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Newsletter - March 2007

Toronto escaped winter until February when we received a good downfall of snow combined with freezing temperatures. We muttered complaints to each other, but the dogs were having a party. Cassie’s arthritic leg doesn’t like deep snow but the rest of her does. She was walking on three legs when I went outside to pick her up. As soon as I neared her, she rolled over and started making doggy snow-angels, tail wagging furiously. Not to be outdone, Tori followed suit. My first thought was that I’d have to dry the dogs and brush the mats out of their hair. My mood became worse when I thought about the amount of work I had to do and the little time I had left to do it. Then, I realized that if Cassie, with her bad heart and sore leg could ignore both and wanted to have a good time, there was a message in it for me, too. Life is short. Don’t complain. Have some fun! So, I made my own snow angel and let the dogs jump all over me. It was one of the highlights of my week.

What’s New at monicasegal.com

New Book: Optimal Nutrition, Raw and Cooked Canine Diets: The Next Level

I’m delighted to announce that my new book is available on our website. Order now to reserve a signed copy and we’ll ship it at the end of this month. Signed books are only available until March 21st. You will receive notification of shipment once you place the order, but remember that the book will not ship until the end of March.

Optimal Nutrition builds on the information provided in my first book, K9Kitchen. It discusses feeding of the stud dog, breeding bitch before and after whelping, new puppies, young pups in their permanent homes, working dogs and those with different lifestyles, and senior dogs. Also, explanations and diet samples (raw and cooked) for heart disease, kidney disease, urinary tract stones, liver disease, hypothyroidism, pancreatitis, Cushing’s Syndrome, Addison’s Disease, allergies, gastrointestinal diseases, skin problems and an interview with Dr. Greg Ogilvie (famous for the “cancer diet”) about cancer.

This book includes the National Research Council (NRC) 2006 recommended allowances (for adult dogs) on an “as fed” basis and provides new analyses of some raw meaty bones (chicken quarters, chicken carcass, lamb shank, lamb rib, pork rib, turkey wing and turkey thigh). Knowing that many people will want their veterinarian’s approval before feeding diets that will address a disease, I asked a veterinary nutritionist to verify the diets. Ana Hill, DVM, PhD has written the foreword for this book, confirming that all diets, raw and cooked, meet the challenge of changed nutritional needs. It is my hope that veterinarians will receive and accept this book and the diets therein, so that better lines of communication between dog owners and veterinarians will be opened. 

Book Reviews:

M. Christine Zink, DVM, PhD “If you could read just one book on canine nutrition, it should be Optimal Nutrition. Practical, logical, and information-packed, Monica Segal presents critical nutritional information for dogs of all ages, in health and disease.”

Lisa Marcus, Sanflorian Cavaliers “Ever faithful to her philosophy that every dog has unique dietary needs, Monica Segal presents an informative guide to canine nutrition through each life stage and a variety of health challenges. This book is an invaluable resource for breeders and pet lovers seeking to feed complete and balanced home-prepared diets.”

W. Jean Dodds, DVM “This outstanding new book offers a comprehensive and well-documented review of the optimal guidelines for feeding dogs in health and disease. It provides a balanced, practical viewpoint as well as detailed specific recipes for those wishing to home cook for their dogs or feed raw food diets or use a combination thereof.”

Myth of the Month:  Red yeast causes tear staining

A number of websites discuss tear staining and “red yeast”. Some of these sites refer to it as “Ptyrosporin”. Let’s start by spelling it correctly. Pityrosporum is a skin yeast found in people and dogs. Some of the species cause a dermatitis associated with skin follicles in people. Others are involved in ear, foot, mouth, and face yeast infections in dogs. Pityrosporum is the “old” name for Malassezia, and as we know, this is the most common form of yeast overgrowth in dogs. The stain in dog and cat tears is a porphyrin that the body makes, not a yeast.

Monica

“The great pleasure of a dog is that you make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, he will make a fool of himself too.’ -- Samuel Butler