Dogs Can Have Food Allergies Too!
January 27th, 2012 | 
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Dogs Can Have Food Allergies Too!
There are many reasons why your dog could be scratching himself. The number one reason is that he or she might have a case of fleas. Once you rule out that fleas are not the issue, there are other possibilities that you might never have considered. Your dog could have some kind of food allergy!
If your dog is scratching and biting all the time, there’s obviously something wrong. Contrary to what some dog owners think, it really is not normal for dogs to scratch constantly. Just like with humans, excessive itching is an indication that there is something the matter.
EXCESSIVE SCRATCHING
What is excessive? Let’s just say that if it is enough to be getting on your nerves, then it’s too much. And if it’s getting on your nerves, imagine how your poor dog feels!
Constant itching is not just annoying for you and your dog; if you don’t do something about it, it could seriously affect your dog’s health. Chronic scratching and biting at the skin can lead to all sorts of problems over time – from infections to hearing loss.
I think I have a food allergy!
DOG FOOD ALLERGIES
There are many reasons why your dog might be excessively itchy. One of the most common (and most overlooked) is dog food allergies.
As you know, when your dog suffers from any type of food allergy it makes sense to change your dog’s diet to exclude the allergic food. Obviously, that is easier said than done because your dog can be allergic to a whole food item or just a part of that food item (a particular element of that food item such as a preservative or even an enzyme).
HYPOALLERGENIC FOODS
Unless you are able to determine exactly what food is causing the allergy (and that would be hard to do, unless you can trace the development of the allergies to a change in food), switching to a high-quality hypoallergenic dog food is a good move.
Your dog might be allergic to any of the ingredients in the normal packaged dog food or any of the major ingredients, preservatives, colorings, flavorings, or any of the multitudes of chemicals (even natural chemicals) that go into the preparation of the dog food. Therefore, you should try giving your pet a diet prepared to exclude allergy-causing foods and chemicals. This could be the answer to the itching issue.
Once you have attempted to try the hypoallergenic food, you can determine if your food is causing the excess scratching. If, after all, he continues to scratch, then it will be time to go to the Veterinarian to determine why your dog is scratching. Hope the above tips help with your scratching dog and that he or she is on the mend.
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Posted in Dogs | 
Tags: all natural dog treats, dog, dog birthday, Dogs, german shepard, golden retriever, labrador retreiver, patricia griecci, pet guardian, pitbull, pooch parties, puppies | 
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10 Ways to Welcome Your Rescue Dog
Treat your new rescue dog like a 2-year-old child, and you’ll make friends fast, says Jean Smith, coordinator of Collie
10 Ways to Welcome Your Rescue Dog
Rescue of the Carolinas. “It is important to establish right away that this is his new home and he is staying,” she adds.
Here are 10 tips to help you welcome your rescue dog.
1. Know your dog. “Get as much information as possible from shelter or rescue organization personnel about his behavior and daily routine,” says Emma Parsons, adoption intake coordinator for Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue. Continuing the feeding, exercise, and grooming routine he was used to gives your dog confidence in his new home.
2. Clarify dog-care duties and limits in your home. These duties include who will walk the dog and when, who will feed him, and whether any furniture or rooms will be off-limit to four paws. Make sure no duty goes neglected and that everyone enforces limits consistently.
3. Check the dog’s health. “Take him for a veterinary exam, including a heartworm test,” says Lori Blackburn, director of Purebred Rescue Organization of Ohio, Inc. Arrange for spaying or neutering, the Humane Society of the United States recommends.
4. Take it easy. Bring your rescue dog home when you have a few full days to get used to each other. For the first two days, let only immediate family have contact with him. “Slowly introduce the new dog to other pets during short supervised sessions,” Parsons says.
5. Give him security. “If the dog is used to sleeping in a crate, continue making his crate available,” Blackburn suggests. Your dog will feel protected there.
6. Give him frequent potty breaks. Assume the dog is not housetrained. Take him outdoors often to eliminate to help prevent accidents and learn how to signal to you that he needs to go. “Dogs don’t know which door to go to in a new home,” Parsons says.
