VETERINARY SECRETS

For the last few months I've been receiving informative e-mails and articles from Dr. Andrew Jones about a book that he has written called "Veterinary Secrets." I've been so impressed with all the material that he has sent to me that I will be reporting over the next few weeks about some of the information that he has shared with me. For instance, I knew a day or two before I seen someone else post it to a list about a cat that had contacted the "swine flu." So his material that he sends to me is up to date information.

Some of the information that I receive from Dr. Jones is stuff that we already talk about on several German Shepherd Dog lists, but I'm going to report what I've learned from him anyway for those readers who don't belong to any e-mail lists. Today I will be talking about two topics, vaccinations and quality of dog food. The first topic is about how we may be over vaccinating our dogs. As some of us already know, our dogs are being over vaccinated. There is growing evidence against vaccinating our dogs on a yearly basis. Vaccinations work by stimulating the immune system. The positive effect is to protect against infectious diseases. On the other side, the negative effect can be a host of immune related diseases. These can include: immune mediated hemolytic anemia, immune mediated skin disease, vaccine induced skin cancer in cats, skin allergies, arthritis, leukemia, inflammatory bowel disease and neurological conditions.

Autoimmune diseases are on the rise as well. More and more dogs are being treated for cancer that are not even five years old yet!

Our dogs are suffering from over vaccination, which combined with inadequate nutrition, poor breeding practices and environmental stresses are leaving each generation more susceptible to congenital disorders and chronic disease.

Newer research is showing that vaccine immunity lasts much longer than previously thought. Many vets are now using and recommending alternative vaccine protocols.

In some cases a vaccine given at one year of age may provide a lifetime immunity. How often we vaccinate our dogs is a matter of personal choice. We all must consider the risks of vaccinating our dogs. The more informed that we are,the better we are able to make educated decisions concerning the health and care of our animals.

The next subject Dr. Jones sent to me was about changing our dog's food and the use of alternative treatments to help protect them against some diseases and therefore, live a longer and healthier life. He talks about one of his first clients that he had after he graduated from vet school. The dog was diagnosed with liver disease that was incurable. Because traditional methods of treatment proved useless, he looked for other ways to treat the ailing dog. So, he talked to an herbalist. She suggested trying an herb called Milk Thistle. The other vet that he worked with thought it was useless. But it worked. The dog recovered from the liver disease and her blood tests showed normal liver function 3 months later after taking it. So now Dr. Jones uses alternative treatment along with traditional methods to treat his patients.

As for the dogs diet, commercial pet food does not always provide all of the nutrients that some dogs and cats need to be healthy at different times in their lives. This food also contains things that your pet doesn't need, such as chemical additives and preservatives. Some symptoms of less than natural diets include: bad breath, itchy skin, dull dry coats, and intestinal gas. An example of a preservative that is commonly found is propylene glycol. It is used to keep moist pet foods fresh. It has been linked to anemia and bloat.

One of the single most important things you can do for your pet's health is to feed a more natural diet. I have seen natural diets improve allergies, arthritis, diabetes, chronic vomiting and diarrhea.

If you use a commercial dog food like many of us do, these are the things you should check for the quality of the food. 1. Ingredients are listed in descending order. The first ingredient should be an animal based protein. 2. The entire protein should be listed first. Avoid foods that list by-products. Avoid those that list the food fractions - i.e. wheat middlings or corn gluten instead of the whole grain. These ingredients are leftovers from the human food processing and don't provide the best nutrition. 3. Look for natural preservatives. These include Vitamin C( ascorbic acid) Vitamin E and mixed tocopherols. Avoid ethoxyquin, BHA, BHT and propylene glycol. 4. Avoid foods with artificial flavor enhancers, such as phosphoric acid.
5. Avoid artificial colors. These include azo, azo dyes, and sodium nitrite.
6. Essential fatty acids must be added - of utmost importance for allergies, arthritis and cancer prevention. 7. Additional antioxidants, such as Vit E, Vit C and flavanoids. Dr. Jones also recommends the use of a good supplement if you feel that your dog is not getting everything he needs from his food.

If you want to read more about Dr. Jones work, check it out here. Click Here!

