A couple of years ago I was at the Fido Festival in New Jersey as the Petco spokesperson for natural pet foods. I brought with me a big box of bags of treats from my good pals at Halo (the whole Halo, Purely for Pets line of foods and treats is carried at Petco, and it was my favorite brand of premium, healthy food to champion when I got up on my soapbox!) It was a fun day with lots of visitors to my booth who wanted to learn more about how to avoid unpleasant ingredients in pet food and embrace the good ones. They all walked away with a bag of Halo biscuits, which served as a “lesson in a bag” for what I was talking about. By the day’s end I still had a large number of treats left so I went in search of some of the local rescues that had booths on the fairgrounds. I gave lots of the Halo treats to the Greyhound rescue and some other booths manned by the dedicated volunteers who keep rescues going across this country every day (and boy, is my hat off to each and every one of them!)

But then I came upon a booth for SEER Farms Sanctuary from Jackson, NJ, and discovered a one-of-a-kind temporary home for cats, dogs and other pets. I discovered that this uniquely brilliant facility was created as a safe haven for the dogs and cats of people whose lives were in upheaval but who were determined to save their pets by finding a safe place for them until they could be reunited again. Folks going on military duty, those in financial distress (including home foreclosure), divorce, domestic violence, medical issues — you name it, any of the misfortunes or obligations that can befall people and put their pets in jeopardy, were all welcome at SEER Farms. You can be sure that I showered them with all the Halo treats I had left, knowing they would be put to extremely good use and appreciated not just by the dogs, but by all the volunteers who walk and play with the animals to keep their hearts light until their original families can reclaim them.

Please go to DogTalkTheRadioShow.com to listen to my recent interview with Laura Pople, who heads up SEER Farms, to hear the wonderful story of how many of these pets go back to their families (who pay a sliding scale fee to have them at the Farm) and the growing network of volunteers who come from all over to keep those pets well loved and cared for until their families are ready for them again.

–Tracie Hotchner

[P.S. SEER Farms Sanctuary also benefited from the incredible kindness of Dr. Elsey’s Precious cat litters, who sent a whole truckload of Cat Attract litter to help keep the hundreds of kitties at the Farm using the litter boxes, followed by a second donation of another huge pallet of litter this year. To learn what you might be able to do for SEER Farms (or how to create a similar sanctuary in your own area!) go to www.seerfarms.org.

At Thanksgiving this year I was thinking of what I could give my dogs as a special holiday meal. We all know by now that the leftovers of the meal we people eat are usually way too rich and fatty for them (and probably for us, too!), but there’s still that urge to give them a special yummy meal. I was remembering that it was right around this time last year that I had a lot of fun going on some regional network affiliate television shows and showing folks how to cook a Thanksgiving meal for their pets.

I was the spokesperson for the Petco natural food department at the time, and they really do things right. When I got to the TV studio I discovered that there was already a whole display of diced vegetables that had been arranged by a professional “food prep” person. It was a layout of the fresh ingredients that looked like something Martha would do (except she, too, has food prep people who chop, dice and arrange her ingredients!) I was really impressed by the array of diced vegetables for this Thanksgiving stew I was going to demonstrate on the air — carrot, celery, zucchini, yellow squash, green peas, green beans — I couldn’t believe how delicious it looked! Then there were bowls of diced cooked turkey, and of rolled oats and of barley. The food preparation professional had it presented like a human buffet platter, something you’d see in a magazine.

There was a big pot on a TV kitchen stove and when they started filming (it was a live segment) I poured each of these beautiful ingredients into the cook pot as I talked about the importance of using high quality natural ingredients in your dog’s dinner bowl, much to the television host’s surprise. As I spooned each of the ingredients into the cooking pot I said that anyone could make a holiday stew like this for their dog out of similar ingredients they might have at home. Then I came to small bowl of what looked like a dried herb and saw that the food professional had left the container next to it so that I could identify this mystery ingredient: it was a bottle of dried kelp, which had come from a health food store. I realized that seaweed was a pretty obscure ingredient — a great one for its health benefits — and suddenly I realized where the recipe for this home-cooked doggy feast must have come from: Halo for Pets! I have always admired the ingredient list in Spot’s Stew in a can — and especially remembered that it included dried kelp. It’s an unusual and expensive ingredient — having it in the food was confirmation of the sort of hidden touches of health Halo slips into their foods (like the bits of freeze dried vegetables surrounding the kibble in their dry food).

