Hello Cybil,

I hear you! I am continually playing the same game at my house.

The puppies (my two three year olds) seem to go through periods of food boredom. They will go over to the well researched, expensive, high quality, commercially available, age and breed appropriate dog food, that I special order, deliver to their home, carefully measure, prepare with time, attention and love and then deliver by hand on their set structured time, and they will sniff the bowl, grunt in disgust and walk away.

It’s frustrating!

But, like every good mommy, and my mommy did for me, I will force them to sit there, nose to stainless steel bowl and watch it. They, just like the stubborn, fitful, ungracious child that I was, will sit until the adult, me, caves. Brats! I will then proceed to buckling and open a can of cat food to cover the offensive dog food smell, in as limited amounts as is possible, until they decide it is now prehension-worthy, and scarfe it up.

This has led me to do just what you are doing. I search for variety to try to coerce them. I am now mixing Iams Premium Protection (available at the clinic) with Chef Micheals, and a 1/4 of a can of Iams, Science Diet, or Purina low residue canned food.

I usually recommend that cients add some canned food to the dry. I tell them to add a little bit of water to turn the canned food into a sort of gravy to coat the dry food. I think it smells more interesting and appears to be more palatable to our pups. It also allows us to keep the dry food more consistent while we can vary the flavors of canned food.

I also tried the Iams gravy. I even tried every flavor. It is now being used as a condiment coverage/frosting in Strawberry’s (my pig) lunch.

So, my official, non-hypocritical advice is..stick to a good quality commericially available, readily available and consistently affordable dog food. And then offer variety (it is the spice of life) in the way of canned food. If you are still being met with reluctancy add a small amount of their version of Lucky Charms.

I talk about pet food like kids cereal. If it has fnky colors, cartoon characters on the box, or a prize inside and if it is available at every local grocery store then it is NOT a high quality pet food. You get what you pay for and you are what you eat. Ask any kid what kind of cereal they want and it is colored marshmellow sugar-laden leprechaun schlepping Lucky Charms. Dogs aren’t any different. They want sugar, smelly, junk food. How to convince them to eat healthy stuff? That’s the dilemma of every good parent.

Life’s all about compromise. Try to keep them as close to the optimal dog food in the highest amount as possible and then add ‘sprinkles’ to make the ‘salad’ seem not so boring.

As with everything else, you do the best you can, and then you try to coerce, cajole, and compromise without the other side knowing that you are letting them get their way. Wait is that my dog food advice or marriage? Gosh it gets to hard to distinguish the difference these days.

Oh, one last thing, I think that all of the foods you have been on are good. Be very very careful who you listen to for food advice. Very few are unbiased. I have a large number fo clients seeking a good quality food at a local boutiquish pet food store being told some outright litigious unfounded, uneducated, incorrect things. IF you aren’t getting advice from a veterinary nutritionist or your vet you are getting biased advice from what I consider to be a uncredentialed layperson. (Stepping off soapbox now).

I’m at the clinic tonight, and Tuesday nights. So you can always stop by and we can dig through dog food labels together. Or call and ask for Melissa. She’s my resident food expert.

Hugs annd Kisses to you, Roy, Minnie and Murray!

Love,
Krista

Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello!!

Well, let’s see..

I in general do not use the stick information for too much other than the glucose, ketones, bilirubin, and pH. The rest of the info is far more accurate if read under the microscope.

I want to see white blood cells, red blood cells, and bacteria, casts, cells on the urine sediment under the microscope, and not read it on the stick.

By the numbers listed above there the RBCs (red blood cells) and the WBCs (white blood cells) are within normal ranges.

But the specific gravity is a little lower than it should be. Especially if it is a first morning sample (it says 7 am, so I am guessing it is). The specific gravity is highest in the first morning sample because the urine is the most concentrated then.

