I got this appeal from Dee in North Carolina — the length shows how attentive she is to her pets’ symptoms and how aware she is of dangers and nutritional issues too — a really great owner!

One of our cats, a 2 year old neutered male named Pumpkin (picture attached), has not been eating well the past few days. He’s one of three cats (two boys and one girl, all siblings) who each eat a normal 5.5 oz can of wet cat food (Friskies) twice a day — totaling 6 cans/day– and the only one not eating the food. We have a variety of flavors so I thought it was a specific one and changed which one he was eating. Still not interested… Would try to take some bites but then walk away. His urine and fecal movements are okay and we do have water down for them, too. Out of frustration and desperation to get him to eat, I cooked up some ground beef and he’s had about 1 C worth over the past 24 hours. Also ate a vienna sausage (I use those to give my12 year old dog a daily pill — gave him one without a pill obviously), and some baked ham so I know he’s hungry. Turned up his nose to some turkey gravy (also opened up a can of this out of desperation), but I’ll try him on some chicken tomorrow — still frozen.

Fur feels kind of oily like it gets when they are sick but not overly oily — he’s normally a very soft (almost angora like his sister) and fluffy kitty. I had been adding in the oil of one fish oil capsule to the boys’ food as they were having a bad time with flea dermatitis (their sister doesn’t like the fish oil at all) so I’ve stopped that for the meantime. He’s really not changed behaviors, just a little sluggish at times. Just gave him some more hamburger and he’s happy — I’m just glad he’s eating! What else should I give him besides chicken? He’s the known butter thief in the family too — but I’ve had it locked up and he can’t get to it (room temperature butter for spreading on toast — locked it in the cabinet above the toaster).

I’ve also attached two pictures of plants I’ve recently brought into the house when these freezing temperatures descended upon us last week. Nearly killed my huge Aloe plant and HUGE Macho fern (forgot them on the front porch — we use the carport for going in and out), two bridal veil plants (dark green pots), and my jasmine plant which I had in the back yard in full sun. Not sure if he’s chewed any of those — though the aloe is suspect as it was weeping for a bit when it thawed out (and STUNK! I need to trim the bad leaves off now), and he did play a bit with the macho fern (likes to play hide and seek under it). I do know someone or all three of them have been munching on my artificial Christmas tree as I’ve seen urps with that stuff in it on the floor. Nothing like more cleaning of carpets…

We have recently changed (in Nov) all of their flea meds from Frontline to Advantage and I’ve seen such a DIFFERENCE in their skin. They’re not breaking out anymore! We’ve been vacuuming (which the vet’s tech — their daughter — said activates the hatching of the eggs with the vibrations) every other day and cleaning the carpets with HOT water every two weeks to keep on top of it. The cats are indoors only but we have the large dog (1/2 Boxer- 1/4 German Shepard 1/4 Labrador Retriever) and our daughter’s year old Australian Terrier who do go in and out. We do try to remember to spray the yard during the spring and summer but it’s been a very tough season here in the south for fleas.

I do wish we could afford the Weruva and Vectra for the cats and dogs but we also have a horse (5 year old American Quarter Horse, sorrel/chestnut, named Buster) so our pennies are stretched out very thin for animal upkeep, and my husband will be retiring from the Army this next year. I don’t work, do homeschool our youngest daughter, and we have a wedding for our eldest daughter next year to pay for in October. Her dog and horse will go with her too–so then I could possibly afford the Vectra. which I’d like to invest in as we live in a very sandy soil area (“sand hills” of North Carolina). I’ve also looked into the cost of making our own cat food and have found the supplements I’ll need online — just need to buy a meat grinder and find who has the best prices for the meat. That will be a gradual transition, too. Until then, bonuses of homemade meat balls once in a while are given to all of them (they like them raw and I don’t add anything to them).

There were a couple of things I told Dee when she called into CAT CHAT® that night (she doesn’t have SiriusXM satellite radio but I told her anyone can call the toll free number 866-675-6675 between 8-9 PM EST any Wednesday night!) First, I think something is definitely up with Pumpkin — his greasy fur and change in appetite is a big tip off so I think a vet visit is need for a physical exam and blood work. Secondly, while I understand financial constraints, the science behind Frontline is 17 years old so it is markedly less effective than Vectra, which has been formulated and newly developed with the newest technology and research. Also, Frontline is now sold over the counter and on websites and there is no quality control and no way of knowing you are getting a genuine product (there are a lot of websites selling fake product), even if it is less effective than Vectra! (many people find it stops working after about 2 weeks so they put on another application which is really unsafe and unhealthy since it is a 30-day product, even if it does not work effectively for that long). The really awesome Christmas Stocking Stuffer news is that Dee is going to get some complimentary Vectra for her kitties from Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins (the Official vet of CAT CHAT® who is now the head of Vectra’s Veterinary Services — congratulations Elizabeth!) One reason why is that Dee knows about Vectra from me, would want to choose it over any other brand, and has budgetary concerns right now — we know she’ll one day be able to be a loyal and satisfied Vectra customer for her dog and kitty cats!

