Name: Amira
Pets species and breed: Tabby cat
Pets age and weight: about 6 yrs, 6 lbs
Pets health status: Good
Are they spayed or neutered? Yes
Brand of food: Orijen chicken/Purina selects fish canned
Animal owned for: 6 years
Question:
I have 3 cats, but Snookie is the only one who gets Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs). He had a lot of blood in his urine. He went to the litter box back to back with difficulty going & then it was just a drop. The urine was tested, and the vet gave him Clavamox. I need help determining if there are ingredients in his food that might trigger UTIs. Thank you for your help.
Amira
Answer:
Dear Amira,
Please read my article. This will hopefully shed some light on the most common feline urinary tract problems and their recommended treatments.
The most common reason for cats to have bloody urine and urination urgency is bladder inflammation…not infection. Often vets put these cats on antibiotics, but bladder infection accounts for only about 2-3% of these type of signs.
However, if Snookie does indeed have a UTI, I would recommend an ultrasound to determine if he has bladder stones–which is a common cause of recurrent bladder infections.
One of the most important things to do for cats with urinary problems is to feed ALL CANNED FOOD diets, increase the frequency of feeding (3 to 4 meals each day) and feed a pH neutral diet. Again, please read my complete article referenced above for more recommendations.
Hope this helps.
Dr. Donna Spector
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K9 Cuisine is a provider of premium dog food. We’re committed to providing our customers with the knowledge, and the products, to help their faithful friends be the best they can be.
Name: Lynda
Pets species and breed: Toy Poodle
Pets age and weight: 10 lbs., 10 yrs. old.
Pets health status: Excellent
Are they spayed or neutered? Yes
Brand of food: Wenaewe
Animal owned for: Since her birth
Question:
Her stool is mushy. It has been going on for most of the last year and a half. I took her to a high tech animal hospital in Downers Grove, IL where they ran all kinds of tests on her. They said she was in great shape and that I should add a teaspoon of Benefiber to the wet food in the mornings and to the dry food I give her in the evening. At that time, she had been on prescription vet food - salmon and potato – and when I learned they had no solution other than Benefiber, I tried Wenaewe, which she has been on for over a year.
The Benefiber does not work, and I don’t know what else to try. Thank you!
Answer:
Dear Lynda,
Many dogs are plagued with soft stool problems, and the solution can be easy–such as adding fiber to the diet–or more complicated, depending on the problem.
I am unsure what tests your vets have run but “fiber-responsive diarrhea” is a common condition in dogs. Many dogs require more fiber in their diet to maintain digestive health as they age. Fiber can improve the stool consistency and it helps produce fatty acids that nourish the colon and discourage the overgrowth of potentially harmful bacteria.
There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Neither type of fiber is digested by the body and therefore can have beneficial effects on colon health. Soluble fiber forms a gel when mixed with liquid, while insoluble fiber does not–it passes through the intestine largely intact. Benefiber is classified as a strictly soluble fiber. Dogs with “fiber-responsive diarrhea” often require a healthy mix of both fiber types or just insoluble fiber in order to have improvement in their stool. Good natural sources of insoluble fiber include wheat bran, whole grains and certain vegetables (root vegetables and skins). This form of fiber may be “just what the doctor ordered”.
Also consider selecting a food that has both prebiotics and probiotics that help promote excellent intestinal health. Read my article here to learn more about the addition of these to your dogs diet here.
If your dog still has no response, speak to your veterinarian about Inflammatory Bowel Disease, as this is another common problem that often causes diarrhea. You can read more about it here.
Hope this helps.
Dr. Donna Spector
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K9 Cuisine is a provider of premium dog food. We’re committed to providing our customers with the knowledge, and the products, to help their faithful friends be the best they can be.
