How much chocolate is too much?

We’ve all heard it, “Don’t give your dog chocolate it will kill him”. Well, how true is it you’re probably wondering. Do I have to rush him to an emergency vet if he ate one of my M&M’s?

The truth is chocolate contains theobromine that is toxic to dogs in sufficient quantities. This is a xanthine compound in the same family of caffeine, and theophylline.

Toxic Levels

The good news is that it takes, on average, a fairly large amount of theobromine 100-150 mg/kg to cause a toxic reaction. Although there are variables to consider like the individual sensitivity, animal size and chocolate concentration.

On average,
Milk chocolate contains 44 mg of theobromine per oz.
Semisweet chocolate contains 150mg/oz.
Baker’s chocolate 390mg/oz.

Using a dose of 100 mg/kg as the toxic dose it comes out roughly as:
1 ounce per 1 pound of body weight for Milk chocolate
1 ounce per 3 pounds of body weight for Semisweet chocolate
1 ounce per 9 pounds of body weight for Baker’s chocolate.

So, for example, 2 oz. of Baker’s chocolate can cause great risk to an 15 lb. dog. Yet, 2 oz. of Milk chocolate usually will only cause digestive problems.

Clinical Signs

Xanthines affect the nervous system, cardiovascular system and peripheral nerves. It has a diuretic effect as well. Clinical signs:

Hyper excitability
Hyper irritability
Increased heart rate
Restlessness
Increased urination
Muscle tremors
Vomiting
Diarrhea

Treatment

There is no specific antidote for this poisoning. And the half life of the toxin is 17.5 hours in dogs. Induce vomiting in the first 1-2 hours if the quantity is unknown. Administering activated charcoal may inhibit absorption of the toxin. An anticonvulsant might be indicated if neurological signs are present and needs to be controlled. Oxygen therapy, intravenous medications, and fluids might be needed to protect the heart.

Milk chocolate will often cause diarrhea 12-24 hours after ingestion. This should be treated symptomatically (fluids, etc..) to prevent dehydration.

If you suspect your pet has ingested chocolate contact your Vet immediately! They can help you determine the the proper treatment for your pet.

Chocolate for Easter? No, No, No!

Chocolates for dogs for Easter? NO!

Symptoms of Chocolate Toxicity:
diarrhea
vomiting
excessive urination
hyper/restless
panting hard
fast heart rate
excessive thirst 
Answer
Chocolate is bad for dogs - in fact, veterinarians consider it poison. Chocolate contains theobromine, a central nervous system stimulant that may cause seizures, excessive urination (leading to dehydration), and heart damage

Answers.com - Why is chocolate dangerous for dogs to eat

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_is_chocola...

Dog Health question: Why is chocolate dangerous for dogs to eat? Answer YES! NEVER EVER FEED YOUR DOG(S) CHOCOLATE! It can be so toxic to dogs! My dog got in to 2 pounds of chocolate and we had to bring

The Amazon Rainforest offers a healthy alternative to harsh chemicals for flea and tick control.

Would you like to offer your pet a healthy defense against fleas?

Watch this video demonstrating heat stroke prevention

This short video covers the basics of heatstroke prevention.  The dangers are underestimated, as animals who survive may have permanent damage.

symptoms of Cushings disease

Your pet may have some or many of the symptoms of Cushings disease because the way cortisol affects the body is diverse.  It is best to get to a vet early for an assessment.  Read on to get informed about a disease that is often not identified.  The post comes from Dr. Mercola's pet section of his health website which is lead by Dr. Becker:

Because cortisol is such a diverse hormone, there’s a whole host of diverse symptoms. Not all dogs that acquire Cushing’s disease have all symptoms. Honestly, unless you or vet have waited to the bitter end to make the diagnosis, most dogs have only two or three in the long list of symptoms.

