2012

You all know that dogs and cats can get into trouble on the Holidays, and some may need a trip to the animal ER. Animal emergency clinics are fully staffed and ready to handle all types of sickness and trauma. With that 24 hour ability, comes a bigger bill than most daytime practices. When your pet needs that level of support, the emergency clinics are invaluable. Just be prepared to pay quite a bit more by cash, check, or credit card.

You can prevent trips to the ER by keeping a watchful eye out for common problems.  I’ll outline a few for you!

1. Dogs or cats running out open doors or gates. Guests, friends, and family may not notice escapees. Let everyone know or post a sign! Keep nervous dogs or cats in comfortable bedrooms, studies, garages, or laundry rooms with warm areas and water. Warn guests that nervous dogs or cats don’t really want attention!
2. Make sure human medication and over the counter anti-inflammatory medicine like Tylenol, Ibuprofen are kept off counters and night stands.  Keep bedroom doors closed because dogs and cats love to explore and lend their odor to a stranger’s room. They may pee, poop, chew, or puke on a family members things. Of course that may be a good way to shorten a visit. Just kidding…we all love our family!
3. Keep known toxins out of reach.(chocolate, grapes, raisins, macadamia nuts , bread dough, and plants  like poinsettias, mistletoe, and Easter lilies)
4. Puppies and Kittens will hunt and destroy stuff! The world is for smelling, chewing, attacking, and destroying when you are a young pet. Power cords are to be chewed on. Ornaments, tinsel, plants, Christmas trees, and treated tree water are all fair game. Puppies and kittens may become nauseous from eating plants, flocking, and trees or drinking tree water. That may pass after a puking session or two. However, tinsel and ornaments can cause intestinal blockage in dogs or cats. Kittens and cats love to jump and attack light moving tinsel, but it can knot their intestines up and require surgery to fix. Tinsel may not be a good idea with pets. Keep those younger pets away from the pretty, yet dangerous tree!
5. You can use hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting in dogs(not cats) by giving them several tablespoons. Vomiting will get rid of medications or chocolate. If your dog is down or real sick do not give peroxide. Just head for help at the nearest vet ER.
6. If a dog or cat is used to dry kibble or cat food, a different food or fatty food may cause stomach upset, vomiting, or diarrhea. Pieces of chicken, turkey, fish, pork, or beef may be fine for those used to meat and not sensitive to the meat in question. Vegetables like green beans , carrots, potatoes, peas, or fruit are also healthy human food you can feed to dogs . Rice is also a good treat. However, a dog not used to other food beside kibble may become ill when fed too much fat, or a meat they don’t tolerate well. Some people are allergic or sensitive to ingredients. We wouldn’t advise a sensitive human to eat peanuts, glutens, shrimp, beef, or other ingredients they are sensitive to. Dogs are no different.  Fasting for 12 hours , then feeding white rice with a tsp of chicken baby food  and tsp of plain cultured yogurt may help with mild cases of diarrhea. Take your dog or cat to the ER if they are acting really sick (lots of vomiting and diarrhea).
7. You can use pepcid AC for mild stomach upset in dogs. 10mg tablet (1/2 for a small dog, one for a medium or large dog daily for a couple days)
8. Cooked bones can be brittle and sharp. Big pieces, or too many bones can cause intestinal obstruction or severe constipation. In Dog Dish Diet and Feed Your Pet to Avoid the Vet I advise feeding slow cooked or raw bones for the minerals and joint nutrition. Dogs that wolf down bones may be at risk for intestinal problems. However feeding the right bones and letting dogs chew on them can clean teeth and provide great nutrition.

Greg Martinez DVM has advised his clients to feed better diets for years.  He wrote Dog Dish Diet and Feed Your Pet to Avoid the Vet to help pet owners learn how to cure medical problems  or prevent new ones with a better mix of ingredients. He has found many medical problems (skin problems, ear infections, bladder problems, bowel problems , and seizures ) respond when allergens are avoided, carbohydrates are decreased, omega oils are added, and moisture in the diet is increased. He feeds his pets home cooked food , raw food, and hypoallergenic  canned food .

