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The News At Home
We may think of her as our little princess but truth be told, Cassie has a lot of prey drive- and not much of a carnivore instinct. It was a warm night and she was strolling through the backyard when she saw something move. Instantly striking a pose that would have made a Pointer proud, she focused and bolted towards the object that turned out to be a mouse. Maybe the mouse was hurt in some way because Cassie’s not fast enough to catch it under normal circumstances but this time, she did just that.
Her cheeks were very full and the mouse’s tail was hanging out of her mouth. Only a dog lover would find this amusing rather than sickening. There she was totally confused about what to do in this situation. Let go of her prize? Not a chance. Kill it or eat it? She didn’t seem interested in that either.
We play a game called ‘trade it’ where Cassie lets go of whatever she has and receives a treat instead. Beef didn’t tempt her, beef heart didn’t persuade her and not even beef liver or rabbit could get her to drop the mouse. A piece of boiled potato did the trick. So much for the carnivore connection. The mouse seemed relieved.
What’s New at monicasegal.com
Borage Oil
We’re excited to announce Borage Oil under the Monica Segal label. Proven to have a steroid sparing effect in dogs (Clinical Trial Multicenter Study Randomized Controlled Trial PMID: 15214949 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE], borage oil provides a non inflammatory version of Omega 6. It has been helpful against pain from joint inflammation as well as for skin conditions.
There are different qualities or Borage oil on the market. Ours is cold pressed, preserved with natural vitamin E and provides 23% GLA (Gamma Linolenic Acid). The lab assay on our web site proves that this Borage oil meets our expectations and since we never offer products that haven’t been tested on dogs, we also know that the results of using this oil are outstanding.
What’s New at K9Kitchen
K9Kitchens at Yahoo Groups
If you’re not already a member of our discussion groups, please join us! We’ve had some fun lately and started a silent auction in support of the Rabies Vaccine Challenge. As of this writing, our group has gathered about $500 to donate to the fund. Vaccines aren’t a topic we discuss but the cause is so worthwhile and we managed to have some while making it a group effort.
Fact of the Month
Working Dogs May Benefit from a Different Approach
I work with many people who have working dogs. Be it Agility, Herding, Schutzhund or something else, these dogs are highly active and work their muscles hard. Of all the questions I’m asked in these cases, the most common one is what do feed in order to provide the best diet.
There isn’t one answer as to what the best diet might be because the result is based on a dog’s general health status, food tolerances and caloric needs. In general, red meats provide much better nutrition than white meats or fish and carbohydrates have a protein sparing effect. There may be more that we can do if we take a few things into consideration.
Vitamin C is commonly recognized an antioxidant. Unlike their owners, dogs manufacture their own vitamin C and supplementation needs to be considered carefully. Excess is excreted through urine and some dogs also excrete calcium in the same way. In these cases, the result is a set-up for calcium oxalate stones. For this reason I don’t supplement the average diet with vitamin C but there are exceptions and healthy working dogs may be one of them. A dog with normal urine pH and no history of crystals in the urine may be a good candidate for supplementation. Vitamin C plays a role in collagen formation. Collagen is a chief protein substance. Vitamin C in the form of Ester-C is excreted more slowly by the body and doesn’t tend to acidify urine nearly as much as regular vitamin C.
Ensure that the diet provides sufficient amounts of B vitamins. All play vital roles in the conversion of food into energy and are essential for the normal functioning of the nervous system, maintenance of good digestion and promote healthy skin, hair, and eyes.
Due to their molecular structure, Isoleucine Leucine, Valine, and are called "branch chain" amino acids. They’re recognized for their muscle saving benefits and while many foods contain them, fish and cheese provide more than most foods
Beta-carotene is a phytonutrient carotenoid with antioxidant and provitamin A activity. In addition to it’s other roles, it works with other natural protectors to defend cells from harmful free radical damage. This is important because it translates to playing a role in recovery from exercise.
Several studies have reported improved endurance after taking CoQ10. It’s been shown to have heart protective and energy productive properties as well as being one of the best antioxidants. CoQ10 is involved in cellular energy production.
Flavanoids are a group of compounds widely distributed in plants. They’ve been found to have many beneficial activities such as anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties.
Glucosamine is an organic compound found in cartilage and joint fluid. It relieves joint pain and may help in healing some joint injuries. Excellent reports come from people using a complex of glucosamine, chondroiten and MSM.
For those of you who want to sit in on a seminar devoted to Working Dogs, I recorded a four-hour session on this topic. The audience was focused on nutrition for their working and performance dogs. A description of this seminar CD set can be found on our web site along with some audio samples.
Until next time...
Monica
DOG LETTER TO GOD:
Dear God,
When we get to Heaven, can we sit on your couch?
Or is it the same old story?
-- Author unknown
