Bird Flu (H5N1) and Cats
Bird flu is killing cats--here's what you need to know about it, and how to keep your cat safe from this worldwide virus!
Copper in Pet Food
The story of copper toxicity from commercial pet food is really a "series of unfortunate events." You might be interested to see what goes on behind the scenes and how the pet food industry--how it's completely profit motivated and fundamentally uninterested in the health of our pets.
Please Don’t Give Pets as Gifts
Updated 12/14/24 This is Brody, who is a very good dog. Giving is a wonderful thing, and we all have good intentions when shopping for our loved ones. You've seen the videos of a child opening a beautiful box with an adorable kitten inside, or of covering their eyes and leading them into a room where a puppy wearing a big bow is waiting. We have these joyful images lingering from our own childhood, as well as from social media, TV, and movies. A pet may feel like ...
Grain-Free Dog (and Cat) Food, Taurine, and Heart Disease
FINAL UPDATE 12/27/22 The FDA has closed its investigation into this matter, saying there is "insufficient evidence" to establish a causal link between diet and DCM in dogs. They will not be providing any further updates. NOTE: We now know that, as suspected all along, the purported link between grain-free pet foods and heart disease was entirely speculative. I can say with confidence that grain-free foods DO NOT cause heart disease in dogs or cats. There was and is no scientific evidence to support FDA's original theory, much less its naming ...
Sleeping with Pets
Many thanks to Kellen Smith at Tuck.com for allowing us to reprint this excellent article, which is one of many helpful insights. Many of us allow our pets to sleep with us, but is it healthy? Are there health risks to letting your dog or cat share the bed with you? How does it affect your relationship with your pet? Below we’ll cover the trends and facts about sleeping with your pet, the benefits and risks, and tips for establishing bedroom boundaries with your furry family members. How common is ...
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 ...
Indoor Air Pollution
Updated 5/10/24 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! A cat's sense of smell is about 40 times better than a human's; a dog's is up to 200 times more sensitive (depending on breed). Both cats and dogs (as well as many other animals) have a special sensory organ called "Jacobson's organ" or the ...
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 ...
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 ...
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). ...
Epigenetics
Jean Hofve, DVM; Revised 3/7/21 Epigenetics is the study of changes in the way genes are expressed that do not involve DNA. It turns out that DNA isn’t in charge the way we once thought it was—it's the proteins around the DNA that really control gene expression. These proteins are influenced by the environment. This means that anything in the environment can have a profound effect on any organism, including animals and people. Research in the new field of epigenetics shows that many factors experienced by your pet, or even your pet’s ancestors—from vaccines, ...
Pet Food Contaminants
Updated 3/23/18 As part of my duties as an AAFCO advisor and member of several Working Groups, I attend numerous webinars and teleconferences. In one group, the discussion centered around the use of 4D meats and other rotten junk in pet food, and the consensus was that as long as these things are rendered (heat-processed) to kill pathogens, they're perfectly fine for pet food. Well, that just isn't true. So I put together the following document to show that there are MANY potential toxic principles in pet food that need ...
Homeopathic First Aid: The Ten Best Remedies to Keep at Home
What is Homeopathy? Homeopathy is a system of medicine developed more than 200 years ago by German chemist Samuel Hahnemann. It is a form of “holistic” medicine, in that it takes into account the “whole” organism—its physical, mental, emotional, historical, and environmental conditions. Homeopathy relies on two fundamental principles: “like cures like” and “the minimum dose.” The first principle, “like cures like,” means that a substance, which—in a large dose—would cause a certain symptom in a healthy individual, will, in homeopathic potency, cure the same symptom in a sick individual. For instance, Syrup ...
Holiday Safety for Cats and Dogs
The holidays can be a stressful and even dangerous time for our cats. Normal routines are upset, visitors come and go, and overly tempting smells may be coming from the kitchen! The Christmas tree is the first item of great interest on your cat’s Santa list. Many cats find it irresistibly tempting to climb. First, make sure your tree is in a sturdy stand. Test it to make sure it’s tip-proof. Or put a hook in the ceiling and tie the tree to it (nylon fishing line works well and ...
When You SHOULD Induce Vomiting
We recently discussed when NOT to induce vomiting after your pet has eaten certain harmful items. Today we’ll look at common situations where you should induce vomiting (how-to instructions below). Rodent poisons often contain anti-coagulant (blood-thinning) drugs such as coumarin or warfarin; newer products contain bromethalin, a neurotoxin that is equally dangerous. If a pet ingests an anti-coagulant, or even eats an animal that has consumed it, life-threatening internal bleeding may occur. While symptoms typically take 5 to 7 days to develop, they need to be headed off by inducing ...