Newsletter-February 2016

We knew the next dog would be a rescue, but finding one has been a challenge. There's a lineup for rescue dogs these days...who knew? I was so disheartened and then... well, let's cut to the chase. Please meet Hudson. A Toy Poodle who acts like a flying squirrel and has been here for 3 days now.

His adjustment period went like this:

Car ride home - nervous silence.

Enters the house, timidly looks in the hall and takes a few steps.

Morley invites him up on a love seat. Hudson leaps up and rolls on his back for belly rub.

Bottom line? Hudson has decided he now owns a house and two servants. Yep, Poodle smart!

Your Dog's Heart Health

February is hearts and flowers month, so we've decided to focus on the heart part (and celebrate with a sale!) I'm not one to load the dog with supplements on a just-in-case basis. Much better is to start with a great (balanced) diet and use supplements that are positioned to help. The nice thing is that those that are good for the heart are also good for the eyes and brain, so it just makes good sense to add them. First the sale announcement, then the facts you really need to know:

Save $1.50 per bottle of Wild Salmon Oil (maximum 6 bottles per order)

Save $1.50 per bottle of CoQ10 (maximum 6 bottles per order)

Not all fish oils are created equal, so although omega 3 fatty acids are crucial, you need to understand what sets a superior oil apart. Heavy metals can be a concern, and in some cases reports have been more confusing than helpful. For example, looking at sardine oil from different countries and finding pollutants might have less of an emotional impact if a headline wasn't explosive. That's not the way news work though. The more dramatic and frightening the headline, the more readers seem to gravitate to it and spread the word to others.

Omega 3 and omega 6 are two essential fatty acids that together:

··Form the membrane of every cell in the body

··Make up a large part of the structural and functional tissue in the brain

··Control the way cholesterol work

··Become prostaglandins which play key roles in regulating the digestive, cardiovascular, immune and reproductive functions of the body

··Have vital roles in the functions of the brain, inflammation and healing, and body heat

Clearly the roles of omega 3 fatty acids are vast and important. Our wild salmon oil is tested for purity and is human grade. You might be surprised how big a difference that makes. I was offered a product made for pets and the bacteria count was through the roof. Why? Because that oil came from the bottom of the oil barrel where sediment goes, and with it, bacteria multiplies. No thanks. I think dogs deserve better than that, and frankly so do we. Morley and I take this oil ourselves.

CoQ10

What about CoQ10? It's been used for heart health for too many years to count, but there are added bonuses.

University of California researchers found that the combination of an antioxidant diet and enrichment of the environment improved cognitive function in a study in dogs over a 2 1/2 year period. When testing groups of dogs with either an antioxidant diet or an enriched environment, results were promising, but not as good as when both were implemented. The diet included plenty of fruits, vegetables, vitamins and antioxidants.

Several years ago, a study in dogs at the University of Toronto showed that a diet enriched with antioxidants improved cognitive function quite dramatically.

There wasn't a focus on enriching the environment, yet diet alone had a big impact. There are many, many studies you can find as well as abstracts at pubmed.com Start feeding a better diet and use the supplemental antioxidants I've mentioned. Do it now. Start today. Your dog may just surprise you by ageing well.

Monica

"Love is a Four-Legged Word" ~Kandy Shepherd