Home of Rare and Unique Animals
Zodiac Ranch was established in 1990 as a breeder of Peruvian Paso h
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Thanks Ruthanne Preston for helping take the puppies to Conformation class tonight. These two cuties are still looking for their forever homes. This male I would like to co-own with a family nearby here in Michigan. Female could be pet or show.
Another new baby alpaca born yesterday and finally a girl. So for this year so far we have 7 boys and 2 girls!
So Goldie's baby was born with fly away ears, they curl backwards. It makes him look like a Chupacambra! I usually wait a week or two to see if they straighten on their own, but these ears were still curled way too much. So I taped them up a bit today, and we will ck again I'm a few days.
Another new alpaca baby born today. A beautiful gray male from Electra and Occult.
We have had a busy couple of days here on the farm. Yesterday we had Biosecure Alpaca shearers out to shear our 56 alpacas, just in time for them to be all prettied up for our visitors today. Today we had our spring Open House and had fun connecting with our friends and neighbors. Thank you everyone for coming! And thanks for all my helpers, Adam, Ruthanne, Eric, Christa and hubby Roy. And stepson Chad for doing such a good job getting everything cleaned up beforehand.
Shilo's puppies are starting to leave, which is always a sad day. Last night they had their vet checkup. We were the last appointment of the day, so all the staff at the Pytel Vet clinic, were excited they had such a great end to their day.
Hi there Alpaca friends. Thought you might like to see a little video of some awesome young males you might be interested in for your farm. We have a package of 3 -4 boys that will probably be more suited for a fiber farm, but have good pedigrees and better fleece than the average "pet boys" if you are interested in breeding. Those guys are Geronimo Apache and Comanche. Three white boys are quite high quality. The last boy in the video I mis-spoke. He is Cherokee and is a light fawn, that could go either way.
for more information on getting started with alpacas email me at [email protected] or visit our website at www.zodiacranch.com
Here is an interesting post from Dog Naturally magazine. There is nothing "special" about the prescription diets, people. Read the labels, you should be avoiding corn, wheat and soy in your dog's diet..................
PRESCRIPTION DIETS EVADE REGULATIONS
On February 17, 2012 Hill’s Pet Nutrition made one of the most profitable marketing moves in pet food history: they filed a trademark application for the term “Prescription Diet.”
Previous to this, nobody thought about how lucrative selling the same crummy ingredients could be if they simply required a prescription from vets. It was an ingenuous way to sell virtually the same foods found in the grocery store aisle with a grossly inflated price tag: through the influence of a trusted health professional.
This worked so well for Hill’s that other brands introduced veterinary diets. Soon, vets happily reported that between 35-40% of their patients were on veterinary diets. It was a win for the vets because they enjoyed a percentage of sales and it was a win for pet food makers.
Because Hill’s owned the trademark for “Prescription Diet” competitors like Iams, Royal Canin and Purina, were force to use the term “Veterinary Diet.” Regardless of the name, these companies made a fortune using prescriptions as a means to inflate prices on virtually the same foods they were already selling. Together, veterinary foods are expected to earn over $21 billion in 2024 and reach over $33 billion by 2029.
WHY PRESCRIPTION DIETS AREN’T REGULATED
Prescription and veterinary foods present a challenge when it comes to standards and regulations.
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) sets the standards for pet food claims and ingredients. But dog food labels can’t claim to treat, prevent or reduce the risk of any disease. They also can’t make claims such as “hypoallergenic” or “improves skin and coat” or any other claim that suggests any type of therapeutic benefit.
Once a pet food label makes any type of health claim, it becomes a drug and the claim would be regulated by the FDA, not AAFCO. So, unlike other dog foods, prescription diets are foods that are being marketed as drugs.
But the FDA clearly states that veterinary diets do not meet the requirements of a drug: “most dog and cat food products that claim on their labels or in their labeling or other manufacturer communications to treat or prevent disease are not approved new animal drugs, and do not comply with drug registration and listing requirements, or with current good manufacturing practices applicable to drugs even though the products are drugs under the FD&C Act.”
