There is a life-threatening digestive condition called “bloat” in which gas builds up rapidly inside a dog’s stomach, causing it to distend like a hard beach ball. If bloat occurs when nobody is around to witness it and get the dog into emergency surgery immediately, it will cause an excruciating death. Bloat occurs most commonly in large, deep-chested dogs — German Shepherds, Dobermann Pinchers, Greyhounds and Weimaraners come to mind, but there are also exceptions to this physical type.

Being someone who adopts rescued Weimaraners, the danger of bloat is never far from my mind — and when I get a dog who attacks his bowl with extreme gusto, I know I have an accident waiting to happen. Although the definitive cause or trigger for bloat has not been definitively proven, it is believed that dogs who gulp food or water and take in air while doing so are most at risk (think of a baby who gets air bubbles in with her bottle and needs to be burped — which happens with some children more than others).

Scooby Doo is the second of my large male Weims who eats like he hasn’t seen food for a week. I had a very large Blue Weimaraner named Billy Blue who was Scooby’s “big brother” for several years that their lives overlapped, and Billy Blue ate food so quickly that more than once I had to improvise a Heimlich maneuver because he inhaled his kibble so fast it could get stuck in his throat and cause him to choke!

Here are a few things I do to mitigate against the jeopardy that Scooby Doo is in at every mealtime and lessen the possibility that he might bloat.

I never let him get too hungry — three smaller meals is better than two large ones, and I give him small snacks between meals (a couple of pieces of Liv-a-Little dried chicken, a piece of apple or cheese).

I use one of the bowls designed to slow dogs down — there is a style that has three plastic columns that rise up out of the bowl and that the dog has to eat around to get the food. I found that style frustrated Scooby Doo and made him try even harder to get the food into his mouth! For him, I thought that design of “slow down” bowl made him more at risk for bloat because of the anxiety it caused him! (Yes, Weims are a very emotional intense breed!) Instead, I found a style of bowl that is divided into three compartments and Scooby Doo is willing to lick his way around to get the food that flows into each section. He gets fed first (or would have a coronary if he didn’t!) and with this bowl he is still working at getting his food long after the other two dogs have finished.

I never let him gulp large quantities of water — and when it is hot and he has been running around and is panting, I do not let him have anything to drink or eat until he has cooled off and his heart rate has gone down. This is something we know from horses: you never water a hot horse or you can end up with a very sick horse from colic, which in extreme cases is the equine equivalent of bloat in dogs.

I never feed him and take off — I stick around for at least half an hour to make sure there is no funny business going on in his tummy.

It is a good investment in your peace of mind to manage a dog who gobbles — especially compared to the fearsome situation of dealing with a bloat emergency.

–Tracie Hotchner

Even though it was a Sunday my vet came into the office to examine Teddy to make sure he was not in the process of “bloating” or developing pancreatitis and if not, if there was something she could do to alleviate his suffering. It wasn’t until he threw up in the office that I saw what a massive amount of grass he had found under the snow and swallowed, which triggered the vomiting. My vet listened to his stomach and saw that his temperature and heart rate were normal. She determined that the pain he was experiencing was from intestinal gas that was trapped. She gave him a shot for pain and for nausea/vomiting and then recommended that I walk him around to get the gas to move inside. I asked whether I could give him some of the gel caps I had at home for people that break up intestinal gas; she looked up the safety and dosage and said to go ahead and try it. She also said to start him on some food to help move things along in the digestive tract. In fact she said getting some food in Teddy in frequent small portions would be the best remedy. Chicken and rice are always what vets (and my own book) recommend, but it’s usually a mad dash to the supermarket for chicken breast with a drooling sickly dog in the car! I was grateful that I had some shredded roasted chicken meat in the freezer so I rushed Teddy home and boiled some basmati rice, which cooks quickly, and stirred in the chicken. But Teddy would not touch it. I added a little cottage cheese for enticement. No go. I offered just a piece of chicken but he turned his head aside. He was stretching and twisting in pain. I felt so terrible. I knew that if I could get him to eat something it would get that painful gas to start moving inside him. I lifted the lid off the dog biscuit jar (where Liv-a-Little biscuits are kept to reward the dogs for returning from far away ramblings) and Teddy looked up with curiosity in his pain-filled expression. I broke one in half and held it out to him. He took it gingerly between his teeth and chewed uncertainly, as if he wasn’t sure it would go down okay. Then he looked up for the second half. He chewed that one with more confidence. I was so relieved! I offered him one biscuit after another and he kept on accepting them (my other two dogs came around in no time, having heard the biscuit jar lid being removed so I had to give them a few, too, which made the whole evening Christmas morning all over again for them). For Teddy, the Liv-a-Littles must have been like crackers are to a person who feels sick, and boy was I glad I had them to help him feel better. From now on I don’t have to knock myself out to make chicken and rice that doesn’t even appeal to a guy feeling lousy. Now I know I have his own secret remedy right in the biscuit jar! (But I’m also going to start giving him an acid-reducer pill every night before bed just to see if that helps avoid another scary belly event.)