The symptoms we see commonly with dogs that are beginning the Cushing’s process is that they tend to drink more, urinate more (can include incontinence in the house), pant more, and gain weight. Even if you reduce calories in their food, they tend to have a potbellied appearance, a big, swollen abdomen. You can see thinning skin, hair loss and, in many cases, change in the pigment of the skin. If your dog used to have a pink belly, she now has a gray one or even black skin.

Oftentimes, your dog can become irritable or restless. We’ve seen some animals develop bruising. There are some rare symptoms like rear limb weakness, as well as blood clots that can be associated with Cushing’s disease.

But because the syndrome is so diverse -- every part of your pet’s body literally has a cortisol receptor -- sometimes the immunosuppressive aspect of Cushing’s disease is what ultimately brings you to the veterinarian.

So if your pet has a recurrent urinary tract infection that he or she can’t get rid of – along with one or two of the other symptoms like thin skin or failing to gain weight – you have to think about asking your veterinarian about Cushing’s disease.In my practice, the number one reason I see Cushing’s patients being referred in is for misdiagnosis of liver disease. Because the liver has to process all this extra cortisol circulating in your pet’s body, your pet’s liver enzymes tend to increase – not only the liver’s specific enzyme ALT, but a secondary induced liver enzyme called alkaline phosphatase (ALP) tends to elevate when animals begin developing Cushing’s disease.

The long term effects of stress on our canine friends

We know a little about the effects of chronic stress on humans.  We really underestimate that, I think.  We often don't  relate a symptom with the true cause, so we treat the symptoms without changing the cause.  That is reactive instead of proactive.  Dr. Becker at Mercola.com further explains the effects of stress on our canine friends.

The Effects of Chronic Stress

Chronic stress – and therefore chronic cortisol release – ultimately results in elevated blood sugar in the long term, which can lead to diabetes. It results in elevated blood pressure, which can be negative for your pet’s cardiovascular system.

There’s also extreme hunger; when your pet’s burning that much blood glucose, then he or she ends up being much hungrier than the average pet. Increased thirst and urination also come about when there’s extra cortisol in your pet’s system.

There’s an accumulation of fat in the abdominal area, as well as thinning skin, poor, thin hair coat, a change in the pigment in the color of your pet’s skin, decreased muscle and bone mass, and increased risk of infection. That infection can come about anywhere, so pets that have chronic cortisol release, and we refer to them as immuno-suppressed, tend to be more exposed to oral, eye, gum, ear, and urinary tract infections. Infection can come about wherever your pet’s body’s weak link is, so it isn’t just in one area.

For animals that have recurring infections – or those that just lag on and on and pets have a hard time getting rid of – you need to think about cortisol influencing your pet’s ability to fight infection.

Types of Cushing’s Disease

There are several forms of Cushing’s disease, and they can become confusing for clients. So I’m going to try spell it out in an easy-to-understand format today. If you have a pet that’s dealing with Cushing’s disease, it’s important for you to know exactly what’s going on. If your pet is currently healthy, I want to help you prevent Cushing’s disease from occurring in your pet.

There are different types of Cushing’s disease because there are several layers of your pet’s adrenal glands. Depending on what layer of your pet’s adrenal gland is overproducing hormone is the type of Cushing’s disease your pet has.Traditionally speaking, the middle layer of your pet’s adrenal gland for typical Cushing’s disease begins overproducing glucocorticoids. The zona fasciculata is the middle layer of your pet’s adrenal glands. When that particular layer of your pet’s adrenal glands overproduces glucocorticoids (which can also be called steroids, cortisol, cortisone, or the synthetic version that veterinarians can give orally, prednisone), it’s called typical Cushing’s disease.

Sometimes veterinarians unknowingly induce Cushing’s disease by giving too-high doses or too long administration courses of oral prednisone therapy. If your pet is on prednisone, that predisposes your pet to acquire Cushing’s disease.

Typical Cushing’s disease is too much cortisol. Atypical Cushing’s disease comes about when the outer layer of the adrenal gland overproduces electrolyte-balancing hormones called aldosterone, or when the inner layer of the adrenal gland begins overproducing sex hormones.