Video on Holiday Dangers in Pets

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Dogs know two things: our love and the love you can’t eat. For many dog lovers, it can sometimes be difficult to separate the two, especially when berated with a pleading look from those soulful, manipulative eyes. However, just as it is not good for humans to eat certain ingredients ourselves, it is the same  for dogs, which can have sensitive stomachs, and physical reactions to their food. (itchy skin, ear infections, anal gland problems, bladder infections, bladder stones, diarrhea, and seizures) Whether after meals your pet’s rear becomes a noxious weapon of doom, he exhibits diarrhea or vomiting, or appears to have no adverse reactions at all, one thing is certain; a healthy, balanced diet will allow your pet to live a longer, healthier  life and allow for a less toxic living space. Win-win. 

            But where do you start? Well, the phrase “holistic food” gets thrown around a lot, but what does that mean? And how can you be sure it is what you’re getting?

First, a holistic diet for dogs is simply one in which all nutrition requirements are met, in quantities which the body can absorb and utilize. Essentially, holistic foods don’t mess around with extra stuff like dies, animal by-products, or chemical preservatives.  Feeding dogs processed “people food”or allergenic ingredients is not a good choice, because it tends to have items that inflame the body or don’t break down very easily. They either wreak havoc with the digestive system (most notably the pancreas) or get stored as extra weight. Dogs, like people, need six basic nutrient types for energy, proper growth, and overall well-being (no sluggish, depressed mutant puppies for us!). These nutrient classes are proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water.

 Proteins

This will be the Schwarzenegger portion of your dog’s diet, sans the impressive biceps. As the basic building blocks for cells, tissues, organs, enzymes, hormones and antibodies, proteins are essential for growth, maintenance, reproduction, repair and energy. Proteins can be obtained from a number of sources. Animal-based proteins such as chicken, lamb, turkey, beef, fish and egg have complete amino acid profiles, meaning they contain all of the amino acids (the building blocks for proteins) that your dog needs.

Fats

The most concentrated form of food energy, fats provide your pet with more than twice the energy of proteins or carbohydrates. Fats are essential in the structure of cells and are needed for the production of some hormones. They are also required for absorption and utilization of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, and E. They are also essential for healthy skin and coat. Essential fatty acids are divided into two groups—Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Ingredients like chicken fat and sunflower oil are great sources of Omega-6 fatty acids while flax seed, herring oil and salmon oil are key sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. The correct balance of fats can be found in top rated healthy dog food. Because while people come in all shapes and sizes, dogs really should stay dog-shaped, not stumpy and round.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are a key source of energy for dogs. Whole grains, like whole ground brown rice, and whole ground barley and oats, are all low-fat sources of highly-digestible complex carbohydrates. Whole grains are also a rich source of dietary fiber—both soluble and insoluble—which is crucial for healthy intestinal function (limiting deadly fume emissions). Whole grains are also helpful with the common problem of constipation in dogs, which can be caused by a diet that is lacking in fiber. So basically, the perfect amount of poop.

Vitamins and Chelated Minerals

Vitamins and minerals work together, in conjunction with your pet’s natural enzymes, to help with digestion, reproduction and muscle and bone growth. They are also essential for healthy skin and coat and support immune system health, too.

 Here are some of the key vitamins your pet needs on a daily basis: vitamins A, B12, C, D, and E. A higher-quality dog food contains nutritious fruit and vegetables which provide many key vitamins. For example, peas, potatoes and carrots are great sources of Vitamin A, while blueberries are an excellent source of Vitamin C. Pretty much all the stuff you can’t get your kids to eat, except that they’re mixed with chicken or beef, so your dog is all about it.

Also, the better the food, the more likely it is to contain these minerals: manganese, iron, potassium, copper, and calcium and phosphorus. But, because these minerals are hard for dogs to absorb, it’s important their food be supplemented with “chelated” minerals (which sounds made up, but bear with me…).  A chelated mineral is one that is “attached” to easily absorbable amino acids, which means they will get into your pet’s bloodstream more readily.

Water (Duh)

A vital nutrient, water accounts for between 60 to 70 percent of an adult pet’s body weight. While food may help meet some of your pet’s water needs (dry food has up to 10 percent moisture, while canned food has up to 78 percent moisture), dogs need to have fresh clean water available to them at all times. Water is the medium for all chemical reactions in the body that produce energy. Plus, how else would they manage to pee all over your garden/house/yard?

So how do you know all this is in your dog’s food? Well, it’s a long-held secret: you read the label. Magic, I know.

