Q: Is Halo Puppy food ok for large breed dogs? I was told to get puppy food catered for large breeds and to try to stick to a fish diet for the coat.

A: Halo puppy food is perfect for large breed dogs. Work with your veterinarian to determine the amount of calories your dog should eat each day to avoid excessive growth spurts–which can be detrimental to bone development in very large breed dogs. It is not necessary to stick to just a fish-based diet for the health of your dogs coat. A high quality natural diet that contains no artificial colors, preservatives or additives and includes beneficial additives such as omega fatty acids will keep your pets coat healthy for years! You should also include an essential fatty acid supplement (like Halo, Dream Coat) to achieve optimal coat and skin health.

Hope that helps.
Dr. Donna Spector

Q: My dog is obsessed with sniffing other dogs. Its become such a problem that we have a hard time taking him to the dog park or beaches, which he loves. How can I break him of this behavior? Thanks!

A: Often what starts as friendly sniffing can turn obsessive when a dog owner has a strong negative reaction. Many dogs start this behavior as an “attention-getter”. Although the attention they get from their owner is negative, it is attention none the less. As hard as it is, the best tool here is to ignore the behavior and the dog often starts performing the behavior less frequently as it is not getting the desired affect from you. Tough it out…if you get angry with him and reprimand him…the vicious cycle will start all over again. Also take a large assortment of play items with you to the parks and beaches–distract his attention from other dogs if the behavior starts up.

Good luck.
Dr. Donna Spector

November is Adopt-a-Senior Pet Month. Adult and senior pets give all the love and affection of younger pets…but often without the headache of training and accidents! If you, or someone you know, are looking to adopt, check out the ASPCA’s Top 10 reasons to adopt a senior.

Choosing Halo for your senior pet will get them started off on the right foot in their new home. Halo has several natural products and supplements for older pets to help them reach their optimal health level. Check out the Top 10 Secrets to Aging Gracefully and our informative article on aging and how to care for your senior pet.

The US FDA has issued a warning about Vetsulin, an insulin commonly used in the treatment of diabetes for dogs and cats. There have been varying amounts of insulin found in the product which could cause unpredictable and possibly dangerous fluctuations in blood sugar levels. If your pet uses Vetsulin, monitor them carefully for unusual signs of high or low blood sugar. Vetsulin supplies will be limited until the problem has been fully resolved and the FDA recommends possibly changing patients to other forms of insulin.

Contact your veterinarian with any questions you may have regarding your pet with diabetes. Read articles for more information on treatment options for feline or canine diabetes, Feline Diabetes: A New Look at an Old Disease, and Diabetes in Dogs.

Q: Interesting article on digestive health! I have a Snowshoe Siamese X (10yrs) that just went through major abdominal surgery. Turned out she had gallstones which blocked her bile duct. She also had a pretty good bacterial infection that got into her liver. Her final diagnosis was Bacterial Cholangiohepatitis, including Actinomyces and Obstructive Cholelithiasis. She’s home now and on numerous meds including two different antibiotics. One is long term (8 months) and the other is for two months. What I can gather from the digestive health article is that the pre and probiotics would be a good addition for her. She is currently being tube fed 4 x daily with a Prescription gastro diet and supplemented with Halo Sensitive formula-Seafood Medley. I have just picked this up trying to encourage her to eat on her own. The more she eats on her the less tube feedings I need to do. She seems to be really enjoying the food. Is there any other supplements I could give to augment what she is getting in the food?
Thank you
Terri

A: Hi Terri, Thanks for sharing the story of your Snowshoe Siamese X. I am glad to hear she is recovering well from her extensive surgery and infection. The bacterial cholangiohepatitis often occurs due to movement of bacteria out of the intestine and into the liver. As such, I agree that a source of pre- and pro-biotics would be a good long term choice for her to keep a healthy balance of good intestinal bacteria. Halo cat foods contain the pre and probiotics only in the dry food–you will need to ask your veterinarian if it is okay that she eat dry food at this time. If not, you can supplement these additives in a paste form that your veterinarian can recommend. The other supplements I would recommend for a cat with this type of liver problem are ursodiol and SAMe–these nutraceuticals help make bile less toxic and improve overall function of the liver with anti-oxidant support. If she is not on these supplements, ask your veterinarian to consider adding them to her regimen. Hope this helps.

Good Luck and keep us posted on her progress.
Dr. Donna Spector

Halloween is a fun-filled holiday for children and adults; however, the scary creatures, silly costumes, decorations and treats can be frightening and even dangerous for dogs and cats.

Click here for guidelines on keeping your pet safe and stress-free this Halloween!

Read complete article Halloween Safety Tips for Pets.