Special Ingredient Saturday – Shrimp

Shrimp.  It's what's for dinner. At least, it should be.... for your pets.   Shrimp are low fat, high in protein, and an excellent source of selenium. They are also a good source of Vitamin D, B12, and healthy omega-3 Fatty acids. So, broil those protein-packed little...

How to Look for a Fungal Infection Before it’s Too Late

How to Look for a Fungal Infection Before it’s Too Late

Recently, I was consulting with a wonderful pet owner whose dog was coughing. This dog had undergone extensive diagnostic work up by her primary care veterinarian. Bridget had fallen off the grooming table before the coughing started. One of the possibilities was that...

Special Ingredient Saturday – Green Beans

Special Ingredient Saturday – Green Beans

Green beans aren’t typically thought of as great pet food. But, maybe they should be. Green beans are rich in B vitamins, shown to have impressive antioxidant qualities, and are also a good source of beta-carotenes (just like carrots). Green beans have recently been...

What Really is Healthy Looking Stool?

What Really is Healthy Looking Stool?

Caution: This discussion may be a bit graphic for some. Pet food manufacturers spend a lot of their research dollars making sure that dogs and cats have “good” stools after eating their pet food. Certainly, most pet owners examine their pets’ output and use that as...

Dr. Google vs. You Know, Any Real Doctor

Dr. Google vs. You Know, Any Real Doctor

These days we all do it - we run to the Internet to check for information. Fact checking may be as simple as checking ingredients of a favorite recipe, to something as complicated as diagnosing an unknown illness in a pet. Multiple times over the years, before my...

Health Coaching for Pets

Health Coaching for Pets

Have you ever just wanted a second opinion, either about your own health or the health care of your pets? Books and the internet are great for general information, background, and education but usually don’t address the specific situation going on in the owner’s...

Why has my Black Cat’s Coat Turned Red?

Why has my Black Cat’s Coat Turned Red?

Black coat color is produced by a pigment called melanin. Melanin is the same pigment in human skin that turns our skin brown(er) when we are exposed to sunshine. Melanin is found in higher concentration in black coated animals than other color coats. Melanin is made...

What Are the Ingredients of Vaccines?

What Are the Ingredients of Vaccines?

The list of ingredients for most vaccines is proprietary information - this means vaccine companies are not required to disclose their ingredients to the consumer. Therefore, even if the consumer, or the consumer’s pet, has a reaction to a vaccine, the vaccine the...

My Dog Bit Me. Do I Need to Get a Tetanus Booster?

My Dog Bit Me. Do I Need to Get a Tetanus Booster?

Tetanus comes from bacterial infection caused by a bacterium called Clostridium tetani. C tetani lives in the soil. This bacterium produces a toxin that causes the typical signs of tetanus when the environment is right. C tetani enters the body through a break in the...

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