Did you too notice that many pet food companies and food industry giants are suddenly going all natural?  Many  people appear to have been  lured by the promise of top  quality ingredients and also by packaging and advertising that likely costs more than the food itself.

“But what if they have really changed?”  You may ask.

I wondered about the same so I did a little “market research.” We  all know what it costs to purchase  “quality ingredients” that these companies claim are in the bag.

Here are some examples:

Science Diet makes 30 lbs of all natural dog food that costs 57 dollars at an online store. This means that it is sold for a believable $1.90/lb.  However, if you consider that dried food may be around 60 – 75%   lighter than fresh food, you would be paying $0.47/lb.  If you consider the cost of drying,  packaging, storage and transportation and a 20- 25% distributor mark up and  30 to 40% store mark up, it is impossible to make high quality food for such a price unless the company sources from 3^rd world countries or uses inferior quality ingredients.

It is a paradox that so many people believe what is written on pet food packaging. It is an industry that is not regulated by any independent quality assurance organization.

If my assumptions are correct here are a few other examples considering 1:4 fresh : dry ratio

IAMS sensitive naturals 25 lb bag  would approximately cost  $0.38 /lb of fresh food

Royal Canine 30 lbs bag  would cost $0.40/lb of fresh ingredients.

To summarize,  it appears that an old dog doesn’t seem to be learning new tricks here. The old ones are just packaged differently.

Whenever  you are unsure about what decision to make, I suggest you look back to nature.  As far as I know natural means natural and kibble doesn’t grow on trees.

Thank you very much pet food giants. I will pass on your offer of “innovated” natural pet food and choose food as nature intended.  I also wonder, Mr. Giant Pet  Food Co,  why you serve wholesome delicious foods to vets at conferences and lectures?  Isn’t kibble the best nutrition out there?

]]> http://www.peterdobias.com/community/2011/07/natural-diet-is-the-best/feed/ 0 http://www.peterdobias.com/community/2011/07/processed-food-causes-diabetes-in-pets/ http://www.peterdobias.com/community/2011/07/processed-food-causes-diabetes-in-pets/#comments Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:05:13 +0000 Dr. Peter Dobias http://www.peterdobias.com/community/?p=2254

I write my articles either on the basis of inspiration or a request. The later is definitely true for diabetes.

Recently I  conducted a survey  on the incidence of GDV in dogs. What I have learned is that  dogs that are fed processed food are about five times as likely to suffer from a bloat than dogs  that are fed raw or cooked food.

Most veterinary textbooks state that gastric dilation volvulus  is a serious life threatening condition which is caused by general  breed  predilection, fermentation and gas formation in  the stomach and is often caused bystomach twist or torsion due to increased activity and exercise after eating.

This is all true, however,  when  I started to  observe the patterns  and  energy flow changes in the body, I discovered a few very interesting findings that can be used in GDV  prevention.

Processed  grain-based pet food

The digestive tract of a canine evolved to digest the carcass of  prey. Dogs have teeth that are used for ripping, shearing, crushing  and crunching meat and bones. Dogs do not have grinding molars which are the hallmark of herbivores.  Their digestive tract is ideal for digesting protein and also resisting bacteria due to very, acidic pH of their stomach.  Also, when you feed your  dog processed food, it  turns into porridge. The stomach doesn’t  really need too much  and over time, the stomach muscles  become very weak in the same way as if  you didn’t exercise.

A weak stomach is much more prone to dilation in cases of fermentation and gas buildup happens much more often with purely digested carbohydrate foods. A strong stomach on the other hand would be able to expel fermentation gas much better because of  its strong musculature which is also useful in a twist prevention. From my perspective, this is the main reason why dogs on processed food are more likely to be affected by GDV.

Feed the right bones

Feeding your dog poultry, lamb or other small  to medium size RAW ONLY bones makes the stomach wall and muscles  stronger which also  prevents it from distention. Any gas buildup is much easier expelled or moved downwards into the intestines.Feeding bones is, from my point of view, one of the most important steps in  preventing GDV. Just remember that they have to be raw.   To read more about what to feed and what bones to leave out here is the blog on this topic.

Fruit – a possible predisposing  factor

Some people are surprised when I say that  fruit should never be fed together with the protein meal. The main reason why I suggest this is that fruit and protein digests very differently. Fruit digestion time in the stomach is relatively short and it will ferment and produce gas if it stays in the stomach longer. Some people even joke that the fermentation process  causes  alcohol production which can make your dog drunk. I have never seen this.

