Hi Doc Greg,

Fantastic book, I blogged all about it and put in on Facebook and Twitter and your FB wall too.

I have a question for you. It seems my Golden Retriever Koa who is almost 6 months old has a flea sensitivity allergy to fleas, I am being diligent about using non toxic chemical free ways to combat the fleas (on his coat and in his diet both) but still 1 flea bites him and he is in much discomfort I am finding out recently..poor boy what do you use on your dogs to combat fleas? Thanks for your advice on this.

Sophie Robbins,

Pet Lifestyle Expert & Animal Communication Specialist

Sophie,

Saw all of your wonderful testimonials to my book. Thanks so much.

I used to use Advantage monthly, then as needed when I see fleas, however now I haven’t needed flea control in over a year for my three cats or three dogs.

There is an oral flea medication called Comfortis (which reduces topical exposure to humans) ,and did you know you can use a large tube of advantage and split it up between dogs and cats (advantix cannot be used on cats). I no longer use or advise flea control all the time, unless in a high density flea or tick area. I now recommend flea control medication for a few months straight during your areas flea season.

With more skin oils from increased omegas in the Dog Dish Diet, my dogs coat smells different and I wonder if the body makes a natural repellent. Millions of years of a parasite and host interacting would certainly provoke natural defenses from the skin. I think a diet with healthy oils may help the skin defend against fleas. The musk we smell may be a healthy defense against parasites.

Dr Greg

Hi Dr. Greg,

I’m writing to you to follow up with you on our Brittany “Scout”, and most importantly, to say THANK YOU!!!

After following your advice to transition Scout away from dry food to the “Dog Dish Diet”, within 48 hours her problem with gas and diarrhea ended.  Digestive problems have plagued her since we brought her home at 12 weeks.  At 18 months, after trying several dry dog food changes, we were beginning to think that her problems would be lifelong.  After switching to the Dog Dish Diet, the change was so immediate it was startling.  We have not had a single bout of diarrhea since, and all gassiness has ended.  At the same time we switched her away from rawhide bones to hard, marrow filled buffalo bones.  Within 2-3 weeks her teeth became bright white – we laugh because she looks like she has been using Crest white strips!!

Anyway, we wanted to give it time, just to make sure that we did not have a setback before writing.  The diet is easy to make, takes little time, and costs about the same.  Her energy level is high and weight is perfect.

Dr Greg, we are amazed at the transformation!!  Thank you very much!!!

Any thoughts on a book on cats?

I have received so much positive feedback that I want anybody that has a dog with skin, ear , stomach,bowel, kidney, bladder, or seizure problems to consider the diet they are feeding. I have seen a few dogs that dietary changes  do not help, but most show pretty dramatic improvement like Scout did. Ingredients and the types of food can make all the difference!! Check out Dog Dish Diet, and treat your dog to a life of healthier ingredients and fewer medical problems!!

The joint is a marvel of engineering. Each one handles running, jumping, twisting, and turning for a lifetime if not over-stressed or  improperly nourished and maintained. The cartilage surface of the joint is super-smooth and the cartilage that covers each end of the bones is spongy to absorb shock. With stress the cartilage may compress and get rough and lose the ability to do its job…absorb shock and provide a gliding surface. Joints help our pets bend and move about quickly and efficiently.

Picture the cartilage cushions of the joint as a waterbed with baffles. Pressure is absorbed and the water filled mattress changes shape and expands, then recoils as the pressure is removed. The cartilage pads act in the same way, until they become compromised by wear and tear and undernourishment.

Obesity in dogs gives the joint a double whammy. Obese dogs are not as active and the joint does not enjoy the bathing of nutrients and the constant expelling of waste products with each step and jump. The water filled cartilage becomes stagnant and leaky; losing its cushioning effect. Without a space and slick surface; friction ruins perfection and degenerative arthritis sets in.

Common commercial diets may not contain the necessary ingredients for optimum joint health. Funny that both dogs and their owners often take supplements for ailing joints. Is it possible that commercial diets don’t supply all that is needed to keep our joints in good repair? Cartilage and bones  are not as much a part of the diet as in the past and the  joints may be letting us know that. I crock pot the whole chicken, bones and all for my dogs and cats, until the cooked bones are soft. I also now eat the ends of the chicken bones to help my joints out. I think that decades of prepared diets are wearing on both animals and humans. How do you reverse the damage? Proper nutrition and Dog Dish Diet! If your dog is inactive and is gaining weight or too heavy, it may be headed for surgery or daily pain medication!

