Congratulations on your addition to the family! Like yourself, most new dog owner’s are realizing that nutrition is just as important as potty and behavioral training. Feeding your puppy a proper diet with a high-quality digestible animal protein is the first step. If you are not comfortable or happy with the food your puppy came home with, do not hesitate to switch. Transitioning your pup to a new food especially a high-quality one should only take a couple of days.

A few supplements I recommend in addition to a high-quality diet are Probiotics, Colostrum and Omega 3 Fatty Acids. The intestines are responsible for the growth, well-being, and repair of all cells in the body. Colostrum is nature’s perfect food that supplies the body with a complete combination of vitamins and minerals.

It can help to ensure the development and health of your pup’s immune system. In many studies on Colostrum, scientists have proven it’s effective contribution to the building of lean muscle mass.

Probiotics help the body maintain a balance of good and bad bacteria, enhance digestion and help prevent the occasional diarrhea we see in puppies as they explore their world and eat a number of items that may not agree with their system. The support that probiotics give to the intestinal lining may also help decrease the chances of your pup developing allergies. It’s important to pick a probiotic supplement with a high count of live viable cells. A dollop of yogurt is not going to give your pup the same benefit as a high count supplement. So use yogurt in addition to, but not instead of, the supplement.

Essential fatty acids found in the body oil of fish such as Herring, Salmon, Anchovy, and Sardine are effective in reducing shedding, promoting healthy brain function and supporting the heart and kidneys. I suggest adding a small amount to the pup’s diet daily and slowly increase the amount according to their size as they grow. Omega 3’s are an important supplement that is not found in large levels in pet food as they oxidize quickly when exposed to high heat and oxygen. Fish based foods do supply more Omega 3’s

Omega 3’s are an important supplement that is not found in large levels in pet food as they oxidize quickly when exposed to high heat and oxygen. Fish based foods do supply more Omega 3’s than a non-fish food, however, the oil’s bioavailability may have been greatly reduced during the kibble or canning process. Nutrition is important in all phases of life but even more so during growth and development. Choosing to be proactive in the approach to your pup’s health is not difficult. A few extra steps taken now can help

Nutrition is important in all phases of life but even more so during growth and development. Choosing to be proactive in the approach to your pup’s health is not difficult. A few extra steps taken now can help ensure your puppy grows up strong and healthy.

I can relate to your frustration. I love my rat terrier, but I have to be honest, she can drive me bonkers. Immediately after an hour walk, she is ready for play time. She is needless to say a “high maintenance” breed. Sometimes I will take a laser pointer and let her chase it around the floor. The chase keeps her occupied and mentally alert (this helps tire her out). A laser pointer is even something a child can do, just make sure they avoid shining it in the eyes. I also use a treat dispenser or hide treats around the house to drain my pups energy. This rewarding exercise is usually any dog’s favorite past time. Make sure to use meat-based treats and avoid those with sugar, malted syrup, molasses or other favorite forms of sweetness used by companies.

Chew bones are a good way to keep them occupied but only for short periods. Bully sticks, antlers or raw bones are great “babysitters” for dogs, but do not let them chew on hard items for an extended period of time as they can wear on the teeth. Never leave them unattended with the chew bone. Nylabones (plastic), rawhide and bones with dyes and flavorings could contain ingredients that may make them more hyper, so be careful what you pick.

Assuming your dog has been checked by his vet and there are no underlying issues causing this weight gain, I would look closely at your choice of food

you are feeding him. If your dog is on a dry food in which the “crude protein” mainly comes from carbohydrates (i.e. corn, potatoes, wheat, rice etc) and not meat protein sources, then you may want to look into changing his diet. Just like you and I, if we consume too many unnecessary carbohydrates our body will convert this into fat. Animal protein should be your dog’s main source of fuel, not carbs.

A couple of brands that I have successfully used on overweight dogs (which are higher in animal protein vs. carbs) is Great Life Buffalo, Annamaet Lean and Fromm Gold Weight Management. I would also suggest adding can food to the diet. This addition of moisture gives the feeling of fullness without adding a significant amount of calories. Snacks for your dog may be green beans, cucumbers, a few pieces of chicken or turkey or opt to give him a nice meaty bone such as a beef femur to occupy his time.