Lastly, if she wants to make food at home it needs to be chicken-based and the grinder she gets must be capable of grinding whole chickens, bones and all, with added organ meat. Beyond that, she is going to need to supplement with Platinum Performance for a fully balanced meal (taurine, etc.) and overall health benefits (Dr. Elizabeth and many vets I know suggest all their dogs and cats are on Platinum daily, as are my dogs and mini-donkey and my husband and I!) so there are monetary considerations in all this, too!

Here were Dr. Elizabeth’s comments on Pumpkin:

The Friskies is not a bad alternative to dry food if the owner can’t upgrade to whole chicken or similar. The Platinum only costs 5 cents/day/cat so that really shouldn’t be an issue. Unfortunately, I doubt that cold weather is affecting this cat’s appetite. Hot weather can, but generally cats will eat more during cold weather. She doesn’t say how old this kitty is but I suspect there is something medical going on and if it persists, she will have to take him to be examined as it may be serious and it will be cheaper and easier to deal with the earlier she acts. The change in the fur is also troublesome so I think unless he snaps out of this soon, a vet visit is in order.

Here is a comment about Pumpkin from Dr Donna Spector, DOG TALK® and CAT CHAT® Official Second Opinion Vet (www.SPECTORDVM.com):

While the decreased appetite does happen to some cats… I wouldn’t necessarily want to just chalk it up to that. I took a look at the picture and he is looking a little greasy/unkempt. Being a young cat… they can get into a lot of things… sometimes GI foreign bodies look like this, pancreatitis, dietary indiscretion, etc. These are the questions I would ask of a client: with the holidays… do they have tinsel up or other decorations that he might have nibbled on? Does he have access to the tree / tree water? I once had a 3 year old cat who ate so many pine needles from the Christmas tree he was impacted from the stomach up to his mid-espophagus. No vomiting… just didn’t want to eat. So this isn’t necessarily something like that… but this can be a digestively stressful time of year… any parties? People who fed fatty treats? New treats recently?

I don’t think trying a different brand of food is a bad idea and in the short term (one or two weeks) she can home cook for him… especially if he is sick (like with a pancreatitis, etc) the very best thing would be lean meats she cooks at home. Sounds like he liked the burger she gave him and he actually ate a decent amount. But I think she needs to get the vet sooner rather than later.

Thank you to my wonderful veterinary colleagues who are so swift and generous with their time and knowledge! And wishing good health to Pumpkin, of course.

UPDATE: Pumpkin Pulled Out of It!

I was so happy to get this message back from Dee in North Carolina — who was ready to take Pumpkin to the vet, but was very glad not to have to!

Last night Pumpkin came and slept with us, something he’s not done in a very long time. This morning he ate an entire can of food (gave half with the others at breakfast and then the other half about an hour later), and again this evening he just ate a full dinner without any problem. His fur is feeling and looking almost normal again. Whatever it was it has passed (of course I was praying for him, too . I’ll still continue to monitor him and will call in tonight as promised.

I am so thankful for this gift of Vectra! Honestly it is a true surprise as I was not expecting anything but a suggestion of what to feed Pumpkin, etc. I am truly thankful to both you and Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins for this unexpected but very welcome gift.

We have two vets we use. One is the vet clinic on the Army base (Fort Bragg) where my husband is stationed and retiring from and they only carry Frontline for the cats. I take the cats there for their annual shots, but we can’t do much beyond regular check ups and minor things there. I can pretty much say it will be a no go for the military to add Vectra to their clinics — they’re extremely tough to get things changed there.

I will look into the Platinum Performance supplement Dr. Elizabeth mentioned, and the fish oil was normal human fish oil by Sundown Naturals (1000 mg). Obviously I have listened to you about fish oil but thought this would be as good as Nordic Naturals and even more obviously now I have a LOT MORE to learn! My cats have been off “kitty crack” since March and I will look more into what would be best for them at the level that I can afford. If it’s staying with Friskies then so be it unless there is something better out there which is better and pretty comparable in price. I can say our cost for cat, dog, and horse food/litter/meds is pretty expensive each month, but I love them all as I do my children. They are my furry children! I’ll be calling in tonight, I promise. Thank you, again, for all of your generosity and helping me get them on the right track.

