Question: My dog likes to eat grass. Is this okay for him to do?

Answer: Pets that eat potted plants or grass may not be getting enough greens in their diet. In the wild, animals would consume fresh prey that could have eaten herbs, plants or berries.

Your dog is a good candidate for VitaGlo Daily Greens. This product provides him with healthy phytonutrients which should satisfy his green food nutritional needs.

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: I have a finicky cat that doesn’t want to eat any nutritional canned food, other than the meat byproduct stuff. Can you recommend one you think she might eat?

Answer: I am assuming you have tried the Halo Spot’s Stew for cats….some cats find it a bit too brothy and chunky. I have had success with those picky kitties by putting it briefly in a blender to reduce the chunk size. You can also try heating up the food a bit…some cats really love the aroma that the fresh wholesome ingredients give off.

You can also sprinkle Halo’s protein powder (called Dinner Party) on top to make it more appetizing! Another diet you might try is the Evo 95% canned cat food line. Many of my pickier cat friends like that one.

Hope that helps. Take care.
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 need help my dog only eats your dry dog food but now all of a sudden she has diarrhea what can I do?

Answer: Thanks for writing in. There are many causes of diarrhea in dogs. If a dog gets changed to a new food (even a high quality food like Halo) abruptly, they can develop diarrhea. Read my article “How do I transition my dog or cat to a new food?”.

This is also a time of year when we see a lot of parasites (whipworms, roundworms, tapeworms and Giardia) or bacterial overgrowth—even in healthy dogs—and I would recommend that you take a fresh fecal sample into your vet to have it analyzed.

Some dogs develop diarrhea because they actually require more fiber in their diet or sometimes it is a sign of a more serious intestinal disorder. Talk to your vet about what might be happening in your dog.

Hope that helps.
Dr. Donna J. 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.

I got a comment on one of my daily tips on DOGSTER.COM and wanted to share it with you here…

It’s certainly true that lower quality dog foods can cause adverse skin reactions in dogs, but it isn’t just about an allergy to wheat (which is actually pretty rare in dogs). It’s more likely a reaction to the artificial colors, flavors, chemical preservatives, and generally dubious quality even of the protein source in the food. So you want to switch to a truly natural food free of all that artificial stuff and with the word of the named protein source as the first ingredient (chicken, beef, salmon).

While there are many premium dog foods, I have chosen HALO Purely for Pets kibble for the dry portion of my own dogs’ meals. I have confidence in the integrity of the company and Halo’s commitment to using the highest quality protein sources for their kibble, while avoiding all the cheap fillers and nasty additives present in so many dog foods. .

Click over to my original blog on “Better Quality Dog Food but Flea Prevention, Too” for the whole story!

Tracie Hotchner, author of The Dog Bible and The Cat Bible, guest blogs here every Thursday on healthy, natural choices for pets.

Question: Can cats have heartworm disease? Is there a pill cats can take? My girlfriend just told me her cat died after 5 years of heartworm?

Answer: Thanks for writing in. Yes, cats can and DO get heartworm disease. Heartworm is present in every US state and kills dogs and cats every year. Most owners have only heard about heartworm in dogs but the incidence in cats—even INDOOR cats—is increasing dramatically.

Many cats that were previously thought to be asthmatic because of coughing and wheezing may actually have lung inflammation from heartworms. If your cat has any respiratory signs, ask your veterinarian about heartworm disease. Cats must be tested with both a heartworm antibody and antigen test (dogs only need the antigen test).

Your dog and cat (even if only indoors) should be tested every year and kept on preventative year-round to stop heartworm disease dead in its tracks! Many of the same preventatives used in dogs are effective for cats but you must get the ones properly sized/dosed for cats.

Hope that helps.
Dr. Donna J. 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.