I know I just did a comprehensive review of merchandise geared toward elimination assistance in Dog Poo Stuff, however, a few more products caught my eye and I had to share.

Another indoor/ outdoor dog bathroom has an urban look as opposed to the last doggie elimination stations I posted about. I love when design and function are hallmarks of a product! Named the ‘Doggie Loo,’ it functions the same way as similar products, with a drainage system that must be kept clean. However, its a fantastic option for dogs that live in apartments, elderly dogs and puppies and the eco-conscious folks. (Less dog poo outside means less e. Coli and roundworms sitting around in the grass, those bacteria can also enter our water and by avoiding pet stains on the carpet, owners are less likely to use toxic chemicals to clean up messes). Developed in Australia, the Pet Loo is available by visiting www.thepetloo.us.

Made by the same company is The Swoop, a poo picker-upper that grabs and bags poo with zero risk of hand to poop contact! Genius!

Also available at www.thepetloo.us.

Another issue plaguing many dog owners is the occasional bout with diarrhea. It is very important to feed your dogs a high quality diet (I recommend researching raw feeding. Nothing beats it. See the BARF-Raw Feeding category on Cup of Dog) and keeping your dogs intestinal track healthy in order to achieve maximum nutritional benefit during digestion and aiding in less waste. Dogs who are fed diets that utilize their digestive system’s natural design are known to have small, hard poops, making waste removal painless. Regardless, everyone gets a tummy ache over the course of their lives and in my experience the best thing out there for diarrhea is called Pet Flora by Vitality Science. Its truly a miracle product. I use it for Louis who has the world’s most sensitive tummy and it stops diarrhea right away. Read more about how it works in an older post I wrote, Pet Flora, Holistic Digestion Aid. Additionally the company makes a supplement called Canine Comfort that contains Pet Flora and can be used as a regular supplement for dogs with chronic digestive issues.Visit www.vitalityscience.com for more information.

Another ingenious product, for those lucky enough to have yards, is the Doggie Dooley. This in-ground waste digester system works like a home septic system by using environment-friendly enzymes and bacteria to turn dog waste into a ground-absorbed liquid. You deposit the poo and add water and digester formula that comes with the product. The Doggie Dooley comes in a variety of sizes depending on the number and size of pets you have. Visit www.drsfosterandsmith.com for more information.

To finish on a more humorous note, I found this calendar which is dedicated to dog poo. Lovely landscapes include some doo, for the dog poop obsessed. The 2009 calendars will be available in July, until then you can purchase greeting cards made from the same group of images. Visit www.monthlydoos.com for more information. This site also has plenty of other poop related items, including squeaky toys, treats and even doo shaped Christmas tree ornaments.

Wishing everyone happy digestion!

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I have noticed a recent surge in the marketplace in products and services attending to dog poop. Some are pretty funny, some really work and others are mind boggling in their stupidity.

Let’s check some out and as more and more comes to our attention, Cup of Dog promises that The Poop Chronicles will continue to keep you informed in the latest and greatest in poop technology.

Leading off in the poopy product range are the indoor/outdoor bathroom devices designed for the small to extra large dog who just needs a place to go - anytime. These products are great for working fur kid parents, apartment dwelling pups, older dogs who need a bathroom close-by at all times and a hundred other reasons that these are at the top of the poop management product list.

For the dog who is too ritzy for old fashioned, disposable piddle pads, there is a new place for dogs to get down and dirty, while staying nice and clean. The Original Pet-A-Potty, pictured here, was created with the idea that there could be a sanitary place for dogs of all sizes to relieve themselves indoors or on balconies, allowing for owner’s long work days and clean floors. The wooden boxes contain either synthetic grass or sod through which the urine drains into a collection pan that needs to be cleaned regularly. They range in size from 26 x 34 inches to 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 feet. The grass, real or synthetic does need to be replaced from time to time to keep the system odor free. Poop needs to be collected and disposed of. Visit www.petapotty.com for more info.

