Thoughtful Thursday-Should You Have Pet Insurance?

I've written before about how strongly pro-pet insurance I am and how much I love my Embrace Insurance policy.  If it were not for Embrace I would still be paying off the 6000 dollars (never mind that the initial estimate was 8000 dollars) for Norbert's emergency bloat surgery in 2011.   With Embrace I only had to pay 80% of the cost and Norbert, his dad, and I were all smiling.  



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When I brought Weasley home last May I had him insured before he even entered our house.

Still in the crate from the air plane ride but already insured.

To insure  four pets (Norbert, Bob, Weasley, and Scooter) I pay 150 dollars a month.   This covers them for emergency, illness, and medication.  Not covered is routine care (like annual exams and blood work), elective procedures like neutering, and there is a 200 dollar deductible.  Tubby, Ping, Baby, and Ernie are not insured the first three were too old for insurance by the time I got around to it and Ernie has a pre-existing heart condition that makes coverage impossible (however had I insured him as a kitten he would be covered as he wasn't diagnosed until age 1). There is no doubt that the insurance is expensive, but is it worth it?

In this older article from the NY times   Jennifer Schultz makes the argument that insurance is a waste of money as you can put the monthly  amount of the insurance bill into an account for pet emergencies.  She also argues that she pays only about $300 a year in medical care for her cat and has had only one pet health emergency which cost her $1000, making her vet expenses significantly less then the insurance pay out.   I find those numbers pretty low, every surgery my pets have had has cost $700 and up.  My experiences have been more like those of this family   from a Times article on the rising costs of pet care.  

At the time of Norbert's surgery my sister in law told me about an acquaintance of hers whose dog had the exact same emergency as Norbert, bloat and gastric torsion, they could not afford the surgery and had to have their dog put to sleep.  I cant imagine being in that position and having to deny my beloved dog life saving care.  It is in fact perhaps my greatest pet ownership regret that I did not insure Tubby, Ping, Baby, and Ernie when they were younger.  In the past five years I've paid $2000 dollars for Baby's treatment for fatty liver,    $3000 dollars for Tubby's mast cell tumor, and $2000 dollars for three surgeries in which Ping had suspicious lumps removed.  This is not including Norbert's bills which were covered. Insurance would definitely make me feel that I could handle all these bills with less worries.   Still I can see why some pet parents may not need insurance.   I think the  key questions to answer are:

1. Are you a pro at saving money?  Can you set aside a good amount every single month and not touch it? This is really not me and I'm honest about it.  I am not a total of failure at saving but I'm not a pro either.
2. Are you what my vet calls "a do everything owner" meaning will you want to pursue advanced specialist treatment for your pet.   I am and I choose Embrace because they cover cancer treatment, alternative therapies like chiropractic treatment, emergency and specialist care, and with the drug benefit  prescription medication.
3. Do you live close enough to major veterinary hospitals and specialists so that using them in an emergency would be feasible.  I know that plenty of people live miles from a major veterinary hospital and thus might never use the specialists that are easily accessible to a city dweller like myself.
4. Do you have multiple pets.   As a multiple pet owner I feel that insurance is even more important, if I have a major bill for one pet I don't want have to worry that I will have to neglect another or face financial ruin.

If you do choose to get insurance it is extremely important to do your homework.   A co-worker just told me that she had ASPCA insurance for her Yorkie and when the Yorkie developed congestive heart failure he was covered for the first year of treatment, but not for the second.  The company apparently considers any condition that lasts beyond one year pre-existing, even if it develops after you enroll your pet in the insurance plan.  As many pets live for years with chronic conditions this almost guarantees that your insurance payment will be wasted.

   In my opinion the best pet insurance companies are Embrace and Pet Plan, but of course needs are different for different people in different situations.  I would note that Pet Plan's emergency coverage is a bit iffy, they require your primary vet  to certify the reason for the visit, that means you don't know for sure if an emergency will be covered.   This  makes me uncomfortable since emergency hospital visits tends to be the most expensive of all.

The question I have for my fellow pet bloggers is  do you have insurance for your pets, do you think its  an essential part of pet ownership or a bad investment?

