CHANGING FOODS FOR DOGS

How do we assess the foods?

Choosing a good dry pet food isn’t that easy. If you’ve ever read the ingredient label on a pet food, you’ll notice that there is one crucial bit of information missing: how much of each ingredient is in the food. That really is crucial information. As we’ve already noted, most dry pet foods are based on grains or other plant material. But the animals we’re feeding them to are carnivores and should be eating a diet that is mainly made up of meat…

You’ll see the crude fat and crude protein content of the food listed on the labelling, but that alone does not tell us very much. Grains contain protein too – but it’s far less bioavailable protein for a carnivore that lacks the digestive enzymes needed to digest plants. Protein derived from meat represents a far higher quality and species-appropriate diet for a carnivore than plant proteins ever can be. What’s the point of a protein if it cannot be properly digested?

Fortunately, it is possible to make an educated guess as to the quality of a pet food. Until or unless the percentages of the ingredients are required to be shown on the ingredient lists or manufacturers disclose that information voluntarily, it can only ever be an educated guess or assessment, based on the knowledge that we do have. But that is far better than relying on the advertising hype. 

What we look for in pet foods:

Meat, meat and more meat products. Cats and dogs are carnivores, and a species appropriate diet for these animals must be based on meat. They have no evolved need of carbohydrates in their diet. Grains are in pet food because they’re cheaper than meat products, and are needed to hold the kibble bits together. Not because they’re species-appropriate nutrition for a carnivorous mammal.

Meat and fat products that are identified by species. If the species cannot be identified, neither can the quality. We suggest avoiding any products that use unidentified “meat”, “animal” or “poultry” products in their foods.

Where grains are used, we look for good quality whole grains. Avoid those products that make prolific use of grain fragments (think floor sweepings) in their foods – these are nutritionless fillers.

Whole fruits and vegetables are appreciated, especially where these replace grains in the foods.

Organic ingredients are appreciated – but note above about the need for a food to contain a high proportion of meat. Organic grains are very nice where grains must be used, but they are no substitute for meat content.

What we avoid:

Foods containing any form of by-products, most especially those of indeterminate origin (“animal”, “poultry”, etc). 

Artificial colours, flavours, sweeteners or preservatives – especially those believed to be carcinogenic or that are banned from use in the human food chain. In dog food, principally these are BHT, BHA, Ethoxyquin, Propyl Gallate. NOTE: Some ingredients, usually fish products, may contain artificial preservatives that are not disclosed on the ingredient list; if they are not added by the manufacturer, they are not required to be listed. We therefore look for assurances by manufacturers using ocean fish products that their foods do NOT contain any artificial preservatives.

Meats and fats that are not identified by species. These could literally be anything, and are almost certainly of very low quality.

Practices and ingredients to be aware of:

Splitting

Splitting is a common practice on dog food labels and it pays to be aware. Ingredients in dog food are listed in order of their weight – so the heaviest ingredients, those that make up the largest portion of the food, are listed first. 

Splitting is when a manufacturer lists different components of the same ingredient as separate items. For example, chicken and chicken meal are both chicken products. Brown rice, white rice, rice, rice bran, rice gluten and rice flour are all parts of the same ingredient – rice. Yes, there is a difference in the nutritional aspects of the different forms of rice – brown rice is more nutritious than white rice, and grain fragments are far lower quality and less nutritious than whole grains. But the issue around splitting is in determining quantity.

The reason for the practice of “splitting” is essentially to make the ingredient list look better. As an example, when there are large quantities of rice in the food, a manufacturer might choose to list the component parts separately. That way, although the total rice products may make up, say, 55% of the food and meat only 25%, it is possible to list the meat product first and then three or four individual rice products that each separately weigh less than the meat product. Combined, however, rice makes up more than double the chicken content.

Manufacturers don’t disclose the quantity of ingredients on the labelling though. So you have to make the best assessment you can from the rest of the information given. Thus, while seeing the component parts of rice (or any other ingredient) is useful for determining the quality of ingredients used, when you’re trying to assess quantity you should always mentally add those component parts together.

Splitting can also serve to increase the level of confidence one has in the quantity of particular ingredients used. When you see two forms of the same meat ingredient, chicken for example, at the head of an ingredient list that can help you come to the reasonable conclusion that there is indeed a reasonable amount of chicken in the food.

The ingredient “chicken” means fresh chicken which is inclusive of its water content. Now water content is of course removed in the process of making dry dog food. It is thus likely that the true position of that ingredient (sans water) should be much further down the ingredient list than is stated. But if that were the first ingredient in a food, and the next ingredient is “chicken meal” then the practice of splitting can tell us that there was sufficient chicken meal in the food for it to be rated ahead of the first grain despite a portion of the ingredient split off. This serves to increase our confidence that the true first ingredient is that named – a form of chicken (meat product).

Be careful though ;) That would not necessarily be the case if the grains behind it were also split, or if there are a lot of different grain products in the food.

Some examples:

Example 1:

Chicken, chicken meal, turkey, turkey meal, brown rice, chicken fat….

That looks excellent. There are “four” meat ingredients at the head of the ingredient list. And only one grain. Once we factor in the removal of water content (which is about 80%) from the ingredients “chicken” and “turkey” then it is likely that these would be more accurately placed somewhat further down the ingredient list. A more likely “true” ingredient list here is thus: chicken meal, turkey meal, brown rice, chicken fat, chicken (sans water), turkey (sans water).

So how does it look now? Actually, still very good. The first two ingredients are still meat products, and there are two further meat products in the food. There is only one grain ahead of the fat content. We could have a very high level of confidence that there really was a decent quantity of meat products in the food.

Example 2:

Chicken meal, brown rice, white rice, rice bran, rice gluten meal, barley, chicken fat…

At first glance, that also looks fairly good. The first ingredient in the food is a meat product – in meal form too, so we don’t have to factor in the effects of water removal. But is it really the first ingredient? Actually, we can’t be confident that it is. Once we add all the different forms of rice together, they may well outweigh the chicken meal. And in fact they probably do, by a significant margin. Note that there’s another grain right behind the rice products in the ingredient list too. In short, it is impossible to be confident that the food contains an adequate amount of meat.

While not strictly an example of splitting, you should also take note of foods that use a lot of different grain products, and mentally add all those grains together to compare against all meat products. 

For example: 

Chicken meal, brown rice, barley, oat groats, ground corn, chicken fat, wheat flour, corn gluten meal, fish meal, millet…

No splitting going on there, so we can read that as a true list. But we should look carefully at the overall meat versus grain content. The first ingredient may be meat, but in this case it is followed immediately by four different grains ahead of the fat content, and three more grains after that. There is one further meat product (a meal) but it’s 9th on the ingredient list. It is likely that the combined grain products outweigh the total meat products by a large margin. This too is a grain heavy food.

The manufacturers won’t tell us the exact proportions of the ingredients that go into the products, so it is really a case of making an assessment based on the information you do have. And when it comes to dog food, it is wiser to err on the side of scepticism than of blind trust.

What DFA does NOT do:

The ratings and reviews on this site are based solely on the ingredients the manufacturers state they use in the foods and other information given. We make no assessment of their ethics, involvement in food recalls, animal testing, phenobarbitol 'scandals' or other practices, believing this to be a matter for the individual consumer. If you wish to include such considerations in your food purchase decision, we would encourage you to research widely prior to purchase.

The Best Food for Dogs

"What is the best food to feed a dog?" Every day veterinarians are asked that question by dog owners. It's a sincere question because most dog owners want to feed the very best to their furry friends. Good health begins with proper nutrition, regardless of price or convenience of acquisition.

