I think you know by now how strongly feel about feeding cats only wet food, never dry, because they are obligate carnivores with digestive systems that struggle to deal with the highly processed carbohydrates of bagged food. Between my radio shows DOG TALK® (and Kitties, too!) and CAT CHAT® I thought I had heard every possible problem people have encountered in trying to get their cats off the dry kibble and onto wet, meat based food. And then I had someone call into CAT CHAT® (on Sirius/XM channel #110 live every Wednesday at 8 PM EST) with an entirely unique dilemma. She said her cat would only eat dog food — but a very good brand, Halo. I told her I agreed that Halo was a terrific kibble — and explained the coincidence that, in fact, Halo is the only bagged food I will feed my dogs as part of their meals. But then I began to explain that dry dog food is just as bad for her kitty as dry cat food when she interrupted me by saying, “No! My cat will only eat Halo canned dog food!” I asked whether she had tried the Halo canned cat food and of course she had — but the cat would only eat the dog’s dinner, which was Spot’s Stew in a can (the dog in question was a Chihuahua smaller than the cat!) After she explained that she had tried many premium canned cat foods — including the one Halo makes! — she gave up and divides the dog food between her Chi-chi and the kitty but was worried she was doing him some harm. I explained that while cats have a higher need for protein than dogs that she could sprinkle some Halo Dinner Party on the wet food to increase the protein content (it’s dehydrated pure chicken meat) or crumble some Halo Liv-a-Littles on top of the cat’s dog food, which is also pure dried meat. After that, I told her that the only missing element would be the taurine that pussycats need added to their foods — which Halo does in the cat version of their canned foods. Since the cat would not touch the cat food (which seems pretty nutty given that the products are made the same way) I recommended making certain that the cat gets her taurine by using a daily supplement like Platinum Performance, which supplies taurine (as well as some ingredients which can prevent joint issues and arthritis).

This nice lady was so happy to “get permission” from the Food Police (me!) to continue sharing the Halo canned stew between her kitty and the Chihuahua. I’d love to have a picture of that dinner scene!

–Tracie Hotchner

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

I got this wonderful email from Thomas and Judith, whose beautiful German Shepherd Oscar had surgery on his hind leg, which went terribly wrong. I tried to give them support and suggestions through the medical management of the problem, and was so happy when I learned he had made a friend of a lonely donkey in a field who Oscar ran along aside at the fence to visit. Recently I got this follow up, telling me that they had followed another of the treatments I use with two of my dogs — monthly injections of Adequan which begin with shots twice a week for a month, going down to once a week for a month, and finally once a month. Here’s their latest news:

Hi Tracie — we have thought of you almost every day since the beginning of our journey trying to help our dog Oscar with his medical challenges. You have helped us so much all the way, and I wanted to tell you that we followed your advice and asked the vet to give Oscar Adequan injections for his arthritis. Well, it took the whole series of 8 injections, but IT WORKED! After limping for what seemed like forever, he is finally walking right. It’s a miracle to us after watching him suffer for such a long time. He still has a knot of arthritis at the operation site, but it doesn’t seem to bother him walking or not. He’s starting to drag the other foot, which has supported him all this time, so I think I’ll get a booster shot to help him out. It really is amazing stuff.

He has a good life. We still feed him Halo kibble, and supplement with turkey and beef. What’s with Mackey’s for discontinuing Halo? They had too many other organics, or so they say. Are you still sticking with Halo?

I answered them:

Dear Oscar’s People — what terrific news! I am not surprised but entirely thrilled that the Adequan worked so well for him — but I am worried that you did 8 injections and stopped? Because the correct protocol requires 8 shots in the first month, 4 shots the following month, and then once a month — but it all has to be consecutive and you don’t stop at all or you have to go back a step. So I really hope your vet understood this and didn’t have you do a month of 8 injections and then quit? Please make sure you get into the protocol described above and stick with it!

Also, you can augment the Platinum Performance supplement you’re giving by either switching the Platinum CJ (which is even more effective for joint problems) or get a canister of Platinum bits, which are treats of compressed Platinum Performance powder — and either give them as goodies or add them to his meals as a booster of glucosamine.

