There’s a time and place for traditional medicine, but we prefer to prevent problems if at all possible. The Boxer, and Border Collie booklets, along with supportive supplements are your best bet for helping these dogs stay healthy for a longer period of time. Check out the savings when you choose to buy a three-pack of booklets, and you can learn about these breeds as well as two other subjects that can help even more.

All breeds have genetic weaknesses that dispose them to certain diseases. Mike Cormier DVM and I work together in taking a proactive approach. Dr. Cormier writes about the breed’s possible problems, questions to ask a breeder, which conditions a good vet will check for, and what the symptoms and treatment may involve. Based on breed health dispositions, I have written about the best food and supplement choices most likely to benefit a breed, and explain what lies behind my suggestions. This information is adaptable to all methods of feeding (kibble, cooked or raw)

Are you part of a rescue group that needs to raise funds? Buy 48 or more booklets and we’ll give you a deep discount to support your effort! Contact us, and please accept our thanks for the wonderful work that you do.

Q&A of the Month

As you might guess, I receive a tremendous amount of email daily. Some of it is from clients, but there are always at least another thirty or so emails from people who have questions pertaining to just about anything that concerns dogs. Here are just a few of the questions received this month, followed by my replies. My hope is that these might help you and your dogs.

Q: I’m formulating my dog’s diet and there’s so much vitamin A in it that I’m worried about toxicity. How do I reduce vitamin A?

A: Depending on the source of vitamin A, and the amount, you may not need to reduce it. Remember that vitamin A from vegetable sources is converted by the body only as it’s required. The rest is simply excreted. Vitamin A from meat/oil sources (think of animal livers or cod liver oil) is well absorbed, so if you were to feed an incredibly large amount of those, there might be a problem. The bigger potential problem, in the case of feeding animal livers, especially beef and lamb liver (in this order) is that they provide a large amount of copper. Toxicity from copper is reached much easier than from vitamin A. In fact, studies show that healthy dogs can handle at least 10 x (some suggest much, much more) the recommended allowance of vitamin A. This is not necessarily the case for liver-compromised dogs. Suggestion: focus on the amount of vitamin A derived from meat sources and oils. Ignore the amount that vegetables contribute.

Q: My dog was diagnosed with IBD. This diet is home-made and mostly he’s doing ok. But sometimes he has a bad flare-up and I don’t know why.

A: Assuming that the dog doesn’t have a parasite (worms shed in cycles, so a negative fecal test isn’t necessarily meaningful) diet is consistent rather than varying from one day to the next, it might be a case of indiscriminate eating (grass, twigs, something found on a walk, rabbit poop, etc) and/ or a gut that needs some help in general. If you’re not already using a probiotic, I suggest that you buy acidophilus. There are other probiotics of course, but acidophilus is the best studied in dogs and seems to do the best job. Be sure it’s lactose free. Also, consider L-Glutamine (a component of cells that are plentiful in the epithelial lining of the gastrointestinal tract) as a supplement to help the gut. Use a product that isn’t derived from wheat or an animal source because there’s less risk of a negative reaction this way. Be sure to introduce acidophilus and L-Glutamine at least one week apart. It’s easy to become confused as what causes a reaction if you feed them at the same time to start.

Q: Can I use canned salmon instead of wild salmon oil?

A: Only to a point. Other than the obvious difference in calories between the two products, canned salmon adds calcium, quite a lot of sodium, and a whopping amount of vitamin D. Give consideration to how this affects the overall diet and use canned salmon appropriately.

Q: What’s your take on antioxidants for dogs?

A: Antioxidants are foods that fight for you and your dog. “Phyto” means plant, and health promoting compounds from plant sources interact to help the body stay healthy and fight disease. Most vital of these foods are those that act as antioxidants. They neutralize the free-radical oxygen molecules that damage DNA, and can lead to cancer. Vitamin E, selenium, and a host of phytonutrients are all powerful antioxidants. It takes more than the odd serving to reap benefits. In some cases, supplementation may be the best way to get these vitamins and minerals.

Q: I’ve heard good things about lycopene. How do I give it to my dog?

A: Lycopene is a type of antioxidant found chiefly in tomatoes (it’s what makes them red) as well as papaya and watermelon. The evidence supporting a lycopene-rich diet for people is very convincing. I don’t know that the same would apply to dogs, but certainly, it may be worth trying. Fresh fruits and veggies aren’t necessarily the best way to get lycopene. Cooked tomatoes are better than fresh ones because lycopene is fat-soluble: the body absorbs more when the tomato is processed with a little oil. Cooking is also preferred since heat releases lycopene from inside the cells. Consider sardines packed in tomato sauce (watch the sodium content) and be careful that no onion was added) may be of interest to you. Adding a little cooked tomato to your dog’s food would also be an option.

Monica

“If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health.’
-- Hippocrates