Tuesday, November 13, 2012

If you use salmon oil for your pets..

Thought I'd make a post since it's such a great deal on wild caught salmon oil. I ended up getting 4 bottles since between 2 dogs, I go through quite a bit but it's been a lifesaver especially during dry winter months when their coats start to get flaky. 
http://www.entirelypets.com/ansalmonoil32oz.html

I've been pretty busy with school and work and haven't had much time to update my dog related endeavors, but they have been doing pretty well, I've been giving Indy raw int the evening and he seems to be itching a bit less, but I'm mainly attributing it to higher omega content. They've been devouring the aunt jeni's pre-made raw that I got on sale from a local co-op, especially the rabbit formula. 

I really need to make the time to sort the raw food into separate baggies which makes it less of a headache to feed, especially if I'm in a hurry and don't have time to pre-measure everything. 

On another dog related note, I'm putting together a secret santa package for a dog forum I'm a member at, it's a bit easier this year since I can get everything at good price from the store I work at, but I keep wondering if the recipient would like my choice of goodies. I still want to get couple items but I may have to special order them since I couldn't find anything similar at the store. I would post a picture of the package, but I don't want to reveal my identity ;) 

As I was putting everything together, I realized how completely dog obsessed I actually am since majority of toys/treats I already had at home that I've gotten from various online specials. I always donate extras to rescues I volunteer with, but they keep piling on. But at this point I could probably open up my own pet supply store. 


Thursday, November 1, 2012

Raw diet, funky breath and flea woes

This is something I noticed with Uno, despite eating a raw diet and having clean teeth, he has a strange odor sometimes which for the lack of better word smells like anal glands, kinda fishy and metal-like. I wasn't exactly sure what it could be until I came across this artcile from Raw Instinct Magazine.

(scroll down to page 10)
http://d27vj430nutdmd.cloudfront.net/21105/105982/105982.3.pdf

Since he's nearing 7 this upcoming December, I'm thinking of taking him to the vet to run some blood work to make sure that all his organs are functioning normally and the breath is not a result of something more serious.

On a seperate note, Indy is itching again due to fleas which is driving me a little bit crazy. I started him on an oral flea managment called Program in conjuction with a garlic supplement from Springtime Inc. After couple months I noticed that he stopped scratching so I mostly attributed it to the flea meds rather then the garlic. The last month or so I've been pretty busy with school and working 2 jobs , so often times I would forget to give him the garlic tabs every day. Unfortunately I found 2 fleas on him the other day and he's been itching non-stop since. I found it suprising because I expected the flea meds to keep them at bay, but apparently they do not kill the adult fleas, just prevent new ones from hatching.
So I'm putting him back on garlic which he hates with passion, but so far it seems to be the only natural remedy that works as long as I stay on top of it. Right now I'm crushing it and mixing it with ground raw and salmon oil to try to mask the taste. He still hates it, but I hope I can cut back to 2 tabs a day once it gets colder.

Have you found any natural flea products that work?

I've tried diatomaceous earth, various herbal sprays, water additives (garlic/acv based), and so far nothing seems to work except the garlic.
Oddly enough Uno has no fleas at all, I never see him scratch and if I do find an odd flea during the summer, that's usually it.
I think part of the reason is that he has a stronger immune system because he primarily eats raw where as Indy eats kibble and some raw. Another reason is that he has a very short slick coat, so I think it's harder for fleas to grab on and stay on. So I haven't used any flea products on him in at least couple years because it's never been an issue. I'll occasionally find a tick on his ear or neck after a hike, but since I started wiping him down with essential oil based horse spray before hand, he stopped being a bug magnet.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Perks of working at a pet boutique

I got a part time job at this holistic pet food boutique and one of the cool things besides being able to buy things at wholesale prices is that I can keep any food that's "expiring". In most cases its a best buy date for dried goods like biscuits or these edible bones that are fine to use probably a year or 2 after best by date. So the dogs have been getting some goodies, plus I'm donating like 8 boxes of treats to a rescue this week. 

Here's one of the hauls from a week ago. 