Atypical Cushing’s disease comes about from the outer or inner layer overproducing mineralocorticoids called aldosterone, or sex hormones like estrogen, progesterone and testosterone precursors.

So it’s all very confusing. Traditional or typical Cushing’s disease (too much cortisol in the system) also has two types. There’s adrenal dependent, and there’s pituitary dependent. Hands down, the most common form of Cushing’s disease in pets is the pituitary dependent form. About 85% of dogs that acquire Cushing’s disease acquire the pituitary dependent form.

This means that the pituitary gland – the master gland in the brain – is sending too much stimulating hormones to the adrenal gland, and the adrenal gland is simply responding to the stimulus to produce more cortisol.

In rare or about 15% of cases, the adrenal glands acquire a tumor, and that causes the up- regulation of cortisol production in the body.

Breed Predisposition among Dogs

It’s very rare for cats to acquire Cushing’s disease, which is much more common in dog breeds.

There’s also breed predisposition. The terriers, unfortunately, are predisposed. These include silky terriers, Yorkies, bull terriers, and Boston terriers, as well as poodles, doxies, and the American Eskimo dog, also known as spitz. All these have genetic predisposition to acquire Cushing’s.

Cushings disease may be hard to identify

Sometimes a few symptoms are hard to follow to the true source of problems.  This explanation of Cushings disease is very thorough and understandable.  I hope it is helpful but not relevant to your own pet.  I found it at Dr Mercola's website: 

Hi, this is Dr. Karen Becker, and today we’re going to discuss Cushing’s disease. This is the first of a three-part series.

Cushing’s disease was originally diagnosed by Dr. Harvey Cushing in 1932, hence the name. I prefer the correct title of what’s happening to this syndrome: hyperadrenocorticism, which is a bigger much more descriptive word. It means “hyper” or too much, “adreno” referring to the adrenal gland, and “cortisol” or what exactly the syndrome dictates. It’s too much adrenal release of the hormone cortisol.

What Cortisol Does to Your Pet’s Body

Cortisol is your pet’s “fight or flight” hormone. It is designed to be released by your pet’s adrenal glands in very small amounts. When there’s an up-regulation of cortisol demand, your pet can begin producing cortisol in high amounts. This can be toxic to the body.

Cortisol is a very important hormone, it’s part of your pet’s fight-or-flight response, and cortisol is designed to be released in small amounts from the adrenal glands when the body perceives stress. Ultimately speaking, the end result of cortisol release is glucose release from the liver.

Glucose, being sugar, is what provides energy to the muscle cells so that your pet is able to escape a bear, or for a kitten to run up a tree when chased by a dog. It helps your pets ready their bodies either to address confrontation or be able to get away in a life-threatening situation. That’s the big reason why pets release cortisol.

However, cortisol influences a whole host of other biochemical parameters. It influences the body in a whole host of negative ways. Cortisol is also linked to regulation of blood pressure. It can negatively influence electrolyte balance. It is immunosuppressive, so it can negatively impact your pet’s immune system in the long term. It has a negative interaction between bone and fat metabolism.

Needless to say, we’re thankful that cortisol is in our pets’ bodies in small amounts. The goal is to help your pets not over secrete cortisol, which becomes a toxic situation.

Chronic cortisol release translates to chronic signs of stress in your pet. Keep in mind there’s no such thing as good or bad stress for your pet. It’s all stress, so your pet is having the samephysiologic response whether you’re dropping them off at the groomer, they’ve been hit by a truck, they’re all excited that your serving them steak for your birthday dinner, there’s divorce or a new dog in the family, they have a large wound, or they’re dealing with the inflammation of cancer or allergic response. Those are all the same stress.

If you’re thinking, “My pet doesn’t really have stress. I’m moving from place to place, and he travels with me all the time in a brand-new environment,” then that’s still considered a type of stress on your pet’s body.