Hi Tracie,

We’ve just committed to adopting a rescue English Pointer with cherry eye, don’t know how long she’s had it;  looks like the surgical options can cause dry eye, popping it in and suturing it is the other option.

She’s 1, currently living at a trainers facility in the Central Valley. She and 18 other dogs were sent there for training by a breeder who disappeared. She’s been there for 3 months, getting fed but not getting any
training or exercise as the trainer was being given funds.

Anyway — we’re going to pay him to train her for 2 months then bring her home in September, he’ll have her eye taken care of. I’ll send him CLO and instructions tomorrow, do you have any other thoughts for optimal outcome?

It’s a swollen tear gland — I certainly wouldn’t think of giving advice without a vet seeing it and deciding whether antibiotics or surgery is the best treatment. I also would not leave that dog 1 day with a trainer. I would get her to your home ASAP and acclimate her to living with real people in a nice home. You should do all her training yourselves with a professional at home to guide you. Please get that dog home as quick as you can. The more time she spends in an institutional setting, the harder it is to adapt to home life. Also, long-distance pre-trained dogs often have a lot of issues as THE DOG BIBLE explains — it is no way to teach a dog because you will never know how the outcome was achieved — and you & she will not be getting to know each other WHILE training, which is part of the process. Good luck with her!

–Tracie Hotchner
P.S. If you do not yet have THE DOG BIBLE and want to get it, I can send you an autographed copy or if you buy it elsewhere, I can send you an autographed bookplate to put in the front inscribed to her.?

The Dog Bible

From Christine:

I think it was Laurie G. that originally posted the info on the Exercise Induced Collapse (EIC). She might have triggered her memory because my agile Boykin Spaniel is one of the positively IDd for AFFECTED DNA. It’s listed in the OFA databank as Carolina’s Duck Duck Goose. Feel free to use him as an example if you want.

I have CC’d Paisley Stevens Knudsen, president of the Boykin Spaniel Club (AKC parent club) and also Terrie Tomlinson, Chair of the Boykin Health Committee. Terrie also has Labs and has a lot of knowledge on EIC. She was instrumental in identifying the EIC disease in the Boykin Spaniel — which until that point was mis-diagnosed as a variety of mystery illnesses. Terrie is also in direct, frequent contact with the University that does the EIC DNA testing. These 2 ladies might be of some help on the subject if you need anecdotes or other info.

I would be very interested to listen to the podcast sometime — please let me know when it will be available!

Christine Prince
Boykin Spaniel Club of America
Education & Communication Outreach Ad Hoc Committee

Dear Christine, Paisley, and Terrie:

Thank you for forwarding the email to me. I hope you will listen to Dog Talk® this Saturday (July 3) when Dr. Philip Padrid will be on the show to discuss this and other related topics. If you’re unable to listen on Saturday morning, a podcast will be available later in the day, on July 3. Click on the Dog Talk® link for more information.