If you feed  a protein meal together with fruit, the digestion time of protein is longer and fruit fermentation is more likely to happen.  That  is why I  recommend feeding fruit  at least one hour or longer before a meal and at least four hours after eating.

Exercise

The general consensus is that  dogs should not  exercise after eating. This applies to either raw or processed food.  When the stomach is full, it is more likely to flip and twist when there is a  sudden movement, jump or turn. You should never exercise the dog  vigorously  within 3 to 4 hours after feeding.

Providing the right nutrients

This is another important part of treating any condition.  Vitamins and especially mineral deficits may have a negative effect on muscle function and digestion which can  lead to GDV.  If you  would like to see what basic  supplements I recommend, you can  follow this  link.

Promoting the  spinal energy flow

I have saved   this topic for the end of the blog and it is my own take on GDV prevention. If you have read my other blogs, you may remember  those where I talk about the energy flow along the spine.  Some call it  prana, Chi  or energy meridians.

I imagine this netrwork as the body’s “watering system” where the spine provides the main  “water” supply and the  branches lead to various “garden beds”,  the body’s organs.

You know that if you constrict a hose in your gardens watering system  the carrots or lettuce  will not thrive as well  because of lack of water.  Your dogs body is not much  different in the way that if one of the branches of the spinal energy channel gets impinged or  blocked, it will affect the organ that relates to that segment.These impingements or blocks  can be  recognized by a spinal exam or  a hand scan where I notice changes in the energy flow.

After  years of observation, I started to see, which spinal segments relate to each other and the patterns present in a variety of different  conditions and used the  Chinese traditional medicine principles in creating a simpler, yet pretty accurate body map.
While creating this map, I have found a very close connection between the stomach and spinal point at the  thoracic lumbar junction; the transition between the  last thoracic  and the first lumbar vertebrae.
I have noticed that dogs that have a tendency to stomach problems are in general more prone  to congestion, inflammation and sensitivity exactly at the T-L junction (thoracic-lumbar junction).

When I asked several emergency vets,  they didn’t seem to  be aware of  this connection between this spinal  segment  and GDV.  Then  l I asked if they saw any signs of vertebral degeneration, arthritis or spondylosis in this region when they took Xrays of bloated dogs. Indeed they confirmed that  those changes are frequently  present in dogs that get bloated. I saw  this as another sign of energy flow reduction.

That is why I urge you to pay attention to your dog’s spine. A regular monthly back care and assessment of any dog is one of the most important parts of disease and also GDV prevention. I find many modalities helpful  -  physiotherapy,  chiropractic , massage or intramuscular needle stimulation treatment ( IMS) and acupuncture are good examples.

Exercise

I am not too a big fan  of frequent ball throwing, sprinting, jumping up  because. I’ve seen many dogs getting injured and their spine  going out of alignment.  My goal is to increase your awareness of this issue and I definitely will be writing more about it in future blogs.

What  to do if you suspect a bloat

First I would like  to say that  simple panting  is not a sign of a bloat. Panting  is commonly the “canine way of sweating” and is  considered normal in most cases when your dog looks otherwise comfortable.

However if you see signs of severe distress, your dog’s gums are pale,   he or she is salivating excessively and the stomach is distended,  rush your dog to the nearest  vet or emergency clinic immediately.  If you have a 24 hour facility  nearby,  do not wait for a call back of your regular vet, just  go if you can’t get hold of her or him.

Most  likely, a light sedation (of safe)  and a stomach tube will be the first step, followed by  x-rays and very possibly an emergency surgery. As a first aid measure on the way to the hospital, I recommend giving a homeopathic remedy – call Nux Vomica  200 C  or Carbo Vegetalis 200 C.

Preventive surgery – Gastropexy

Gastropexy is a commonly recommended preventive procedure  where the stomach wall is attached to the inside of the rib cage to prevent the stomach from flipping. While this prevents gastric torsion, I am not that comfortable about  attaching the stomach and restricting its natural movement and function. Any surgical intervention affects the body’s  energy channels and the unnatural stapling of the stomach to the rib cage decreases its mobility.

Summary

On the basis of my practical experience as well as the survey that I conducted recently, I believe that the best way of preventing GDV  is  to feed natural, non-processed food including raw bones, provide the right nutrients, feed fruit separately from the protein meals and ensure that the spinal energy flow is good.

