I served my tasty crock pot dog food at Woofstock 2011 at Mountain Winery in Saratoga. The event raised money to help save and adopt shelter pets. (www.furryfriendsrescue.org). Some of the dogs and people dressed up to mirror the theme of the event coined after the musical free for all, Woodstock. Woodstock embraced the hippie lifestyle of  drugs, sex, and rock and roll. Woofstock embraced dog ownership, Mountain Winery wines, neutering, and had rock and roll bands. Two out of three isn’t bad.

Many people thought they they could not feed their pets my wholesome whole food crock pot diet because their dogs were allergic and have sensitive stomachs and bowels . That’s just the type of dog that usually does better on home cooked food! I just gave most dogs a taste,however some dogs came back for more…pulling their owners. Most people were amazed that their dog liked it so much. The poor things never have had the chance to taste non-processed real food!

I really like listening to new music as well as the old standards. Some of my current favorites are Lady Ga Ga and Katy Perry. In fact I have rewritten one of Katy’s songs and titled it,”I Kissed a Dog and I liked It” the taste of an old biscuit, I kissed a dog just to try it. Hope my kitty don’t mind it! Sorry Katy!

I took out 2 salmon fillets two days ago  for Lonna and I to have for dinner  and we didn’t. Guess what my three dogs had for dinner. Tucker, the lab relishes all good things, Maisy the silky mix and Reggie the bichon mix liked it but would rather eat my crock pot food.

Skin Health Tip:A piece of salmon a week or sardines are a great skin treat. Another great one is egg yolk…cooked or raw.

Many dogs have dry skin because kibble just can’t provide enough healthy oil. If commercial dog food folks  put a healthy amount of fat or oil in the kibble, it would go rancid, being open for weeks at a time. Remember if your dog itches a lot or has dry skin, they need more fat and oil in their diet! They also need less allergens and more variety! That’s what the Dog Dish Diet is about!

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Halloween candy is a mix of chocolate, sugar, plastic, and foil. If you dog snags a couple pieces of candy, the only thing that may happen is that they may get a big sugar rush. What is dangerous about candy for our pets?

Chocolate is the most toxic, but sugarless gum with the ingredient xylitol may cause blood sugar or liver problems. A piece and one half of sugarless gum can cause problems in a ten pound dog.

As you all know, chocolate is bad for dogs. What you may not realize is that the different types of chocolate have different concentrations of the caffeine type drug in chocolate. Theobromine and caffeine are the active ingredients that we all crave. Combined with the smooth velvety sweet taste, chocolate is hard to beat.  In fact chocolate contains really good antioxidants called flavonoids that reduce antioxidants in the blood. They accomplish this by protecting us against reactive oxygen and nitrogen ions.

So small amounts of chocolate are good for us, where in dogs it can cause “the jitters”, vomiting and diarrhea, disturb the heart, or seizures, or death. Symptoms are totally dependent on the amount and the type of chocolate consumed. Baker’s chocolate is much more dangerous than milk chocolate due to the high amount of Theobromine. 393 mg/oz compared to 58 mg/oz in milk chocolate. A 5 pound dog would have to eat 2 oz of milk chocolate to show signs of toxicity, where they would only need to eat ¼ of an ounce of dark chocolate to get in trouble.

Make your dog vomit if you suspect that they have eaten too much milk chocolate, a little dark or baking chocolate,  or some sugarless gum. You can use 1-3 tablespoons of peroxide(food grade 2%) depending if your dog is a small, medium, or large dog. If you suspect your dog ate enough to get sick, seek veterinary care. It is a great idea to try and induce vomiting since chocolate is absorbed fast and the vet er is usually a little ways down the road. However if your dog only ate a small piece of milk chocolate (less than the toxic amount on the chart), they should be fine. However err on the cautious side if you are unsure.

A 5 pound dog would have to eat over 9 Hershey’s milk chocolate kisses to get sick. A 10 pound dog would have to eat over 18  pieces to show the symptoms. Some dogs are more sensitive then others. I have to abstain from chocolate or coffee in the evening, or I have trouble getting to sleep. On the other hand, many people enjoy an after dinner coffee. Same goes for dogs. Some may eat a small amount and show symptoms.

