A recent FDA alert about the possible connection between grain free diets and dilated cardiomyopathy has been gaining momentum. I'm getting tons of questions about it, and I'm learning as much as I can too. Let me start by saying this: we ALL want what's best for our pets. We might have different approaches for getting there, but that's the goal. For the video version, check out my interview with Dr. Lisa Weeth, DVM, DACVN: You can tell by my intense face we were having a GREAT ... Read more »
nutrition
The SHOCKING TRUTH about cancer they don’t want you to know
Cancer. It's scary stuff. Every day, I hear another story of an elderly dog and cat diagnosed with neoplasia, and my heart hurts for those dealing with it. Without a doubt, cancer sucks, and every new breakthrough is a gift. There's lots of theories and evidence pointing to different causes of cancer. Food, say some. Chemicals, say others. Vets peddling food and chemical-laden vaccines, say many. And I'm here to tell you this: They're right. What? Say it ain't so! It's true. I've been ... Read more »
Food Rules for Dogs
It's generally accepted that of all the controversial people food trends out there, the paleo/raw/low carb/low fat rules of ingestion, the one thing everyone seems to agree on is Michael Pollan's Food Rules, which at its core is this: don't eat so much processed food, and don't eat so much food in general. Agreed, and you can certainly extrapolate this to pets too. However, with over 50% of US pets overweight or obese- a condition with definite and real consequences- I'm more concerned with ... Read more »
Inside Natura: The Clean Machine
Last week I finished my last dose of typhoid vaccine (interesting fact: typhoid, if you did not know, is a type of Salmonella.) Not fun, but much less unfun than typhoid itself, I'm sure. Around the same time, I received an email from the World Vets team leader, whose job entails not only running the clinic but making sure the newbies don't get into trouble abroad, reminding us that no matter how adventurous we might be, the street food in Tanzania must not be consumed. "One word," she said. ... Read more »
Inside Natura: Meet your feed
My friend Susi, who has a habit of asking very interesting and pointed questions, posed a great one to the people at Natura on our tour last week: What's the difference between Natura foods and Eukanuba? Now, the guy answering the question works for Procter and Gamble, which owns both brands, and they position themselves similarly in terms of the type of person who might buy them, so I was very intrigued to see how he would answer it. He gave a sports analogy. On one side of the coin, you ... Read more »
Inside Natura: Part One
What makes a pet food good? How do you pick a pet food? I'm genuinely curious. The number of choices out there is dizzying, isn't it? It's one of the biggest challenges of being a pet owner, standing in those aisles, peeking up and down at the bags and trying to figure out based on the information we have at hand what is going to be the best choices for our pets. But where do we get our information? From our own research. From the guy in the pet store. From the vet. From the company who ... Read more »
Oh, the places in the Midwest you’ll go
When I was in college, I worked for a very prestigious urologist. I think most of you remember that. The Viagra researcher from Beverly Hills. Anyway, he had a beautiful office in Santa Monica, a home in Beverly Hills, and as a pre-eminent ED expert he was flown to male sexual dysfunction conferences all over the world, you know, Bora Bora, Fiji, Reykjacik, where he would stand flanked by, and I'm not joking, two enormous blue pillars and talk about how Viagra would change the world. (Well, he ... Read more »
Baking With Brody: Power Bars for Pups
Have you ever tried Gu when you're out exercising? It's like trying to swallow phlegm: pasty, sticky stuff that seals your esophagus shut with something that is supposed to be good for you. I don't care for it (obviously.) I think Brody feels the same way about biscuits. They're fine for home, but if you're out working up a sweat/pant/whatever, a dried out dessicated crunchy thing may not be the most appetizing choice. He doesn't care for them. So I decided it was my goal for Be Kind to ... Read more »
Why this recall is not 2007 all over again
As you're all probably aware, Diamond Pet Foods is in the midst of a fairly large scale recall due to potential Salmonella contamination. As of this weekend, the recall had expanded from three brands to fourteen, encompassing 16 states.The Diamond Recall page lists all the Diamond brands, as well as the production codes being recalled: Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul Country Value Diamond Diamond Naturals Premium Edge Professional 4Health Taste of the ... Read more »
Hiking With Brody: The Snack Factor