Please understand that the entire discussion on this page relates to healthy dogs with no kidney, thyroid, food allergy or other abnormal conditions. Also, the content of this page is my opinion regarding the "best" dry food and how to determine what you think is "best" to feed dogs.

A big reason why it i is strictly an opinion, there is no single answer to the question "What is the best diet to feed a dog?" Or if there is an answer it is, "It depends".

Over the past 37 years I have been examining dogs and cats in my practices I have made it a point to ask the owner "What diet are you feeding?" I have gotten all sorts of answers but in every case I relate the owner's response to what I am seeing in the patient. And over the years my suggestions regarding what to feed have changed.

Originally I took the pet food manufacturer's declarations as fact -- that an assortment of "Complete and Balanced" pet foods were perfectly nourishing because that wording was not legally permitted on pet food labels unless feeding trials demonstrated its veracity. I eventually discovered I was mistaken in the belief that any "Complete and Balanced" dog food was appropriate to feed.

It was in 1978 that I had an awakening. A number of clients were presenting dogs to me that had coarse hair coats and slightly greasy and flaky skin; and often these dogs (and cats!) had chronic itchy skin, hot spots, ear infections and seemed overweight.

So, they were over-caloried but under-nourished. Their calorie intake was up but the food they were consuming simply -- no matter that the pet food label indicated "Complete and Balanced" --was not providing a proper nutrient spectrum to the dog. Sometimes I would simply say that some fatty acid supplements "might help". I was a believer in those "Complete and Balanced" diets. One of the reasons I couldn't see what was going on regarding these dogs with poor health signals relating to diets was that some of the "Complete and Balanced" diets were resulting in well nourished dogs, partly because the owners were feeding table scraps as well.

I'll jump ahead a bit and tell you the defining element that separated the good "Complete and Balanced" diets from the poor ones was this: The poor diets were based on corn -- meaning, corn was listed as the first ingredient in the ingredient list on the label -- and the good diets were based on chicken or some other meat source -- lamb, beef.

I was always instructed, and learned in the few nutrition courses in veterinary school (nutrition is much better covered in veterinary school these days) that an imbalance of calcium and phosphorus in a dog's diet would lead to health disasters. This holds true today, too.

I was instructed that "since meat is high in phosphorus and lower in calcium, too much meat is not good for dogs over long periods of time". (Many people still confuse the disastrous all meat diets with meat-based diets; one is not good the other is ideal.) Grain-based diets for dogs, and even more so for cats, do not make nutritional sense and that was exactly why I was seeing those patients with the dry and flaky, sometimes greasy skin and coarse hair coats. They were eating "Complete and Balanced" grain-based diets with nothing else added. Why add anything when it is "Complete and Balanced" already?

Further confirmation came when I saw another litter owned by a local Bloodhound breeder. This fellow seemed to me to be quiet and a healthy ten-year-old dog with a shiny coat.

When I'd ask him what he was feeding his dogs we would get into our annual nutritional discussion and I'd keep warning him about the home-made recipe and all that meat he had been feeding his dogs for years.

Funny thing was, his dogs were among the very best I had ever seen. All his litters, and adult dogs, were robust, had perfect skin and coats even at six weeks of age, and never had to come in for skin problems, skeletal dysfunction, gastrointestinal problems or oral health issues. This breeder was sending his pups all over the country and there I was trying to tell him to be careful about "feeding too much meat" and I'd talk about such things as "a 'Complete and Balanced' commercial dog food would be best, make sure you don't get skeletal problems". I wondered why I felt rather foolish instructing him because I honestly thought his dogs were in optimum health.

The answer came to me, finally, on its own. It seeped into my consciousness after years of seeing a pattern. The key to the healthy dogs' diets was that they were consuming a diet based upon meat and the poor doers were eating diets based upon grain such as corn!

According to pet industry consultant Dave Geier of Geier Enterprises, Highlands Ranch, CO, "Pet food companies invest over $100 million each year in research and development. This includes both basic research into new and improved formulations as well as the protocols to validate their efficacy."

All this ongoing research and development bodes well for dog owners because the more we know the better we become at taking care of the dogs and puppies in our lives. Geier goes on to say that, "The ingredients in some high-end pet foods have never been better."

I have noticed that today's meat-based diets are far superior to what was commercially available years ago. Dog owners are finally understanding the need for meat and poultry products as a foundation for superior nutrition for dogs. And the myth about "all that protein causing kidney damage" has finally gone the way of such proverbs as milk causing worms and ear cropping preventing ear infections. If you need to know more about the fact that dietary protein does not harm the kidneys

Therefore, one of the parameters you need to know when you are trying to determine the best food to feed your dog is this: Is the diet meat-based or grain-based? The meat-based diets are the best choice. (Remember, we're talking about normal dogs, not those with heart, thyroid or other abnormalities.)

I prefer chicken as the first (main) ingredient when I recommend a dog food because I have seen so many dogs on chicken-based diets that were in really excellent health. Lamb, turkey, fish, beef and venison all are good choices, too, but subtle nutritional variations in amino acid spectrum and the fatty acid composition contributed by the "meat" may be different when these protein sources are compared to chicken. That's just my opinion; don't stop feeding a lamb and rice diet if your dog looks and acts great!

Veterinary nutrition specialist Dan Carey is a co-author of an excellent text calledCanine and Feline Nutrition, and numerous other published articles that all dog owners and breeders should read. He works in Research and Development at The Iams Company. He believes strongly that dogs should be fed properly well before any breeding activities begin.

“The bitch should be at or within five percent of her ideal body weight. Excess weight is associated with increased complications and excess weight in the final third of gestation is associated with over-sized puppies. Her fatty acid status should be normalized by feeding a diet that contains proper amounts and ratios of fatty acids. If she has had previous litters, each successive litter places a nutritional drain on her. One of the nutrient types that are depleted are fatty acids. If the bitch is fed a diet without a balanced ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids (5;1), her own fatty acid index will go down on successive litters.”

Nursing dogs require a higher caloric intake of properly balanced food. So, what’s the best dog food to feed your dog? The answer is it depends. In truth, there seems to be no single dog food that is the best for all dogs and all puppies. So what should you look for in a high quality dog food?

Here’s what I suggest to my clients: Look at the dog food labels. In the GUARANTEED ANALYSIS look for the Protein content to be at least 30 percent, the Fat to be at least 18 percent, preservatives to be via Vitamin E and/or C and look for Omega Fatty Acid to be present. Supplementation can be harmful, especially calcium supplementation to a pregnant bitch. If a good quality dog food is being fed no special supplementation should be needed. If a supplement is required to make the dog look or feel better or whelp healthier pups, you should instead change the food.

Optimum nutrition demands that protein, fat, carbohydrate and micronutrients such as minerals, vitamins, and enzymes are in balance with each other. Therein lies the danger of a breeder supplementing an already properly formulated diet!

Recall Geier’s statement about all that research that’s gone into the food’s formulation. How are you to know what supplement to add and in what quantity to “improve” the foods’ value? Should you be adding whole foods such as eggs, cottage cheese, or meat to the dog’s diet?

Again, if a high quality, highly digestible commercial food is fed that meets the previously mentioned percentages of nutrients, adding table food may undo some of the balance and quantities of nutrients being fed to the dog.

So be cautious and self-critical about supplementing a dog’s diet in the hope of improving an already balanced, scientifically established formula. 