I replied:

Dear Dee — It was terrific that you called into CAT CHAT® tonight – wonderful to get to know you in person! I have three things to straighten out for you which I didn’t have time for on the air.

1)   The vet on the base is WAY “OFF BASE”! No cats should be getting annual shots of any kind — holistic vets and health-conscious vets of any kind have known for years that yearly vaccinations are unnecessary and possibly harmful. The AVMA (which is the organization all vets belong to) has a stated policy that vaccines should only be given every 3 years (although many of the more educated vets would say that is often overkill for many pets). So you can save some money and definitely some potential harm to your kitties right there!

2)   WERUVA, my favorite cat food, is definitely costly because of the very high quality ingredients it contains, but they also make BFF (Best Feline Friend), a less costly yet high quality cat food. Both these foods and even the Friskies your other kitties eat and many brands both value-priced and premium can be found at my newest sponsor www.PETLFOW.com! With a minimum $60 order you will pay NO SHIPPING even for litter (all the Dr Elsey Precious Cat litters are there and imagine how nice to not have to lug them home but let the UPS man bring them without charge!) Simply put dogtalk (one word) in the code box at checkout and you will not be lugging stuff home from the market anymore! Also, Petflow.com carries the kibble I feed my own dogs — HALO — which I’d love you to try because you can feed less of it because of the high quality of the real meat they use to achieve the protein level. The brand you have been using was recently part of a pet food recall and instead, I’d love to see your dogs getting the highest quality nutrition from a company that does no advertising and instead uses that money for charitable contributions through www.Freekibble.com (you should sign up for their daily quick quizzes — it’s seriously fun and HALO food is donated even if you get the answer wrong!).

3) Other fish oils are definitely NOT like Nordic Naturals — for you, or your pets. There is no comparison between the seriousness with which the Norwegians treat their oceans and responsibly choose the fish they will use for their omega-3 oil — it is a country with a centuries old tradition of making fish oil in a safe, sustainable and healthy way. The oil is filtered with the highest level of care and is third-party tested for purity — one of the worst things you can put in your body or your pet’s body is oil that is tainted with pollutants or has become rancid, both of which would do more harm than good. So please get Nordic Naturals — you can puncture one capsule and squeeze a few drops on the cat’s paw each day to lick off — for the dogs, each pet capsule is dosed for 20 lbs of dog, so feed accordingly. If you are going to make the really good decision to include the anti-inflammatory and overall health benefits of omega-3 fish oil in your diet and that of your pets, an important use of your resources is to make sure you have a really fresh, pure product or it’s better not to do it at all (but I do definitely recommend doing it!)

–Tracie Hotchner

Hi, Tracie, I hope you remember me. I’m the blind lady who has the German shepherd guide dog named Hazel. We spoke once on one of your radio shows. I am feeding hazel wellness lamb along with a table spoon of organic canned pumpkin which she loves. She is still on her antihistamine from Dr. Macina from Animal Medical Center. I also have her on Nordic Naturals fish oil and melatonin which enhances hair growth which she was lacking from her allergies. I am very interested in starting her on Platinum Performance. In fact, I just called the company and they are sending me some samples of the product for Hazel as well as for myself. I am writing to ask you if you find that the product has helped you and in what way. Do you suggest the bars or the granules? Also I was happy when SmartPak started selling the pumpkin soup separately. I figured the wellness has enough veggies in it, that just to make sure Hazel takes her meds, mixing in the pumpkin really helps.

Do you ever come down to the New York area? I think it would be great to meet you. I know you just had contact with my friend Linda who just got her new guide dog from Fidelco, the same school Hazel is from. Well, I hope to hear from you and definitely value your opinions.

Sincerely,
Ann

I am entirely convinced that using Platinum Performance on a daily basis for our dogs and ourselves relieves and even eliminates joint pain and stiffness. I have seen it in all my older dogs and am sure that starting it as young as possible is a big contributor to long term joint health. Myself, I use the OrthoCon Plus capsules and despite playing too much serious tennis every week am pain free without any Advil or other products. I feel sure it will extend Hazels years of service to you and decrease her discomfort. So you know, the pet product is only in a granular form — sprinkle it on the food — while the bars are for people. They are very chewy and more like a health bar. I prefer to take the Platinum Performance in the granular form (just eat a spoonful or put it in yogurt or cereal) and the capsules I take as well. I’m thrilled she’s getting the Nordic Naturals fish oil, which also helps reduce inflammation in the joints and everywhere else in the body, too.

