ANIMAL WELLNESS
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Annual
Why do pet food RECALLS
Nutrition Issue
10 SECRETS Top
keep happening?
What a
commercial pet food manufacturers DON’T want you to know
RACKET!
PREY MODEL AND B.A.R.F. DIETS
NUTRITION UTRITION TIPS FOR
Get informed about these popular feeding choices
Learn how to stop him from barking at the door
SENIOR DOGS
Beth Ostrosky Stern
Wh th Why the model, d l actress,TV t TV persona personality and foster “mom” tirelessly promotes animal adoption
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11FUN FACTS about cats How well do you really know your feline?
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER Display until November 25, 2013
UPSCALE
dining
$5.95 USA/Canada
Why cats, especially flat-faced breeds, BENEFIT from raised feeders
Lily’s
Leukemia Acupressure for bette DIG better DIGESTION D DIGES ESTION EST ES STION ST ION
Born with FeLV, this LOVING cat taught her family a lot about this SERIOUS disease
Wh When she h ccan’t an’t an ’t hunt, h nt this hi technique will help your kitty absorb nutrients
VOLUME 15 ISSUE 5
AnimalWellnessMagazine.com
BONUS INSIDE!
feline wellness
57
Contents October/November 2013
FEATURES
46
89
18 SHOULD HE TAKE A MULTIVITAMIN? A young, healthy dog on a high quality diet probably doesn’t need a daily multi. But there are times when such supplementation is necessary. Here’s what to look for when choosing a product.
23 IBD IN DOGS
It’s a complicated condition that may have symptoms similar to other common canine bowel problems.
24 TOP 4 NUTRITION TIPS FOR SENIOR DOGS Help your older buddy stay healthy and live long by feeding him right and keeping his weight down.
30 WANT A TREAT?
Healthy, high quality treats are important at any time, but especially if your dog has specific wellness issues.
33 WELLNESS INSIDE AND OUT Biotin and antioxidants are key ingredients in this company’s supplements for healthy skin, shiny coats and overall well being.
34 WOOF WOES
Does your dog explode into barking whenever someone knocks at the door or rings the bell? Here are 6 ways to help him simmer down.
38 PERFECT MATCH
Thanks to Pets for Vets, military veterans with PTSD are reducing their symptoms by adopting specially trained shelter dogs as companions.
40 STOMACH THIS!
Raw green tripe might look and smell disgusting, but it’s a rich source of nutrients for dogs.
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animal wellness
42 “MAKE IT STOP!”
You know dogs have a keener sense of hearing than we do. What you may not know is that some are extra sensitive to sound, and can develop fearful behavior because of it.
46 BETH OSTROKSY STERN
62 ACUPRESSURE FOR NUTRIENT ABSORPTION
The act of predation is a key part of the feline digestive process, and without it, your kitty may not absorb nutrients as well as he should. This acupressure session can help enhance digestion.
64 11 FACTS ABOUT CATS
How serendipity and a bulldog named Bianca transformed this model, actress and TV personality into an adoption advocate.
How well do you really know your kitty? Test your knowledge with this list of fun and fascinating facts about felines.
50 HE IS WHAT HE EATS Prey model and B.A.R.F. diets are popular choices, but there are some factors you need to consider before going this route.
You’ve been learning about better nutrition for your dog, but commercial pet food manufacturers can be good at obscuring the truth about their products. Here are the top 10 secrets they don’t want you to know.
53 PURE GOLD
76 ON THE REBOUND
68 INSIDE INFORMATION
What do you get when you combine a love of dogs with dedication to quality? A premium pet food company whose products go the extra mile.
Why do pet food recalls keep happening, and what’s being done about it?
58 UPSCALE DINING
Green tea isn’t just an enjoyable beverage. In supplement form, it offers a variety of impressive health qualities your canine companion can benefit from.
Raised feeders aren’t just for dogs. Cats, especially flat-faced breeds, also benefit from eating in a more elevated position.
60 LILY’S LEUKEMIA
Born with FeLV, this affectionate pure white cat only lived three years, but she left behind plenty of happy memories, and taught her family a lot about this serious disease.
84 TEA TIME!
89 LEAKY GUT SYNDROME Also called hyperpermeable bowel, this condition has a strong relationship to the immune system and the development of chronic disease.
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68 SOCIAL MEDIA Tips, contests and more! Like us /AnimalWellnessMagazine Updates, news, events! @ AnimalWellnessMagazine
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Product reviews and tutorials! AnimalWellnessTV
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COLUMNS 12 Yakkity yak 65 Feline Wellness book reviews 72 Warm & fuzzy 80 To the rescue 82 Passages
DEPARTMENTS 8 Editorial
87 Book reviews 98 Tail end
49 Product picks 54 Animal Wellness resource guide
66 The scoop 74 Social media
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93 Marketplace 96 Classifieds 97 Events calendar animal wellness
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4
TOP
nutrition tips for SENIOR dogs
By Deva Khalsa, VMD
Help your older buddy stay healthy and live long by feeding him right and keeping his weight down.
When I first saw
Casey, a 12-year-old cocker spaniel, she wasn’t a pretty picture. She was grossly overweight with no energy and a smelly, greasy coat. She’d even stopped wanting to go for walks. “Everyone says she’s just getting old,” said her “mom”, Sally. “But I thought I’d try holistic treatments to see if they could help her.” The first thing I did was change Casey’s diet. I also added a quality general supplement along with some antioxidants. When she returned just three weeks later, she was a different dog. She looked great, had lost weight, loved going for walks and after many years had started playing with her old toys again. She was aging, but her problems did not arise from getting old. She was just getting unhealthy.
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Your older dog’s diet is the single most important factor affecting his health and longevity. The great thing is that you’re the one controlling his diet so you can do a lot to keep him well and happy. Here are some tips for keeping your older dog healthy and young at heart during his golden years.
1
Don’t
tip the scales
It’s important to keep your canine senior citizen at a healthy weight. There are many reasons he can become overweight, the most common of which are improper diet and lack of sufficient exercise. Weight gain may also be due to a hypothyroid condition, so if you’ve been reducing your dog’s caloric intake over time and notice no weight loss, it’s important you take him to the veterinarian and get his thyroid function checked. Once any medical reasons for obesity are ruled out, the other reasons for weight gain need to be addressed. As dogs age, we love them more and more and may tend to give them lots of treats. While our unconditionally-loving canine companions deserve the best, over-treating generates weight gain. This doesn’t mean your dog can’t enjoy treats; simply change what he eats to healthier fare. One large wheat-based biscuit contains 500 calories – over a meal’s worth of calories for a small dog. It’s easy to create treats from foods that are both healthy and delicious. Many dogs love broccoli stems or slices of apple, pear or watermelon. Freeze-dried chicken breast makes a welcome and low calorie treat. Vegetables such as asparagus, carrots, string beans, broccoli, yams and sweet potatoes can be very lightly dribbled with olive oil and baked at a low heat until they are golden brown and then cooled. There are so many options that even finicky seniors will have their favorites.
2
Keep up the quality
In addition to healthier treats, it’s important to learn how to decipher quality ingredients by reading labels. Many commercial pet food manufacturers use corn and corn gluten as a cheap
animal wellness
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