In conclusion: I recommend that a dog owner look at the pet food label. Look at the ingredient list and a meat such as chicken should be listed as the first ingredient. Look at the guaranteed analysis to see that the protein level is at 30 percent or more. The fat content should be at 18 percent or more. And if there is a rather wide spectrum of ingredients such as omega fatty acids and vitamin E, that's good, too. There should be NO FOOD COLORING!

If you find a few diets that meet this criteria, and there are quite a few from which to choose, you just might have the confidence that you are feeding the best dog food you can get.

Dogs Travel management

With so many methods of transport, it is hardly surprising that for a percentage we observe a few problems. I will not go through all of them but the cures are normally all the same so you can adopt them as necessary. Many of these are in fact traceable back to the apprehension of the owners. We can be our dog’s worst enemy in assuming such a little bundle of fur is so fragile and needs our protection. We have the “Arrr” factor that turns us into illogical carers. Evolution taught a puppy to lean at an amazing rate to accustom itself to its ever-changing environment in order that it can survive and yet we try to interfere thinking we are doing the right thing. We must try to stand back and let it learn only giving guidance by caring, reward or appropriate chastisement when it is deemed necessary. Watching a puppy learn is exciting and wonderful to see and helps us to better understand then. By watching, we learn about the character of our puppy and how to communicate with it as well as making some needed changes.

Do not make a lot of fuss showing your concern or worries as this only reinforces to the dog that there is something to concern it. Be calm and let that be the influence you convey to your dog. Think happy thoughts or jolly hockey sticks if you are a Roger Mugford fan (I do have my concerns about him) as this controls your body language that your pup is reading. (Anyone who has done acting will know what I mean)

The most common problems are usually associated with cars and are probably a result from its very first encounter. Many breeders and rescue shelters now recognise this and are beginning to take puppies out for short trips in the car in order to accustom them to car travel in preparation for the new owners.

We all are aware that changing homes is stressful for humans as it is for dogs and their reactions to traveling for the first time in a car will surface in differing ways. We can have howling, barking, running around, cowering, sickness, urinating even defecation or they just settle down and go to sleep. If this is its first trip in a car think of the changes, it is making and loosing all the other puppies and its mother. (Gut wrenching stuff) If you think about it the new dog receives a first car trip, new people, new home, new bedding, new food, new toys, new sounds and a new silence. Bringing a new dog home is adoption and would you not take some time if you were to adopt a child so do you not think the dog is at least entitled to getting to know you. Try not to make too many changes all in one go.

Make this first car trip before the puppy’s normally feeding time and let food be the reward on arriving at its new home. Give the dog some exercise before the trip to wear it out and then it is looking for a chance to rest. If you have taken a blanket some days or weeks before for all the puppies to use as bedding and having become impregnated with the puppies smell you can lay this down in the car to help to reduce the stress.

Make a short trip first before actually setting off like just around the car park and then let the dog out for a short walk and give lots of praise. Take the pup for a short circular trip and then return to the kennel as if you are returning it to the kennels. (We are wicked are we not)? This will make the pup think the next trip will also be back to the kennel. You can offer a toy to play with or a nice juicy bone to occupy its time. An arm through the dog guard stroking the dog may also help calm the dog. Do prepare for the eventuality that the trip may not go so well and try not to frighten your dog if it is sick or shows any signs of fear. Act normally and take your dog’s mind off it and onto something else. Be cautious and aware of the potential dangers of letting your dog sit on your lap. You do not intend to do this forever so why start now.

Other problems in traveling are dogs taken for a walk usually end up caked in mud or wet from swimming and should stay in the back but how many jump forward and wet your lovely upholstery making it look like a riverbed. How many of you still have the spot marks all over the car interior after a dog shook itself. Dogs locked in the car start to renovate your upholstery trying to dig themselves out of the windows or down at the doors. It is for these reasons I prefer a covered pickup and particular cab pickups. No longer are these considered as only workers vehicles, because now they are elevated to status symbols because they are so well equipped and wet smelly dogs are happy in the back drying off peacefully.

To solve most of these problems and for far greater canine safety one item I would advise purchasing is a training/traveling crate. Wolves and dogs naturally love a den of their own for their own feeling of security. To familiarise them to your dog take it into the house as they love and need somewhere to call home. There are many times dog are confined for travel, kennels or at the vets so if they are familiar with having a den then such times will be less stressful for your dog.

Strong steel mesh Crates are a real benefit used in the back of the car as the dog is under control and safer in the event of any accident for both dogs and humans. Imagine a loose dog in a sudden stop accident flying forward due to inertia. How many times has your dog slid off the seat when you had to break hard? (In Spain that is at least once every day) Driving with a dog wandering around the car is dangerous. I am not keen on the dog harnesses as they restrict the dog to turn around and appear generally uncomfortable. In big estate cars even with a dog-guard, the dog has too much room and in an accident results in injury when thrown about. They are also not that secure, as they are additions and not permanently fixed into place. If you stop and open a door, your dog could jump out in front of another vehicle. How many times have you opened the tailgate and tried to stop your dog jumping out? The designs of the lifting tailgates never considered dog behaviour. One further advantage is that you can leave tailgates and windows open allowing better air circulation and keep your dogs cool. With the grills that fit into the lowered windows, they are not that secure and I have known many dogs dislodge these as well as dog guards to gain an escape.

I fitted crates in the back of my covered pickup and whenever I left the back open to allow the air to circulate, I inevitably found the dogs asleep in their own crates. My dogs traveled all over the country so to them their beds simply went with them. They always slept in their own crate. Given the choice of sleeping at home in their individual runs and kennels or in the back of the pickup the pickup was the most popular.

One problem with big dogs is not all cars or even estate cars can accommodate standard crates. If you check out places that do welding, they may be able to fashion one for your particular car and appropriate for your dog. Sometimes if you have more that one dog then you may find a duel crate useful to stop any dog arguments in the back of the car. If you only have the one dog, it stops it checking your food purchases. (I could have sworn I bought some lamb chops today)

Ideally, you need to purchase new ones as your dog grows but this is expensive. If you can only buy one then, buy one that will fit a fully-grown dog. This should be big enough that your dog can stand without head bowed. Length will be one and a half the dog’s length with its tail down. The width should be the height of the dog to its shoulders. The dog can see all around and they are brilliant for any problem solving if any were to arise. Standard ones usually have a gate at the end and one at the side so this allows choice of fitting into your car.

It is important that you focus on the need to teach your dog to use its crate of its own accord. In the house leave this open as its sleeping quarters and teach your dog this is its place of retreat and where it can feel quite safe. Teach your dog to go into its crate occasionally after a meal to sleep. Once settled in preparation for use in the car just try moments of locking the door if your dog barks to come out say ‘quiet’ or ignore it until it is quiet and then let the dog out to show that only being quiet opens the door. Placed outside with the gate open and with a sun screen on the top allows for a perfect cool place for your dog to sleep in the sun with the air able to blow through. Our cats love to sleep in their wicker travel cases for the same reason. Before they would disappear whenever they saw the basket as it usually meant a trip to the vet.

Never treat crates like a cage or any type of dog bed as a punishment box like shouting ‘get in your bed’ as this will encourage your dog to wish to sleep somewhere else. Do not simply place your dog into it and lock the door expecting your dog to get use to it. It will in a fashion but it is cruel and likely to cause problems.