Stay well!
Tracie

Recently a human nutrition expert wanted to come on my radio shows to debate whether omega-3 oils from plant sources are just as good as those from marine sources. I knew from my own research that using fish oil was a more complete form of omega-3 fatty acids that the body can utilize more efficiently, but in order to be even more fully informed for the interview I turned to Sandi Rechenmacher, HHP, NC, MH, who is the “research support coordinator” for Nordic Naturals, the private Norwegian company that makes fish oil supplements in many forms, all of them purified and filtered for health and safety.  The irony was that after I did all this homework, the nutrition expert opted out of the debate when I shared the following information with her beforehand!

The discussion regarding fish oils and conversion rates is actually a subject that is deeper and more convoluted than most people can imagine. Unless a person REALLY WANTS TO PUT SOME TIME (more than a radio show can allow) INTO LEARNING about their complexities, fish oils are just something that people take on the word of those educators/medical professionals whom they can trust. There is not a quick, one-line answer, if you really want to understand this subject.

A couple of great resources (easy reads) that can help you start to better understand these issues are The Queen of Fats by Susan Allport and The Omega Diet by Dr. Artemis Simopoulos.

Basically the PREFORMED DHA and EPA that come from fish are ‘ready for immediate absorption’ into the body (under certain circumstances of course: how it has been processed and the state or condition of health (or un-health) of the person consuming them are in, ETC.). The ALA found in plants, however, needs to be converted by the animal/human into the longer chain fatty acids (EPA and DHA). This is where the conversation can become tricky due to the fact that each animal/person taking in ALA has a varying capacity to convert ALA per a long laundry list of individual variations: age, sex, health, un-health, genetic make up, quality of ALA, quantity of ALA, ETC. Quoting Dr. William Lands (Omega researcher for the past 50 years), “The Tissue is the Issue.” And this is where the conversation rears it’s complex head.

The bottom line is that YES, the PREFORMED EPA and DHA, from fish are just that…PREFORMED. The fish has already done the work. It has eaten the WILD green leafy vegetable (Algae) and has converted it (some Algae contain DHA, itself) easily enough due to the fact that it is most likely an active WILD (not penned up and not farmed) animal in living a natural life and getting enough sunlight, exercise, and micronutrients to be able to perform the conversions. One (of many) problems confronting this animal is the  ‘everything runs to the sea’ principle, meaning that it’s environment is now polluted by runoffs of many types. This pollution of course affects the fish’s biological functions. At best, it performs the conversions and adds heavy metals, dioxins and PBS’s to the mix.

This is where Nordic Naturals comes in. Due to the highly advanced distillation and purification processings, Nordic Naturals delivers a fish oil that is safer in terms of purity and freshness than many other fish oils on the market and safer than just eating ‘fresh’ fish.

Since so many domesticated populations (humans and their pets) are ‘omega-6 indulged’ (not eating WILD animals, WILD fish and/or WILD green plants that have adequate levels of omega-3′s in them), these PREFORMED omega-3 oils WORK in helping to rebalance otherwise unhealthy systems. And this is why you may see great changes in those pets/humans who take them.

Omega-3 essential fatty acids (a highly beneficial source of EFAs) from fish oils have been used in over 8,000 clinical trials. There is good reason why these are so popular!!

DISCLAIMER: This research information is provided as a service for informative purposes only. It is not intended as medical advise of any kind. The information in this document is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease.

Dear Tracie,

I’m thrilled that the Weruva has resolved my cat Leo’s struvite crystal situation.  However, for the last 3-4 months he has been biting the tip of his tail and chewing on his paws.  The vet thinks he possibly has a food allergy to chicken, and offered steroid shots.  To give Leo some immediate relief the vet gave him one shot.  I do not plan to continue a course of steroids.

I also switched Leo to a limited ingredient diet on March 14th, feeding him Instinct’s rabbit, venison and lamb.  There is no chicken or chicken liver.  He did really well until last week when he started over-grooming and biting his tail and paws again.

I apply Advantage flea control every three to four weeks. I was hoping the change in diet would help, but he seems to have the same allergy symptoms. I would love your advice on what other things I can do to help him.

Laura

Here’s what I think is going on:

Leo needs omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil. Nordic Naturals is my favorite because of its purity and freshness — it comes in pet capsules and you can puncture the capsule and squeeze a few drops on his paws every day for him to enjoy & lick off. These omega-3 oils are anti-inflammatory in general plus they nourish the skin at a cellular level.