My rating: Veterinary Secrets: (4)

HYPOTHYROIDISM IN THE GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG

Hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) is the absence of sufficient thyroid hormone to maintain healthy body functions. It is considered the most common endocrine disease of dogs. I dealt with this condition on a German Shepherd bitch that I owned back in the early 80’s. She was a large brood bitch who I had bought from a breeder friend because she had a great pedigree. She had a good disposition and was an easy dog to take care of because all she did was lay around the house all day. I just assumed that she was a big lazy girl. I bred her and she ended up developing mastitis (bacterial infection of the mammary glands) which was no fun treating. One of her teats was red and swollen. The poor thing was in so much pain and had hungry, greedy puppies that demanded to be fed. I had to apply warm compresses on the infected area several times a day which was extremely uncomfortable for her. Eventually we got that cleared up.

This bitch was very sluggish and it was like looking at a dog that didn’t have a care in the world. In fact, I think if the ceiling fell in on her, she would barely raise her head to notice. One day she got out of the yard and was very heavy in whelp. I looked out the front door and there was “Bandera” (tummy filled with puppies) following some people who were walking down the street. Thank God I lived in a very rural area. I used to think she was so dense. She had no spunk or energy. Then after taking her to the vets for an exam, I found out why she was the way that she was. She was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Because it was so long ago, I don’t remember the name of the medicine she was put on to help her live with this condition. I knew that this was not a bitch that I wanted to have another litter from so my friend who sold her to me found a good pet home for her.

There are many different symptoms a dog that has this disease may exhibit. Sometimes they can be confusing and hard to diagnosis. Some things to look for: lethargy, lack of mental alertness, weight gain, dull coat, aggression, diarrhea, constipation, skin infections, low tolerance for the cold, hair loss, skin odor, greasy skin, reproductive problems (a bitch may have a hard time getting pregnant, etc.). It’s interesting to note that indeed, some of these signs can be contradictory…….my bitch was so mellow and easy going and really quite sweet and yet I’ve read articles about this condition where some dogs can be very problematic because of their extreme aggression! It is not unheard of that a dog may go from having a good disposition to becoming nasty and having a completely different personality than he normally exhibits. He may become fearful or shy and your once friendly dog is now the terror of the family. Before you label him as a “psycho” dog, take him in for blood work and have his thyroid checked. With proper medication, your sweet natured dog should be returned to you.

Another thing that I didn’t know even though I had a bitch with this disease is that sometimes the animal will have associate diseases because of this condition. They include: mega esophagus, ruptured knee ligaments, testicular atrophy, cardiomyopathy, excessive bleeding and corneal ulcers. Some of these conditions I never even heard of before. It’s probably a good idea to have your dog checked for these conditions if he is diagnosed with hypothyroidism.

It is not completely known if this condition is inherited. Because it is uncertain how a dog develops this condition, it’s probably a good idea not to breed the animal that is diagnosed with it. That’s why I sold my bitch into a pet home. Of the one litter that she had while she with me, one of the bitches was very much like her mother in personality……….dull! I did not keep her either for breeding although her body structure was beautiful.

The hormones produced by the thyroid govern the body’s basic metabolism which includes the control of growth, development and maintenance of protein, carbohydrates and lipid metabolism for the life of the dog. If the thyroid fails to operate correctly, then one sort of trouble or another may occur in the dog’s body.

The treatment of hypothyroidism is not complicated, but sometimes the diagnosis of the disease is because the clinical signs can mimic other diseases. Sometimes it’s just best to treat the dog who displays any of the above symptoms with hormone treatment and if it works, then you know that you are dealing with this condition. Usually the vet will do a thyroid blood test and send it to a lab that has special equipment to test for this condition. Usually the treatment consists of two daily doses of levothyroxine, the hormone identified in the test as T4. Levothyroxine is converted to triiodothyronine by the body; dogs that cannot make this conversion will need both levothyroxine and triiodothyronine.
After the dog is on this treatment for one to two months, your vet will probably want to retest him to see that his levels are in the normal range. Some dogs will be on this therapy for a longer time and should have a more complete set of tests every 6 – 12 months.

Until we know for certain what causes this type of disease, it is the wise breeder who eliminates any of these dogs from there breeding program. This is where honesty among breeders will determine the further health of the German Shepherd Dog.

