Since our animals cannot speak to us in words, this is part two of our series on items you need to check each month to keep your pet healthy.
These steps will help you to know when your ailing dog needs to be taken to the vet and when you can take care of him at home.
This week we are focusing on fleas.
A flea problem can be an indicator of your pet’s health. Start by looking for fleas, and flea dirt. To check for fleas, look thru the coat. If nothing is visible then look for flea dirt. To do this, brush your dog’s coat over a white piece of paper or light-colored towel. If you see any little black specks, moisten them with a drop of water or smear them with a damp cotton ball. They’ll turn red if they’re flea dirt. If you find signs of any of these problems, its time to take action:
If you notice constant scratching, biting, or sores, it could be due to an allergy to fleas.
When it comes to flea problems, like anything you have choices. In today’s world you probably have more choices than you would like to think about.
All the information is at your fingertips.
Be aware that the flea products that are being given to your pet can be toxic to them. Do your homework. Get on the internet and research the pharmaceutical flea options. Read the Pro’s and Con’s before you apply this medication to your dog.
Do not just accept anything recommended, always know and understand what you are applying, injecting or ingesting.
Your other option is to get on the computer, type in “natural flea remedies for dogs“, and a lot of options will appear. There are many natural remedies for flea control too.
When treating an animal for fleas, you must also treat the whole environment to actually stop the recurrence. If you don’t do this, you will not have long term success.
You have many choices to attack this problem:
The old “bug bomb” to set off in the house
The chemicals to treat the yard, concrete and patio areas
Hire a bug man to come in and spray
If you choose to try some natural remedies, here are some simple solutions:
Vacuum at least twice a week (get rid of the bag they live there too).
Wash all mats, rugs and toys in hot water, anything that can be washed and that is fabric.
Buy some diatomaceous earth and boric acid mix it and sprinkle it throughout the house.
Buy Nematode (for all the yards) you can get this from your nursery.
Use only natural ingredients in your flea shampoos.
Do not use flea collars.
Be cautious with chemical flea products, they are toxic.
Get a flea comb and a bowl of hot water and dish soap.
This should lead to a happy, healthy and flea-free pet! Stay tuned for more tips on evaluating your dog’s health next week!
This information has been provided by Susan Hartlzer of AlphaDogPR. They are based in Los Angeles and a chosen resource for editors, producers, writers and reporters. Alpha Dog PR is dedicated to providing the media with the most up-to-the-minute information about the rapidly growing pet industry. For more information, please visit www.alphadogpr.com or call (818) 998-6299.
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.”
Below is an interview with Adriana Trenev of Natren, Inc., maker of natural probiotics for animals. They help animals who are suffering from intestinal problems, antibiotic side effects, or general illness. Their products are 100% natural and safe and are ALL MADE IN THE USA!
K9 Cuisine: What is your story-how did you get into pet health products?
Adriana: My family (my parents Yordan and Natasha Trenev, and myself, their daughter, Adriana Trenev) have been in the probiotics industry in the United States for the past 30+ years. My parents founded our family-owned and operated company, Natren Probiotics Inc. in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It started with just the two of them, and now we’re a company of 60+ employees! Our company began with human probiotics, but gradually the demand arose for animal probiotics. It was a natural extension of our line that our customers really appreciated!
K9 Cuisine: What is the secret to your success with your organization-how have you gotten to where you are today?
Adriana: The secret of my family’s success is to do something you are passionate about and that you believe in! Of course, you’ll work hard to make sure you succeed when you believe in what you’re doing. We also feel like it’s our mission to help people and animals with our products and that makes it motivating to come into work each day.
K9 Cuisine: What makes you different?
Adriana: Natren probiotic products are different from the rest of the junk on the marketplace because we have set rigorous standards of product quality and excellence that no other probiotic manufacturer can match. We have a potency guarantee of our products through a printed expiration date, and we have an international Drug GMP certification, which means that an independent, third-party agency has come in and inspected our plant. They certify that we have a pharmaceutical grade facility and that all of our label and potency claims are true. Safety for both humans and animals is our #1 priority, as well as making a healthy, natural supplement that produces results. That’s why we have a 90-DAY money-back guarantee for every customer.
K9 Cuisine: What is it about dogs that you love?
Adriana: In my family, we’ve had a dog since I was in second grade! We have always loved animals. Our first dog was our American Eskimo, Prince, who is still alive and doing great today (at the ripe old age of 16)! In fact, when the vet sees him, he always compliments us on how well we have taken care of him and how young he still looks and acts. Of course, he gets our CanineDophilus Product everyday. In addition to Prince, who is our family pet, 2 years ago, I got a four-pound Chihuahua named Chloe, who is just the love of our lives! She is very healthy and active, as well, and she loves fresh-cooked organic chicken breast as her treat. She also receives the dog supplements everyday. In general, though, our family loves the loyal, unconditional love that dogs give-they really have the ability to brighten your whole day in an instant.