Training a dog to travel in a car does depend on the dog’s reaction. If it is not a keen traveler, you have to make car trips exciting and end with a reward like walking or other activities that your dog likes. If your dog always gets excited in the car and starts to bark incessantly we have to make trips to nowhere so there is no reward at the end of every trip. If your dog always wants to go out in the car as it does not want to be alone you have to teach it the delights of remaining at home. A dog given a juicy bone then taken on a short trip will want to get home as soon as possible. Some dogs will not get in a car and some will not get out. The old way to cure this was ether to yank the dog in or out of the car using a choker shouting, “get in” or “get out”. Thank goodness for more enlightenment times. We have cases where ordinarily docile pooches turn into the hound of the Baskervilles when they learn to start to guard the car. (Are all these problems making you wish to put the paper down and give up?)

It is not as bad as it would seem if we just remember to ask yourself what does a dog get out of whatever it is doing and break it down to a simple action to reaction solution. Guarding is from the first time your dog barks in fear as someone approaches your car and watch them walk away or flee. This rewards and each occasion reinforces to the dog its guarding abilities and it will just get worse as time goes by. The solution is to let people come up to your car with you there and just ignore the barking and eventually it will give up. If it barks when left in the car just start with short periods and then build it up. When you approach the car come from different directions so once out of sight they do not know where you have gone and so as in the wild they must just settle down and wait for your return. Try leaving them in the car at home with the tailgate open then they learn you cannot leave without them.

If dogs do not want to get in a car then find them a reason to want to jump in like a game or feed them in the back of the car. The reverse works for not getting out. If it gets out at home but not anywhere else then take its food with you and then it will get out or find a good game. Instead of issuing commands and thereby make getting out an issue why not just walk or run away and do something exciting at some distance away.

If your dog barks at you to let it out wait until it is quiet or if you have taught the speak command then say quiet and not let it out until it is. If your dog barks when you are getting near a place your dog likes just do not stop but go somewhere else. If you can see a dogs face when you drive right past where it thought it was going it is one of disbelief. If your dog barks whilst you are traveling find a quiet road and when the dog is barking, just stop and ignore the dog. Only when it is quiet do you set off again. Do not try this on the motorways. Remember do not reward bad or inappropriate behaviour.

Dogs will take to any form of travel given the right training but most more important is that your approach should be without showing any signs of concern. Trust in evolution that dogs are capable of being expert survivors.

Next week I have a 7-year-old staffy type dog that fiercely attacks all other dogs, defecates and urinates when restricted to the bedroom and will sit shaking in fear for no apparent reason. We will follow the dog through a behaviourist’s normal approach to these cures. (Not me I am just being nosy and need his bombproof dogs for this one.) If you have any questions or queries, please contact me.

Shih Tzu dogs breed

The compact Shih Tzu is the ideal canine companion. Originally bred for royalty in China, this little guy still considers himself a prince among dogs. A true sweetheart, his purpose in life is to love and be loved. Playful and mischievous, he will steal your shoes.

Once the prized lap dog of Chinese emperors, the Shih Tzu doesn’t see any reason to accept the slightest reduction in status. But his assumption that the world revolves around him rarely comes with arrogance or aggressiveness. The Shih Tzu is, somewhat inexplicably given his willingness to be spoiled, one of the sweeter of toy breeds and one of the more popular, too.

Shih Tzus do not guard, hunt, or tunnel into the earth, although they may retrieve balls for you to throw again. They are bred to do one thing, and they do it well: They are companion dogs who give love to the world and soak it back in. They’re an in-your-lap kind of dog. They’ll bark to alert you that someone is at the door; once whoever it is comes inside, there's a good chance your dog will like the person as long as you do, because they are trusting creatures.

Intelligent dogs, Shih Tzu like learning. They are good in obedience classes and can do great at agility and obedience competitions. They may take a little more time during training, and housebreaking can be a problem that requires perception and consistency on your end.

A Shih Tzu should get a short walk daily, but if you can’t, most will be content with using the furniture as a track course.

Colors in the breed are gold and white, red and white, black mask gold, solid red, black and white, solid black, solid liver, liver and white, blue and white, brindle and white, and silver and white.

A terrific apartment dog who does equally well in mansions and farms, he will adapt to whatever living arrangement you provide. What he can’t do is live outside. The Shih Tzu is too small, too human oriented, and too heat sensitive to live outdoors. He may not need a palace, but he definitely needs a home.

Other Quick Facts

• Shih Tzus are often called chrysanthemum dogs because of the way their hair grows up from the nose and around the face in all directions.
• The Shih Tzu may have originated in Tibet, bred by Tibetan lamas to be a tiny replica of a lion, which is associated with Buddhist mythology.
• The Shih Tzu is prized for his small size, sweet nature, flowing coat, and intelligent mind.
• The name is pronounced SHEED-zoo.

The History of Shih Tzus

Little is known about the origins of the Shih Tzu, but genetic testing tells us that he is one of the more ancient breeds in existence. It’s thought that he originated in Tibet, bred by Tibetan lamas to be a tiny replica of a lion, which is associated with Buddhist mythology. The smallest of the Tibetan breeds, he is noted for his heavy coat and tail that curves over the back. The Shih Tzu served as companions and watchdogs to the monks in the lamaseries. The happy and entertaining little dogs were surrounded by myths. One belief held that they were incarnations of mischievous household gods; another that they carried the souls of lamas who had not yet achieved nirvana, the transcendence of human desire.

The lamas presented the dogs as tribute to Chinese rulers, and it was at the Chinese imperial court that they received the name Shih Tzu, meaning “little lion” or “lion dog.” The Chinese also gave the Shih Tzu another name — chrysanthemum dog — because the hair on the face grows in all directions like the petals of the flower.

In China, the Shih Tzu was bred to have a stylized appearance. A fanciful “recipe” for the breed’s creation reads “a dash of lion, several teaspoons of rabbit, a couple of ounces of domestic cat, one part court jester, a dash of ballerina, a pinch of old man (Chinese), a bit of beggar, a tablespoon of monkey, one part baby seal, a dash of teddy bear, and the rest dogs of Tibetan and Chinese origin.”

The Peking (now Beijing) Kennel Club, when it wrote a breed standard for the Shih Tzu, also waxed poetic, describing the breed as having “the head of a lion, the round face of an owl, the lustrous eyes of a dragon, the oval tongue of a peony petal, the mouth of a frog, teeth like grains of rice, ears like palm leaves, the torso of a bear, the broad back of a tiger, the tail of a Phoenix, the legs of an elephant, toes like a mountain range, a yellow coat like a camel, and the movement of a fish.”

After the end of imperial rule in China, the little dogs might have disappeared, spurned as a reminder of bygone days, but fortunately some of them had been presented to foreigners, in particular General Douglas and Lady Brownrigg. They and others took some of the dogs to England. All modern Shih Tzu descend from only fourteen dogs.

World War II interrupted the breed’s development in England, but it survived and then thrived in the 1950s and 1960s. The American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1969. Today the Shih Tzu is popular for his loyal, gentle, cheerful attitude. He ranks 10th among the breeds registered by the AKC, a position that has held steady for a decade.

Shih Tzu Temperament and Personality

Whatever you do, a Shih Tzu is willing to be there with you. He’s up for anything and isn’t demanding. He’s not high strung, either, and can make a great companion for a senior. If you’re doing something mundane like cleaning the refrigerator, he will sit by and watch in solidarity. If you’re watching TV, he’ll watch too. If you’re up for play, the Shih Tzu is too. If you’re tired, he’ll take a snooze along with you. He doesn’t care what you do as long as he’s doing it with you. Left with toys to play with, he can entertain himself and doesn’t mind if you work all day as long as you come home to him and give him some love.