With gratitude,

You may already  know that the commonly followed ration of  meat,  raw bones and veggie  ratio is 50/25/25.  While  I agree that this ratio  works  well for most dogs, many of you ask me about what veggies and fruit to feed and which ones to avoid.

What do I recommend?   Follow nature’s  recipe!

Lets start with fruit

I recommend you giving Fido only  small  amounts of  fruit ,  less than  5 % as dogs usually eat only small amounts of  fruit  in nature..

• Feed fruit at least 1 hour before feeding meat or other proteins and a minimum of 3 hours after a protein meal.
• Feed local and pesticide free fruit whenever possible.

Why the time restrictions?

Because protein takes longer to digest  and  if you  feed fruit  and protein together, fruit may start  to ferment, creating alcohol. The next  thing you  know,  your dog is “under the influence”  staggering around the house.

On a more serious note,  the most important reason is  that fruit simply doesn’t  digest as well with protein. On its own, fruit exits  the stomach quickly.  When  you feed fruit  with protein,  it sits in the stomach much  longer which may create  undesirable fermentation which can even create a small amount of alcohol.

If you see your dog stumbling and wobbling around the house, you may fed him too much food.  Actually I am just joking.

Eat  your  veggies and give your dog some too

Did  your  mom  tell you to  eat  your  veggies?  Of  course she did and  you listened, didn’t you ?  If dogs had a choice, many of them would  skip vegetables all together because they are like kids.”  Skai doesn’t mind finely ground veggies, however, if I cut it in bigger chunks,  he is a master at picking pieces  and spitting them out.

Dogs like veggies pre-digested

One of the reasons  why some dogs refuse to eat  vegetables is that in natural  settings,  wild canines  eat  plant  material predigested. When you prepare your dogs veggies,  I recommend using a food  processor or a juicer  to “predigest”  or puree Fido’s veg’.  The other option is to  purchase  frozen finely  ground veggies from a natural dog food store.

If Martha  Stewart or The Naked Chef are your kind of people. Hang on right  here.  I have something  very important to tell you about making veggies.  It is simple,  however, you have to know what  you are doing..

Tips for preparing veggies

Diet of all  canine’s  should  contain about  ¼ = 25% of veggies, 25% bones, 50%  meat where 5% is in the form of  varied  organ meat.

This doesn’t mean  that you have to give the same amount of vegetables  every day. Lets say it should be 25% over  a longer period. One day less,  one  day  more,  it doesn’t  really  matter.  I usually feed about  the same amount that I  add to ground or chunky meat.  With a bone based meal,  I  give no  veggies.

No Nightshade Family

There is a lot of  anecdotal  evIdence  that  dogs do not  do well on tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant  - the nightshade family. Unless someone does further research, we are left to claims  that these veggies and  dogs  do not  do well  together.  While   I haven’t  seen any  practical  evidence of dogs getting poisoned  by tomatoes or their “cousins,” the leaves of these plants are definitely toxic.

Brocolli, Cabbage or Cauliflower myth or reality?

Some sources  claim that the cruciferous family may increase the chances  of hypothyroidism  - a condition represented by low thyroid gland hormone. We also call these plants  goitrogenic. I must  confess that  I have tried to stay away  from these when feeding Skai, only  because I am not  sure  if these claims are valid or not. I would love to hear from anyone who knows of  a study  confirming this claim.
I recommend either  stay  away from these veggies or  feed them in small  quantities.  Once again, when you are  unsure ,  go  with the lowest possible  risk.  There are plenty of  other vegetables  that  are definitely  safe.

Greens and sweet  veggies please

Now that you know that dogs are designed for predigested veggies, it is important to know what to throw in the food processor. Lets start with the   50/50 formula. Curious? Read on.

At least 50% of your dogs veggies should be green leaves. Leafy veggies resemble  grasses and  other greens  that wild prey eat.   Greens also  have numerous health benefits.  They  are vitamin powerhouses, full of antioxidants and minerals. They  also  possess cleansing   and pH balancing properties and are an excellent source of your dogs fiber.
the remaining 50% of  vegetable blend should consist of sweet veggies that are not leafy and this group consists  of zucchini, green beans and green peas, red beets, yams and other carbohydrate rich vegetables.