The food prep lady had also pre-cooked the stew and put it into a pretty dog bowl, so people watching television could see the result. Frankly, it looked a little dreary cooked up this way — like oatmeal porridge. “Do you cook like this for your dogs?” the TV host asked me. “I would,” I said, “Except that this recipe is clearly the one for Spot’s Stew, and when Halo puts this in a can it actually looks a lot better than I can do it myself!”

Remembering that adventure inspired me to put away my own cook pot and instead go online to Petflow.com, where I ordered a whole case of Spot’s Stew in a can! Now I’ll have their special meal ready to serve on any national holiday or the dogs birthdays (I put DOGTALK in the code box when I check out at Petflow.com and get free shipping, too!)

I had a wonderful guest this past week on CAT CHAT® — a California-based veterinarian Dr Greg Martinez — who is dedicated to improving pet nutrition and educating his fellow vets and his clients on the topic. It was so uplifting to be able to find another (rare!) professional who shares my views on the need for real “people food” ingredients in the dog’s dish, along with my concern about the poor quality ingredients found in many dog foods. Dr. Greg is so committed to empowering dog lovers to utilize common sense and excellent ingredients in their dog’s dinner bowl that he actually wrote a fine book called DR. GREG’S DOG DISH DIET: Sensible Nutrition for Your Dog’s Health.

Imagine my excitement in reading the book to discover that Dr. Greg singles out HALO, Purely for Pets Spot’s Stew in a can as a prime example of good dinner fare for your pooch — along with a recipe that one can copy at home.  What is amazing about this is that Halo Spot’s Stew in a can is actually based on the home cooked recipe of the founder of the company (years before Ellen DeGeneres bought half of Halo, Purely for Pets).  Furthermore, when I was the PETCO spokesperson for natural pet foods in 2010, the company flew me to San Diego where I did several television appearances demonstrating how people can make a holiday meal for their dogs — and I used the recipe Halo shared for one used in the Halo Spot’s Stew canned food (which I also had right next to me on those media appearances!)  So imagine my surprise and pleasure to see that on the cover of Dr.Greg’s Dog Dish Diet — in the funny photo of him serving a bunch of dogs at a picnic table — are cans of Halo, Purely for Pets Spot’s Stew, front and center!

Dr. Greg will be joining me on DOG TALK® (and kitties, too!) on the April 14th show, so be sure to catch the podcast on iTunes or off the library of shows on my website TracieHotchner.com.

-Tracie Hotchner

I wish I could be there in San Diego on April 30th when the PETCO Foundation honors Ellen Degeneres with their HOPE Award. The reason I’d like to be there is to thank Ellen myself for having become one of the owners of HALO Purely for Pets, which has ensured that the company gets the recognition it so richly deserves for being true to itself. I am proud to be associated with HALO and have the privilege of adding to their always-interesting blog every week. I am proud because of the company’s commitment to maintaining genuine quality in their pet food. I am proud because of Halo’s decision to use what would be advertising dollars as charitable donations (through Halo Pet Foundation and Freekibble) instead. Proud because Halo has earned the trust of people who choose to feed their pets Halo (as I do my dogs) and our confidence in Halo’s quality has been won fair and square.

As co-owner of pet food maker Halo, Purely for Pets, Ellen is going to be awarded the PETCO Foundation’s inaugural HOPE Award–given in recognition of a life dedicated to promoting the human-animal bond — at the third annual PETCO Foundation Gala, the proceeds from which will benefit the Halo Pet Foundation, which provides for pets in need and promotes responsible pet ownership. (The PETCO Foundation is pretty terrific too! They do not brag half enough (in my opinion!) about their consistent efforts to support more than 7,000 local animal welfare groups across the nation and giving rescues and shelters space in their stores every week to help find adoptive homes for abandoned animals.)

The reason I’d like to be there to applaud for Ellen and her company Halo is because she herself is genuine, straightforward and good-hearted — as rare in the entertainment business as it is in the pet food industry!

You gotta love a woman who humbly said — as she learned of winning the Hope award — “I wish we lived in a world where caring for animals wasn’t so rare that it deserved an award,” said Ellen. “All I do is treat animals with the respect and dignity they deserve. I hope someday soon, everyone does the same. PETCO and the PETCO Foundation have made great efforts to protect animals and I commend them for going above and beyond the call of duty.”