My rating: treatment success for this disease: (3), using these animals in a breeding program: (1)

IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES

When we became involved in the sport of dogs we did so because it was something that was of interest to US and because WE loved the German Shepherd dog. For most of us, it became a way of life. It was not only a sport or hobby but it became a way to socialize with people who also shared our love of the breed. We may have joined our local breed club, participated in their handling classes, trained our dogs in obedience or helped organize a point show. We saw the same people month after month and even made some new friends that we didn’t know before. There is never a lack of conversation at these social gatherings because when you’re involved in the sport of dogs, there is always something to say and there will always be differences of opinion. This is how we all learned. But we felt comfortable there. We were among friends.

Time passes, we grow older, many dogs will come in and out of lives and then a time comes when we are no longer able to do the things that we once enjoyed. We still connect with our friends talking with them on the telephone or on the internet. Perhaps we go to a local dog show once in awhile just to be around all the beautiful dogs and to see our friends again. Our friends are getting old right along with us. Can it be that so many years have gone by and now we’re watching all the new people who have come into the breed? We watch as their eyes light up bragging about a new hopeful that they’ll be showing in the spring. We remember those days too when our hearts were on fire and we were filled with excited anticipation.

When one ages, we know that there are things that we have to prepare for in our life. It’s just a process that we all will go through. Life happens. It doesn’t ask our permission. Hopefully, we have made preparations for our beloved dogs that may be left behind. This can be one of the hardest of things to prepare for. When we make out a will, who will be WILLING to take care our dogs and all the responsibility that goes along with it? We can’t just assume that a sister or a brother will look after them. This is something that must be discussed with the person you would like to take care of your dogs. Because we love them, doesn’t mean everyone else does. Sure they may think they’re cute when they come to visit you at your house and the dog wants a pat on the head. However, patting them on the head and keeping them is a whole different story.

If you have many dogs, this will present an even bigger problem. Many times the dogs will have to go in different homes. How many people do you know who will take them? Maybe one person will, but what about the rest of them? Some people may tell you that they’ll take your dog thinking it won’t be too much of a problem. If these people never owned a dog in their life, it might very well be a problem. If you are looking for someone to take care of your animals when you are gone, it’s a very good idea to leave some money in your will for the care of your dogs. We all know how expensive taking care of animals can be. The burden of taking care of someone else’s dogs is hard enough. We don’t want to burden these people further with financial difficulties that may arise by taking care of our dogs.

Having dogs in our lives is something that WE chose to do. WE have a love for this breed. Most people who are not involved in dogs do not share our feelings for them. In some cases if you have some young well bred animals, some other breeders may want them for their own breeding and showing program. However, never assume that people will. You must approach these people to see if this is something that they may be interested in. Tell them that you want to put their name in your will before you do so.

And what about the older dogs who may have special needs and special diets? Maybe they need to have their arthritis medicine. Perhaps they can’t stay out in a dog run. They need to be in the house. Who is there to watch over them when they need to go outside to go to the bathroom? They no longer can hold themselves and may eliminate on their new “owners” oriental rug? Who besides dog people will put up with needy animals problems? Our love for the “oldsters” may have no limitations. This may not be true for their new guardian.

What happens if you become sick and are not physically able to take care of your dogs any longer? Suppose you live by yourself……who will take care of your dogs? Are you financially able to have someone come in do the work that you would normally do? It’s probably a smart thing to do to have a typed up set of directions on how to take care of your dogs (feeding, watering, cleaning, housing, etc.) in case such a situation should present itself.

Making out a will is not just for the “senior citizens” but should also be done by people who are younger and have dogs that may be left behind. Tomorrow is promised to no one and one never knows what each new day has in store for them. Animals don’t stop living because we do. When 5 o’clock comes around, they’re still looking to be fed. Who will be there to feed them?

What type of facilities does the new owner have for taking care of your dogs? Some breeders have dogs that have never set foot in a house. They are kennel dogs. This is all that they have known all their lives. What becomes of these guys? Who would have the time or even want to start training a kennel dog to be a house dog? How many people have dog runs and kennel housing in their back yard? How many people even want them on their well manicured lawns? How many people have their back yard fenced in?