As for Halo, phooey on that store! You can get Halo from Halo.com (where there are OFTEN 50% sales on kibble and treats and otherwise I get it from PetFoodDirect.com which gives my listeners a discount (the code is on my website, CATCHAT20). In answer to your question about my loyalty to Halo kibble — I have stuck like a sticky burr to Halo kibble because it’s the only one I know is made with the same quality of meat and other ingredients that most companies use for their canned foods — it’s a commitment to quality that is the cornerstone of their integrity. It’s also an incredible company because instead of using their money to buy ads, they use it to give away their quality food to shelter pets across the country in partnership with young Mimi Ausland’s inspiring charity, Freekibble.com (Mimi is coming on DOG TALK® soon to explain how she’s become a major force for good in the pet world at a very tender age). Stick with Halo because Oscar has come this far — in fact at one point you were sure Oscar’s remarkable improvement was due in part to the quality of the Halo recipes.

–Tracie Hotchner

I got this from Chuck in California:

Hello Tracie, listen to your show all the time. Our little “Stella” has been diagnosed with luxated patella! It’s not like we have not had to face this before, two of our previous Chihuahua’s suffered with this years ago. Stella, is a terrier/chihuahua mix, 3 years old. We know she is going to need surgery, but we thought we would find out through you if there are any new cutting edge solutions or new methods of treatment available or on the horizon. We can wait for a little while she’s about a level three. I know you will recommend Platinum Performance Plus etc, but I also would like to know if there are more advanced techniques, I know nothing about.

P.S. Wonder if you would know the name and contact info for a really, really good surgeon in Southern California, time, distance and cost mean nothing, if you know what I mean.

There is no new technique I know of but for sure do not have any ordinary vet do it. (I hope they would not attempt it.)

You need a specialty hospital with an orthopedic surgeon — a hospital that does not do routine vet care, only specialized work

Such facilities attract the best specialists – although if you are near UC Davis or another veterinary medical school you might get some really innovative techniques that the rest of us have not heard about yet!

And yes, the sooner you get her on Platinum Performance the less discomfort she will have before and after the surgery — and the better results you’ll get with the healing process.

UPDATE:

In just a matter of days, Chuck wrote back:

Hello Tracie, thanks for taking the time to get back to me about little Stella. Thought you might like to know that when Stella first suffered her injury brought on by her ballerina dance, she began keeping her right rear leg flexed and favoring it with every step. I put her on the Platinum Performance CJ as soon as possible, which was approximately a month ago. She now walks, runs, climbs stairs and plays normally. She never raises her leg in pain or keeps it flexed, she just seems so normal, that it’s like nothing happened at all! If she continues to remain okay and perhaps even improve, I am actually considering no surgery. After 6 months of restricted activity and Platinum Performance, we would have her x-rayed, and then decide, I am hoping of course that we do not have to put her through surgery. The doctors and surgeons are telling us that there is not necessarily a rush, but that surgery is the only way to fix the problem, however, with what I am seeing after treating her with the Platinum Performance CJ, I’m not so sure they are right, I’m going to give it time (not too long) and we shall see.

I’ve heard you say that you give Platinum to your critters and yourself and husband, I sure would like to know which of the Platinum products you give your dogs and yourselves and for what specific purposes.  if we do end up having to do the surgery we are thinking we will have Dr, Morshead perform the surgery (specializes in luxated patella and related surgeries) he is in Granada Hills, at Chatoak Animal Hospital. We are also thinking UC Davis.

Take Care
Chuck

I concluded:

What totally incredible news! I am ecstatic for you and for her. With all due respect to your vet, I would urge you with every bone in my body to avoid surgery at all costs — using the Platinum product addresses the problem right in the joints and on a cellular level — you have seen the dramatic results yourself. Surgery has so many attendant unknowns and possible downsides, not to mention pain and confinement and the possibility that the surgery causes other problems, Stick with the Platinum CJ and save your little one the risks and pain of surgery.

–Tracie Hotchner

Author Laura Jacobs (who came on my show www.AuthorsOnAnimals.com on NPR) with her book The Bird Catcher) has three Ocicats she would do anything for — but she didn’t know the “kitty crack” story. She did feed canned food but said her cancer-survivor Jasper was on a different diet:

Jasper is on a bland diet of Feline ID for life and it’s just one flavor, so we give him some chicken to keep him from getting too bored.  But I confess that at dinner we do give them a few small kernels of dry food/crunchies alongside the wet because we were told it was good for their teeth.  Is that not alright? Also, thank you for the info on health insurance — I’ll look into Pets Best.

So I replied:

I have to give you the serious “kitty crack” talk! You can either call into CAT CHAT® or go on www.traciehotchner.com/cc/ or thecatbible.com and put “kitty crack” in the google search bar on my site and find out the need to get into kitty rehab and go 100% clean.  A little “crack cocaine” is still a harmful addictive drug for people — so is kitty crack for cats. And to make matters worse, dry food also contributes to dental disease, not the opposite. The prescription diet foods use such low quality ingredients and with such a high carbohydrate percentage that is it criminal, in my opinion, to use them for ill pets.

