Dandruff may simply be caused by dry, poorly hydrated skin. Make sure your pet gets enough water by adding canned food to his/her diet and encourage water drinking throughout the day.

Dandruff can also be an adverse reaction to a poor quality diet or even indicate a dietary deficiency of essential fatty acids.

Choosing a high quality natural diet and an excellent fatty acid supplement can help moisturize your pet’s skin and minimize flakiness.

Check out this article on dry scaly skin and ask your veterinarian about other natural remedies to help your pet.

Question: I have a 10 month old Siamese male kitten that all of a sudden does not want to use the toilet to urinate. He also seems like he has a hard time pooping, he strains. I feed him Eagle Pack Holistic Select Chicken formula for Cats and Kittens. One of my students recommended Halo chicken dry food for indoor cats. I tried wet food but he does not like it much. He seems like he is drinking enough water though the day. Any suggestions?

Answer: Thanks for writing in. The reason your cat may not want to use the litterbox to urinate may be one of a few reasons. Many cats that experience painful defecation or constipation will shy away from the box for urination as well because they recall it as a “bad” or painful place. The Halo dry food can be an excellent choice for pets with constipation as it contains fiber-rich vegetables, prebiotics and probiotics to support intestinal health. See my article about natural remedies for constipation in cats, Natural Remedies for Constipation.

The other very common urinary ailment of cats is a condition called interstitial cystitis. This is a sterile inflammation of the bladder that causes pain and avoidance of the litter box. Increasing water intake (try fountain waterers, etc) and enriching their home environment (see www.indoorcat.org) can help with the condition dramatically. You should see your veterinarian to make sure he doesn’t have issues like stones or other bladder problems.

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.

For the second year in a row, everyone’s favorite 100% protein treats took top prize in The Reviewers Choice Awards among dog treats. Halo Spot’s Stew dry dog food also won a Finalist award. As the Buzzillions award site explains, “think of these as the People’s Choice Awards of online shopping” – recognizing the highest-rated products from over 9 million online consumer reviews.

Even though we won for top dog treat – many of our reviews come from cat families, who know that felines can get ferociously addicted to Halo Liv-a-Littles!

As Bettina from Roy, Utah’s Buzzillions review states, “Five stars. Great for either cats or dogs. We purchased these treats for our two Pomeranian’s. It was very interesting to see our very aloof cat come running when we called “chicken” after he got a taste of the treat. It is always fun to see which one of our little ones will get to the kitchen first. ”

Susan D from Illinois explained, “We have three cats who absolutely love this product. It is the only treat our 13-year old diabetic boy can have since it doesn’t contain additives, preservatives or anything else that will raise his blood glucose. He doesn’t mind having his blood sugar tested, he knows his favorite treat will follow.”

That reflects my own experience at home, where our cat Sterling runs to the kitchen when our dog Bert gets his injections – so then they each enjoy a treat.

All Halo treats are made with the highest quality ingredients. Spot’s Stew Dry Dog Food is part of Halo’s Natural Dry Dog Food that is highly digestible, high in protein and quality ingredients, low in carbs and always created with your pet’s entire well-being in mind. Halo never uses chicken meal or other rendered meats.

“This recognition for our pet food is especially important to all of us at Halo because it comes straight from the consumer,” said Steve Marton, CEO of Halo. “Halo wins awards like this only because consumers are demanding great ingredients. Every Halo ingredient is a real, natural ingredient that consumers recognize and understand. Every meat we use can also be sent to make human food products. That’s what consumers are demanding, and that’s what Halo has delivered for over 20 years.”

Click over to our News page to see the Buzzillions reviews and our press release.

Eco Chic, a leading web site “where style and sustainability go hand in hand” focuses on products that are carbon neutral, community based, custom or tailor-made, Fair Trade, organic, recycled, sustainable, vegan and vintage. We’re honored that the Eco Chic “Alpha-Dog” Tammy Preast chose to feature Halo.

She begins her story by getting right to the heart of the matter, asking “Do you know what goes into your pet?”

Then they responding using the words from Halo’s own web site, saying:

“You are what you eat” is true for animals as well as for people. Read the ingredients. Can you identify them? Are there inferior by-products, “meals” or chemicals?

At Halo Pet Foods, they are purely focused on your pet’s well-being. Halo holistic natural dog food and natural cat food are made from real foods you can recognize. Safe, never recalled and NO chicken meal or other rendered meats. 100%Guaranteed.

Click over to our News page for the whole story.

Petfood Industry, the influential trade magazine, features Halo on its February 2010 cover. “Catering to the Conscientious” tells of Halo’s origins in Andi Brown’s kitchen, and the core philosophy that hasn’t changed for over 20 years. Halo CEO Steve Marton (seen on the magazine cover with his good friend Stosch) tells the story in an exclusive interview.

Here’s a sneak peak.

“Halo products have the best ingredients for dogs and cats. Plain and simple, that’s what we strive to be known for,” explains Marton. “That’s why Ellen DeGeneres became a part owner of our company. That’s why she spreads the word.”

“As more consumers are reading ingredients labels –and understanding what the ingredients are—our sales improve. For example, consumers are just starting to understand ingredients like chicken meal, which is a rendered meat.”

Click over to our news page for the whole story.