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We are all thinking about what we eat more these days. On NPR public radio the other day I listened to a program about the benefits of vegetables and fruit in the daily diet. Turns out that vegetables and fruit have ingredients that prevent damage to the cells in our body.  These phytochemicals are naturally occurring antioxidants that protect us from inflammation and harm to the tissues in our body. Infection occurs when the skin, intestines, or bladder become inflamed. Inflammation is really our enemy. Inflammation leads to infection of organs as damaged skin or linings of organs are easier for bacteria to get into and multiply. Cells that are constantly inflamed may turn cancerous. A common example are white cats in sunny climates may develop squamous cell carcinoma of the ears. Skin that is constantly burned may develop into cancer.

Current nutritional thinking is that the more that our tissues are bathed in these natural protective phytochemicals and antioxidants, the better. That is a real good reason to supplement your pets with healthful whole natural foods. Both my dogs and cats get real meat, fish , and veggies often. I feed my cats pieces of chicken, fish, and shrimp  and give my dogs chicken, pork, fish, green beans, peas, and carrots. I am glad to know another great reason to include a variety of ingredients to our dog’s diet. These life saving  and disease preventing chemicals may help our pets feel better and live longer! Many of my clients slow-cook dog food using my ideas and add it as a supplement to a quality hypoallergenic dog food such as Halo Products, Taste of the Wild, and Blue. Dogs are individuals that may do better with one or the other commercial foods listed above. That’s why I always list several diets. Each pet is so different.

Hay fever in people and dogs is really causing runny eyes and sneezing in both dogs and people this time of year. Did you know dogs with itchy feet have hay fever or contact allergies? You can use antihistamines for runny eyes, sneezing, and itchy feet! My download, 11 practical home remedies in dogs helps with common problems like hay fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and sore ears.. Dry skin really wants to itch. Make sure your dog is getting daily oils and some veggies in the diet to supply needed nutrients for healthy skin and less itching!

Check out my video on hay fever or atopy causing itchy feet in dogs

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German Shepherds and Labs really have touchy stomachs and bowels. It is very common for either of these breeds to have a problem with chronic diarrhea. Often times puppies or young adults of either breed will also have a gut infection they just can’t seem to kick. I have come to realize that these “infections” may have two components. An intestine that is inflamed may be much easier to infect.

Giardia or coccidia infections may be harder to cure if the patient is also suffering from an inflamed intestine. Intestines that are inflamed can’t concentrate on invaders. Intestines can be inflamed from food allergies and the thickened inflamed bowel just can’t fight off invaders that are covering the lining. The diarrhea that results is due both from the allergies and the parasites.

You should always treat diarrhea by feeding a bland diet. You can do something as simple as white rice or 25% chicken and 75% white rice for a couple days. Imodium may help with the diarrhea.

Dosages for Imodium are in my 11 Practical Home Remedies download on the upper right hand corner of the website.

Diagel by Van Beek is a natural antibiotic/anti diarrheal medication that sometimes works well after just one dose . Check with your vet or feed store. It may be a handy medication to keep on hand if your dog has a touchy bowel. It works by using the following types of ingredients.

• Van Beek Patented Active Compound (enhanced with unique patent pending proprietary blends) eliminates bacteria on contact, confirmed by research done at Iowa State University
• Pectins & Psyllium Husks soothe the GI tract and slow down the digestive process.
• Tannins prevent bacteria from adhering to the intestinal wall
• Antioxidants bind to and neutralize free radicals
• Microencapsulation ensures palatable administration

For those dogs with chronic diarrhea or sensitive bowels, I always recommend changing to a hypoallergenic diet such as duck/potato or salmon/sweet potato diets. Beware of treats and food containing allergenic grains. Follow the “Dog Dish Diet” for a firmer stool if medications just don’t seem to work. Food allergy makes it hard to get rid of parasites!

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Every day a dog comes into the clinic shaking his or her head and scratching at painful itchy ears. Ear problems are the number one medical problem reported by VPI, Veterinary Pet Insurance in 2010. Why are there so many dogs with red, goopy ears?