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Woot! today is a great day for pet deals and new food trial

So it's been an interesting couple days for me. I decided to order some Dr. Tims pursuit food based on high ratings and the fact that the vet who formulated the food, is active on the pet nutrition forum I participate in.

Looking at the food strictly from an ingredient perspective, there's nothing particularly stellar about it, I'd say that there are other foods on the market that look better on paper. The reason why I wanted to give this a try was because:

1) Dr. Tim stands behind his food and has been very forward about any concerns. He's even made changes to the ingredient list, such as removing menadione(Vit K).

2) It's produced at an independent plant, with no history of recalls

3) The chicken meal that is used is low ash, meaning that it does not have a whole lot of bone present making it superior to some other brands.

4) The vitamins/minerals in the food come from Holland, not China, which makes me feel better about quality control due to stricter European standards.

Here's the ingredient list of the formula I'm going to try with Uno:

Chicken meal, brown rice flour, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), oat flour, dried beet pulp (sugar removed), dried whole eggs, rice bran, menhaden fish oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), ocean herring meal, flax seed meal, catfish meal, chicken liver meal, dried porcine plasma protein, salmon meal, lecithin, potassium chloride, salt, canola oil, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried chicory root, calcium carbonate, yucca shidigera extract, organic kelp meal, dried psyllium seed husk, choline chloride, DL-methionine, L-lysine, algae fat product (a source of DHA), L-ascorbyl-2 polyphosphate (stabilized ascorbic acid), vitamin E supplement, L-carnitine, zinc sulfate, zinc proteinate, taurine, beta carotene, ferrous sulfate, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), manganese sulfate, inositol, niacin supplement, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, zinc oxide, biotin, thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), copper sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), copper proteinate, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B2), calcium pantothenate, potassium iodide (source of iodine), manganous oxide, vitamin B12 supplement, sodium selenite, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, rosemary extract.

This particular formula is 30% protein and 20% fat. 

Few things that I would prefer to see differently is catfish meal, herring meal and chicken liver meal higher up on the list, preferably keeping the protein levels the same, but reducing chicken meal. I also dislike the use of canola oil since it's a GMO ingredient. There are healthier oils on the market that supply omega 6, such as safflower oil or flaxseed oil. 

There's some debate whether citric acid causes bloat in dogs, but I would rather not see it in food, just to be on the safe side. 

The rest looks acceptable for the most part. 

Originally I was planning on starting him on Back to Basics, but I think after he's finished eating Horizon Legacy, I'll try him on Dr Tims to see how he does on it. 


Well unto more news! so couple cool things happened. I ordered this food from petflow.com, I really don't use them because they tend to have higher prices then some other websites, but I had a $10 off coupon, so I figured I'd give it a shot. Plus shipping was free. 

Fast forward 2 days, the Fed Ex truck shows up, of course I was really happy how quick the shipping was, but upon opening the package, I was disappointed that I only received 2 - 18 lb bags instead of a 44 lb bag I ordered. 
I emailed customer support getting ready to vent my frustration for screwing up my order. The lady on the other hand was very apologetic and she said that they would get it sorted out right away and I'll get my 8 lb bag of food in couple days. 

So fast forward to today, I get home and the's a huge box on the porch. I open it up expecting a small bag, and guess what?? they send me a 44 lb bag!! so basically I got 80 lbs of food for $54 shipped. So I was pretty happy to say the least. 

Little later in the day, I went online to check some deal sites I visit, turns out someone posted a coupon for 50% off total purchase at Petco. Whoever created the coupon did not think it through because it can be re-used multiple times by different people. Of course everyone went beserk after the coupon went viral and spend hundreds of dollars at Petco. Since I was going to the park with the dog and there's a store on the way, I figured what the heck.

I got a 30 lb bag of Pinnacle grain free, 50 lbs of cat litter,  large flexi tape leash (it was on sale for $17), 3 toys, flea comb, bag of salmon jerky, and a small collar for Indy. I think the total was like $120, they scanned the coupon and voila! 50% off! So with tax everything came out to $66, so I am super happy.