Conversely, if the label lists any of these products, try and avoid them: chicken or poultry by-product meals, corn, wheat or soy proteins (glutens), and artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. There is a lot of science as to why these items aren’t good for your dog, but the bottom line is they are non-essential and difficult to break down. And they are yucky (mmm, ground, processed chicken feet…).

So, there it is, a quick-and-dirty guide for a happier, healthier pup. Don’t forget though, that like humans, dogs can be born with digestive abnormalities, and can develop allergies. The best way to establish a nutrition plan is to run your research by your local vet.

This article comes from NerdWallet.com, a consumer-focused, data-driven website.

A reader asked me yesterday if I were anti-grain, because in my eBook, “Feed Your Pet to Avoid the Vet” and in my book, “Dog Dish Diet”, I start with meat and veggies. Many dogs seem to have sensitivities to wheat gluten and that is a known allergen. So I usually avoid wheat and barley until we are sure that they are  comfortable with meat and veggies. Another reason is that many dogs are overweight and don’t need the additional carbohydrate calories in grains.

In the article, the writer comments about “human food” not being as easily digested. Most people assume quality dog food is better for dogs. Raw food and home cooked food are whole food ingredients that are healthy for dogs. I agree with the writer, it is all about ingredients. For example, overweight dogs may not be able to handle the high percentage of carbohydrate in dry commercial foods.

That’s why I wrote Dog Dish Diet and Feed Your Pet to Avoid the Vet. I want to help you make the right choices in how to feed your pet. No marketing or hype, just common sense.

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I have been giving nutritional advice to my clients for years.  What does that mean? It is actually more practical and easy to follow than most people would think. Most people think nutritional counseling involves buying supplements or labor intensive recipes.

Medical problems stemming from a commercial food or treats that are not tolerated may improve or disappear when the diet is changed. I am still amazed how ear problems in Labs decrease or vanish when Labs are fed hypoallergenic ingredients.

Doug and Cindy Wilbur’s Lab, Ranger, had chronic ear infections for months and was 15 pounds overweight. After they followed my advice, the ear infections cleared up and Ranger dropped those extra pounds. All they had to do is read the labels on commercial food and treats and cut down on the amount of food!  Ranger did well once he was changed to Taste of the Wild’s Salmon and Sweet Potato dry or canned food.

Maci, was a 7 year old corgi that may have developed kidney problems and failure after eating chicken jerky treats made in China. She came into the clinic not feeling well and blood tests revealed kidney problems.  Even though there have been hundreds of cases reported, it has been hard to find a cause for failing kidneys, after eating jerky treats.  Of course, other known toxins can cause problems without knowing the exact cause. For example, grapes and raisins are known to cause kidney failure in some dogs without knowing which exact ingredient in the fruit causes the problem.  If I were you, I would avoid jerky treats made in China.

Buy treats made with meat and rice or meat with fruit or veggies. Try to avoid commercial treats loaded with wheat gluten. I believe grain filled commercial treats are good for my business (which is terrible!)and probably contribute to many common medical problems I see daily. (Diarrhea, itchy skin, ear infections, or even seizures.) You can also feed pieces of chicken or turkey hotdogs, baby carrots, or baked yams.( A 30 pound dog needs 21 grams of protein a day…a hot dog contains 7 grams of protein!). The typical biscuit or treat is mostly carbohydrate, an ingredient our itchy, obese, pets just don’t need.

Raw food or home cooking may be better than dry kibble when pets have moderate to severe medical problems or pet owners want to feed their pets a more natural diet. I home cook for my dogs and feed my dogs and cats raw meat at least twice a week. ( They are carnivores!)

Greg Martinez DVM has advised his clients to feed better diets for years.  He wrote Dog Dish Diet and Feed Your Pet to Avoid the Vet to help pet owners learn how to cure medical problems  or prevent new ones with a better mix of ingredients. He has found many medical problems (skin problems, ear infections, bladder problems, bowel problems , and seizures ) respond when allergens are avoided, carbohydrates are decreased, omega oils are added, and moisture in the diet is increased. He feeds his pets home cooked food , raw food, and hypoallergenic  canned food .

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I was talking to a veterinarian the other day about something we spend much of our day treating. Itchy skin and ear problems in dogs can take up from 20 to 40% of our day.