–Tracie Hotchner

Tracie,

I had talked to you a few months ago right after Christmas and was on your show, regarding my Shepherd mix, Lucy, who died suddenly in my back yard the day after Christmas. Your time with me on the phone and being able to spill myself on the show briefly was a help. Today marks the 6th month to the day that Lucy passed, and while it’s still rough sometimes, I’ve come mostly to terms with it and how things played out.

Unfortunately, yesterday, I had to have my 2nd dog, Retriever-mix, Roxy, euthanized. She was Lucy’s companion for nearly 13 years, but finally her battle with Lymphoma and a heart illness took it’s toll and she was no longer able to perform basic functions. It was a sad ending for me, as while I loved Roxy dearly, in a way, she was also a living link to Lucy as well since they were literally like Thelma and Louise when growing up together. While Roxy lived, a tiny bit of Lucy lived on in her personality. With her death, not only did I lose her, but the last bit of “living” Lucy passed as well. It’s very sad, but at least unlike Lucy’s unexpected death, this time I had a heads-up on what had to be, and it was not unexpected.

My point in writing about all of this is that when I made the decision to have Roxy euthanized, I chose an in-home pet euthanasia service here in the Atlanta area, as there was no way I could take her in to the Vet’s office (which terrified her) to have this done on a metal table surrounded by strangers, and none of my local Vets will do house calls for this. Did some research and found one with some good customer testimonials. The cost was high for me considering my very basic income ($379.00), but it was very much worth it as the Vet and her assistant who came to my home were extremely nice, sympathetic, and caring. They took their time, checked Roxy first, agreed it was well past time for her, and gave me time to be alone before the shots were administered. They then stayed a while to make sure I was going to be ok before they left.

I’m sure the NYC/Long Island areas have these services, and hopefully they are all staffed by caring people as well. I just wanted to pass this story on to you because in-home pet euthanasia might be a topic you may wish to discuss as an option for pet owners on your show if you’ve never done it. I feel it’s well worth the money to do it, as the pet can pass in the most comfortable environment possible, and it’s much less stressful for the Pet owners as well. I have one remaining dog and should she have to be euthanize at some point due to illness, this is the route I’ll take with her as well.

Greg

Dear Greg,

Thank you for the email. I apologize for the delay in responding. It’s a rather hectic time!

First and foremost, I’m so sorry to hear of your loss. The loss of a pet companion is always difficult. You’re in my thoughts.

While it’s wonderful that Roxy was able to remain at home as she lived out her last days, I’m surprised to hear that your regular veterinarian did not perform the euthanizing. So many Vets today do provide a house call service under such circumstances and often times it’s done for free.

All pet health issues are expensive. Have you considered pet insurance? It’s such a good investment and has saved pet owners literally millions of dollars. Most insurances will also cover the cost of euthanizing a pet which can be costly. If you log into my website, you’ll find information about Pet’s Best Health, which is the company I use.

Wishing you the best,
–Tracie Hotchner

Hi, Tracie,

First I wanted to Thank You so much for taking my call about my poor Abby’s cracking nose. I was just scanning through the stations and I was so happy to see one talking about pets, I hope I can find it again. Are you always on at the same time?

You asked me to email you as a reminder for you so you could contact a vet you knew who might be able to give us some more information about what may be causing it internally. Also, would you be able to give me the website or the name of the product you mentioned, I only caught mushers secret then something about SmartPak Canine. I’m afraid I just don’t understand my own notes — Ha ha.