In the end, the FDA chooses to practice something called “enforcement discretion” for veterinary diets. The agency would ‘look the other way’ and allow prescription foods to be sold as long as:
They provide all or most of the nutrients in support of the animal’s total required daily nutrient needs,
The product labels and labeling and other manufacturer communications that were available to the general public (i.e., non-veterinary professionals) did not contain claims to treat or prevent disease, and
Those products are distributed only through licensed veterinarians.
The assumption is that, because the food is prescription only, the vet writing the prescription can safely and appropriately use the product. So prescription foods don’t need to meet AAFCO minimum nutritional requirements because they fall under FDA purview, while the FDA allowed pet food makers to sell an adulterated and misbranded product.
PET OWNERS WAKING UP?
Although AAFCO and the FDA continue to look the other way when it comes to veterinary diets, consumers may finally be waking up to the prescription fallacy.
A group of pet owners in Illinois recently filed an $80 million class action lawsuit against Hill’s Pet Nutrition, claiming Hill’s is using deceptive and practices to sell their prescription diets.
The suit claims: “Reasonable consumers expected, but did not receive, a substance that:
is legally required to be sold by prescription;
(b) contains a drug, medicine or other ingredient that is not common in non-prescription pet food;
(c) is medically necessary to the health of the pet for which it was prescribed;
(d) has been evaluated and approved by the FDA as a drug; and/or
(e) as to which Hill’s representations regarding intended uses and effects have been evaluated by the FDA.
Attorney Mike McGlamry, who represents the Illinois pet owners in the suit, explains:
“Hill’s picked the name ‘Prescription Diet.’ Hill’s spends millions to convince veterinarians to ‘prescribe’ these foods to the vulnerable owners of sick cats and dogs. And, no surprise, Hill’s charges a lot more for these products compared to similar and cheaper off-the-shelf pet foods that the company also makes.”
When questioned under oath in our case, however, Hill’s executives had to admit that its high-priced ‘Prescription Diet’ products contain no drugs or medicines and that no prescription is legally required.”
Pet owners who wish to join this class action or learn more information can call 877-265-7656.
If you bought prescription pet food from brands such as Hill's, Purina, Royal Canin, or Iams, you may have overpaid. Learn more.
On a scale of 1 - 10, how happy are you with your dogs food? You might want to hop on this Zoom call tonight to learn how to read dog food labels. Tell them I sent you, Linda Lundstrom
Pet Wellness Unleashed: Interpreting Dry Pet Food Labels: What Are You Really Feeding Your Pet?
5pm PT | 6pm MT | 7pm CT | 8pm ET
Join us as Mandy Mc T educates us and our customers on how to interpret dry pet food labels!
Register for the Zoom here: https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fus06web.zoom.us%2Fmeeting%2Fregister%2FtZMlcu2hqjIrHtBKJEr9I8Gl-eZ-slGUTfxF%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2zHHGQkWEiKu8wDzuTzCNXZGJC2tEZk-Y6QnPwgu8y58wut_ZIlDPjOM8_aem_AeKINvk4WMiR9foQMC2xAl23oAhoQliHtEVcDe5fcIhuUh4JaaCRKrNhXQpfS5cdjVG1a0a5pMvWk2TY2nPpnSMe&h=AT2iAParXVQDRULa_C9f3T6HvAxJ_NDa6_wzYJA54G0ObGZqiAIeZxFUGx2pRka2-LbBf0CoPWHv-pQexvbf8lJV0vBi8J_sqK9VZesHbLiw31byjXcF9mVYIY_LEIc0oQ&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT1q2rC_r4maMianmwPXSwDeM7gUxhAlXeLdOn-15S6OJZCWWZBWBifsY7JZ-j7auDyWLCaochYbhrChCU7BVCltufOvQtAfk-hXkmt2NCnZ4PBQkvTK8ZdmFcYnB78kzCEn7qGrn_HWHhpGXUdVsXZaxRvXEDW0UCI8RE6PASC0tm9nExzVZRbdrbuxGiey65_A0mgAmk1ym4joR8oLwMgwbET4wiAPewOjn4zDqgabhMhY
Yesterday, Sapphire had the first baby of the year here at Zodiac Ranch. A handsome dark brown boy by Snowmass Occult. He was born about 3 weeks early, but was fully developed and raring to go at almost 19 pounds. (Most newborn alpacas are about 13-16 pounds)
Mark the date for the Michigan Alpaca Fest. See you there!