K9Cuisine: What is the neatest part about your work?
Adriana: The neatest park about our work is when we see results in our customers and getting those phone calls where they tell us how much better they or their pets are doing-it inspires us to work harder!
K9 Cuisine: Where do you see the pet health industry going?
Adriana: Pet health is extremely important in a country that spends around 40 billion dollars annually on their animals. They are not just animals anymore; they are a part of the family. Everything we have been hearing suggests that health and safety concerns are really being taken seriously now, as well as high-quality products for pets that were not available even ten years ago.
K9 Cuisine: How do you fit into that-what are your future plans?
Adriana: We have recently expanded our line to include two more animal probiotics-the Avian Vegi-Dophilus and the Gastro Vegi-Dophilus for Animals. We have launched our own animal centric web site- www.natrenanimals.com because we know the power of a high-quality probiotic for animals, and we have seen the customer demand for such a resource.
K9 Cuisine: How can people find out more about you and your organization?
We posted a blog post yesterday where we interviewed Hope Schultz with WebVet. They just posted a commercial on YouTube that is pretty funny, and we just wanted to share it.
You can reach Hope and her team at WebVet at www.WebVet.com.
K9 Cuisine: What is your story-how did you get into the veterinarian business?
Hope: While my partner and I are not veterinarians, we got into the pet health and well-being business for three reasons:
First and foremost, we are both huge animal lovers and had always wanted to do something in the pet space, but wasn’t quite sure exactly what that might be.
We observed and tracked the tremendous growth in the pet category and realized this was very fertile business territory.
Most importantly, we identified an unmet need – the fact that pet owners did not have ONE trusted online resource they could go to for credible and timely information about the health and well-being of their pets. For us it was the perfect hat trick.
K9 Cuisine: What is the secret to your success-how have you gotten to where you are today?
Hope: I believe the secret to our success is four-fold:
We are passionate about what we do and quite tenacious – let’s just say “no” and “if” are not words in our vocabulary.
We did our due diligence rather than rushing to market with what we thought was a good idea. Rather we researched the market for almost a year ensuring that when we did go to market, our strategy was dead-on and that the timing was right.
Because we are not veterinarians, we surrounded ourselves with leaders in the veterinarian industry – Pfizer Animal Health, AAHA, the AKC, the CFA, top-tier vet schools, among others. There support and credentials lend an unparalleled level of credibility to everything we do in the marketplace.
We built a site rich in integrity – of design, content (all content is vet-approved one time per year and about 90% of our content is original and written exclusively for WebVet), and the fact we don’t diagnose, treat or editorialize and always direct pet owners back to their vets for care specific to their pets’ needs. We are a complement/supplement to the veterinarian community, not a replacement for it.
K9 Cuisine: What makes you different?
Hope: I think much of what I mentioned above makes us unique but also our backgrounds. While we don’t come from the vet world, we do come from an arena that is quite important when building a brand – brand marketing and media. I built my career in the advertising and brand marketing sector working for some of the largest global agencies including McCann Erickson, Leo Burnett, DDB and Y&R and also spent time on the corporate side working for Coca Cola and NBC. My partner’s expertise lies in the media/entertainment space having worked with iconic brands including HBO, ESPN and E! The value here is that while you can build something magnificent, if you don’t know how to seed and grow that brand over time, it ultimately has little value. And one last thing . . . we have a great brand name in WebVet. A brand name can be a very powerful marketing tool.
K9 Cuisine: What is it about animals that you love?
Hope: Pretty much everything! I grew up in the South and was surrounded with everything from dogs and cats to horses and goats – and I grew up in a big city (Atlanta). I come by my love honestly as my entire family LOVES animals – my mom still has her horses and dogs, my brothers have dogs, cats, rabbits and chickens (pets of course), my sister has dogs, birds and even a pet pig named “Piggy” and I, living in NYC, have a dog named Max and two birds Pi and Piou Piou.
But beyond growing up with tons of animals, what I love most about them is their intuitive nature, compassion and ability to not only love unconditionally, but to forgive. And nothing lowers my blood pressure more effectively than loving on my dog Max.
K9 Cuisine: What is the neatest part about your business?
Hope: Hands down: I get to do something I love every day of my life now! More clearly defined . . . I’ve been given incredible opportunities to explore the veterinary and animal worlds through relationships with teaching hospitals such as the Animal Medical Center in NYC, vet schools like Cornell and Penn and even non-companion-related organizations like the Bronx Zoo and the WCS. I feel incredibly blessed with these opportunities.
K9 Cuisine: Where do you see the vet industry going?
Hope: Not being a veterinarian, I’m not the best qualified person to answer that question, but I can tell you some of things I’ve learned that I’ve found fascinating.
Many believe it’s now harder to get into vet school than it is to get into medical school.