I was thinking of going back and getting more food, but at this point I have 5 unopened bags for 2 dogs, so I'll have to use those up before they expire.

Then we went for an 8 mile walk/hike at the local park, came across a doe which was pretty cool and ran into a lost dog, thankfully he was wearing tags with his address so I was able to find his home pretty quickly.

So overall, satisfying day :)


Saturday, September 1, 2012

Influence on vet students by pet food companies

So this week while doing some browsing, I came across a post on facebook warning about potential health issues associated with feeding Beneful including organ failure and seizures, posted by a vet in Arkansas. It seems to have caused a great divide and people commenting left and right, some agreeing with the post, others claiming it to be a "scare tactic" and still swear by Purina products.

I saw an interesting pattern of the people who swore by Beneful, most of them have not done any research besides what the vet has told them or what they saw in the commercial. Most claim their dogs to be healthy, but I know from experience, most people cannot tell a difference between a healthy dog and one that has obvious issues from eating crappy food.
I've been pet-sitting on/off the last 12+ years and I've seen dogs and cats with problems that people tend to overlook because they consider it a normal part of being a dog/cat. For example obesity, dental problems, frequent ear infections, dull/greasy coats, lethargy just to name a few. Cats most often struggle with kidney issues as well as urinary crystals due to being fed high carb, dry food their entire lives.

I recently watched a 10 year old cat with progressive kidney disease, she was put on prescription dry food which is mostly made up of corn and peanut hulls, along with daily subcutaneous fluids to re-hydrate her to maintain somewhat stable kidney function. I found it mind-boggling to see an obviously intelligent owner who meant well, blindly follow a very poor advice from a vet by feeding dry food to a cat with compromised kidneys, dehydrating her further in the process. All I could do was suggest an alternative course and leave a can of EVO canned cat food. She seemed very hesitant about my advice and said that the canned food was probably not a good idea because it was "high protein". It's incredibly sad to see animals that are suffering in the hands of misinformed owners.

So anyways, back to the topic. The above mentioned vet posted a response to all the Beneful comments by stating the following which I found very interesting. Particularly since I've come across a lot of naysayers that claim pet companies do not influence vet students while they are in school.

Here's an honest response and I really appreciate, it's a rarity to come across a vet that is willing to think outside the bubble and actually care about something as vital as nutrition when it comes to animals long term health. :


-I am a licensed and practicing veterinarian.
-I started this very thread on the dangers of Beneful.
-I graduated 10 years ago from the number 2 vet school in the nation.
-We as veterinary students received virtually no internal nutritional training.
-Nutritional education we received was from Hill’s Science Diet, Iams and Purina.
-Hill’s, Iams and Purina not only provided us as poor vet students with free food for our pets for the 4 years of veterinary school, but they sponsored major events, scholarships, educational meetings and provided us with endless freebees. Their support during our hardest times made veterinarian’s feel obligated to recommend these companies.
-Hill’s, Iams and Purina sponsor extremely expensive booths at veterinarians’ continuing education meetings, continuing to demonstrate their “strength” in the pet food market.
-I learned from my own trial and error, first on my own pets, then on the numerous dogs I rescue, how high quality diet plays a critical role in the health of our pets.
-Now in this practice I purchased 18 months ago, I have personally seen the significant effects that good nutrition can make. I started my campaign against Beneful, because about 80-90% of my dog owners in this practice were feeding it and thinking they were doing right by their dogs. 
-Since we have started promoting good nutrition in this practice, I have seen about a 75% decline in my ear, skin and allergy cases. A decrease in medical cases is not good for our bottom line, but as I have learned on my own pets, nutrition is key for their overall well being. Overall, my patients are healthier, my clients are happier, and I sleep better at night knowing this. 
-Please, if you learn nothing more from reading this, be an informed consumer for your pets. If you need to research pet foods, consult http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/



You can read more responses and show your support on their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Southwest-Pet-Hospital/171020129603271

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Trying out couple new brands in rotation

So few weeks ago I bought a food called First Mate on amazon because it was on sale for $30 for 33 lbs with free shipping. I mainly bought it because it's made in Canada in their own factory, and they have not been involved in any recalls. I originally planned on giving it to Indy, but he still has another 2 months of Nature's logic left and Uno is running low on Horizon Legacy.
It's a pretty basic formula, nothing flashy really, it's not even grain free but I figured I'd give it a shot regardless. Another reason I wanted to try it was because with summer heat, the dogs haven't been able to exercise as much, so Uno especially put on 2-3 lbs over the summer, so I thin lower calorie food would be beneficial to him.