Name: Sally
Pets Species and Breed: Yorkies
Pets Age and Weight: Almost 9 yrs. old
Pets health status: Very good
Are they spayed or neutered? Yes
Brand of food: Royal Canine
Animal owned for: 9 years
Question:
What would be the best food for our two litter mate female Yorkies? It seems that one might have an issue urinating slightly in the house on the carpeting. We have not been able to catch her, however she does not potty immediately when we let her out like the other one does. We feed only dry dog food. Please suggest some good dog food and treats. They are very loving dogs! We could also use something for bad breath. Thanks!
Answer:
Thanks for your questions Sally. Any middle-aged to older dog who starts having urinary accidents or inappropriate urination (indoors, on the carpet, unusual pattern, straining, etc.) should be evaluated by a veterinarian. Not only are female dogs at risk for bladder infections (UTIs), Yorkies are known for developing bladder stones. I recommend that you see your veterinarian for a urinalysis, urine culture and possible some x-rays to check out these possibilities.
As far as the bad breath, just a change in food is not going to solve this problem. Most often, bad breath is a sign of a more serious underlying problem called periodontal disease. Periodontal disease often results in tooth and gum infections, pain, loss of teeth and even organ damage in pets and affects approximately 80% of dogs by age 3. At-home prevention (daily brushing) is as important as regular dental cleanings by your veterinarian. Please read my article about bad breath in dogs.
As far as the best food for your Yorkies, I always prefer a natural food that uses ONLY human-grade ingredients and avoids the use of meat “meals” (like chicken meal) as these are always considered “unfit for human consumption” due to the questionable quality of rendered ingredients. Natural diets will also avoid exposing your pet to artificial dyes, preservatives and flavoring additives–many of which are known to be cancer-causing agents (carcinogens). As the consulting veterinarian for Halo, Purely for Pets, I know these are the standards for this particular pet food, and I recommend it highly. You can also ask your veterinarian for other healthy alternatives.
Name: Joyce
Pets species and breed: Cocker Spaniel
Pets age and weight: 3 yrs – 35 lbs.
Pets health status: Good
Are they spayed or neutered? Yes
Brand of food: Pure Vita/Evangers
Question:
“My cocker spaniel, Mugsy, is a rescue dog. I have had him for nine months, and he is probably about 3 years old. Since using K9 Cuisine premium dog food, he has been healthy. Beore that, he had problems with digesting food. I wrote you for help three months ago, and he has been healthy. He was very hard to housebreak, and had to be crated much of the time for a while. He has been doing well for several months now.
Recently he started “leaking” while I hooked the rope to his collar so he could go outside. Usually I fasten the rope while he is still in the house near the back door. For the last several days, I have taken him onto the back porch before stopping to hook the rope. He still leaked, but it was outside. A few minutes ago, I took him out to fasten the rope. After I fastened it he just stood there for a minute. When he went on down the steps to the yard, I saw that he had pottied on the porch.
Since he was neutered, he has squatted like a female 99% of the time. Occasionally he lifts a leg, but unlike most male dogs, he stays in one place until he is finished. I don’t know if this is behavioral or if I need to take him for a urine test. Please help. I am losing my patience.”
Answer:
“Hi Joyce, thanks for your question. I am glad to hear Mugsy’s digestive problems from May have resolved!
Whenever a dog starts showing urinary signs (accidents, inappropriate locations of urination, straining, etc.), I recommend a urinalysis and urine culture to make sure they are not dealing with a bladder infection. Bladder stones can also develop at any age and usually require an xray or sonogram to diagnose. Also ask your vet to perform a good orthopedic and neurologic exam, as problems in these areas can also cause urine leakage.
If those tests are negative, this urination pattern may be a behavioral problem, and you may need to seek advice from a behaviorist/trainer. Try fastening the rope to him in the yard (instead of inside or on the porch) to prevent unnecessary clean-ups.”
