📰 NEWS

Norway's step against overbreeding

Overbreeding dogs is a well-known global problem and while some breeders and clubs rather look away, Norway answered the shouts of animal rights activists.

The Scandinavian country has completely banned breeding of two of the most unhealthy dog breeds - the British bulldog and the King Charles Cavalier.

Breeding of these two breeds is deemed to be cruel and is now illegal on welfare grounds.

This step attracted international attention and will definitely go down in dog rights history. ⚖️

But what is actually so cruel about flat-nosed breeds?

Brachycephalic breeds are characterized by their short noses, wrinkles, and squishy face.

These cute features, sadly come with severe breathing and eating problems as well as skin and eye issues leading to premature death in many cases.

All those issues are man-made through selective breeding and Norway's stance is that dogs have the right to be bred healthy.

While there are many other breeds struggling with the same issues like the Pug or Boxer, it's still a step in the right direction and an example many other countries will follow.

📑 STUDY

Endangered sharks found in dog food

If you have ever looked at the ingredients list of your dog's food, you may have noticed labels such as "meat meal", "animal fat" or "chicken by-product".

Those are put there so dog food companies can use virtually any meat to put into their products.

Which sometimes means parts from dead, diseased, or dying animals.

But that's a topic for another day because today is all about fish and more precisely endangered sharks. 🦈

Sharks greatly suffer from overfishing and their population has declined more than 70% in the past 50 years.

Researchers from a new study wanted to take a closer look at the generic labels "ocean fish", "white fish", and "white bait".

They tested 45 different pet food products from 16 different brands.

Results: Of the 144 samples they took, 31% contained shark DNA with the blue shark, silky shark, and whitetip reef shark being the most common.

Looking at the packaging some companies even lied and stated "salmon" or "tuna" while others didn't even mention any fish species.

This really shows how prevalent mislabeling in pet food products is and what surprising ingredients could turn up on your dog's plate.

While a strong set of rules needs to be set for pet food companies there is still something you can do at home to minimize the chance of contributing to overfishing. 🐟

For your dog's health and the environment, it is important to choose a dog food that specifically labels each ingredient.

On the brand's website, you should also be able to find the countries of origin for each ingredient.

If you want some step-by-step instructions on how to choose the best dog food, you can find them here.

💊 HEALTH

A pet a day keeps dementia away

As a dog owner, you probably already know the value of living with and caring for a pet.

At times it can be exhausting but it's also super fun and even healthy for you.

Going on walks provides you with daily exercise in fresh air which boosts your physical fitness.

But pet ownership might be even better than that.

A new study (which has not been published yet) analyzed the cognitive data on more than 1,369 adults over the age of 50.

53% of the daults owned pets with dogs being the most prevalent followed by cats. 🐱

Results: People who were long-term pet owners (over 5 years) showed less cognitive decline than people that never owned pets.

Why could that be the case?

Social companionship comes with a lot of benefits physically as well as mentally.

Long walks in nature, play sessions, and seeing your pet's funny peculiarities are bound to reduce cortisol levels and blood pressure.

Pets are also a big responsibility and caring for them is a duty that brings a lot of purpose into the owner's life.

While dogs had the greatest effect on their owner's lives, other pets such as hamsters, rabbits, birds, fish, and reptiles are also great for brain health.