|
Resources For Various Canine Diseases and Ailments January 2008 In tradition, I will end the year with more links for canine health and nutrition that answer the most common questions I am asked about dog needs. For 2006 resources, please refer back to http://www.b-naturals.com/Dec2006.php.
Buck and Daisy, December 27th, 2007 wishing you a Happy New Year! Atypical Addison’s Disease Sharon Oglivie kindly sent me information on Atypical Addison’s Disease, and I am sharing that information here: Dogs with Primary/Atypical Addison The only definitive test for Addison
Cushing’s Disease Cushing’s Disease is the other side of Addison’s Disease - too much cortisol. http://www.kateconnick.com/library/cushingsdisease. http://www.canismajor.com/dog/cushings.html http://vetmedicine.about.com/library/viewers/uccushings http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/dcushing.html Diabetes The next three links are good websites for knowing the signs of diabetes in dogs, however, I do not advocate the diet recommendations in these websites. http://www.pgaa.com/canine/health/diabetes.html http://www.petshealth.com/dr_library/diabetesdogs.html http://diabetesindogs.blogspot.com/ For dogs with Diabetes, I recommend a low fat, high protein and medium to low carbohydrate diet. Use carbohydrates with a low glycemic (sugar) index. I recommend feeding small, frequent meals - three to four a day. The link below includes some recipes for dogs with Diabetes. http://www.b-naturals.com/Oct2006.php Hypothyroidism This is when the thyroid does not secrete enough thyroid hormone. This thyroid hormone is important for metabolism and the link below show the variety of symptoms. It is rare for dogs to have a hyperthyroid condition. This is more commonly found in cats. Dogs with hypothyroidism do need prescription medications as this is a disease that cannot be treated naturally. For more information: http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/dthyroid.html http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/htm/bc/40602.htm http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/dog-hypo.htm http://www.petshealth.com/dr_library/hypothyroiddogs.html How to analyze Thyroid test results: http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/HowtoAnayzeYourDogsThyroidTestResults.pdf Interview with Dr Jean Dodds DVM and links for forms to mail her blood work for testing: http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/Lowthyroid.html Pancreatitis http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1580&articleid=335 http://www.vetinfo.com/dencyclopedia/depancrea.html http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/dogdiseasesp/a/pancreatitis.htm Pancreatitis and diet. This link includes easy-to-follow recipes: http://www.b-naturals.com/Jul2004.php Struvites Although this was mentioned in last year’s newsletter, I am including it again as it has been one of the more popular questions. Diet alone is not the answer. Treating the infection that creates the environment for these crystals to grow is necessary. The best answer for treatment and diet is in Christie Keith’s blog: http://vettechs.blogspot.com/2005/05/so-your-dog-has-struvites.html
Tips for Canine Health Dental Care and Dogs Another good article from the Pet Blog, features Nancy Campbell and Christie Keith. It is about what to look for and to expect in a canine dental: http://vettechs.blogspot.com/2005/07/pets-need-dental-care-too_29.html Anxiety Separation anxiety from dog trainers: http://www.dogseparationanxiety.net/ General anxiety: http://www.dog-first-aid-101.com/dog-anxiety.html Thunderstorm and Noise phobia’s: Melatonin. http://www.articlehub.com/Lifestyle/Pets/A-New-Cure-For-Separation-Anxiety.html Anxiety wraps for anxious pooches: http://www.anxietywrap.com/FAQ.htm Overweight Dogs The important thing to remember here is that overweight dogs do *NOT* need a low fat or high fiber. They need to be fed slightly less amounts of a good, nutritious diet and offered more exercise. Read more: http://www.b-naturals.com/Nov2004.php Holistic Veterinarians I often get requests to help people find a Holistic Veterinarian. It is important to understand there is a distinction and differences in the services Holistic Veterinarians offer. Most are specialized and proficient in a specified area. This includes classical Homeopathy, Chiropractic methods, Traditional Chinese Medicine (acupuncture and Chinese Herbs) to name a few modalities. I suggest you study each of these, and then begin to search for a Holistic Veterinarian that provides the service you feel will fit you and your dog best. Below are websites to help you find veterinarians offered each of these specialties. Traditional Chinese Medicine (acupuncture and Chinese Herbs) The International Veterinary Acupuncture Society: http://www.ivas.org/index.cfm?vNavID=7 American Chiropractic Veterinarians Veterinarian Chiropractic Association: http://www.animalchiropractic.org/ American Veterinary Chiropractic Association; http:// www.animalchiropractic.org/ Homeopathic Veterinarians The And lastly, The American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association: http://www.ahvma.org/ This website lists veterinarians by modality. Tips and Resources for Nutrition Meat Grinders This can be a tricky question. Deciding which brand or type you buy depends on what you plan to be grinding. Most grinders are good for vegetables, soft bones such as chicken or rabbit and some turkey bones. But a larger industrial type grinder is required to handle harder bones such as beef or lamb bones. The more economical types will grind softer bones, which is what most people need. Read the manufacturer claims thoroughly, and