The worst part is that if we don’t get to the root or cause of the skin and ear issues, the itching, bacterial and yeast infections, hotspots, and sore ears will continue to bother our patients. Many pet owners don’t realize that allergies can cause skin and ear problems.

If the causes of the allergies are identified, then the medical problems caused by allergies can often be controlled or cured.

We know that fleas will cause a dog to itch the butt and tail head area. When fleas cause itching, they are often present (or small dark flea poop that turns red with moisture because it is ingested blood). Fleas are easily treated with topical (Advantage and Trifexis) and oral flea control (Comfortis). Dogs that are sensitive to fleas need to always be on a good flea control program! As with antibiotics some flea control products seem to work better in some pets and in some areas. Some clients report the presence of fleas even after recent applications of Frontline products. It seems reasonable to assume that nature will find a way around most chemicals we throw at them! So if one product doesn’t work on your pet, try something else! (I have found that dogs fed a raw diet or home cooked diet often repel fleas or aren’t as sensitive to fleas as dry food eaters.)

Hay fever or atopy affected dogs will lick and itch their paws and have red skin on the inside of their ears. Sneezing and runny itchy eyes often accompany itchy ears and paws when the dog is allergic to pollens and molds in the environment. Hay fever or atopy in dogs can be treated with antihistamines (check out the dosages in my free download, 11 Practical Home Remedies). More oils and a hypoallergenic diet can also help make the skin healthier and less itchy. Many dogs can be affected by more than one allergy!

Dermatologists now recommend twice weekly shampooing with oatmeal, conditioning shampoos, or prescription shampoos to remove the allergens, yeast, or bacteria that can irritate or infect your dog! More frequent bathing may help irritated, itchy, skin along with antihistamines, or medication prescribed by your vet. Antibiotics, Ketoconazole, Cyclosporine, or Prednisone may also be needed to help with symptoms. Cyclosporine has come down in price and can be really reduce ear and skin problems in affected dogs.

Skin tests or blood tests can be helpful to identify the pollens or grasses that cause the most problems. Allergy injections may reduce problems by coaxing the immune system to not react to the pollens and molds. Respit offers regional allergens orally without blood or skin testing. Your vet can order allergens specifically made for your area and you give them to your dog orally or by injection. (http://vetrespit.com/pet-parents). Both treatments can take months to show improvement and some animals may not improve at all. However if they do, our pets need less medication and are happier!

Better ingredients, hypoallergenic diets, raw food, more oils, homemade food, and avoiding treats and chews can help dogs that suffer from food allergy. Those dogs with food allergies will itch their sides and their butt area and often will have chronic goopy waxy ear infections. (Often in only one ear. Hay fever sufferers often have very red inflamed ears without the goopy ears ). These suffering dogs will often improve with a limited ingredient diet with salmon or duck with potato. Treats and chews are often the culprit behind chronic ear infections and diarrhea. If your dog is really sensitive and needs special food, try a better treat like baby carrots or pieces of turkey or chicken hot dogs. If you want to try an elimination diet, you can try a hypoallergenic commercial food.

Why would a raw diet or home cooked diet help a dog repel fleas or infections? I think that an important layer of skin oil,present when the right oils are fed,  helps repel fleas and prevent yeast and bacterial infections. This skin barrier has been protecting animals for millions of years. If the skin does not have the right kind, or not enough oils, the “barrier” becomes a home for bacteria  and yeast. That’s why frequent bathing may help!

In “Feed Your Pet to Avoid the Vet” and “Dog Dish Diet” I teach dog owners about food allergies and why diet is so important. In “Feed Your Pet”, I teach allergic dog owners to home-make an elimination diet. Slow cooking chicken, eggs, turkey, beef, or fish with veggies, rice, or potatoes may help solve allergy mysteries! Homemade pet food can be the best treatment for dogs plagued with ear and skin issues. Avoiding common allergens in commercial food and treats, more oils, and home cooked pet food can help with many chronic medical problems in both dogs and cats. If you haven’t already, check out the “Dog Dish Diet” and “Feed Your Pet to Avoid the Vet”. It is easy to see if a better commercial diet or home cooked diet will help with your pet’s skin, ears, or bowels. Home cooked meals may also help with bladder crystals and stones and to control seizures. Veterinarians are not taught how to help owners feed the right things. I had to learn this by studying and applying what I learned.