The idea here is; if you want to give your pup a treat, avoid the unnecessary carbohydrates that most biscuits contain or treats with hidden sugars (malted barley, molasses, glycerin, maltodextrin etc). If you are incorporating snacks just remember to reduce the amount of food given at meal time. Each dog has a unique lifestyle, activity level, age and metabolic rate.

Calculating exactly how many calories your dog needs is not easy. Putting your dog on a diet is no different than putting yourself on one. Take it slow and allow the body to adjust to the change. Quality of food is just as important (if not more) then counting calories. So look into the food your feeding and check its label for the amounts of carbohydrates and sugars it may be hiding.

Feeding our pets “table scraps” is not a bad thing. In fact, I encourage it to some extent. Most people shy away from it because they’ve been told it’s harmful, they're afraid of making their dogs start begging or they're afraid of excessive weight gain. Before the early to late 60‘s commercial dog food didn’t exist in most homes. Therefore leftovers and table scraps were used to feed our pets.

I personally feed my two pups leftovers a few times a week. However, I would like to warn you that foods which contain heavy amounts of sugars and salt are not what I call “healthy leftovers”. Pretzels, chips, doughnuts and other similar snacks are not part of my encourage “table scrap list”.

When you feed table scraps, just remember to reduce the amount of commercial dog food so you are not adding on extra calories. I’m sure your dog won’t mind if his meal was light that evening if the delicious leftovers were involved. He’ll just be happy to enjoy a nice home cooked meal.

Be aware if your dog is sensitive to certain foods, you don’t want to clean up loose stool just because of a yummy table scrap meal. I personally know my dogs are sensitive to steak or hamburger meat so when I do give them some I give very little of the meat and more of the rice, noodles or veggies.

Variety for your dog’s diet is good for them. Balance is achieved over time, and by offering different proteins and a wide spectrum of nutrients through the addition of healthy leftovers your dog will certainly thrive.

What dog doesn’t love treats! Your dog’s age, metabolism, and weight should be a factor in deciding what treats are best. If you are giving the treat as a training reward try to use freeze dried or baked meats and organs. Dogs not only love these but you can give a very small amount. Biscuits made of flours and other sources of carbohydrates should be limited. Just like with humans, too many empty carbohydrates lead to weight gain. If your dog enjoys them, vegetables are a great reward. Apples, green beans, cucumbers, and carrots all add a nice crunch and fresh food to their diet. Keep in mind that treats add calories. Always reduce the amount of food you are feeding your dog for the day if lots of treats are being given.

As you are witnessing, "a good diet" results in a healthier coat, skin, and overall well-being. When it comes to allergies we need to look at the root cause. Our digestive system is designed to break down the foods we eat. When our system is compromised our food is not broken down into its proper components (protein to amino acids, complex carbs into simple sugars etc). When this conversion fails we become sensitive or develop what is called allergies.

A gluten intolerance occurs when gluten proteins have not been broken down properly into their amino acid components. What is largely responsible to break these proteins down is good beneficial bacteria. The minute we say “gluten intolerance” or other food allergies we are actually saying there is large amounts of bad bacteria in our body. This toxic overload of bad invaders usually cause the small intestine to become inflamed. Once the small intestines are inflamed, the microscopic pores that filter our “undigested food bits” fail. Now these bits enter the blood stream and the immune system automatically begins to attack these unrecognized particles.

Depending on how bad the body is compromised will determine how severe the allergic reaction. I would continue your dog’s recovery from these food allergies by keeping him on a clean healthy diet. Whether or not your dog would also benefit from removing gluten is questionable. You can certainly try it and see if this helps to lessen any allergy symptoms. I strongly recommend getting to the root cause by including a strong probiotic to saturate the body with good beneficial bacteria. This will help to strengthen and continue to balance things out.

Wholistic Pet’s Acidophilus or Pet Wellness’ Probiotic/Enzyme Powder are two of the best on the market. Both of these products give a high viable live count of good bacterium.

Many of the pets I see day after day are suffering from some sort of skin ailment. This includes hot spots, paw biting, sores, fur loss, scooting and intense scratching. Often, the root of this problem lies in the enormous amount of toxicity that has accumulated in their system. There are so many things that bombard our pets without us knowing.

