Share Your Food With Your Dog
Rick Woodford, CHOW

The "Dog Food Dude," Rick Woodford is back. He says you should share your food with your dog. But doesn't that go against everything we've been taught about proper nutrition? No, not if you're doing it right.

It seems like for years the experts have warned us about feeding our dogs from the table. That's because the food from your table usually included things like fatty meat and pizza.

Most people concentrate on the "list" of foods that you shouldn't give to your dog. Rick was tired of seeing those lists and decided to write a book about the good things that you can share with your dog.

The purpose of Rick's book, CHOW, is to help people know which foods you can share and easy ways to incorporate them.

Rick's purpose is to get us to share more healthy foods in their natural form. He said its great to feed foods that are on the cutting board, not so much the food that is on our plates, before we add ingredients like salt, butter, or spices, things that aren't good for dogs. However, there are some beneficial fats and beneficial spices for dogs, like cumin, ginger and especially turmeric.

Rick goes back to why dogs picked humans in the first place. This is because we had food. They then started following us around, which began our relationship with dogs. He thinks that whether or not it is treats for training or providing a meal that your dog gets so excited over, it's also a bonding experience.

CHOW is not meant to show you how to replace your dog's food, but a way to add something a little special to it that you can share. You will find over 100 different types of food items in the book, including everything from beef to chicken as well as fruits and vegetables, which provide antioxidants and can determine the fate of your dog's health.

Dogs get five basic antioxidants from supplemented commercial dog food, but Rick states that you can't depend on five to do everything that your dog‘s body needs. So it's okay to give your dog things like a few blueberries or a few blackberries every so often. You can also give them squashes, carrots, frozen green beans and even turnips.

But what about giving your dog healthy treats? Rick says a favorite of the dogs is actually Cheerios mixed with dried fish. The Cheerios will absorb the fish smell, which drives dogs crazy. Another treat is half of cup of plain popcorn, without any salt or butter. You can even ad a little cumin for an antioxidant boost. Again, these are just treats and should be given in moderation, and should be less than 10-percent of your dog's daily calorie intake.

But you don't have to worry about making sure your dog doesn't go over 10-percent with treats, as Rick has already figured that out in his recipes, for 10, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 pounds dogs.

CHOW shows you the benefits of more than 100 foods that can be simply added to the dog bowl or combined with a few other ingredients to make a quick meal loaded with real meat, healthy fats, and antioxidants. Each simple recipe is accompanied by information on the powerhouse of nutrients that work to keep your pet happy and healthy.

http://www.dogfooddude.com

The Comeback of the Doghouse
Larry Hobbs, Bow Wow Dog Houses

Ask most pet owners and they'll tell you their dog sleeps in bed with them. The days of the doghouse seem to have all but disappeared. But Larry Hobbs has a booming business making high-end eco-friendly doghouses. He'll explain why.

Larry Hobbs is founder and CEO of Bow Wow Dog Houses, a Los Angeles-based company that makes custom-made eco-friendly doghouses. He started out as a manufacturer of industrial packaging products, primarily for wire and cable. This consisted of cable reels or more commonly known as spools.

When Larry got a dog, he went out in the market place to search for a doghouse and couldn't find anything he liked. He also couldn't find anything large enough. Most doghouses he came across were small and not large enough to accommodate his Blue Tick Hound puppy, which was going to eventually be around 80 pounds. Larry needed something his dog could get inside easily and be able to turn around.

Since Larry had the tools and materials, he decided to build his own in his shop.

After building his first one, people with large dogs started asking Larry if he could build them one.

Larry's doghouses aren't just boxes, they are designer doghouses. He uses inspiration from pictures of homes for humans. He's created a beach doghouse and even a red, white & blue one for Veteran's Day. He has also made a double one for two dogs. This gave them separate quarters side-by-side. This can be made with a door between the two or even a swinging door, allowing the dogs to be together. You can also customize your doghouse to match your own house.

A lot of the designs and features he builds into his doghouses are for the dog's comfort. These include porches and windows, insulation, hardwood floor and vents. He has also added a second door on the side to make it easier to clean.

