Given all season or pulsed throughout the year, it really helps and it's natural and non-drowsy.
Animal Nutrition Blog
A corral of information for the health of your pet.
Echinacea
April 22, 2013 // Canine
Echinacea alone or coupled with Golden Seal has been a proven reliever of seasonal allergies in dogs for symptoms like reverse sneezing, runny eyes, and regular sneezing.
Read MoreKidney/Renal System
April 12, 2013 // Canine
Kidney/Renal Funciton
The urinary system or tract includes the kidneys, the ureters (tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder), the bladder, and the urethra (the tube through which urine exits the body). The urinary system has several important functions. It gets rid of the waste products that are created when food is transformed into energy. It also maintains the correct balance of water and electrolytes (salts) within the body's cells. Another key function is the production of hormones called erythropoietin and renin, which are important in maintaining healthy blood pressure, producing blood cells, and absorbing salt correctly. Finally, the urinary system processes vitamin D.
Acute kidney failure is an abrupt decline in function that occurs over a period of days. Dogs can develop acute kidney problems as a result of ingesting toxins, including antifreeze, certain medications, tainted foods, etc. Other reasons for this type of kidney failure include decreased blood flow or oxygen delivery to the kidneys, infections and urinary obstruction.
Chronic: While some kidney problems have an immediate cause that can be treated, chronic kidney disease shows up over a period of time and its causes are harder to determine. This condition develops slowly and affects mostly older dogs. It is often caused by underlying illness and congenital and hereditary conditions.
Diet for Animals with Kidney Disease
Based on research done in the last ten years , the only time it is necessary to feed a low protein diet is when your pet is uremic, which generally means BUN is over 80 mg/dL (equivalent to 28.6 mmol/L), creatinine is over 4.0 mg/dL (equivalent to 354 µmol/L), and the animal is showing symptoms such as vomiting, nausea,inappetence, ulcers and lethargy, which are caused by the build-up of nitrogen in the blood. Even then, feeding low protein will not extend life, but it will help the animal feel better.
If your pet has significant amounts of protein in the urine (urine protein:creatinine ratio above 1.0), then you may need to reduce protein moderately, enough to control the proteinuria, but a really low-protein diet is not considered beneficial, as it can lead to hypoalbuminemia (low albumin levels). It's best to feed at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily (the grams of protein must be calculated from a nutritional analysis, it is NOT the same as grams of meat).
If your dog or cat is not uremic, then the consensus seems to be to feed a moderate amount of very high quality protein. Eggs have the highest quality protein (although egg yolks are high in phosphorus), followed by meat (raw or cooked). The lowest quality protein comes from grains.
Meat -vs- Meal
This is a snap shot of the difference between meats and meals on an ingredient panel.
Read MoreThis article does not go into the differences in quality of meats or meals. That's yet another story. Good grief Charlie Brown.
Coconut Oil for Dogs
November 7, 2012 // Canine
Coconut oil for dogs (and people) is often called a miracle in a jar. "Virgin" (or unrefined) coconut oil helps to support and maintain overall health in both humans and dogs. Coconut oil contains Lauric acid, which is a medium chain fatty acid that is also found in mother's milk. Lauric acid is the substance that prevents infants from getting viral, bacterial and protozoan infections, and those same benefits seem to apply to dogs as well.
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