I just want to remind everyone to check in and visit our favorite pet trivia sites, freekibble.com and freekibblekat.com, founded by 12 year old Mimi Ausland.

Every time you play her pet trivia contest, right or wrong, kibble is donated to a great shelter. You can play every single day, and it just takes a few seconds. My 11 year old sons love it!

Mimi’s dad Kelly just sent me this picture from the Westchester, NY SPCA. They were one of the recipients when Ellen DeGeneres and Halo contributed $20,000 worth of Halo Spot’s Stew kibble to the kause.

And here’s a sneak preview: Mimi’s going to do another guest blog for us soon!

This Halo story comes from one of our loyal blog readers:

Freddie, my three and a half year old Maltese, is a very finicky eater and has been since he was a pup. I have tried every enticement to get him to eat his dog food. I would cook chicken, beef, turkey, eggs, anything to add to his dog food to get him to eat and finish his food. He likes another high-end dog food I feed him; however, he would still look for morsels of homemade food. He never seemed to eat with enjoyment or complete the meal. Plus if I added “people food” to his dish, he would selectively pick it out before he took a few bites of his dog food.

I had two Pugs before Freddie and they lived to eat and would eat anything I put down for them. Needless to say, they were both over-weight and being a typical Mother; I was thrilled to see them eat. I grew up in a household where cleaning your plate was the norm. Even though Freddie likes my cooking, he still needs to eat more dog food and I would try anything to get him to eat.

Recently my local pet store owner introduced me to a protein supplement by Halo, Purely for Pets, dog and cat food, which improves the taste and nutritional value of any meal. It’s called Dinner Party and it contains 75% protein mixed with herbal seasonings. The main ingredient is freeze dried chicken, freeze dried salmon, or freeze dried beef and only a small amount needs to be sprinkled on any meal for your dog or your cat to give their food a tasty incentive to eat nourishing and healthy food.

Halo foods supplies natural dog and cat food as well as natural supplements, treats and grooming supplies. I think your pet will be very pleased with their products and you will be happy to see how well-nourished and healthy your pet will be with the use of Halo natural products. Ellen DeGeneres, the well-known comedian and talk show hostess, has used Halo products for years and is an ardent animal lover. She loved their line so much that she became a co-owner of the company and actively promotes their products.

Freddie loves Dinner Party chicken sprinkled on his food and now eats all his food in one sitting and leaves a clean dish. Good boy, Freddie!

Q: My cat came to me with horrible gum disease. She is on her fifth round of antibiotics, and I am making an appointment with a veterinary dentist. Her gums started bleeding, and she drooled some blood onto her chin. The vet told me even if they pulled all her teeth, the problems might not go away. She is almost 3 years old, and I’ve had her since October. I can’t tell you how upset I am. She is the sweetest cat, and her previous owner (a breeder!) neglected her. She has to be on a super high fiber food because she’s had loose stools on anything else.

However… I’ve read stories of people who say changing her diet might really help her. Spot’s Stew does have higher fiber than the other natural foods, but it’s 6.5%. Her food right now is 10%. I’m at my wit’s end. It’s not fair for my cat to suffer. Do you have any advice?

Thanks,
Meighan

A: Meighan, thanks for the question. I am glad you are making an appointment to see a dental specialist. The condition you are describing sounds like Feline Gingivitis/Stomatitis which is a severe and painful inflammatory condition of the gums and oral tissues. Most often the cause is unknown and is suspected to be an abnormal immune reaction to bacteria and plaque in the mouth. However, it is important to eliminate the other possibilities of gum and mouth inflammation. Things that a dentist should look for include infection (viruses–such as FIV, calicivirus; bacteria–such as Bartonella; etc), toxin exposure, and evidence of other immune disease.

Because the cause is most often unknown, the available treatments are largely symptomatic and include frequent professional cleaning of the teeth, and intermittent or long-term therapy with antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medications. Laser therapy can sometimes be used to stimulate healing over the inflamed, ulcerated areas. If a cat does not respond to any of these therapies, it is not uncommon that they require removal of some (or all) teeth to alleviate the symptoms of this disorder.

To date, medical research has not indicated a particular diet is effective in controlling this disease. However, choosing a natural food without preservatives and additives that can cause allergic-type reactions is always in a pet’s best interest. If she requires a high fiber food, you can supplement the Spot’s Stew with an additional fiber source. For example, powdered psyllium husk or canned pumpkin are both natural ways to increase the fiber content of the food to bring it up to 10%. Ask your veterinarian for advice on how much of this fiber to give her.

Good Luck and keep us posted.
Dr. Donna Spector

Dr. Donna Spector will be live on QVC late Saturday night, sharing her best pet care tips, and providing invaluable education on Halo’s complete line of holistic pet care products, including natural dog food, natural cat food, healthful treats, supplements, and grooming products.

Click here for the details!

Dr. Donna Spector will be live on QVC late Saturday night, sharing her best pet care tips, and providing invaluable education on Halo’s complete line of holistic pet care products, including natural dog food, natural cat food, healthful treats, supplements, and grooming products.

Click here for the details!