The Food and Drug Administration has been investigating possible connections between certain pet diets and a heart condition called canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). They recently put out an extremely informative report with detailed information that can help you navigate this increasingly confusing and disturbing problem.
This is a true story I like to call Boomie’s Turnaround.
Boomie, seen here, is a 10-year old Entlebucher Mountain Dog, loved by Cynthia and Mike from Massachusetts. In early 2019, Cynthia contacted me with concern about Boomie’s health. Recent lab tests, including bloodwork and urine tests, had revealed high levels of protein – Cynthia’s veterinarian became concerned about early stage kidney disease. Cynthia asked me about a recipe to make for Boomie.
When changing diets, how much to feed is often a question for dog parents. Homemade is a different from commercial in seemingly endless ways, including the logistical difference of serving sizes. Commercial food generally has serving suggestions on the label. It is easy to get accustomed to the new feeding guidelines though, and before you know it you will be serving your dog just the right amount of homemade.
Unfortunately, millet is now present in some pet foods – not good news for many reasons. While millet does contain some vitamins, minerals and fiber, it is not beneficial for dogs (and after reading this study, I don’t plan on eating it either).
One of my goals in teaching people how to cook for their dogs is to make it simple. One way to do this is to make extra of what you are making for yourself, and then save some for your dog. Of course, this only applies to certain kinds of food. It does not apply to foods that are overly fatty, fried, spicy, sweet or otherwise inappropriate for dogs. It DOES apply to fresh meats, vegetables and other dog friendly ingredients.
April 23, 2019 is Lost Dog Awareness Day, and I am honoring this day with a special discounted membership to DogFoodCoach.com.
Last Sunday, April 14, I was the guest on the “Pet Connections” radio show based out of Minneapolis, MN. Host Cathy Menard interviewed me at length about the benefits of homemade dog food. What a wonderful hour!
Just like us, dogs can get irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a chronic digestive system disorder that can cause discomfort, diarrhea, constipation, mucus in stool and other GI issues. Please contact me if your dog is experiencing tummy troubles as a result of a bothersome food. We will work together to create a customized meal plan for your dog.
If you have a dog with kidney issues, you probably know about oxalates. I recently read a study on vegetable cooking methods on oxalate content. It turns out cooking method does matter when it comes to oxalates.
Hill’s has expanded their dog food recall….
Coconut oil is a staple in my dog’s diet, and has a wide range of benefits.
You know what they say about eggs … incredible, edible and lots more! They take very little time to prepare, can be used alone or in recipes, and provide a highly digestible protein for your dog. If that didn’t offer enough reasons to include them in your dog’s diet, here’s another reason: You can use eggshell as a calcium supplement.