We have puppies! Shilo easily gave birth last night to 8 beautiful babies. 4 boys and 4 girls.
Early Bird Deadline coming up soon! Get in your entries for our Michigan Show now. Contact me with any questions.
HAPPY UPDATE SHILO WAS FOUND TODAY BY SOME HIKERS (CHRIS AND AUDREY) WHILE HIKING IN PROUD LAKE RECREATION AREA. OTHER THAN A BUNCH OR BURRS AND SOME STINKY P**P THAT SHE ROLLED IN, SHE SEEMS FINE. THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR SHARES AND ENCOURAGEMENT. Friends of Zodiac Ranch
Could you all keep watch for my lost dog. She is a mid-size, northern breed with a curly tail. She looks like a Shiba Inu or small husky, and is a yellow/wheaten color. She jumped our fence on 12/28/2023, and as of today 12/31/2023 she is still on the run. She will be skittish so please don't try to chase. Message me with any sightings. Located near Wixom and Charms rd at the border of Milford and Commerce Twps.
Happy Giving Tuesday! Introducing the GOLDEN HEART SPONSORSHIP
We have a DREAM and I know our community can help make it come true! We want to allow ALL YOUTH to sign up, free of charge for the 2024 show. Absolutely FREE! If you, your farm, your business, your family, organization or to honor the memory of someone special, would like to sponsor, one youth entry - please use the Paypal link below to submit $100
If we can accomplish this goal, all youth slots will be no charge, when show registrations open up.
All GOLDEN HEART Sponsors will be recognized during the show, April 13th & 14th in Allegan, Michigan.
MI Alpaca Fest is a 501C3 nonprofit organization, and all donations are tax deductible. Please go to www.Paypal.com and send funds to [email protected]. Please notate the name you would like read during the show, and GOLDEN HEART SPONSORSHIP
https://youtu.be/7Q06R8OQIOc
The puppies were having fun in the first snowfall of the season.
for more info on Norwegian Buhund dogs contact [email protected]
New puppy video. Warning its kind of long.
https://youtu.be/Ljk05ATcKmI?si=q1R8ClTg1ilYEL03
We still have a few puppies looking for their forever homes. For more info, check out our website at www.Zodiac Ranch.com
The pups are getting frisky! Have a couple still looking for their forever homes.
https://youtu.be/cR6TrSoby9c?feature=shared
https://youtu.be/iYfFUaNMFsU?feature=shared
for more info on Norwegian Buhunds, contact [email protected]
Thank you everyone that came out to our Open House today. Ruthanne took a lot of good pics.
Come see us at Zodiac Ranch, Open house open until 4pm
Look at the difference in one week of growth and small litter vrs big litter! for more information on Norwegian Buhunds contact me at [email protected]...
Are you looking for a more sustainable alternative when it comes to your clothing and accessories? Then look no further than alpaca fiber!
Alpacas are the most sustainable livestock with their low carbon footprint, gentle grazing, and fertilizing waste. Not only are they gentle on the environment, but the properties of their fiber are unmatched.
Looking to find some quality alpaca products? Check out our marketplace at https://www.alpacainfo.com/alpaca-marktplace
We had a cute baby born today. He has a white tip on his tail.
Wixom Road
Milford, MI
48381
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Another new baby alpaca born yesterday and finally a girl. So for this year so far we have 7 boys and 2 girls!
Do Alpacas Spit?
Come see us at Zodiac Ranch, Open house open until 4pm