When you are in the great outdoors and hiking things just seem simpler. I started thinking about the great lectures by Ross Palmer DVM and Michael Lappin DVM PHD about infectious diseases and inflammation due to arthritis.(ivseminars.com) I have often thought that food allergies cause so many problems due to their  wrath of the skin, ears, bowels, bladder, anal glands, and brain.

I was hiking after a reported fatal Grizzly attack in my area. The shrill alarm call of a Pika (rodent about size of a hamster) made me jump. Then a moose jumped out of the brush and really unnerved me for a moment. She stared at me as if to say “It’s early and I was busy eating, do you mind?” I didn’t feel like such a big strong hiker after all! By the way, there is a bear spray that will stop a charge at 15-30 feet. I did not buy any; I was prepared to slowly back away or play dead if necessary.

So if your pet eats ingredients that cause inflammation, it may cause itching, redness, or pain in various organs. Common sites are the ears, skin, stomach, bowels, anal glands, bladder, liver, kidneys, and brain. Any chronic infection that keeps returning may be due to inflammation letting it happen.

I was lying by a creek near Dubois, Wyoming and turned to look when Lonna said my name in a slightly higher pitch than normal. That usually means she is alarmed or excited, or needs something. Lonna was reading her book and glanced up to see a large nose attached to a deer head, mule ears, broad shoulders, and small butt looking through at her through the windshield of our rental car. I rolled over to see a mommy and baby moose less than 10 feet away from me in front of our car. She was now interested in me and what I was doing. I know enough about animals and especially about how protective and aggressive moose can be with kids in tow. I slowly got up and backed away and the baby immediately started to nurse.  After the meal, both moved back to the brush for snack.

Dr. Lappin talked about how organs can send up the white flag, when an infection of the tissues or blood by bacteria is in progress. Funny enough, same thing happens with allergies. When an allergen comes in contact with an organ of a sensitive animal, things get red and irritated and don’t work so well. The skin will itch, the ears will get red and gunky, the stomach gets irritated an rejects food, the bowels get irritated and push everything out the rear end, the anal glands become sore and inflamed, the bladder gets red and irritated, and the brain shorts out on occasion. This could be the universal theory of inflammation and illness. Bacteria or food ingredient s can both cause problems. Inflammation could lead to infection. (As in chronic skin, ear, and bowel problems.)

Dr Palmer talked about the role of obesity in joint inflammation and declining lifespan in dogs and enjoyed my insights in Dog Dish Diet. We both know that our canine population needs to lose weight to live longer , happier, healthier lives. Check out how my insights can help you save your dog misery and trips to the vet for chronic health problems in Dog Dish Diet. Your dog will love the variety and you will see the results!

Where did the bulldog breed originate?

Bulldogs were originally bred to be tough working dogs. Most were bred for herding and guarding and some were bred to fight with bulls. Exact origins are disputed but in general involved breeding with Mastiffs, pugs, and other like breeds.

Breeding for a short muzzle and compact muscular shape has caused many of the different bulldog breeds to have noisy breathing, heat sensitivity, allergies, problems with their skin, eyes, and eyelids, and abnormally shaped joints and vertebrae. If you think about the outside physical differences between the wolf (distant ancestor) and bulldog, it isn’t too hard to imagine how intense the breeding had to be to produce such changes and how such internal changes could lead to chronic medical problems. When we breed for a look, we may be unknowingly breeding for a change in body structure or function that is not beneficial to the individual. That is the source of many of the medical problems in the Bulldog Breeds

For example, the soft palette is often too long (actually it is probably the right size for a dog with a normal sized nose) for the throat. It is jammed up against the windpipe and can cause snoring as the airway is restricted. The palette can be sucked right on top of the windpipe when affected dogs take a breath. The sounds we hear can be mild or very loud depending on how much tissue is sitting on the windpipe. In addition nostrils can also be too narrow or pinched and the throat can be smaller than normal due to the breathing stuff jammed into a small space.

If your dog snores loudly or has trouble breathing, your vet can examine, take x-rays, and check out the back of the throat under anesthesia to see if surgically shortening the palette or enlarging the nostrils will help ease the breathing difficulty.

Exercise, heat, obesity, or stress can turn a small breathing problem into a big one as the lungs and brain put demands on a restricted breathing passage. That is why the breed is so prone to overheating or “heat stroke”.