Dog food ingredients may be excellant but not meet your dog's needs

Every food contains a different ratio of macronutrients – protein, fat, and carbohydrates – and you have to learn by trial and error which ratio works best for your dog. Each product contains varying amounts of vitamins and minerals, and though most fall within the ranges considered acceptable by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), some may be in excess of, or deficient to your dog’s needs.

How to choose the best dog food for your canine friend.

At our home, we have two heavy golden retrievers who eat any and everything.  Meanwhile, a stray table scrap for our two greyhounds would have nasty consequences (loose stools).  I know that Whole Dog Journal rates dog foods, so I turned to their archives for some good insight on dog food.  I was impressed to find that they start by stating that you, the owner is the best qualified to pick the food for your dog.  There is not a one brand fits all solution.  Here is a snippet from their July 2005 issue:

" But dogs, just like people, are individuals. What works for this dog won’t work for that one. A Pointer who goes jogging with his marathon-running owner every day needs a lot more calories than the Golden Retriever who watches TV all day. The diet that contains enough fat to keep that sled dog warm through an Alaskan winter would kill that Miniature Poodle who suffers from pancreatitis. The commercial kibble that stopped my Border Collie’s itching and scratching in its tracks may cause your Bedlington Terrier to develop copper storage disease.

Dog Acupressure for Shoulder Arthritis : Dog Massage for Shoulder Arthri...

Dental care

It is important to maintain good dental care for more reasons than good breath.  Decayed teeth or infected gums carry bacteria.  This bacteria can lodge in the valves of the heart, making them less able to function properly!
Brush your dog's teeth daily or at least weekly, with a sponge dipped in hydrogen peroxide.  Also helpful: hard dog biscuits or sterilized cow hooves.  Some dogs will chew a raw carrot, thus massaging their gums and gaining useful vitamins at the same time!

Lure Coursing

It was pointed out to me that anyone considering taking part in lure coursing should make sure their dog is in good physical health, because they get so excited that they might injure themselves.  

"Lure Coursing", The Exciting Canine Sport That Boosts Canine Health

“Lure coursing” is a thrilling sport for running and chasing fanatics.

For just a minute, imagine you are a dog, a predator animal, with thousands of years of selective breeding to gaze upon the horizon and chase anything that moves. Let yourself feel the anticipation of that initial sighting and the blast of adrenalin as you take off and tear up the ground between you and your prey. Your front feet and your rear feet meet under your body as you coil tightly before exploding into full stride. As you hit top speed, your stride lengthens, enabling you to run 30-plus miles per hour. There is nothing you would rather be doing. The world outside your chase ceases to exist. You are in your element.

Three Rhodesian Ridgebacks are alight with the joy of running in a lure coursing trial; the dogs chase inanimate lures that are pulled along cables.

This is lure coursing.

You don’t need to be a sighthound to experience the thrills of a good chase, but if you are, you are built for speed off the start line, resilience to overheating, and a reluctance to give up the chase. If you are a terrier with similar predatory instincts, you’ll do fine as well. If you are a bit on the bigger, heavier side, you might enjoy the chase just as much, but you’ll be slower and tire more quickly.

Regardless of your size and structure, if you like to chase things that move, you’ll love lure coursing.

The game
The lure is either a bit of fleecy material or a plastic grocery bag. It is tied to a line (often double-braided fishing line) that is wound around a number of pulleys. The pulleys are motorized by starter motors and car batteries. The operator of the pulley makes sure that the lure moves fast enough ahead of the dog to incite chase, but not too fast so the beginner dog can’t see it and stay motivated to chase. In competition lure coursing, pulley speeds of up to 40 miles per hour are used. Those sighthounds can run!

Often standing on a ladder, to afford a good view of the entire course, the lure operator moves the line with the lure into place ahead of the start line. Dogs are held at the start line, many of them straining, yelping, and barking to be let go. As the pulley whips the lure ahead, the dogs are released for the chase.

