Should dogs take supplements

It’s no mystery why we take supplements. The body is a complicated mechanism that fights every day to preserve its own well-being. Therefore, the body needs plenty of nutritional support that foods can’t always adequately provide. Because of high starch content, bleaching and over processing, many foods don’t contain enough minerals to adequately support the body. A

deficiency of just one or more nutrients can leave the body vulnerable to disease. Furthermore, we must acknowledge that we each have biochemical individuality, so our bodies require different things depending on our age, environment, activity level and genetic makeup. The same goes for our pets. Every dog and cat is unique and requires specific increases in nutrients for many reasons.

Also, our pets’ demand for certain nutrients fluctuates. Vitamin B is great support to the body during stressful periods and additional zinc is a helpful nutrient for many breeds; such as, huskies. No matter how well a diet is formulated, there are always nutrients, which are not in

the diet. The body knows what it needs and it has its ways of communicating these things to

us. It is up to us to pay attention to our animals’ behavior as well as their appearance to make

sure they’re getting all the nutrients they need. For instance, is your cat sleeping more than usual these days? Or does your dog have less of an appetite? Perhaps they need supplements. It doesn’t hurt to try supplements to see how your pets respond to them. You may see a drastic change in their mannerisms or their appearance. When we give our pets supplements in conjunction with healthy well-balanced meals, their bodies intelligently draw what they need from the supplements and allocate them properly. Rather than taking a specific vitamin or mineral in calculated amounts, herbs deliver many nutrients in various amounts to the parts of the body that require it.

Chose a dog supplement that contains the rather unusual Ester C (Calcium Ascorbate), which is non-acidic, rich in calcium and other minerals and better absorbed than regular Vitamin C. It is usually not added to dog foods because it was once thought that dogs don’t require C because they manufacture it in their liver.

This way of thinking about dogs is archaic because we must now consider the way dogs’ eating

habits have evolved from years of domestication. Out in the wild, dogs ate prey that had intestines filled with grasses that contained C. Now at home, they eat the foods we give them and they occasionally take a bite out of the neighbor’s lawn. Now, it seems as if dogs aren’t getting

enough C. Vitamin C, considered a vital antioxidant, supports the bone, teeth and gums, blood vessels and the immune system. Nutritionists consider it a “conditionally essential” nutrient, meaning that it is needed in higher amounts during certain times in the animal’s life such as sickness, separation anxiety, stress from shows, visits to vets and confinement due to long distance trips.

Just like humans, it is recommended all supplements be taken along with plenty of exercise and proper diet.

Bringing home a new pet

Make sure your new baby starts off with healthy food and treats. It all starts now. Once you cultivate certain eating habits, it’s almost impossible to break them, especially with cats. It is not uncommon for a cat to get hooked on one food only. If that food is a good food then you lucked out. If it is not a good food, conversion may be extremely difficult for you and your cat. When your dog doesn't want to eat his breakfast or dinner, don't let him persuade you to add something to the food or find something more desirable to eat. If he seems as healthy and happy as usual, chances are that he just isn't hungry; his body doesn't need the food. He will eat it later or the next day. Once you add something to the food, you will create a picky eater and possibly jeopardize his nutrition. In other words, once you've done your home work and selected the best food and treats for your pet, dog or cat, be prepared to stand up to any challenge they may give you. Remember that the food and treats you select will help determine your pet's fate. Make sure it is premium dog and/or cat food and treats.

Teach Boundaries. From the first day, determine where your pet can or cannot go and things you simply don't want your pet doing. Pets are creatures of habit. Once they do something a few times, they tend to continue that behavior. Once you determine your boundaries, stick to them, even if they break your heart. Remember that what may seem cute now (chewing on pillows for example) will be disastrous later on! Realistically, many of the boundaries we set will be trial and error. Sometimes it takes bad behavior for us to take a look at a situation, declare it out of hand and make rules that will change it. Pets can get mighty creative in their curiosities and in their rebellions.

House breaking. Of course there will be accidents; - however, the goal is to complete toilet training. Cats are easy. Bring your kitten to the cat box and put her in it. As long as she knows where the box is, toilet training will be accomplished. Dogs take their toilet habits more seriously, and so should you. There are many methods of toilet training but sticking to the same regimen is key and rewarding with a treat and or a kiss ensures success.

Obedience training = A well trained dog. Summer obedience classes are fun. These necessary classes are given by humane societies, veterinarians, or trainers. They socialize dogs so that they get along with other dogs and people. They also teach the basics for good behavior and show you how to be the head of the household.

Pick a talented vet. Your veterinarian is critical to your new pet's health. General check ups, vaccines, flea control and heart worm preventive must be taken seriously. Select a Veterinarian you feel comfortable with. Visit the veterinary hospital first. If the staff is friendly and the hospital smells good, you are on the right track. Ask to meet one of the veterinarians. If you both get along, then you probably found your pet a family doctor. Don't select your veterinarian just based on location.

Dog gets into water garden when owner is at work

Dear Mr. Katz,

I've read your book and it's been interesting as well as helpful - it's taught me to teach my dog some new behaviors and discipline.

However, I wouldn't be writing if I still didn't have a lingering problem.

The water garden is obviously too much fun to ignore. And there's birds landing in there to take a bath! I'm nearly convinced it's the birds tempting her, but I could be wrong. I don't think she really sees the fish.

In any case, I have tried the Snappy Trainers - the devices that work like a mouse trap but just make a big noise when tripped. She does not like them at all. But either I don't have enough of them or something else is getting her attention to the point that they don't matter. I have also tried leaving her in the house - that works too, but in the long run, I'd rather have her outdoors. As a side note, my fiancй's Malamute was here for a week and also thinks the pond is the cat's meow - and she's the last dog we thought would venture into that much water. Help.

Thanks,

Sue

Dear Sue:

It's the same as house-proofing your dog, garden-proofing, etc...

You need to keep the dog confined to a dog run when you cannot supervise him.

Only allow him to run free in the yard when you can spy on him. This may take a couple of months or more, but the benefits will be a lifetime of reliability.

This is really the type of behavior where an electronic collar makes life easy. Instead of running outside to correct the dog, the dog instead things that the correction came from the water garden itself. This makes the training process A LOT FASTER. (Ever notice how quickly dogs learn not to play around in thorny rose bushes???)

If you don't want to get an e-collar, then leave the training collar on the dog, and do the "No, no, no" routine that I outlined in the book. This will work just the same.

That's all for now, folks!

Adam