November 2001
Letters: 11/01
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A Few Dog Products We Missed
Subscribers Only Often, after we have reviewed a certain type of product, we get calls, letters, and e-mail from Whole Dog Journal readers telling us about similar products that we did not review. While we do not – and cannot – test every example of a product concept, when we learn about an exceptional or unusual one that we missed, we like to bring it to your attention. The following are a few notable additions to our product reviews from the past year.
The Many Benefits of Garlic for Your Dog
Subscribers Only One dictum for dealing with an ailing dog is to make sure he doesn’t get sick in the first place. And one way to achieve that noble end is to feed him a maintenance dose of garlic, a “wonder herb” that has a long list of beneficial effects for the dog in your life. Garlic has antiseptic, antibiotic, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties. It can be used as an anthelmintic (de-worming agent). It acts as a potent expectorant (helps bring phlegm or mucous up and out of the airway). It can lower blood pressure and prevent blood clots. And it can support the formation of good bacteria in the digestive tract.
Focusing in On The Main Ingredients in Commercial Dog Foods
Subscribers Only Commercial dog foods today contain anywhere from two to dozens of main ingredients, as well as vitamins, minerals, preservatives, and other additives. People have become sensitized to the presence of certain ingredients that have a bad reputation – some deservedly, some not. Let’s take a closer look at some of the “controversial” ingredients in dog foods. We have included several ingredients that we’ve seen pet food manufacturers either hype (in the case of ingredients they use) or denigrate (in the case of their rivals’ ingredients). We’re not going to address the hype, pro or con, but just tell you the facts.
A Few Enlightening Books on Positive Dog Training
Subscribers Only Whether or not they think about it, most people who care for dogs have at least a vague notion of what they consider cruel or humane treatment of a canine companion. Definitions vary wildly, however. Some people have no compunction about smacking or yanking their dogs in an attempt to make them behave as they would like them to. Others may completely eschew the use of physical force on their dogs. The definitions of “cruel” or “humane” treatment tend to reflect an individual’s own experiences and conscience — which may be completely divergent from the societal norm.
Whole Herbs: A Holistic Look at Dog Care
Subscribers Only A holistic veterinarian explains why herbs should NOT be taken in the same manner as modern medicines. First of all, there is simply too much substance to each herb to be able to measure all of it with any methodology. Accurate measurements of any herb would entail evaluating hundreds of biochemicals, each interacting with each other – then each of these interactions having myriad effects on the physical body of the patient, some of them additive or synergistic, others balancing or bi-directional in effect. To try to diminish all these chemical interactions down to one or two biochemicals that are supposedly the “active ingredients” of the herb is impossible.
Signs That Your Dog is Suffering From Spinal Problems
Maybe your dog’s breed is prone to pacing; that’s not a concern. But dogs who begin pacing following injury or in their later years may be suffering from spinal problems. In a normal walk pattern, each of the dog’s legs move individually in a four-beat gait, with the diagonal pairs of legs moving nearly together. For example, the left hind and the right front legs move forward almost together, with the left hind paw landing a fraction of a second before the right front paw; then the right hind leg goes forward closely followed by the left front.
Working With Obsessive/Compulsive Dogs
Subscribers Only The dainty, 18-month-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel appeared perfectly normal and happy when she and her owner greeted me at the door, but I knew better. Her owner had already advised me over the phone that Mindy was a compulsive “fly-snapper,” and that the stereotypic behavior had intensified in recent weeks, to the point where it was making life miserable for both Mindy and her owner. Indeed, it was only a matter of minutes before I saw Mindy’s expression change to one of worry, then distress and anxiety, as her eyes began to dart back and forth. Her efforts grew more frantic and her demeanor more anxious, and included stereotypic tail-chasing, until she finally ran from the living room into the safety of her crate in the darkened pantry.
Positively the Best Book
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