You are so right to avoid the steroid shots — it creates a horrible cycle of dependence on them and it solves nothing — only deals with the symptoms and creates problems of its own

Food allergies are extremely rare and sorry to say I hear of vets who blame chicken all the time and then give shots — without any proof of why the animal is suffering — it’s ridiculous! I think you may still have fleas — one flea bite can create a terrible itchy reaction and the biting and scratching can cause more irritation.

The product you are using is based on older technology and cannot compare to Vectra for cats — which is far superior because it is the newest technology and kills off all 3 life cycles of the flea — which can live in your environment for years unless the life cycle is ended. Plus, it works efficiently for a full 30 days so there is no longer any reason to buy a product that you have to reapply too soon because it isn’t working anymore! Please go on my website and see the page about Vectra so you can figure out how to ask your vet to carry it. Otherwise, you can go to your nearest Banfield Vet Clinic — which has Vectra made for them under the name First Shield. This product is available only through vets, never online, to protect the quality and safety of the product.

P.S. About the crystals — to avoid them forming again you want Leo to drink as much water as possible — which cats are not inclined to do, especially if getting such good nourishment. So you have to make the water really tasty! In addition to giving my favorite canned cat food, Weruva, I urge you to buy a canister of ICE PUPS (just ignore the name!)  from the Honest Kitchen.  It’s finely ground chicken & herbs which dissolves in water after you stir it around and makes it really delicious. So you can put half a teaspoon in a shallow bowl of half a cup of water and see if you can get him to slurp up some of that, too! You can buy Ice Pups (and the new Honest Kitchen treats called Wishes, which are freeze dried little fishes!) from www.K9Cuisine.com, which despite the name carries Weruva and a whole lot of great cat treats. With a minimum order there is even free shipping.

Let me know how everything goes!

Dear Tracie,

You are so kind!  This is great information.  I Googled Banfield Vet Clinic and there is one near my house, so I’ll definitely check out Vectra flea medicine.  I’ve been wondering about Advantage since I noticed that it wasn’t particularly effective.  The kitties keep scratching and biting even after I apply it…. so I concluded their issue must be food allergies (thinking the product was killing the fleas).

I’m going to switch back to Weruva since they absolutely love it…. they eat rabbit and lamb, but they are not really crazy about it and they are still biting themselves.  So… sounds like nasty fleas.

I’ll pick up some Ice Pups…. I’m sure they’ll enjoy another treat.

And then I sent Laura a few more thoughts from me (since I cannot be stopped)!

I think you’re going to see a big improvement over time with the Nordic Naturals omega-3 fish oil, which is a natural anti-inflammatory that helps the skin and should also reduce their itchiness over time.

Goody gumdrops on getting Leo back on  the Weruva! The Vectra is a lifesaver AND MUST BE USED MONTHLY YEAR ROUND because fleas have a long life cycle (most of it invisible to us) and they are always looking for their next meal.

–TracieHotchner

Hi Tracie,

I’m thrilled that the Weruva has resolved Leo’s struvite crystal situation.  However, for the last 3-4 months he has been biting the tip of his tail and chewing on his paws.  The vet thinks he possibly has a food allergy to chicken, and offered steroid shots.  To give Leo some immediate relief the vet gave him one shot.  I do not plan to continue a course of steroids.

I  also switched Leo to a limited ingredient diet on March 14th, feeding him Instinct’s rabbit, venison and lamb.  There is no chicken or chicken liver.  He did really well until last week when he started over-grooming and biting his tail and paws again.

I apply Advantage flea control every three to four weeks. I was hoping the change in diet would help, but he seems to have the same allergy symptoms. I would love your advise on what other things I can do to help him.

Thanks!
Laura K.

Laura -

Here’s what is going on:

Leo needs omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil — Nordic Naturals is my favorite because of its purity and freshness — it comes in pet capsules and you can puncture the capsule and squeeze a few drops on his paws every day for him to enjoy & lick off. These omega-3 oils are anti-inflammatory in general plus they nourish the skin at a cellular level.

You are so right to avoid the steroid shots — it creates a horrible cycle of dependence on them and it solves nothing — only deals with the symptoms and creates problems of its own

Food allergies are extremely rare and vets blame chicken all the time and then give shots — without any proof of why the animal is suffering – it’s ridiculous! I think you may still have fleas — one flea bite can create a terrible itchy reaction and the biting and scratching can cause more irritation.

