August 2010

Hi Dr. Greg,

I’m writing to you to follow up with you on our Brittany “Scout”, and most importantly, to say THANK YOU!!!

After following your advice to transition Scout away from dry food to the “Dog Dish Diet”, within 48 hours her problem with gas and diarrhea ended.  Digestive problems have plagued her since we brought her home at 12 weeks.  At 18 months, after trying several dry dog food changes, we were beginning to think that her problems would be lifelong.  After switching to the Dog Dish Diet, the change was so immediate it was startling.  We have not had a single bout of diarrhea since, and all gassiness has ended.  At the same time we switched her away from rawhide bones to bones that you recommended in your book.  Within 2-3 weeks her teeth became bright white – we laugh because she looks like she has been using Crest white strips!!

Anyway, we wanted to give it time, just to make sure that we did not have a setback before writing.  The diet is easy to make, takes little time, and costs about the same.  Her energy level is high and weight is perfect.

Dr Greg, we are amazed at the transformation!!  Thank you very much!!!

Any thoughts on a book on cats?

I have received so much positive feedback that I want anybody that has a dog with skin, ear , stomach,bowel, kidney, bladder, or seizure problems to consider the diet they are feeding. I have seen a few dogs that dietary changes  do not help, but most show pretty dramatic improvement like Scout did. Ingredients and the types of food can make all the difference!! Check out Dog Dish Diet, and treat your dog to a life of healthier ingredients and fewer medical problems!!

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The joint is a marvel of engineering. Each one handles running, jumping, twisting, and turning for a lifetime if not over-stressed or  improperly nourished and maintained. The cartilage surface of the joint is super-smooth and the cartilage that covers each end of the bones is spongy to absorb shock. With stress the cartilage may compress and get rough and lose the ability to do its job…absorb shock and provide a gliding surface. Joints help our pets bend and move about quickly and efficiently.

Picture the cartilage cushions of the joint as a waterbed with baffles. Pressure is absorbed and the water filled mattress changes shape and expands, then recoils as the pressure is removed. The cartilage pads act in the same way, until they become compromised by wear and tear and undernourishment.

Obesity in dogs gives the joint a double whammy. Obese dogs are not as active and the joint does not enjoy the bathing of nutrients and the constant expelling of waste products with each step and jump. The water filled cartilage becomes stagnant and leaky; losing its cushioning effect. Without a space and slick surface; friction ruins perfection and degenerative arthritis sets in.

Common commercial diets may not contain the necessary ingredients for optimum joint health. Funny that both dogs and their owners often take supplements for ailing joints. Is it possible that commercial diets don’t supply all that is needed to keep our joints in good repair? Cartilage and bones  are not as much a part of the diet as in the past and the  joints may be letting us know that. I crock pot the whole chicken, bones and all for my dogs and cats, until the cooked bones are soft. I also now eat the ends of the chicken bones to help my joints out. I think that decades of prepared diets are wearing on both animals and humans. How do you reverse the damage? Proper nutrition and Dog Dish Diet! If your dog is inactive and is gaining weight or too heavy, it may be headed for surgery or daily pain medication!

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When you are in the great outdoors and hiking things just seem simpler. I started thinking about the great lectures by Ross Palmer DVM and Michael Lappin DVM PHD about infectious diseases and inflammation due to arthritis.(ivseminars.com) I have often thought that food allergies cause so many problems due to their  wrath of the skin, ears, bowels, bladder, anal glands, and brain.

I was hiking after a reported fatal Grizzly attack in my area. The shrill alarm call of a Pika (rodent about size of a hamster) made me jump. Then a moose jumped out of the brush and really unnerved me for a moment. She stared at me as if to say “It’s early and I was busy eating, do you mind?” I didn’t feel like such a big strong hiker after all! By the way, there is a bear spray that will stop a charge at 15-30 feet. I did not buy any; I was prepared to slowly back away or play dead if necessary.

So if your pet eats ingredients that cause inflammation, it may cause itching, redness, or pain in various organs. Common sites are the ears, skin, stomach, bowels, anal glands, bladder, liver, kidneys, and brain. Any chronic infection that keeps returning may be due to inflammation letting it happen.

I was lying by a creek near Dubois, Wyoming and turned to look when Lonna said my name in a slightly higher pitch than normal. That usually means she is alarmed or excited, or needs something. Lonna was reading her book and glanced up to see a large nose attached to a deer head, mule ears, broad shoulders, and small butt looking through at her through the windshield of our rental car. I rolled over to see a mommy and baby moose less than 10 feet away from me in front of our car. She was now interested in me and what I was doing. I know enough about animals and especially about how protective and aggressive moose can be with kids in tow. I slowly got up and backed away and the baby immediately started to nurse.  After the meal, both moved back to the brush for snack.

Dr. Lappin talked about how organs can send up the white flag, when an infection of the tissues or blood by bacteria is in progress. Funny enough, same thing happens with allergies. When an allergen comes in contact with an organ of a sensitive animal, things get red and irritated and don’t work so well. The skin will itch, the ears will get red and gunky, the stomach gets irritated an rejects food, the bowels get irritated and push everything out the rear end, the anal glands become sore and inflamed, the bladder gets red and irritated, and the brain shorts out on occasion. This could be the universal theory of inflammation and illness. Bacteria or food ingredient s can both cause problems. Inflammation could lead to infection. (As in chronic skin, ear, and bowel problems.)

