Diets for Dogs with Pancreatitis

The Pancreas in a Dog

Zip has had two bouts of pancreatitis, once, in an instance of worst-timing-possible, while I was away on a silent retreat with no phone or internet access.  He’s now 11 yrs old, and thriving, as near as anyone can tell, as he looks and moves like a much younger pug.  I manage his health with [...]

Flea & Tick Defense Requires Multiple Lines of Defense

Itchy Dog

Well there’s one good thing about the New England cold spring seasons, and it’s that bugs lay dormant that much longer.  As soon as the temperatures climb, it’s time to figure out your plan for flea and tick prevention.  All dog owners should be thinking about heartworm prevention too.  Heartworm preventative works retroactively remember; it [...]

Probiotics & Enzymes…do I need to add them to a raw diet?

Living foods, from plants or animal sources, contain enzymes (but they are wiped out by heat beginning at 110 degrees…so cooked food does not contain active enzymes) .  The body, human or animal, manufactures enzymes.  But as we age, our store of them and our ability to make them gets depleted.  And they’re important not [...]

Raw Bones

I went to a dental talk at a reputable neighboring vet’s office last fall.  It was actually a sales pitch for annual anesthetized dental cleanings.  I have a real  fondness for vets; I absolutely believe that they are drawn to their profession for love of healing animals.  But I disagree openly with the ones who [...]

Get a Raw Deal from Fetch

Where are the frites?

Every month at both stores (Portland and Boston, Fetch and Fish & Bone) we pick a brand of pet food to discount by 10%.  The idea is, encourage customers to experiment, or move what we have an overstock of, or just give a good deal because it’s fun.  Who doesn’t like a bargain? This month [...]

What Touch Does

I’m still reading Dr. Michael W. Fox’s Dog Body, Dog Mind.  It’s smart and sensitive, and I think it might have a really profound impact on your relationship with your dog.  I just read about touch & the impact of grooming, petting etc.  The heart rate goes way down (for the pet-ter too… I wish [...]

Proportions

There’s a new dog food out there called Proportions.  The idea is to customize a diet for your dog’s breed, age, and activity level.  I walked through the phone interview to get a sample for my dog Zip, but I found quickly that his grain allergy and pancreatitis tripped up their formulas.  There is only [...]

Looking for a Holistic Vet

You may not realize, if you live in Southern Maine, how fortunate we are in the veterinary dept.  I thought I was in tune with that, but just now understand that I took our resources for granted.  I assumed that in coming to Boston, it would be easy to find established holistic veterinarians that I [...]

Old Mother Hubbard Goes to Hollywood

There’s a story on the front page of the The Globe today on the growth of natural pet foods since 2005.  It’s essentially a story on Wellness, who launched a new marketing campaign at this year’s Golden Globes with an opening party at an LA venue called the Buddha Bark Celebrity and Canine Lounge.  That’s [...]

Food of the Month, January…

Wellness has some strong products in its line of natural dog and cat foods.  My sense, from 4-footed customer ‘feedback’ is that the palatability is best in their canned foods, and their dry cat kibble.  They just seem to hit it square on in those areas, while the dry kibble for dogs has had just [...]