When I got home I noticed Abby’s nose seemed to be at one of its worst stages, so I snapped some quick pics with my phone, and I am sending them along, so you can see exactly what I mean by “cracking” it is also bleeding sometimes (as you can see in the pictures) Thank you so much for the help, I was very disappointed in my vet’s answer to my question and I could never find anything about cracking dog noses online, you were so kind and unbelievably helpful, it’s almost like I was meant to find your show yesterday

Your newest fan!
“Dawn”

I’m delighted you got in touch. My official dermatologist answered immediately — and as i suspected you need a proper vet who will do a biopsy and prescribe — poor Abby!! Here is what he said — but I do recommend you get a veterinary dermatologist after you CHANGE VETS. Frankly, I think the attitude yours had was negligent.

(I am attaching a welcome letter so you can learn all the ways to find me, live & on podcast. I do 1-1:30 EST every Wednesday on Sirius #112/XM 157 & CAT CHAT® is that night at 8 PM EST. But check out the letter.)

Dr John Gordon’s (MedVetOhio.com) is below, and you can pay to have any vet consult with him by email or phone, which I actually recommend and I’ll be blogging about this too

Now one more thing: GET PETS BEST INSURANCE immediately! The welcome letter mentions it. Although it won’t cover this existing condition right now, if it were to return you’d get 80% of every bill paid on this and anything else that happens to her. Otherwise costs are ruinous, right? Call Pets Best at the number on my website and tell them you listen to Tracie’s shows and you want discount AP5252.

Dr John Gordon: “The cutaneous changes noted in the photograph can be characterized as edema, depigmentation, tan serocelluar crusting and erosive dermatitis of the nasal planum with minimal inflammation of the adjacent haired skin. The breed may be an Akita which would support the concern for an autoimmune skin condition. If this dog does not have any other skin lesions, the primary differential diagnosis is discoid lupus erythematosus. Other differentials should include pemphigus foliaceous, pemphigus erythematosus and epitheliotropic lymphoma. A skin biopsy from the margin of the affected area should confirm the diagnosis. If the condition is as expected, there are multiple effective therapies. The treatments are lifelong and often adjusted based on response and side effects. Avoidance of sustained, direct sunlight is recommended because ultraviolet light will exacerbate inflammation of the skin. I hope this information is beneficial.”

Diabetes In Dogs: Why They Get It, How To Manage It

Diabetes in dogs is based on a genetic tendency towards developing it — they are almost exclusively Type 1 diabetics and would become diabetic regardless of their diets (unlike cats who become type 2 diabetics from a diet with carbohydrates, or people who can develop type 2 diabetes from obesity).

In Type 1 diabetes, there is a true lack of pancreatic insulin production. Dogs who have a genetic susceptibility to immune destruction of the cells within the pancreas that secrete insulin (or some breeds are just born without the correct number of cells) will progress to a complete lack of insulin. The cells do not just temporarily shut-down — they are just gone. Because of this, dogs who develop diabetes are almost always dependent on insulin and no matter what you do to them, they will always require insulin.

If you feed your dog a high protein/low carb diet, it may help slow the onset of diabetes in a dog destined to get the disease but if you have a dog with the genetic profile to be a Type 1 diabetic it will happen, regardless. It may happen more slowly in a dog on that type of diet, but it will happen.

Every diabetic dog is a bit different and diet will have a lot more impact in some than others. Also the need for weight gain or weight loss factor into this dietary equation for each individual. You want to make sure your vet has checked your dog’s thyroid levels since an imbalance there can also affect the metabolism and cause weight changes.

If you already have a dog who is significantly overweight, then your best bet to achieve weight loss is the same as in any dog: reduce the amount of highly processed carbs which has probably caused the obesity (an all-carb diet with a heavily corn and grain based kibble) and increase the protein to kick start the metabolism into burning that fat. This is the theory behind the Atkins diet and others for people, and the same holds true for dogs: reduce carbs, increase protein, and you will see weight loss.