Feed Your Pet to Avoid the Vet  also has slow cooking recipes for cats!

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Everyday a client brings a pet into the clinic for stomach or bowel trouble. The cause of  vomiting and diarrhea can be due to a virus, giardia, coccidia, bacteria, or new food  or treat. If the vomiting or diarrhea is severe and your pet looks ill,they may need a veterinary exam and tests to treat serious illnesses like parvo,pancreatitis, or obstructions. For example if your pet has a soft stool and is happy, some practical home remedies may work just fine. However if  your pet is ill and resembles a brown rainbird when it goes potty, a vet visit is in order. 

Puppies are especially prone to infections with parvovirus, giardia, and coccidia. A fresh stool sample will often help diagnose the infection. Puppies also chew anything and everything. A piece of a toy, plastic, foil, fabric, plant, cat poop, or something dead can upset the bowel or give a pup food poisoning (infection with bacteria). An unvaccinated puppy may suddenly become sick with a parvovirus infection and suffer from vomiting and bloody diarrhea. Puppies with suspected parvovirus infection should be checked out. A positive parvo test on  a swab of the poop means the puppy may need fluids under the skin and oral medication to take home or IV fluids and medications in the hospital. Puppies with mild symptoms may improve with over the counter pepcid, oral fluids like gator-aid , and chicken baby food many times daily. (Dosages in Dr Greg’s 11 Practical Home Remedies to the right of this blog or on http://dogdishdiet.com)

Mild diarrhea in dogs may respond to a 12-24 hour fast, then small amounts of white rice and chicken baby food(75/25) or just baby food alone over a day or two. You can also add a pinch  of ground pumpkin seeds, half a tsp of non-spiced canned pumpkin, or a yogurt with probiotic to help the gut. Remember to feed smaller  amounts 3 times per day to let the inflamed gut adjust to food again. After a couple days, you can reintroduce your dog to its normal diet.

Diarrhea in kittens can be due to giardia, coccidia, or food that didin’t agree with them. Fresh poop may show an infection or a recent change of food may be the culprit. Some cats are so sensitive to changes in food and will have occasional to constant bouts of vomiting  or diarrhea. It may be helpful to switch to  a canned or dry diet free of grains or  a canned food for those with a touchy stomach or bowel. Remember that cats are carnivores and that our commercial diets are filled with grains and processing chemicals that may wreak havoc with the stomach and bowels of some sensitive cats. I have switched my cats to canned food, raw or cooked meat, and home cooked food. In fact I write about better choices for feeding cats in my new eBook “Feed Your Pet to Avoid the Vet.”    http://mcompublishing.flyingcart.com/?p=detail&pid=9&cat_id=0. If your cat has chronic diarrhea problems, try feeding a limited ingredient canned food or just cooked chicken for a week. If the diarrhea improves, y0u know that poultry is a good choice. If chicken doesn’t work try a few days of shrimp or tuna. These types of  trials are called elimination diets to find out which ingredients are the best for your pet!

Many dogs suffer from allergies to grains or other ingredients in their food or treats. Wheat, corn, or beef are common allergens that can cause itchy skin, ear infections, anal gland pain and swelling, hotspots, and even seizures. ”Dog Dish Diet” is a book I wrote about helping dog owners decide the best type of food to feed their dogs. http://dogdishdiet.com/order-now .

Both books are about easy, practical, ways to feed your dog and “Feed Your Pet” has important advice for the cat owner. I have been a vet for thirty years and now realize that if owners fed differently, 20-30% of medical problems would disappear. My advice may help your dog or cat recover from health problems or avoid future ones.

Download the free PDF, “11 Practical Home Remedies ” to the right of this blog or at http://dogdishdiet.com for other tips to treat minor medical problems.

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Feeding the right ingredients to dogs can have an amazing effect on their health. Labs seem to be really affected by the allergens and lack of oils in commercial foods. So many labs have come into our clinic with hotspots and ear infections over the last 30 years that I really thought that it came with the breed! The more that I preached better ingredients in their food, the less the labs in our practice had to come in with problems!

