Pet Wellness Advocate
Drum roll, please! For the first time in the 9 years of the Dog Film Festival there will be a new separate category called SERVICE DOG SALUTE - with cash prizes and all-expense-paid trips to the NYC Premiere on October 24th, 2024 for the top three finalists! As always, the Festival will then travel to... Read more »
[Would you believe it’s Weruva?!] I suddenly needed a low fat dog food. My blue Weimaraner Maisie was just diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis. She had two bouts of throwing up one day and I immediately took her to the vet because she is not generally a thrower-upper. Blood work and an ultrasound showed several of... Read more »
It’s that time of year when we reflect on what we have to be thankful for, and we try to do extra nice things for others…like our pets! In the spirit of the Thanking Season, I want to thank Weruva for their steadfast and generous sponsorship of my NPR show DOG TALK (and Kitties, Too!).... Read more »
What Does Crude Protein Really Mean in a Dry Dog Food? The most popular blog I've ever written was about what "crude protein" really means -- and whether the amount of crude protein in kibble is a reliable way to judge the best dog food for your own pooch. So I want to tell people... Read more »
Can Dog Food Cause the Heart Disease DCM? I received a passionate email recently from Mike, a listener who sadly lost his dog due to the heart condition DCM. He believed that his dog died from eating grain-free dog food. Possibly his veterinarian told him it was "caused by nutrition" or Mike reading the confusing... Read more »
What Can Possibly Be The Problem With Grain-Free Dog Food? I’m glad that the alarm bells have stopped ringing about the dangers of grain-free dog food. For a little while, there was a flurry of articles and cautionary advice about avoiding the dog foods labeled as “grain free” because there was a heart condition called... Read more »
Table Scraps Do’s & Don'ts For Dogs At holiday times there are often enticing and bountiful meals, with lots of leftovers. Can your dog share in more than the delicious aromas? That depends --- but certainly whatever you share should be about the experience they’ll have of getting a few tasty licks, never in a... Read more »
The Best (and Last) Dog Bowl You’ll Ever Buy I had a “light bulb” moment recently about the cleanest, most comfortable and healthy way to feed my dogs --- one of those “Ah duh!” moments where you hit your forehead with the bottom of your palm and say, “Why didn’t I think of this sooner?!”... Read more »
Does Your Dog Need a Gluten-Free Diet? (Do You?) Issues with human nutrition and digestion are not parallel to the dog’s digestive system or immune system, yet people seem to want to apply beliefs or facts about human diet trends (which are often fads!) to their pets. For example, the current attention being given to... Read more »
Snap, Crackle, Crunch Cheap treats your dog will love I always thought that rice cakes were about as appealing as Styrofoam discs. Turns out, dogs love them! I buy the plain unsalted (or even lightly salted) rice cakes and then break them up into little pieces to use as rewards and treats. I mix and... Read more »