If the Pet-A-Potty is a little to generic looking for Fluffy’s taste, check out the Penthouse Dog Potty. Same concept as the Pet-A-Potty, but very different, style wise. This Bentley of dog toilets is 42 x 42 inches and will hold dogs up to 100 pounds. It is specifically marketed towards pups who live in apartments in urban communities lacking in grassy areas to take care of business. Visit www.cosmopolitancanine.com for more info, or to purchase.

For picking up the poop, which is not only necessary for keeping rats away and sidewalks pleasant, but law in most places, Bon Ton makes cute bone shaped baggie holders, with biodegradeable poop bags, both available in a variety of cute prints.

The holders attach easily to any leash or key chain, allowing for easy access and seasonally, new colors and patterns are added to the collection. For more information or to buy, go to www.petego.com.

For the more eco-conscious pet owner, Scoopies, the hand shaped poop-picker-upper is completely biodegradable and dispense individually, making awkward fumbling with perforated baggies a thing of the past. Pick up your own Scoopies at www.dogbar.com.

If you or your community can not pick up the poop for one reason or another, not to worry! You can hire a service like Doody Calls. This ingenius company will not only come and remove crap from your own yard, you and your neighbors can get together and hire them to clean common areas as well! In addition to poop scooping, Doody Calls also has services for deodorizing outdoor areas that have attained that certain doggie aroma, kitty litter service, and brown spot treatment to help save your lawn from the destruction that dog urine can cause. It would be super awesome if they added a service to clean up carpets that have been mutilated by a puppy’s training accident…hint, hint. Truly, why pick up dog poop when you can pay someone to do it for you??? To locate your local Doody Calls franchise, click here.

So your dog has one of the grossest poop habits ever. Your beloved Fifi has a tendency to eat her poop after relieving herself, or worse, indulge in excrement left by other four legged friends. This habit, known as coprophagia, happens for a variety of reasons. While the only way to end the behavior for good is through extensive training, I recommend the addition of a supplement to his diet that should make his poop taste awful and assist you in that process. There are a lot of generic products available said to do this, but I recommend Solid Gold’s product SEP (Stop Eating Poop). Solid Gold is a reputable brand, whose products do not contain any harmful additives. None of their products were involved in the recalls and I am a proponent of natural, healthy solutions to canine issues, rather the veterinary intervention and medication. Visit www.solidgoldhealth.com for more info or to purchase. Truthfully, training to stop this behavior really is your best bet, and SEP is a good aid, but in the long term she could get used to the taste of the supplement and keep at it. Its a good idea to rule out any medical problems that may be causing her desire for stinky snacks and then praise her with a lot of treats whenever she ignores her poop. Make sure she doesn’t see you cleaning up after her, as that may be a cause of this behavior. You clean it up with a baggie, she cleans it in the only way she can. Sick.

Finally, in honor of the dog poop, the crappiest toy ever, introducing Mr. Poops and his sibling, Mini Poo. This squeaky toy is pretty gross, however, in honor of the nature of this post, I thought it necessary to be included. I guess this is one way of having fun with the whole poop thing…Regardless, if you and your dog cannot live without this novelty squeaker toy, visit www.dogbar.com and order yours today.

Thanks for checking out these products, there are plenty more where these came from. The Poop Chronicles is dedicated to the fact that every doggie poops and when dogs do it, its up to us to make sure that their digestive system is working properly and to share the best and newest products and resources out there.  Finding stylish and silly solutions to make the chore of poo disposal a little more fun is just another benefit of four legged family members!

Wishing everyone happy digestion!

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Continuing on the important subject of enzymes in our pet’s diets, I wanted to address the subjects of raw feeding and the benefits for all pets in using an enzyme supplement.

Raw Feeding and Enzymes

Raw feeding is often referred to as a ‘live diet’. This is referring to the fact that added preservatives, cooking and processing pet food destroys and alters nutrients. Raw meat is a chock full of enzymes and amino acids, that, together with a dog’s internal makeup, result in the healthiest companion you can imagine. I recomend the new book by Robert Mueller (of BARFWorld, Inc.), “Living Enzymes: The Best Kept Pet Food Secret” for an in depth analysis on the topic.

