Is a Home Cooked Diet for Dogs a Good Idea?

by Jim McBean on March 12, 2010

Image Source: Bogart Handsome Devil

In the 1940’s Dr. Francis Pottenger M.D. conducted research using extracts of adrenal cortices removed from donated laboratory cats, for use in the treatment of human patients suffering from allergies and exhaustion. Cats cannot live without their adrenal glands, so by determining how much extract was required to keep a cat alive, drug manufacturers could determine how to fine-tune the potency of their adrenal hormone products for human use. [read more…]

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Why Do Dogs Eat Poop?

by Jim McBean on March 10, 2010

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Why DO dogs eat poop?

This is the million dollar question isn’t it? The question on everyone’s mind? Ok, maybe it’s not a question on everyone’s mind, but it is certainly a question quite a few aghast dog guardians have pondered over the millenia I’m sure.

Technically Speaking

The technical term for poop eating is coprophagia, from the Greek words phagein (“to eat”) and copros (“feces”) ; to eat feces.

But Why Eat Poop?

As revolting as the thought of our dog eating poop is to us, there are a number possible reasons why he does. [read more…]

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Introducing the Doggy Bytes Newsletter

What is this newsletter about?
Content: Anything dog is fair game but my main focus will be on canine health and nutrition. Newsletter content may also contain some of all of the following:

Recaps on the hot threads and conversation on Doggy Bytes from the previous month
Contest and giveaway announcements. As a [...]

March 8, 2010 Read the full article →

Doggy Bytes of the Week – Ending 03.06.2010

A couple of weeks ago I posted a plea for donations on behalf of my cousin Teresa, for her dog Ginger (aka Shugie).Ginger ruptured the cranial cruciate ligament in one of her hind legs and requires surgery. The family’s financial resources have been stretched thin and they are unable to come up with the money [...]

March 5, 2010 Read the full article →

Does Your Dog Eat Offal Awefully Often?

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Turkey, chicken and herring make up the bulk of Sweety’s & Zeus’ diet in the form of raw meaty bones, with the exception of the herring (not a whole lot of bone in those).
I also give offal a few times a week in addition to their regular meal. For no particular reason, I usually [...]

March 5, 2010 Read the full article →

No Sushi Tonight Doggy!

My dogs almost never eat the same food two days running. There are a couple of reasons for this.

“Variety is the spice of life”, for dogs too! Rotating foods provides an array of different nutrients (amino acids, vitamins, minerals etc.) at varying levels.

Conversely, feeding one food day after day could potentially lead to [...]

March 4, 2010 Read the full article →

Book Review: Real Dogs Don’t Eat Kibble

In 2008 when Sandra Bailey wrote her book “Real Dog’s Don’t Eat Kibble”, she’d been feeding her three Papillons (Digit, Pip & Squeeze) a raw food diet for four years. Her decision to switch from kibble to raw food was motivated partly by the words of veterinarian Don Hamilton – “I don’t believe we [...]

March 2, 2010 Read the full article →

Creamy Bacon Carbonara and Cherry Pie

We all know that there are two sides to being healthy, neither of which include Creamy Bacon Carbonara and cherry pie. In order to be healthy we need to eat healthy, and we need regular, challenging exercise. The same is true for our dogs. A lack of good nutrition and regular exercise (or both) can [...]

February 26, 2010 Read the full article →

What Does a 245 Pound Dog Eat?

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Apparently 110 pounds of kibble. That’s what George the Great Dane, and current holder of the Guinness World Record for world’s tallest dog eats,  every month! That’s the equivalent of 4 (13kg)/28 pound bags of Orijen which is over $300 CDN, per month, and you thought feeding your Pomeranian was expensive!
An average Great Dane [...]

February 25, 2010 Read the full article →

A Bag of That Complete & Balanced Dog Food Please

It’s Friday afternoon and you’ve just arrived at the pet food store from work to buy dog food. You’re not sure the foodyou’ve been buying is a “good one” so you’re going to see what other options there are. So many choices! Large breed, small breed, with glucosamine, without glucosamine, organic, holistic, natural – it’s [...]

February 23, 2010 Read the full article →