I’d make the same comment about Ellen herself. In her dealings as a star (and “star maker”) she treats people with the respect and dignity they deserve, which is as special and commendable in the human world we live in as it is in the pet world!

Bravo Ellen, bravo HALO, and let’s all take a minute to feel good about something positive going on in this world we live in.

–Tracie Hotchner

On Columbus Day weekend, my ever-patient husband drove us seven (yes 7!) hours each way to the Salem County Fairgrounds in Southern New Jersey to attend Fido Festival OctoberFetch where I gave a talk on how to read a pet food label to some of the thousands of people who paid admission to spend a dog-centric day with their dogs. And oh-la-la were there a lot of dogs! It was a delight. PETCO graciously underwrote my trip and HALO Purely for Pets sent me a mountain of goodies to give away — there were HALO bags swinging off every arm in the place, filled with full size bags of Liv-a-Little treats, a sample of Spot’s Stew dry food (which is the kibble my dogs eat) and a bottle of their Cloud Nine doggy shampoo. (I have to admit I snitched a few of the little bottles because my dogs get bathed about every 10 days and I have never found a shampoo I like as well).

I got such a gracious note from Kathleen DeLuca, the organizer of Fido Festival who was so enthusiastic about my being there:

Hi, Tracie-

I cannot thank you enough for being at Fido’s Festival USA this past weekend. At long last we had perfect weather and from the emails we are receiving from the attendees, vendors, and sponsors everyone had a great time and enjoyed the festival.  I know it was a very long drive for you and we are grateful that you made the trip and that PETCO graciously sponsored your appearance. I know the goodie bags provided by Halo were a great hit and I hope you enjoyed meeting our attendees and everyone involved in the festival. I am sure you had the opportunity to meet Salem County Humane Society, as they were very appreciative that you chose their rescue as beneficiary for your book sales. Also very generous of you. We appreciate the promotion you did on behalf of the festival regarding your appearance and do hope you had a good experience with us.

What I forgot to tell Kathy was that I met many other fantastic rescue groups and was able to give away a few armloads of bags of Liv-a-Little treats to some of the other rescues, there like Tri-State Weimaraner Rescue, the Beacon rescue group and SEER Farms, which is a sanctuary foster home for pets whose people are going through a hard time (domestic violence, foreclosure, natural disaster, hospitalization) or military service. SEER keeps their pets loved and safe until the people can be reunited with them. Stay tuned to DOG TALK® because I am going to be interviewing the founder soon.

–Tracie Hotchner

Fido Festival - OctoberFETCH

I am so excited that Petco is sponsoring my visit to the super-nifty gathering of dog lovers in Southern New Jersey at the Salem County Fairgrounds on Sunday October 10th. I will be giving a talk on pet nutrition — “You’re Feeding Your Pet What?!” at 12:30. For the rest of the day I’ll be my booth selling and signing THE DOG BIBLE & THE CAT BIBLE and giving all the profits to the small local rescue group Salem County Humane Society.  HALO Pets has very kindly given me wonderful bags of giveaways for anyone who visits my booth — with a full size bag of their Liv-a-Little treats, a sample of their heavenly shampoo (the best one I have ever tried for my own dogs, who get baths twice a month) and samples of Spot’s Stew kibble, which is my kibble of choice for the dry food portion of my own dogs’ dinners.  And any leftover HALO goody bags will be going to the deserving dogs at the Salem County Humane Society for the devoted volunteers to treat them with.

Hope to see you at Fido Festival!

Download PDF Flyer

–Tracie Hotchner

This beautiful note amplified the satisfaction and pleasure I had visiting Detroit. Oh! And the folks at Precious Cat — who are wonderful supporters of the educational work I do — will be donating a load of CAT ATTRACT litter to the shelter, especially for the two kitty cats who won’t use the litter box — they were declawed by their previous owners, who then abandoned them when one of the common miserable “side effects” of the cruel declawing practice was the out-of-litter-box behavior that often results. With any luck, CAT ATTRACT may be able to encourage them back into the litter pan.

We wanted to thank you for coming to Michigan to support Friends of Michigan Animals Rescue (FMAR) and to talk about pet nutrition at our local Petco store in Westland, Michigan yesterday. It was such a pleasure to be able to talk to you in person and give you a tour of our shelter. For the past 7 years, our volunteers have worked so very hard to keep our shelter the best it can, and their efforts show by how much we have been able to grow. It was a dream come true to be able to share their accomplishments with you.

