Q. Casey is 8 yr old lab/Terrier 75 lbs has recently become so restless, will not lay down, up & down all night & day, no chg in diet or anythi…

ANSWER : A. Your veterinarian recommended a therapeutic kidney diet because it has ingredients that will help slow the progression of your cat’s conditions, especially phosphorus and lower protein levels. Many of the non-prescription or grocery store foods generally have high levels of phosphorus and would not be ideal for your cat.

To help your cat accept the new food It is important to do a transition. There are two reasons to do a transition:

1) Occasionally a pet will have a GI upset when switched to a new diet,

2) A pet will accept a new food better when a transition is done to allow the pet to get use to the new texture and flavor.

There is more of a chance with a hydrolyzed protein or different (high or low) fiber level food to cause a GI upset. Transition recommendation:

1) Recommend ¾ old diet – ¼ new diet

2) Do this for a few days; if no GI upset, go to the next step

3) ½ old diet – ½ new diet

4) Do this for a few days; if no GI upset, go to the next step

5) ¼ old diet – ¾ new diet

6) Do this for a few days; if no GI upset, go to the next step

7) End with 100% of the new food.

Sometimes a transition should be longer, especially for cats. Use the same recommendation, but instead of a few days, recommend doing each step for a week or more. If you cat is still not interested in the new diet you can research other non-prescription diets focusing on the labels for appropriate levels of phosphorus and protein.

Also, home cooking may be an option but make sure to provide adequate nutrients. A good website to consult is balanceit.com. This website helps you to create well balanced home cooked recipes and offers supplements to add into the diet.

ANSWER : A. You should see a vet to check if there is no underlying health issue of this behaviour. It can be connected f.e. with hyperthyroidism.

ANSWER : A. If the pus really isn’t all that bad, and it’s just some discharge, your pup may benefit from a diet change. It could be that the food you’re feeding just isn’t right for your dog, and that’s okay! Dogs grow and change over time, and now that your dog is fully matured, a diet change may be in order. Try something like Taste of the Wild, maybe a grain free dog food, Orijen, or Ziwipeak. These are all really great food options.

If the pus is really bad, and continues to get worse, see your vet again and let them know what’s going on. Maybe you could try a diet change, and then see if there are any improvements.

Remember, you should always gradually change a dogs diet. By gradually, I mean you put a tiny bit of new kibble in with a bowl of the old kibble. Reduce the old kibble by just a few bits of kibble. Throughout the course of at least two weeks (or as long as you want depending on whether or not you want to finish off the old food) you slowly add more of the new kibble while removing some of the old kibble. This makes the process gradual, and won’t cause any tummy-upset in your dog.

ANSWER : A. Is he vomiting or lethargic? Food should always be introduced slowly over 7-10 days as that can cause diarrhea, if there are any other symptoms then contact you vet. Try introducing 3/4 of old food with 1/4 of new food for a few days & then half & half for a few days followed by 3/4 of new food with 1/4 old food for a few days before completely changing onto new diet.

ANSWER : A. A lot of dogs do this, and sometimes it is just because feces tastes good.. sometimes it is due to something lacking in their diet.. but a lot of the time, it’s just fun and tasty. The only way to handle this situation is management. You should be cleaning up your two dogs poops immediately when they happen. Scoop them up, throw them into the woods, or into a can. You cannot give your pup access to the poops.

You could also try adding things to your pups diet. Things like canned pumpkin for dogs (not the pie filling you find in the grocery store, that has way too much sugar in it). Or you could feed your dog raw chews like marrow bones, or beef tendons. You’ll have to add things to his diet in order to find out what is missing from it. If you allow him to continue eating poop, even if there is something lacking in his diet, he will continue eating poop when you’ve solved his diet issue because it will become a LEARNED behavior. This means he will continue eating poop because he learned he CAN eat poop. You could also try feeding him three meals per day. Feed him the same amount of food, but break it up into three feedings per day. This could help him feel a bit more full throughout the day.

Clean up your yard, and clean up after your pups immediately when they eliminate outdoors. Do not scold him, there is no need.. it isn’t his fault.

ANSWER : A. Some dogs have more sensitive stomachs than others so a change in diet may have been enough to cause it. Did you introduce the new food gradually? We normally recommend doing it over 7-10 days (a quarter of new food with 3quarters of the old food for a few days, then half and half for a few days etc). Was there a reason for changing their diet? If they were fine on the original food then stick to that. If the diarrhea doesn’t clear up in a few days then get some pro biotic paste from your vet.

ANSWER : A. Chappie was the original name of the product that is now known as Pedigree. Pedigree is considered a “grocery” style food, meaning it may not be as high quality or include higher quality ingredients as other products. However, the Pedigree line has expanded quite a bit in recent years and now offers many products tailored to dogs of all ages, sizes and breeds.

If your dog has done well on the product, you may be able to just switch over to a variety that is geared more to your dog’s needs such as a large breed senior formulation. Senior formulations often have added supplements to help with joint pain and arthritis later in life. However, if your dog has been experiencing problems with the food product, switching to a higher quality food such as one without grains may help. Higher quality foods will often have alternate grain sources to prevent digestive upset as well as higher quality meat cuts listed on the top of the ingredient list.

if you do decide to switch foods, the process should be done gradually over 7-9 days. For the first 2-3 days 25% new/ 75% old should be given, then 3 days of 50/50, and 2-3 days of 75% new / 25% old before finally switching over. This will help minimize any stomach upset from changing to a different food too quickly and allow the intestinal bacteria to adjust.

ANSWER : A. I always recommend using a crate. Dogs are naturally comfortable and feel safe when they are in a “cave” or an enclosed space. It may take a couple of nights to get used to the crate (i.e. a couple of barking nights) but once a dog is used to its crate, it becomes a safe place, a territory where they feel protected and dominate and one where they also will not soil. The idea is that when you are not with the dog (during the day, at night) the dog goes into the crate. When you come home, or get up, the dog is let out and immediately goes outside to do its business. This way the dog associates the idea that coming out of the crate and going outside right away is the way to do things. It takes some effort on your part, but I promise it works! And if you leave the door to the crate open while you are home, you’ll notice that your dog will even start going into the crate to lay down on their own. It will become their safe place. Stick with it and good luck! 🙂