It's been over a week since I started this food experiment, and I am ready with the first round of results. Contestant Number One: Grandma Lucy's Grain Free Freeze Dried Cat Food. I picked this one to try first because it looked cool. Freeze dried cat food? Is that like astronaut food but for cats? The answer is, of course, yes, which makes it more interesting and fun than boring old kibble. Ingredients: Chicken, Ocean White Fish, Potatoes, Flax, Carrots, Celery, Apples, Cranberry, ... Read more »
Archives for April 2009
Lifestyle
Not all flea products are created equal.
In news that is not exactly news because it's not saying anything we didn't already know, the EPA is investigating whether it needs to more closely scrutinize spot-on products for flea and tick control. Unlike most veterinary drugs, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration, spot on flea and tick preventives are overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency due to their classification as pesticides (the exception being those products that also function as a ... Read more »
Product of the week
Emmett the good sport is currently taking antibiotics and pain meds to combat the swelling and bacteria from Easter Smackdown 09. He usually takes his Rimadyl with no complaint- it's a chewable beef flavored tab- but he's less than enthused about his Clavamox. Normally I just stick the pills in peanut butter and he's happy to take them that way, but my husband is mightily protesting my use of his Jiff stash for such purposes. I've also been known to hide them in aesthetically pleasing swirls of ... Read more »
Terrible product of the day
I've spent lots of time pointing out fun, helpful, and interesting things that a pet lover might be interested in, but today I want to show you something that is a really stupid idea. The Walky Lock car lock may, in fact, be just about the worst idea I've seen in a long time. This is basically a little prop that holds the back of your trunk open just a wee bit. It's kind of like rolling your window down, except it will cost you $20. The ad says, "How many times have you rushed your shopping ... Read more »
Scientific progress goes boink
(Extra points to anyone who knows the title reference without Google!) At least a couple times a week, a client with a particularly hard to deconstruct mutt asks me, "So what do you think my dog is? I've heard schnauzer/chow/Yorkie/pit bull but I'm not really sure." I look at the dog and hazard a guess. "Well, he does have Australian shepherd eyes, and his tail looks like a chow chow...." and we both shrug. Sometimes, people are obviously misinformed. "I bought this Pomeranian/chihuahua mix ... Read more »
Canine Cuisine, Part Three: So, what should I feed my dog?
In Part 1 of the Canine Cuisine trilogy, Name that Food, I talked about how the name of the pet food itself gave you clues as to its content. In Part 2: Name that Ingredient, I went into detail about some of those baffling ingredient names you see on the back. In the last installment, I answer the omnipresent question of, "What should I feed my dog?" This is probably one of the most frequently asked questions I get asked as a veterinarian. I wish I could make it easy for you and just say, ... Read more »
Helping hands (and rears)
About 2 years after I adopted Mulan, she had a TPLO surgery. This is a pretty invasive knee surgery, and as part of the requirement she was on cage rest for 6 weeks. She had a very difficult time getting up, and I had to assist her. We were pretty low tech in vet school, and whenever we needed to assist a pet in getting up we would use a towel looped around their abdomen. This is also what we do at work. It works fine, but getting the towel around a recumbent animal and then supporting 40, ... Read more »