Laura replied:

I checked out your the posts on your website.  The reason Jasper was put on a bland diet is because he had a bout of pancreatitis two years ago.  But I’m happy to try to change him over to Weruva if you think that’s the right thing. He just can’t have anything fatty.  FYI the supplements he gets are 3G fish oil, Lysine, DMG (an immune booster), and co-enzyme Q-10.  Also, a few drops of Vitamin E at dinner.  Veronica and Henry get Wellness wet.  How do you feel about that?  I bought a small can of Weruva today and checked out the percentages.  The fat percentage is 1.2 compared to Feline ID’s 4.0.  So Weruva has LOWER fat than the ID.  I’m thinking I should start transitioning all three cats onto Weruva.  We can easily not feed the cats hard food.

Dr Elizabeth’s comments on all this were:

This diet is unnecessary. I/d is full of rice. Not the worst Rx diet but none of them are worth a dang. She can feed Wellness or any other quality canned that he likes and can also feed raw or cooked meat to supplement. Platinum Performance supplement added besides as well. Poor guy has suffered enough! She doesn’t want a lower fat diet, as you and I discussed at Petco last year (note: Elizabeth & I did a video in a Petco store in California about cat food). She can give extra fat in the form of meat that has fat if she feeds a low fat canned food.  Even if this kitty did have pancreatitis, that is not caused by or exacerbated by dietary fat. For supplements, ALL she needs is PP. She should pick up a copy of my book YOUR CAT for more depth of explanation. This is just another example of the ignorance of veterinarians treating cats like small dogs.

I got this home-made diet letter from Sally — and while I think it’s great she wants to put that much effort into home cooking, I know that her cynical comment about canned cat food is not true — the good ones are certainly not anything like “kitty crack.” SO here’s her letter:

I enjoy listening to Cat Chat® and have gained a wealth of information from you.  Unfortunately I am always driving when you are on the radio and I am unable to call your show so I was hoping you would give me some  advice.  I have 5 rescued cats between the ages of 3 and 7 — three males, two girls.  All are neutered, indoor and lean cats.  So far I have had no medical issues with any of them and they all seem to be healthy, happy with shiny coats.

I have taken what you say about “kitty crack” to heart and have started making my own cat food, because most of the canned wet food seems to be nothing more than reconstituted dry food.  My recipe is:

1/2 lb well cooked whole grain brown rice
1/2 lb steamed green beans
These are macerated into a sludge.
Added to this is:
1 lb raw ground turkey (85/15)
1 lb chopped raw chicken livers
1 lb canned mackeral with the bones mushed up but without the water from the can
1/4 lb grated cheese
2 hardboiled eggs crumbled.

I mix all this together with the rice — it makes a disgusting looking, very stinky mess that my cats adore. I put it in food grade containers and freeze. Each cat gets approximately two large tablespoons per day. Is there anything else I should add or omit?

I replied:

Sounds like you’re working hard! and the cats love it. But I cannot tell you that this is a balanced meal, however. Certainly it lacks entirely in taurine which is really dangerous — life-threatening, actually. You need to correct that ASAP.

If you want to home cook you need to include an overall supplement like Platinum Performance linked on my website) which contains taurine and other essential vitamins & minerals that your cats must have — the ill effects of an imbalance can take along time to appear, so you wouldn’t know immediately.

And the high quality canned foods are NOT dry food made wet. They are quality protein with only 10% carbohydrate — and that is what you should strive for. So I would lose the rice and green beans, at the very least. A good recipe book for home cooking is Liz Palika’s Ultimate Pet Food Guide.

Good luck!
–Tracie Hotchner

Thank goodness for GOOGLE ALERTS! I discovered the wonderful blog www.thephillydog.com – because she mentioned my radio show and the recommendation to use Platinum Performance joint supplement. Then I saw she even had a link to the DOG TALK® podcast, which was super cool. And I told her about the new food Proportions, for her little Yorkie Dash, who I learned from her blog has separation anxiety. I invited her to come on the show as a guest — when she replied I learned that ThePhillyDog was really Rebecca)

First off, I can’t tell you how flattered I am that you like my site, but I’m even more excited to get to meet you in person! I actually got The Dog Bible before I got Dash and read it front to back. I even passed it on to a friend when she got a puppy, it was such a lifesaver! I got really interested in pet nutrition after I lost my cat (unfortunately, I fed her cans of the tainted Iams after that melamine scandal). When I started listening to Dog Talk® I became obsessed about what Dash was eating. I actually called into the show a long, long time ago — I called about Dash’s awful problem with humping other dogs in the dog park! How funny is it that now I get to be on the show!!