Feeding better ingredients does not mean simply covering bad food with healthy food. If your dog or cat is heavy, and there are no other medical problems, then high carbohydrate kibble may be to blame. Constant skin and ear problems may be due to other allergies to pollens and molds, flea sensitivity, or allergies to the meat, grain, or chemicals in dry food. Your dog or cat may need more oils than the standard 10% in dry food. Both humans and domesticated dogs and cats require 30% healthy fats and oils in the diet. Why does commercial dry food only contain 10%. That is a recipe for dry, irritated, skin for sure!

“Super food” is often in the news these days. Berries and juices with more nutrients and antioxidants are touted as the way to prevent illness and live longer. Avoiding allergens or chemicals in pet food and feeding a higher percentage of moisture, nutrients, and oils is like feeding “super food” to your pet.

The more I read about the interactions and variety of vitamins, the more I realize that doctors, veterinarians , and even nutritionists may not know the whole story of the vital ingredients to keep us or our pets healthy! That is why I advise the feeding of a variety of healthy ingredients, more moisture, and more oils, to keep our pets healthier. If you feed your pet a variety of natural foods and the ingredients they evolved to eat, their bodies will respond by being healthier! Commercial pet food is not good for 30% of pets, they need help!

That’s why I wrote “ Dog Dish Diet” and “Feed Your Pet to Avoid the Vet” They both help pet  owners understand why commercial pet food does not agree with some pets. Along with recipes for slow cooking, Feed Your Pet to Avoid the Vet” contains advise for feeding your cat a better diet . Believe me, I have seen so many pets feel so much better by eating better food!

Amanda wrote me:

“Hi Greg, hope you have all had a wonderful summer :@) So Tess Kennedy my Black Lab has been on a wonderful diet since October 2011 when I found you and has become a new dog, before she had hot spots, smelly coat and breath, terrible ears full of yuck, she was even limping after her walks. I thought she was really ill, but now she is a new dog like a puppy again. But she started to get a little bit smelly so I gave her less to eat as its been so hot hot hot. Now I am wondering could it be all the fruit she has been eating, especially figs and lots of them. Her back is full of dandruff and she is a bit smelly, no way as bad as before. She gets more lamb then chicken as that’s what my butcher gives me, I am thinking of just giving chicken to see what happens and no fruit. She swims in the sea most days and I shampooed her a week ago, she was lovely for a few days. But her back is full of dandruff again. I don’t wash my dogs much as I feel they are so clean from swimming everyday, they get a sweet water shower after swimming. I have Tess Kennedy daughter Tara Kennedy who has the most amazing coat she is so shiny

and never smells :@) Poor Tess I feel so bad if its me giving her the wrong food or is this Tess and I can do no more!!!!! Thank you for being there, your wonderful ?”

Amanda’s dog may need more oils in the diet or more liver or carrots to supply better ingredients to nourish the skin. Dry, flaky, or yeasty skin is often mal-nourished and is need of better nutrition to help. Olive oil, canola oil, and sardines are not expensive, but can be great medicine! If your dog or cat has problems, check out the easy, economical , world of slow cooking in “Feed Your Pet” or the educational way to avoid allergic commercial food and add healthy human food in “Dog Dish Diet”. Both are available through the website http://www.dogdishdiet.com/order-now/ and at amazon.com

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Dr. Greg,

Again, notice the past tense

One of the main tenets of Regenerative Eating is that we should eat carbs and proteins at separate meals due to their needing opposing digestive processes. I’m not sure dogs can even digest carbs at all, since they have neither the enzyme in their saliva required to start the process nor the long digestive tract needed for starch digestion. Also the presence of carbs interferes with protein digestion in the stomach, for us, so just in case it’s the same for dogs I use no carbs in my version of the stew or any snacks (not even potato, brown rice, pumpkin, or banana).

Hi Sandra,

Thanks for the great letter and support! My patients have taught me that they are individuals that need better ingredients in their diets. Commercial pet food is not suitable for at least thirty percent of my patients. After cooking for my dogs for years, I don’t think I could ever go back to a commercial kibble. I occasionally feed canned food, but can make a better quality food for less money in my crock pot. Once I saw the benefits of home cooking in my dogs, cats, and patients I became an advocate of home cooking!

I believe, as you do, that a less processed diet is much better for all of us. In fact, after I saw the changes in my pets, I began following my advice in my own diet. I lost weight and feel better.

I’m glad your dogs did so well on the diet. I really believe the home cooking helps nourish previously neglected skin and joints with healthful oils and cartilage not present in sufficient quantities in most commercial foods.

