Written by Mike Cormier DVM and myself, and available in their breed-specific stores, these booklets provide an overview of genetic diseases in your breed, symptoms, most common treatments, what a good vet will check for, and how dietary measures and supplements can help to prevent some problems. The dietary information applies to all methods of feeding (commercial, cooked or raw). Neither Dr. Cormier nor I see the benefit to waiting until it’s too late to help a dog. Being proactive is something that we both believe in very strongly, and these booklets are our combined effort to help you do just that.

This is the perfect time of year to think about the savings when you choose to buy a three-pack of booklets. Why not give booklets to a friend or your veterinarian for Christmas? The Shih Tzu and Bichon Frise join our other breed booklets: Airedale Terrier, Akita, American Staffordshire Terrier, Australian Shepherd, Basset Hound, Bernese Mountain Dog, Border Collie, Boxer, Bullmastiff, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Doberman Pinscher, Golden Retriever, Great Dane, Labrador Retriever, Saint Bernard, Siberian Husky, Standard Poodle, Miniature Poodle, Toy Poodle, and Rottweiler. New breeds are announced monthly.

If you’re part of a group (veterinary teams, rescue organizations, and breed clubs are welcomed) wanting 48 or more booklets (mixed titles is fine), we offer a deep discount to support your effort! Contact us to discuss an order.

Fact of The Month
Frozen fruits and vegetables are a healthy choice

There was a time when fresh produce was truly fresh because it was grown in the soil of our own family-owned farms. If you live in the city and/or in a climate that doesn’t allow for year round farming, chances are that the fruits and vegetables you and your dog eats have been grown several miles away. In fact, they may have traveled thousands of miles before reaching your local store. If they look ripe, it’s usually because they were picked before reaching their full potential. This impacts the quality because nutrient values can be less than hoped for.

Frozen produce is considered to be lesser-than by many people. I, for one, am not partial to the taste of most frozen vegetables. Fortunately, this type of bias is lost on dogs. The reason it’s a good thing is because frozen fruits and vegetables have, for the most part, been picked when they’re ripened. Their nutritional punch includes some vitamins and phytonutrients. They’re available year round and can cost much less than their “fresh” counterparts. This makes the addition of berries to a diet a possibility even during the winter months. And of all the fruits I like to give a dog, berries hold the number one spot. Their antioxidant properties and phytochemicals are known to fight cancer cells in people. Whether this holds true for dogs is unknown but my bet is that one day this will be proven too. If I’m wrong, nothing was lost. If I’m right, dogs being fed berries are ahead of the pack.

A 2005 study gleaned from owner questionnaires, suggests strongly that there is a preventive effect against transitional cell carcinoma in dogs consuming green, yellow or orange vegetables three or more times weekly. So don’t forget to add some veggies to your dog’s diet, and don’t be biased against the frozen varieties. They can help to stretch your dollars and can help your dogs in many ways.

Senior Dog Case of the Month
Meet Zena

Zena is an eleven year old German Shepherd Dog. As a puppy, she was quite brave, so her name (after the warrior princess) seemed appropriate. Nobody could have known just how appropriate though. Zena entered the fight of her life, and for her life, when she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma almost two years ago. This extremely aggressive cancer has a poor prognosis, but Zena fought without restraint. Her right rear leg was amputated, yet she continued to run in the park, and protect her home from any intrusion she imagined was about to occur. Her joyful attitude helped her owners to feel more positive, and nutrition was something they wanted to address. The challenge was that a diet for cancer is based on much more dietary fat (especially omega 3 fatty acids) than Zena could tolerate. She, like many GSDs has a digestive problem that simply doesn’t allow for high-fat diets. The good news is that she enjoys and tolerates plenty of vegetables. Her diet was changed to 50% fresh salmon (skin removed to do away with some of the fat this fish provides) and 50% frozen vegetables (mixture of green beans, carrots, broccoli), some zucchini and just a little sweet potato. We added CoQ10 and Antioxidant Booster amongst other supplements to balance the diet. The end result is a dog that is, to date, cancer-free. There is no doubt that diet alone is not responsible for the outcome, but Zena’s owner and I believe it contributed. Mostly, I think that Zena herself is inspirational and deserves respect for her wonderful attitude.

Web Site of the Month
www.freekibble.com

If the holidays are about giving rather than receiving, I can’t think of a better time to remember the dogs and cats in animal shelters. Thanks to the ingenuity and passion of a little girl, we can all help without spending a dime. Her website, www.freekibble.com, in conjunction with sponsors, gives us the opportunity to give ten pieces of kibble per day simply by clicking twice (once for the dog question of the day and one for cats). Morley and I visit daily and we hope that you will too.

Morley, Tori and I wish you and your pets a happy, healthy, holiday season. Here’s to all the good things 2009 will bring. Cheers!

Monica

“In a perfect world, every dog would have a home and every home would have a dog.’
-- Author Unknown