7. Walk, don’t sit. Your companion needs to run and play with you. Those activities not only boost his health, but also strengthen the bond between you.
8. Go to school. Enroll in obedience classes, even if your dog already knows the basics, the Humane Society suggests. Learning together establishes you as the leader.
9. Keep him leashed. “Don’t let the dog run free too soon,” Parsons says. If you must chase him, escapes become a game. “When people manage their dogs well, the dogs naturally fall into the kind of behavior people want from them,” she says.
10. Be patient. Give the dog time to adjust to his new life, the Humane Society recommends. Just as with people, taking your time helps you both to ease into a happy lifelong relationship.
Posted in Dogs |
Tags: all natural dog treats, dog, dog birthday, Dogs, german shepard, golden retriever, labrador retreiver, patricia griecci, pet guardian, pitbull, pooch parties, puppies |
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Pesticides come in all shapes and sizes, and effect creatures large and small. If you are like me, you diligently check your family’s food labels, and read as much as you can stomach about the toxic soup that comes in contact with our bodies. I also check what is in my pet’s food. Pet food [...]
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Kidney Supplements For Dog Cancer
Cancer of the kidneys can be very hard, both for you and for your dog. This is actually a rare cancer, so I hope some information here can help.
Let’s look at this topic. To understand what happens with cancers of the dog kidney, it is important to understand what the kidneys normally do.
Just for orientation, remember the kidneys are located up against the lower back. In humans with kidney infection, one of the symptoms is back pain.
People think of the kidneys as the organ that makes urine. This is correct, the kidneys do indeed produce urine. Urine rids the body of many different toxins.
Here’s the strange part. When the kidneys lose some of their function, they actually make dogs urinate more than normal. This is opposite what one might expect, since the kidneys make urine.
The strange thing about the kidneys is that the active process of these organs (that uses energy) is they form a concentrated urine. It is this action, the concentration of urine, that is one of the main jobs of the kidneys. The reason for this process is that the kidneys have to work to prevent dehydration. They actually filter fluid from blood and put the water contained in that fluid back in the body.
When the kidneys are not doing their job, this means that more water is lost in the urine. You guessed what happens next: dehydration. More water in urine, more urine being released, and more dehydration.
When dogs get dehydrated, they feel bad. They become sluggish and sleepy. They lose their appetite. And they can sometimes even act like they have eaten a toxin or a poison. And this image is not far off the mark, because when kidneys lose function, the toxins they normally would clear out instead build up in the system.
There are a variety of cancers that happen in the dog kidney. Common ones are lymphoma (lymphosarcoma) and renal carcinoma of different kinds. There is a kind of kidney cancer that is more common in German Shepherds in some bloodlines.
Okay, so this blog is about kidney supplements to discuss with your vet, so let’s take a look at those. One catch is that dogs with more severe kidney cancer lose their appetite, and so supplementation can be difficult (appetite stimulants may help here).
One of the most useful kidney supplements I use is called Azodyl. This is a certain type of probiotic. A probiotic is a beneficial bacteria that can be supplemented in a capsule given by mouth (this is different from a prebiotic, which supplies fuel for the healthy bacteria in the intestine).
The neat thing about these particular bacteria is that they are capable of breaking down the toxins that accumulate in the body when the kidneys are not doing their job. Since the toxins contribute to the bad feelings that happen as a part of kidney cancer (and other types of kidney disease), this supplement may help with life quality and possibly even lifespan.
Some dogs get low potassium as a part of their kidney cancer. When this happens (it is diagnosed by a blood electrolyte test), a potassium supplement can benefit.
Some dogs benefit with weekly injections of vitamin B. This may help a little with appetite and energy level. When excessive body water is lost due to kidney problems, the body also loses water soluble vitamins, and B complex is a central player in this.
Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and krill oil have benefit in patients with kidney disease (by the way, you can search for blog topics like this by using the search bar on the right side of this page).
