Question: I read the e-mail (blog) about spots stew… and can’t help but keep thinking about fleas and chemicals, and their side effects on everyone around them..

I’ve been wondering for some time how food could be a way to help prevent fleas on my cats.. what food, how much.. and why it works.. I’ve tried several things so far. with little success.. a few of the cats enjoy the spicy foods strangely.. what should I be looking for? how do I prepare it? I would love to not have to use chemicals.. it’s hard enough to get them a bath in just water and mild soaps.. but as soon as they smell the flea treatments.. its one heck of a fight…they don’t like it, and i don’t want to feel forced to put it on them..the fatigue and loss of appetite afterwards also concerns me…

Answer: You may find several references about the addition of Brewer’s Yeast or garlic into pet’s food to naturally repel fleas and insects….but these things do not consistently work for every pet.

The safest adult flea control for your cats is daily flea combing. Look into environmental treatment options that include borate powder as a more “natural” alternative to pesticides.

Also boosting your cat’s natural immunity with the use of a high-quality natural diet and daily vitamin-mineral supplement is recommended. Consider a product like Halo’s Herbal Dip as a natural alternative to chemical dips –you can apply it on their collars or use it as a spray on bedding or even in their shampoo.

Hope this helps.
Dr. Donna Spector

Answers provided to pet owners by Dr. Donna Spector should be considered information and not specific advice. Answers are to be used for general information purposes only and not as a substitute for in-person evaluation or specific professional advice from your veterinarian. Communications on this site are very limited and should never be used in possible cases of emergency. Halo, Purely for Pets will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on any information or content contained in a blog or article post.

Question: Seeking the current treatment options for cat asthma. Are Flovent and Brethine still used? How Does Flonase fit into the tx. plan which is what my vet suggested.

Answer: Inhaled steroids (e.g. flovent) are currently the treatment of choice for feline asthma. Medications such as inhaled albuterol or oral terbutaline are used for acute flare-ups of coughing in asthmatic cats. Flonase is not typically used in asthma. It is a nasal steroid and has use for nasal allergies (rhinitis) and other nasal problems. Perhaps your veterinarian detected a nasal issue in your cat…it often goes hand in hand with asthma. Ask to be sure.

Hope that helps.
Dr. Donna Spector

Answers provided to pet owners by Dr. Donna Spector should be considered information and not specific advice. Answers are to be used for general information purposes only and not as a substitute for in-person evaluation or specific professional advice from your veterinarian. Communications on this site are very limited and should never be used in possible cases of emergency. Halo, Purely for Pets will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on any information or content contained in a blog or article post.

Question: My dog, who has no history of urinary problems, was recently diagnosed with mineralization of the renal pelvis bilaterally. This diagnosis was made from a CT scan for an unrelated issue and was later followed up by a negative urine culture, so we do not have any more detailed information about what exactly caused the mineralization. Our vet suggests switching to a prescription diet with these ingredients:

RICE, GROUND CORN, CHICKEN FAT, CHICKEN MEAL, CORN GLUTEN MEAL, NATURAL FLAVORS, DRIED EGG POWDER, SODIUM CHLORIDE, CELLULOSE POWDER, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CHOLINE CHLORIDE, CALCIUM CARBONATE, CALCIUM SULFATE, TAURINE*, VITAMINS [DL-ALPHA TOCOPH should also mention that oEROL ACETATE (SOURCE OF VITAMIN E), BIOTIN, D-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, NIACIN, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), VITAMIN A ACETATE, VITAMIN D3 SUPPLEMENT, THIAMINEE MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1), VITAMIN B12 SUPPLEMENT, RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), FOLIC ACID], TRACE MINERALS [ZINC OXIDE, FERROUS SULFATE, COPPER SULFATE, MANGANOUS OXIDE, SODIUM SELENITE, CALCIUM IODATE], PRESERVED WITH NATURAL MIXED TOCOPHEROLS, ROSEMARY EXTRACT, AND CITRIC ACID.

I know that this prescription diet is designed to increase water intake in the dog, increasing the volume and frequency of urination, but it appears low quality to me. Instead, I am considering switching from Spot’s Stew dry to canned food, to increase the water content of the food, along with getting him to drink water more frequently, which we can usually do by encouraging him and offering fresh water. What do you suggest? Thank you!