Enzyme Supplements

As dogs transition to a raw diet, supplementing with enzymes can assist them as they begin to produce the enzymes needed to digest this new diet. Enzyme supplements enhance the enzymes present in raw diets and enable more complete digestion, prevent gas, bloating and they regulate bowl movements.

For dogs who are eating a commercially prepared diet of kibble, enzyme are a vital supplement since these vital live enzymes are killed during the processing of traditional kibble. All pets, regardless of diet, can benefit from an enzyme supplement to improve absorption and utilization of nutrients.

There are plenty of great supplements on the market, however, I use Prozyme for Louis.

According to the manufacturer:

PROZYME® is a combination of four highly concentrated and purified natural plant-derived enzymes (lipases, amylases, proteases, and cellulases). All ingredients are of human grade quality. PROZYME® is not a drug and will not interfere with any medication or therapy. In fact, PROZYME® will enhance any therapy that your pet is presently receiving and should be used as part of therapy preventive care regimen.

The four main ingredients in Prozyme are:

Lipase is the enzyme to digest fats. Lipase works throughout the digestive process to break down the fats and lipids (fatty acids) in our diet to make them easier to absorb. Fats are the most difficult component of the diet to digest. Fats are also a major source of fuel for the heart muscle. In addition, our body relies on certain essential fatty acids that can only be derived from food.

Amylase is an enzyme found in human saliva and functions primarily as a starch-dissolving enzyme. Amylase is the first enzyme to take starch in our food and break it down into simple sugars which can be more easily absorbed. Starch refers to carbohydrates found in plants (grains). Amylase is the digestive enzyme needed to digest carbohydrates. Carbohydrates in food are an important and immediate source of energy for the body.

Protease is the general term for an enzyme that breaks down proteins. Proteins are molecules that make up much of our living tissue, including our muscles and our internal systemic enzymes. Certain proteins can only be provided through our food. If we have an inadequate means of breaking these down with proteases, we would suffer from what is known as “protein malnutrition”. Much of our body wouldn’t be able to function properly without essential amino acids from absorbable protein.

Cellulase is an enzyme, which breaks down non-digestible fiber found in fruits & vegetables. Many minerals found in the fiber of fruits, vegetables and grains can be absorbed better with the addition of cellulose. Since humans poorly digest cellulose fiber, taking a digestive enzyme product, like Tyme Zyme, is not only necessary, but also vital for good health.

Guess what? Enzyme supplements are not only beneficial for your pet, but for you, his faithful caretaker as well!

Louis and I wish everyone happy digestion!

image of Rob Mueller’s book via www.barfworld.com, image and info regarding Prozyme via www.prozymestore.com

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I have spoken a lot about the necessity of enzymes in a dog’s diet, but haven’t gotten around to explaining what enzymes are, how they work and why they are important. Let me lead off by saying - enzymes can regulate your pup’s poop! Anything that does that is okay in my book!

What Is an Enzyme?

An enzyme is a protein, made up of amino acids, that act as catalysts to speed chemical reactions and processes inside the body. Digestive enzymes, the type I am referring to when writing about canine nutrition, are specifically geared to break down food so that it can be absorbed by the organism that ingested it. Without enzymes, the chemical processes necessary to absorb nutrients would happen very slowly, or not at all. These enzymes are secreted in glands in your dog’s stomach, your dog’s salivary glands, glands in the small intestines and in the pancreas.

How do Enzymes do Their Duty?

There are different types of enzymes and each has a special function and works in its own unique way. Enzymes are crucial to every aspect of an organisms function, as they activate all bodily functions and break down substances and eliminate unwanted chemicals, among other things.

Food is basically a bunch of chemicals that must broken down by the enzymes, which are required to unbind the nutrients, move them throughout the organism so it can make use of them. So, the reaction facilitated by the enzymes is the release of nutrients, unlocking the benefits of all of the vitamins, proteins, hormones and minerals. Enzymes are the instigator for these chemical processes, but on their own, enzymes aren’t going to do anything.