Most good breeders feel that if we brought these animals into the world, we have a responsibility for their life and that doesn’t stop because we are no longer here. We must prepare for the time that we are not here because our animal’s life depends upon it. It is not unheard of that when an animal owner passes away, their animal is put into a shelter. This is not what we planned for our beloved pet, but unless we do plan NOW, this very well may be where he ends up! No one likes to talk about this subject, but it’s part of our reality and truth be told we don’t know what tomorrow or even what today will bring to us. It’s better to be prepared so our animals will be taken care of even if it will no longer be by us. We owe it to them to keep them safe and that they have a quality of life that they deserve. After all, WE wanted them. WE love them. Not everyone else does.

My rating: making out a will no matter what age you are: (4), approaching people about taking care of your dogs when you no longer can: (4), leaving money in your will to take care your dogs: (4)

"IS YOU ARE OR IS YOU NOT" A BOY DOG?

Secondary sex characteristics……….just what the heck does that mean? Quite simply put it means that a boy dog looks like a boy dog and a girl dog looks like a girl dog. How important is it for our breed to exhibit these characteristics? It’s very important for a noble breed like the German Shepherd. Nothing is more displeasing to the eye especially when looking at a male with a bitchy head with thin, spindly bone.

In my last litter, I only had two bitches. Both of them are big girls because the mother is a good sized bitch and the father is a very big boy. However, one of the girls although she is big has a beautiful bitch head. Her sister on the other hand looks like a male. Her head would be the envy of some males that lack in this area. She has huge bone. I can not tell you how many times when she lay in the whelping box I lifted her leg to make sure I didn’t make a mistake by calling her a bitch. I kid you not I probably lifted her leg more times then she probably was comfortable with……..it was like I was waiting for something to grow “down there!” It never did…….she remained a female!

It is unfortunate sometimes when I open the pages of the German Shepherd Dog Review and I’ll admire a good looking dog that is being advertised. I look at his name and I know it’s a male name, but I take a double look because I’m thinking to myself, “Wow, what a nice looking bitch this is,” and Wow it isn’t a bitch, it’s a male!

A male should have a noble head, oval shaped bone, and should exude masculinity so there’s no mistaking him for a male. He shouldn’t have that flat look on his nose leading down from his eyes. There should be some sort of a “stop” or what I used to call the “Roman nose.” This gives the dog a look of character with depth rather than that most unattractive flat faced look. You can see this look especially when viewed from the side of the face. His chest should be well filled in if he’s an adult and should not be lacking in prosternum. I’m sorry but I just find some of the pushed up fronts with a lack of prosternum not very attractive at all. It has seemed of late that this has become the “fashion trend” of the moment. But like most trends, they run their course and return to the “norm.”

The bitch on the other hand should look feminine while she too has the oval shaped bone noted for this breed. She is smaller than the male and if she were to stand next to him there would be no mistaking her for a bitch. Her movement because of her size seems more effortless than the male.

I don’t know where the loss of masculinity comes from. Sometimes you might find this to be true in pedigrees that are heavily inbred or line bred on the same lines. Sometimes it just happens that the best male in the litter has the smallest head while his lesser quality brothers have the larger heads. It’s just the luck of the draw when it comes to genetics. But to intentionally breed to dogs that lack important secondary sex characteristics does nothing for the breed. We saw this trend when some of the inbred dogs back in the late 70’s – early 80’s were being used. While these inbred dogs produced some gorgeous bitches, it wasn’t always the case with the males that they produced.

There is nothing more rewarding than walking your male on the show grounds and heads turn because he’s drop dead gorgeous and there’s no mistaking his sex. Can there be anything more exiting than a small/medium beautiful female that just floats across the ground because it’s easy for her to do so?

Because the German Shepherd is considered a large dog, there’s a certain picture people have in their mind when they think of this breed. When this breed doesn’t exhibit good secondary sex characteristics then they look weak and fragile. This is a strong, working/herding breed. Who wants a spindly, fine boned German Shepherd male?

Show me a good looking head on a dog with beautiful bone rather than his smaller good moving brother. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a “movement nut!” I believe that a dog that can move correctly is structured correctly and of course in order for the German Shepherd Dog to do the work that he was bred to do, he must be able to move correctly to do it. He doesn’t need to be beautiful looking to do this work (herding sheep, police work, therapy work, search & rescue, etc.). However, that being said, when you enter a dog in a conformation ring, he is being judged on his movement AND breed type. When a judge awards a dog his championship title, crowns him Grand Victor, or Best in Show, he is saying to the audience this is the best representative according to this breeds standard. So that must include BOTH structure for moving/working AND beauty. Ideally our dogs should have both. And this would mean that the male looks like a male and the female looks like a female. The difference is striking and it should be!