Some dogs are prone to ear infections because their ear canals are too small or too hairy and the wax and moisture likes to grow bacteria and yeast. Those dogs need the hair removed from the canals or cleaning 1-2 times weekly with an ear wash to keep the ears free of hair or wax. When stuff blocks the exit of wax, nasty things love to grow.

The rare puppy or adult dog may suffer from ear mites and dogs may get a foxtail or piece of a plant seed deep in the ear canal. Treatment of mites or removal of the plant seed is necessary to ease the itching and pain.

Some dogs are allergic to pollens and molds or have food allergies and the ears get really red and inflamed. Ear problems are very common in dogs because inflamed ears due to either allergy accumulate wax down deep in the ear canal. Allergic inflamed ears ooze wax and moisture. Bacteria and yeast love to grow in these warm, moist areas. These bacteria and yeast infections inflame the ear further, cause infections, and more pain and itchiness. Most people think ear problems are caused by mites or infections by these bacteria and yeast “bugs”. In reality the inflamed ear is susceptible to colonization by those “bugs” because the skin is inflamed and defenseless. When vets treat the infection only, they are treating the effect and not the cause!

I used to treat chronic ear problems as “infections” only with ear washes, ear ointments, yeast and bacterial medications, and anti-inflammatory medicines like prednisone.  That was before I realized how big a part food allergies play in the cure of chronic red, goopy, ears. In veterinary school I was taught what organisms grew in the ears, not how to prevent them from hanging out and causing trouble. These bacterial and yeast infections rarely go away without constant cleaning and medication and sometimes vanish when the diet includes more healthy oils and less allergens. Paying attention to food ingredients in commercial foods and treats, chews, and homemade food really makes a big difference in treatment.

The addition of healthy oils like olive, flaxseed, canola, and fish oil capsules can nourish and prevent skin and ears from getting so inflamed. Other dogs may get better by simply changing to different ingredients or type of diet. (canned, holistic, homemade).Some dogs may be allergic to the glutens, the meat, or to the processing chemicals in certain diets. Does it really sound reasonable that all dogs can eat the same ingredients and stay healthy?

That is why advise that dog owners learn more about dog food and include healthy human food. Whole, non-processed, food contains healthy fats and oils, phytochemicals (antioxidants and vitamins), and better protein than most dog foods. Most commercial dog food is limited in what it can provide. The manufacturers are more concerned with shelf life and cost of by-products than the health benefits to every dog. The average dog may get by without obvious health problems when eating some commercial foods, but I have noticed most dogs look and feel better with the addition of healthy oils, more fat in the diet, less grain in the diet, and more moisture in the diet.

If your dog has skin and ear issues, quit feeding commercial gluten filled treats. I am convinced some treats could be listed as a toxin because I have seen so many skin, ear, bowel, bladder, and seizure problems associated with their feeding.

Feed  healthy Dog Dish Diet treats like pieces of chicken or turkey hot dogs or carrots!!

The Dog Dish Diet encourages dog owners to share  healthy food with their dogs!!

Check out my Home Remedies for the Temporary treatment of Painful Ear Infections!

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Dog Development graphic created by Pet365 – a UK stockist of amazing dog coats and brands like Hamish McBeth. Click here to view the full post.

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Lipomas or fatty tumors are local groups of fat cells that just don’t follow the rules. These renegade cells grow slowly in pockets under the skin and between muscle layers that bulge out and form soft lumps. These lumps may be hard to distinguish from other more dangerous tumors, so a needle may be used to suck cells out of the lump to make sure that the lump are just a group of fat cells with a mind of their own, and not more dangerous tumors.

Fat is a valuable part of the body. It is a part of all cell membranes, keeps us and our pets warm, and cushions sensitive areas from jarring trauma. The fat layer between the skin and the muscle should form a fairly uniform insulating layer. The fat in the abdomen and around the kidneys is a source of energy and also protects sensitive internal organs.

However, too much fat can stress the back, joints, heart, and lungs and lead to arthritis and common medical problems such as diabetes. Too many treats and high calorie food can add unneeded weight and shorten the lives of our pets.Why do our pets grow fat tumors. There is no real data, but I suspect high calorie carbohydrate food, lack of exercise, genetics, and preserving chemicals may all play a part. What can you do? Try and feed a healthy diet, exercise your pets, and give them lots of love!!