In general we want dogs specific gravity to be 1.030 or greater. If you get serial first morning samples of less than 1.030 ( I would recommend taking it again over the next few mornings to check the specific gravity), then I would check a full blood work, to look for any signs of renal impairment/insufficiency.

I don’t usually put too much weight on the stick, but if the stick says 3+ blood, check the sediment over the next few days also.

Other diagnostics to consider for any urinary issues are ultrasound, radiographs, and urine cultures.

I hope that this helps.

Thanks Jana for your question..

Best wishes to you and Jasmine.

Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello Brenda,

Thanks for your question.

There are a few things to discuss.

I would like to know how long you have had your puppy, and if she has been to the vet yet? I would also like to know if she has had a fecal check, she might need more than one? I always worry about intestinal worms with puppies, especially if they are vomiting or having diarrhea. (I tell my clients that "most puppies come with worms, it is very common, and worms come with the puppy package. So expect them, check for them, and treat for them.").

I am unclear as to whether the vomiting is related to the car trip? Or, if she is vomiting without it being related to the car? Many pets, especially puppies get car sick due to anxiety about being in the car, and the motion of the car. I always recommend taking your puppy with you in the car as often as you can so they get used to the car, used to the motion of a car, and over come their anxiety associated with the car.

Getting car sick and vomiting because of being in the car, but then stopping vomiting after you get home or to your destination is fairly common. But, if your puppy is still vomiting after the car ride stops then I am concerned that we have a puppy who is nauseous.

There are many things that can make a puppy nauseous. The best way to try to determine the triggers for nausea are to visit your veterinarian and start talking.

I am also concerned about your last statement; "Will eating the grass hurt her or will it help her to vomit?" Eating grass can cause a few things. Pets can pick up the eggs of the worms that evolve into the intestinal parasites that can be dangerous to the health of your puppy. Also, I have seen dogs that have eaten so much grass that the stomach becomes a vat of fermenting green discomfort. This grass becomes a stomach full of un-passable, un-movable, obstruction. It can get stuck in the stomach like cement, except this cement is fermenting. So their belly gets stretched to the point that the grass is stuck and may eventually cause the stomach to rupture. These dogs are miserable. They are trying to burp to expel the fermenting stomach gas, trying to vomit, to relieve the pressure in the stomach and feeling terrible. I have actually had to do surgery to remove grass from dogs because their stomach is bloating. Bloat is incredibly painful and can be fatal.

So, I don’t want you to think that she should be eating grass. A small amount of grass eating is likely to be safe and may be normal for a curious puppy who investigates the world by tasting it, but I am concerned that she is eating grass because she doesn’t feel good.

I hope that I have encouraged you to try to identify why she is vomiting, why she is eating grass, and that you will have a meeting with your vet soon to help your puppy feel better.

If you would like to discuss any of this, or see a veterinarian and you live close to us at Jarrettsville Vet we would love to help.

I also have other puppy tips available on our Pawbly blog.

Best of Luck, and here’s to wishing you and your puppy a long, happy, safe life together!
Krista

Sincerely,
Krista

Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello Edie,

This is a great question, and a condition I see a great deal in my general private practice.

A hot spot is the common term used for a skin condition called pyoderma. (Our fancy way of saying inflamed skin). It can be either a superficial pyoderma or a deep pyoderma, referring to the amount of skin depth affected.

There can be many causes to this dermatological condition. In general I see an itchy condition that has turned into a self-traumatizing big giant ‘boo-boo’. The dog (it can happen to cats too, but I see in more commonly in dogs) gets an itch, from either a flea, a bug, a parasite, an allergy, or some other impetus to cause the dog to start scratching. We all know how hard it is to stop scratching when the itch persists. Sometimes the scratching is so soothing that we keep scratching thereby making the small itch into a big pyoderma.

I most commonly see hot spots around the face of long haired larger breed dogs. I especially see them in dogs with recurrent or chronic allergies including ear infections.

