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.”
Every dog, like every person, has a unique name which they are given. The meaning behind that name and how the owner/parent thought of it is also one of a kind.
So here’s a few questions for you readers.
1. What is your dog(s) name?
2. Why did you name your dog(s) that?
3. How did you get your name?
Our dog’s name is Nanami, which means seven seas in Japanese. My sister actually named her so I don’t know the reason for it. As for my name, my grandmother named me after another relative.