Unlock the full potential of your dog’s diet by looking for ways to incorporate enzymes into your dog’s diet and look forward to The Poop Chronicles Vol. VI, which will discuss supplementing your dogs diet and the potential of enzyme support for BARFers out there.

Louis and I wish everyone happy digestion!

enzyme image via washington.edu

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After switching Louis to a raw diet and relieving the digestion problems that had been plaguing him since we became family, I was handed a copy of Australian veterinary surgeon Dr. Ian Billighurst’s book, The BARF Diet, Feeding Dogs and Cats Using Evolutionary Principles. This book is considered by many the primer for raw feeding and it covers a broad range of subjects, including the scientific principles upon which the diet is based, the health benefits, supplements and making the switch.

Reading the book gives a lot of solid information for raw skeptics and makes certain to address the haters out there. Raw feeding is one of the most controversial topics today in terms of pet care. I was told by my last veterinarian that I was going to kill my dog and I was a terrible parent. Ouch!

OK, so before I up on my high horse about the quality of care Louis receives, let me attempt to simply address what it about raw that makes this such a sore subject. For today, I am going to focus on just three key points.

Detractors argue that us BARF-ers are putting our pals at risk for parasites bacteria such as Salmonella, e. coli and others and that the feeders are also at risk since we are handling the meat. Food-borne pathogens are the central point of the anti-raw argument.

The anti-raw movement also suggests that it is a fad with unsubstantiated health benefits. I found one website claiming that BARFers “will not tolerate ANY opinion other than their own and are extremely hostile toward anything that challenges their belief system.” Again, OUCH!

Another major risk BARF-ers are taking on are the bones, which might splinter, causing major internal damage in a pet.

OK, so there are risks. I don’t deny it. My feeling regarding the issue of bacteria is that BARF-ers need to use common sense, extreme hygiene and stainless dishes.

Beyond that, we need to consider that the animals we are feeding regularly eat crap off the street and some, even straight out of kitty litter boxes, without much disturbance. A healthy dog is pretty resistant to bacteria. Resistant - not immune. It is extremely important to follow stringent hygiene practice while raw feeding.

Its also important not to let your dog French kiss anyone right after a good raw meal. Brush his teeth, give him a bone, just remember that he just consumed raw meat and use common sense.

It is also important to remember that all food has its risks. I know I am not the only one who has plunked down a lot of cash for a high end meal only to end up sick to my stomach from some bacteria. Food poisoning happens in spite of everyone’s best intentions.

I know that this is a risk I am taking as a BARF-er. I take this risk because I know that my other options, kibble and a home prepared diet aren’t without their own risks (I am reminded of the recent pet food recalls and the fact that e. coli has been found present all over the world in human foods).

Regarding the claim that the health benefits are unsubstantiated, I have to say, my dog is finally healthy. After months of diarrhea and vet bills, it was the raw feeding finally helped my Louis digest happily. His coat is shinier then ever, his teeth clean, his stools solid, his temperament calm. He is clean and smells great. I am not the only one who has experienced this miracle. My fellow BARFing advocates would not be howling the praises of this diet all over the internet with such intensity were there no benefits at all. Those who experience the power raw feeding has feel compelled to share the health their pet’s experience.

Regarding our hostility toward non-BARFers, I know I don’t feel this way and my local community of BARFers are a pretty relaxed group of individuals. Everyone needs to do what is best for them and their dog. We all subscribe to different belief systems and are entitled to our beliefs and opinions. Let’s all work toward finding the best way to promote health in our pets and not alienate each other over what we are feeding.

As far as avoiding bones that splinter - YES! Hello, common sense! Some people have tossed raw bones to their pets that resulted in death or injury from splintering. Most BARF-ers I know use ground bone supplement to avoid this.

Non-BARFers have also encountered this horrible occurrence when they decide to give a raw or cooked bone straight off an animal to their pet.

