DOG FOOD And NUTRITION

Q: My dog—a 13-pound terrier mix—loves a particular brand of food, and that’s what I feed her. But this month, I will be traveling with her to Italy for two weeks, and, of course, I cannot feed her the preferred brand for that period.
I’m wondering if freeze-dried food would be a suitable substitute, or if that would be too drastic a change. What might you recommend? Thank you for your consideration.
Gordon Shumaker
Woodbury Minnesota

Have you ever seen the words “new” or “improved” on a dog food label? If so, it shouldn’t be there for more than the first six months of production. “It’s not new forever,” says the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), whose guidelines are generally written into law by each state legislature.

August 26th is National Dog Day, and the entire month is National Dog Month. To show your pet how much you appreciate them, why not treat him or her to a nice cold pup treat during these dog days of summer? Options abound, from a Starbucks “Puppiccino” to a Dunkin’ Donuts “Puppy Latte” (a small espresso-sized cup with whipped cream) to Dairy Queen’s 4-ounce cup of vanilla soft serve in its “Pup Cup.”

Dogs with fly-catching syndrome try to bite or jump into the air, seemingly to catch imaginary flies. It’s often believed to be some kind of obsessive compulsive behavior, although sometimes seizures are found to be the cause. Now a new case study reported in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association suggests the behavior could in some cases be the result of gluten intolerance, the hallmark of celiac disease.

People tend to shut down when the veterinarian says their dog is fat or obese. They take it as an affront, often interpreting those words to mean they are being told they are irresponsible pet owners.

As the practice of feeding dogs raw meat diets increases, so does the incidence of pets harboring bacteria in their systems that are not only harmful but also ever more resistant to the drugs that are supposed to be able to destroy them. The latest evidence about potential harm comes from a study conducted in the United Kingdom.

Did you hear the one about the dog whose veterinarian prescribed a special therapeutic diet to slow the progression of kidney disease? Turns out that even with the newly prescribed food the rate of the dog’s decline did not ease up.

More than 50 percent of dogs in the U.S. are estimated to be overweight. Part of the reason may be a psychological problem — yours. In many households, people turn food into currency for love. They fear that withholding as much food or as many treats as their dog wants will fray the bond they have with their pet. It won’t — if you show your pet love in all the other important ways.

You know those television commercials that have a dentist in a lab coat recommending a particular toothpaste? Well, the marketing ploy has drifted over to products meant for our pets, in a manner of speaking. A number of dog food manufacturers have a burst in large letters on the front of their packages that says the product is “Veterinarian Recommended.”