My rating: Masculine heads on males: (4), Feminine heads on females: (4), judging to the breed’s standard: (4)

"EARS" LOOKING AT YOU KID!

If the eyes are the windows of the soul, then the ears of a German Shepherd is his crowning glory. Even the pet people when they think of a German Shepherd one of the things that they comment on is how his ears stands so straight up on his head. The German Shepherd is a noble breed and nothing can ruin his look of nobility more than a poor ear set, soft ears or ears that don’t stand. Then there are the different ear sets and the different sizes of ears that we see on this breed. Notice the two dogs in the picture on this blog. The Maturity winner "Nuance" had a wide ear set. Although she was one of my favorite bitches that I ever owned, her ear set was not my favorite......acceptable, but not great. The dark male, "Rajah" in my opinion had a beautiful ear set. The puppy in the pool shows one of the stages most puppies go through at one time or another......down ears!

This is what the breed standard says about the German Shepherd Dog’s ears and I quote from the GSDCA’s website: “Ears are moderately pointed, in proportion to the skull, open toward the front, and carried erect when at attention, the ideal carriage being one in which the center lines of the ears, viewed from the front, are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground. A dog with cropped or hanging ears must be disqualified.”

In all honesty, I must say that a great majority of my litters, I had to tape some ears. The only ones’ that I remember that I didn’t have any problems with is going back to the old Waldesruh (I don’t know if I spelled that correctly) lines. These litters had small strong ears. Even with the litters that I had to tape, most of the time I didn’t have any problems getting the ears up, except when I bred a Reno daughter to Ch Zeto of Fran-Jo. She was gorgeous in body structure, deep, plush, and well angulated, but OMG…..those ears! Her ears were very soft and no matter how many times I taped her, only one ear would stand. I ended up letting her go into a pet home.

My last litter of only two puppy bitches was probably the worst that I had to deal with. The ears are huge……very tall ears. I taped and I taped and I taped some more. Finally, after much perseverance on my part, both girls’ ears stood up. Unfortunately one of the girls has one ear that tips into the center of her head, but I didn’t care as I wasn’t going to show her. I just wanted those darn ears up. What a struggle. The sister has a beautiful ear set but she too was taped right up until she was a year old!

Sometimes all you have to do is look in the show ring and many times you can see dog’s ears that must have been taped at one time. Some of them tip in towards the center of the head and some like my one bitch has one that tips towards the center of the head. Nothing is more displeasing to my eye than watching a dog gait around the ring and his ears are waving at you as he goes by.

Some ears have very heavy “leather” to them. What I mean is that the ear is heavy and thick to the feel. Most of the time this type of ear is a large ear and may cause problems for the dog to get to stand on their own. Then you have the ear that waves at you when he moves. This is normally a very thin type of ear where the cartilage doesn’t seem to be able to give the ear enough support to hold it up. Then you’ll see the tall ears and the small short ears. I think from what I’ve seen in pictures that the German dogs have smaller ears and usually a beautiful ear set. Many times in the American ring you’ll see the taller ears on our dogs.

The dog’s ear set is another very important thing that will give the dog the look of nobility or not. Dogs that have too much of a wide ear set sticking out to the sides can appear to look like a “goof” ball. They may look funny looking but they’re not attractive in the show ring.

The German Shepherd puppy through their growth spurts will have many different ear sets at different times in his life. There’s nothing cuter than five or six week old puppies that have one ear up and one ear down or both ears up and looking like a German Shepherd in a miniature form. When a puppy is teething, this is when you might see him put his ears up one day and down the next.

There are many different styles of taping puppy’s ears which I don’t have the room to write about here. Just be forewarned………make sure you know what you’re doing before you attempt to tape the pups ears. Taping incorrectly can ruin a dogs looks for the rest of his life. Get in touch with a breeder that has experience in this area and ask if she will help you tape your pup’s ears. Keeping the ears clean and dry is a must as many times the ears can become infected and raw causing the puppy a lot of pain. It’s best to keep him away from his litter mates so they don’t pull at his ears.

