Inflammatory Bowel Disease, IBD, is a health condition that is very common and continues to raise the most questions on the K9Nutrition Facebook page and in private consults. I have written about this topic before – more than once – and yet it continues to be a plaguing disease among the canine community. IBD generally starts with the dog having diarrhea. Then it occurs more frequently and sometimes with urgency. Occasionally vomiting occurs and eventually weight loss accompanies IBD.

I see more and more recipes for cooked diets on the Internet. It seems meal preparations for dogs are popping up on cooking sites. I do think most of these people are sincere, but many have no idea about what dogs need, versus what people need.

I started breeding dogs in the late 1980’s and I have shown dogs in AKC conformation and performance since 1974. I did not get real interested in breeding dogs until I had learned a lot more about my breed at the time, which was Rottweilers. At that time, I was feeding a basic commercial kibble diet and added a few supplements such as vitamin C, B complex and vitamin E.

Wild game can have a large part in the dog’s diet. Hunting season is upon us and some caution on some meat choices is necessary information. Remember, wild game meat is far less fatty than the animals we raise for meat. If you switch to wild game, it is important to remember you may need to feed more of the wild game than usual of domestic beef, pork, chicken, and turkey.

I think we have all had the experience of ordering something online, only to discover it wasn’t as advertised, or worked as advertised. I don’t know how much money some of you have wasted, but let me tell you, through the years I have thrown away a lot of money.

Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas. One of the functions of the pancreas is to release enzymes to help digest food. When the pancreas becomes inflamed, it releases enzymes in excess and begins to digest its own tissue. This creates great trauma and pain to the dog. Symptoms of pancreatitis include loss of appetite, vomiting, arching of the back with stomach pain, diarrhea, dehydration, and in some cases jaundice.

I recommend a variety of protein sources in the diet for dogs. That includes beef, turkey, pork, lamb, venison, elk and fish and other animal protein sources. The reasoning for this, is to make sure the dog gets a variety of amino acid sources and to stop possible allergies. While food allergies in dogs is rare, dogs can be susceptible if fed the same one or two protein sources daily. It is the over exposure to one protein that can result in allergic reactions after time, usually after the age 2. See Protein and Variety in the Diet here.

On occasion, I come across some commercial cooked food for dogs as well as certain recipes and idea on how to feed dogs, that are baffling to me. Most have far too many carbohydrates and too little animal fat. I believe most of the inventors of these foods or recipes mean well, but what I see is many people using human nutrition needs mixed up with canine nutrition. What many forget (or even don’t know) is that dogs are carnivores and humans are omnivores.

An important factor to consider in meat has to do with Taurine. There has been much talk about this amino acid lately. It is only found in animal food sources. It is paramount for heart health. When meat is cooked, the taurine is leached out with the juices. It is important to put this liquid back into the meat mixture you will feed your dog. Because of taurine loss, I do not recommend over cooking the meat at high heats.

People ask me similar questions all the time. ‘What is the best food for my dogs?’ ‘How can I help my dog who seems to have a sensitive stomach?’ ‘What can I do for my dog’s itchy skin?’