Name: Kathy
Pets species and breed: Gordon Setter-male
Pets age and weight: 2 years-70 lbs
Pets health status: Good
Are they spayed or neutered? No
Animal owned for: 2 years
Question:
“I am looking for a recommendation on food to help a just turned-two male to put on some weight. Stewart is a highly active Gordon Setter. He has a lot of energy and his preference is to be outside. Since the spring he has lost what weight he gained over the winter. He is 27 inches at the shoulder and skin and coat is in great condition.
We have had him on a variety of foods trying to find something he will like and eat. Most recently he has been on Kent Native #4 food, which has a high protein and fat content. Of all the foods we have tried, he will eat this one most of the time. However, we find that we still supplement in some way. His preference is cooked chicken livers but there are times when this doesn”t do the trick either. He doesn”t like canned food and he is not overly fond of fish. We joke that because he has European bloodlines that he thinks he is a gourmet, but I am really concerned that we cannot get any weight on him. (Girls in season do not help)
He does not seem to be in any distress health wise that would indicate a thyroid problem. For his size and weight, he should be about 80-85 pounds, but barely touches 70. This breed does take a long time to mature. I have in the past had dogs on Burns Pet Health, Pinnacle Holistic and Solid Gold dog food, but I am reluctant to put Stewart on any of these if he cannot maintain his weight at the lower protein and fat ratios. Is it better to have a food where these ratios are closer together such as 20/15 or one where the ratio is farther apart such as 42/18? Thank you for your assistance.
Answer:
Thanks for your nutrition questions Kathy. A few thoughts on Stewart…even though he seems overtly very healthy, I would have your veterinarian check him for the possibility of malabsorption. There is a medical condition called EPI (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency) in which the pancreas does not make enough enzymes to properly digest the food and can lead to poor weight gain/lack of weight maintenance in an otherwise healthy dog.
Also, it sounds like Stewart is outdoors most of the time. Chronic parasitism with the protozoal organism called Giardia is a common cause of malabsorption in outdoor pets that otherwise feels normal. I would ask your vet to check him for both of these things…just to be sure.
As far as options for a diet for Stewart, it is important to remember that fat has more calories per gram than either protein or carbohydrates. Fat has 9 calories per gram, whereas carbs and protein have only 4 calories per gram. With Stilmoors heavy activity schedule, he is likely better suited to a higher fat diet. When comparing diets, it is critical to do so on a dry matter basis (ask your vet to help you with this calculation if you are unsure). The Kent Native 4 you have had him on has 38.9% protein and 27.8% fat. There are many other diets that offer higher fat percentages. As an example, Evo canned dog food has 54.5% protein and 36.4% fat. The Evo 95% beef canned dog food has 41% protein and 41% fat.
It is also important that you look at the source of ingredients from a digestibility standpoint. The Kent Native 4 diet has “chicken meal” as the first ingredient. “Chicken meal” is a product made through a process called rendering. This always means it is considered “unfit for human consumption” because of the variability and quality of the end product. Rendered meals have lower digestibility than whole meats so even though the food is relatively high protein, it may not be highly digestible protein. Obviously Stewart needs a highly digestible, high quality food to gain and maintain weight with his active lifestyle.
For more information on reading and understanding pet food labels to choose the best food for Stewart, please see my article here.
Name: Joan Ingle
Pets species and breed: Lab
Pets age and weight: 71/2 61 lbs.
Pets health status: Good, but has arthritis
Are they spayed or neutered? Yes
Brand of food: Solid Gold – holistique blendz
Animal owned for: 6 years
Question:
“My lab has been on Solid Gold – Holistique Blendz for about 6 months. She does some scratching which may be related to the food – I”m not sure. However, she has developed arthritis in both elbows. I was told from a pet store owner that grains irritate arthritis and that I should change to Barking at the Moon. Please advise. I can”t find in my internet searches anything about grains and arthritis.”
Answer:
“Thanks for your inquiry. Sounds like you have two different questions. One is whether or not your dog’s scratching is related to the Solid Gold dog food. Please read my article http://www.halopets.com/pet-education/pet-articles/food_allergies_in_pets.html that discusses food allergies in detail. In general, food allergies are not terribly common and there are many more common things that can cause scratching especially at this time of year (fleas, inhaled allergies, etc).