In fact, this is the reason bulldogs and pugs have the most medical problems during air travel. Some have trouble breathing and regulating body temperature when temperatures swing from cold to hot in a short time.

Obesity will put pressure on the diaphragm and lungs and decrease the ability to breathe in and out effectively. Fat dogs are much more prone to heat stroke, bronchitis, and exhaustion. Learn what types of foods cause obesity.

Loose skin has its advantages when fighting. It doesn’t tear as easy. However when bunched up in folds, is too moist and will grow yeast and bacteria. The musty, dark, creased areas develop skin fold dermatitis, which is a fancy term for a moist area that grows bugs. Some deep folds need to be swabbed daily with an antibacterial swab or cleanser to prevent infection.

Breeding for loose folded skin has caused the eyelids to sometimes fold inward and rub on the eyeball, or sag outward and leave the eye and membranes exposed to lots of dust and constant irritation and infection. Fortunately these conditions can be surgically corrected by your veterinarian. Breeding for bulgy eyes promote eye problems like ulcers, cherry eye, and dry eye because the lids and glands do not wash, lubricate and nourish the eye as intended. Using artificial tears daily may help prevent irritated or under-lubricated eyes.

Breeding for short compact bodies has caused back problems in over 50% of the various bulldog breeds. Pressure to become shorter has caused abnormally shaped vertebrae which are prone to more wear and tear. This may cause the discs of the back to wear out faster, causing pain, paralysis, arthritis, and back pain.

Hip dysplasia, or the defective ball and socket joint of the femur and pelvis, and problems with the knee cap “going out” and displacing to one side or other of the knee joint or stifle are also common orthopedic or structural problems associated with the bulldog breed.

Glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM joint supplements or feeding crock potted, raw, or smoked bones may help nourish damaged joints and delay arthritis.

Obesity or the accumulation of fat will put pressure on the diaphragm, making it harder to breathe and will pull down on the back. This can stress already compromised breathing and bad backs. That is why keeping your bulldog trim is the most important thing you can do

Allergies to food ingredients and pollens cause bulldogs to have hives, ear infections, hotspots, skin infections, stomach upsets, and diarrhea. Inflamed skin and bowels will often let parasites in. Demodex mites love to set up housekeeping when the skin is irritated. Giardia will colonize an inflamed bowel much easier than a healthy one. Yeast and bacteria love an inflamed ear.

Bulldogs need to avoid the food ingredients that cause the inviting inflammation and welcome invaders to the skin, ears, bowels, or bladder. Glutens and beef are the most common allergens in commercial foods. In addition the high carbohydrate content and low moisture of commercial kibble or dry food can also lead to obesity and urinary problems (bladder infections and stones) in some dogs. Doggy “fast food” and treats turn some dogs into heavy, itchy, pooping nightmares.

In my book, Dog Dish Diet (www.dogdishdiet.com), I will teach you how to avoid or prevent these chronic medical problems that can occur when allergies and the type of commercial food combine with the bulldog’s sensitivities. In fact a better diet will help any dog with medical problems, or prevent future ones.

Fortunately, Bulldog mixes are now introducing new genes and may reduce the long laundry list of health problems. Remember, we made ‘em and we can fix ‘em.

I was preparing for a segment of my local community channel TV series called, “The Pet Spot with Dr. Greg” by reading the ASPCA poison control website. The top ten poisonings of 2009 were listed. The order of the list was determined by the number of calls each category received in 2009.

Topping the list was human medicines and pills gobbled up from counters and nightstands (45000 calls). Then insecticides used for our gardens, homes, and fleas (29000 calls), people food like grapes, raisins, onions,garlic avocado, products containing xylitol, like gum, and especially dark chocolate (17,453 cases).

Milk chocolate is not as dangerous. A medium sized dog may eat 20 oz of milk chocolate without showing symptoms. Eating a small square of a Hershey bar or a few kisses will usually not cause a problem. So don’t rush out to the ER if your dog snags a piece of chocolate. Why is avocado on the list? There is a popular dog food that contains avocado ingredients called avoderm, and I feed my dog’s avocado all the time. However, it still makes many poison lists. Parrots can’t eat it, but most dogs have no problem with it.Garlic powder is in many natural flea control products and the dogs and cats aren’t sick and are free of fleas. Many clients report the treatment works on their pets.and the literature suggests an animal would have to eat several cloves or a medium onion to get blood problems(pretty spicy). It appears that a little garlic powder keeps fleas away…and vampires? Both suck blood!!