On the herb side, we can occasionally see benefit from rubenol, which is put out by the same company that makes Azodyl (Vetoquinol). Ginseng can help a little too. Some alternative practitioners use coryceps fungus, which is included in K-9 Immunity product by Aloha Medicinals. I prefer the unflavored capsule formulation. A little nettle seed may help too, which is included in a supplement called Renal Essentials.
As usual, check with your veterinarian or oncologist to make sure there are no interactions you need to know during your dog’s treatment. If your veterinary professional is not familiar with therapies like these, you a useful resource for you is here.
If you would like to know more about supplements, and other strategies that can help your dog’s cancer (including both conventional and alternative), check out The Dog Cancer Survival Guide.
I hope this helps,
Best,
Dr D
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Hear what vets and shelters say about devocalization
Please read. Act. Forward.
What Happened to Stella Shouldn’t Happen
To Other Dogs—and Cats—in New York. But It Does.
Here’s How You Can Help, No Matter Where You Live.
An AKC breeder had Stella’s vocal cords cut to suppress her voice.
Devocalization is cruel. And it’s more common than you think.
Meet Stella: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZPoyuMw870
A state bill to prohibit canine/feline devocalization is now pending in New York. It was introduced by Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski after learning of Massachusetts’ new law banning this cruel surgery. The Assemblyman–who has four rescue dogs!–is determined. BUT…
He’s up against the same powerful lobbies that tried to kill or add loopholes to devocalization bans in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
They include breeders–some order devocalization when they or neighbors don’t want to hear their many animals–and the state veterinary association, which exists to protect its members’ business interests.
The New York League of Humane Voters (LOHV) is leading the charge to pass NY Assembly Bill 3431-Awith help from Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets (CPR Pets), which sponsored Massachusetts’ landmark devocalization ban.
CPR Pets–an unfunded, all-volunteer network of people who care about animals–proved that every humane voice makes a difference. Please use yours now.
New York Dogs and Cats Need Your Help
No Matter Where You Live.
We’re Not Asking for Money.
Just Your Voice to Protect Theirs.
1) Live in New York State?
Contact the League of Humane Voters: (peter@lohv.org ) Urge other New York residents who care about animals to do the same. You’ll receive periodic email alerts that tell you how to help end devocalization in your state just by picking up the phone. You may opt-off the list at any time, no questions asked, no hassle.
2) Live Elsewhere?
Forward this email to all your animal-loving friends and family, colleagues and acquaintances in New York State–and throughout the country. Urge them to act now!
Watch and Learn
Meet devocalized dogs and their rescuers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZPoyuMw870
Hear what vets and shelters say about devocalization:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ADbMoX4aw
Hear Porter trying to bark after devocalization:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lkLNOWujH8&feature=email
Fast Facts About Devocalization
- What are the risks? Devocalization is an invasive procedure that can cause lifelong coughing, gagging and difficulty breathing–or horrific death–regardless of the vet’s skill, the instrument used, including laser, or whether vocal cords are cut through the oral cavity or an incision in the neck.
- The less-invasive procedure has a higher risk of internal scarring that can block the airway, impairing swallowing and breathing.
- Surgery to correct airway obstruction can cost thousands of dollars–and may need to be repeated.
- Who would have a dog or cat devocalized? People who keep many animals for profit or hobby are the vast majority of those ordering canine/feline devocalization.
- Some sell these animals without disclosing they have been devocalized.
- Do animals benefit? Devocalized animals–including those no longer useful for breeding or exhibition–are given to shelters and rescue groups for the same reasons as any other dog or cat. They face great risks without any benefit.
Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets
Patricia Griecci Pancreatic Cancer Foundation
PlayMore Publishing Dog Our Books
Patricia Griecci has written a fabulous guide to the perfect pooch party
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Pesticides come in all shapes and sizes, and effect creatures large and small. If you are like me, you diligently check your family’s food labels, and read as much as you can stomach about the toxic soup that comes in contact with our bodies. I also check what is in my pet’s food. Pet food [...]