If you are buying meat  pre-made and would like to make veggies at home, here is a simple formula

50% Green  leafy 50% sweet veggies  mixed

Stay  tuned for the  next blog ” More on  Veggies”

THANK YOU FOR  CLICKING  THE  SHARE BUTTON IF YOU LIKE THIS BLOG.

Lately, I have heard of some people cutting corners by feeding mixes of left over meat from meat packers. Because there are currently no regulations that would prohibit selling meat that is spoiled or not suitable for sale as dog food, I highly recommend not going that route and buy your raw pet food from a reputable manufacturer that is known for its quality and integrity.

If the defrosted package doesn’t smell the same as good quality meat for human consumption, discard it immediately and  look for another supplier.

Also, meats – like duck, lamb or beef have a tendency to be fairly fat.  Some raw pet food companies use  fatty trim meat which is much higher in fat and pets  eating too fatty meat can suffer from fat overload. They may become obese or suffer from indigestion, pancreas or liver problems.  If you open the package and see that the meat  is too greasy,  try to use these infrequently and go for other leaner options.

When it comes to poultry, feeding regular “medicated” chicken, it is close to feeding flavoured protein water with antibiotics and chemicals. These poor birds are locked in cages, fed crappy  food and suffer greatly before they are slaughtered.  Feeding non-medicated free range chicken is not a luxury. By doing so,  your pet food will be more nutritious, your dog  or cat healthier and  you will not  support the torturous  practices of main stream poultry farmers.

“I started feeding raw to my 2 dogs 10 years ago. One a 7 year old basset had just quit eating. We could find nothing wrong with her other than she would not eat. At the same time our then 8 year old blue heeler/shepard cross had become extremely aggressive and we were thinking we would be putting both dogs down. Thankfully a friend of a friend suggested we try a raw diet.

At that point we were willing to try anything. Our basset immediately started eating again and slowly put weight back on. Our other dog took to the food right away, though her transformation was a little slower. After only 2 months, there were huge differences in both dogs. The basset was eating,energetic and just happy, The heelerX had calmed down considerably and was no longer acting in an aggressive manner, as she was no longer being poisoned by her food. In the end we had another 7 years with both dogs.

At the ages of 14 (basset) and 15 (heelerX) we said goodbye. Never an easy thing to do, but it was easier knowing we had been able to double the years they spent with us, and they were good years. We now have 4 other mixed breed dogs,  and we feed all of them a raw, natural diet!

Lisa Snyders

If you have a raw dog food story to share, send it to us at contact@peterdobias.com . We would love to hear from you.

Many veterinary clinics sell thousands of  dollars worth  of processed food. These  sales have become one of the ways of bringing in the  needed income to cover the skyrocketing costs of running a veterinary practice. It may surprise you  that  an average vet earns less then a plumber or a contractor.

Pet food companies strategically planted  the seeds  with their propaganda as early  as  vet schools and convinced  the veterinary community that  nature is simply wrong.

Some vets  have also been lured the exclusive nature of special pet foods in order to make up for the skyrocketing costs of running their practice.

However, there is a growing number of vets who decided not  to   follow the traditional  recommendations of pet food companies.  You have to be a little gutsy to be ok with many  “eye rolls” from some  traditionally oriented colleagues and in a way I understand why.

No one has  been taught at the vet college, how  and why  to feed natural diets. I was  introduced to it by  a client.

After 13 years of my own and my clients’ experience with feeding and recommending natural food, I can’t even imagine going back to feeding dry or canned processed food instead of raw. It is like saying that eating wholesome fresh food is inferior to dry and canned junk, Spam or  TV dinners.

Nature has “tested” its recipe on canines for thousands of years plus there is no difference between the digestive tract anatomy of a wild or a domesticated canine.

Plus, I am naturally  suspicious of any foods  that are ground up and processed to the point of not recognizing the original ingredients.  Have not we learned enough tragedies cause by melamine tainted pet food from China?

Whenever you are unsure about what decision to make, TRUST NATURE!

Lets look at the cow – a herbivore. It has three fore stomachs and one stomach to digest and ferment plant material, grain and fiber. A horse represents a slight variation of this design. For a horse it would be very hard to run fast with a big fore stomach full of food. Instead, horses have a large colon that also digests and ferments plant material and fiber.

The digestive tract of carnivores is very different. It is shorter, equipped with a smaller but stronger stomach and relatively short intestines. The digestive glands of the stomach and especially pancreas are larger and produce large amounts of protein digestive enzymes. Carnivores do not have the ability to process fiber through fermentation as well as herbivores.