The product you are using cannot compare to Vectra for cats — it is far superior because it is the newest technology and kills off all 3 life cycles of the flea — which can live in your environment for years unless the life cycle is ended. Plus, it works efficiently for a full 30 days so there is not reason to have a product that you have to reapply too soon because it isn’t working anymore! Please go on my website and see the page about Vectra so you can figure out how to ask your vet to carry it or you can go to your nearest Banfield Vet Clinic which has Vectra made for them under the name First Shield — this product is available only through vets — never online, to protect the quality and safety of the product.

About the crystals — to avoid them forming again you want him to drink as much water as possible — which cats are not inclined to do, especially if getting such good nourishment. So you have to make the water really tasty! In addition to giving my favorite canned cat food, Weruva, I urge you to buy a canister of Ice Pups (just ignore the name!)  from the Honest Kitchen — available online if you don’t have a premium pet store near you. It’s finely ground chicken & herbs which dissolves in water after you stir it around and makes it really delicious. So you can put half a teaspoon in a shallow bowl of half a cup of water and see if you can get him to slurp up some of that, too!

Let me know how everything goes!

–Tracie Hotchner

With all the misinformation whizzing around the internet, Nordic Naturals- which I have always said is the most pure and fresh fish oil on the market – wanted to help people choose their omega-3 marine oil carefully.

Given the vast and growing body of scientific research proving the many health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, we know that fish oil is important in the diet. However, a recent law suit in California with regard to a state law about proper labeling known as Proposition 65 has cast a doubt in the public’s mind on whether fish oil is really safe because these supplements could contain toxic contaminants. In this law suit, PCBs were singled out as the culprit. To put things into perspective, PCBs are ubiquitous within the environment, which means that all fish, whether they are caught for food from the ocean or a river or are used to make fish oil, will contain at least trace amounts of PCBs. In fact, since whole fish filets are not purified before arriving at the store, there is a much greater chance that our fish dinner is higher in PCBs than our fish oil supplementation.

Fish oil is safe but some fish oil is purer than others — not to mention fresher, better tasting and sourced with greater respect for the environment. But how can consumers know that they are buying a high quality fish oil supplement?

When it comes to choosing fish oil supplements, whether in liquid form, soft gel or effervescent form, there is a wide range of quality markers and standards. Making an informed choice will ensure a better experience in terms of efficacy, dosage, compliance, and planetary impact. Don’t fall prey to marketing language — be it from the supplier or the manufacturer.

There is one simple way for you to be confident that the product you are buying will provide the health benefits you are looking for and deliver the quality markers discussed above: third party testing. Any responsible fish oil manufacturer will commission an independent testing organization who does not benefit financially from the test results to test their product. The test results should be listed on the company website or made available to you by email even if the company is not manufacturing the oil themselves. Sometimes you will find test results on public websites like www.ifosprogram.com. By comparing the test results for purity and freshness levels from different brands, you can differentiate lower quality from higher quality fish oil, thereby ensuring safety and efficacy.

Follow these guidelines to get to the basics:

• Purity from contaminants and toxins is a top priority. Dioxins, PCBs, Mercury and Lead are a few of the contaminants that must be avoided in quantities that are harmful to humans. Though all food substances, including fish oil, could contain some level of these contaminants, look for brands that test to very refined levels and find no detectable levels when tested at 10 ppb for mercury and lead and .5 ppt for PCBs and dioxins. In addition, raw material should be harvested from healthy and abundant waters, processed to eliminate environmental contaminants, and then third-party tested to ensure that the finished product exceeds international pharmaceutical standards. Some internationally-accepted quality standards include: CRN (Council for Responsible Nutrition), WHO (World Health Organization) and IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards). It is important to note that some heat is required to extract the oil from a fish and to remove environmental contaminants. Despite what is being said in the market, fish oil must go through a cleansing process that uses heat. This can easily be done using low heat without injury to the oil. A method such as molecular distillation is effective for ensuring purity levels.
• Exceptional freshness levels are absolutely essential and ensure product integrity and biological efficacy. Oxidized (rancid) oil is not healthy for the body, and is the cause of the fishy smell, taste and burps that many people have experienced with fish oil. Companies have been known to try to mask smell by using flavoring, so check for third party test results for peroxide levels (current oxidation) and anisidine values (past oxidation). Freshness is measured by anisidine and peroxide values, which combine for a TOTOX or total oxidation value. Look for a TOTOX value of less than 26.0 meq/kg — the lower the number the fresher the fish oil. This value is put forth by CRN, IFOS and GOED.
• Look for processing methods that do not include the presence of oxygen, excessive heat or chemicals. Processing the oil in a nitrogen environment and without oxygen will prevent oxidative rancidity. Mild heat is necessary, and as long as there is no oxygen present, heat does not pose a threat.
• Dosage is key with fish oil so read the supplement facts panel on the product. For general maintenance, a daily dose would average about 500 mg of EPA and DHA. This can often be accomplished with one soft gel or 1/4 tsp of a high quality concentrated fish body oil or ½ tsp of cod liver oil. Products containing a lower concentration of EPA and DHA mean that you have to take more soft gels to get the required amount of EPA and DHA. That’s why a less expensive bottle does not necessarily mean a good bargain! You must read the label.
• Great taste is important to ensure compliance. Exceptional freshness will ensure good taste. And be sure to choose a supplement with only natural flavorings and preservatives.
• Purchase from a reputable company that has an excellent track record for: environmental sustainability with regards to fishing practices, a strong corporate/social responsibility profile, community involvement, and respect from the medical and health professional community.
• Since most packaging does not give the whole “fish” story, go to the website or call the customer service department to fill in the blanks. A quality company will go out of their way to make sure you have this information.