In competition lure coursing, the “course” can cover between 600 and 1,000 yards, and the lure takes several sharp turns to simulate the changes of direction a jack rabbit might take.

Dogs are scored for speed, agility, endurance, enthusiasm, and “following” (as opposed to taking short cuts across the field). There is also a limited amount of time for the handler to get control of his dog at the end of the course. At one lure coursing competition I observed, it took about six people and several minutes to convince a young Basenji to return to his handler. This can be dangerous as well as slow down the smooth running of a trial, so points are deducted.

In recreational coursing, there may be speed bumps and low tire jumps to hurdle, as well as several changes of direction. The first run for many dogs is pretty fast, but it’s the second run that shows how they’ve figured out the game. My 10-pound Rat Terrier, Pretzel, clocked in at 22 seconds in her first try at lure coursing, but her second race was 12 seconds. She had learned how to cut yardage off the corners, or turns.

Most lure coursing competitions race two or three dogs against each other, sometimes all of the same breed (Ridgebacks competing against other Ridgies), sometimes of different breeds. So how do you tell who is who in the blur of racing dogs? Each dog wears a brightly colored “coursing blanket.” These are light-weight, brightly colored shells, each color assigned before each run.

This is a highly arousing sport; however, it is unusual for dogs to stop racing and fight with each other. Part of this is early training, but it’s also partly a result of genetics; sighthounds were bred to run in groups after prey. A handler can choose, however, to run her dog in a muzzle if she has any concern about her dog displaying aggressive behaviors at another dog.

Lure coursing is not just for sighthounds! Author Terry Long’s Rat Terrier, Pretzel (shown here on the start line), is a zealot for lure coursing!

To help avoid undue competition for a single lure, there are three lures placed several feet apart along the pulley line.

History
Lure coursing has been around for thousands of years since hounds were used to find prey not by scent, but by sight. Egyptian tombs from 4,000 years ago contain paintings of long-legged hounds chasing prey. These kinds of hounds were selectively bred for both speed and “gaze” and were used to kill small game such as rabbits.

The oldest U.S. organization to sponsor competition is the American Sighthound Field Assocation (ASFA), which was officially launched in 1972. The American Kennel Club (AKC) established their standards for competition in 1991. A new organization, the National Lure Coursing Club, had its inaugural race in January of this year.

These organizations specify which sighthounds can compete in their events. They typically include Afghans, Basenjis, Borzois, Greyhounds, Ibizans, Irish Wolfhounds, Italian Greyhounds, Pharaoh Hounds, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Salukis, Scottish Deerhounds, and Whippets.

Recreational and/or “all breeds” lure coursing events are also available, but are less common than sighthound-only events. Recreational lure coursing events encourage all breeds and all mixes to participate, and events are usually held in conjunction with another dog-related event.

Lure coursers’ attributes
Lure coursing is a demanding sport. The course, whether it is for competition or recreation, requires dogs to turn abruptly and sharply. This can put a lot of pressure on a dog’s knees – especially dogs who are, let’s say, pleasantly plump. The more fit a dog is, the less pressure is placed on joints. Some dogs with short noses (the bracycephalic breeds such as pugs, French bulldogs, etc.) must be watched for overheating in hot weather. Dogs can slip and fall when they are not accustomed to the sharp turns and how to navigate them.

That said, if your dog drives you nuts chasing squirrels and other fast-moving animals, he will probably enjoy this sport. There are other dogs who just don’t get what all the hubbub is about. A case in point: I tried three of my dogs at lure coursing a few years ago. Moka, a herding breed-mix, could not believe her good fortune at being let go to chase the lure – until she caught up to it and discovered it was a white plastic bag on a string. No interest after that.

My terrier-mix, Kiwi, who gleefully will chase every stray cat out of my yard, showed absolutely no interest when we stood outside the course, watching other dogs run the course. As we got closer, he slowed down and started sniffing the ground – a classic sign of stress.

