Newsletter-February 2018

If I had to pick the one thing that most dog owners worry about it would be feeding a balanced diet. This concern is what prevents some people from feeding any fresh food to their dog, but there's a flip side as well. Some people add foods willy-nilly without considering the glitches than can occur.

While I applaud the intent of adding vitality to a kibble diet by using fresh foods, there's a lot that should be considered. Your breed for instance. Don't feed foods that are high in oxalate to breeds that are more apt to form calcium oxalate stones. What about breeds that are more likely to have pancreatitis, or any number of other health issues? Knowing which foods are more appropriate just makes good sense.

There are also dogs eating OTC raw food diets that can benefit from additions of supportive foods and supplements. Knowing what these are as it relates to your breed, and especially your own dog (mixed breeds have a voice here as well!) is key. Equally important is the amount of food your dog eats. The more s/he eats, the greater the amounts of nutrients, and vice versa. All decisions about fresh food additions must be considered within a caloric parameter, or that fear of unbalancing a diet can become a reality.

As an aside, I added a Facebook post about purple colored veggies and fruits, and it received a good response. These foods get their dark pigments from phytonutrients called anthocyanins which are one of the most potent of all plant compounds. Studies suggest they can help reduce some cancers, protect the aging brain, reduce the risk of diabetes, and heart disease. All good stuff, but not all the foods are equally safe for a dog that can form calcium oxalate stones, or has a GI problem, etc. What I love most about my work is that it's personalized. Your dog's diet should be too. It's common sense in the same way that you feed yourself the things that agree with you (well ok, maybe you cheat now and then, but it's not something you can do often without paying a price) Our dogs have no choice but to eat what we feed them. I think it's simply kind to do it with some forethought.

Welcome Jody Zesko

After roughly 20 years and thousands of cases, it was time to find the right person to work with me. I've had the good fortune to have so many clients that my waiting list had become unrealistic for all of us. My decision to work with Jody didn't come lightly. Many people offered to work with me, but Jody was the only one who realized that there's a big difference between studying and actually applying what you know - especially when cases are complex. She impressed me with that, and continues to impress me as we learn together from all the dogs on the roster. For anyone who thinks I'm not going to be doing the work, rest assured that I remain the contact for clients, and that I am very active in all ways for all clients. You're not losing me. You're gaining Jody.

Kibble Plus - Raw Plus

This consultation has a waiting list of only 3 days due to Jody's help. It's for people who are satisfied with the kibble or premade raw diet fed to their healthy dog, and want guidance on appropriate fresh food and supplement additions based on a personalized approach. Consideration of breed, health predisposition, age, activity level, and current diet will be given. What might be added to a Raw Plus, could be quite different from Kibble Plus.

Kibble Plus: A great way to boost the value of kibble with confidence. No guesswork as to which foods may be appropriate (or not!) for your individual dog.

Raw Plus: We help alleviate the guesswork on which foods and supplement additions may be appropriate (or not!) for your individual dog.

Monica "I go out to the kitchen to feed the dog, but that's about as much cooking as I do." ~ Betty White