“Oh, it’s closest to nature!” “My dogs have never been so healthy!” “You never see wolves with hip dysplasia!” Those were some of the things I heard when I first investigated feeding a “raw diet.” I even tried it myself for awhile, and of course, what you feed your dog is a hotly discussed and debated topic among “dog people.” Continue Reading »
My wife discovered two treats that the dogs love more than anything and they’re 100% natural, 100% safe, 100% healthy, and very easy to make. The only things you need are a sink (regular kitchen sink), a knife (sharp - for cutting), a cutting board, and a dehydrator. Might I suggest one of these at Amazon.com: Continue Reading »
INTRODUCTION
While I am a German Shepherd Dog breeder, I have much all-breed experience in handling, judging, and consulting; as a scientist I also have been drawn to certain medical aspects of cynology (dog science). This said, we proceed to the subject; viz., the fairly common occurrence of impaired health that is traceable to, or at least suspected of coming from, a defective hormone production and regulatory system — specifically involving the thyroid gland. Incidentally, some readers may already know that Greyhounds, GSDs, Chow-Chows, and a few other breeds have greater incidence of low thyroid activity than the general or average dog population. Some breeds of dogs do better (have less “need” of as much of the hormones) than others, but enough breeds do not, especially in the low normal range. If your vet picks up a textbook that tells him your dog must be healthy because it is within that range of “low-normal”, sing to him or her from the Gershwin song, “It ain’t necessarily so!” Also, remember that the base ranges that are now considered the norm were established on Beagles, and that breeds do indeed differ in regard to their hormone needs.