I received the bookplate packet of samples and brochures. What fun! Thank you so much! Can’t wait to read all the info. I feed one of my dogs The Honest Kitchen — Thrive and Force – but have wanted to try Preference and you sent me a sample of it! I give a small amount of Halo dry food with THK. I have been giving Nordic Naturals to both dogs; their coats are so shiny and soft. Pumpkin has hypothyroidism and he was scratching and biting himself pretty bad: he has practically stopped now. I am going to ask my vet about Vectra and will show him the pamphlet; I would like to try it. I also wanted to try Platinum Performance and I got that too! I had a question: is it ok to give Nordic Natural fish oil and Platinum Performance or should it be one or the other? Can’t wait to put the bookplate into the book. Thank you so much. It is really wonderful to have someone so informed and trustworthy to help me keep my furry friends healthy and happy.

With much appreciation, Christine.

You’re doing wonderfully! I myself feed The Honest Kitchen at every meal with a small serving of Halo kibble good choices! So glad the Nordic Naturals fish oil is a success — it makes me so happy when my advice really helps! Yes, you can give the Platinum Performance supplement along with the Nordic because one is a marine-based (Nordic is all fish body and liver oil) while Platinum Performance used plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, So all that remains is for you to get Pets Best insurance I sent you a brochure for (and believe me, if you think you cannot afford it, you certainly cannot afford the costly choices now available to diagnose and treat ailments. Oh! And the Vectra and Vectra 3-D for flea and tick control — if your vet does want to get the free samples, great. Give me the name and number and I’ll pass it along to Dr. Elizabeth. BUT if your vet decides not to carry Vectra, you only need to find a Banfield vet clinic (by going on the internet) and after just a question or two about your pets heath they will sell you First Shield, which is the name for Vectra at Banfield — it’s made especially for them.

Tracie

I got this email (almost in “code,” but didn’t want to alter or correct it and remove its original flavor. Also, now you can see the sort of mysteries I often have to unravel!)

Hi miss Tracey I heard your pet broadcast from ny two sat nites in a row and enjoy it. I have a mixed terier 20 lbsblack Smokey is his name one year old. I feed him beneful dog food dry. I was feeding him two scooops in the morn and one more at nite I followed your advice and cut it to one with alt egg, yogart, and cottage cheese he seems to like it even the blueberry flavor! should I be concerned with the asparatine? and started giving him fish oil omega31200mg every other day? too much sorry for the lengthy e mail one more question I keep him in his cage during the day<he can’t be trusted>is 8 hours too long in his cage? thanks pete

Okay Pete — here’s the deal. I am THRILLED that you got the message that Smokey needs less of the highly processed carbohydrates that are in kibble and more real food, especially protein. That is really excellent. Now we have to clear up the issue of how to read the label on a dog food bag, which you can read all about on my website www.TracieHotchner.com and use the Google tool bar to find everything on dog nutrition.  The food you are feeding is one that will not pass the test of the ingredients to avoid in a quality dry dog food — with corn among the first ingredients this is always a warning sign of a dry dog food that is not using quality ingredients that are healthy for dogs. There should not be any corn in a good dry food — and it certainly should not be amongst the first 5 ingredients. The very first word in a premium dog food is the name of the protein source: beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, salmon, etc. Also Beneful contains artificial colors and flavors which are also on the list for ingredients to avoid in any dry dog food, along with by-products, chemical preservatives, sugars of any kind, and words like “powdered  cellulose,” which means “sawdust.” Why don’t you go to www.SmartpakCanine.com and get a free 5 day supply of one of the really superior dog foods they carry — their own brand of chicken or lamb kibble is called Live Smart and is a really good price. It also will come in sealed package with just the right amount for Smokey at each meal. For his size, ½ cup per meal is going to be plenty. Then you want to add about ½ cup of quality protein — eggs, cottage cheese, any kind of meat — or the equal amount from a good canned dog food. My book The Dog Bible explains how to read the label of canned dog food, too. Definitely avoid any flavors in yogurt – plain whole milk yogurt is best — and you’re right to worry about the synthetic sweeteners in flavored yogurt because aspartame is especially bad for dogs. The fish oil is a great thing to be adding but one capsule of a quality brand like Nordic Naturals is just right for Smokey since it’s one capsule for every 20 lbs. SmartpakCanine.com has salmon oil capsules if you want to order from there since they only charge one low shipping price.