Anyways, here's the ingredient list for First Mate:

Chicken meal, pearled barley, oat meal, brown rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), herring meal, fish oil, potato flour, tomato pomace, dicalcium phosphate, cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, calcium propionate, calcium propionate, sage extract, rosemary extract, garlic oil, minerals (zinc, iron, manganese, copper, iodine, cobalt, selenium), vitamins (vitamin E, vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, d-pantothenic acid, thiamine, vitamin A, pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, vitamin D3), glucosamine

It's 26% protein, 15% fat and 540 cal per cup (which is surprisingly high for this type of food)

http://www.firstmate.com/dog_food.aspx?guid=61D-0ADDA4075CE7


So we will start this food in about a week, gradually mixing with horizon and go from there.

Second food I'm trying out is Back to Basics, it's a relatively new brand of grain free food that is gluten/potato and grain free, making it a good choice for those seeking a low glycemic food. My main reservation about the food is the cost, it's pretty expensive ranging from $57 - $75 depending on protein source. Since I had a $10 off coupon to a new Pet Supplies Plus store, I used that to get a large bag of turkey formula which ended up being $55.
Overall I'm impressed with the ingredient list and the inclusion of organs. It could do without the chicken flavor and I prefer to see ground flaxseed instead of whole, but otherwise it looks good on paper. I'll be a while before we get to this food, so I'll keep you updated.

http://www.backtobasicspetfood.com/instinctively-better



  • Turkey Giblets (Turkey Livers and Turkey Hearts)
  • Turkey Meal
  • Turkey
  • Chicken Meal
  • Tapioca
  • Pea Protein
  • Poultry Fat (Turkey & Chicken, Naturally Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols)
  • Dried Whole Egg
  • Whole Flaxseed
  • Menhaden Fish Oil
  • Natural Chicken Flavor
  • Peas
  • Sunflower Oil
  • Salt
  • L-Carnitine
  • Potassium Chloride
  • Zinc Proteinate
  • Iron Proteinate
  • Vitamin E Supplement
  • L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C)
  • Choline Chloride
  • Biotin
  • Copper Proteinate
  • Manganese Proteinate
  • Niacin
  • Calcium Pantothenate
  • Sodium Selenite
  • Vitamin A Supplement
  • Riboflavin Supplement
  • Vitamin D3 Supplement
  • Thiamine Mononitrate
  • Vitamin B12 Supplement
  • Calcium Iodate
  • Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
  • Folic Acid.

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Dr Jean Dodds Nutrition Webinar

If anyone is interested, it sounds very promising and I'm a big fan of Dr. Dodds. Registration ends 8/11 or when the capacity is reached (100 participants)

What you will learn...

Wholesome nutrition is the key to maintaining a healthy immune system and resistance to disease. Commercial foods ingested by animals on a regular basis may not be balanced in terms of major nutrients, minerals and vitamins, and some continue to add chemicals to the final product to enhance its stability and shelf-life. Nutritional deficiencies or imbalances as well as exposures to various chemicals, drugs and toxins present a continual immunological challenge which can suppress immune function, especially in those animals genetically susceptible to immune dysfunction (immune deficiency, autoimmunity, allergies).

Nutrition and the Immune System
Nutrition and Thyroid Metabolism
Nutritional Management (Commercial, Home-Made and Raw Food Diets)
Raw Food Diet Study
New Diagnostics for Food Sensitivity or Intolerance



http://www.farmdogsusa.com/w-jean-dodds-dvm-81212.html