This is the tip of the iceberg as far as the raw debate goes. I don’t think that the anti-raw movement is wrong. They bring up valid points that should be considered by anyone who might embark on a BARF diet. I just don’t think BARFing is wrong either. I endorse it, its how I feed my dog.

Louis is my heart - I work every day to make his existence as pleasurable and easy as possible. BARFing has helped him and many other dogs. I encourage all pet owners to make their own decisions and do their own research, and if nothing else, considering how evolutionary principles might play into a healthy diet for our pets is an interesting notion for animal lovers.

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I am just learning about raw feeding for my pet (also referred to as the BARF diet or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food), so I would like to thank my co-worker Michelle Thomas, for editing and contributing her knowledge and own experience to this post.

Michelle is a student of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and basically is my dog nutrition ‘go to’ person. As I learn more, I plan to continue to post on the subject of raw feeding.

The Poop Chronicles have discussed that Louis’ dad and I have been truly at our wits end trying to get our baby boy to digest his meals and relieve himself without discomfort for him and we wouldn’t mind if the large brown stains all over the carpet ceased as well.

A number of weeks ago, when things just couldn’t get any worse for the poor baby and he had progressed to vomiting in addition to the diarrhea, we decided to try and make the switch to a raw diet. The extremely nutritious high protein food we were giving him seemed to be no easier for him to digest then the poor commercially manufactured food we started with. I learned some dogs do have trouble digesting extremely high protein kibble and a reason for that might lie in the disconnect in the way processed food is digested versus the way dogs and cats are designed to eat and digest. Raw food contains living enzymes and probiotics which aid in digestion. A kibble no matter the quality of ingredients can not adequately mock raw food it will always be lacking the vital life force destroyed in heat processing. Natures Variety Instinct, which Louis was eating, attempted to replace this vital force post heat processing with a freeze dried raw bio-coating, but nature can not be fooled and Louis’s sensitive little tummy knew better and was not happy.

As my limited knowledge on the subject understands, dogs and cats are carnivorous and designed to digest nutrients that raw foods have to offer. Heat processing destroys Amino Acids and vital nutrients such as taurine present in raw meat.

Even the highest quality kibble or canned food diet will be deficient in some nutrients (as admitted by the reputable pet food company Solid Gold, who recommends adding their supplement, Seameal, to all of their foods to help replace the vital nutrients lacking in proccessed foods.)

Through utilizing human grade raw food, some companies are manufacturing raw diets for our pets that mimic the natural way canines are designed to eat. After all I doubt Fido and Fluffy’s ancestors were huddling around a campfire cooking their nightly catch. Raw food advocates claim a plethora of benefits. By receiving a whole diet including amino acids, fatty acids along with the vitamins and minerals naturally available in the raw food, a stronger immune system is sustained and common health problems (i.e. fleas, dental and gum disease, allergies etc.) can be managed and prevented in a more natural way, making your pet more comfortable and setting him up for longevity with a healthy life.

Feeding raw is intimidating at first. We, as consumers, are trained to think that scientists and veterinarians have spent care, time, money and energy into making commercial pet foods that will sustain the health of our pet and raw diets are usually frowned upon by the average vet.

Brands such as Nature’s Variety, Dr. Billinghurst’s BARF Diet, and Primal Pet Foods are only a few brands of the companies that are manufacturing complete, healthy raw diets that meet your pet’s nutritional needs. In addition, they are pre-packaged and have easy to use guidelines for feeding amounts to simplify the process.

After months of diarrhea, Louis’ digestion was not regulating and I was still not ready to put him back on more useless antibiotics. Feeling that things simply couldn’t get worse, I switched him to Nature’s Variety Raw Frozen Diet Beef Formula . The next day he literally had his first semi-solid stool. Over the next week and a half, his digestion continued to improve and now is like clockwork. He is energetic, bright eyed and his coat has never been shinier. His stools are regular and pretty much odorless, his breath is non-offensive and even if I forget about bath time for over a week, he doesn’t have that ‘dog’ odor. As he was in a pretty toxic state, we are watching him evolve and detox, requiring a little more ear cleaning then usual and some more shedding then I have seen, but these are natural and very mild detoxification effects that are only progressive steps toward his overall health.