Product Review-Petz Life Oral Care Gel and Spray

February is pet dental health month .   According to the American Veterinary Dental Society (AVDS) almost 80% of dogs and 70% of cats over the age of three have some sort of peridontal disease.   Since bacteria on the teeth and gums travel to other parts of the pets body: heart, lungs, joints, kidneys, and intestinal tract.   So its easy to see that proper oral hygiene is a very important component of any pets medical routine.   Tooth care is especially important for small dogs who have the same number of teeth, 42, as a large dog but in a smaller space. The breeds who tend to have the most tooth problems are Poodles, Maltese, Chihuahuas, and short faced breeds like Pekinese, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Boston Terriers, and ....Pugs!

The most important part of a pet dental health care routine is brushing at home, especially if like me you want to avoid anesthesia at all cost (a bigger concern if you have a breed that has difficulty with anesthesia like a pug).   

To care for my dogs teeth I use Petz Life Oral Gel and Spray

Petz life is recommended by a number of well known Holistic vets.  It uses grape seed extract to remove plaque and tartar from a dogs teeth.  According to Petz Life when using the gel you don't have to brush and can just apply with your finger (I choose to brush as its more effective and my dogs are used to it).  Petz life gel also contains a small amount of grain alcohol which makes some owners nervous.  After reading up on the product online and talking to my vet I feel completely comfortable using it with my pets.  The company also welcomes calls from consumers and will discuss any concerns with you over the phone or through e-mail.  You can by it at any number of quality pet supply stores, on amazon, and from Olive Green Dog.

From my own experience I do feel Petz Life works, its true that even with daily cleaning Tubby and Ping have some small signs of dental disease, but my vet assures me it is less severe then in most pugs.   My vet has also told me that Bob has the best teeth he has ever see on a Bulldog

and at nearly 11 Norbert has no plaque at all!

Getting a puppy used to tooth care is very easy, it may be a bit more of a challenge with an older dog.  Start by running your finger over your dogs teeth while you are holding them.   If they resist you can put something tasty on your finger (I never had to do this with either  Bob or Weasley as I started touching there teeth right away when they came home and they never minded).   Once the dog tolerates you rubbing the teeth put a little tooth paste or tooth care gel on your finger and rub it on the teeth.   I also let Weasley chew on his brush a lot when he was a younger puppy, something he still enjoys:

For Weasley who as a puppy has no plaque at all I choose to brush is teeth with  Petosan  mostly because it is a bit less expensive then Petz Life.  Happy brushing!

I'm home and all better!

I'm back at home recovering with my family:

 

Weasley did well with his surgery, though he was certainly very groggy last night.  Our vet followed this anesthesia protocol:

1.  Bloodwork the morning of surgery (of course)
2. Fluids during surgery 
3. Induction with ketamine and isoflourane for the anesthesia
4. Pulse oximeter and ECG monitoring

It cost extra, the final bill was a whopping 750, but it is the preferred method for flat face dogs and what I ask for in every surgery for my smoosh faced guys.

I am not sure if any body if any of you subscribe to the Whole Dog Journal but they had a very interesting article on neutering and spaying this month, here is a link to the article.   The author echoes a lot of my own feelings about the procedure and does a good job with a controversial topic.  While I certainly understand the need for population control at shelters my own feelings about when to alter have changed.   That is one reason I waited until Bob and Weasley where about a year old to neuter them, where as I neutered Tubby and spayed Ping at about 6 months of age.  I also worry a bit about Norbert because he had a juvenile neuter at the shelter which I now know is not really the ideal.  I wish there was a way for shelters to adopt puppys out and then insure that owners followed through with the  surgery at the appropriate age.  As for giant breeds I am not sure I would want to neuter one I owned at all, as there seems to be such a connection between that and cancer.   Its one of the reasons I will likely never own a giant breed dog.  I was just wondering how you guys feel about this article.
 

Power Of the Paw for Ernie

Ernie, our 9 year old 3 legged cat, who is much handsomer then the picture above.   Photo shy and a midnight cuddler, he loves to sit on laps late at night, but makes himself scarce during the day.  We adopted Ernie as a kitten with a badly broken leg when I was working at a vet office in Manhattan.