Shih Tzus tend to like dogs and children. They enjoy play dates and can make great therapy dogs. Some like cats and some don’t; it seems to be entirely an individual preference rather than a breed trait.

He is playful and, on occasion, mischievous. He will steal your shoes. He may want you to chase him after he steals them. On the other hand, if he really wants them, he just might bury them. He’s not above taking toys from other dogs.

Toy breeds can easily become picky eaters, but that problem is often unintentionally created by people. Don’t let your Shih Tzu get away with it. GIve him time to adapt to what he is supposed to eat, as opposed to lunging for your cheesecake.

A Shih Tzu can be stubborn, but it’s hardly the hallmark of the breed. He may not give training the same priority that you do, and it may require some patience and extra time on your part to fully housebreak him. He can be terrific at agility, so he can certainly learn to follow commands. This vivacious little clown is confident and may have a bit too much self-importance, but that’s only to be expected given his imperial background.

Some Shih Tzus can chew too much stuff, nip a bit too often, jump on people, and lick enough to lose fur. The Shih Tzu feels that he is large and in charge, and he can growl to protect his food and toys if he isn’t taught to play nicely and share.

Any dog, no matter how sweet or small, can develop obnoxious levels of barking, chewing, and other undesirable behaviors if he is bored, untrained, or unsupervised. Start training your puppy the day you bring him home. He is capable of soaking up everything you can teach him. Never wait until he is 6 months old to begin training, or you will have a more headstrong dog to deal with. If possible, get him into puppy kindergarten class by the time he is 10 to 12 weeks old, and socialize, socialize, socialize. However, be aware that many puppy training classes require certain vaccines (like kennel cough) to be up to date, and many veterinarians recommend limited exposure to other dogs and public places until puppy vaccines (including rabies, distemper and parvovirus) have been completed. In lieu of formal training, you can begin training your puppy at home and socializing him among family and friends until puppy vaccines are completed.

Talk to the breeder, describe exactly what you’re looking for in a dog, and ask for assistance in selecting a puppy. Breeders see their puppies daily and can make uncannily accurate recommendations once they know something about your lifestyle and personality.

The perfect Shih Tzu doesn’t spring fully formed from the whelping box. He’s a product of his background and breeding. Whatever you want from a Shih Tzu, look for one whose parents have nice personalities and who has been well socialized from early puppyhood.

What You Need to Know About Shih Tzu Health

All dogs have the potential to develop genetic health problems, just as all people have the potential to inherit a particular disease. Run, don’t walk, from any breeder who does not offer a health guarantee on puppies, who tells you that the breed is 100 percent healthy and has no known problems, or who tells you that her puppies are isolated from the main part of the household for health reasons. A reputable breeder will be honest and open about health problems in the breed and the incidence with which they occur in her lines.

The Shih Tzu suffers from many of the health problems common to tiny dogs and has a few particular health problems of his own. Shih Tzus can have teeth that are misaligned or missing. Because their small mouths contribute to tooth crowding, they're also prone to periodontal disease and require regular veterinary dental care. They can also be born with a cleft lip and/or palate.

Like many small dogs, their kneecaps can pop out of position easily — the common condition known as luxating patellas. Their eyes protrude and can be easily scratched or injured, and their breathing can be full of snuffles and wheezes that sometimes turn into major respiratory problems.

Then there’s renal dysplasia, an inherited condition in which the dog’s kidneys don't develop normally. This is something a puppy inherits from his parents, so buy puppies only from breeders who test all their dogs for renal dysplasia. You’ll want to see documentation that both parents’ kidney function is normal. Unfortunately, not even normal kidney biopsies in both parents can guarantee puppies won’t develop renal dysplasia. Shih Tzu owners need to watch their puppies carefully for excessive thirst, failure to gain weight, or signs that they’re not thriving.

The Shih Tzu is prone to several inherited eye diseases, including cataracts and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). A cataract is an opaque cloudiness that affects the eye lens. Vision is affected and the effects can range from slight impairment to blindness. Cataracts can be treated surgically. Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is an inherited disease that leads to blindness. Shih Tzus are also prone to dry eye, or keratoconjunctivitis sicca -- a condition in which inadequate tear production leads to corneal dryness, pain, corneal ulcers, and other complications.

Dogs with bulging eyes, such as the Shih Tzu, are more likely to have an injury to the eyeball that causes the eyeball to bulge out of the orbit, called proptosis. When proptosis occurs, blood flow is cut off, and the lack of oxygen can result in blindness. It is a medical emergency.

Ingrown eyelashes, known as distichiasis, scrape and irritate the eye and can even scar it. Sometimes eyelash hairs burst through the eyelid (ectopic cilia). Both of these conditions can create corneal ulcers.

Like other brachycephalic (short-headed) breeds, Shih Tzus can have respiratory issues because of the shape of their head, face, and airways. Some brachycephalic dogs have an obstruction in their upper airways that makes it hard for the dogs to breathe. This by no means indicates that every flat-faced dog will have these issues. Severe problems can be treated surgically.

The Shih Tzu’s teeth come in a bit later than other breeds’, and they often fall out earlier than other breeds’. Shih Tzus can have underbites (or "undershot jaw") in which the lower jaw extends past the upper jaw, resulting in trauma to the gums and malocclusion of the teeth. They are also prone to periodontal disease and should have their teeth brushed daily.

The breeder should show you written documentation that both the puppy’s parents have had Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) patella (kneecap) evaluations, as well as eye clearances from the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF).

If a breeder tells you she doesn’t need to do those tests because she’s never had problems in her lines, her dogs have been vet checked, or any of the other excuses bad breeders have for skimping on the genetic testing of their dogs, walk away immediately.

Careful breeders screen their breeding dogs for genetic disease and breed only the healthiest and best-looking specimens, but sometimes Mother Nature has other ideas and a puppy develops one of these diseases despite good breeding practices. Advances in veterinary medicine mean that in most cases the dogs can still live good lives. If you’re getting a puppy, ask the breeder about the ages of the dogs in her lines and what they died of.

Remember that after you’ve taken a new puppy into your home, you have the power to protect him from one of the more common health problems in dogs: obesity. Keeping a Shih Tzu at an appropriate weight is one of the easiest ways to extend his life. Make the most of diet and exercise to help ensure a healthier dog for life.

The Basics of Shih Tzu Grooming

Is it the Shih Tzu’s flowing locks of gold and white that made you fall in love with him? The Chinese emperors probably had an entire army of servants who did nothing but comb their dogs, because even one day without grooming and that coat can become a tangled mess.

Fortunately, the long coat is mostly seen in the show ring; retired champions and house pets mostly sport a short puppy clip. Some pet owners can do it themselves with a pair of scissors (difficult) or electric clippers, but keeping your Shih Tzu beautiful and free of mats and skin problems often requires regular professional grooming as well as daily combing at home. Tools you’ll need include a wire pin brush and a stainless steel comb with fine and coarse teeth.

Many Shih Tzu puppies who are approaching a year old tend to change coat; during this period they shed so profusely that you wouldn’t think it possible if you didn’t see it. Keep brushing daily, if not more often, through the change. Thankfully this is a short-term condition that lasts only about three weeks.

The coat is easier to care for after it changes. How much you need to brush or comb a Shih Tzu depends greatly on the texture of his particular coat. Some require daily care, and some need it only once a week. A softer coat gets matted more quickly — even more so if it is thick. A dirty coat will also mat quickly.

