Halo Spot’s Stew is a dog food that deserves all-around praise and one I am using exclusively for my own dogs. I waited over five years to choose a pet food company whose outlook on the world of pets and whose dog food was so much better than any other. I held off on making that decision because I never wanted to have to say “I’m sorry” or be on the defensive about any business practices that came to light later about how a company conducts itself or what they slide into their dog food.

The first thing that attracted me to HALO was the excellence of their ingredients and a solid commitment to not skimping on the high quality while also having transparency about their origin. I learned that the protein content in HALO’s dry food is just about the same as WELLNESS CORE – but there is a gigantic difference. ALL the meat used in HALO foods is “fit for human consumption” (that is, no chicken meal, or other rendered meats). I do not know of any other company using such extraordinarily high quality and really costly basic protein ingredients.

Click over to my original blog on “Why I Chose Halo” 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.

Today, USPS is unveiling its 2010 social awareness stamp, “Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet” on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.  In celebration, Halo and our co-owner Ellen, plan to donate 1 million meals to shelter pets awaiting adoption.

According to Halo CEO Steve Marton, “We’re here to help make sure this amazing social awareness translates into a meaningful difference for shelter pets. That’s why we’re working with everyone to reach the 1 million meal donation of Halo Spot’s Stew. I’m 100% confident we will achieve our goal of feeding 1 million meals to dogs and cats waiting to be adopted.”

Animal lovers can make sure the 1 million meal donation is achieved by visiting www.halopets.com/stamps.

Opportunities to trigger donations include signing up for a free holistic pet care newsletter, following Halo and its nonprofit partner Freekibble on Twitter, using Halo coupons, and more. Already, over 150,000 Halo meals have been donated to shelters this year towards the 1 million meal goal.

Adopt a Shelter Pet stamps can be pre-ordered at www.stampstotherescue.com, and will be available at all US Post Offices starting April 30.

From now until mid-May, visit your local post office to see this cool Halo “Give Shelter Pets a First Class Meal” poster!

Click here for local listings.

Answer: Although your cat getting a nibble of Halo dog food from time to time isn’t bad (our dog foods are supplemented with taurine), I definitely don’t recommend routinely feeding them food formulated for dogs. Cats (as strict carnivores) require higher levels of protein and fat than dogs and Halo foods are designed accordingly. Halo dog food just doesn’t have the right balance for cats to reach their optimal health level.

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.

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.

It’s why I’ve chosen HALO dry food for my dogs and can rest easy that the ingredients that went into making it were tip-top. “Meat by-products” is an ingredient which may not sound as bad as it really is – and companies using it are depending on your not questioning what it means.

You can learn more on page 443 of my book “The Dog Bible” about how to read a food label. You’ll learn what “crude protein” actually is – and that it does not contain protein as we think of it (the meat itself). You’ll soon figure out to avoid foods with words like “by-product meal” and fats from an unspecified species when a food says “animal fat” (instead of “chicken fat”).

All of these and many more are a signs of inferior dog foods. Don’t be surprised if all the dog foods carried by supermarkets have these ingredients-to-avoid. Don’t be surprised if you find them right on the food you’re feeding now – even when you thought it was a premium brand.

I think a company like HALO sets the bar high, where it needs to be for the health and wellness all of our pets. You get what you pay for: quality ingredients that your dog’s body can really digest and put to good use for energy, skin health, insurance against mediocre (and even unsafe) ingredients and contribute to overall wellness.

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

There are several national and local animal welfare organizations that have programs like pet food banks, low-cost veterinary clinics and foster care programs to help people keep their pets.

The Humane Society of the United States has a list of organizations that offer financial aid to people with pets. The list of pet financial aid organizations is listed by nationwide, and some are listed alphabetically by state.

Also Halo, Purely for Pets proudly supports many pet food pantries nationally. Halo has donated thousands of cans of Spot’s Stew to several shelters and rescues, which has been distributed to pet owners in need.

Another great resource is No Paws Left Behind; is a focus driven non profit organization, designed to help pet owners who are facing foreclosure.

You can also contact your local shelters and rescue organizations. Most have lists of local resources for acquiring pet food, pet-friendly housing and low-cost veterinary care.

If you must move out of your home, look for pet-friendly housing. Here are some websites that list pet-friendly apartments and homes for rent, Pets911 and PeopleWithPets.com.

While it is still important to visit your veterinarian yearly for an examination, you can cut out many unnecessary tests and procedures by keeping your pet as healthy as possible throughout the year; read Dr. Donna Spector’s article “Tips on Lowering Veterinary Bills and Pet Expenses“.

Halo is a proud supporter of Best Friends Animal Society; their web site is another great resource for pet owners to find pet-friendly housing and pet financial aid organizations.

@Suzanne’s winning tweet was, “We call Halo frz-dried chicken ‘cookies’. When my cat Montague escaped the way we got him back was to yell ‘cookies’ #MyHaloStory.”

Montague is a 3rd generation Savannah cat, bred from American Shorthair and African Servile. He has giant ears and a triangle shaped face long legs and skinny tail. Suzanne taught him how to shake hands so he sits and shake hands for his reward — Halo freeze dried chicken treats! She says,” when we whisper the word ‘cookie’ he howls and paces till we get the container from the fridge. One cannot go near the fridge without him following and howling.” Then Suzanne’s other three cats come to see if the Savannah cat gets his treat.

On top of that, she mentions a friend who’s cat, Walter, plays the piano for his Halo chicken treats. We’d sure like to see a video of that!

Answer: Sorry to hear that Suzi is so congested. What you are describing (congestion, snots, sneezing) are not signs of asthma, but of rhinitis. Rhinitis is inflammation in the nasal passages and can be caused by many things: allergies, infection (cryptococcus, viruses, etc), benign polyps, cancer (lymphoma) are the most common things. Antibiotics often appear to work for a short time because the nose is filled with bacteria and the medication cuts the numbers, however, rarely is the real problem a true bacterial infection. The most common (and most frustrating) is allergic rhinitis (which is similar to hayfever or other nasal allergies in people) and is a problem cats often have to deal with periodically throughout the year. A thorough workup includes checking Suzi for the things I listed above and doing a nasal scope with biopsy. Ask your veterinarian what the next steps would be for Suzi.

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.

Vancouver is a safe and easily accessible walking city, with numerous pet friendly activities located throughout the city. One “must do” activity is a stroll along the pet friendly Stanley Park seawall, a paved six-mile loop with spectacular mountain, ocean, and city views. If your pet needs more exercise after his walk, then head over to one of the 30-plus off leash dog parks in the Vancouver metro area.

Vancouver’s North Shore, located 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver, is another incredible place to enjoy the great outdoors with its hundreds of miles of pet friendly trails, creeks, and rivers. The Grouse Grind is a popular pet friendly hike that is often referred to as “Mother Nature’s Stairmaster.”

Other pet friendly attractions include Capilano Suspension Bridge and Park, a ferry ride to Granville Island, a walk down pet friendly Robson Street. Another must-see is Gastown, where you and your pet can stroll down charming cobbled streets, and be sure to check out Vancouver Chinatown.

These are just some of the places to go in pet friendly Vancouver. If you are thinking of traveling with your pet, there is a lot to see and do. Click here for some great pet friendly travel tips.