I feel like we are finally starting to see his true personality, a silly little hairball, interested in everything with a never ending desire for playtime and his tail wag has evolved to include his whole tush!

We have since added Primal brand’s meats to give some variety to his diet to maximize the different health benefits that multiple meats have to offer and I am amazed, at about three weeks into this adventure, to see the transformation Louis is still undergoing.

Michelle Thomas, my co-worker, had her own amazing experience with a raw food transformation and her French Bulldog rescue Mojito.

Mojito is a 16 month French Bulldog who was rescued from a puppy mill at the age of 9 months. Who knows what poor quality food he was fed there, but when Mojito came to me he was lethargic, not interested in food, he had a horrible body odor and was very shy. His stools were loose and foul smelling and the second night we had him he had uncontrollable, explosive diarrhea in his crate. To top it off, every morning I woke up to him vomiting food that was still undigested from his dinner the night before. First, I tried the high quality Wellness dry and canned food, but he was not interested in it at all. I then decided to try the Innova Evo dry food, which is grain free, wanting to ease him into a raw food diet. He enjoyed the taste, but this only increased his digestive problems making the diarrhea worse. I was fed up and decided to make the switch, cold turkey, to the raw meat diet. I also added some acidophilus probiotics to the meat to help re-balance his large intestine. The results were amazing. In two days his explosive diarrhea ceased and his stool was at least solid enough to pick up. The vomiting decreased and then ceased after about a month. I was even more excited at the fact that my shy little guy began coming out of his shell and was developing a goofy personality wanting to play with his toys he previously ignored. I was saddened that he had been feeling so horrible before, due to lack of proper nutrition. Mojito also transformed in his looks as well his dull eyes now sparkle he has a brilliant brindle coat and he is a lean, mean, muscle machine! (Sorry, cheesy!) I was amazed at the results, but also learned that I had to be patient for Mojito to be balanced as his body was so horribly toxic prior to beginning the raw food. It took about three months to get him balanced.

Below, see Mo before and after his raw food transformation.

Mo Before

Mo After

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The food brands we mentioned above all have incredibly informative websites that assist with feeding guidelines and recommendations for transition and safe handling. We would especially like to direct you to www.barfworld.com, which has a plethora of information on Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.

Both Mojito and Louis have benefitted from this holistic feeding method and we are amongst a growing population of raw pet feeders exploring all of its healing potential. As solid research begins to bring to light evidence on the power of more alternative ways of living and eating, it has been a journey for me to open my mind to the reality that we truly are reflective of what we ingest and through this power, we each have the opportunity to maximize our whole selves.

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Since my last post on poo, things only got worse. The diarrhea was consistent and Louis’ discomfort was only growing. There are those that would disputer my decision not to take him to the veterinarian, but he is free of worms and parasites and I couldn’t bear the thought of putting the little guy on another course of antibiotics. According to Petstyle.com, industry statistics show that diarrhea is the number 3 reason people take their pets to the vet.

At the vet’s office, antibiotics are usually the prescribed course of action. This kills both the good and bad bacteria in the pet’s system and if there is a long term, chronic issue, antibiotics provide only a short reprieve from the discomfort of diarrhea and expose your pet to unnecessary side effects. In previous Poop Chronicles posts, I have made a major discussion of the importance of a high quality diet.

Over the past two weeks, there have been major changes in Louis’ diet, and dare I say, a solution has been found to his ongoing digestive disorders. My Dog Bar guru consulted with me, I explained Louis’ predicament and we discussed his digestive patterns, what food and supplements I was giving him and in what quantities. While many dogs easily digest high protein, all natural dog food without issue, it was suggested to me to try another approach on the healthful high protein theme. Since things seemed they couldn’t get any worse for Louis, we quickly switched Louis to a raw diet, made by Nature’s Variety.

