Advances in animal health care are happening everyday as you’ll see in a few of the stories we bring to you in this issue. There is no doubt that research into the causes and effective treatments of medical problems that afflict our beloved animals is important work that helps our pets stay healthy and happy.

I firmly believe that doing what you can to prevent illness and disease in the first place is the key to a long, healthy and happy life for both humans and animals in this generation and in future generations. I think Benjamin Franklin said it best: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.

It’s always amazing to me how surprised and shocked people are at the sharp increase in incidences of cancer in humans and pets. All you have to do is look at what we’ve eaten too many processed foods laden with chemicals and totally devoid of any nutritional value and especially what our pets have been fed over the last half century as well as the state of our environment and you have your answer. During the last decade or so we’ve started to come to our senses with respect to what constitutes a healthy lifestyle: eating more fresh foods rather than processed, exercising regularly, balancing work and family and contributing to a healthy environment by reducing, reusing and recycling. Now that we’ve seen the positive effects of this healthy lifestyle on humans, it’s high time we pass this new found wisdom onto our pets.

These special gifts we have welcomed into our families are counting on us to keep them healthy, happy and safe. It is our responsibility to do our homework when it comes to making decisions about what’s best for our pets. Take the time to read about what constitutes a healthy pet food. Do some research first about the different philosophies with respect to animal health care before choosing a vet. If your pet becomes ill or is diagnosed with a disease, find out everything you can about your pets condition and what treatments are available so you can better decide along with your vet what’s the best course of action. And most importantly, consciously choose a healthy lifestyle for your pets so you can give them the best possible chance at a long, healthy and happy life free of illness and disease.

Sherry Butt
Editor, Citizen Pet