Where does the time go?

I cant believe it's already September. Feeling a bit guilty about abandoning this blog. For the most part my excuse has been lack of time and perhaps writing material. Between working full time and going to school full time, leaves me pretty exhausted after a long week.

The work has been going great, I very much enjoy my job and the opportunity to help educate pet owners. I feel pretty lucky right now because going to work doesn't feel like a chore, and I finally feel like I found a niche in life where I'm comfortable with who I am. It's always fun to anticipate what a new day will bring, whether it's a dog with rare illness and an owner seeking dietary advice, or perhaps a happy bouncy pup stopping by for a quick hello and a treat. Never a dull moment here.

The other day a woman came in and she's been trying to get some weight off her French bulldog, after some deliberation, I felt that the raw diet would be the best fit. I'm always worried about recommending a raw diet, the only reason is that if the dog gets upset stomach or loose stool, some owners will give up and go back to kibble. She came back yesterday (with her adorable frenchie), and said that the food has been working out great! he's lost couple lbs and has way more energy. She also noticed his tear stains cleared up.

It always makes me happy to hear positive feedback. I always try to follow up on the recommendation to see how they have been working. It helps me to establish a pattern, that way I can recommend the same food or health routine to another pet owner.

In other news, I'm super stoked about next month because 2 things are happening;

1) I will be attending a local pet trade show sponsored by one of our distributors. There will be a bunch of vendors showcasing new products and if you know me, I'm all about pet stuff. It's better than Christmas. They'll also have giveaways, demos and I'm sure lots of free samples. We'll also be treated to a fancy dinner and some show. So that's going to be fun!

2) We will be participating in our first expo called Fresh. It's basically an expo geared towards people interested in natural/holistic lifestyle, featuring vendors that sell various naturals products, foods, etc. They'll have guest speakers and some other fun activities. My hope is that people who care about what they eat and their lifestyle, would want the same for their pets. So we'll have lots of goodies to give away and I look forward to meeting new people and potential customers :)


In other news, the doggies are doing well. I feel bad for Uno because between being so dang hot this summer and my hectic schedule, he hasn't been getting much exercise. I've been trying to take him to a park almost every sunday for 2-3 hour walk/hike to make up for the lack of walks during the week.

I'm hoping that I can find a place to live closer to work and will cooler weather, we'll be getting more exercise (which I need).

Sharing is caring :)

Well, its that time again where I've accumulated more dog stuff than I need and it's going to a good home. 

Indy didn't do too well on dr tims or merrick puppy food (too many calories for the little guy), so the rest will be donated to the rescue. I also found a bunch of samples of petcurean food at work, since we no longer sell it, the samples would have been thrown out, at least these will feed some needy pups. All together, about 85 lbs of food, yay! 
I normally donate to couple local rescues that I volunteer with. This time, I wanted to see if there's a new one I could help out. I found a rescue that focuses on saving pitbulls from high risk situations and finding them good homes. They are going through some financial difficulties right now due to couple dogs needing surgeries and it looks like they have several puppies now, I figured they could really use the food. 

In other news, I ordered Jean Dodds' book called The Canine Thyroid Epidemic. I'm interested in her research when it comes to vaccines and the role it plays in dogs health as well as her take on nutrition. It seems to have gotten a lot of positive feedback on amazon, so I look forward to reading it this week. I also wanted to get Pukka's promise, but it's on backorder right now.  

Uno's anxiety and supplement trials

Uno has some reactivity issues, especially being approached by off leash dogs when we're out walking. So I've been trying various supplements and herbs to see what works. This is what I got from work and using the combination of the greendog and petnaturals. It seems to to take the edge off a little, but its only been about 3 days since I started. The calmshen doesn't seem to help much.  Even with the discount I get, both of the supplements are kinda pricey. What I will do most likely is look up the active ingredients and find an equivalent human version of it for less. The main issue with those is that they are not flavored and I either have to crumble it into the food or put it in peanut butter which I don't like due to extra calories. 

Do you use any anxiety supplements/drugs with your dogs, what has worked for you?

Just some pupdates (get it pups.. updates..lol).