Arthritis is a common joint problem in dogs and is estimated to affect 20% of dogs older than one year of age. Many times their symptoms don’t show up until later in life, although the arthritis changes have been present for many years. Read my article http://www.halopets.com/pet-education/pet-articles/dog-arthritis.html for a thorough discussion of arthritis in dogs. What the pet store owner may have been referring to (that grains irritate arthritis) has been documented in people who are gluten-intolerant. Whole grains contain gluten and other compounds (including lectins, phytates, high omega-6 : omega-3 ratios) that can aggravate or cause inflammation. There have been many reports of arthritis signs resolving completely in gluten-intolerant people that go on a gluten-free diet. This really doesn’t apply to dogs and cats as gluten-sensitivity and gluten-intolerance is exceedingly RARE. Although the pet store owner is “up” on his grain knowledge…it really applies only to people.”
Name: Tianna
Pets species and breed: German Shepherd Pharaoh Cattle Dog Mix
Pets age and weight: 40lbs 4 and 1/2 years old
Pets health status: Never any issues so far
Are they spayed or neutered? Yes
Brand of food: Honest Kitchen
Animal owned for: 3 and 1/2 ears
Question:
“My dog, Inuki, has always eaten many foods without any issues or allergies. We have been searching for the “perfect” healthy premium dog food. He has been on Flint River Ranch, Nutro, Innova, Dogswell, and raw diet (we stopped that) then home cooked with veggies, meat, grains, and multi vitamins, then the Honest Kitchen because it was too much to cook myself. I actually will go back to home cooking if I have the right recipes, but I had a very hard time understanding how much to feed and of what. I read dr strombecks Home Cooked Diets For Cats and Dogs. Now, for the last month my dog and 2 cats have been on the Honest Kitchen’’s Prowl and Force. My cats love their Prowl and do great on it, but my dog, while he likes the food, his pooping has increased big time. He used to have maybe one to 2 poops a day and they were small and firm, now he poops 3 to 4 times and the poop is large and soft, but not runny. I just really would like to find a food that he can stick with that will keep him very healthy for years and years to come.”
Answer:
“Tianna,
Thanks for writing in. Sounds like you have been dabbling in the (sometimes) frustrating world of dog nutrition for quite some time! I think the first thing you need to decide on is whether you want to cook for your dog or if you are looking for a commercially available diet.
If you are selecting a commercially available diet, select one that is “natural” or “organic”. By definition and AAFCO regulation, a “natural” pet food may have ingredients from ONLY plant, animal or mined sources. These foods cannot be highly processed or contain chemically synthetic ingredients, such as artificial flavors, preservatives or colorings.
Look for foods that do not contain inferior by-products or meals. Meat meals are made through a process of rendering. Any product that has been rendered is considered unfit for human consumption…so in my mind, that means unfit for our beloved pets as well. Look for RECOGNIZABLE ingredients on the label. You should be able to identify meats, grains, vegetables and not just chemical additives.
If you are choosing to home-cook, you absolutely need to work with a veterinary nutritionist to get recipes that are balanced for your dog and his daily requirements. There are many websites you can use, including www.petdiets.com and www.balanceit.com. I would recommend that you request a consultation specific to Inuki so he isn’t lacking anything.”
Name: Jason
Pets species and breed: American Staff Bull
Pets age and weight: 4yrs 90lbs
Pets health status: Good
Are they spayed or neutered? No
Brand of food: Inova
Animal owned for: Puppy
Question:
“My dog has had a condition that no one can figure out. It seems to be mange, but it comes back every 3 to 6 months worse then before. I’ve spent over $8,000 with 5 differnt vets. His condition looks as if he has pimples, but big chunks of hair come out where the pimples are, and he looses his hair. I’ve used Petsbest RX shampoo. It seems to work, but every so often, it’s so bad he won’t let me touch him. What can i do?”