Normally at optimum performance, eliminatory organs such as the liver, kidneys, and lungs, are able to filter and cleanse the body. But our modern reliance on processed foods, overuse of medicinals and other virulent substances has left our pets saturated with an abundance of irritants, preventing the eliminatory organs from fully performing their function. It is no surprise that the skin being the body's largest organ, becomes the dumping ground for these irritants. This is what I call "the toxic pet".

Make sure your pet's current food obtains a majority of its crude protein from quality animal ingredients and not carbohydrates. A diet heavily comprised of carbohydrates burdens the body’s digestive system making it harder for the curative process to begin. On the other hand, proper nutrition (comprised of high quality, biologically appropriate ingredients like animal proteins) automatically boosts the body's natural resistance.

Adding some Omega 3 fatty acids from fish oils (salmon, sardine, and anchovy) are beneficial to the skin and internal organs. Sometimes these fatty acids will help stop itching quickly because they immediately soften the skin and coat eliminating dry skin. Another great supplement to add is a detoxifying herbal remedy that can assist the body to release toxins through the feces and urine as opposed to the skin. A great one to try is Itchy Skin by Earth Animal or Detox Blend by Animal Essentials.

Overall, patience is one of the most important things to remember. Your pet’s body didn’t become sick overnight. This healing process may take days, weeks or even months. Physical and emotional signs of health will appear and your pet will emanate the glow of health, rewarding you and your pet years to come.

The shedding of a cat’s coat is a natural process that allows a new coat to grow. The amount and frequency of coat that is shed often depends upon their health and diet. Assuming that your cat has no medical conditions a very important supplement a dog or cat owner can give to improve health, shine of coat or reduce shedding is by adding an Omega 3 supplement (EPA/DHA).

Omega 3’s, also known as essential fatty acids, are not manufactured by the body and must be obtained through food or supplementation. Omega 3 plays an important role in many metabolic functions and contain natural anti-inflammatories. Low levels of Omega 3’s in the diet can result in dry brittle coat, shedding, dry itchy skin and splitting nails. Oily fish such as Herring, Anchovies, Salmon and Sardines have good concentrations of EPA/DHA and often work the best with quick results. Processed pet foods, even high-quality ones often lack the ideal amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids because of the sensitivity to light, heat and quick oxidation of the oils.

By obtaining a good oil supplement and storing it in the refrigerator, you can easily change the shedding of your cat, and reduce the number of hairballs they may be experiencing. During the winter months, I recommend an increase in the amount of Omega 3 given to every cat or dog. The lack of moisture in the air combined with household heating units running around the clock tend to dry our skin as well as theirs.

Holiday Season Reminder: As the Holiday Season approaches remember to stock up on your dog’s probiotic to avoid any digestive upsets as they enjoy the many treats and eats they will receive. A nice addition to the probiotic is Pumpkin. Weruva has a “single serving” size in a 1.5 oz or 3.5 oz pouch. It’s a perfect way to give just enough with a meal without leftovers to refrigerate.

Although your dog appears to be “healthy”, the body expresses symptoms externally to reveal that something is not correct internally. The first thing to do is address the food and treats your dog is consuming. If you recently switched to a different brand or decided to try a new treat look and see if “salt” is included in the ingredient panel. Salt can lead to increased water consumption which could potentially be the culprit for the accidents in the house. Keep in mind that “all-natural” or “organic” products can also contain salt so don’t overlook reading their ingredients.

If you haven’t already done so I would consider scheduling an appointment with your vet to have a urinalysis and blood work panel performed. These tests can help rule out possible health issues such as UTI, bladder stones or kidney dysfunction. If diagnosed in the early stages any of the above possible issues can easily be treated with herbs or homeopathic medicine.

If food, treats and blood work check out then I would consider if this new habit is behavioral. Our pets are emotional creatures. Sometimes we forget this and don’t realize that a move, addition to the household (child or another pet), or change in YOUR schedule can impact our pet’s stress level. Sometimes pets do urinate in the house to show anger or to receive more attention regardless of the consequences. If anything has changed you can always see if spending more quality time with your dog helps or seek the advice of a good trainer to help with this new behavior.