So I dont have anything nutritionally constructive to deliver today because it's been little hectic the last few weeks with a new job and studying for finals. I have couple weeks of break before summer classes, so it was nice to have a day off yesterday and hang out with a friend instead of working, overdosing on caffeine and then racing to school and staying there until 10 pm.
Work is going pretty well, I'm getting more used to the routine and my boss is super happy with the changes I've implemented since the business has been steadily improving since I showed up.
I feel like I've been neglecting the dogs a little since I dont have as much time to walk them as I used to. They are staying with my parents during the day and then I take them for 2 walks after I get home.
I've incorporated more raw food into Indy's diet and his stomach seems to be handling it just fine right now. I got a bunch more expired raw from the store, mostly pre made instinct patties like organic chicken and buffalo, so I'm not complaining. The freezer is kind of stuffed right now, so I need to find a day to thaw out the bulk orders and portion them out to make more room.

We also got a big order of blue ridge beef today, half of it was special orders. I'm still on the fence about this company. I've heard some bad things (that they use 4-d meats), but so far I havent been able to find conclusive evidence to support it other than online rumors. This is what their website states:

1.       Blue Ridge Beef™ 100% pure natural meats and bones

2.       Fresh and flash frozen preserving amino acids and live digestive enzymes essential for healthy pets.

3.       No artificial ingredients.

4.       No gluten, grain or imported materials

5.       No preservatives or additives.

6.       No by-products, meals, organ fillers, color or taste additives.

7.       Protecting against bacteria, all of our facilities Utilize stainless steel equipment that is cleaned and sterilized between each product run and at the end of each day.

I do sincerely hope that they are not lying, but you just never know. The venison was super cheap, so I ordered a case for myself, along with duck and some natural mix (beef based grind with organ, tripe and bone). 

I rarely post pictures of the guys, so here are a few from tonight. They were trying to be cute because I had some turkey jerky. 

My white bearded wise beast

You know you have a problem when..

Your dog has more name tags than you have shoes. I went through some dog stuff this evening and didnt even realize how much I hoard when it comes to pet supplies. I absolutely loathe shoe/clothes shopping for myself, but when it comes to pet related stuff, sign me up!
Also found a bunch of collars, some of which I'll be donating since they are never even used, hopefully if I can foster in the near future, they will all be shared.

Work updates and some goodies

So it's been 2 weeks since I started my new job and I love it! Overall, its not as difficult as I anticipated, just keeping track of multiple things at once takes some getting used to. My favorite part is talking to customers about nutrition and meeting all the pups that come in. 
Hardest part is staying within store budget when ordering products weekly. There are so many cool things that I want to get, but right now, I have to mostly stick with the essentials like food and treats. 

I was cleaning out the store freezer today and found a bunch of pre-made raw that expired 2 months ago. So I got 

- 22 lbs of instinct lamb
-14 lbs instinct beef
- 12 lbs primal buffalo
- 8 lbs primal chicken/salmon mix for cats (but will most likely go to dogs since my parents cat is not a fan of premade). 
For a grand total of 56 lbs! 
Since I havent been able to find any freebies on craigslist, I'm glad I can get from work. The dogs will be eating buffalo tomorrow for the first time, we'll have to see how that goes. 

Some exciting news

Long story short, I had a temp job few months ago at a pet boutique. Even though I enjoyed it, it was only for 6-8 weeks during holidays. The owner recently got in touch with me and asked me if I would be interested in becoming a manager (the current one wasn't working out due to several issues). Since I've been looking for a full time job the last few months, I of course agreed and I started last week.

Even though I'm kind of anti-social at times (social anxiety), I absolutely love working in this environment. It gives me an opportunity to educate pet owners and make significant difference in the lives of their pets. I can probably talk about nutrition for hours given the chance, so this is a great outlet for that.

I love being able to browse hundreds of pet products and select the best ones for the store. I've also given the owner several suggestions on what to do in regard to bringing it more profit and he thinks my ideas are the greatest.

It's also nice to get pet stuff for myself at wholesale prices and some freebies time to time ;)

The owner ordered these barky barks (esophagus) but didnt realize how bad they smelled (kinda resemble road kill) because they came from grass fed animals, so I got a box of 90 treats for free. The pups are in heaven since they think the smellier the better when it comes to food.

Anyways, I'm very excited about the job, hopefully it would be a great way for me to help others while making friends and building connections in the process :)

Merrick bargain shopping and review

So few months ago, I bought a bag of Merrick Beef and Barley formula for Indy. I've been trying to find a food for him that works with his sensitive stomach. He's done well on Instinct, but its very expensive and I was concerned about the ash levels in the food.
I do have a few reservations about Merrick, there have been some quality control issues, like people finding plastic in food (but than again, I'm not sure about the reliability of the source). I mainly got this food because they reformulated their line and increased protein to 30% which to me is far more appealing.