Once a dog gets diabetes you might mistakenly think that lowering the carbohydrates would be a solution (as it is in people) but in dogs, research has proven that a high fiber diet is the best management tool because it helps to slow glucose absorption from the intestine. This creates a more stable blood sugar throughout the day, making it easier to manage the diabetes successfully. So you want to keep a diabetic dog on a high quality diet and then add a supplemental source of soluble fiber to help best control the blood sugar after eating (technically called the post-prandial glucose level).

The best diet for all diabetic dogs is one that is high in fiber since that is helps to control the fluctuations of the dog’s blood sugar levels. Most commercially available high fiber diets contain high levels of a fiber that is called insoluble fiber (e.g. lignins and cellulose) while a tastier diet with better blood sugar control comes from adding more soluble fiber sources (e.g. gums and pectins) as the main source of fiber in the food.

No matter what fine food you’re feeding your diabetic dog, you will need to add significant amounts of soluble fiber (Metamucil, broccoli, carrots, canned pumpkin, and baked or boiled potato skins, and chick peas).

It is important that people realize that while fiber is technically a carbohydrate, it is a complex carbohydrate and is not digested by the body the same way as a simple carbohydrate, which is why not all carbohydrate foods are bad. The glycemic index/insulin index was created so that people can understand the impact of different types of carbs.

High quality kibble contains 2-3% fiber as insoluble fiber while a diabetic dog should ideally be eating about 8% to 12% fiber, especially of the soluble form of fiber to maximize the glucose lowering effects. But this means you need to add good natural sources of soluble fiber like psyllium husk (aka Metamucil), canned pumpkin and veggies such as carrots and broccoli in any form. Other sources are beans like chickpeas which have tons of fiber and protein and a very low glycemic index — if you mash them there is less possibility for causing gas. If your dog has issues about the stool being too soft you can add insoluble fiber in the form of potato skins (boiled or baked) but not sweet potatoes which are a source of fiber (the average sized potato (75grams) that give 3 grams of fiber but is a high calorie item.

On a gram basis, a high fiber diet is considered about 20 grams of fiber per 400 calories. So you have to figure out what the normal kibble supplies and then supplement. For example, let’s say Kibble X supplies 10 grams of fiber in 300 calories. We have to find a way to supplement an additional 10 grams of fiber in every 100 calories of food. In these instances, you often have to go to a purified form of fiber (like psyllium/ Metamucil) which supplies 3.5 grams of fiber per teaspoon (which is 20 calories). It isn’t a cookbook recipe, it’s different for each dog.

That is the current picture with diabetes in dogs but there are concerns from some experts that we may start to create a new form of Type 2 diabetes in dogs — similar to the situation in cats and people. Dogs are omnivores so metabolically they are able to handle a larger carb load than cats, but high carbohydrate diets are more likely to lead to obesity due to the presence of high glycemic fillers. Over time, dogs who are not genetically predisposed to becoming Type 1 diabetic may indeed develop a Type 2 metabolism from eating these type of foods — so a diet with reduced carbohydrates like Proportions would be a good way to guard against diabetes.

I have enjoyed reading your Cat Bible book, and other information on your website, but I still am very uncertain on how to resolve a recurring situation with my dear male cat Leo (about 6 years).

He has had 4 episodes of urinary crystals in the last 6 months, two of which caused blockages, resulting in lengthy vet stays.  He was on a catheter both times, which I’m sure was very uncomfortable.

His last blockage with last Thursday, and he is still have difficulties passing urine.  His PH is 7.5 and the crystals are Struvite.

I feed him wet food only – alternating Science Diet’s CD with Primal raw beef cube.  He does not get kibble. With this high protein diet, I am baffled as to why he is getting sick so often.  A high protein diet has not seemed to acidify his urine and he is still developing crystals.

I know CD has by-products (which I’m not crazy about), that’s why I was trying to feed him some raw food.  Now I’m really confused.  I feel like I need to make a change quickly, but I don’t want to choose a food that will aggravate his situation. I’m not sure if he is reacting to  the CD or to the raw food, so I’ve eliminated the raw food.  However, I’d like a better plan moving forward since CD isn’t the best canned food, and I’m unsure of raw food.