I can't exercise on a full stomach. I feel gross, unenergized, and dull as all my energy is taken up with trying to digest. But I also can't go on nothing- I mean, I can, but it's not the most high energy workout. I've spent a lot of time testing out different pre-exercise nutritional choices, from nothing, to just coffee, to smoothies and Power Bars and have finally hit upon the right combination. It has to be either the mango macadamia Honest Bar, or half a banana. Nothing else will do. And it ... Read more »
What’s in your meal? Aside from BS
Every now and then I get a sample of food for the dogs to try. As I've said before, I rotate through multiple brands, and if I've written about a specific food on the blog, it's one I've given to the dogs at some point. I don't mind trying new brands- my local pet store just started carrying some new brands this week, and I bought a couple to try out. I'm not averse to new foods, as long as giving the label a good once over doesn't give me reason to feel otherwise. I look for several things: ... Read more »
Hill’s Science Diet Ideal Balance Giveaway
The holidays are right around the corner- and to celebrate I have the first of a series of giveaways running between now and the New Year! To kick us off, I have TEN chances to win either: Hill’s® Science Diet Ideal Balance™ Grain Free Adult Chicken & Potato Dinner dog food - OR - Hill’s® Science Diet Ideal Balance™ Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Dinner cat food So here's the interesting thing about pet food nutritionists, and this is the same across the board in terms of the big ... Read more »
Animal Use in Pet Food Research: The Hill’s Approach
One of my primary goals when I am invited to tour a pet food manufacturer is to see their animal welfare policy in action. It's probably one of the most commonly asked questions when it comes to pet foods: do you use animals to test your foods? And how do you use them? There was a time, a little over a decade ago, when animals were used quite a bit by various companies. They were used in various ways, including terminal studies in which the animals were euthanized at the end of the study. ... Read more »
Hills Tour Part 1. By-products: What’s in a name?
Last week I had the pleasure of joining some of my favorite pet bloggers out in Topeka to tour the Hill's Pet Nutrition campus. I really enjoy going to these types of events for a lot of reasons: one, I always learn something. Two, it's really helpful from my perspective to get to meet the individuals behind a brand and get a feel for who these people are and how they embody a company's vision. (I own a grand total of two sweaters, by the way, neither of which actually provides any actual ... Read more »
Thanksgiving Food Dos and Don’ts for your pet
Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days in the veterinary ER, which should surprise none of you. The very first Thanksgiving I had Emmett, he dug the turkey carcass out of the trash and settled down for a little leftovers. Luckily he left a disgusting trail of grease from the kitchen, across the living room and up the (carpeted) stairs so I managed to find him before he did too much damage, but Thanksgiving is a time of excess and gluttony for all of us, and for pets unaccustomed to the ... Read more »
Take a bite: Home Cooking and a BalanceIt Giveaway!
Lots of people like to cook for their pets, but most people don't do it every single day. Of those who do, most do so because they have to, a pet with kidney disease who also has food allergies and diabetes, that sort of thing. Occasionally there is the person who just likes to do it, like the chef who makes seared sea bass for his two incredibly spoiled schnauzers every day. I admire that dedication, which is significant. More common are people like me, those who do it every once in a while ... Read more »
Ask Dr V: Nutrition, rotation diets, and high protein
Today I'm showing Part 2 of the Ask Dr V series. I believe, though I haven't checked it against the itinerary, that I should be on my way to the Ngorongoro Crater as we speak. Unless a chimp shoved me off the mountain earlier in the week, in which case these pre-published videos will be on a whole new level of macabre. Which, by the way, my shade would find utterly hysterical. ... Read more »
Giveaway Tuesday: Iams Sensitive Naturals and Simple and Natural
Congratulations to our winner, Elena! I hope your pet loves the food! I spend a lot of time reading pet food labels. I usually have to shoo off at least three well meaning but unhelpful store employees every time I'm at the store. Sometimes I'm reading to make sure it's a good choice for Brody and Koa, and sometimes I just pick up a bag of cheapie food to remind myself of the crummy stuff that's out there. I know I'm not alone in this- it seems like every time I go into the store, from a ... Read more »