 

We tried to save his leg but none of the attempts to set it worked, so we amputated.  Unfortunately, Ernie got infected during the operation (the reason I stopped working at and using that vet) and became very ill.  Thankfully, he recovered and gets along fine with three legs:

 

 

Unfortunately, after he recovered Ernie was diagnosed with a heart murmur.  We have been monitoring it for 9 years and it has remained at about a 1 or a 2 and .  At yesterdays annual vet visit our vet felt Ernie's murmur had gotten slightly worse so he has to have additional testing with an echocardiogram, he last had one in 2008 and it showed his heart was in good shape and required simple monitoring.   Ernie is going in for his echocardiogram on Monday and I am a bit worried so please send some positive thoughts our way.  Although we don't feature Ernie on the blog that often, mostly do to his reluctance to be photographed, he really is a very, very special cat and an important part of our lives.

10 Reasons for Pet Owners to Be Thankful in 2012

1) Dogs and cats are living longer.  The old 7 years for every year math is out the window.  More and more vets are seeing dogs living into their mid teens and sometimes late teens, and some cats into their late teens or early twenties due to a stronger human animal bond, more responsible pet ownership, better vetrinary care, and better nutrition.   article link

2) Pet owners live longer too.  A research study that followed 4,000 cat owners over ten years found that owning a cat can significantly reduce your chance of dying of heart disease, with cat owners being 30% less likely to die of the disease.  Here is a link to a slideshow of 27 ways pets can improve your health from Web MD link .


3) Better Veterinary Care.  Just 20 years ago nearly every Veterinary was the equivalent of a general practitioner, today there are are oncologists, dermatologists, and brain surgeons to name a few.  In 1995 just 15% of Veterinary school graduates went on to post graduate study and specialization, today the number is about 40%.


4) Improved cancer care, for pets and humans.   Today there are more Veterinary oncologists and more pet owners seeking cancer care for their companions and this has lead to improvement in care for both species.   Veterinary oncologists can try experimental therapies on their patients that wold not be permitted in human treatment.  The results can be used to benefit care for both species.  Article Link.

5) Better Food. These days the role of nutrition in human health is better understood, and the same goes for the health of our pets.    There are more and more choices of high quality nutritionally optimal pet foods and more information about how to find them.   There  is a wealth of information on the raw food diet and home cooking, and specialities in pet nutrition are available online.  Here is a link to a Q and A with a pet nutritionist from the New York Times.

6) More information.  I can't imagine that even fifteen years ago a main stream, non pet focused news paper would feature an interview with a pet nutritionist but these days the Times and many other publications frequently run stories on pet health.  The internet provides owners with information at the touch of a button.   

7) More and better dog training.  Today more owners are enrolling their puppies in dogs in basic classes, the classes are more readily available, and they are far more likely to  use effective, positive, rewards based methods then the old school punishment and dominance approach.   There are also more qualified behaviorists available to help dog, and cat, owners deal with serious problems.

8) Pet adoption is on the rise.  While there are still far to many dogs and cats euthanized each year, 3 to 4 million in the US alone.  Education and out reach have increased adoption rates and euthanasia rates are decreasing across the country.  In 1970 an estimated 20 million dogs and cats in shelters where euthanized and the number was about 3 million in 2011 (article link)

9) More pet friendly employers.  Today some lucky pet owners can take their dogs to work with them.   Companies are finding that workers are happier and more productive with dogs in the office and companies like google and Ben and Jerry's allow owners to bring their pets to work.   (link).

10) Pets really are family members.   Pet ownership in the US is at an all time high with nearly 2 out of every three households in the US having a pet in residence.   During the recession where spending in nearly every other area has decreased, spending on animal companions increased significantly.   In 2011 owners spent $50 billion on their furry family members. link

Disaster Preparedness for Pets

We all want  to protect the ones we love.

 

 

 

.  So in the face of Hurricane Sandy disaster preparedness for pets is on a lot of people's minds.  We were very lucky in the storm, our home sustained no damage and we were only without power for a week.   However, the experience has made me more aware of the importance of preparing to protect my furry babies in the event of a disaster.