Check out my video on Lipomas and Fatty Tumors in a Dog.

Remember to feed your dog healthful treats like carrots, fruit, pieces of chicken and fish, cheese, and hot dogs, instead of high carbohydrate, allergenic treats!!

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WHY PETS LOVE CERTAIN FOODS…THE SCIENCE BEHIND “KIBBLE CRACK”

August 31st, 2011 by Dr. Donna Spector

People have a much more developed sense of taste than dogs and cats. People have about 8,000 taste buds compared to 1,700 in dogs and 500 in cats. It takes the average dog only about 1 minute to eat 1 cup of food, compared to the average person who spends over 80 minutes eating and drinking throughout the day.

The taste buds of dogs are not particularly sensitive to salt and cats don’t get much flavor from salt or sugar. (As you might suspect of a strict carnivore, cats have taste buds that are very sensitive to protein.)

This is where it gets interesting……even though dogs and cats don’t get a lot of “taste” or flavor from either salt or sugar—both are capable of stimulating your pet’s appetite.

When pets or people eat highly palatable (tasty) foods that are rich in sugar, fat or salt we want to eat more—regardless of whether we are hungry or not. Think of a bag of chips here! These foods are capable of altering brain chemistry which makes us “addicted” to their effect.

Research has proven that certain foods stimulate release of a “reward” chemical in the brain called dopamine which causes pleasure. Essentially foods high in sugar, salt or fat act like a drug—causing you and your pet to desire more food than either of you need. Welcome the generation of human, canine and feline over-eaters.

Many pet food companies add excess amounts of sugar, fat and salt to their foods—this assures that their food will be highly palatable and that pets will like it. Not only will they like it…they will be addicted to it. These pets will often dance around their bowl when they see the owner getting ready to fill it and they scarf the food down in minutes…kibble crack working its black magic.

My advice is to steer clear of pet foods with added sugar and excess amounts of salt and fat. Your pet isn’t designed to get the full effect of their taste and your pet doesn’t need the extra calories or addiction from these things. Remember to check your pet food label for hidden sources of sugar— corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, unrefined brown sugar, molasses, etc.

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“Those hard biscuits or treats keep my dogs’ teeth clean!” Many clients have told me this through the years. However, in nature, the act of chewing the bones and joints of prey help keep the cousins of our dogs’ teeth free of tartar, cleaned, and polished. I learned this first hard in three  ways: First by observing the teeth of dogs that were fed meaty bones as part of their diet. The teeth of those dogs stayed whiter and cleaner then dogs who were fed kibble or dry food. Second, by feeding my own dogs frozen chicken wings, chicken thighs, and smoked pork bones, I saw the build-up of tartar disappear. Third by observing the teeth of cats that hunt. Those cats crunch small rodents which naturally keep their teeth much cleaner than their kibble eating cousins.

I now use “bone therapy” in my own dogs to prevent tartar build-up and keep the teeth clean.  However, not all bones are safe to give your dogs. In Dog Dish Diet I talk about the safety of chewing bones, the types of bones to use, and the ones to stay away from. In general barbecued or baked bones can be dangerous, especially if dogs swallow big pieces. Barbecued chicken legs, the bones in the t-bone steak, and turkey carcasses cause the most splintering or gut obstruction problems. Stay away from those.

I really don’t think commercial biscuits or treats are good for some dogs or really help keep teeth clean.

Most treats have glutens and processing chemicals that lead to itchy skin, ear infections, bowel and anal gland problems, and even seizures. Whenever dogs come into our clinic for treatment, I always advise against feeding commercial “junk food” dog treats. I advise feeding a variety of healthy treats like healthy meat, veggies, or fruit instead of processed biscuits. Once off the treats many medical problems may improve.

So try a baby carrot, a piece of an apple, a piece of chicken or fish, or  a piece of a chicken or turkey hot dog for a treat. These kind of things contain important nutrients, less allergens, and less processing chemicals than most dog treats. Your dog may thank you for it!!

What is a Luxating Patella? Check out this video:

Luxating patellas are kneecaps that slide in and out of the groove in dogs. Toy breed dogs are affected most commonly.

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