B-Naturals Newsletter – July, 2009 – Benny’s Story By Lew Olson, PhD Natural Health This month’s article is a special story about Benny, a Great Dane puppy who was near death before he was surrendered by his owner. We’d like to offer our thanks to Sarah Hamilton and Benny’s new…
B-Naturals Newsletter – June, 2009 Cancer, Dogs and Supplements By Lew Olson, PhD Natural Health While treatment options can vary for dogs with cancer, supplement recommendations remain fairly consistent for each type. The idea of supplements for cancer is primarily to support the dog’s immune system. No supplements or alternative…
Protein is found in most foods, including carbohydrates. But dogs are carnivores and the best source of protein for them is found in animal products. This would include meat (pork, beef, poultry, lamb, rabbit, fish, dairy and eggs, just to mention a few). Animal based proteins contain a complete amino acid profile needed by carnivores. Plant based proteins are missing important amino acids, including taurine and carnitine. Both of these are important for heart and organ health.
The anatomy and digestive process of dogs are designed to most easily digest animal fat and protein. Dogs perform best on animal based products. Studies have shown you cannot feed a dog too much protein.
Some health conditions may call for changes in the diet for your dog. While there are many commercial prescription diets for some health conditions, you can prepare fresh food diets at home. A fresh food diet can provide a variety of foods that can be helpful in insuring the best nutrition and help keep the fussiest dog’s appetite up so he will continue eating.
This brings the question, “Just what causes struvite crystals in the dog’s urine?” Common symptoms include the dog urinating frequently, showing some pain with urination, squatting frequently only to leak a few drops, and the dog may have spots of blood in the urine. Often a dog that was perfectly…
I get many questions regarding dogs reaching senior status. Most people want to make sure their companions are getting the best care. They want to ensure their comfort and make sure they are getting everything they need. So let’s look at an overview of diet considerations, common senior health problems…
It is rather an oxymoron to put these words together, but in this month”s newsletter we will explore how to pinch pennies and still feed our dogs a nutritious diet. This question came up recently on my K9Nutrition list and seems to be a question many folks have at this…
Generally, puppies start losing their teeth between three and four months or age. Often, we will ‘forget’ that, and suddenly see a series of strange symptoms! This can include feet splaying or going flat, going ‘down in the pasterns’, sour breath, anxious behavior, sudden destruction of shoes and furniture, fussiness…
I occasionally get questions from folks on which carbohydrates are best for their dog’s diet. These questions are asked regardless of whether they are feeding home cooked diets, various commercial dog foods that use grainless recipes or for dogs with special needs. Carbohydrates include all vegetables, fruits and grains. Carbohydrates…
One of the most common questions people ask me when it comes to feeding their dogs is “What supplements should I add to my dog’s diet?” This question is asked whether they are feeding a raw diet, home cooked meals or a commercial dog food. Regardless of what type of…