When dogs eat large amounts of fiber, grain and complex carbohydrates, they can’t digest these properly. This makes their feces large with strong odor. The feces from a processed food fed dog is three times larger and if you can’t see it you can definitely smell it.

The above is nature’s clear and strong message. Feed a diet that is species appropriate.

As a veterinarian , I see the consequences of feeding processed, carbohydrate rich foods every day. Obesity, dental problems, premature aging, arthritis, kidney and liver problems, digestive issues and allergies.

How do I know? Often these problems completely disappear or at least improve after feeding the right food.

A story of Randy and Dinara

I met Randy 7 years ago, on the day I adopted 8 week old Skai and he adopted Dinara. We chatted briefly, shared our excitement of our new family members and agreed that every once in a while, we would meet for a walk.

As Dinara and Skai grew, I started seeing the difference. Her coat was duller, not as well colored. Her bones were slighter, her feet were not as strong and the ligaments appeared loose. Skai was fed raw  and Dinara was fed processed food and it was starting  to show. I tried talking to Randy gently, several times but he chose to turn a blind eye to the clear differences. “Her food must be good. It was recommended by a vet,” he replied.

I soon realized that I was not the person to convince Randy. It is never a good idea to give a friend unsolicited advice even though it is well meant.I put the issue aside and hoped for the best.

Three years later, Randy called me victoriously. “Peter, guess what? I talked to a lady at the local magazine store and she told me that raw food  is great for dogs and I have decided to go for it. I see the difference between Skai and Dinara. Skai looks so much better.”

For a moment , I felt like saying: “But I have been trying to tell you for 3 years!” However, I kept quiet.

Since then, Randy has been feeding Dinara fresh food and she is doing well. However, her bone and joint development will never be as strong as if she had started early.

Now I have another challenge; how to convince Randy that natural food is simple, however the main principles have to be followed to get good results.

I secretly hope that the magazine lady to talk to a vet  experienced with natural and raw diet feeding…

Some types of grapes and raisins have been shown to cause kidney failure in dogs when eaten in quantity.

The basis for kidney failure following consumption of grapes or raisins is unclear, but is currently being studied in the veterinary community.

The amount of grapes or raisins that may cause renal failure is not exactly known, so any amount could potentially be dangerous. As for treatment of recent ingestion, inducing vomiting and administering activated charcoal is recommended.

This should be followed with fluid therapy for 48 hours. During this time the patient should be monitored for increased values of kidney parameters. Recheck kidney values again in 2 – 4 weeks.

Chronic kidney disease or chronic renal insufficiency is one of the most common conditions of cats and slightly less common in dogs. Symptoms include increased drinking and urination often followed by lack of appetite, vomiting, and muscle loss and general deterioration.

Kidney tissue is composed of very fine and sensitive kidney units that filtrate the blood, eliminate toxins and regulate water balance in the body. These units are highly prone to damage due to toxins or immune system dysfunction.

The conventional belief is that kidney disease is genetically predisposed and that other causes such as bacterial infections, poor diet and toxins, compromise the very fine and easily affected kidney tissue. While all these are true, the kidneys’ health mainly depends on the general health and harmony of the whole body. Back issues, muscles spasm, injury and stress especially in the region around the third lumbar vertebra appear to be especially connected to kidney health. The immune system plays an important role in protecting the kidneys, however, if not finely tuned, it starts creating antibodies against still functional kidney units and destroys these along with tissue that is inflamed. This leads to irreversible and often serious damage.The clinical signs such as increased drinking, urination and increased levels of kidney toxins, start showing up only after 75% of the kidney tissue is destroyed.

However, I have seen animals living good lives years after they reach this stage if treated properly. The damaged kidney units can never be regenerated and the main goal of the treatment is to stop the kidney destruction and preserve the remaining kidney tissue.

When I started practicing, I saw many cats looking like walking skeletons, wasting muscle mass and not doing well at all. I was taught that this is caused by the kidney disease itself however, I was not convinced.

I suspected that the low protein prescription diet was the main cause of weight loss. We were told by the pet food companies that low protein diets are important in reducing the kidney toxin levels. However, I could see that animals fed this food were showing signs of protein starvation and deteriorated fast.

It took me a few years to dare to go against the conventional recommendations and started suggesting high quality raw protein diets for patients with kidney disease. In addition to glandular supplements supporting the kidneys and homeopathic remedy individually selected for each patient.