Bathe your Shih Tzu as often as you like, but be sure to comb out any tangles before you bathe him. They will tighten up when they get wet. Blow-dry the coat thoroughly to keep your Shih Tzu from getting chilled.

Comb the moustache and topknot daily. A puppy will have enough hair for a topknot when he is about 5 months old. Use a latex band sold at dog shows or good pet supply stores to tie the topknot. Rubber bands will break the hair.

The rest is basic care. Trim the nails as needed, usually every week or two. Clean the inner corners of the eyes daily with a damp washcloth to minimize staining. To keep the hind end clean, trim the fur around the anus. Brush the teeth with a vet-approved pet toothpaste for good overall health and fresh breath.

Finding a Shih Tzu

Whether you want to go with a breeder or get your dog from a shelter or rescue, here are some things to keep in mind.

Choosing a Shih Tzu Breeder

Finding a good breeder is a great way to find the right puppy. A good breeder will match you with the right puppy and will, without question, have done all the health certifications necessary to screen out health problems as much as possible. She is more interested in placing pups in the right homes than making big bucks.

Good breeders will welcome your questions about temperament, health clearances, and what the dogs are like to live with, and come right back at you with questions of their own about what you’re looking for in a dog and what kind of life you can provide for him. A good breeder can tell you about the history of the breed, explain why one puppy is considered pet quality while another is not, and discuss what health problems affect the breed and the steps she takes take to avoid those problems.

The American Shih Tzu Club is a good place to start your search for a responsible breeder. Look for a breeder who abides by the club’s code of ethics, which does not permit the sale of puppies through brokers, auctions, or commercial dealers such as pet stores. Breeders should sell puppies with written contracts guaranteeing they’ll take back the dogs at any time during their lives if the owners become unable to keep them, and with written documentation that both their puppies’ parents (and if possible, his other close relatives) have at a minimum had their knees and eyes examined and certified by the appropriate health organizations.

A Shih Tzu should weigh between 9 and 16 pounds, but some breeders produce, and some misguided puppy buyers want, even smaller dogs. So-called Teacup or Imperial Shih Tzus are simply dogs below the minimum healthy size for the breed. They’re marketed as something special, but are plagued with health problems and often live very short lives. The code of ethics of the ASTC specifically bars its members from breeding undersize dogs or using those terms to describe their puppies.

Avoid breeders who seem interested only in how quickly they can unload a puppy on you and whether your credit card will go through. You should also bear in mind that buying a puppy from a website that offers to ship your dog to you immediately can be a risky venture, as it leaves you no recourse if what you get isn’t exactly what you expected. Put at least as much effort into researching your puppy as you would into choosing a new car or expensive appliance. It will save you money in the long run.

Lots of reputable breeders have websites, so how can you tell who’s good and who’s not? Red flags include puppies always being available, multiple litters on the premises, having your choice of any puppy, and the ability to pay online with a credit card. Quickie online purchases are convenient, but they are almost never associated with reputable breeders.

Whether you’re planning to get your new best friend from a breeder, a pet store, or another source, don’t forget that old adage “let the buyer beware”. Disreputable breeders and facilities that deal with puppy mills can be hard to distinguish from reliable operations. There’s no 100% guaranteed way to make sure you’ll never purchase a sick puppy, but researching the breed (so you know what to expect), checking out the facility (to identify unhealthy conditions or sick animals), and asking the right questions can reduce the chances of heading into a disastrous situation. And don’t forget to ask your veterinarian, who can often refer you to a reputable breeder, breed rescue organization, or other reliable source for healthy puppies. 

And before you decide to buy a puppy, consider whether an adult Shih Tzu might better suit your needs and lifestyle. Puppies are loads of fun, but they require a lot of time and effort before they grow up to become the dog of your dreams. An adult Shih Tzu may already have some training and will probably be less active, destructive, and demanding than a puppy. 

With an adult, you know more about what you’re getting in terms of personality and health and you can find adults through breeders or shelters. If you are interested in acquiring an older dog through breeders, ask them about purchasing a retired show dog or if they know of an adult dog who needs a new home. If you want to adopt a dog, read the advice below on how to do that.

Adopting a Dog From a Shih Tzu Rescue or Shelter

There are many great options available if you want to adopt a dog from an animal shelter or breed rescue organization. Here is how to get started.

1. Use the Web

Sites like alldog360 can have you searching for a Shih Tzu in your area in no time flat. The site allows you to be very specific in your requests (housetraining status, for example) or very general (all the Shih Tzus available on Petfinder across the country). http://alldog360.blogspot.com/ can help you find animal rescue groups in your area. Also some local newspapers have “pets looking for homes” sections you can review.

Social media is another great way to find a dog. Post on your Facebook page that you are looking for a specific breed so that your entire community can be your eyes and ears.

2. Reach Out to Local Experts

Start talking with all the pet pros in your area about your desire for a Shih Tzu. That includes vets, dog walkers, and groomers. When someone has to make the tough decision to give up a dog, that person will often ask her own trusted network for recommendations.

3. Talk to Breed Rescue

Most people who love Shih Tzus love all Shih Tzus. That’s why breed clubs have rescue organizations devoted to taking care of homeless dogs. The American Shih Tzu Club can help you find a dog that may be the perfect companion for your family. You can also search online for other Shih Tzu rescues in your area.

The great thing about breed rescue groups is that they tend to be very upfront about any health conditions the dogs may have and are a valuable resource for advice. They also often offer fostering opportunities so, with training, you could bring a Shih Tzu home for a trial to see what the experience is like.

4. Key Questions to Ask

You now know the things to discuss with a breeder, but there are also questions you should discuss with shelter or rescue group staff or volunteers before you bring home a pup. These include:

What is his energy level?

How is he around other animals?

How does he respond to shelter workers, visitors, and children?

What is his personality like?

What is his age?

Is he housetrained?

Has he ever bitten or hurt anyone that they know of?

Are there any known health issues?

Wherever you acquire your Shih Tzu, make sure you have a good contract with the seller, shelter, or rescue group that spells out responsibilities on both sides. Petfinder offers an Adopters Bill of Rights that helps you understand what you can consider normal and appropriate when you get a dog from a shelter. In states with “puppy lemon laws,” be sure you and the person you get the dog from both understand your rights and recourses.

Puppy or adult, a breeder purchase or a rescue, take your Shih Tzu to your veterinarian soon after adoption. Your veterinarian will be able to spot problems and will work with you to set up a preventive regimen that will help you avoid many health issues.

BANANAS;HEALTHIEST MOOD-FOOD SNACK & DOGS LOVE THEM!

Dogs love bananas and nutritional research suggests bananas, a healthy snack for people, may also be health, brain, and mood-food for your show dog!

We can’t cite source but a physiological psych class professor at CCNY told his class about bananas. He said the expression “going bananas” is from the healthy effects of bananas on the brain. We call it mood-food.

While not all people foods are good for dogs, there is reason to believe bananas and other fruits are not only natural for some breeds, but may have health benefits. If you’ve heard about “Killer Grapes”, there’s a link at the bottom of this page!
Most dogs love bananas. Exhibitors will remember Ch. Lord Timothy Scott, a top-winning bulldog handled by Carroll James. Carroll indulged Timmy in the ring and extraordinary dog that he was, Timmy always showed for bananas!
Bananas contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes.