Jason
Answer:
“Hi Jason. Thanks for the question. Sorry to hear your dog has such a severe recurrent skin condition. With such brief information, it is going to be hard for me to tell you what might be going on, but there are a few things I will absolutely recommend.
You said that this seems to be mange. Have your veterinarians found mange mites? I wonder because this recurrent pattern in a dog of his age doesn’t sound exactly like mange. My concern would be for some form of immune deficiency or immune mediated skin disease–especially given his breed.
Also some forms of severe deep pyoderma (deep skin infection) can look like this. Both of these things will require months of ongoing treatment. My best recommendation would be to visit a veterinary dermatologist in your area.
Based on your area code, looks like you might be in the Tucson, Arizona area. There is a dermatologist at Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialists in Tucson. Just like in people, some skin conditions really need the expertise of a specialist, and I would strongly recommend you consider it. Also if your dog is not on a fatty acid supplement, I would recommend that as well. Fatty acids have been proven very beneficial in a number of skin disorders and may help with some of his symptoms.”
Name: Susan
Pets species and breed: Yorkshire Terrier
Pets age and weight: 3yr. 7lb.3oz
Pets health status: good
Are they spayed or neutered? Yes
Brand of food: Caesars
Animal owned for: 3yrs
“At present my dog is being treated for crystals in the urine with a strong antibiotic twice a day. She is selective with eating, sometimes not at all. I worry about her. She needs to eat something healthy that she likes!”
Thank you
Susan
The Answer:
“There has been much learned about urinary crystals in the last few years. Research has taught us that THE MOST IMPORTANT part of management of crystals (to prevent the development of sand and stones) is to increase water intake.
Increasing water intake can be done by:
1. Feeding canned food (this was the most effective way at increasing water intake)
2. Increasing the frequency of feeding (for example, dogs fed several times each day drank more than dogs fed only one meal)
3. Adding additional water or broth to food (dry or canned)
4. Ice cubes as “treats”
5. Using unique water bowls or providing free flowing water fountains
6. Adding lite salt to the diet (you must ask your vet about this–some dogs are unable to have additional salt)
Increasing water intake was more effective than changing urine pH or other manipulations commonly used to dissolve crystals.
When your veterinarian is rechecking your dog for crystals, remember that only fresh urine can be tested for crystals. Urine must be voided and then analyzed for crystals (in the vet’s office) within 15 minutes. Crystals can form in urine that is sitting or has been refrigerated. Many dogs are falsely diagnosed with crystal problems because of the timing of urine evaluation.”
Name: Dianne Pasternack
Pets species and breed: dog -mixed breed
Pets age and weight: 15 years, 34 lbs
Pets health status: okay
Are they spayed or neutered? Yes
Brand of food: wellness
Animal owned for: 11 years
“My dog is allergic to chicken. Will dry dog food that contains chicken fat cause the allergic reaction? I notice that some dry dog foods state that the chicken fat has the chicken protein removed. How does that affect chicken allergies?”
The Answer:
“Thanks for your question. Food allergic pets usually react most adversely to the whole protein (for example, chicken meat protein), however, they may react to any component of chicken (for example, chicken fat). Think of a person with peanut allergies; they react badly to eating peanuts, but also may have a problem with peanut oil. Same situation.
A bit more about food allergies. The adverse reactions many pets have are often not true allergies to a specific type of meat. Many pets have reactions to inferior ingredients, additives and preservatives within a food. Most tests that are available for diagnosing food allergy (blood tests, skin tests, etc) are not accurate and can lead to many false diagnoses of true food allergy.
Therefore, if a pet is exhibiting adverse reactions to food, my first recommendation is to place them on a natural premium dog food diet without added preservatives, chemicals and artificial colors to make sure it is not just the inferior ingredients that may be the problem.”
