Available in its breed-specific store, this booklet provides informative reading for anyone who has an Akita or is considering living with one.

The old adage “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” applies to dogs too. Mike Cormier DVM and I are true believers in proactive measures, including knowing the genetic diseases a breed is disposed to, symptoms, treatments most commonly used, what a good vet would check for, and of course, how dietary measures and supplement choices can play roles in prevention. The dietary information applies to all methods of feeding (kibble, cooked or raw). The Akita is our latest offering and joins our other breed booklets: Airedale Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Australian Shepherd, Basset Hound, Border Collie, Boxer, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Golden Retriever, Great Dane, Labrador Retriever, Standard Poodle, Miniature Poodle, Toy Poodle, and Rottweiler. Don’t see your breed? We’re working on it! New breeds are announced monthly.

Check out the savings when you choose to buy a three-pack of booklets, and you can learn about these breeds as well as two other subjects that can help even more. If you’re part of a group (veterinary teams, rescue organizations, and breed clubs are welcomed) wanting 48 or more booklets, we offer a deep discount to support your effort! Contact us soon.

Fact of the Month
Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes Are Different

There seems to be some confusion out there between probiotics and digestive enzymes. Probiotics help the host animal by improving its intestinal microbial balance. These good-guy bacteria are already a part of normal gut flora. By feeding probiotics, we hope they will flourish and replenish so the dog (or human) reaps the benefits. Probiotics can be helpful in cases of diarrhea, steady the gut flora that may have been disturbed due to ingestion of antibiotics, and improve general health. Be aware that acidophilus is the best studied probiotic in dogs, and that other strains may not be as helpful. A study on E. faceium concludes that it increased the amounts of Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp. I use only acidophilus and see great results.

Digestive enzymes are something that healthy dogs make in abundance. These include protease (to break down protein), lipase (to break down fats) and amylase (to break down carbohydrates). Digestive enzymes do not include a probiotic of any kind. Supplemental forms may be a wise addition for those dogs that have pancreatic insufficiencies (health or age related), but are not of benefit to those that do not.

Puppy Case of the Month
Ben (Bernese Mountain Dog)

This new area of the newsletter is being devoted to interesting cases (with the dog owner’s permission), and lessons to be learned from dogs of all lifestages, in various states of health and disease.

Meet Ben - an eight month old Bernese Mountain Dog. Ben’s owner came to me a few months ago, after her pup had been diagnosed with mange and started to limp a little. Owners raise their puppies, and many times, I’m fortunate enough to help grow them. In this case, Ben had been fed a raw diet that seemed relatively well balanced, but lacked in copper. Due to an intolerance to beef, Ben wasn’t being fed beef liver which is an abundant source of this mineral. Instead, he was given a multi-vitamin and mineral complex made for dogs. The source of copper in this product was copper oxide - a poorly absorbed form. So, on paper, the diet looked short in copper but in reality, Ben wasn’t absorbing nearly the amount of copper he was being given to begin with.

Of the many roles that dietary copper plays, immune system function, and bone formation are two that struck me when considering this puppy. The diet was altered to include lamb liver and heart as sources of copper, and we needed to add a little Multi Mineral Complex as well. Ben responded beautifully, but the most telling sign wasn’t that his limp and mange cleared up. Those may or may not have resolved on their own. The most telling sign was that, despite that his owner hadn’t mentioned anything about Ben’s coat being poorly pigmented, it had, apparently, lacked brilliant color. The coat color was nothing short of perfect shortly after the diet change. Copper also happens to play a critical role in pigmentation. Way to go, Ben! You’re going to be a healthy, beautiful example of an adult dog.

Feed a vitamin B compound supplement. I use 50 mg daily for a 50-60 pound dog even if the diet provides all the B vitamins the pet needs. Supplemental niacinamide (vitamin B3) has been linked to some pain relief in human patients with osteoarthritis. While dogs are a different species, I’ve seen some good results with this dosage. It’s important that you feed a compound rather than B3 alone. The vitamin B group works as a team; one vitamin needing others to work properly. Try CoQ10. The rationale is that other than it being a powerful antioxidant, it’s essential for the mitochondria. So, the immune system may have more cellular energy. This hasn’t been proven in clinical trials, but some dogs react so positively to it, that it’s worth trying for a few weeks to see if it can help. Lastly, feed a joint supportive supplement. Clients report good success with our Joint Complex which takes 4-6 weeks to show best results.

Monica

“I've seen a look in dogs’ eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts..’
-- John Steinbeck