Although I was happy to discuss purebred cats with Martha Stewart, who had just gotten a Persian cat herself, being on her show was important to me so that everyone would know that kitty came from a rescue and was not purchased.

HALO is terrific in their support of shelters and rescues across the country and they share my plea to everyone to always try to adopt, no matter what breed of cat (or dog) you want. Over 30% of the animals in shelters are purebred, so with a little detective work and patience, you can find the pet of your dreams by adopting, not buying.

HALO shows their support of shelters and the animals in them by donating thousands of meals to those pets through Freekibble.com (which I play every day and am learning lots of fun facts at the same time!).

Watch this video clip:

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

Send Ellen your funny pet photos by clicking here for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate for Halo products. Each week there is one lucky winner.

Any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: Lick Granulomas can be very difficult to treat—they often have a medical and a behavioral component to them. Often the granuloma is caused by an injury and then the dog continues to lick it (due to pain, irritation, etc) and they get a “high” so to speak from the licking process. So even if the underlying problem is gone, they continue to lick—essentially because it feels good. The most important thing is to make sure there is not a deep infection or an underlying problem causing the lick granuloma—a deep culture and even xrays are sometimes necessary to assess for draining tracts and bony changes. Most dogs require 4 to 6 weeks of oral antibiotics, the diligent use of an Elizabethan collar (head cone!) and possibly even topical creams. Even if your dog appears to not be licking the area—they must wear a cone—most dogs secretly lick the area (at night, when you aren’t home, etc).

Often there is no medical problem causing a lick granuloma—it can be just a behavior issue. Many of these dogs are very anxious and often there are environmental triggers that can be identified—such as separation anxiety, new children or people in the home, social conflicts with other animals in the home, lack of appropriate outlets for normal “doggy” stuff. It helps to identify and address any possible stressors. A gentle leader head-collar with a drag line should also be used to allow you to redirect your dog when he licks without punishing him and then rewarding him for the right behavior.

Hope these things help…keep us posted.
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.

Please remember, while these products are wonderful, they are not the same as what you can buy at the store. You’ll find earlier formulas, old labels, or short-dating. Short-dating means that the product will reach its “Best if Used By” date within 1-2 months of purchase.

Summer traveling with your pets can be overwhelming, but I have some great ideas that will make it as smooth as possible- and introduces you to a 4-legged friend looking for a new home!

Whenever I travel around the country, people want to know what I feed my own dogs. I feel wonderful telling them that of all the kibble out there, I have chosen HALO. If they are interested in why, I tell them because of the integrity of the company – both in the ingredients they choose to put into their foods, but also in their dedication to the less-fortunate dogs and cats and all the wonderful work they do supporting local and national rescues and shelters.

Plus, there’s that marvelous Ellen DeGeneres who owns part of the company and is so darned adorable and funny when she goes on QVC with Halo that it just makes me want to buy more!

Watch this video clip from CBS KOIN:

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

Send Ellen your funny pet photos by clicking here for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate for Halo products. Each week there is one lucky winner.

“The Halo donation is extra special to us,” says Linda Barth, assistant general manager of the city’s six shelters. “Wonderful for us.”

Receiving such a large donation — eaten by cats and dogs, kittens and puppies at two of the shelters — enabled the animals to eat one kind of food for an extended period of time, helping their bellies get used to a new food. “Animals are already under stress in an animal care center and already have digestive issues,” says Barth.

“It is great to be associated with this kind of product and Ellen DeGeneres,” Barth continues. “It is a boost that our organization is something that Halo wants to help, and is providing a natural food.”

The strays who enter the shelter following abuse particularly benefit from a food like Halo. “We would have used this food for animals who need to get healthy,” says Barth, “animals in trouble due to neglect.”

The donation was in partnership with Warner Brothers and L.A. station KNBC.

Barth and her veterinary medical and animal tech staff were so impressed with Halo’s top quality, they are now recommending it to people adopting pets.

How much nutrition is she lacking from the food if she won’t eat the veggies? Are there other dogs like her in which ways have been found for the dogs to eat everything? Luckily, they both enjoy frozen pea pods and carrots so I use those for snacks instead. But still…any helpful information is appreciated! BTW, it is the wild salmon dry dog food I feed them.

Answer: Hopefully this will set your mind at ease…the kibble (without the additional dried veggies) meets—and in fact, far exceeds—the nutritional requirements of your dogs every day! It is great that they enjoy frozen pea pods and carrots and these make excellent non-fattening snacks. So, no worries!

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.

Remember, these coupons are only valid at stores where Halo is sold.

For Halo store locations, enter your zip/postal code here. Products sell out fast, so please call ahead to make sure your nearest retailer has what you need (if not, they can usually order it for you quickly).

So when Halo, Purely for Pets recently sent over 5,000 meals of Spot’s Stew, which was shared by the Sacramento SPCA, it was a complete surprise. “Halo was dropped from heaven,” says Penny Cistaro, manager of the animal care program for Sacramento and creator of the food bank in November of last year. “It has been incredible for us to have that much food.”

The food bank relies on donations for the program to run. “I love the food bank,” says Cistaro. As do the grateful pet owners who come for food. They include the homeless and those that lost their house, even state workers experiencing financial difficulty due to California’s forced unpaid three-day-a-month furlough.

“They’re just plain thankful that they’re here,” says Cistaro. “They can’t believe we won’t make them do something to do for the food. When people come in for help, it’s a humbling experience and it’s a good thing to offer.”

Watch the segment on the local TV news about the donation and the shelter.