Rule number one of disaster preparedness: If you must evacuate, never ever leave your pets behind.  This tip is posted on FEMA's website.  Sometimes people assume they will only have to leave their homes for a few hours or a day and they leave their pets, most likely cats, in their home.  However, disasters are by their nature unpredictable and you never know how long you may have to wait before getting back.  This was a lesson learned by the inhabitants of the apartment buildings near 57 street in Manhattan where a crane  came lose in the hurricane and threatened to fall on pedestrians below.   Residents where evacuated and thinking the problem would be fixed quickly a few left their pets behind, unfortunately the crane problem was not easy to fix and it kept residents out of their homes for a week.

Luckily, after Hurricane Katrina forced government officials to see how important pets are to evacuating families The Pet Evacuation and Transport Act was passed in 2006 and it requires that state and local emergency plans address the needs of pet owners.  Thanks to this act most localities now offer animal friendly shelters or make provisions to house family pets in animal shelters during emergencies.     In addition many communities provide food for pets effected by disasters, In Jersey City food for pets affected by Sandy was provided at the local animal shelter.   

If you have multiple animals, as I do, it might be most practical to have a list of local dog boarding facilities, pet friendly hotels, and friends who can provide for a few of your animals in the event of an evacuation as it might not be possible to handle multiple animals in an evacuation shelter. Of course if you can stay in your home then that is most likely the best thing for your pets, but you need to make sure it is a safe and feasible option and if it is not leave, and leave early.

The needs of dogs and cats in an emergency situation are different and its important to have plans for both species.

For Dogs

• Enough kibble and canned food for at least a week
• ID tags
• Medical Records
• Medication
• Leash and collar and back up collar
• Well labeled Collapsible Crate
• Water (this is especially important if you stay home with your pet, you need about 1 gallon of water per day per dog).   I had about 40 gallons of water which would have lasted about 4 days for all of us (dogs, cats, and people) and that would not have been enough as we had no power for a week.   I am very thankful we did not have our water turned off.
•   Favorite toy or chew.

For Cats

• Enough dry food and canned food for at least a week
• ID tags or information descriptions (my cats remove all break away collars they wear so ID tags don't really work)
• Well labeled Carriers
• Blanket (the cat may be calmer if the carrier is covered)
• Aluminum tray and litter 
• Toys

In addition to the things I listed above it might be a good idea to have a stress relieving remedy such as Bach's Rescue Remedy.  For birds, rabbits, or or other pets you would of course need different supplies.   So make your list accordingly preparing to have enough for at least a week.    

You can't prepare for everything in life but we you can do your best to take care of yourself and your pet at a time when you will need each other.
  

Walk in The Woods with Ticks-Oh No!

On Sunday morning we decided to take the Weasley, Bob, and Tubby for a hike on the Hackenberry Trail  about an hour drive from our home.  It was a very pretty walk with lovely views of the foliage.

The walk was nice and isolated, we didn't see another person or dog the entire time, and the dogs had a great time smelling all the trees and leaves.  The trouble began when we got back to the car.  See the woods where apparently filled with a major mischief maker, this guy:

  
The American deer tick, the pesky little bugger who carries Lyme disease.  They love to hang out in woods, tall grass, and leaves.  With rising global temperatures they are around more of the year and are becoming a bigger problem.  These days its not unusual to get ticks walking in a city park, but the biggest risk comes from walking in the woods.  So while walking through the woods of Norther New Jersey it is no surprise that we ran into plenty of them.



  The dogs where covered, and I mean covered, with ticks.  I have hard that ticks are becoming immune to Frontline and after today's experience I am definitely agree   When we got home we spent at least an hour taking ticks of the dogs, thankfully none where engorged, so perhaps the Frontline is doing something.    

Here is the best method for removing Ticks:

Removing Ticks that are Not Engorged:

1) Fill a jar with a lid with rubbing alcohol.
2) Comb the dog and check carefully for any ticks that are walking around the body.  Pick them off and immediately put them in the jar.  You can not crush a tick and kill it, you must drown it in the jar.  Seal the lid on the jar tightly to prevent escape.
3) Make sure to check yourself as well, if there are lots of ticks on your dog there are probably ticks on you.


