicator /Consultant
Guild Certified Tellington TTouch™ Practitioner
Bach Flower Remedies™ Registered Practitioner & Retail Trainer
Reconnective Healing™ Practitioner
Vet Recommended
519-896-2600 suebecker@cyg.net Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

Some of you might be interested in the latest dog food ratings. There are many brands on here that I have not even heard of!  Please note there is more than one page to each category:

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/

Remember that greyhounds newly retired normally cannot tolerate the high end foods such as Orijen or Innova Evo.  Nor do they do well on lamb based foods when they are right off the track.  This does not mean that you can never feed these foods to your greyhound.  It only means that you need to get their digestive systems stabilized first.  Talk to your adoption representative for information and recommendations.  Don't dismiss feeding your greyhound a raw diet either!  Greyhounds do well on raw as that makes up part of their diet as racers.  The biggest myth about a raw diet is that it's expensive; however, it's no more expensive to feed raw than to feed a good quality dry dog food.  For more information, do a google search, or talk to your adoption representative.

WE NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE!!

That time has come again -- Westerner Days! We are looking for 4-legged and 2-legged volunteers to man the Chinook Winds booth in the Little Red Barn at the Westerner Days Exposition, as well as the Westerner Days parade.

The parade is being held on Wednesday, July 15 from 9 am to approximately 11:30 am. You will be informed of parking as well as directions to the grounds and route map prior to the event. Please, be prepared for all weather -- hot, windy, or even light showers (we hope not!). Bring plenty of water, as the parade route is a 4.1 km (2.5 mile) walk on pavement. If it is not too hot, please do dress up yourself and your hound in western-wear!

The booth in the Little Red Barn needs to be manned from 12 pm to 8 pm daily from Wednesday, July 15 to Sunday, July 19. We will have an x-pen set up, as well as blankets/dog beds and water available. What a fabulous way to let this community know what wonderful companions greyhounds make!

If you are available to participate in the parade and/or man the Chinook Winds booth, your assistance would be greatly appreciated!

Sonia Pezzack
home 403.309.5559
cell 403.505.3913
email sonia@pezzack.com

The Calgary Greyhound Walking Club has a new website! Please visit them at www.calgarygreyhoundwalkingclub.com for all the details on upcoming walks.

Not to be outdone, the Edmonton Greyhound Walking Club has a new website too! For information about upcoming walks and a photo gallery of past walks, please visit http://members.shaw.ca/sue.mendoza

Our available greyhounds are at different venues every weekend at what we call “Meet & Greets”. You are more than welcome to drop by, talk to our knowledgeable volunteers, and scratch a few greyhound ears! Click on the calendar for dates