I’d love your advice so that I can get my Leo back on track.

Your instincts are right on the mark – the Science Diet CD not only has by products, but plenty of carbohydrates, too. What most bothers me about products like this is that they call themselves a “chicken” cat food and in this case the predominant ingredient is pork by-products. Now where in God’s name does the discarded portion of a processed pork fit into a healthy diet for cat? Chicken is the 4th ingredient — and then some corn products like starch and corn gluten meal. “Chicken liver flavor” is something synthetic — because the pork liver they are using instead is surely much cheaper, although from a 500 lb. animal that could never be a cat’s natural prey.

The Cat Bible tells you how to read a label and this one should set your hair on fire by that yardstick.

Pork By-Products, Water, Pork Liver, Chicken, Rice, Corn Starch, Oat Fiber, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Fish Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, etc.

So right now your kitty is not on a high protein food – or one made of ingredients that are natural and healthy for a cat.  - You need to get Weruva or Halo Spot’s Stew that use only human grade meat- no by-products of any animal and no meal. Until you get the cat off this highly processed inappropriate protein source you cannot know how much it is negatively influencing his health.

As for raw, it is the gold standard for cat foods and the best choice you can make for your kitty.  You’ll be doing him a great favor if you can go to all raw (but not beef!! again, don’t feed your cat a meat source with no logical connection to a cat, who can naturally catch mice or birds, to which chicken and turkey are the closest thing).  Another thing about crystals is that beef and organ meats can make them worse – and rinking lots of fluids can reduce the problem.  So since it’s rare for a wet-fed cat to be thirsty and drink alot, you can give him fluids he’ll be motivated to drink.  See if he’ll do well on a bit of milk (can upset the stomach) or try a nifty product from The Honest Kitchen called Ice Pups. It is a ground up chicken and greens powder that you dissolve in water. It was developed to be frozen into cubes for dogs to enjoy in hot weather, but i find it is a great way to get pets to drink fluids they wouldn’t normally drink. The more you can get him to drink, the better – the page for The Honest Kitchen is on my website and they give a discount to my listeners.

I’m hoping this will help, although it will take a few weeks to start to show results. I’m sorry for all you and he have been through.

I re-read your chapter on nutrition and how to read labels.  Armed with this information, I spent an hour or so at the pet store reading labels… very interesting!

Following your suggestion, I bought Weruva’s chicken canned food -10% protein, and Leo loves it (it also smells great).  I noticed that they use tapioca or potato starch.  In your book, you mention potatoes as an ingredient to avoid.  I wasn’t able to tell from the label what percentage of the food was comprised of starch.  In Leo’s situation,  what is your opinion of this ingredient.

I also purchased  a  chicken  canned food from  Instinct.  From the label, it looks good, but Leo really prefers the Weruva.

At some point, I’ll venture into the raw food diets, but Salmonella is a concern and I don’t want to add to Leo’s health issues.

Thanks so much for your help and advice.  I really appreciate having a reliable resource to help sort out the myriad of information available.

I know that the starch in Weruva food is used as thickener and is only a tiny portion of the food but I let the owner of the company, David Forman, explain it to you himself:

We use potato starch at less than 1% of the overall formulas, and as potato starch is made of other components other than carbohydrates, the percentage of actual nutrition coming from the potato starch is likely under 0.5%. In other words, the potato starch serves no nutritional purpose. The purpose of the starch is to thicken the gravy so the formula will not be super watery.

There is of course a big difference when using potatoes as the carbohydrate/binder source in kibble where the percentage of potato has to be high in order for the kibble to hold itself together. The quantity necessary of potatoes in kibble (or other carbohydrate sources in kibble) typically forces the potatoes to be a significant source of nutrition. Cats are of course obligate carnivores and need no carbohydrates. And dogs, also carnivores, do not need the carbs from potatoes, though some dogs may be able to adapt better than others when eating an omnivorous diet.