Answer: Increasing water intake is undoubtedly one of the most important treatments to promote kidney health and to prevent canine urinary stones! Drinking more water produces dilute urine. Dilute urine contains less concentrated minerals so they are less likely to form calcification and then stones.

You can increase your dog’s water intake by feeding canned food. Some dogs will drink more voluntarily if a pet-designed continuous water fountain is used. Also try large bowls placed around the house in all of your dog’s favorite places. The addition of light salt (potassium chloride) to your pet’s food can also effectively increase the amount of water they take in.

Hope that helps.
Dr. Donna Spector

Answers provided to pet owners by Dr. Donna Spector should be considered information and not specific advice. Answers are to be used for general information purposes only and not as a substitute for in-person evaluation or specific professional advice from your veterinarian. Communications on this site are very limited and should never be used in possible cases of emergency. Halo, Purely for Pets will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on any information or content contained in a blog or article post.

Question: I am a recent customer of Halo dry cat food. I have been attempting to transition my two cats over since early December, I first started them on the Sensitive Stomach formula and they did not take to that at all, I changed them to the Salmon and they were both constipated. I contacted Halo and was told that was a rich brand so I chose to change them to the Chicken formula which they have been on for a few days and appear to be drawn to the taste but I am still unsettled with their liter box habits. Their stools are very soft and the male doesn’t appear to be urinating as much as before. I love everything I have read about this food but am wondering if it is right for them. I hear differing opinions about how long to transition over and at this point we are at the 3 week mark, should we hang in there a bit longer to see if their tummies will settle down so they can be comfortable eating their meals again.

Answer: Sounds like you started the chicken near the end of December. I would recommend the chicken formula only for 3 weeks as some cats require a much longer transition period. Also make sure you are not feeding low quality treats or other things that may have synthetic additives, flavors and colorings. Treats filled with these ingredients can cause digestive disturbance and allergic-type reactions. You can try the Halo Liv-a-Littles or some of our other natural treats that cats love. If after three weeks, your cats are still having tummy troubles, ask your veterinarian about a high quality natural probiotic to get them on their way to feeling better.

Hope that helps.
Dr. Donna Spector

Answers provided to pet owners by Dr. Donna Spector should be considered information and not specific advice. Answers are to be used for general information purposes only and not as a substitute for in-person evaluation or specific professional advice from your veterinarian. Communications on this site are very limited and should never be used in possible cases of emergency. Halo, Purely for Pets will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on any information or content contained in a blog or article post.

Question: Our Siamese has been on Vetsulin for about a year. He does have fluctuations in blood sugar which we were puzzled by as he eats the same amount, at the same time every day and has 2 shots of Vetsulin at the same time every day. Yet he has low sugars of 57 at 2 a.m. (husband is a night person) & day sugars varying from 120 to 250. It is probably the Vetsulin. Our vet told us that cats are very hard to regulate, so we attributed it to that. He is on the last bottle of Vetsulin & our vet is going to order a different insulin. This is really sad as we have had a hard time getting him kind of adjusted. Now we have to get him adjusted on a different insulin product which will mean more testing, which he hates. He doesn’t mind the shots, as he gets a treat or gets fed after it, but he hates the poking of his ears for the test. He gets treats after that too, and we hate doing this to him.

Answer: Managing diabetic cats can be challenging. One of the reasons their blood sugar varies so much from day to day and within a day is because many cats are still secreting some of their own insulin. There is no rhyme nor reason to when their body secretes it….it happens sporadically leading to some of these wide fluctuations despite a stable diet. One of the most important things you can do for your cat is to make sure he is eating all canned food–one with high protein and low carbohydrates. NO DRY FOOD! Following this diet plan can help cats lessen their needs for insulin or even revert back to a non-diabetic state.

Good luck.
Dr. Donna Spector

Answers provided to pet owners by Dr. Donna Spector should be considered information and not specific advice. Answers are to be used for general information purposes only and not as a substitute for in-person evaluation or specific professional advice from your veterinarian. Communications on this site are very limited and should never be used in possible cases of emergency. Halo, Purely for Pets will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on any information or content contained in a blog or article post.