Here is a recipe for a Chicken and Potato diet that would work well for dogs with kidney disease. The idea is to watch the phosphorus balance in the diet for these dogs. You can substitute turkey or lean ground beef if your dog prefers and barley if you do not like potato.

Diets to prevent or treat bladder stones are vastly different depending on the type of bladder stone present. It is very important to follow a few general guidelines when dealing with stones. A diet for a dog who is prone to “uroliths” needs to be 70 % water. This means either canned food, wetting dry food or home cooking and adding broths and soups. Be sure your veterinarian approves or recommends a diet because if the diet is not right… Continue reading →

When Dr Palmer developed chiropractic over 100 years ago, he developed it as a system that could be used on any animal with a vertebral system. In the early 1900’s chiropractors were trained to adjust humans, horses, dogs, cats, and other animals. Adjusting of animals fell out of favour as chiropractors aligned themselves with the human medical system in the 1920‘s. Animal chiropractic made a resurgence in the 1980s with the founding of the a chiropractic school that trained veterinarians… Continue reading →

Milk Thistle is a well known “liver herb” for people and pets. The active ingredient is “silymarin” which is actively a combination of other active compounds. Milk Thistle is used to treat liver disease, kidney disease, mushroom and other toxicities, and lead poisoning. Holistic veterinarians have used it for years to treat liver diseases of all sorts in dogs and cats. It has an excellent safety record and no known adverse drug interactions, although taking too much of the herb… Continue reading →

Our pets age faster than we do and their health changes with age. 10 to 20 percent of all dogs that veterinarians see for their annual examinations have underlying health issues that have gone unnoticed by their owners. So how do you know your fur kid is actually sick? Here are 10 signs that your pet may be ill:

Spring is here and the weather is getting warmer. It is great to be able to open the window and let some of the spring air in, but it can pose a danger to your cat, especially if you live in an apartment without window screens. Even if you have window screens, some cats can lean against them and push them out. Every year a number of cats are injured or die from falling out of windows. This is such… Continue reading →

The Iditarod, the granddaddy of all Sled Dog races started this week. This annual race is 1049 miles and runs from Anchorage to Nome. Mushers and teams of 12 to 16 dogs cover that distance in 9 to 15 days. It started in 1973 to determine the best musher and has quickly evolved into a highly competitive race. The Iditarod is regarded as a symbolic link to the early history of the state and is connected to many traditions commemorating… Continue reading →

Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) Food therapy is practiced by TCVM practitioners as another tool to help their patients along with acupuncture and herbal therapy. Food therapy is used to treat specific health conditions, and to prevent disease. Homemade diets are the foundation of food therapy.

photo credit: noluckmurphy Hind leg lameness is very common in dogs. The most common lameness that occurs with the hind legs is rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL). It is known as the anterior cruciate ligament or ACL in humans. If a dog is limping on his hind leg, most veterinarians assume it is a knee problem unless proven otherwise.

photo credit: Mandy Frediani   1. Cats need to be fed diets that are high in moisture , balanced for them and mostly meat. Cats are obligate carnivores and should not be feed diets high in grain or carbohydrates.