The results were surprisingly encouraging. Most patients with mild or moderate kidney disease maintained good body weight, showed great energy and didn’t seem to deteriorate as fast as patients on low protein food. They appeared to live longer than expected.

My own cat Mina was diagnosed with kidney disease at the age of 10 years. When I adopted her in 1991, I did everything according to the book . I fed her dry processed food and administered yearly vaccines until I woke up and realized what was happening.

Mina was my great teacher and one of the first cats I have used my new treatment protocol on. She is 18 years old still enjoying her retirement.

Over the years, I have finely tuned my treatment protocol and despite the need for individual assessment of each patient, I would like to provide you with:

General guidelines for holistic approach to treatment of chronic kidney disease

DIET

• Feed a good variety of high quality protein diet, ideally raw.
• Do not feed beef , buffalo or bison as they have a higher content of inflammatory factors which affect the immune system function.
• Avoid so called low protein kidney or senior diets.
• Dry food especially stresses the kidneys by “absorbing” water creating a persistent state of dehydration.
• If you do not want to feed raw, canned diet is better however canned food can never measure up to what nature intended.

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES

• Homeopathic remedies bring stability and neutralize the body’s energetic state that leads to the disease itself. It is important to work with an experienced animal homeopath to use this form of treatment.
• In my experience, internet reference is not a sufficient basis for homeopathic prescription and often leads to confusing the situation.

GLANDULAR SUPPLEMENTS

• Renafood* for dogs or Feline Renal Support* for cats protects the kidney tissue by neutralizing undesirable antibodies against the body’s own kidneys and provides necessary nutrients specific to the kidneys.

PROBIOTICS

• The beneficial bacteria from the right probiotics is capable of using excess kidney toxin called urea for their own growth. My favorite brand is Immunity Probiotic by New Chapter Organics. You may click here for prices 20% lower than suggested retail.

VITAMINS AND MINERALS

• GreenMin is a new generation of whole food, certified organic mineral supplement containing 20 essential trace minerals. Unlike many synthetic supplements, GreenMin is algae based, USDA certified organic product. It replenishes minerals lost through excessive urine production.
• Tiny Tabs by New Chapter (Dogs) and Feline Whole Body Support*(cats) are my favorite vitamin supplements. They too are whole food based and I use them for my own pets and patients.

* Please note that  supplements marked by * are available only by contacting us at contact@peterdobias.com   The manufacturer – Standard Process doesn’t  not  allow  any online sales as per their policy. However, you can  obtain these products by  contacting us directly.

HYDRATION

• If you pull the skin on the neck and it stays up for longer than 1 second, your pet may be dehydrated. Simple administration of electrolyte solutions under the skin such as Lactated Ringers or Sodium Chloride (0.9%) will help pets in more advanced stages of kidney disease.

BACK HEALTH

• Check your pets spine especially around the 3rd-4th lumbar vertebra. This region directly supplies energy meridian flow to the kidneys. Increased heat, inflammation, muscle pain, spasm and sensitivity of this area will compromise the kidneys.
• The best techniques for treating the back are physiotherapy, intramuscular needle stimulation ( a form of acupuncture technique ), gentle chiropractic treatment and massage.
• Ideally, do not use any anti-inflammatory drugs such as Aspirin or Metacam as it is contraindicated in patients with kidney disease.
• I have neither seen any clear benefit of Enalapril, a drug that modulates the blood pressure. It is my experience that these drugs are detrimental to the long term prognosis.

WELL BEING AND FAMILY

• Don’t forget to do all you can to look after your own needs. I see direct correlation between the degree of health of people and their pets.
• Good exercise, at least 2 walks a day for dogs and access to the outdoors or the balcony for cats makes a big difference.
• Pets who spend a lot of time alone, do not get walks , play time and attention are more disease prone in general.

FURTHER SUPPORT AND RECHECKS

• If your pets condition is stable, a quarterly or semi annual recheck is highly recommended. This way, you can adjust the treatment and supplements as needed and avoid unnecessary complications.
• If your pet is vomiting, lethargic and has no appetite, hospitalization and further diagnostics may be needed.

If you are unsure what the best treatment decision is, especially because of the pressure from a conventional practitioner to follow the conventional drug and processed food route, you may be interested . If you are interested in how to choose the right vet click here to read my blog post.