This new booklet joins the breed store area of our website where you’ll find solid information about taking a proactive approach to your dog’s diet and care. Our current breed booklets include the Airedale Terrier, Akita, Alaskan Malamute, American Staffordshire Terrier, Australian Shepherd, Basset Hound, Beagle, Bernese Mountain Dog, Bichon Frise, Border Collie, Boxer, Bouvier, Bullmastiff, Cairn Terrier, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Great Dane, Labrador Retriever, Lhasa Apso, Maltese, Miniature Poodle, Newfoundland, Pekingese, Portuguese Water Dog, Rottweiler, Saint Bernard, Shetland Sheep Dog, Shih Tzu, Siberian Husky, Standard Poodle, and Toy Poodle.

Breed booklets are focused on the proactive care of your dog. They provide an overview of genetic diseases in your breed, symptoms, most common treatments, what a good vet will check for, and how dietary measures and supplements can help to prevent some problems. The dietary information applies to all methods of feeding (commercial, cooked or raw). Rather than pointing to specific diets, we believe that certain dietary principles and specific supplements can be the key to having healthier dogs.

Fact of The Month
Small things can have a big impact

The mention of dietary supplements seems to push some people’s buttons. There are those who think that supplements are not necessary, and others who feel just a strongly that the more supplements being fed, the better. My own belief is that dietary supplements can play important roles when used with good purpose, but that using them on a whim can backfire or, at the very least, be a waste of money. I add supplements to a dog’s regime based on the needs of that particular dog, and not all add a nutritional punch to the diet. Some are used to help the dog with certain issues. Here are some living examples:

1: Andy is a 42-pound, 10 year old mixed breed dog with dry eye. By adding 1,000 mg of primrose oil daily, he needs far less medication in his eyes, and the eye “goop” that had been present for more than one year is a thing of the past.

2: Sophie is a 15-pound, 4 year old Shih Tzu that had terrible breath. She’s needed professional dental cleaning every six months since she was 2 years old, and it didn’t seem like there was much hope of this changing despite that her owner brushes her teeth daily. By adding 30 mg of CoQ10 daily for the last 8 months, Sophie’s breathe has improved and to date, does not need her teeth professionally cleaned..

3: Trooper is a 19 pound, 9 year old Lhasa Apso, and like Sophie, had terrible breath. But Trooper’s teeth haven’t needed professional cleaning quite as often, and he has a history of eating dirt. In his case, 1/8 tsp of acidophilus per day has greatly improved his breath despite that curbing his enthusiasm for dirt remains a challenge.

4: Mattie is a 123 pound, 6 year old Saint Bernard with dry skin. By adding ¼ tablet of vitamin B complex (daily), 3,000 mg of wild salmon oil and 2,000 mg of primrose oil per day, her skin showed improvement in three short weeks. Today, she proudly shows off her clear skin and glorious coat to anyone who cares to pat her.

5: Blitz is a 47 pound, 8 year old Border Collie who works very hard on a farm. He’s not an old dog, but he’s not what one would consider young either, and a lifetime of hard work seemed to have slowed him down. The daily additions of 100 IU of vitamin E (more exercise means a greater need for antioxidants), 1 tsp of Antioxidant Booster and 250 mg of taurine brought good news from his owner within one month. She reported that there were no changes in Blitz’s diet and his routine remained the same, but his ability to perform his tasks had improved.

I have many such stories that I could share, but by giving you just these few examples, I hope that you will consider the possible benefits that seemingly small things can offer. The examples above show what worked for these particular dogs. They may or may not be applicable in the case of your own dog, but what’s most important is that you consider the possibilities and act on good information. For example, in the case of Sophie, one small capsule of CoQ0 makes the difference between needing to undergo anesthesia for a dental cleaning every six months, and delaying that event without doing harm. Sophie would tell you that this is no small thing!

Happy Holidays, everyone. Morley and I wish you, your human and canine families the very best of the season and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2010!

Have a great December, everyone!

Monica

“My husband and I are either going to buy a dog or have a child. We can't decide whether to ruin our carpets or ruin our lives.’
-- Rita Rudner