I've tried Indy on several grain inclusive foods, but the ones that tend to be 24-26% protein give him dry coat and make him itch. The high protein grain free foods(except Instinct and Holistic Select), give him the runs. My mindset has shifted over the last few months in regard to grain free foods. So many companies are incorporating potatoes/sweet potatoes into their formulas, I'm starting to wonder whether the dogs are better off eating certain grains over high glycemic starches.

So I was curious to try this food. Ingredient wise it looks good to me:

Deboned Beef, Pork Meal, Barley, Salmon Meal (source of Omega 3 fatty acids), Peas, Brown Rice, Sweet Potato, Pork Fat (preserved with natural mixed tocopherols), Oats, Pea Protein, Natural Flavor, Flax Seed, Carrots, Apples, Blueberries, Organic Alfalfa, Salmon Oil, Minerals (Salt, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Amino Acid Complex, Sodium Selenite), Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate), Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Rosemary Extract.


I like the inclusion of salmon meal that lists before pea protein, along with salmon oil further down the list. It still has sweet potatoes in it, but it's not a 2nd ingredient. I also like the fact that it contains probiotoics for digestive health. 

He's been on this food about 3 weeks and I've definitely noticed a huge change in his skin and coat. Previously he was on Dr. Tims Pursuit. While he liked the food, it dried out his coat, made him itchy and he had a yeasty odor to his skin. Since the switch, his itching has subsided and he has the softest and shiniest coat right now. The poops are small and firm and his energy levels are pretty good as well. You can see how his coat looks in this picture taken few days ago:

The Classic line comes in 3 flavors (beef, chicken and lamb) and several life stages including adult, small breed, puppy and senior. It costs around $53-55 for a 30 lb bag. Not cheap, but little less than Instinct. 


Last week I was browsing some deal sites and someone posted a great deal on Merrick puppy food, $5 for 5 lb bag, plus 15% off coupon to first time customers and free shipping on orders over $60. 

I was a bit apprehensive about ordering puppy food since neither of my dogs are puppies, but based on guaranteed analysis, there's very little difference between the 2. 

The puppy formula has 60  more calories per cup and 1% more fat, otherwise it's identical to the adult food. I ended up ordering 12 bags (60 lbs total) which after discount and free shipping cost me only $51. 
I'll be donating some of it to the rescue and give couple bags to my sisters hyper dog, but I want to see how Indy does on it compared to the beef formula. 
The ingredient list for this food:

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Brown Rice, Peas, Barley, Sweet Potato, Chicken Fat (preserved with natural mixed tocopherols), Salmon Meal (source of Omega 3 fatty acids), Oats, Natural Chicken Flavor, Carrots, Apples, Blueberries, Organic Alfalfa, Salmon Oil, Minerals (Salt, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Amino Acid Complex, Sodium Selenite), Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate), Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Rosemary Extract.

30% protein and 16% fat

I still plan on doing more research on Merrick and emailing them with specific questions about the quality of their ingredients. 

Anyways, here's my haul for the day (now I need to figure our where to hide it, so the dogs dont get to it. 

Dog nutrition talk show

If anyone is interested, contributors include Dr. Tim Hunt, Dr Karen Becker and Dr. TJ Dunn.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/aquabotanic/2013/02/23/pet-radio-show-proper-nutrition-for-dogs


I found most of it to be common sense, but it was refreshing to hear some comments from Dr. Tim who has his own line of dry pet food. 

" I think raw inclusion with kibble is the best way to go.."

" Raw is a very good diet if you're able to do is correctly, I think dogs look tremendous on it.."

" Veterinarians as a rule are the worst people to talk to about nutrition, they just know nothing coming out of school... we are just spoon fed the Hills doctrine, trust Hills and we'll take care of you"

I disagree with the woman vet (not Dr. Becker), who insisted that if food is AAFCO approved, it's sufficient for most dogs, even crappy grocery store brands. This is because they have passed the feeding trials. 
Except, that feeding trials are only 6 months long and allow 6 out of 8 dogs to drop out if they are not doing well. Basically if it sustains their life for that period, the food goes on the market. 

What I find ironic is that raw feeders get critisized for feeding "imbalanced" diet to their dogs because it has not been studied, even though they have been feeding it for years (not 6 months) and are thriving. 

Celebrating V-day, raw food edition

Since I work at a pet boutique part time, I get to take home things that have "expired" or have a best by date. Most of them are dried goods like treats and dry food, which is still fine to feed 3-4 months past that date. 