As for caging him for that amount of time, NO! It is not okay. I really want you to call into the show so we can discuss what you mean by him not being trustworthy…? A dog needs to have some freedom, even if it is in a confined area, and we need to get Smokey out of jail ASAP.  Thanks for writing Pete — now give me a call!

Tracie

The Dog Bible

I was pleased to get this question from a nice listener to my new show DOG TALK® & CAT CHAT® on WOR 710 in New York City. So many dogs are itchy, often from a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids in their diets:

Hi, this is Bobbie, we have a dog named Chucho he’s 3 and he’s a Havanese. We feed him a raw diet he seems fine with it, but right after he comes back from the groomer he’ll start biting himself around hips. But lately he’s been doing it even though he hasn’t been to the groomer for a while. Do you know what we should do?

P.S. love the show!

For sure Chucho needs an addition of an omega-3 fatty acid in his diet — we are all lacking in it. Nordic Naturals pet oil capsules are high quality pure fish oil from the Norwegian sea and there is a whole page for them on my website. After a week or so you should see an improvement in his skin, but keep giving those oils throughout his life because they have many health benefits. Also, I think the groomer is using a harsh shampoo which is drying or irritating his skin, which can last long after the grooming. You need a non-detergent shampoo. Smartpak Canine.com has some lovely quality shampoos ones with low cost shipping — that way you can bring your own shampoo to the groomers next time. Smartpak Canine also carries a good salmon oil capsule (get fish oil ONLY in capsules or it can rancid) from Wholistic Pet Organics so you’d only have to pay one low shipping cost.

Tracie

I got this note from Lisa, who called into my radio show about her Lab Ally who has been suffering from skin problems and a hot spot resulting from them:

Thanks for suggesting I get my lab off Iams, in the past we did a food elimination diet and it didn’t seem to help, we also had a skin test done and the results showed that she is allergic to dust, cedar and mold but no apparent food allergies. Anyway she does seem much better, having a hard time getting rid of the hot spot. I am currently feeding her hamburger (boiled), shredded carrots and brown rice. I am also supplementing with Platinum Performance I need to get some Omega 3′s, I have been giving her the same ones I use but I think you said there was another brand that I should use, you touched briefly on commercial food that I can use, I think you said to use Halo, are there others and can I buy these at my local pet store? Thanks again!

First thing, I am really gratified that you understood my advice to get Ally off of commercial dry food she has been on exclusively, and thank you for going to the trouble of cooking for her and supplementing with Platinum Performance so that it is a balanced meal and contains many nutrients that have been lacking. The fish oil I recommend to everyone for themselves and their pets is Nordic Naturals, because it is the only one I have encountered which is 100% pure fish oil from sustainable fish and Norwegian seas. As for re-introducing kibble into her diet, I would recommend HALO (which uses only human grade meat in their dry food) from the new natural foods section of PETCO. I would also suggest that you go to SmartpakCanine.com and get a 5-day free sample of any of the kibble they carry — either LiveSmart, their own premium brand of lamb and rice or chicken & rice kibble — or any of the kind of Newman’s Own organic kibble or the whole Wellness line of dry food. That way you can discover which one she likes best (and you can switch to another the next month). The kibble arrives in a sealed portion pack, so the amount is just right and the food stays fresh. I also want to urge you and everyone listening to go to www.Proportions.com and sign up for the new monthly feeding plan, which Smartpak Canine has developed, based on my feeding theories. The trial samples will be ready after the holidays and you want to be amongst the first to try it since it solves ALL the balanced feeding issues. Meantime, feed a small quantity of the best dry kibble you can find, and make at least one half of her meal a quality protein source from a can or cooked meat, fish, chicken, eggs and/or cottage cheese and yogurt, and some vegetables. Feel free to call back into my shows any time and let’s get healthy skin and even drop a few pounds off Ally while we’re at it!

Tracie

The Dog Bible