I’ll post this letter to help people understand that a nutritionist and veterinarian both agree that we need to consider other options for our pets!

Many people want to”patch” a poor diet with supplements or think that a “raw diet” or BARF diet is the only way to go. Although they are the most healthful, cost, fear, or allergies to ingredients may make these poor choices for some patients. Home cooking is an easy, economical way to ensure your pet gets the best ingredients and most healthful choices.You can also change ingredients to suit your individual pet! I think that avoiding allergens, high carbs,  and increasing the moisture and oils may add years to your pets’ life.

Dog Dish Diet and Feed Your Pet to Avoid the Vet will help you make better choices!

http://www.dogdishdiet.com/order-now/

http://mcompublishing.flyingcart.com/?p=detail&pid=9&cat_id=0

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My veterinary medical education was slanted towards diagnosis and treatment and not nutrition and prevention. That’s the way vets are trained. Don’t expect your vet to embrace home cooking. We were trained to advise owners to stick with “complete and balanced” commercial food. When I started re-learning nutrition 10 years ago, I had no idea that would lead me to home cooking for my dogs. In fact, I’ve been trying to entice my cats to eat some also!  I know there are already lots of cookbooks out there, filled with healthier alternatives to commercial pet foods. What makes my perspective and recipes different?

My recipes are different because they take minutes to prepare and cost less than better commercial pet foods. Many pet food recipes are more time consuming and use a variety of costlier ingredients. My perspective as a veterinarian helps people choose hypoallergenic ingredients to help with allergies. I use simple wholesome ingredients and a slow cooker to slowly cook the meat and veggies and soften the bones.  That way the veggies absorb the flavors of the meat and the bones are soft and safe to eat!

In fact in my new eBook, Feed Your Pet to Avoid the Vet, I have recipes for weight loss, skin and ear issues, and even diabetes, pancreatitis, and seizures. They are actually based on a few ingredients that you combine in different percentages to help with the medical problem. I even have a recipe for slow cooking pig’s feet, so that dogs can get all the goodness from eating bones, cartilage, and ligaments easily prepared and fed in small cubes ….just like treats! Did you know that Glucosamine and Chondroitin (pills often prescribed for arthritis) are just components of bones and joints? Why buy pills when you can make your own nutritious bony treats!

Feed Your Pet to Avoid the Vet is a great addition to my book Dog Dish Diet. Together, they tell you how to feed both your dog and cat to avoid common medical issues like skin and ear problems , urinary problems, obesity, and diabetes.

Reasons the recipes in my new eBook ,Feed Your  Pet to Avoid the Vet ,may help your pets:

Your cat is suffering from diabetes or urinary issues.

Your dog has chronic skin or ear problems

Your dog or cat is overweight

Seizures, diarrhea, arthritis, bladder stones and other medical issues are also helped by a hypoallergenic, moist, home cooked diet

My new eBook is available at

http://mcompublishing.flyingcart.com/?p=detail&pid=9&cat_id=0

and at amazon.com

You’ll never have to worry about the ingredients in your pet’s food when you buy and cook them yourself!

You’ll be part of your pet’s health care team. The slow cooking recipes help cure and prevent many health care problems!

I have been cooking for my dogs for years and I will never stop! I think that healthful, homemade, foods prevent so many chronic medical problems and may even help our pets avoid cancer!

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IWhat Your Dog Should Eat via EarthRated.com

I always advise dog owner to feed the best ingredients they can!

Supplementing a commercial diet with home-crocked food or healthy human food may add years to your dog’s life!

Medical problems may improve or disappear!

It’s up to you to make healthier choices for your dog. They can’t!

Order Dog Dish Diet today and see the difference! Your dog will look and feel better!

The Dog Dish Diet contains simple truths that are economical and really work!

Dear Dr. Greg ,

I have read your book and have cooked up a batch of your “Dog Dish Diet”. My three legged dog is so much better… I had no idea her constant scratching  was from food allergies!!!! Only after three days of the diet she is so much calmer and sleeping so much sounder. Thank you so much.
I would like to post your web site link on my Facebook page, with your approval. I want every dog owner to know about your
Diet and book. The information in great and very easy to understand and informative.

Thank you again,

Sherry Adkins

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