Spectators watch the pulley system being installed before a lure coursing event. The operator stands on the ladder for a better view, so he can adjust the speed of the lure.

In contrast, my young Rat Terrier, Pretzel, started screaming her head off as soon as she saw and heard the racing. Lure coursing continues to be her favorite activity.

California dog owner Verial Whitten has experienced similar reactions even among her sighthounds. “My first Saluki, Giselle, began luring when she was four years old; we just didn’t try earlier and were surprised at how much fun it was for her. I have had four other Salukis since, with Reah being the latest; she absolutely loves it and is doing quite well. Rikah would never run the lure, Eliana ran for her Junior Courser title but would not run in competition with other dogs, and Kai, my 16-month-old puppy is not agile enough yet to start.”

Test your dog. Get an old horse whip (this is a better use for it, anyway), tie a piece of fake sheepskin or other fleecy material on the end, and drag it around the yard, making it leap and dart like prey. Did your dog go “ho-hum”? Or did his eyes dilate, his body burst into motion, and his activity continue until he caught and pounced on his prize? The latter is the dog who will probably enjoy lure coursing.

Handler attributes
This sport does not require a lot of physical activity from handlers. The start-line set up requires you to be able to hold back your dog from breaking away early so this can place some wear and tear on aging backs. And you may have to dart around a bit to get your dog back on leash at the finish, but this is a sport that does not put undue physical stress on handlers.

Equipment and supplies
Very little gear is needed to practice lure coursing: ■ Rewards – Tug toys and fleecy material on a rope work well in training young pups to chase a lure. Most dogs who really love lure coursing are motivated by reaching the lure, so treats are not typically used in this sport.

■ Miscellaneous supplies – Collar and leash, crate or exercise pen, water bowl, ice chest for your drinks, a chair, and a canopy to shade you and your dog are all you need for recreational lure coursing.

If you plan to compete, you will also need coursing blankets and a coursing slip lead. Coursing blankets come in three different colors: hot pink, bright yellow, and cyan blue. They are very light-weight and form a shell around the dog’s shoulders, chest, and ribs. They are used by the judge and handlers to distinguish the dogs from each other; it’s difficult to pick out your dog from the others when they are running at a great distance from you!

The collar or neck piece of a coursing slip lead is very wide and padded so that a dog who strains against it doesn’t gasp for air. A coursing slip lead also allows the handler to instantly release the leash so the dog can get a fast start.

Coursing blankets and slip leads are widely available online by searching for “lure coursing blankets”or “lure coursing slip leads.” One good source is Deborah Butler’s Sighthound Gear (sighthoundgear.com; 515-352-3659). Some clubs provide loaner blankets and leads to competitors, and some competitors make their own.

Expenses
This is a relatively inexpensive sport since most people practice with clubs that provide the pulley system. The biggest expense is travel to the events.

Training
This sport works best for dogs with an instinct to chase. Not much training is required. In fact, if you choose not to compete, no training is required. Just go out and get your dog on the start line and let go!

Levels of competition
Dogs must be at least one year of age and certified as an acceptable breed with the sponsoring organization before entering a trial. Local breed clubs host trials sanctioned by one of these sponsoring groups.

It’s best to visit these organization’s websites to learn more about their specific titling requirements. There are significant differences in the titles available.

An example of how judges score each run is found in Section 7 of the AKC’s regulations. Scoring begins from the time the dog enters the field to the time he leaves the field with his handler. A total of 50 points are available, with 10 points possible in each category: overall ability, following (as opposed to short-cutting across the field), speed, agility, and endurance.

Kids can compete, too! Youths are coached on how to prepare their dogs for release off the start line.

Generally, dogs compete against other dogs of their own breed, as well as against other breeds. The only dog that is not allowed to compete against other dogs is the Italian Greyhound which, due to its size and speed, might be mistaken for prey by the larger sighthounds. Novice dogs race alone; they must earn eligibility to compete stride by stride with other dogs by running alongside a “testing hound” without losing enthusiasm for coursing the lure – and without coursing the testing hound! Interfering with the other dog, playfully or aggressively, is cause for disqualification.

