The News At Home
Tori and I went for a walk on October 30th. Many houses around here are decked out for Halloween, and pumpkins are everywhere. Tori seems to think the pumpkins on porches are potential friends or toys of some sort. She found it difficult to move past any house that displayed decorations, pumpkins in particular. This changed when we reached a house that has huge, carved pumpkins on the lawn, around the base of one tree and on the porch. She pulled on the leash so hard that I became curious about what made this particular house special. Surely the pumpkins had to too tempting for her, I thought. I was wrong.

Paws flying past the decorations, Tori wanted to go inside this particular house. The owners have their own dog, and are familiar with Tori, so we were invited inside. Neither pumpkins nor another dog were on Tori’s mind. Instead, she moved straight to the kitchen where popcorn balls were being made, and she began to whine. The nose knows!.

What’s New at monicasegal.com
New Booklet: Canine Cancer 2nd Edition

Offering new information that includes some of the latest research initiatives, as well as two raw and two cooked diet samples for 20 pound, 50 pound, and 70 pound dogs, this new booklet also discusses myths that circulate on the Internet. A diagnosis of cancer demands action based on facts. The power of foods and dietary supplements should not be ignored. Both offer hope, and in many cases, have proven to extend longevity. This important information should be considered by anyone with a dog that has cancer, and should not be ignored by those who believe that having the knowledge before it becomes mandatory to find it is a key component to caring for our dogs

We Welcome Gourmet Doggie Diner in North Dakota

We are delighted to announce that Gourmet Doggie Diner now offers many of our supplements. If you live in North Dakota, you’ve probably read the rave reviews in local newspapers, and if you don’t live in the area, you should know that Gourmet Doggie Diner can arrange delivery. Gourmet Doggie Diner offers cooked and raw meals as well as high quality commercial foods. Check out their amazing selection of cakes, cookies and treats, and pick up our top quality supplements while you’re there!

Fact of the Month
Satin Balls Are Unbalanced

There are many variations of this recipe on the Internet. The mixture is meant to help dogs gain weight. If used as a treat, it may not be bad, but feed it more often and you’re likely to cause problems. Let’s start by looking at the recipe:
10 lbs. hamburger (the cheapest kind.)
1-1/4 cups molasses
1-1/4 cup vegetable oil
10 raw eggs with shell
1 lg. box Total cereal (I used the 1 lb. box)
1 jar wheat germ (I used a 20 oz. jar)
1 lg. box oatmeal
10 envelopes unflavored gelatin

The entire recipe provides 24,303 kilocalories, so let’s break this down a more workable number. To maintain bodyweight, a moderately active dog requires about 1,008 kilocalories per day. We arrive at 1,012 kilocalories by using the recipe over a 24 day period. Based on this, an analysis shows the following.

Calcium requirement is 1,549 mg, Diet provides 1,493 mg
Phosphorus requirement is 1,191.55 mg. Diet provides 854.50 mg
Magnesium requirement is 234.74. Diet provides 237.31 (good news)
Sodium requirement is 312.19 mg. Diet provides 290 mg
Potassium requirement is 1,668.17 mg. Diet provides 1,276.65 mg
Iron requirement is 11.92 mg. Diet provides 19.99 mg
Copper requirement is 2.38 mg. Diet provides 0.83 mg
Zinc requirement is 23.83 mg. Diet provides 22.45 mg.
Manganese requirement is 1.91 mg. Diet provides 5.90 mg
Selenium requirement is 140.60 mcg. Diet provides 58.77 mcg
Iodine requirement is 352.70 mcg. Diet provides no iodine

The news about vitamins isn’t much better. The diet is grossly deficient in vitamins A and D. It is also deficient in vitamins B2, B-12, and vitamin E.

Rather than looking for a quick-fix, feed a balanced diet. Clearly, this satin ball recipe will negatively impact your dog’s health over time. Indeed, if added to a diet that is already balanced, you are over supplying some minerals and certainly underfeeding others, but now, the entire diet becomes grossly unbalanced. Healthy weight gain comes from increasing calories, but it is critical to consider the nutrient value of the diet as a whole.

Recently in Print

My article about feeding the stud dog has been published in The Royal Dispatch, and my article about commercial dog treats is about to be published in Animal Wellness magazine.

Monica

“I think we are drawn to dogs because they are the uninhibited creatures we might be if we weren't certain we knew better.’
-- George Bird Evans, "Troubles with Bird Dogs"