This new booklet joins the breed store area of our website where you’ll find solid information about taking a proactive approach to your dog’s diet and care. Our current breed booklets include the Airedale Terrier, Akita, Alaskan Malamute, American Staffordshire Terrier, Australian Shepherd, Basset Hound, Beagle, Bernese Mountain Dog, Bichon Frise, Border Collie, Boxer, Bouvier, Bullmastiff, Cairn Terrier, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Doberman Pinscher, Golden Retriever, Great Dane, Labrador Retriever, Lhasa Apso, Maltese, Miniature Poodle Newfoundland, Portuguese Water Dog, Rottweiler, Saint Bernard, Shetland Sheep Dog, Shih Tzu, Siberian Husky, Standard Poodle, and Toy Poodle.

Breed booklets are focused on the proactive care of your dog. They provide an overview of genetic diseases in your breed, symptoms, most common treatments, what a good vet will check for, and how dietary measures and supplements can help to prevent some problems. The dietary information applies to all methods of feeding (commercial, cooked or raw). Rather than pointing to specific diets, we believe that certain dietary principles and specific supplements can be the key to having healthier dogs.

K9 Kitchen, 2nd Edition

This new book arrived in a timely fashion and has already been shipped to everyone who ordered it in August. We thank you for your orders and the extremely enthusiastic reviews readers have been kind enough to send. We’ll be adding your reviews to our website as soon as possible. If you’re planning to order this book, don’t forget to check out the bundled savings packages where you can pick it up along with booklets and save some money.

Fact of the Month
The statement “No Preservatives” doesn’t mean a product is safe

I met a woman the other day and we talked about dogs (did you think the conversation would be about anything else?). It seems that her Maltese had had some dark stains on the hairs under the eyes but the veterinarian had not been consulted about this. The dog owner and I agreed that allergies can sometimes trigger a problem, including eyes tearing profusely, but this dog had been eating different commercial diets over her lifetime. None had helped and she was certain that the dog didn’t have environmental allergies. Perhaps the dog had a physical problem (misshaped eyes, disease, etc), I thought. I looked at her dog’s white hair and asked what she had done to get rid of the stains. Apparently, she was using a product called “Angels’ Eyes”, but I’m hoping I changed her mind. According the their website, Angels’ Eyes® is wheat and dye free, contains no preservatives and is made of 100% pure beef liver, tylosin as tartrate. So, yes it may sound natural but did you catch the part about tylosin? This poor Maltese is being given an antibiotic every day of his life. Not only does the veterinarian not know about it, but she or he has not been given the chance to examine this dog’s eyes to rule out a serious problem. Further, those poor eyes are being used as a testing ground for antibiotic resistant bacteria, thus promoting a problem that we already know exists in the world. In fact, a veterinarian’s blog included a great rant about exactly this, and I read it just days after meeting this woman and her Maltese.

There can be several causes of excessive tearing or staining around the eyes. Some are more serious than others, and none should be dismissed or used as a reason to change the dog cosmetically. A trusted veterinarian should be your first stop. Consider an elimination diet too. Simply feeding a well-balanced fresh food diet has helped to reduce and often to eliminate tear staining if the cause behind it is not a physical one. Consider any and all supplements being fed as well. The dog may be reacting to one of them rather than foods.

Monica

“Old dogs, like old shoes, are comfortable. They might be a bit out of shape and a little worn around the edges, but they fit well.’
-- Bonnie Wilcox 'Old Dogs, Old Friends'