Removing Ticks that are Engorged

1) At this point you need a tick key.
2) The tick will  usually look like a shiny lump or skin tag. 

Here is the You Tube video showing how to remove the tick

If you find an engorged tick on your dog and you live in one of the areas where Lyme Disease is prevalent (In NJ about 50% of deer ticks are positive for Lyme) I would recommend taking your dog to the vet for a test. (If the ticks are not engorged you don't have to worry).   The tests do not actually determine if your dog has an active Lyme disease infection, but they will see if your dog has antibodies to it.  Remember if your dog has had the vaccine he will always test positive.  In my opinion  the vaccine in not the way to go as it is not a 100% effective but makes the test moot and evidence indicates that we are over vaccinating our dogs anyway.   Not every dog exposed to Lyme and with a positive test gets an active Lyme disease infection, but it is still a good idea to treat with antibiotics because Lyme has been linked to kidney failure and lameness,  as well as other health problems.   Once a dog has been exposed to Lyme even if they are successfully treated their antibody titer may remain high for the rest of their life.   I monitor Norbert's antibody levels yearly and they stay above normal.  However, they went down by more then 50% after his initial treatment with antibiotics so now we just watch for an increase.  If the levels go up again we will treat with more antibiotics.

Below is a map of the areas in the US most heavily effected by Lyme disease (though it says human risk, where there is risk to human their is risk to dogs, and actually more risk since dogs are lower to the ground, have hair, and love running through grass, leaves, and bushes.

Tasty Tuesday-Muffin Madness

What's  better then a pug in a basket...........





Nothing.  

What's also good in a basket-blueberry muffins.

July is National Blueberry Month and as it draws to a close its the perfect time to treat yourself and your pooch to some delicious blueberries.   Blueberries are considered one of the healthiest foods out there (for dogs and people).  They have the highest antioxidant capacity of all fresh fruit, help slow down the aging process, protect the brain, heart, eyes, urinary tract, and digestive system.  In short they are a super food especially for senior dogs.  

Since blueberries are so amazing mom decided to make us some muffins, and since we love us some meat and some coconut she threw some of that stuff in too. (Note: these muffins are grain free)

Blueberry Meat Loaf Muffins for Mutts

1 1lb ground chicken or turkey
3 cups cooked Quinona 
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce 
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 350.  Stir together the chicken and the Quinona.  Beat the eggs and add to the chicken mix and mix well.  Stir in the apple sauce and coconut flakes and then fold in the blueberries.  Spray a muffin pan with non stick cooking spray and spoon the muffin mix in.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.

Come on mom, give me a muffin already!

Best Ever Blueberry Muffins for People 

For batter

• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 whole large egg
• 1 large yolk
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups fresh blueberries 

For topping

• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 375°F. Generously butter muffin pans.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over moderately low heat, then remove from heat. Whisk in milk, then whisk in whole egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined well.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then add milk mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in blueberries gently but thoroughly.

Divide batter among 12 muffin cups, spreading evenly.

Rub together all topping ingredients in a bowl with your fingertips until crumbly, then sprinkle evenly over batter in cups.

Bake until golden and crisp and a wooden pick or skewer inserted diagonally into center of a muffin comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

Cool in pans on a rack 20 minutes.

Bee Badness

Pugs dressed as bees---cool

 

Actual bees- not cool at all.

Today, we drove up to see my mom in upstate New York and brought Weasley and Norbert along for the 3 hour drive, we planned to have a  short lunchtime and then head back home.

 We hadn't been at my mom's house longer then five minutes when a wasp that had built a nest in the door stung little Weasley.  Almost immediately his muzzle started swelling up and I knew it was a bad sign.   Tubby had an allergic reaction to vaccines as a puppy and swelled up in the same fashion.

