Question: Demodectic Mange “I have a Great Dane with demodectic mange. I’d like to know more about this condition. My dog is under the care of a veterinarian, and has been for some time, but with little in the way of results.” Answer: Don’t lose faith in your veterinarian. The parasites causing the condition are…
According to the canine nutritional experts, a ninety pound adult German Shepherd can require up to seven cans of dog food per day. A sixty pound Collie can require five cans per day. For the average household, this can become an expensive choice. Dry dog foods, on the other hand, contain only about ten percent…
Pet food manufacturers have made it quite easy for the average dog owner to feed their pets without having to be an expert nutritionist. All of the work has been done by the modern manufacturer. Since it isn’t possible for manufacturers to list all of the nutrients and their required percentages as published by the…
Of the twenty six nutrients needed by dogs, none can be left out of the ration, or added at inadequate levels, if optimum growth and performance are expected. Because the nutrients interact with each other, they must be included in precise ratios. If a large excess of one nutrient occurs, then the quantities of other…
Pet food manufacturers are not required to list the NRC requirements (National Research Counsel, which helps reside over pet food regulations) on their labels, but they must – by state and federal regulations – list the ingredients contained in the package, whether it is a can, bag or box. These ingredients show the consumer –…
Labeling in the pet food industry is carefully controlled by state and federal regulations. Words such as “complete” and/or “balanced” cannot arbitrarily appear on a label. Before any labeling claims that a product is complete and/or balanced, manufacturers must prove it to the satisfaction of the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). The AAFCO…
The nutritional guideline standards for dogs, as set forth by the NRC (National Research Council), state that pet food manufacturers must have the minimum amount of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. They include meat, meat by-products, corn, wheat middlings, barley, oats, rice, brewer’s yeast, vegetable and/or animal fats, fish meal, poultry, bone meal, cereals,…
Big cans, little cans, heavy bags and cute packs, soft foods, dry food, semi-moist, candies, biscuits, chewies, people-like crackers and gourmet bon-bons… Today’s dog owner is confronted with a bewildering array of food for his pet. Years ago, when such a variety wasn’t available, dogs were fed foods that were most plentiful in the region.…
Owners of unsprayed females may at some time be faced with a diagnosis of pyometra in their dog. Pyometra means a pus-filled uterus and it affects primarily dogs that are five years old and older. It is a very debilitating disease and will often result in death unless the infected uterus is surgically removed. The…
God forbid you ever have to face the day if your family pet gets one of its limbs torn off by a hit and run. This nightmare happened last year to our four-year-old Beagle. Here is what happened: Every morning we had the same routine; Cleopatra would scratch at the door to wake me up…