The report continues, explaining that energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school (England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. The research suggests that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert. Will it help your dog show better? Some handlers would say “yes!”
PMS: Forget the pills – eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness. Many bitches suffer from a canine version of morning sickness. Try it and if it helps your dog, let us know.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

SHARE A BANANA WITH YOUR DOG, IT WILL GIVE YOU BOTH A BOOST TO GET THROUGH LONGER, MORE STRESSFUL SHOW CIRCUITS.

Overweight: Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
Show circuits have become longer and thus more stressful on exhibitors and dogs. Perhaps sharing a banana with your dog before group time would give you both a needed boost.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates the body’s water balance. When stressed, the metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing potassium levels, which can be rebalanced with a high-potassium banana snack.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, thus said to reduce blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: Okay this doesn’t relate to your dog but one of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many cultures see bananas as a “cooling” fruit that can lower the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Strokes: According to The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When compared it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, “A banana a day keeps the doctor away!”

Can dogs have bananas

Dog owners would always want what is best for the pet. Because of the close friendship, dogs are considered as family members, human foods are usually given to dogs. Who could ever say no to the pleading look in the pet’s eyes? A loving dog owner would certainly give in. It is certainly amusing to see a kid sharing a candy bar with the pet. A dog owner would absentmindedly share with the pooch the bowl of popcorn while watching the late night show. People normally share the food with the pet not realizing that the food given can cause the dog more harm than good. Some human foods can be a toxic food item for the dog. What is safe for human consumption is not always safe for the dog. Human food can make the dog sick. Ingestion of human food can even be the cause of the dog’s death. Dogs are believed to be carnivorous. Man’s best friend though is basically omnivorous. Dogs have been given vegetables. Dogs have eaten fruits. Dogs get lots of benefits from eating apples and pears. Would it be for the dog to eat bananas? Grapes must never be given to the dog and apples must be cored and seeded as the seeds have toxic effects on the dog. Banana is not included in the ASPCA list of human foods toxic to dogs thus dogs can have this sweet and delicious healthy fruit.

Banana is a very delicious and nutritious food that is available all year round. This fruit can be cooked, baked or eaten raw. Mashed bananas mixed with cottage cheese will be easily devoured by the dog. Banana biscuits, banana and oats muffin, ripe and fresh bananas will be an ideal and handy treats for the dog. Banana would be a good Kong toy stuffer. Banana is a deep green fruit that turns to yellow or red when ripe is a good source of fiber. This fruit that comes in its own disposable wrapper contain almost no fat, very low in sodium and loaded with potassium. Banana provides vitamin C, vitamin B6, manganese and folate… all necessary in promoting the health of the pet. Banana is an energy food because of the soluble carbohydrate it contains.

Most dogs would eat any fruits. Dogs in the wild would eat fruits and berries especially when food is scarce. Banana is a tropical fruit that contains a lot of antioxidants that aids in the promotion of good condition of the skin and fur. These antioxidants prevent degeneration of the body and inhibit the development of old age related disease. While other fruits have bad effects on the health of the dog, a banana is perfectly safe as long as it is given to the dog in moderation. Given in large amounts, banana can cause stomach upset. Dogs and humans have many genetic similarities. However, the digestive tract of dogs is much shorter. The digestive capacity of dogs is different from the digestive capabilities of human as well. Eating large amounts of banana can cause diarrhea. Although the sugar content of banana is not the processed kind, regular ingestion of large amounts of banana can result to obesity and aggravate the condition of a diabetic pet.

Although the nutrients the dog can get from fruits can also be obtained from premium dog foods, including fruits in the dog’s diet will ensure that the pet is provided with a variety of healthy foods. Banana is one of the nutritious fruits that will make a good treat for the dog. So go ahead, let your dog have some of that delicious banana. Fido will surely thank you for the sweet and creamy fruit.

Understand Canine Gout

Canine Gout is a rare form of Gout and it is often diagnosed ascalcium circumscripta 

( calcium Gout ) or calcium pyrophosphate-dehydrate disease, which is a chalky liquid that can ooze from a dogs paws or from surgical interference.

It can also appear as lesions on the paws of larger dogs.

There are of treatments of hepatic support diet ( Liver support diet ) and treatment with colchicine

( which can kill a dog if they eat the human version ) 

The most common treatment other than dietary changes is the use ofallopurinol, and strangely enough a low purine diet change for a dog can help stop them getting a xanthine bladder stone.

Additional dietary help should include whole grain cereals with no yeast.

Milk

Eggs

Cheese

Butter

Fruits

There are side effects of allopurinol on dogs such as nausea, cramping, diarrhea and general upset stomach.

Also a fatty acid diet with raw egg yolks added can help dramatically.

Another treatment can be using charcoal adsorbent material (Kremezin ) to help metabolism problems .

Canine Gout can appear as lesions and ulcerations and can also belinked to animal diabetes and kidney disease.

This is also similar to Human Gout in the fact that it can be genetically passed down in the breed. 

This form of Gout appears in mainly large breeds of dogs such as :

Dalmatians

A large percentage of Dalmatians are unable to convert uric acid into allantoin. The Dalmatian liver cells cannot absorb uric acid hence they cannot urinate it out. 

This then leads to uric acid stone formations which are then uric acid bladder stones.

This affects more male dalmatians than females have stone problems due to their extra urethral additions.

The average age of a Gout affected Dalmatian is around the 4.5 year old dog. Keep your Dalmatian off Vitamin B supplements as they arehigh in purine formation and brewers yeast products. 

Also keep them off any Vitamin C products as this can also cause over production of acidy and increase chances of stones forming.

German Shepherds ( somehow Canine Gout is linked to Hip Dysplasia , which is occurs in German Shepherds more commonly than most other dog breeds. )

Irish Wolfhounds

English Pointers

Rottweilers

Labrador retrievers

Canine Gout appears mainly in the paws and toes, but can also appear in the elbows, the neck area and even on the tongue. It is most common on the hind feet.

The use of medicine to reduce the calcified deposits does take time to heal, whilst surgery cutting out the whole lesion shows that the deposit does not come back to this area and heals much faster.

These lesions are seem as a granular type of lesion with various sized fibrous tissue surrounding.

Studies are now showing that very diluted amounts ofAppleCiderVinegar in a dogs food and water does help alleviate Canine gout over a period of time and lowers the ph levels which is a huge benefit.

The use of Emu oil from Australia also seems to help reduce swelling, but check with your vet before going ahead with this form of inflammation reduction.

Canine Gout information

Canine gout is an imbalance in mineral assimilation resulting in abnormal deposits, sometimes between bones, often in layers of the skin or integument. Calcium deposits in the skin can be the result of injury, of metabolic changes, or of unknown factors. Since mineralization (calcium deposits) in skin can occur in a wide variety of unrelated diseases, a common thread among them is not easy to establish. One form of the condition is related to, or could be an early indication of, a canine version of the disorder which in humans is called Cushing’s Disease, although many dogs will never develop the distended abdomen, susceptibility to hematomas and bruising, or over-pigmented, sparsely-coated skin. Indeed, that may be a sufficiently different disorder that it should be classified as a separate variety of hyperadrenocorticismor hyperglucocorticoidism.

A British friend phoned and said he was afraid he would lose his 18-month-old German Shepherd Dog, who had been limping badly on several limbs. The dog’s feet were extremely sore, and a whitish fluid exuded from the pads; it was analyzed and the diagnosis was “calcium circumscripta”, which I thought I knew simply as “gout”. Many years ago, my friend and HD mentor, Dr. John Bardens, told me about a remedy or treatment he had devised for gout, but for the life of me, I could not remember what it was, or what variety of gout he meant. I was on the road when the call came in, but when I returned I consulted some references and was convinced that it was not this type. I told my English friend it may have been considered “rare” by his vet in England, but would be “downgraded” to “uncommon” in theU.S.A.