Dr Palmer talked about the role of obesity in joint inflammation and declining lifespan in dogs and enjoyed my insights in Dog Dish Diet. We both know that our canine population needs to lose weight to live longer , happier, healthier lives. Check out how my insights can help you save your dog misery and trips to the vet for chronic health problems in Dog Dish Diet. Your dog will love the variety and you will see the results!

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Where did the bulldog breed originate?

Bulldogs were originally bred to be tough working dogs. Most were bred for herding and guarding and some were bred to fight with bulls. Exact origins are disputed but in general involved breeding with Mastiffs, pugs, and other like breeds.

Breeding for a short muzzle and compact muscular shape has caused many of the different bulldog breeds to have noisy breathing, heat sensitivity, allergies, problems with their skin, eyes, and eyelids, and abnormally shaped joints and vertebrae. If you think about the outside physical differences between the wolf (distant ancestor) and bulldog, it isn’t too hard to imagine how intense the breeding had to be to produce such changes and how such internal changes could lead to chronic medical problems. When we breed for a look, we may be unknowingly breeding for a change in body structure or function that is not beneficial to the individual. That is the source of many of the medical problems in the Bulldog Breeds

For example, the soft palette is often too long (actually it is probably the right size for a dog with a normal sized nose) for the throat. It is jammed up against the windpipe and can cause snoring as the airway is restricted. The palette can be sucked right on top of the windpipe when affected dogs take a breath. The sounds we hear can be mild or very loud depending on how much tissue is sitting on the windpipe. In addition nostrils can also be too narrow or pinched and the throat can be smaller than normal due to the breathing stuff jammed into a small space.

If your dog snores loudly or has trouble breathing, your vet can examine, take x-rays, and check out the back of the throat under anesthesia to see if surgically shortening the palette or enlarging the nostrils will help ease the breathing difficulty.

Exercise, heat, obesity, or stress can turn a small breathing problem into a big one as the lungs and brain put demands on a restricted breathing passage. That is why the breed is so prone to overheating or “heat stroke”.

In fact, this is the reason bulldogs and pugs have the most medical problems during air travel. Some have trouble breathing and regulating body temperature when temperatures swing from cold to hot in a short time.

Obesity will put pressure on the diaphragm and lungs and decrease the ability to breathe in and out effectively. Fat dogs are much more prone to heat stroke, bronchitis, and exhaustion. Learn what types of foods cause obesity.

Loose skin has its advantages when fighting. It doesn’t tear as easy. However when bunched up in folds, is too moist and will grow yeast and bacteria. The musty, dark, creased areas develop skin fold dermatitis, which is a fancy term for a moist area that grows bugs. Some deep folds need to be swabbed daily with an antibacterial swab or cleanser to prevent infection.

Breeding for loose folded skin has caused the eyelids to sometimes fold inward and rub on the eyeball, or sag outward and leave the eye and membranes exposed to lots of dust and constant irritation and infection. Fortunately these conditions can be surgically corrected by your veterinarian. Breeding for bulgy eyes promote eye problems like ulcers, cherry eye, and dry eye because the lids and glands do not wash, lubricate and nourish the eye as intended. Using artificial tears daily may help prevent irritated or under-lubricated eyes.

Breeding for short compact bodies has caused back problems in over 50% of the various bulldog breeds. Pressure to become shorter has caused abnormally shaped vertebrae which are prone to more wear and tear. This may cause the discs of the back to wear out faster, causing pain, paralysis, arthritis, and back pain.

Hip dysplasia, or the defective ball and socket joint of the femur and pelvis, and problems with the knee cap “going out” and displacing to one side or other of the knee joint or stifle are also common orthopedic or structural problems associated with the bulldog breed.

Glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM joint supplements or feeding crock potted, raw, or smoked bones may help nourish damaged joints and delay arthritis.

Obesity or the accumulation of fat will put pressure on the diaphragm, making it harder to breathe and will pull down on the back. This can stress already compromised breathing and bad backs. That is why keeping your bulldog trim is the most important thing you can do

Allergies to food ingredients and pollens cause bulldogs to have hives, ear infections, hotspots, skin infections, stomach upsets, and diarrhea. Inflamed skin and bowels will often let parasites in. Demodex mites love to set up housekeeping when the skin is irritated. Giardia will colonize an inflamed bowel much easier than a healthy one. Yeast and bacteria love an inflamed ear.

Bulldogs need to avoid the food ingredients that cause the inviting inflammation and welcome invaders to the skin, ears, bowels, or bladder. Glutens and beef are the most common allergens in commercial foods. In addition the high carbohydrate content and low moisture of commercial kibble or dry food can also lead to obesity and urinary problems (bladder infections and stones) in some dogs. Doggy “fast food” and treats turn some dogs into heavy, itchy, pooping nightmares.

In my book, Dog Dish Diet (www.dogdishdiet.com), I will teach you how to avoid or prevent these chronic medical problems that can occur when allergies and the type of commercial food combine with the bulldog’s sensitivities. In fact a better diet will help any dog with medical problems, or prevent future ones.

Fortunately, Bulldog mixes are now introducing new genes and may reduce the long laundry list of health problems. Remember, we made ‘em and we can fix ‘em.

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