I was immediately in a panic because we had no benadryl with us, and because any dog related emergencies send me into panic.  We drove to the nearest store (half an hour away) and had to shove a Benadryl down Weasley's throat.  Thankfully, the swelling almost immediately started to go down.  To be safe we decided to bring Weasley to a local vet just to be sure.  A side trip that took an hour since we couldn't find any local vet clinics that where open on Saturdays.  Once at the hospital we were charged 75 dollars (a bargain by NYC standards) and the vet pronounced Weasley safe but declared that he is indeed allergic to bees and was saved by the Benadryl we gave him.  She cautioned us to never go anywhere without Benadryl in the future.  She then pinched Weasley's puppy fat and declared him--overweight!  How could a five month old puppy be overweight!

Who are you calling fat! I'm cobby!

We then immediately turned around and drove back to Jersey City (a trip that took two hours longer then normal due to several accident induced traffic jams).   I, who regularly complain that I hate the city and want to move to the country, have never been so happy to see the urban sprawl....land of Duane Reade drug stores on every corner with ample supplies of Benadryl, neighborhood vets with Saturday hours, and numerous 24 hour Animal Medical Centers.   Home sweet home.   We will now travel with Benadryl on  us at all times and I strongly recommend our Blogville friends do the same.

Stay Cool on the Fourth!

Hot Time: Summer in The City

Most of us know that dogs over heat much faster the humans and certainly all responsible dog owners know the dangers of a hot car.  However, dogs can over heat easily outside and even on a day when the weather is in the 80s.   Hot weather is even more dangerous for brachycephalic dogs (dogs with short snouts) like pugs, english and french bulldogs, and boston terriers.   Here are some of the signs of heat stroke:

Early signs include:

• Restlessness
• Panting
• Increased respiratory rate
• Increased heart rate
• Excess salivation
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

• Weakness
• Staggering
• Gasping
• Gum color may become brick red, then purple or blue (cyanosis)
• Seizures

If its very the temperature is high leave your dog at home in the air conditioning and do walks in the early morning and evening hours.  For city dogs, remember that pavement retains heat and dogs walking on hot pavement will over heat much more quickly then dogs walking on grass.  Bring water all walks.    If your dog shows any signs of heat exhaustion immediately get them indoors and cool them in a tub with cold water.  Particular attention should be payed to the paws and stomach.  Rubbing alcohol can be brought on walks and applied to a dogs paws to cool them down as well.  There are also products like cooling bandanas and vests. 

Remember keep cool:

Product Review-Green Tea Suplement from I Love Dogs

Mom is crazy about giving us supplements, we have a whole counter in our kitchen with nothing but our supplement needs on it: fish oil, coenzyme q 10, Digetive Enzymes, glucosamine, etc.   Mom has been looking for awhile, though, for the perfect antioxidant supplements and it seems that at last she has found it.  In the form of I love Dogs Green Tea supplement  (don't worry the tea is decaffeinated).

How antioxidants work is a bit confusing, basically what happens is as you (or your dog) ages your body takes in free radicals that damage your cells. This process is called oxidation. Over time the damage of oxidation can cause lots of problems like cancer, arthritis, and heart disease.  Antioxidants help halt the oxidation process by neutralizing free radicals.  Taking antioxidants is especially important for older animals and since our canine family includes a bevy of seniors at 11, 10, and 9 they are a must for us.

What's really great about the I Love Dogs product is that they come in pill rather then powder form, mom says powders can be a pain to dish out particularly when you are measuring for 5 frantically hungry canines.  Also the pills are liver flavored so your 'rents don't have to worry about hiding them in peanut butter or turkey or anything, we scarfed them down right away.  Another great feature, particularly if you have a lot of hounds, is that the product comes in fairly large packages.  Mom has ordered some of those little powder tins and they last us about a week and then she has to re-order.  These pills should last us about 2 months, and they come in dosages appropriate to size.  Just order the package that matches your dog and even if you have a big boy like Norbert you will only have to dole out two  pills a day.

Mom says we are going to  be on this supplement for the rest of our lives to keep our old bones going, playing and enjoying walks, and that is fine with us. (Note: Weasley does not take this as it seems excessive for a puppy, but Bob does since while he is not old at age 5 he is approaching middle age for a Bulldog). 

