Question: What do you recommend if our cat does not want to eat his own food? I tried to change his flavor (using the blue bag now) but he still seems to like the dogs food better?

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.

You can try adding our fatty acid supplement (Dream Coat) or some of the Halo Dinner Party protein sprinkle on top of his food to spark his interest. Also adding a small amount of warmed canned food on top of the dry can entice even the pickiest eater.

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.

Your pet may be suffering from an improper balance of essential fatty acids. Pet foods are notoriously low in fatty acids because these fats are fragile and prone to break-down by overcooking or improper storage of dry food. Pets on fat-restricted (weight loss) diets may be at increased risk for deficiency.

Many skin conditions will improve from the addition of fatty acids as they help eliminate inflammation within irritated skin and improve skin moisture and suppleness, regardless of the underlying problem.

There are many beneficial anti-inflammatory fatty acids and a fatty acid supplement like Dream Coat combines six cold-pressed virgin oils (including fish oil) to achieve an ideal ratio of anti-inflammatory fatty acids. Dream Coat is a perfect complement to a natural diet and can help your pet get on their way to looking and feeling their best!

Note: Always consult your veterinarian about skin problems as there may be other recommended therapies.

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Q: My dog was diagnosed with hepatitis in Feb. I have been cooking chicken and rice for him and recently started him on canidae. He also has been biting his feet due to allergies? Is the dream coat something that might help this? Would HALO be good for his liver failure? I am leery starting any new food, but your product seems to be a positive idea for Quinny.

He is a 6 yr old rotty lab who is a big mush!

Thanks much..
Cheryl

A: Hi Cheryl:

Allergies are a very common cause of foot biting in dogs (especially this time of year). However, just to make sure we aren’t overlooking anything in Quinny, I would also recommend you ask your veterinarian about “Hepatocutaneous Syndrome”. Although uncommon, it is a condition that affects the feet and skin in dogs with hepatitis and other significant liver or endocrine diseases. Sometimes the earliest signs we see are foot biting and itching. There are specific treatments that we recommend for Hepatocutaneous Syndrome that wouldn’t be the same as allergy treatment…so just ask your vet to be complete.

The Halo Dream Coat is a blend of 6 cold-pressed virgin oils that provides an excellent spectrum of essential fatty acids. Fatty acids have proven beneficial in many cases of allergies as well as other inflammatory conditions (such as hepatitis, kidney inflammation, intestinal inflammation, arthritis, etc). It is likely that Quinny may benefit from fatty acid supplementation for several reasons. Please review my article Supplements for Skin and Coat: How to Achieve a Dream Coat in Your Pet for more information on fatty acids and Dream Coat.

Halo dog foods are natural foods that lack synthetic chemicals, artificial dyes or preservatives. Almost all chemicals that dogs eat must be metabolized or broken down by the liver, so I definitely recommend a natural or balanced home-cooked diet for dogs with liver problems.

Hope this helps. Good luck with Quinny.
Dr. Donna Spector

Where do you go for information to help you choose food and care products for your four-legged family member(s)?

I’ll share one of mine: Buzzillions.com.

Buzzillions collects reviews from 2,300 different web sites including Amazon, Petco, Drugstore.com and many more that carry pet care products. For example, check out Buzzillions’ review of Halo Dream Coat. It’s ranked the #1 of 302 Pet Vitamins and Nutrition products by long-time pet owners, and #2 of 302 among all pet owners. Here are the three most recent reviews (as of 1/11/09):

“I started using Halo’s Dream Coat 3 months ago. One of my 3 dogs was recovering from Deodactic Mange when I adopted her.The skin and coat were in bad shape. I use it daily for all 3 dogs and one cat and the improvement is stunning! Annie is getting a beautiful coat where there was none for over a year.The others coats are lush. The dogs like the taste and one of them licks it off the spoon before I can mix it in her food! “  -Dorothy

“I have a VERY large sheddy Rotty. I tried Dream Coat and saw a difference within the 1st week. He gets so many compliments for his lush shiny coat and he has not been shedding as much as before. Harley’s vet even complimented his coat and asked what i was using. Now they carry Dream COat at his Vet;s office!”  -Harley’s Mom

“Dream Coat is a dream come true. It slowed down the excessive shedding I incurred daily with my 3 year old German Shepherd, Shepp. Shepp is extremely picky and turns her nose up at most supplement. However, I mixed Dream Coat in her food and didn’t noticed the product was added to her meals. Her coat is beautiful, shiny and looks extremely healthy.”   -Proud Patty

Please, comment here to share your best online information sources with other devoted pet owners!