I just wanted to let you know what an enormous difference your Momentum has made on my boy Spike. I acquired Spike from a musher in NH who does middle distance races. I had him on Orijen in the PM and raw in the AM. He was doing ok but not where I wanted him. By the second day of mixing 50/50% I had a different dog. Physically his coat was more shiny and he mentally grew up. I could see his brain comprehending what I was saying and asking of him. I am an animal chiropractor and your food has...
The itchy dog or cat; by far the most common issue I’ve seen over the years as a veterinarian, so let’s take a look at the reasons behind the itching and how we can best treat these animals. First, consider all the reasons why your dog or cat could be itchy: Atopy: pollen allergies that are seasonal and makes them itch at their ears, face, groin, armpits, feet or under their tail. Food allergy: non-seasonal itch of ears, feet, or under their tail. Parasites: mange, a non-seasonal itch anywhere on the body; and fleas, which makes them itchy over the...
Is this a trend that is based on real science, or a fad that has caught on? First, we must understand that a cat is an obligate carnivore. That means the cat, be it a tiger or an ordinary house cat, must eat other animals to fulfill their needs for certain types of nutrients. In their natural habitat, cats are hunters that consume prey high in protein with moderate amounts of fat and minimal amounts of carbohydrates. Cats also require more than one dozen “essential elements”, including vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and amino acids. “Essential” means the nutrients must be supplied by the...
My male dogs eat poop. Why? I can’t get him to stop-it’s disgusting-he also eats a lot of grass-I am positive he is lacking something in his diet. He has Hypothyroidism and is on 7mg of Soloxine 2 times a day. Katherine They eat poop because it tastes good, so let’s make it taste bad. One trick is to sprinkle Adolph’s meat tenderizer on the food prior to feeding. This tastes good going down, makes the poop taste bad (to a dog) afterward. Use liberally like Parmesan cheese on their food. Kids; don’t try this at home. Timothy A. Hunt,...
Do older dogs and cats have nutritional needs that differ from younger dogs and cats, as a general rule? I don’t believe so. Many dog food companies and veterinarians will tell you that a dog is a senior once he or she turns seven years old, and at that point they’d be better off with a senior diet – but it’s not that cut and dried. Every dog and cat is different. For instance, I ran two dogs that were ten years old in the 2009 Iditarod and they finished strong. Were they on a senior diet? No – they simply...
Dogs of Dr. Tim’s – The story of Sisu, one Determined Dog.
Even with a rough start to life, Sisu, the Red Siberian Husky, has spent most of her days surrounded by love.The story goes that she was abandoned as a small puppy in a parking lot, left to fend for herself with seemingly insurmountable challenges to defeat. Sisu is missing parts of both of her right legs, with the front ending just below her wrist and the back leg ending at the hock. Unable to move much or go to the bathroom without assistance, the outlook seemed bleak, but after she arrived in the right hands, her future turned bright. It...
Stu Nelson – Part 2: Who is Stu Nelson, what he does in his free time, a good story and what you can do to keep your pet healthy
Dr. Stu Nelson, chief veterinarian for the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, splits his time between clinics in Alaska and Idaho. When he isn’t doing that, he is working on building a cabin near Eagle, Alaska. Nelson isn’t a pet owner himself, because of his constant travel commitments, but he sees the Iditarod dogs as his own pack. “The way I look at it, the Iditarod dogs are largely my responsibility, so I look at them as pets in many ways,” he said.During the last 25 years, Nelson has collected hundreds of memories of working on the Iditarod, but one in particular...
Dr. Stu Nelson – Part 1: The Iditarod and the work of a trail vet.
For two weeks every year, the health of hundreds of sled dogs during the world’s most prestigious sled dog race falls upon the shoulders of one man, Dr. Stu Nelson, the chief veterinarian of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. And with the help of an entire crew of trail vets, Nelson makes sure that the animal athletes stay in top shape and get what they need.Nelson grew up around the country, attending school in Missouri and beginning his career on the East Coast. The first animal athletes he worked with were racehorses before moving to Idaho. It was there he first...
Drastic improvement shown after switching to Dr. Tim’s
“I am currently witnessing a drastic improvement in two gun dogs that I presently condition for clients during this off season. Both dogs are versatile hunters. Both hunt waterfowl and upland and are owned by hardcore, old school style foot hunters who work their dogs during the season 3-4 days a week at 4-6 hours per hunt. Most days these dogs hunt both ducks in the morning and pheasant or grouse in the afternoon. Both dogs are 3 and 4 year olds respectively. Both were switched to Dr. Tim’s from another high performance food(nationally known brand) four months ago by their...
Question I read the content in your foods and am wondering why chicken meal rather than chicken? I have switched both my cats (3) and dogs (2) from Science Diet to Innova Senior Dry and Can for my dogs, EVO dry for my two older underweight cats, and Chicken Soup Light dry for my overweight 4 year old cat because of the ingredients in Science Diet. Why should I switch to yours? I thought grains and carbs were bad for my pets. Thanks for your response. Marilyn Answer Thanks for the great question. In my opinion, if you are going to...
Dr. Tim, Do you have a dog food for an overweight dog? We are looking at switching dog foods and feeding our dogs, Alex and Gunner, 3-6 cups a day seems alot, or would I just scale it down to 3 cups? Bev I don’t believe in diet foods at all and have never seen them work to get weight off of dogs, or cats, for that matter. I really recommend using a high fat diet as the staple but controlling how much food that dog gets. The high fat diet keeps the dog feeling full much, much better than...
My female poodle has allergies and our vet says she may be allergic to chicken.He recommended that she eat dog food with only a few ingredients which contains mainly duck and potatoes and it has worked for her. Would your dog food with chicken cause my poodle allergies? Dana Dana, there are 3 ways to tell if an animal is allergic to an ingredient in the food; food trial/elimination diet; blood allergy testing and skin allergy testing. When I suspect an animal maybe allergic to food, it will be an animal that has skin issues on a year round basis,...