Immediately, we saw a positive difference. His stools are firm, regular and best of all he is comfortable. He is experiencing some mild detox symptoms in that his ears are producing a bit more secretion (our ear hygiene routine, discussed in my post, The Better to Hear you With, keeps this from becoming problematic) and his coat is shedding a bit more intensively then normal. I recognize that over the next few weeks this detoxification process will resolve itself and we will experience the full benefits that raw feeding has to offer.

Detoxification often happens when making this switch as the dog is ridding itself from toxins and as he adjusts to properly in-taking nutrients. The length and severity of the detox depends on the general health of the dog.Over the past week, Louis’ stomach issues (including the lethally stinky gas he was sharing with us) have resolved, his eyes are brighter, his coat is softer and shiner then ever and the detox symptoms are slowing.

In addition to the Pet Flora we were already using, we added a Prozyme supplement to improve Louis’ nutrient absorption. As you can probably tell, we are gradually moving toward a natural, holistic way of caring for our puppy and I can only say that the results are so impressive, I am making changes in my own life and personal care to mimic the health I see in Louis.

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This has been a poopy week so far - hence the second post on this stinky topic. Not a bad couple days, just literally filled with dog crap. Louis has an exceptionally sensitive stomach. I know dogs have sensitive digestive systems and Lou is not my first pup, so I can confidently say that this dog consistently gets diarrhea with even the slightest upset to his schedule.

After a three month hiatus, I rejoined the world of the working yesterday and it was Louis and my first full day apart in some time. It was enough to throw everything out of whack resulting in some serious carpet stains. Smart to be a renter while Louis is working on being house trained. Anyway, we clearly have some work to do as far as separation anxiety, but that’s another topic for another day.

At the fantastic Dog Bar, mentioned in a previous post it was recommended that we try Pet-Flora. Since using this supplement, we have really been able to relieve Louis’ digestive issues. Its not yet perfect, but as I said, this is partly behavioral rather then a dietary issue.We have struggled with dietary issues since getting Louis. He was on a breeder and veterinarian recommended diet of a premium commercially prepared dog food when we received him from the breeder. I am not informed enough to know what exactly disagreed with Louis from this food, suffice to say, the first four months of his life with us we were constantly struggling with diarrhea and dry flaky skin around his neck. He was really uncomfortable from the diarrhea and quite itchy. I was uncomfortable with each vet we saw suggesting antibiotics as a solution to his stomach issues.

I started to do some research on my own and spoke to a holistic vet, breeders and read some books on the subject. After much consideration, we switched Louis’ food to Nature’s Variety Chicken Meal Formula which is a prepared food that mimics a raw food diet. We added a few drops of Cod Liver oil to his dinner and a bi-weekly dose of the afore-mentioned Pet-Flora pro-biotic.In spite of the past two days, Louis really has improved radically. His previously flaky, itchy neck is completely normal, his coat has never been shinier and he has even more energy then before. This food has an exceptionally high protein content, so it is extremely important not to overfeed your pet. In addition, this brand was unaffected by the pet food recalls, is produced in the United States using only human grade ingredients. I cannot emphasize enough that if we are going to feed our pets prepared food, we must be conscious of supporting companies that are producing human grade products that fulfill our pet’s nutritional needs above and beyond the basic standards implemented by the Association of American Feed Controls, Inc. More on that later….Wishing everyone a Happy Chanukah and easy digestion!!All products mentioned in this post are available for purchase at The Dog Bar.

Available at Louis favorite store in Miami!

The DogBar, Inc.

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Dog poo is a hot topic - no pun intended. It is something every dog owner is forced to deal with and non-dog owners are forced to contend with the issue when less then responsible owners don’t clean up after their pets.In the last week alone, I have been alerted to new laws being drafted in regions as far reaching as South Africa and Moscow. These laws would dictate that owners will incur heavy fines for not picking up after their dogs. These laws are also in existence in cities all over the United States. In Miami, where Louis and I are proud to reside, the fine is $50 for the first offense and $200 for each additional offense per calendar year. Please pick up after your pets. Its just good manners.

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