DOG FOOD And NUTRITION

When J. Scott Weese, DVM, DVSc, DACVIM, an internationally renowned microbiology researcher at the Ontario Veterinary College in Canadas University Guelph, analyzed 25 probiotics available in regular retail stores, 10 of them did not even list the bacterial counts in their merchandise. Of the 15 that did, only one in four actually contained what the label said. Some products mentioned that they contained bacteria that dont exist; names were either made up or misspelled.

My 20-pound cockapoo, Bentley, is a very docile service dog who never barks outside the home or for food or water. But strangely, even if hes lying peacefully on the floor, as soon as my wife and I embrace in affection, or lie down next to each other, he runs over to us and barks until we stop and give him some attention (which Im sure isnt right but we love him to death). He never becomes aggressive or threatening at all. He just barks, almost as if hes jealous, feels left out of the intimacy, or simply wants the attention. Its comical to see and we laugh about it. Is this normal behavior? Whats the cause?

Gone are the days when pretty much all you could order at a food truck was a hot dog and a soda. On the Rose Kennedy Greenway in downtown Boston, for instance, lunchtime diners enjoy walking over to dozens of food trucks to chow down on the likes of Latin and Caribbean farm-to-plate meals, Indian cuisine, Moroccan fare, and, at the Shuck Food Truck, fresh seafood.

Its not just cats. Some dogs turn up their noses at food, too, worrying their parents that theyre not taking in enough calories - or wont unless theyre fed more enticing fare. Are these picky eaters born that way, or molded that way by their owners?

Tufts veterinary nutritionist Deborah Linder, DVM, DACVN, doesnt just counsel people who have to make sure their household pets dont eat each others food. She has to contend with plate-sharing issues among the animals in her own home. I have a dog and two cats, she says, and everybody wants to eat everybody elses food, but they all have different medical diseases and have to be on separate diets. Yet they all have to be fed at the same time or they get very upset and go around howling.

Just a few months ago we printed a front-page article assuring you, our readers, that despite rumors of unwholesome ingredients in commercial dog food, including remnants of dead dogs and cats, the store-bought pet food we feed our canine loved ones is wholesome, safe, and nutritionally balanced. We explained that dogs and cats who have died or been euthanized are rendered separately from animals used for food at plants inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and therefore are not present in food produced by pet food companies who do in fact use meat from government-inspected facilities.

Does your pets food contain dead pets? Thats how one sub-title read for an article on slate.com, which went on to say in the first paragraph that dead dogs might very well be what you are scanning at the grocery store checkout and scooping into your dogs bowl. The article also says that the stuff that ends up in dog food is material that cant be sold as food for humans, making the point that what cant even go into hotdogs gets consolidated and shipped to rendering plants, where it is pulverized into one big blend of dead stuff, heated for hours, and then put into pet food as meat and bone meal.

Many of the nutrition questions that come to the board-certified veterinary nutritionists on the Tufts staff come in clusters. That is, the same concerns and misconceptions have a way of recycling themselves. Herewith, some of the more common nutrition concerns people have about their dogs - and the right way to address them. More calories in winter? …

We have a two-year-old German shepherd who refuses to drink water when we are out on walks. She is obviously thirsty but won't drink from spigots, a cupped hand, or a water bottle. Often, she will refuse the water until we return home. We have started carrying a bowl made of fabric, and this is the only thing that gets her to take a little water. She is very focused, and when she knows she is potentially going for a walk, she will even refuse water at home. Is there something we can do to help hydrate her?

Q You said a couple of issues ago that you once gave a chart listing the amount of chocolate thats toxic for your dog depending on his weight. I cant find it. Can you re-print the chart?
Olivia Diaz
Leadville, Colorado

For years, the Statement of Nutritional Adequacy in small print on bags and cans of dog food has had the same wording about complete and balanced nutrition, with additional wording to indicate whether the food was for puppies, adult dogs, or pregnant or lactating bitches. In the case of puppies, the wording had to say for growth or for all life stages."

Myths Persist When It Comes to Feeding Large-Breed Pups A myth still perpetuated in some circles says that large dogs need more calcium than other dogs when they are very young, not less. The thinking is that if more calcium is good for humans, it must be good for canines. You can even find calcium supplements marketed for dogs that are pushed by supposedly knowledgeable people.