Do people still use doghouses? Larry states that many people bring their dogs in the house in the evening, but this gives them shelter outside during the day if it rains or gets cold. This may even protect them from the heat, as Larry's own dog will go in his doghouse when it gets really hot outside.

http://bow-wowdoghouses.com

3 Must Do Updates For Your Pet in January
Robert Semrow, Animal Radio Listomania

Robert Semrow, Pet World Insider, with this week's Animal Radio List.

It's that time of year where we change batteries and check flashlights, fire alarms and other important life saving tools. Here are 3 important potentially life saving tools that you should be checking on and updating for your pet's sake.

#1 - Identification
One of the worst experiences a pet owner can have is a lost pet. Let's face it, our pets are part of the family, but sometimes they enjoy the call of the wild and can get loose. These days we have a variety of wonderful options to use to help us reunite with our pets from electronic tags and wearable technologies to microchipping and the simple, yet effective dog tags. None of this is any good if you haven't updated the information associated with this. So make sure you take the time to update the information and make sure that you know how it works as well. The worst time to have to figure out how it actually works is when you desperately need it to work.

#2 - Upgrade And Update Their Collars And Leashes
Take a look at your beloved's collars and leashes and see the effect that so much dirt, fun, wear and tear can have on it. It may be time to update or even upgrade you pet's collar or leash. Collars and leashes are another area of growth and change in the pet industry. From wearable tech that tracks exercise and movements to leashes that secure your pet and keep them safe from being stolen or lost, there are certainly some fine new options to consider for your best four legged friends.

#3 - Food And Water Bowls
That's right, it's time to update and review those very important feeding and drinking tools. The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) rated pet food bowls the 4th "germiest" place in the home, even over toilet bowls. No, don't use a toilet bowl as feeding or watering bowl. Do take a look at your water and feeding bowls and realize that keeping them clean and free of harmful bacteria is essential to your pet's health. There are multitudes of new bowls that are made from different materials to fight these problems all the way to daily disposable bowls that can assist with this issue. And while we are reviewing their bowls, take a look at your feeding bowl and ask yourself if it's too big? Why is this important, well, we pet parents have big hearts and when we see a bowl that we perceive to be less than full after we feed according to the recommended standards, we add more food cause it makes us feel better. This means each meal we are probably overfeeding our pets. That little bit of extra food adds up over a year and that leads to what we face now, an obesity epidemic for our pets.

We love our pets; we want them safe and sound. Check their identification information, update their collars and leashes and for their health and your health's sake, get some new bowls for their drinking water and food. Do you have another must have update, share it with us at our Animal Radio Facebook Page.

http://petworldinsider.com

Berry Berry Smellicious
Lucy Pet Foundation

Lucy Pet Products not only does great work for the animals, but they make great shampoos. They have such a great variety, that You can even use a different one every time you bathe your dog. Hal went one step further, and actually used the Berry Berry Smellicious on his own hair. It left his hair looking clean, shiny and it smells terrific!

The line consists of Shampoos and Leave-In Conditioning Sprays with natural ingredients for dogs. You will find Purple Rain, a Calm and Clean Lavender Shampoo and Leave-in Conditioning Spray; Berry Berry Smellicious, a Tropical Freshening Shampoo and Leave-In Conditioner Spray; Big Apple Shampoo and Leave-in Conditioning Spray with Skin Soothing Apple Oatmeal; Surfin' Jack Shampoo Leave-in Conditioning Spray with moisturizing coconut; and Pup a Dub Dub, Gentle Puppy Fresh Shampoo and Leave-in Conditioning Spray, gentle enough for puppies 8 weeks and older.

These shampoos and leave-in conditioning sprays are not only great for your dog's coat, you can even use the conditioning sprays as a touch up between your dog's baths, to keep them smelling fresh and clean.

The Mission of The Lucy Pet Foundation is to reduce pet overpopulation by having mobile spay/neuter clinics across the country and to support causes that benefit animal welfare. The Lucy Pet Foundation currently has two buses that travel around Southern California focusing on spaying and neutering. These buses are state of the art surgery units. Their next focus is in generating more funds to expand the work of these buses and have more across the country.