If you see your pet licking or scratching a particular spot please investigate it. Most owners may see a small red spot at the base of the hair, or a moist area in the hair coat, but don’t think it is much of a concern until we examine it in the vet hospital and shave the overlying hair off. In almost all cases what appears to look like a tiny red spot ends up being a very large very red, very raw, area of skin. I tell people that a hot spot looks like rug burn, or road burn on us. Abrasions to the skin that then cause the skin to become inflamed and oozing of serum that makes the red inflamed skin sticky.

I included a very good article to help you with a good overall description of this condition.

If you think that your dog has a hot spot I would recommend seeing your veterinarian as soon as possible to start treating it. The hope is that we can significantly reduce and eliminate the pain, itching, swelling, discomfort and infection before the easier to treat superficial pyoderma turns into the much harder to treat deep pyoderma.

I hope that this helps.

If you need any other assistance or think that your dog has a hot spot I can be reached at the clinic anytime to see you and you pet.

http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/dogdiseasesh/a/hotspots.htm

Sincerely,
Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello Diedra,

Thanks for asking such an important question.

There are many reasons why dogs drink an excessive amount of water.

Many times an increase in water intake is one of our first clues to the onset of a disease.

If you think that your dog is drinking more water than usual you should make an appointment to see your veterinarian and they will likely want to check your dogs blood and urine.

Some of the diseases that can cause increased thirst in dogs are kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, and adrenal tumors.

There is actually a formula used to figure out how much water is too much. But never withhold water from a pet.

Many veterinarians recommend twice yearly examinations for older dogs.

If you haven’t seen your veterinarian lately it might be time for a check-up.

If you would like to make an appointment I can be reached at the clinic.

Sincerely,
Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center

Hello Diedra,

If your dog is not feeling better , or if the diarrhea continues you should bring him to see your veterinarian as soon as possible.

Diarrhea can cause dehydration and an anti-diarrheal, or fluids may be indicated.

In most cases acute diarrhea is short lived and self limiting. But diarrhea of longer than one day, or severe in its onset should be addressed by your veterinarian.

If the diarrhea persists, or you get concerned you and Bandit can see me at the clinic.

Sincerely,
Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center

Hello,

Thanks for your question.

Congratulations on all of the things you must have been providing and giving to Maizie to get her to an astounding age of 14! Did you know that most labs and dalmatians only live to about 12? 14 years old is amazing!

There are many things that you can do to help her age gracefully and maintain her strength, stamina, and vigor.

Diet is a great place to start. Ask your veterinarian about which diets they like and recommend for her. I like Science diet J/D. The "J" is for joint. I also like a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement like Dasaquin daily. I have a 16 year old dog and I encourage her to eat by mixing a great dry food with an equally high quality wet food. I make great efforts to keep her eating well, like feeding her twice a day. I have also begun using a dog food gravy to make her food even a tiny bit more exciting. Muscle mass is lost because of two reasons, not enough exercise, and not enough dietary protein.

Most of the older dogs that I see are losing peripheral hind limb muscle mass from chronic dis-use. They aren’t getting enough exercise to maintain muscle mass because it hurts too much to move. So after a thorough physical exam I discuss x-rays, and bloodwork and an NSAID. This is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. it helps many dogs feel better and takes away some, or even all, of their pain. At 14 years old I think it is very important to make the remaining days, however many they may be, comfortable. I also think that a thick (about 6 inches), orthopedic bed helps on those bony achey joints.

I recommend twice yearly exams to better monitor and manage the aging process. Blood work, urinalysis, radiographs, and thorough physical examinations will help keep Maizie happy, healthy, and mobile for her days yet to come.

Wishing you and Maizie continued longevity. If you would like to set up a geriatric exam with us we can be reached at Jarrettsville Veterinary Center in Jarrettsville MD.

Sincerely,
Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville MD
twitter FreePetAdvice
jarrettsvillevet.com

I would love to see Maizie.

I can be reached at http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com.

Hope to see you soon!