Yesterday I was sorting out the freezer and found few raw food items that were expiring this month. Of course if you're a raw feeder you'll know that it's completely fine to feed expired raw as long as it's been frozen, even if it's 2-3 years passed its sell by date. Normally the store owner will take raw for her own dogs (she runs a rescue), but since they cannot have bones or chicken. I scored 5 lbs of NV instinct chicken raw mix,  primal turkey necks and marrow bones. I'm not a fan of marrow bones since they can crack teeth, but neither of my dogs are aggressive chewers. I usually let them lick out the marrow and lightly gnaw on them before tossing them. The turkey necks always come in handy, they love those things. 

I also got 3 canisters of Instinct raw daily boost which is essentially dehydrated meat powder with added vitamins and veggies. Here's what the lamb one looks like:

Lamb, Lamb Heart, Lamb Liver, Pumpkinseeds, Apples, Carrots, Ground Lamb Bone, Butternut Squash, Ground Flaxseeds, Montmorillonite Clay, Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, Dried Kelp, Apple Cider Vinegar, Parsley, Honey, Salmon Oil, Olive Oil, Blueberries, Alfalfa Sprouts, Persimmons, Inulin, Rosemary, Sage, Clove.

It's very high protein, so I add a tablespoon mixed in with the raw food few times a week for extra nutrients. Not something I would buy since it's like $25 a pop. 

In other news, I will probably be switching Indy back to Instinct dry, he's done very well on it, he will still get raw few times a week for variety and dental benefits. The last couple months he's been eating Holistic Select grain free. While it's a decent food and it seemed to help with his allergies, I don't think it has enough fat in it. I noticed an increase in dandruff and more itching which was due to having dry winter skin. Even though he gets salmon oil almost daily, he was still getting dandruff. He had the most fabulous coat on Instinct Salmon and loved the taste. The only downside is that it's pretty expensive, since I get a discount at work, it's doable now, but I don't think I can afford it once I leave. So I'm still trying to find the perfect food for him that's affordable, grain free and won't give him the runs. 

The mini score from today:

Food comparison demo

I wanted to add this as a follow up to last post. This is a demo I made for the store I work at, which basically shows how much more you have to feed of low quality food, compared to premium brands. Most people don't realize that it's not normal for an average size dog to be eating 3-4 cups a day. A lot of them do, since very little of it is actually assimilated by the body and the rest comes out in a form of a large, smelly turd. You can guess which kibble is on the right. 

It's like eating fruit loops every day..

The last few days, I've had several shares on my facebook wall of people posting horror stories about their dogs getting sick eating Beneful. It seems like majority exhibit the same symptoms such as lethargy, refusal to eat, ataxia, organ failure and eventually death. A lot of vets ask the owners whether the dogs have gotten into anti-freeze, they have not. One thing that is in common is that they have all been eating Beneful, or recently began to eat when the symptoms surfaced. 

Beneful is one of those foods I truly despise. Yes, there are a lot of horrible foods on the market, but what ticks me off about this brand is their blatant brainwashing through cutesy commercials showing real meat and veggies falling into a bowl from a sky. Except that it's all a big fat lie. 

Granted, I will never fully trust any pet food companies, even high end ones like Natura, Champion and Fromm have skeletons in their closet, most do. The reason I hate Beneful is that it's complete rubbish and they continue to say that it's the best on the market, despite the evidence. 

What's so awful about it? Lets take a look

Ingredients: Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corngluten meal, whole wheat flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), rice flour, beef, soy flour, sugar,propylene glycol, meat and bone meal, tricalcium phosphate, phosphoric acid, salt, water, animal digest, sorbic acid (a preservative), potassium chloride, dried carrots, dried peas, calcium propionate (a preservative), L-Lysine monohydrochloride, choline chloride, added color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 2), DL-Methionine, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium carbonate, copper sulfate, Vitamin B-12 supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin D-3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite.

The controversial  ingredients are in red. I will bypass some of the obvious ones like corn, byproducts, unnamed meat and bone meal and digest. I'm sure those who read this blog are fully aware that those things are far from ideal for any animal to be ingesting, certainly not dogs. 

One ingredient stands out from the rest is Propylene Glycol. What is it exactly?


