Special Ingredient Saturday – Quinoa
Quinoa — pronounced keen-wa — could best be described as a “small, but mighty” nutritional giant. The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations has declared quinoa as a food with “high nutritive value.” Research has shown this food to contain...
Is Glucosamine the Best Supplement for a Pet with Arthritis?
Studies demonstrate arthritis signs are improved faster with any of the following nutraceuticals: Boswellia, green lipped musseks, turmeric, Elk velvet antler, Traditional Chinese Veterinary Herbal formulas, and a combination. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories....
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
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
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...
My Dog Only has One Testicle Descended. Do I Need to Worry About This?
An undescended testicle is also called cryptorchid or monorchid. By the time most puppies go home between 8 and 12 weeks old, the male puppy will have both testicles descended into his scrotal sac. Interestingly, northern breeds and some working dogs seem to delay...
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
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
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?
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...