also check the warranties and guarantees. This site carries 800 watt up to 1.5 horsepower, a good website to compare power and strength of the various sizes: http://www.sillypugs.com/ The Maverick Meat Grinder has long been a popular tool for home use. It can be used for vegetables and chicken parts. Read more here: http://www.pierceequipment.com/grinders.html Northern Tool also carries a good meat grinder, with similar capabilities to the Maverick. You can find it here: http://www2.northerntool.com/product-1/36989.htm Cabela’s also carries a wide variety of meat grinders, including commercial grade. I have heard good reviews of their products. Check it out here: http://www.cabelas.com/ssubcat-1/cat280028.shtml Lastly, if you find a meat grinder you like, but want a bargain, you can always try e-Bay. Fish Oil Questions Some common questions on fish oil include: How much do I give my dog? A rule of thumb is to give 1,000 mg capsules (180EPA/120DHA) per twenty pounds of body weight. This amount can be doubled during times of illness and stress. Is the omega 3 content the same as the milligram amounts? No, the 1,000 mg shows the amount of fish oil. The EPA and the DHA are the amounts of omega 3 fatty acids. Make sure the capsules you use are at least 180 EPA and 120 DHA. Can I use the bottled oil instead of the capsules? You can, if you use the bottled oil quickly. The omega 3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) are fragile, and are destroyed quickly by heat, light and air. Capsules hold their integrity much longer and are more reliable in quality. Do I need to add omega 6 as well? No, omega 6 fatty acids are found in most foods, including meat, vegetables, fat and grains. Too much omega 6 can promote inflammation and skin problems. That is why I recommend only adding omega 3 fatty acids to the diet, to counterbalance the over abundance of omega 6 already in the diet. Can I use vegetable oil for the omega 3 fatty acids in the diet? It is better to use animal based oil for omega 3 fatty acids, such as fish oils (including salmon, sardine, anchovy and other marine fish oils). These oils are already converted and easy for dogs to assimilate. Plant oils (such as flax and hemp) are not converted, and many dogs (and people) have trouble converting them. This gives more omega 6, and less or no omega 3 in the diet. Weaning Puppies to a Raw Diet It is generally no problem weaning puppies to a raw diet. They are much more adaptable than adults to this experience. Generally they can be started on a raw diet right when you bring them home. If you are weaning puppies that you have whelped and raised yourself, I generally start them at four weeks of age. Do not give puppies whole food before this time, as their systems are not developed to eat whole foods, or foods other than mother’s milk (or like mother’s milk) before this time. Doing so can set up allergies and other problems as they mature. Here are some recipes for starting puppies and weaning puppies: http://www.b-naturals.com/Mar2007.php These recipes are about 50% raw meaty bones, and 50% muscle meat and organ meat (about 5% to 10% of the diet). Puppies also get a snack of goat’s milk, plain yogurt and milk. Types of Raw Meaty Bones There are many types of raw meaty bones that can be fed to your dogs. Below is a short list to get you started:
Chicken wings, backs, necks and leg quarters
For starting a raw diet, with recipes, go here: http://www.b-naturals.com/May2006.php These diets are about 50% raw meaty bones, and 50% muscle meat and organ meat (5% to 10% of the diet). You can add yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs and vegetables if you prefer. A Good Article on Salmonella, and the Raw Diet Very well written and documented article to help remove the fears of Salmonella and a raw diet: http://www.mountaindogfood.com/HealthCare/Salmonella.htm Interesting enough, while I couldn’t find documented cases of dogs receiving salmonella from a raw diet, I found numerous articles on salmonella discovered in dog food and treats, causing recalls every year. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_524472.html http://www.dogchannel.com/dog-news/salmonella-in-dog-treats.aspx http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/mars208_07.html http://www.itchmo.com/salmonella-alert-american-bullie-355 Using good common sense handling of raw meat, along with our ability to choose USDA inspected meat, offers us the choice and freedom to select the ingredients in our dog’s food and to make sure it is handled properly and kept fresh from the freezer, to the refrigerator and then directly to our dog’s stomach! I hope you find these links useful. Be sure to refer back to last years resources in the December, 2006’s newsletter for more links and information! http://www.b-naturals.com/Dec2006.php
Happy New Year to all of you, and best wishes for health, happiness and prosperity!
May all good things come your way in 2008!
Buck and Daisy say see you next year!
Product Specials
1-713-303-5639 — Lew Olson 1-866-368-2728 — Toll Free - Product Orders/Questions/Comments or 1-763-477-7001 — Phone 1-763-477-9588 — Fax Product Orders Click this link for Orders, Shipping and Product Updates – bnaturals1@aol.com Click this link for Consults, Seminars and Catalogs – DotBravo Co. You have permission to copy and distribute this newsletter to others provided it is not distributed for profit, proper credit has been given by the author and the article has been copied and distributed in its entirety. B-NATURALS.COM NEWSLETTER OPT IN / OPT OUT: http://b-naturals.com/subscription.php Copyright 2007 Lew Olson. All rights reserved.
You must be logged in to post a comment. |