Propylene glycol (also known as 1,2 propanediol) is a relatively small molecule with two alcohol (hydroxyl) groups (-OH). It is a colorless and odorless liquid and is completely water-soluble. PG is a synthetic product obtained from the hydration of propylene oxide, which is derived from petroleum products.Propylene glycol is considered Generally Recognized As Safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and it is used as an humectant (E1520), solvent, and preservative in food and for tobacco products, as well as being the major ingredient in the liquid used in electronic cigarettes (along withvegetable glycerine and, more rarely, PEG 400). It is also used in pharmaceutical and personal care products.^[4] Propylene glycol is a solvent in manypharmaceuticals, including oral, injectable and topical formulations, such as for diazepam and lorazepam that are insoluble in water, use propylene glycol as a solvent in their clinical, injectable forms

Propylene glycol is an approved food additive for dog food under the category of animal feed and is generally recognized as safe for dogs,^[30] with LD₅₀ = 9 mL/kg. That said, the figure is higher for most laboratory animals (LD₅₀ at levels of 20mL/kg).^[31] Similarly, propylene glycol is an approved food additive for human food as well.^[32] The exception is that it is prohibited for use in food for cats due to links to Heinz body anemia

So, what does this all mean, and why is it used in pet food?

The answer is quite simple, you see propylene glycol is used for retaining moisture. Since most dry commercial food is only about 10% moisture, Purina needed to create an illusion of "meaty" food, without actual meat in it. If you look back on the ingredients, it's got a whole lot of plant matter with beef being #7 on the list. Even if it is real beef, being water inclusive, it will slide down the list even further after cooking. 
So how do you dupe gullible pet owners? mix some corn, wheat, rice, soy and byproducts, add artificial coloring to make it look like bits of meat and veggies, and add chemicals, so the texture resembles something edible. 

Oh and don't forget sugar, why else would a dog eat this garbage? 

Long time ago, pet food companies discovered that dogs love sweet things, aside from sugar being highly addictive, this was a great way to make inedible livestock feed, into a gourmet meal. 

So back to the topic of propylene glycol, is it really safe? it's already been established that it's toxic to cats. What about the mixed households that have cats who like to snack on dog food? What about long term consumption of this "safe" chemical, even in low doses? 
Is it a coincidence that the dogs that have been affected by this food exhibited signs of anti-freeze poisoning? 

Here's what an Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry have to say:

Propylene glycol is a synthetic liquid substance that absorbs water. Propylene glycol

 is also used to make polyester compounds, and as a base for deicing solutions. 

Propylene glycol is used by the chemical, food, and pharmaceutical industries as an 

antifreeze when leakage might lead to contact with food. The Food and Drug 

Administration (FDA) has classified propylene glycol as an additive that is “generally 

recognized as safe” for use in food. It is used to absorb extra water and maintain 

moisture in certain medicines, cosmetics,or food products. It is a solvent for food 

colors and flavors, and in the paint and plastics industries. 

Propylene glycol is also used to create artificial smoke or fog used in fire-fighting 

training and in theatrical productions. Other names for propylene glycol are 1,2-

dihydroxypropane, 1,2-propanediol, methyl glycol, and trimethyl glycol. Propylene 

glycol is clear, colorless, slightly syrupy liquid at room temperature. It may exist in air

 in the vapor form, although propylene glycol must be heated or briskly shaken to 

produce a vapor. Propylene glycol is practically odorless and tasteless.


Is this really something you want in your pet's food? 

It serves absolutely no purpose other than making the food look appetizing to people, not dogs. 

What's worse is that Purina is completely adamant about their practices and continue to claim that their food is safe. In fact if you head over to their facebook page (Beneful), you will see the same regurgitated auto responses to every question and concern posted by other pet owners. 

All legitimate answers continue to be ignored and blocked, but I get a feeling that it's about to get a whole lot more uncomfortable for them due to social media outrage and their refusal to cooperate. 

So what can you do about it? 

First and foremost, be informed. If you have done your research and know your facts, stand your ground. Educate others without being pushy or aggressive. A lot of pet owners mean well, they simply do not know any better. They rely on commercials and vets to dispense nutritional advice, in most cases those are the least credible sources. 

If you can take a moment to sign and share this petition, maybe it'll get the attention of local media and eventually some stricter laws will be passed to ensure that our pet's food is safe and nutritious. 

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/698/277/365/demand-that-beneful-dog-food-be-discontinued/

Last but not least, use common sense. Despite of what pet food companies want us to think, fresh and natural is always better. If it sounds repulsive on a bag of food, chances are, it is and probably a whole lot worse in real life. Yes, dogs are very adaptable creatures. I'm sure they can survive eating all sort of junk. I've seen many strays in my lifetime, most live off table scraps and whatever they can find. They also look terrible and have very short life spans.

Our pets mean a world to us, many of us think of them as members of the family, shouldn't they eat like it too?