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Commercial dog foods today contain anywhere from two to dozens of main ingredients, as well as vitamins, minerals, preservatives, and other additives. People have become sensitized to the presence of certain ingredients that have a bad reputation – some deservedly, some not. Let’s take a closer look at some of the “controversial” ingredients in dog foods. We have included several ingredients that we’ve seen pet food manufacturers either hype (in the case of ingredients they use) or denigrate (in the case of their rivals’ ingredients). We’re not going to address the hype, pro or con, but just tell you the facts.

The people in the industry who are producing products for dogs are really listening to what you say – see the new Fosters and Smith catalogue that says, next to its premium dog bed, “As seen in the Whole Dog Journal.” Please get the message to them that they need to combine an ORTHOPEDIC dog bed with one that is WATERPROOF for incontinent pets. Fosters and Smith have another kind of dog bed in their catalogue that is waterproof (the only one I’ve ever seen), but it is not orthopedic!

Some dogs have a rough start in life. Consider BP, the 50-pound black-and-tan Shepherd-mix owned by Lucia Colbert of Cordova, Tennessee. BP was dumped in a neighborhood and left to fend for herself until rescued by Colbert in 1988. Colbert took the thin and sickly dog to the vet: BP had a host of internal parasites, including heartworms; part of her tongue was missing; and she had a chest full of buckshot (discovered later on a chest x-ray). “I knew she’s hadn’t had a piece of cake for puppyhood,” says Colbert. Once adopted, BP thrived. She enjoyed a good life with Colbert, a professional tennis player and triathlete. BP jogged daily with Colbert and sat by the tennis court while she taught.

By applying the foregoing criteria, we’ve found a thousand or more good foods to choose from; their manufacturers appear on our “Approved Dry Dog...

The severity of red eyes in a dog depends in part on where the dog’s eye is red.

Some dogs chase their tails when they are excited and some puppies bite their tails in play or frustration. Watching your dog chasing his tail is funny, but should you be worried?

How often your dog should be seen by your veterinarian, and what sort of routine screening diagnostics should be conducted, are highly dependent on...

Many dogs enjoy and benefit from consuming milk and other milk-based foods without any ill effects. Follow these tips if you'd like to add dairy products to your dog's diet.

Canned dog foods represent only about 15% of the overall pet food market. Why don’t more people feed their dogs canned food? It has...

This article is a sidebar to our post "Diet, Dogs, and DCM", which appeared in the November 2019 issue If this is the first you’re...

Given that itchiness" is the most common reason for veterinary visits

It's that time of year again. Runny noses and sneezes abound for us humans, as new plants bloom in the fall. But did you know that your dog can suffer a runny nose too? Dog runny noses are more correctly called nasal discharge. It can run the gamut from clear and watery to thick and purulent. The appearance and frequency of nasal discharge in dogs can tell you much about the underlying cause.