Tasty Tuesday-The Rotation Diet

Ah meal time, a hungry hounds favorite part of the day 

 
Some of our favorite bloggers like Tucker the Crestie, Southern Fried Pugs, and Kol's Notes have detailed their super healthy diets prey model raw, home cooked, and raw respectively.   I've tried a bunch of different diets with my guys from the Iams I fed Norbert and Tubby when I first got them (shudder) to pre-made raw and home cooked.   

I personally believe that fresh raw food is the healthiest choice for dogs.  However, I have to consider cost and practicality too.   The hounds dad has an aversion to raw feeding and we split care of the dogs 50/50 so when we did try raw it had to be pre-made and with 5 dogs that was a bit of a cost no-no, though we tried it for awhile.  When I tried all home cooking I became a bit of a crazy lady boiling up pots of meats and veggies and struggling with tables and calculators in an attempt to balance the meals.  The last straw broke when I spilled a 2 lb bag of bone meal on the kitchen floor.   

So in an effort to feed my dogs a healthy diet and save my sanity I've settled on the rotation diet.  The basic concept of the rotation diet is that we all living things need variety in their food and that no commercial food is 100% complete.  By rotating through a variety of high quality kibbles you get a range of ingredients and help balance out flaws.   For years vetrinarianas told clients to avoid changing their dogs food as it might cause stomach  upset, but eating the same diet for years is not natural and Ive found that with my dogs as long as I switch to grain free formulas there is no tummy upset when we start a new bag.   Plus, the rotation diet is believed to help prevent allergies as overly limited diets can be a factor in food sensitivities.

 You can customize the rotation diet to your own needs easily, some people switch foods daily or weekly or monthly and some mix foods together.  We order grain free foods from Mr. Chewy 

 and use brands from the Whole Dog Journal's  list of approved dried foods, including Orijen, Wellness, and Solid Gold.  Since we have five dogs we order the largest bags and freshness is still not an issue (we always store the food in the bag as that helps retain the nutrients).  We make sure to rotate through protein sources alternating primarily chicken, fish, and beef based kibble.


In order to give the kibble an additional healthy boost I make sure to add some fresh foods.   I regularly add yogurt, cooked eggs, sardines, cooked ground meat and fresh fruits and veggies.  In a few minutes I can cook up ground turkey with a nutrient rich vegetable such as kale and some antioxidant filled berries and make a kibble topper much healthier then canned food, and for less.   


I also add plenty of supplements (we have a whole counter full).  I rotate the supplements too, but I always give salmon oil, Glucosamine, digestive enzymes, a green food supplement, milk thistle for the liver, and usually Curcumin for its antioxidant benefits.

This diet isn't appropriate for ever pup but it keeps us smiling!

City Critters-Whiskers Holistic Pet Care

As long time urbanites residing a mere 30 minutes from Manhattan we literally have The Big Apple, and all it has to offer, at our feet.

So, we've decided to start a new feature on our blog: City Critters.   We will highlight some of our favorite dog friendly stores and spots in NYC.  Maybe if some of you live in the area or decide to visit the big city you will want to check 'em out.

The first place we want to highlight is Whiskers Holistic Pet Products.


Whiskers was founded in 1988 before  Holistic pet care was de rigeur. Located in the East Village its a very helpful, and for the area, large pet store carrying tons of natural pet products.

The best thing about Whiskers is the personal attention.  These days you can buy natural pet products of every variety on-line, and I often do, but at Whiskers the staff will listen to your pets problems and offer you advice.  If you live outside of the city they also offer consultations.  The owner of the store Phil Klein referred to as the "dog father" in this article, from The Village Beat, is always willing to talk to and advice pet lovers.

Whiskers also offers cat adoptions and they have a large and comfortable cat kennel 
 
and walls festooned with dog adoption fliers.

Whiskers also offers its own line of liquid herbal formulas.  I recently purchased Whiskers Own Crystals Away to help Norbert deal with his Struvite Crystals. 

 They must be doing something right because as you can read in this article
from the New York Times Phil and Randy Klein have two 25 year old cats!  An inspiration for any pet owner.