Some people like to go for long walks to help them deal with the sadness and grief of losing a loved one. It works for dogs, too -- I know I went on a lot of long walks after Feathers died.

But I never would have thought to take a 2,400 mile walk! Read full post.

Today's topic is meat meal. It's a common ingredient in dry pet foods, where it might be labeled "meat meal" or "meat by-product meal."

It's made at rendering plants, where animal carcasses are cooked in vats at very high temperatures. The grease is skimmed off (and added back in later, as fat), and what's left is dehydrated until it's a dry product. Then, the rendering plant ships the meal to brokers, who sell it to pet food manufacturers, who mix it with other ingredients, package it, and send it off to your food bowl.

If we could trust that all the meat making it into the rendering vat was up to AAFCO's standards, this ingredient might not be so bad. Their definition is a little vague -- for example, it requires meat meal to be "exclusive of any added" hooves and hair and horns and whatnot -- but that's nothing compared to the reality of rendered meat meal. Read full post.

Let's begin our foray into the world of commercial pet food ingredients. I'll feed it to you in small bites, because it's a lot of information! Read full post.

Okay, so I've given you the rundown on some of the safer dog toys on the market, but some of you are itching to know which toys you should specifically avoid. Here's what I've been able to dig up on dangerous dog toys.

The Basics: First, it's important to remember that any toy can pose a danger if it isn't used correctly. Most pet toys should only be used under supervision, and that's especially true if you're a chewer. So don't give your pet parent those puppy eyes when they take away your squeaky toy as they walk out the door. You know you'd tear it apart before they got home anyway.

Now, onto the culprits. . . Read full post.

Eddie says: This is a guest post by Jackie Fox, an entertainment attorney and former bassist for The Runaways. We're so glad to hear that Xena's feeling better!

I’d never heard of feline hepatic lipidosis before Xena was diagnosed with it. I’ve had Xena for almost 5 ½ years, ever since I adopted her and her sister, Cleo, as kittens. [Eddie says: No relation to my sister Cleo!] Earlier this year I added another kitten to our household, and I was so focused on integrating the cats that I didn’t notice that Xena had become stressed and stopped eating. By the time I did, she’d lost over a third of her body weight. It had only been a few weeks, but her liver was already severely damaged. Read full post.

My pals at EWG have been talking an awful lot about sunscreen lately. That's partly because it's summer (and in Washington D.C., summer is serious business!). But it's mostly because they just released a big investigation of almost 1,000 different sunscreens -- and they've got some bad news. It turns out that 4 out of every 5 sunscreens that humans use to protect their furless skin either don't work the way they supposed to, or they've got chemicals that could make people sick over time.

That got me wondering about sunscreens for animals. After all, we like to spend time in the sun during the summer. But if no one is looking out for people sunscreen, you can bet your biscuit no one's making sure ours is any good. So I did some investigating. Read full post.

If you had to guess, what would you say three of the most common pet poisons are?

Dr. Barchas talks about just that on his blog today. He also goes over what to do if (dog forbid) one of your pets should end up ingesting something poisonous: Go to the vet immediately, bring the wrapper for the poisonous stuff (if you know what it is), and if there's any of it left, bring that too. Getting there fast and knowing what's causing the problem can help get your pet healthy again quick.

So, any idea what they are? I guessed two of them correctly, but the third one is kind of a shocker!

Hey! If you and your pet parents are interested in pet health, you'll want to tune into Good Morning America tomorrow to see Dr. Marty Becker talk about diseases that can be passed between humans and pets. Get the low-down on Dr. Marty's appearance from his daughter, Mikkel Becker, over at the Pet Connection blog.

Friday afternoon was pretty busy for your furry crusader, especially considering that's usually when I do my best napping. After a quick meeting with Richard Wiles, one of the humans in charge of the Environmental Working Group, I headed out -- with tons of schwag and 70 poo-bagged messages for the FDA.

The first stop on my outing was at the Washington Animal Rescue League. They were the first animal shelter in Washington D.C. all the way back in 1914. They've moved and grown and renovated since then, and their building is now what my human friends called "innovative" and "state-of-the-art." Everything is made of glass and some kind of fancy stone, there's tons of light going into the doggie dens and kitty condos, the pets get out to play three times a day, and the puppies get their own pad with specialized attention. If I'd been placed in a shelter like that, I wouldn't have wanted to leave!

They've also got an animal hospital right on the premises, where animals on their way to their forever homes are spayed and neutered. Vets there also see pets of people who don't have much money, and many animals from other shelters who need medical attention. I got to hang out with some of the nurses there, and I can assure you they have excellent bedside manner.

After leaving our boxes of donations with WARL Executive Director Dr. Gary Weitzman, we headed out to the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. I couldn't go in -- believe it or not, animals aren't allowed in the building. Luckily there was a nice shady tree for us to meet under. After a quick drink of water, I stood by looking imposing while my dog-human interpreter read my statement to Executive Secretariat Tracy Forfa, Office of Management Deputy Directory Gary Claywell, and Director of Communications Laura Bradbard. We had already submitted our statement and all your comments to the docket electronically, but we handed them a paper copy for their own files, and of course the 70 poop bags, stuffed with your messages. I'll have video of that coming up pretty soon.

We've taken the first step by speaking out. Now we just have to keep on barking and cawing and squeaking and meowing until we know they've heard us!

I'm on my way out the door for two very important meetings.

First, I'm stopping by the Washington Animal Rescue League to get a tour of their state-of-the-art facilities and to drop off a whole bunch of stuff that my new friends and other people who love pets have donated. Keys Pet Care donated shampoo and lotion and insect repellent, and Organic and Nature chipped in some pretty smelling air fresheners and all-purpose cleaners. The Leash We Can Do sent a whole bunch of kitty toys (including some with catnip! I bet the shelter cats will love that). They also sent bonito flakes and these super smokin' bandanas -- I hope no one will mind if I snag one of those for myself! Poopbags.com donated 2,000 biodegradable poo-bags, and my buds at EWG collected towels to deliver to the shelter. I'm a lucky dog to get to be the bearer of such good stuff! A trillion thanks to everyone who chipped in.

Then, when I'm done at the shelter, I'm headed over to the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, where I'll be delivering your messages in poo bags! I can't wait to talk to them about all the things I've learned about what makes safe pet food, and how they can help protect us. Rumor has it we'll have to meet outside, in front of the building, because -- get this -- animals aren't allowed in. At the Center for Veterinary Medicine! Isn't that something? Humans. What're you gonna do.

Many thanks to Truth About Pet Food for pulling this project together, and to Poopbags.com for donating the poo bag envelopes! The poo bag campaign raised us $700, which will go towards my pet food testing program. I'll have an update for you about how the meeting went on Monday. Wish me luck!