As for feeding raw, I don’t think you need to rush into that. Many cats do not do well on it and with Leo’s issues, I think you’ll feel most comfortable using different Weruva flavors and use Dr. Harvey’s Whisker Smackers and Halo’s Liv-a-Littles for treats.

Thank you so much for the information and your reassurance!   Both my cats absolutely love Weruva – they lick the bowl clean and ask for more. This is unusual for them.  I can’t tell you how much money I’ve spent trying to find a wet food they like since they both really prefer Wysong’s Uretic dry food (which is no longer part of their diet).  I’m hopeful this new food will help Leo to heal.

I am going to put your question and my answer on my blog because I think other can benefit from this information.

-Tracie Hotchner

The Cat Bible

Thank you so much for taking the time to deal with my “Vectra” problem. I went to  Banfield’s and purchased a 4 pack today. I find it is much longer lasting than Frontline Plus for ticks and fleas. What a relief to find it available as an ‘over the counter’ purchase, since my Vet did not carry it.  I love the internet, it solves a lot of problems and it found you for me.

Thanks again,
Joan from Ormond Beach, FL

Hi Tracie — I just finished listening to your program where you featured Dr. Macina from Animal Medical Center. I have a German Shepherd guide dog who has been my loyal guide and friend since April 2008.  When I got her, she had a lot of spots on her where there was no hair.  I took her to A.M.C. where they tested her for scabies, etc.  Everything came back negative.  She’s been seeing Dr. Macina for almost a year now and is now on an antihistamine, another medication to enhance hair growth, melatonin for hair growth and omega3.  She looks like a new dog.  I am also feeding her Wellness — lamb and all the treats that I give her are either Mother Hubbard or Wellness treats.  I had a bag of treats which I found out had chicken by-products in it and better be safe than sorry, I threw the bag away.  I just wanted you to know that I think the world of Dr. Macina.  Hazel’s allergy is not a food allergy, but I’m thinking about having Dr. Macina allergy-test her to see if we can find out what the allergy is.  If you have any suggestions, I’d be happy if you could send me an email.

P.S.  I do wet the Wellness since I have to put her meds in with the food.

Ann followed this up with a call into the show last week because I let her know that another listener who used a guide dog would be calling in to announce that my book THE DOG BIBLE is now available for sight-impaired dog owners. I told her that her dog’s diet needs to change to at least one half real protein and vegetables and that I hope she’ll sign up at www.Proportions.com to be amongst the first to get the trial sample of the feeding plan that would be a great help to a person without sight — three pouches, one with kibble (and she can continue with Wellness lamb or try another brand or flavor Smartpak Canine carries, including their own Live Smart premium dry food), a pouch of shredded chicken breast in pumpkin soup, and a pouch of raw dehydrated real vegetables and fruit. I predict his skin is going to get a lot better just from increasing the quality protein and less-processed ingredients.

Tracie

The Dog Bible

So I wrote her:

Charlotte – I’m about to rock your world. I used to take two Advil a day to be able to play tennis — various sore joints, aches etc.

I became friends with Dr. Alice Villalobos, the official oncologist of both radio shows, and was delighted to learn that she prescribes Platinum Performance for ALL her animal patients. But then she told me something I had never known: Platinum makes a human version and she & her husband — both very athletic — have been taking the human version for years.  It’s called Ortho-con and comes in capsules.

I have now been taking 6 capsules a day for 2 years and I play very competitive singles tennis 4-5 days a week. And guess how many Advil I’ve taken since starting Platinum?? Zero.

Platinum has other human products too. It comes in a powdered form (like what we give our dogs & cats) and they have a great energy bar made entirely of it.

Please call them (800-553-2400) and say you’re one of my very special listeners and ask what their best product for you would be — wow, will you be happy soon!

Tracie