How to get started
Most people who want to compete with their sighthounds join a local breed club to train and practice. You can locate clubs by going to the ASFA or AKC websites.

If you do not have a sighthound that can be certified by one of the sponsoring organizations, contact one of the recreational coursing organizations. Also keep your ears open for large, multiple-sport, or fundraiser events in your area. Sometimes they host lure coursing as an added feature. It will be worth the drive just to watch the variety of dogs who love this game, and you can give your dog a try at it.

Is this sport for you?
If your dog loves to chase things, this sport is probably for you. Give it a try, and you’ll probably be hooked, and so will your dog. Saluki owner Whitten says it best. “Reah loves lure coursing. When she is fulfilling the natural desire to course game, she puts her heritage to work and just to see her smiling is worth it. While there is some subjectivity in scoring, there seems to be less ‘politics’ as might be in conformation showing. It also gets us out in the fresh air around some very nice people. It would be nice to see more venues available for all dogs. My Labrador was a maniac for the lure!”

As usual, have fun, train positively, and revel in the relationship with your dog, not the ribbons on the wall.

Author Terry Long would like to thank the San Diego Rhodesian Ridgeback Club, photographer Jim Wallace, and Verial Whitten for sharing their time, knowledge, and enthusiasm about lure coursing.

Terry Long, CPDT, is a writer, agility instructor, and behavior counselor in Long Beach, California. See “Resources,” page 24, for contact information.

Dogs do not need all vaccines yearly.

We are our dogs' advocate, so when it comes to vaccinations, sometimes we need to say "no". Not all vaccinations need to be given every year, and not all at once. Getting everything at once can make some dogs sick. The full article can be read at:
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/13_8/features/Annual-Pet-Vaccinations_20036-1.html

Pet Insurance Directory|Pet Insurance Discounts

This is a really helpful site:  Pet Insurance Directory|Pet Insurance Discounts

Accupressure for adoption

Combining acupressure with behavioral techniques can help the new dog and the existing pack adapt to and bond with one another.  It can also help resident dogs accept the newcomer.  It leads to a much shorter period of upheaval and a quicker return to peace in the home.
The new dog has lost his original pack (family); and must learn a new physical environment, food, water, people, and pack.
Offer an accupressure session to the most dominant dog since he will feel the most threatened and resistant to change in pack status.

Dangers of raw pet foods: A Better Alternative

Fresh foods fed in variety are without question the perfect form of nutrition. Appropriately designed cat and dog supplements to help reduce the risk of food-borne pathogens and oxidation, and to help balance high meat meals and provide a spectrum of vegetable-based nutrients and nutraceuticals such as Wysong has developed can also be of great benefit. Anything less than this is a compromise. The next best alternative is packaged dried raw foods that have incorporated in them food technology to impede pathogens, parasites and oxidation. The low water activity of these products is a great inhibitor of pathogens and the low level of moisture make storage and shipping efficient and environmentally friendly. (See our Wysong TNT™ raw dog and cat foods .) Good quality table scraps and properly designed dry pet foods and canned pet foods can be mixed into the diet rotation with benefit as well.
Consumers must learn the principles of fresh foods fed in variety and to trust in nature. Every pet owner desires the best for their pet and they are correct in thinking food is an essential element in achieving that goal. But it is incorrect to believe that another person can do more for their pet’s health than they can do themselves. All that is required is a little understanding and use of common sense. To that end we provide a free e-Health Letter, a free one-hour CD by Dr. Wysong entitled, “The Thinking Person’s Master Key To Health,” healthy product alternatives designed intelligently with health as the number one objective, and books and recipes for anyone wanting to take control of their own and their family’s and pet’s health destiny so as not be led down health destructive primrose marketing paths.
(Note: Although the authors are associated with the technical development of the Wysong products mentioned above, the reader should not misconstrue the information as a commercial inducement. Wysong will teach people for free how to fresh-food-feed using only products purchased in the meat and vegetable aisles in the grocery. Although Wysong products provide convenient and supplemental alternatives and variety, no Wysong product is required to be purchased in order to achieve this superior method of feeding. The position is taken at Wysong that health professionals [which we are] have an ethical responsibility to help people prevent disease and thus are duty bound to teach people how to not need their services. So that is exactly what we do. Wysong pet products are a mere tool to help people along that path to the ideal goal of health self-sufficiency.)