The majority of new vet students and, as a result, vets are women. Approximately 75% of new entrants into vet schools are women. My understanding is this is due in part to the fact that vets don’t get into this business to get rich, they get into because they love animals and also that, somewhat surprisingly, this is a career in which it’s quite acceptable to work part-time so it’s ideal for women who want to both work and raise a family.
As pets are considered and treated more and more like members of the family, we’re seeing more specialty practice areas emerge.
K9 Cuisine: How does your company fit into that-what are your future plans?
Hope's dog "Max"
Hope:I’m not sure it’s all directly related, but we recognize the veterinary community as a growing and VERY important part of our business. I can’t get into specific details at this point in time, but suffice it to say that while our primary focus in currently on the consumer side of the business, we will be rounding out our business model to become increasingly engaged on the B2B side of the business.
K9 Cuisine: How can people find out more about you and your company?
Hope: To learn more about what WebVet has to offer, you can visit the site at www.webvet.com. If you’d like to learn more about me or WebVet as a business, I can be contacted directly at hope@webvet.com or 212-879-3152.
1) Never leave your dog alone in a parked vehicle. Even with the windows open, the temperature in your automobile can quickly skyrocket causing potential for heatstroke and even fatality.
2) Keep your pet well hydrated and avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest times of the day.
3) Avoid walking your dog in areas you suspect have been sprayed with insecticides or other chemicals. Plant food and fertilizers can be extremely poisonous if your pet ingests them.
4) Have your pet groomed monthly to prevent overheating and to alleviate summer skin problems. A matted dog with a thick undercoat is a breeding ground for parasites, bugs and bacteria that can cause your dog to get sick.
5) Bring your pet into the veterinarian for a summer check-up. Ask your doctor to recommend a pest-control program to combat ticks and fleas.
6) Stay away from taking your pet to busy summer events such as fairs or concerts. The loud noises and crowds, combined with the heat, can be stressful and unsafe for pets.
7) Always make sure your pet is wearing a collar and identification tag. Be sure that the contact information listed is legible and accurate.
Prevent your pet from hanging his head out of a moving car or truck window when taking him for a ride. Bugs, rocks and other debris can injure his eyes, and he is also at risk for jumping out of the vehicle.
9) While indoors, make sure your pet has access to the coolest parts of the house, such as the basement or a room with air conditioning.
10) Always walk your pet on a leash. This ensures the safety of you and the animal, walkers, joggers, and bicyclists.
Tips provided by Dave Ely, owner of Aussie Pet Mobile Inc., serving pets and their owners in Marin County, CA. Noted as the world’s largest mobile pet grooming concept in the world, Aussie Pet Mobile serves more than 250 cities in 24 states nationwide and 16 international countries with their exclusive 15-step pet spa treatment. To book a grooming appointment with Aussie Pet Mobile, please contact 1-800-PetMobile or visit www.aussiepetmobile.com.
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: Judy Buttine
Pets species and breed: German Shepherd
Pets age and weight: 4.5 months, 30 lbs
Pets health status: good
Are they spayed or neutered? No
Brand of food: orijins
Animal owned for: 6 wks
“We’re feeding our 4 1/2 month old German Shepherd your puppy food which she loves. She was recently diagnosed with red mange which started on her head and has spread around her face and eyes. The vet put her on Goodwinol which I’ve been putting on her once a day. Do you have any suggestions on anything else we can do to help her?”
Thanks you!
The Answer:
“Thanks for the question. Red mange (also known as demodectic mange) is a common skin disease of young dogs. Hair loss is the most common sign of red mange, however, crusty red skin or skin with a greasy appearance are also frequently seen. These areas may or may not itch. Hair loss and other skin abnormalities usually begins around the muzzle, eyes and other areas on the head. Mange can be localized or generalized.
Localized mange is most frequent on the head and forelegs of young dogs (usually 3-6 months old). Most of these areas resolve spontaneously (without treatment) as the puppies become older and develop immunity to mange mites. Red mange can also be generalized in which the skin abnormalities can be severe and affect the whole body. Some dogs with generalized mange will become quite sick with lethargy, loss of appetite, and require close medical treatment and monitoring.
The good news is that most cases of red mange are localized and may resolve spontaneously or with a topical treatment. A topical 1% rotenone ointment (Goodwinol) or a 5% benzoyl peroxide gel applied daily are usually very effective at treating localized mange. It is also recommended that affected dogs are fed a high quality diet, given a multivitamin and fatty acid supplement and bathed weekly with a benzoyl peroxide shampoo. Sometimes these areas become infected and need therapy with an antibiotic in order to clear up completely. If the areas don’t seem to be responding, ask your veterinarian about the need for an antibiotic.
If these localized skin abnormalities seem to be spreading, contact your veterinarian immediately as the mange may be becoming more generalized and require more extensive treatment. For more information on generalized red (demodectic) mange, see http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2101&aid=729.”
Prevent your pet from hanging his head out of a moving car or truck window when taking him for a ride. Bugs, rocks and other debris can injure his eyes, and he is also at risk for jumping out of the vehicle.
