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Photo courtesy of Meredith Perdue at &Unlimited
Loki came to us courtesy of Petfinder, via Canine Guardians for Life. Loki, a firecracker of a doggie, has special dietary needs. This month, we will be featuring Loki’s diet as an example of what we feed our own four-legged family:Age: approx 6 years
Breed: Border Collie mix
Issue: Seizures of indeterminate cause
Loki’s protocol: Loki has always been fed a grain-free raw diet, but Dr.
Strobbe of Medomak Veterinary Care recommended that we change her protein to
a more “cooling” food, such as turkey or duck. Cooling foods help with
hyperactivity in the brain (or in Loki’s case, generalized hyperactivity!).
Treats:_ Barkwheats Chamomile, Stella & Chewy’s Duck
Food: Sojo’s Complete Dehydrated Grain-Free Turkey
Supplements: Settle Seizures from Herbsmith, NaturVet probiotics
Etc: Dr. Strobbe has done a few rounds of Acupuncuture.Since we started her on this regime,…voila! Seizure free!
Adoption, General Pets, Nutrition, Pet Safety, Product HighlightNo Barks Yet » Bark Back! Leave a comment
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Dear Abby,
I actually have a real question…this totally grosses me out but I’m sure there’s an explanation for why it happens.We have two male labs…Sam (yellow, 10) and Kernel (black, 8). I keep the yard picked up regularly (daily, if not more), but without fail Sam finds pleasure in eating Kernel’s poo. Why does he do this? Other than standing immediately behind them while they’re doing their business (which is not always possible anyways), what can I do to prevent this? It even happens right after they eat a meal. YUCK!
Thanks Doc
-AaronDear Aaron-
I am sorry to hear about Sam’s offensive taste buds. Coprophagia is a fairly common problem in dogs, and can be caused by a variety of conditions including a behavioral issue, poor digestion, or an underlying medical problem.If you would like to try training Sam to not eat Kernel’s feces there is a really good training exercise explained on the website www.veterinarypartner.com. A simple ‘poop eating’ search will get you into the canine behavior series on the website.
There are food additives that make the feces taste unpleasant. You can feed Kernel SEP (Stop Eating Poop – Solid Gold) or Coprophagia Deterrent (NaturVet).
Sometimes a change in diet can help, and based on Sam’s current issues I would suggest considering switching him to a grain-free food. Aubrey, Dan, and their fine employees at The Animal House can help you pick out an over-the-counter brand that Sam & Kernel would enjoy.
Lastly, I would recommend a good check up with your vet including a senior blood panel and a fecal sample to rule out intestinal parasites, hypothyroidism, and other internal medical conditions that can cause dogs to seek more calories – no matter how repulsive we may find their snacking habits.
Best of luck, Aaron!
-Abby Strobbe, DVM
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Introducing the rescue powered Kitty Cam at The Animal House. Many of you have heard me talking about this feature for a month now, and after waiting for a special extension chord it is finally launched.
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We are closed today, but still working hard for Woofstock2009 and getting back-end work done for the store. We wish you a safe, happy and hopefully dry Independence Day!Our dog, Buddha (Shown Right), was feeling left out after Loki’s modeling stint, and wanted everyone to be aware of some firework tips:
- On the evenings you expect fireworks ensure your pet is safe indoors and secure doors, windows and cat flaps.
- Make sure your dog or cat is microchipped. If they do escape, frightened confused animals can easily get lost or injured and it is important that they are easily identified.
- Ensure dogs are taken out to go to the toilet early in the evening and cats are provided with a litter tray.
- Draw curtains to reduce outside noise and play music or have the TV turned on to help mask the noise of fireworks.
- Ignore any fearful behaviour. Do not try to comfort your pet. The animal will pick up on your anxiety and this may make the problem worse and/or fussing a pet who appears frightened can reward this negative behaviour.
- Don’t punish your pet; this only confirms that there was something to be afraid of.
- If your pet hides in a corner or under a bed, leave it alone and do not try to coax it out. This ‘hideout’ is where the animal feels most secure.
- Try not to go out during such potentially upsetting events. Seeing you acting normally will help your pets feel more settled.
- Speak to your vet about using synthetic pheromones to help comfort your pet during the fireworks season.
- If you are still worried or if your pet takes a long time to recover from the experience contact your vet for further assistance or for referral for behavioural therapy.
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Yesterday, Aubrey and I drove down to Portland, ME on a lovely rainy and moldy day. The bright spot was arriving at Meredith Perdue’s beautiful studio, &Unlimited in South Portland. We chatted, laughed, had fun, shot some wonderful photos while Loki enjoyed posing for Barkwheats. It was really nice to forget about work for a few minutes and focus on the reason why we initially started the business, our dogs.The photo to the left here is the first of many photos that Meredith shot, and I honestly am chomping at the bit to see the rest. Loki is mostly know for her “crazy” Border Collie hyperactivity, but seemed to do everything we wanted her to do. Thank you so much Meredith for an amazing time, and wonderful photos!
Note: Meredith at &Unlimited will have a booth at Woofstock2009!
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