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Giving your dog a bath is sort of like mixing a cocktail, or hitting a golf ball: It seems deceptively straightforward, but you need a lot of background knowledge to really master it. From what kind of shampoo to use to how frequently your dog should be sudsing up, there are all kinds of technical questions to consider before grabbing that spray hose and going to town. But there are also deeper issues at play: Nothing quite lays bare the state of your relationship with your dog like trying to negotiate that slippery expanse of porcelain together. Here are some tips for smooth sailing, at bathtime and beyond.

Whole Dog Journal readers often try techniques and products described in the magazine, but sometimes years go by before we need something we read about, or it disappears from the market, or we have trouble finding it, or we simply forget all about it. Last month we revisited green tripe, Seacure, and Willard Water. Here are two more go-to products featured in previous issues that might now be perfect for you and your dog, Wobenzym & EMT Gel/Spray.

I have calendars that are dedicated for noting things about my pets' health. Time and time again they have come in handy when trying to investigate an abnormal condition. In recent months, notes on the calendar (and the clipped-out ingredients lists from their food labels, taped to the dates that I opened the bags of food) helped me put it together that Tito's stool get loose every time I feed him a food that contains lamb, and that Otto is reluctant to eat foods that contain any fish or fish oil (probably due to oxidation in the fragile fish oils). Someday, I hope to be smart enough to use them to ANTICIPATE problems that arise annually.

There is no single “best” diet for dogs with diabetes. Most diabetic dogs do fine on a diet formulated for adult maintenance. And most do not require a high-fiber prescription diet. However, it is important to maintain consistent carbohydrate levels, and a diet moderately low in fat may be safest. The nutritional needs of any concurrent disease should take precedence.Dogs with diabetes can thrive on diets that are dry or canned, prescription, frozen raw, home-prepared (cooked or raw), and combinations of any of these. See the samples below (starting with “Prescription Diets”) for a variety of diets that have worked well for diabetic dogs and their caregivers. We’ll say it again: There is no single “best” diet for dogs with diabetes. Most diabetic dogs do fine on a diet formulated for adult maintenance. And most do not require a high-fiber prescription diet.

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Who hasn't heard of friendly" or "beneficial" bacteria? Even acidophilus

In the early days of my holistic practice, I tried, like you, to tell people that they had to feed their dogs raw meat. I found, like you, that the idea scared some people so much they would leave my practice. I agree that a raw meat diet is the healthiest for many dogs, though there are always exceptions; dogs are individuals, after all, just like humans. But now, I’m more gentle and flexible about my diet recommendations, and I try to take a gradual approach with people.

The choices you make in selecting which dog foods to feed your pooch are probably more important than any others in terms of your influence on your dog’s health, no question about it. And yet, trying to get some straight information about how one can identify and select a high-quality, healthful dog food is like trying to get the president of the United States to admit he’s done something wrong: you’ll hear lies and innuendo, you’ll be led down false trails, you’ll hear conflicting information.

Alright! You’re in the pet supply store, armed with information about what you have been feeding your dog. You know which nutritional adequacy (AAFCO)...

A healthy microbiome destroys harmful pathogens, including disease-causing viruses, fungi, bacteria, and parasites. As a result, the microbiome is the immune system's first line of defense. Differences in microbiomes help explain why some dogs exposed to diseases like parvovirus, distemper, leptospirosis, Lyme disease, canine flu, heartworm, or kennel cough get sick while others remain symptom-free.

In late autumn, we closed our pool, an annual event that all four of our swim-loving dogs dread. They will swim as long into the fall season as we allow and I am pretty certain that our Toller, Chippy, would bring out an ice pick and break his way through the ice if he could. In addition to the daily joy, excitement, and happiness that our pool brings to us all, we have found that it has had an additional benefit for some of our dogs. The pool and the daily swims that it provides help to keep itchy dogs from itching all summer long.

Whole Dog Journal readers often try techniques and products described in the magazine, but sometimes years go by before we need something we read about, or it disappears from the market, or we have trouble finding it, or we simply forget all about it. Last month we revisited systemic oral enzymes and EMT gel, and our September issue revisited green tripe, Seacure, and Willard Water. Here are three more go-to products featured in previous issues that might now be perfect for you and your dog.