Next houseplants are listed and eating bits of common house plants always makes both dogs and cats puke, just like they do after eating some grass. There are plants that are dangerous such as Easter lilies (kidney failure in cats), but most cause mild nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.Even so, there were 7800 calls.

Check out my 10 Practical Home Remedies for Your Dog at www.dogdishdiet.com for treatment of mild symptoms

Veterinary medicines were next, including vaccines(makes some small puppies shaky and sick for a bit), dewormers, heartworm, and flea products(topical products make some animals sick if  they are sensitive, or wrong weight container used, or if dog stuff applied to cats.) Some dogs do not tolerate non-steroidal anti-inflammatories medicine and get really inflamed stomach, bowels, and liver.(7700 calls).

D-Con and other mouse poisons can make dogs and cats bleed to death by ingestion of the poison in the grain pellets or by eating the poisoned rodent. Antifreeze(with ethylene glycol) tastes good to dogs and will shut down the kidneys(6600 calls).

Household cleaners will cause burns and upset stomachs, lead weights and toys cause anemia, and fertilizer will upset the stomach too. (12,000 calls).

If you see your dog wolf down d-con or snail bait (with metaldehyde) make them puke with 10-30 cc of hydrogen peroxide right away. If your dog or cat has gotten into insecticide, chemicals, or too much or the wrong flea control product, wash it off with Dawn Detergent or other mild grease cutting dish soaps. If your dog or cat is in trouble…go for veterinary assistance. If you have witnessed the act…make them puke, wash them off, or give them pepcid and Imodium (for mild vomiting and diarrhea).

The poisoning  I see most often in my practice is carbohydrate poisoning causing obesity, gluten poisoning causing itchy skin, red ears, or vomiting, and diarrhea from eating doggy biscuits, and dry food causing urinary infections and stones in dogs and cats. Course these ingredients are supposed to be “safe” and never make the list. My book, Dog Dish Diet, teaches dog owners what ingredients to avoid and how to prevent chronic allergies and health problems.

Young animals can’t fight parasites off very well until their immunity improves with age. Roundworms, coccidia, and giardia love to take advantage of a young, defenseless bowel and cause inflammation and diarrhea, as well as multiply and spread to other victims. Worming and the use of medicines directed against these bugs will prevent severe infections and spread of these parasites.

Of course, we have to know which bug or parasite may be invading our young kitten or puppy to treat it. Checking the feces for a particular infection will help us decide what drug to use. Most puppies or kittens are usually wormed or treated for parasites by the breeder, shelter, or pet store with panacur, drontal, albon, or metronidiazole. So most young puppies and kittens are treated for roundworms, giardia, and coccidia before they even arrive at the veterinary hospital. However not all of the youngsters may have received the right dosage, the right medication for the particular bug or worm they are carrying, or may have become re-infected after treatment.

A fresh fecal sample may help us identify which puppies or kittens still are infected or became infected after treatment. This sample may contain some eggs, cysts, or parasites we can identify under the microscope. A fresh fecal sample can be checked for bugs by diluting a small amount on a slide and looking at it. This is a screening method known as “direct smear”. A “fecal float” means putting a bit of the sample in a solution that “floats” the worm eggs, coccidia, or giardia cysts to the surface of the container where they can be “captured” by a cover slip. Diluted poop that is spread out on a slide makes it easier to identify worm eggs, coccidia, and giardia. A “float” concentrates the numbers and makes it easier yet. With that information we then know which wormers or other drugs will help prevent or control medical conditions and diarrhea.

With all that said, most puppies and kittens usually rid themselves of unwanted worms and bugs with two to three treatments spaced between 6-12 weeks of age. On the other hand, puppies and kittens in high density populations tend to be “barraged” by more than one bug or worm and may require multiple types of mediation and more frequency of treatment depending on the infection. Examples are large breeding operations, shelters, and pet stores where worms, giardia, and coccidia are often passed around simultaneously. Preventative worming and treatment for giardia and coccidia is commonplace in these situations. In addition some worms need broad spectrum wormers. For example, hookworms are harder to kill then other roundworms and tapeworms need a different wormer than roundworms.

