Issue #34
Did you know…some dogs were royalty while others were dinner in ancient Mayan culture? A new chemical analysis of bones found in a 3000-year-old Guatemalan city tells us that dozens of dogs, nearly all small and chihuahua-like had isotope levels indicating they were raised on maize-based diets. Butchery marks previously found on ancient dog bones at other Mayan sites suggest the dogs were raised for slaughter. Maize-raised dogs may have been a significant protein source for the Mayans before they domesticated turkeys, but some dogs led more extraordinary lives. A pair that lived between 400 and 300 B.C.E. had strontium isotope levels that suggested they hailed from Guatemala’s volcanic highlands and their burial place near a large pyramid suggests they might have been part of Mayan ceremonies. #royalty
Keep track of your dog during flight time. A few weeks ago, a dog died on a United flight after airline personnel forced a passenger to stuff her pet in an overhead bin. So this new service seems to be rolling out right on time. Digi-Pet features a suite of technology to monitor your furry friends en route. Sensors attached to your pet’s carrier or kennel relay details about their environment, such as ambient temperature, vibration, light levels, and oxygen in the air. The sensors transmit through a dedicated smartphone app. With a paid subscription, owners can even communicate with their pets via voice and live video streaming.
OSU using sound waves and heat to cure dog cancer. Dr. Ashish Ranjan of Oklahoma State University is researching a non-toxic, non-invasive method using soundwaves and heat to target and shrink cancer cells. Dr. Ranjan recently received a grant from the National Cancer Institute for nearly $423,000.The study is seeking more volunteers to participate in the study.
April’s box is out and poppin! Available until April 23rd, here’s the line up 🐖 Pork Loin 🐄 Beef Spleen 🐟 Salmon 🐑 Lamb Weasand 🐣 Duck Wing 🐖 Pig Ear 🔥 Super Chew: Spiral Pizzle Check out the unboxing. #feedreal
J.M. Smucker acquires Ainsworth Pet Nutrition for $1.9B. Best known for the Rachael Ray Nutrish line, this is the latest in a string of large consumer goods corporations purchases in the pet care sector. The $1.9 billion deal is being offset by an estimated $200 million tax benefit. [This follows General Mills $8B purchase of Blue Buffalo earlier this year. J.M. Smucker also owns Pillsbury and Hungry Jack, popular baking brands.
](https://www.marketwatch.com/story/jm-smucker-pays-up-for-nutrish-pet-food-brand-may-sell-pillsbury-division-2018-04-05)
DC Startup wins Purina Innovative Prize plus $20K. Barkly Pets, founded in 2015, finds its customers professional, background-checked and highly trained dog walkers, currently serving Washington, DC, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore,. It received $20K from Purina and a dedicated booth at the Global Pet Expo in Orlando last week. The other 4 finalists were AnimalBiome, BareItAll Petfoods, Fetch Labs Inc. and PupJoy.
Company to offer on-demand video consultations with veterinarians raises $500K. Chances are you didn’t even know this service existed! Based in Canada, Healthy Pets is a telemedicine service that officially launched and announced $500K CAD in seed funding after appearing on the Dragons’ Den. Healthy Pets connects pet owners and certified veterinarians for a consultation via on-demand video, voice or instant messaging.
Raw Feeding Blog finalist for an International Blog Award. Aimee Jurenka, founder and curator of The Lazy Raw Feeder, has recently been announced as a finalist for the BlogPaws Nose-to-Nose Awards. The Lazy Raw Feeder is a collection of easy tips and tricks for feeding a raw diet to dogs, without it taking over a person's life. Perfect timing to close out National Raw Feeding Week! Our friend, Kimberly of KeeptheTailWagging.com has round up your favorite fresh food feeders and put together a series of videos and interviews to celebrate our biologically appropriate diets. Are you a raw feeder? Join the #feedreal movement and celebrate with us!
Wolves in Europe have dog DNA. An international study shows that about 60% of Eurasian grey wolves carry small blocks of domesticated dog DNA - suggesting that wolf-dog hybridization has been happening for centuries! Despite the evidence of hybridization, the wolf populations have remained genetically distinct from dogs, which means that such cross-breeding does not diminish distinctiveness of the wolf gene pool if it occurs at low levels.
The results could have important conservation implications for the grey wolf, which is a keystone species – meaning it is vital to the natural balance of the habitat it occupies.