The size and shape and the strength of a German Shepherd’s ears is something that they inherit from their parents and the dogs behind them. It’s the smart breeder that knows his dog’s pedigree and if there are ear problems in the lines. Among the many other genetic problems that breeders face, dealing with weak ears that have to be taped all the time can be a nightmare. Try taping them when you have no one to help you and the puppy is squirming every which way! It’s always best if you have two people when you are taping ears! And even better is to stay away lines that give you these problems in the first place!

My rating: bloodlines with ear problems: (1), using tape and rollers: (3)

SMALL INTESTINAL BACTERIA OVERGROWTH (SIBO)

I have a bitch that was diagnosed with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) when she was about 1 year old. I never heard of this condition so therefore, I was very unfamiliar with it. All I know is that my bitch had a good appetite, threw up occasionally, and always had mushy, yucky pancake like stools. I thought perhaps she had EPI because she looked like she never had a decent meal in her life. She couldn’t put weight on. Truth be told, she was fed a high quality food and I had her on Dr. Kruger’s supplement and many of the other top products on the market. She still looked like she was underfed and therefore, undernourished.

So I took her to my vet and she recommended that we do some blood work on her. The tests were VERY EXPENSIVE but she called me up one day and told me the results showed she had SIBO. I questioned her about EPI and she told me no, she did not have that condition. She put her on an antibiotic called Tylan and told me she wanted to repeat this test again. So we did and again, it came back indicating she had SIBO. My bitch responded very well to the antibiotic and my vet told me that she might have to be on this for the rest of her life. I was not thrilled with that. I didn’t want her to have to remain on an antibiotic forever! So I did some research and found another way to treat her without medicines or antibiotics.

First let me explain to you what SIBO is. It is a condition where there is a great increase in the number of bacteria in the small intestines. This interferes with the absorption of nutrients. Some of the signs of SIBO can be diarrhea, throwing up, weight loss or failure to gain weight. Obviously these signs can indicate another problem as well. And sometimes, the dog may only have one of these things going on. But most of the time, the dog just doesn’t look healthy and most of the time this condition begins in the young dog. This condition may be related to a deficiency of the immunoglobulin A which is the primary immune defense in the small intestine. Dogs that have EPI or inflammatory bowel disease may also have SIBO, but not always as my girl does not have either of those problems. It hasn’t been determined what causes SIBO, but it is recommended that they not be bred.

I was desperate to help my dog put on weight and to start to thrive better than she was. I changed her food a couple of times, but that didn’t change the way she looked and her stools were still awful. So after going through many different natural or holistic supplements, I came across a product called Vibrant Pets. I never heard of it before but I read the different testimonials about it and I saw that Jimmy Moses used it and recommended it. I even tried an expensive herb product that had a strong smell to it. Well she hated that one and refused to eat her food if I added that to it. So I gave it to my other dogs. Anyway, I started using the Vibrant Pets supplement. She liked it, but I still had her on the Tylan antibiotic. Her stools were good, but I knew this was because of the medicine. One day the owner of Vibrant pets called me and I told him about my “problem” dog. He suggested that I take her off of the antibiotic and just use the supplement but told me to double dose her with it every time that I fed her. He asked me to call him in two weeks to give him feedback. Well I did what he suggested and I never had to put her back on the antibiotic again. I even did a little test. I stopped using the supplement and the soft stools returned. Long story short, the supplement will not cure her disease, but it helps her live with it. She looks like a different dog. She put weight on; her coat grew back and NO MORE YUCKY STOOLS! This is not just a sales pitch for Vibrant Pets because I use and sell it. It is the truth! This stuff helps my girl live a better life. I know it works because once in awhile if I’m running low on the product and I try to cut back on the amount I use, in sneaks those mushy stools again. So it’s not a cure, but it offers her a better quality of life. It may not help every dog that has SIBO, but it does for mine and all I know is that she looks and feels so much better because of it!

It is unfortunate that our breed can have so many digestive problems, but they are there. It is up to us as breeders to find a way to deal with it. Obviously we have a long way to go in understanding genetics. But if we as breeders can discuss the problems we have in litters instead of hiding them, perhaps we can help prevent this happening to other peoples puppies. We need to help clean up our genetic pool and the only way we can do that is with open discussions about it. The more we push it under the rug like it doesn’t exist, or say “Oh not my lines” the worse the health of our beloved German Shepherds will be.