Diarrhea in adult dogs and cats is usually caused by changes in the ingredients of the food, a new treat or chew, or ingesting a piece of rubber, plastic, thread, foil, toy, wood, rock, spoiled food, carcass, poop, or parasites like giardia. Irritation to the bowel by allergens, stuff that shouldn’t be in there, or infections can cause that uneasy feeling and “the runs”. Adult animals can pick up a giardia or tapeworm infection from their surroundings or from fleas. Both can cause diarrhea, but can be easily treated. Giardia can be diagnosed with ELISA “snap test” or under the microscope. Tapeworm segments are usually spotted crawling around the butt area. Adults are rarely affected by intestinal roundworms like young animals. The scooting and weight loss in adult animals that is often attributed to worms is usually caused by irritated anal glands, food allergies, and medical problems like diabetes.

Check out my YouTube video:

What\’s in the Poop?

You can treat minor diarrhea, vomiting, itching, and ear problems with over the counter medicines while you are waiting for veterinary care. Check out my free download next to this blog.

My book, Dog Dish Diet, will teach you how to prevent common medical problems and save you and your dog needless suffering and expense.

Does your dog have a chronic skin problem? Does it itch all the time? You know it doesn’t have fleas. Your vet gives it shots and pills that work for a while, but after a week or so the itching gradually gets worse again. Sometimes it itches so much that it has “hotspots” or sores that look red, raw and are painful.

Or your dog may scratch and shake its ears and have waxy discharge that does not go away, even with medicine.  It does not have ear mites or a foxtail in its ear, but the vet tells you it is an “ear infection”. The infection never seems to clear up.

Your dog may seem to have a touchy stomach and eat grass all the time. Some dogs eat grass for nausea, and vomit to make themselves feel better. Maybe your dog always seems to have soft stools or even diarrhea that comes and goes without an obvious cause. Your vet may have done tests to rule out parasites and gave medicine for the diarrhea. It seemed to get better, then returned after the medicine ran out.

All of these symptoms can be caused by the “type” of dog food, the ingredients in the dog food, or the lack of needed ingredients like omega oils. For the last 15 years I have had better luck curing skin, ear, stomach, and bowel problems with nutrition instead of “patching” them with constant medications.

My book, Dog Dish Diet,will save you money and trips to the vet and keep your dog healthier and happier.  I have counseled my clients to feed better and stay out of my office for years. I love animals too much, to not do “the right thing”. Changing the diet a bit does not work on every dog, but 90% get better, itch less, vomit less, scratch their ears less, and have firmer stools. Gamble that your dog is not one of the 10%, or keep paying your vet. Besides 20 bucks is only less then half of an office visit.

I went for my first deep dive to eighty feet here in Hawaii after my veterinary conference. I love to watch animal behavior as well as appreciate the beauty of tropical fish and other animals, We dove to  a “cleaner station” where fish, turtles, manta rays, and even eels go to get detailed. Cleaning fish have evolved a really cool behavior of eating dead skin, fungus, and other parasites on and in the gills, mouth,teeth, and skin. The cleaner fish get an easy meal and the recipient of the cleaning is healthier without the parasites or fungal growths. I watched animals lay motionless with their mouth and gills open to let the cleaner dart in and out of its body. Can you imagine laying on the bed, ans letting out “cleaner beetles” to clean our teeth, gums, and excess ear wax? Probably not. That’s why we bathe and brush. Dogs love to lick our wounds and scabs ,but that isn’t nutritionally driven, it is a social behavior.. They lick theirs and ours to clean it and promote healing.

One of the lectures was a bout coughing. Lynelle Johnson DVM PHD talked a bit about the causes  in dogs and cats. Both develop coughs due to heart problems, infections, and allergic problems. However,if a dog is obese, it can stress the lungs to cause and exacerbate  lung problems.. In fact she has found that weight loss alone decreases coughing in affected dogs. However she said that it is very hard for clients and the dogs to exist on a rigid weight loss diet to lose or keep their weight down.

The beauty of the Dog Dish Diet is that it helps owners choose lower calorie commercial foods and treats or to make healthy lower calorie crock pot foods that make weight loss effortless. Dogs have it easier than us, if we feed them healthier, less calorie dense foods they are happy. Owners that use the recommendations in the book see significant weight loss in their dogs in a few months. I gave Dr.Johnson a copy of Dog Dish Diet and asked for her professional feedback.

Dry, commercial dog food is like our fast food and some people, dogs,and cats just can’t deal with all the excess carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are fuel for our bodies and if not used are converted to fat and stored. Stored fat adds unneeded pounds and causes medical problems.