Canine gout can be either generalized (a few to several areas) or localized (one or two spots). Considered a tumor ( which word could refer to a cancer, a nodule, a cyst, or an impacted gland), the condition when found in the skin is also known as Calcinosis Cutis, which means calcified skin. It is usually a non-neoplastic (benign, not cancerous) disorder there. Boxers and Boston Terriers are predisposed to it on the ear and cheek. Calcinosis cutis circumscripta in humans is most often seen as nodules in the skin of the extremities, especially the hands (scleroderma). In the canine, it seems to be more variable in location and manifestation, but still frequently in areas of increased wear, though most researchers now discount any idea that trauma has any significance. Treating the dog with drugs designed to fighthyperglucocorticoidism is helpful in many but not all of the varieties or locations. There are other crystal-related joint disorders referred to as gout or calcium pyrophosphate-dihydrate disease (pseudogout), and calcific periarthritis/tendinitis, which are managed by uric-acid-lowering medication. You may have met some people who have suffered from one of these. My son did, for one, so I got an up-close look at the difficulties and differences involved with the human disorder.

Histologically, the disorder appears as an amorphous granular material with fibrous trabecula (“bone”) cells and inflammation around it. As the lesion progresses, ulceration often occurs. Sometimes it starts or occurs at injection sites or where ears are cropped. If the calcinosis develops in injured tissue, it could be localized, in which case some have surmised it to be often associated with demodex, TB, staph infection, or granuloma caused by a foreign body such as grit or sand imbedded beneath the skin, or it could be connected with epidermoid cysts or malignant tumors. If it is localized, it could still be considered coincidental that it is found at wound sites. If it is widespread, it is probably due to either hyperglucocorticoidism (hyperadrenocorticism) or diabetes. If there is no apparent damage to tissues, and no abnormalities seen in blood hormone levels, the calcium salt deposits may likewise be either localized or generalized. In the above types of the disorder, serum calcium levels (amount of calcium compounds circulating in the blood and lymph) are not abnormal, as is the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus. If, however, the disorder metastasizes (travels from original location to others by means of abnormal cells being transported via the bloodstream), there have been seen abnormal calcium levels and a connection with chronic kidney disease. According to Muller, Kirk, & Scott’s text on Small Animal Dermatology, “No therapy is beneficial” if it develops into themetastatic form. Considering all variations, we see such cutaneous mineralization in 40% of all dogs with hyperadrenocorticism. A tell-tale sign in the haircoat may be loss of hair or hairs easily pulled out of the follicles.

Atop the kidneys sit the adrenal glands (whence comes the word “adrenaline”), the cortex layer of which produces hormones known as corticosteroids. One of these hormones is glucocorticoid, which affects the metabolism of glucose, a form of sugar taken in or even manufactured by the body. If the body makes too much, it results in an imbalanced condition known as hyperglucocorticoidism or hyperadrenocorticism, and if this becomes severe, an imbalance in minerals occurs and the calcinosiscutis could be widespread, appearing in any or all of the following: skin along the back, armpit, groin, flanks, over bony protuberances such as foot bones and vertebrae, and {reportedly} apocrine (sweat) glands. In the dog, these apocrine glands are found primarily in the tongue and pads, although a small amount of perspiration is possible in the rest of the skin. Researchers have held differing ideas regarding the involvement, if any, of these glands. The renowned dermatologist Dr. Danny Scott, whom I profiled several year ago in my Dog World article, “Itch!”, has discounted the involvement of apocrine gland origins.

How does canine gout come about? Well, etiologically speaking, it could be that there develops an abnormal breakdown of hydrocortisone in the genetically-predisposed dog or even from an almost entirely environmental cause, which leads to molecular structural changes in proteins such as collagen and elastin so that the tissue chemically attracts and binds calcium. Also there may be unseen mineralization in lungs, stomach wall, and skeletal muscles, where there may be tissue damage at a later time. A good argument for neutering an affected dog is that almost everything is “genetic” to some degree. There are references in the literature about gout occurring in related dogs, such as Dr. L. N. Owen’s 1967 article on Irish Wolfhounds in Volume 8 of Journal of Small Animal Practice, although you probably want to remember that there are different types and that which occurs in the hock possibly could have a different heritability than in other locations. Drs. Scott andBuerger, in the Nov./Dec. 1988 volume of the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, “found no indication of familial occurrence” in their study of idiopathic calcinosis circumscripta.

One form seems connected with polyarthritis or HOD (see Canine Hip Dysplasia, by this author, currently out of print, with 2nd edition being worked on) but in these cases it goes away when those diseases associated with mineral imbalance or poor metabolism of calcium subside. Those cases usually appear near the shoulder blades and hip joints. When occurring over pressure points and bony prominences or bones close to the skin, nearly a quarter of the lesions are seen in the hock area, almost a fifth in the phalanges of the toes, about 17% in elbows, and 10% in the lower dorsal neck area. There is ten to twenty times more involvement in the tarsal-metatarsal (hock) area than in the foot pad. The dogs with calcification of the “skin” in the pads possibly are exhibiting a different form, and since they limp, it is diagnosed faster than if gout appears elsewhere in the skin as plaques, nodules, or papules (bumps). Typically, a milky or chalky white liquid, often gritty or paste-like, can be expressed if the pad is lanced or sliced, and this was the beginning of the definitive diagnosis in the case of my English friend’s dog. One of my vet-tech correspondents described the hock lesions in her breed (Wolfhounds) as being sometimes open and weeping, sometimes closed and cauliflower-like. Her advice was if it were not open or very painful, “ignore” it for six months, as they often diminish in size and even disappear without treatment. She also had one of her pups develop a lesion on its tongue, and having chosen to delay surgery, found that it had gone from large-marble size to pea-size in four months. We should not draw conclusions from one type and apply them to others. 

Some 80% of cases of localized idiopathic calcinosis cutis are in large breeds including many Great Danes and Irish Wolfhound; over 50% of affected dogs are German Shepherd Dogs. Most are under two years of age, as was the case with the British GSD, and most show up after one year of age. The nodules are generally up to one-quarter inch in diameter and shaped like domes although frequently they lie under a layer or more of skin so their shape is not seen until removed. Typically, treatment for this form (rather than drugs aimed at the adrenal glands) involves cutting out the granulous material, but this can be disappointing to satisfactory, depending on the individual dog, the degree and type of lesion, and removing the whole lesion. There does not appear to be development of new lesions in the same place after successful (complete) surgical excision, and many dogs have gone well over eight years without recurrence in the same location. Treatment of the generalized forms still involves treating the underlying causes such as skeletal disease or blood chemistry and metabolism. This may take a year to clear up, and that is about the same time that it takes for most cases to spontaneously regress. Generalized gout, whether associated with glucocorticoid abnormality (sometimes found in puppies) or from an idiopathic (unknown) cause almost always shows up after a year of age, and it may take a year to clear it up, with drugs in the former cases or surgically or spontaneously in the latter. 

Some time after I faxed copies of medical articles to England, my friend informed me that the dog was being successfully treated. Although foot pad involvement in other breeds may indicate the metastatic variety, localized calcinosis circumscripta and successful surgical removal has been reported in the German Shepherd Dog, so we are very optimistic about that young dog’s recovery.