It isn’t every shelter that can say they have the support of great people like Tracie Hotchner, the host of Cat Chat® on Martha Stewart Living Radio, Sirius 112 / XM157. We can’t express our appreciation for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit and talk about the importance of great nutrition for our pets. In fact, I have been talking about your canned cat food recommendations for years now and to have you validate it in person has already made an impact on the people who support the shelter as well as the families who have adopted pets from FMAR that came to hear you speak.

FMAR is looking forward to our future and hope that your visit from New York to Michigan was as pleasant for you as it was for all of us. We will let you know when the pictures are up on our website. www.fmar1.org

We wish you abundant blessings and heartfelt success always and forever.

Marcy and Pete LaFramboise, Founders And all the Volunteers & Supporters of FMAR

Evelyn is a listener whose cat, Victoria, was recently diagnosed with diabetes.

I started listening to your radio program on 710 at 10pm about a month ago.  Just in time, I think.  About 2 weeks ago Victoria was diagnosed with diabetes.

I, very fortunately, was directed to Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins’ website. I saw there that if a cat just started having diabetic symptoms there was a chance that she would never have to start insulin injections if a meat diet was started immediately.

This is very important for Victoria and me because I live alone, Victoria hates to be held (I love Victoria, she tolerates me) and I have no use of my right arm.

Like a miracle, with a strictly canned food meat diet, (Newman’s Own grain free canned cat food), overnight Victoria’s urine output returned to normal and it didn’t have that sticky quality to it and the amount of water she drank returned normal.

The only negative is that Victoria has not had a bowel movement for a day and a half.  I have no idea how long she can go without a bowel movement before it’s life threatening.

I have an appointment with my vet tomorrow in which he will try to convince me to put Victoria on insulin and find a way to inject her and will probably tell me that the constipation is a result of the change in diet.

If you could give me some advice before 12 noon on 4/6, I would very much appreciate it.  I understand how busy you are, so if you can’t, don’t worry about it.

I replied to Evelyn:

DO NOT GO TO YOUR APPOINTMENT. I beg you – you have seen the light- now you need a better informed vet, preferably a cats-only vet – to support your excellent decision. There is a link to the cats-only veterinarians on my website – CatVets.com.

You are saving Victoria’s life – you are going to improve, reverse or cure the diabetes just with the diet.

The Animal Medical Center in Manhattan does not have a feline-only vet but I will help you find a wet-food-only vet there or elsewhere.

Go to CatNutrition.org and FelineOutreach.org for TONS more support of my advice to remove all kitty crack forever.

P.S. You can get that canned food delivered to your house (helpful with your physical challenge) by going to Petco.Com – there is a discount for my listeners and the code is on my website. They also have a fantastic cat food made for them by Weruva, my favorite fancy canned cat food – it’s called SOULISTIC and is also reasonably priced.

I heard right back from her:

Victoria is no longer constipated as of this morning.  I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders.

One of my friends who is a cat lover with many cats said that I should be aware that a diet high in protein can be very hard on a cat’s kidneys.

I will talk to my vet about it.If you are too busy to answer the question about effect on the kidneys in an e-mail, could you touch on it on your radio program 710 WOR at 10 pm.

Thank you for any assistance you can give Victoria and me.

So nature took care of itself! The reason there is less feces is because there is less indigestible plant protein (useless fiber) going through the system constantly which is what is in kitty crack.

I urge you to share the following with your friend- the information about kidneys & protein is over 50 years old and has been replaced with modern facts – my website has many blogs about this. QUALITY protein is what the body needs- even with kidney disease, high protein, NO CARBS is essential.

–Tracie

The nice couple who own the Weruva company and make Soulistic exclusively for PETCO shared this nice note from Nancy in Napa, California. It’s so touching when people take the time from their busy days to drop a line of thanks and good cheer. It means so much to all of us doing the very best job we can to keep dogs and cats healthy and happy:

I am very happy that you are making Soulistic and distributing it through PETCO.  I have just adopted a ten month old Manx kitty who loves the Soulistic entrees in gelee.

I give Tracie Hotchner all of the credit for making me aware of your new product.  Keep up the good ingredients in your cat foods — both with Weruva and Soulistic.

Thanks,
Nancy

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