The Lucy Pet Foundation not only offers free and reduced spays and neuters, they also do microchipping, vaccines and de-wormings. Spaying and neutering is not only great for pet population control, but it has been proven that an animal will live on an average of 40-percent longer after having this surgery.

http://www.lucypetproducts.com

Get Your Pet To the Vet Safely with No Escapees - Dr. Debbie

A frightening situation occurred the other day at my veterinary hospital. Working inside my office, I could hear a woman's shrieks coming from the parking lot. I ran outside to find a woman with one dog on a leash, and the other dog skittering about the parking lot - the result of a slipped collar. The owner would approach the panicked dog and he'd retreat, darting under nearby cars. Those familiar with our hospital location understand its proximity to a busy intersection. Should the dog run in the wrong direction, he'd meet up with 45 mph traffic.

My staff was outside in moments to assist the owner in retrieving her dog and safely escorted everyone into the building. Thankfully my client's few minutes of terror ended uneventfully. But that's not always the case. I've seen dogs run straight into the road, cat's leap from a family member's arms, and owners dive into oncoming traffic trying to catch an escaping pet.

The lesson is simple. Don't underestimate your pets' fears. Fear of car travel, new places or the veterinary office can cause a pet to behave in unpredictable ways. If you know your pet to be nervous with new people or new situations, be especially vigilant when transporting your pet in a vehicle.

Identify Your Pet
Use two methods of identification for best insurance your pet is returned to you if lost. Permanent identification with a microchip is a must, and should be complimented with a collar and ID tags.

Restrain Pet in Vehicle
Keep your pet secure during travel and when the car door opens by using a doggie seatbelt. Small dogs and cats should be housed in a pet carrier which is secured with seatbelt to avoid undue carrier movement during travel. Do not allow cats and small pets to roam freely in the car. Cats have been known to take cover under car seats which may require sedation or seat removal to extract kitty from her hiding place.

Check for Proper Fit
A proper fitting collar allows 2 finger widths between the collar and pet's neck. Allow more than, and should your pet put on the brakes, he'll easily slip out of the collar. Poor fitting harnesses are just as dangerous and allow gap room which allows a back-peddling pet to wiggle out. Not sure if the collar is too loose? Snug the collar up one fitting in anticipation of your trip to the vet.

Try Other Collar Styles
Even if you don't normally use a choker or pinch collar, consider using one when going to the vet's office. For thick necked dogs with smaller head size, try the Martingale collar, a fabric and metal combo collar that snugs down should your dog try to back out. Boisterous dogs that jump and leap when on leash may benefit wearing a head collar that fits over the muzzle. Ensure your collar choice is properly fitted, since any of these styles can fail if improperly fitted or used incorrectly.

Call Ahead
If you anticipate difficulties getting your pet to the vet's office, call ahead. Veterinary staff members are on the ready to help ensure your pet's visit is a safe one.

So, take a few minutes to consider your pet's travel safety before heading out on that next car trip, whether it is to the park, groomer, or veterinary office. Your four legged friend will thank you, but may pout on the way there.

Featured veterinarian known as "Dr. Debbie" on national pet radio program, Animal Radio. Ebook author of "Yorkshire Terriers: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend"; "Pugs: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend"; "Mini Schnauzers: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend"; and "Shih Tzu: How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend."

http://www.drdebbie.net





The Dogfather's Grooming Tip with Joey Villani

Removing Stains From a White Dog
If you have a white dog, you've probably dealt with staining. You might have tried many different products and still were not able to remove the stains.

Staining of a dog's white coat is due to many things, depending upon where the stain is. The most common place is staining around the eyes, which is usually a bacteria or yeast. Staining is also common around the stomach area and paws, because they chew and lick those areas, and their saliva is what stains it. Staining can also be caused by diet or even food allergies.

An easy way to clear up the staining is to take a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and add it to your dog's water daily. Low pH levels in a dog's body cause staining and bacteria. Our dogs need to be alkalined and you can do this by adding apple cider vinegar to their diet. People have seen tremendous results by doing this.

If the cider isn't working for you, you can try bluing shampoos. Bluing shampoos are more of an optical illusion. Blue naturally makes white look whiter, so you're not actually getting rid of the problem; you're just masking it.

There are also enzymatic and clarifying shampoos. Enzymatic shampoos work very well. The only thing with both of these products is that they are pretty harsh.