Lipase, a digestive enzyme, is excreted by the pancreas during digestion. In normal circumstances this enzyme enters the small intestine to help break down fats. There could be several reasons why elevated Lipase levels are present. Testing blood work to close to your dog’s last meal, to dehydration, intestinal problems or pancreatitis. Always fast your dog approximately 8 hours before taking them in for blood work. If your dog ate 2-3 hours before blood work, test result could potentially show Lipase levels higher than normal as digestion is taking place. Dogs fed a strict dry food diet, can easily lead to dehydration if they do not drink or have access to plenty of water. Adding canned food with their dry is an easy solution to adding moisture to their diet. A digestive enzyme is also very helpful for dogs eating entirely processed foods. These enzymes help break food down for the body to assimilate. Your dog could also receive this digestive enzyme naturally by decreasing its intake of processed meals and incorporating fresh raw,

Dogs fed a strict dry food diet, can easily lead to dehydration if they do not drink or have access to plenty of water. Adding canned food with their dry is an easy solution to adding moisture to their diet. A digestive enzyme is also very helpful for dogs eating entirely processed foods. These enzymes help break food down for the body to assimilate. Your dog could also receive this digestive enzyme naturally by decreasing its intake of processed meals and incorporating fresh raw, freeze-dried or dehydrated foods. These foods have naturally occurring digestive enzymes still intact. There are many manufacturers that offer a responsible and convenient way to add this to our pet’s diet. A more serious condition is pancreatitis. Lipase is usually elevated anywhere from 2-4 times the normal amount. In order to heal, the pancreas must rest. This is achieved by fasting the animal from all food and water for at least 24 hours. Intravenous fluids are usually administered by your vet during this time and your dog will be observed so that no other complications occur. A diet of bland

A more serious condition is pancreatitis. Lipase is usually elevated anywhere from 2-4 times the normal amount. In order to heal, the pancreas must rest. This is achieved by fasting the animal from all food and water for at least 24 hours. Intravenous fluids are usually administered by your vet during this time and your dog will be observed so that no other complications occur. A diet of bland low-fat foods over a course of a few days to a week (after a pancreatic attack) is typically advised. After your dog has recovered, a diet evaluation should be considered for quality and digestibility.

We shouldn’t have to brush teeth or clean ears. Nature intended our dogs to do this on their own. Since we deviated from the natural diet of our pets we have shouldered this responsibility on ourselves. So how can we give these chores back to them?

Chewing on a bone a few times a week for 20-30 minutes keeps most dogs teeth in tip top shape. Even this amount of chewing can clean up already dirty teeth. Know your dog’s jaw strength. The size of the dog does not matter, I have seen a 25 lb Cocker Spaniel devour a bone as fast as a 90lb Golden Retriever. In addition, know their chewing style. Do they gulp, chew quickly or relax and savor the bone. This will help you determine the best choice. Some good chews to consider are non-basted bullysticks, a raw knuckle or marrow bone, an antler, tendon or trachea. All these offer a semi-hard surface to scrap plaque and tartar from your dog’s teeth. Cooked bones, hooves or raw hide should be avoided as they crack splinter or become gummy and expand. Do not over do it with very hard bones either. This could wear down the teeth if your dog is left with a bone or antler for hours at a time every day. Rumor has it a diet of dry kibble will keep a dog's teeth clean. If this was true, I would eat Doritos every day.

So what do you do if your dog does not like to chew, or has dental issues that restrict chewing? Petzlife and Leba III are products that utilize herbs to reduce tartar and gingivitis. They are very effective when followed as directed. If you still prefer brushing, find a good natural enzymatic toothpaste made specifically for dogs. Make the experience fun as brushing will need to be done daily.

Ears should only be cleaned if there is a noticeable discharge or considerable itch and irritation. If this is the case then there is probably a deeper problem. Ears are the internal body’s way of releasing impurities. A close look at diet, toxic exposures and external stressors in our dog’s life should be addressed. The underlying problem once resolved leads to clean ears. If there is a foul smell this could potentially be yeast. There are several herbal and supplement products that can heal this issue.