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About Jean Hofve DVM

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So far Jean Hofve DVM has created 295 blog entries.

The Most Important Supplement for Your Cat

The most important supplement I recommend for cats is Omega-3 fatty acids. They have deep and profound effects on every cell, organ, and tissue in your cat's body. Omega-3s are needed by every cell membrane, and they also have major anti-inflammatory effects. Helping your cat’s immune system keep inflammation in check is absolutely crucial to good health. I recommend MOXXOR green-lipped mussel oil as a truly superior Omega-3 supplement. The capsules are tiny and easy to give your cat, and the pure oil and antioxidants are the most concentrated, powerful ...

2017-04-17T14:45:29-07:00
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Is Declawing Justified for Human Health Reasons?

Pro-declawing veterinarians are running out of excuses to keep on performing this damaging, unnecessary, multi-amputation surgery on cats. One of the last bastions is a seeming concern about human health. People who are on blood thinners or immunosuppressive drugs, or people with HIV, fragile skin, or other medical conditions that make them susceptible to infection, proponents say, must declaw their cats to save themselves. But there is no human medical condition that justifies declawing a cat. Here's why: Perhaps most obviously: there are people with all sorts of medical conditions in all the countries where ...

2017-04-07T14:51:57-07:00
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Dr. Becker’s Homemade Flea & Tick Repellent Spray

My good pal Dr. Karen Becker has homemade recipes for flea, tick, and mosquito repelling spray... you can mist them directly on the fur, or spritz it on your hands and stroke on the fur. Shake well before applying. Store in the refrigerator. Apply every four hours as needed. These are effective, but you should still hand-check for ticks just in case, since they can carry so many diseases. Dogs: 8oz water 5 oz apple cider vinegar 10 drops Neem oil 10 drops Catnip oil 5 drops of ONE of the following ...

2017-04-07T14:18:52-07:00
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Lilies that Kill!

Lilies are beautiful, and lovely to see in the spring. They're especially common now, as Easter approaches. BUT... Lilies are extremely dangerous for cats. If your cat goes outside and brushes against a lily in your neighbor’s yard, the tiny amount of pollen that sticks to her fur, when she licks it off, is  enough to cause acute, fatal  kidney failure. Symptoms may include: Poor appetite Lethargy Vomiting Diarrhea Unusual thirst Inappropriate urination Scanty or absent urination Seizures Death Many plants are toxic to pets, especially bulbs, including: Lilies (any plants in the Lilium ...

2017-04-06T15:17:38-07:00
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MOXXOR Omega-3s

With all the media attention, and 80 zillion products on store shelves, you've probably gotten the message about Omega-3 fatty acids. But did you know that they're just as important for cats and dogs as for people? The anti-inflammatory effects of Omega-3s EPA (eicosapentanoic acid) and DHA (docosahexanoic acid) have been thoroughly researched, and are abundantly proven to be beneficial for dogs and cats. (If you'd like more background info, please click here for a general article on Omega-3s. I've been a big fan of Omega-3s for many years. In ...

2020-08-19T16:56:32-07:00
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Indoor Air Pollution

This might surprise you: it's very likely that the indoor air in your home is more polluted than the air outside! There are many factors, most of which are totally within your control. Some factors present a serious health hazard for your cat! Read on to find out more Air fresheners have become ever more varied and more popular over the years. Indeed, the number of sprays, plug-ins, scented candles, and other fragrance delivery systems has exploded; up to 75% of American households use them. But very little attention has been ...

2017-03-21T18:29:31-07:00
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Declawing and the Law

Photo credit: Liz West The barbaric procedure of cat declawing is under serious fire, as well it should be! After being banned in eight California cities by the end of 2009, there have been efforts--led by the Paw Project--to get declawing banned elsewhere. Until recently, those efforts had failed relatively early in the process. It's been said that "Laws are like sausages — it is best not to see them being made." Indeed, it's messy. I've been involved in legislative processes in Colorado and California, and the typical abysmal ...

2017-12-18T23:47:38-07:00
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Pets and Tobacco, Vape, and Marijuana Smoke

By Guest Author Chloe Bloom and Jean Hofve, DVM (Revised 6/3/20) For many years now, we have known how dangerous tobacco smoking is to health. The list of ways it can harm smokers seems to grow longer every year, as more and more research is conducted. Children, as well as pets, are at risk from smoke in their environment. Second-Hand Smoke It’s fairly well known that smoke from cigarettes (and all other tobacco smoke sources such as pipes and cigars) can harm non-smokers via passive intake, or “second-hand” smoke. Children ...

2020-06-03T11:48:30-07:00
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Rare Cats, Common Cats, and Declawing

There are some 38 feline species in the world, including the domestic cat. Many are rare, and some are so incredibly elusive they're almost never seen and little is known about them. This video highlights 10 of these exquisite, small wild cats: My mammalogy professor was fond of saying that if you "undress" any cat, the underlying animal is virtually identical across all sizes and species. Sure, there are a few functional adaptations here and there, like the non-retractable claws and large nose of the cheetah, but as the saying goes, "A cat's a ...

2018-06-09T13:51:39-07:00
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Pet Food: Processed to Death?

Many thanks to Susan Thixton at TruthAboutPetFood.com for letting us reprint her excellent article here, which applies 100% to cat food as well as dog food. The multiple rounds of heat processing that pet food undergoes causes many deleterious changes that can harm our pets. And it's worse than most people even imagine. How many times are Ingredients cooked in Kibble Pet Foods? Do you know the processing involved in the manufacturing of kibble pet food? How many times are the ingredients cooked? The answer might surprise you. Pet food ...

2017-03-23T14:13:18-07:00
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Cat Vision & Eyesight: Common Myths Debunked

With many thanks to our special guest author, Amber Kingsley! Cats have been our companions for many thousands of years, dating back to the days of ancient Egypt where they were worshipped and given elaborate burials. Soon they spread throughout Europe, first to Italy and later to England. In this distant past, they were always appreciated for their keen ability to keep the rodent population under control. We’ve all heard those common expressions about cats that are pretty far-fetched: for example, that they have nine lives, or that black cats are ...

2017-03-23T14:12:36-07:00
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Paleo Dog

Paleo Dog: Give Your Best Friend a Long Life, Healthy Weight, and Freedom from Illness by Nurturing His Inner Wolf is the latest book by award-winning authors Jean Hofve, DVM and Celeste Yarnall, PhD.* Paleo Dog is your guide to optimal health for every dog, from the most pampered Teacup Poodle to the most rugged Mastiff, and every breed, age, and lifestyle in between. “The Paleo Dog Program isn’t just about diet. It’s also about the dog’s whole lifestyle. Many factors contribute to degeneration, aging, and the tragically short life ...

2017-07-02T20:32:01-07:00
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Coconut Oil and Pets

Updated 5/17/20. Questions about coconut oil keep coming up, so I thought I'd explain in why I recommend not giving it to their cats and dogs. Humans have lived with coconut palms for millennia. Primates, including early humans, ate, and still eat, coconuts. Coconut is a natural food for us. The carnivore's natural diet is high in both protein and animal fat. Wild animals But there are only three essential fatty acids (EFA) that cats must obtain from their diet: linoleic acid (LA), alpha linolenic acid (ALA) and arachidonic acid (AA). ...

2020-05-17T09:59:08-07:00
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