I will sign up for the Proportions. I’m ALWAYS on the look out for new products, etc. Funny — I did get the anxiety wrap (the Thundershirt) and it cut down a little bit on Dash’s shaking (he now shakes when he senses I’m leaving. sigh) but didn’t seem to help otherwise. But I only tried it a few times, so I’m going to give it a few more tries. This separation anxiety really got out of control when I got laid off from work and was home all the time. He is literally a “velcro” dog. He is now staying with my parents out in the suburbs (too many complaints to my landlord about the barking). He has NO separation anxiety problems there. He is calmer, more secure. It’s frustrating. When I go out to visit, within a few days he’s back to his anxious, hyper self. So clearly the problem is me. I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong. We’ve taken training classes together and even agility class  — he was such a superstar! I’m sure that now I’m totally doing the “dance” with him, which isn’t helping — he senses I’m leaving, I sense he’s getting panicked, I start feeling anxious about that, he senses my anxiety, etc. You know, aside from the separation anxiety he is an amazing little dog and the inspiration behind everything I’ve been doing! Going to go sign up for the Proportions right now…

So I wrote her back:

I do remember you calling in about the humping!! Too funny… and small world, as they say. First of all, Anxiety Wrap is a brand name and a unique design and not the Thundershirt which is a pretender and not a well-designed product as it is really just a coat — it misses the whole scientific basis of the design of the Anxiety Wrap, which is compression of the whole torso and back legs (like a continuous hug). You need to call Susan the designer of AW who will spend time on the phone with you discussing handling the problem, which I think you can overcome with the Wrap and some Spirit Essences and behavior modification.

Rebecca replied:

I will give Anxiety Wrap a call. There really isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to help him overcome this issue. Ha — well except anything Cesar Milan recommended. A friend called me last night to tell me that Cesar was dealing with a dog who had separation anxiety and to turn it on. I shudder to think what he might do to a poor dog that had separation anxiety…

Wow. Just listened to your show on iTunes about anxiety (don’t know how I missed it). I actually cried, because I realized I really am crippled by Dash’s separation anxiety. When I leave, his barks sound as though someone is literally skinning him alive. And so I completely structured my life around it. When he is with me I don’t go out, I end up only going to places where I can take him, etc. And I swear I don’t baby him, don’t let him sleep with me, don’t let him in the bathroom or let him be near me when I get dressed. I completely ignore him for almost 15 minutes when I get home until he calms down. He always gets at least 1/2 hour walk before I leave. Crating seemed to make the barking much worse, so I stopped crating him. The Clomicalm (along with doing all of these things) seemed to take an edge off, but when I didn’t see a significant improvement I stopped giving it to him.

Interestingly, when I was working there were days that he held it together and didn’t freak out (I started taping him). If I kept to an EXACT routine when getting ready for work he would slink under the bed and stay there until I got home. And not bark all day. However, if I ever were to just pick up and leave to run an errand he would absolutely go nuclear. I would never just come and go as I pleased because he would freak out.

So, I’m looking forward to meeting The Philly Dog on the air and sharing some more tips for her separation anxiety management — and seeing how Dash liked Proportions.

—Tracie Hotchner

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 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

I got this nice note from Randy Handwerger, who has a heated covered pool in East Hampton (RandyProductions.com, S.S. Aqua Dog Swimmer) where she does rehabilitation and exercise for dogs instead of surgery or after it. She called in a donation to the new NPR station on 88.3 during our fund drive and I thanked her on the air – and commended her excellent services. She wrote:

I just wanted to a little line and say THANK YOU so much for being so sweet and giving me such a great plug on air!’What a nice surprise!

I am not kissing up when I say really do listen to your show!’I tend to be swimming dogs when the show is on so I listen when I am working on the computer as podcasts.’I still keep leaning new things and save the ones all about knee surgeries since the information keeps changing and so many of my clients use my swim-aquatic rehab before, after, or instead of surgery.’Cuz of you I now recommend every person one and every animal use Nordic Naturals fish oil and Platinum Performance supplements – myself and my cat and dog included!

So thank you immensely and please keep up the good work so I can keep teaching this ole dog new tricks!’By the way I am also furthering my learning by taking a canine massage certification this winter in FLA. for more canine anatomy proficiency.