Dangers of raw pet foods: Environmental

We live in an age of pollution and energy diminishment. RF pet foods require a tremendous amount of refrigeration and equipment all along the supply path. Freezing is energy inefficient and consumes valuable energy resources. Since RF pet foods are 70% water (at least) there are huge resources wasted in freezing and transporting the tons of this food-contained water through the supply chain. Along with all the equipment, trucking, freezing and frozen water handling inefficiency comes the pollution that parallels such industry.

Dangers of raw pet foods: Packaging

The best packaging for any pet food, particularly RF pet foods, is light- and oxygen-barrier and modified atmosphere flushed. In the absence of this, oxidation proceeds rendering the lipids toxic. None of the producers surveyed employed these technologies that we could detect. Even if they did, the other problems and dangers listed above would remain.

Dangers of raw pet foods: Parasites Are Ignored

– A wide range of parasites can be found within RF pet foods. Although there is technology in terms of freezing and natural ingredients that can be used to thwart this problem, none of the producers examined employed any of it that we could detect.

Dangers of raw pet foods: Quality

In order to make their foods anywhere near affordable, RF pet food producers must search the ingredient market for items that can carry the name of real food but may in fact be only a hollow shell of the real thing. Inferior meat and organ ingredients, heat processed grains and vegetable riffraff (for example “broccoli” on a label may really be broccoli stems – like eating a branch from an apple tree rather than the apple) are used because they are of low cost. That is not to say the marketing brochures and labels do not make it appear as though the brand is not a true gourmet meal. If one reviews the various labels it becomes clear that the race is on to see who can put the fanciest and most exotic ingredients on labels ... as if that is the road to pet health. (It is not.) In a brief ingredient survey this is what we found:
Every manner of “pureed” vegetable Organic beef, rabbit, chicken, turkey, goat, lamb, duck, pork Organic honey Organic papaya, persimmons, blueberries, oranges, apples, pears Organic yogurt Organic alfalfa, millet, quinoa and barley sprouts Wheat grass Nettles Bok choy Cultured kefir Cod liver oil Capsicum Watermelon
The reader is challenged to go to the store and total up the cost of such ingredients. Some of the organic ingredients can cost over $15 per pound. But the RF pet diets containing them can retail for as little as $2-4 per pound. Take away margins for distributors and retail stores and the producer is selling them wholesale for close to a dollar per pound. Now on top of the cost of ingredients is the production, advertising, packaging, freezing and in some cases a sales force making six figures. Something most certainly does not add up. The only thing that can be missing is true ingredient quality. But how can the label say these expensive ingredients are in the food? All the RF pet food producer needs to do is put in pinches of the expensive ingredients just to say they are there.
The only economic hope for a RF pet food producer is to create the perception of “value added.” They simply could not put the costly ingredients in the food to any degree and make a profit for themselves and all the middlemen up and down the chain. The price they would have to charge would be ridiculous. In effect, in order to be successful, producers must become accomplished at propaganda, not health and nutrition.
Consumers interested in cutting through to the truth do themselves and their pets a service by going to the grocery store with a list of the ingredients ostensibly in a RF pet diet. Although some RF diets in the lower price range appear to not be attempting to mislead, consumers should do the math comparing the exotic ingredients in RF pet foods to the prices for the real thing in the store and decide for themselves whether either value or honesty resides in RF pet products.