A sustainable foods-oriented, consumer advocacy organization, The Cornucopia Institute, recently released a scathing report on commercial pet foods. Of course, most of what they found will not be shocking to the readers of this blog. It is interesting to have such a group back up many of my concerns and come up with a few […]
Carrageenan is an ingredient of canned pet diets used to thicken, stabilize, and emulsify the food. It is used in many canned pet foods basically to improve the appearance and texture. There is absolutely no nutritional value to this ingredient. Carrageenan is actually a group of compounds extracted from various species of red seaweed. As […]
Vaccine research from the November 15th Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association confirms what I wrote about here. Small dogs are more likely to suffer adverse reactions to vaccines than larger dogs. The current study gives more specifics. It turns out dogs who weigh less than 10 lbs are 7 times more likely to […]
If you read every ingredient on every label of everything that goes into and onto your pet – you might be hardcore holistic. If you spend more on your pet’s food than you do for your own food – you might be hardcore holistic. If the thought of a single processed kibble crossing the lips […]
When I lecture to veterinarians (and especially veterinary students) about raw food for pets I often get the question, “Where’s the research?” The push for “Evidence-Based Medicine” strongly resonates with many veterinarians, especially those with little real-world experience. They tend to think that unless there is a validating study, the idea must be wrong. The […]
Vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin) is a critical nutrient. It regulates the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the bowel and is involved with its mobilization from bone. It works with other hormones to balance the calcium levels in the body. Too little vitamin D is associated with many problems discussed below. Too much Vitamin […]
A few weeks ago I was in an area where runners were assembling to “Run for the Cure” of some problem. It suddenly hit me how messed up our priorities are. Of course we all want to help those who are sick. It is great that researchers are working on cures for cancer and other […]
A recent study found that children who were given antibiotics were more likely to be overweight. The more antibiotics the kids got, the fatter they got. If this is true for people then it is most likely true for pets as well. But what’s the connection between taking antibiotics and weight gain? I can answer […]
Acupuncture is the oldest medical system on earth. It is still used today because it works. Stimulating an acupuncture point triggers nerves to send signals to the brain. In response, the brain releases bioactive substances, such as endorphins, into the system affecting the whole body. The body’s response to acupuncture depends on which point(s) are […]
Here’s how the conversation goes. “Doc, do you know what’s wrong with my dog? Do you know what’s causing his problem?” “Yes.” “Tell me doc, what’s my dog have? What’s wrong with him?” “Your dog has Idiopathic disease.” “He does? He has Idiopathic disease? That sounds serious. What does it mean?” “It means we don’t […]