Another way to remove stains is by making a mixture at home. Take equal parts of unflavored Milk of Magnesia and Hydrogen Peroxide (10-20%) and mix it with a little bit of cornstarch. Apply it to the stained areas, which will then draw out the color. When you are done, just shampoo your pet.

Don't ever try true bleaching shampoos and pastes, as they can be very dangerous and should be left to the professionals.

Animal Radio® News - Lori Brooks

UK's Dogs Must Be Microchipped
Beginning in April, all dogs in England, Scotland & Wales will have to be microchipped with their owners' details registered and kept up to date in huge database to encourage "responsible pet ownership." To help people get it done, Dogs Trust, the UK's largest dog welfare charity, is offering free microchipping. It's hoped that compulsory microchipping will help reduce the number of lost and abandoned dogs and it allow authorities to directly identify dog owners and hold them accountable for their dogs' behavior and welfare.

Charm School For Wayward Cats
Should you ever need the service, there is Kitty Bungalow Charm School for Wayward Cats in Los Angeles. They take special care in socializing feral kittens and placing newly socialized lap cats into life-long loving homes. This unique group says it's mission is to provide all cats able to adjust to indoor life with a warm and loving forever home, while providing those cats who need to continue living outdoors with a caring colony manager, assuring all cats a humane and happy existence.

NY May Be First State to Ban De-Clawing
If Linda Rosenthal has her way, New York will be the first state to make it illegal to declaw a cat. The Manhattan assemblywoman has introduced a bill to ban the controversial procedure sometimes called de-knuckling because it's actually the entire knuckle, which is the last bone in the cat's toe, which is removed. The proposal to ban declawing in New York has ignited an intense debate. While most veterinarians say declawing should be a last resort, the New York State Veterinary Medical Society argues that cat owners have a right to decide what's best for their cats. The New York declawing bill would ban the procedure unless it is done to remove a tumor or for other medical reasons. Declawing or de-knuckling of cats is already banned in many countries, including Australia, India, Spain and the United Kingdom, as well as seven cities in California, including Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Dog Loses 100 Pounds
At the beginning of a new year, everyone makes a resolution to lose weight. Well, Buddy the dog has a jump on all of us after losing more than 100 pounds last year. Buddy's new life began when his previous elderly owners could no longer care for him and they surrendered the 180 pound, 6-year-old, morbidly obese Australian Shepherd to Hull's Haven Border Collie Rescue in Canada. It was a long 9-month journey of dieting and easing into exercise, along with cucumber and tomatoes for treats. Today Buddy weighs 71 pounds and is up for adoption!!! Buddy lost so much weight that like humans he underwent skin removal surgery so he could be more comfortable being active again. Buddy was also monitored by his doctor with weekly weigh-ins.

Cat Reacts To Seeing Dog Again
We all know what it's like when our friends or family members go away on long trips and leave us behind. It's a major bummer and we wait patiently for that day when they return home. But you know what they say, absence makes the heart grows fonder, and that's exactly how Jasper the cat reacted to seeing his dog friend Bow-Z after 10 days of being apart. The black cat just can't contain his excitement as he jumps up and throws his paws around the dog and buries his face in the dog's neck. Bow-Z's tail wags and the dog allows his feline friend to hug him for a few minutes before trying to back away and get some breathing room. But Jasper just isn't ready to let his best friend go. The cat lets out a couple of excited meows and then clings to the dog with all his might. Eventually the big dog just gives in and enjoys the love.

Puppy Cloned from Deceased Dog's DNA
A couple in England were surely not the only people to get a puppy for Christmas, but the pair may be the only ones who received a cloned replica of their beloved pooch. The puppy, named Chance is a first, having been created from the DNA of a dog who had been deceased for nearly two weeks. Previously cloned dogs were created with samples taken from living, or very recently deceased, dogs. It's the first time the procedure, which costs $100,000, has succeeded with a sample from a dog who had passed on 12 days earlier. In fact, the couple told a London newspaper they still have the dog in their freezer, while they finish the garden where they plan to bury him. Interestingly, a second dog is still pregnant with another cloned puppy and they couple says they plan to keep both puppies and adopt their surrogate mothers as well.

NEWS UPDATE brought to you by Drs. Foster & Smith, affordable pet supplies. Low prices every day, so you save on every order.

Listen to the entire Podcast of this show (#840)