My rating: Tylan antibiotic in treating this disease: (4), Vibrant Pets (in my experience): (4)

HOW ABOUT A TRICK FOR A TREAT?

Many of us try to feed the best dog food that we can afford. I try to feed my dogs natural or holistic types of foods. I was in the supermarket yesterday doing my grocery shopping and I always see what coupons (I’m a coupon Queen) I have for my dog’s snacks. Let me tell you, I must have read practically every ingredient label on the boxes of dog biscuits or treats they had on the shelves. Most all of them list wheat as the first ingredient, and then you’ll see the other unsavory ingredients like corn, by products, soy, etc. listed next. So here I am writing about the benefits of feeding natural ingredients in our dog’s food and I’m looking for dog treats in the grocery aisle of the supermarket!

Two days ago I got an e-mail sent to me from the Director of Brand Marketing for the dog food that I recently reviewed called Organix. He sent me an article that his company Castor and Pollux who produces this food was just honored by Dog Fancy magazine as the top new product for dogs. This product is called “Good Buddy Mac and cheese” dog biscuits. I admit that I've never used it for my dogs yet. Part of the sales of this dog treat goes to feed shelter animals. This company donated meals for 750,000 shelter animals last year!

Buying treats in the pet stores can be very expensive and it’s rare to have a coupon to buy them with. One of my dog’s favorite dog biscuits from these types of stores is the Canidae dog biscuits. These are the ones that snap in half so you can divide them among two dogs. They go nuts for these cookies. But they’re not cheap.

Some people give their dogs fruits and vegetables. I read that some breeders give their dog’s sweet potato’s which is a healthy alternative for snacking. If my dog’s are in the mood and nothing else is being offered to them on that day, they’ll eat carrots. My dogs are excellent eaters so they’ll eat most anything that’s offered to them, but carrots they can take or leave.

Even if you buy your dog’s treats in a pet store, always read the label. It doesn’t mean because it’s more expensive that it’s any better for them. They can still be selling the same ingredients in their biscuits as you would find in the grocery store only with a fancier label.

I’m not a baker. I like to cook, but I won’t win any awards for my baking expertise. There are recipes for dog biscuits that some people will bake for their canine friends. This way you know what’s in his cookie and you don’t need to use any preservatives. This is probably a whole lot cheaper to do than to buy the commercial brand of treats and a heck of a lot healthier. As I’m writing this, I’m thinking of doing this myself if I can find an easy recipe to follow. I’d probably save myself a whole lot of money! Does anyone have any great recipes for dog cookies or treats? Here are a couple of recipes that I found on the internet you may want to try.

PUMPKIN WAFERS DOG TREATS
• One 15 oz. can mashed pure pumpkin (NOT the spiced pie filling)
• 3/4 cup cream of wheat (or rice cereal if wheat-sensitive) you can mix this dry--no need to cook it first
• 1/2 cup dry powdered milk
Directions: Preheat oven to 300 F.
Mix all ingredients together. Drop small spoonfuls (about half of a tablespoon) onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

FROZEN DOG TREATS (You can make these in ice cub trays)
• 1 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 ripe banana --
• 16 ounces plain yogurt
Mix the peanut butter, honey, and fruit together until well blended—mash with a fork or use the blender. Add the fruit mixture to the yogurt and mix well. Freeze in ice cube trays. Crack trays and release treats as needed!
Mix all ingredients together. Drop small spoonfuls (I use about half of a tablespoon) onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

For any treats that you make (besides the frozen ones), you can store them in an air-tight container or put in the refrigerator.

I’m sure your dog/dogs will love most any treat that you give them. For my readers who are pet owners, please never give your dogs CHOCOLATE anything and no grapes or raisins either. Someone told me recently that they give grapes to their dogs and they’re little tiny toy dogs. I told her not to feed them grapes anymore especially the size of these little guys. They can be toxic! If you are unsure of what to avoid when feeding your dog, just do a search on the internet and it will list all of the foods to avoid giving to your dog.

Watch out for the trick or treaters tomorrow night. Make sure your dog doesn’t get into the kids candies and tell the children to leave the treating of the dogs to the adults.

I think giving dog’s snacks as a reward or training incentive is good for them. Or you can do what I do, give it to them just because I like to spoil them.

My rating: healthy, natural dog snacks: (4), supermarket brand snacks: (1 -2), homemade dog treats: (4)