Most Popular Q&As

Hi, I will be getting a eight week old GSD in a couple weeks and was hoping to get your opinion on when to spay. There is no doubt that I will spay I just seem to keep getting conflicting answers on WHEN to spay. My Vet suggests 6 months (as is standard) and my breeder suggest 18 to 24 months. I know the health benefits (and risks) of spaying at six months, but didn't get a straight answer from my breeder about why I should wait. I read somewhere that spaying a GSD before two years...

Hello Cindy! My husband and I had quite the scare this week and would like to know if you have heard of this situation before. We brought our 8 month old male GSD to get neutered - We got a call at 1pm from the vet stating they could not complete the surgery as he went into premature ventricular contractions within 5 minutes of being under. They kept him on the EKG all day and he had 3 or 4 episodes of arrhythmias during this time. He is in great health and comes from a long line of...

Hi Cindy, Because of your wonderful website and your excellent advice my gsd is thriving on a raw diet, I have also added the vitamins you have suggested. The allergy vitamin is working wonders, thank you. Now for my next question. Is there anything we can give him to decrease the acidity in his urine? We have a small back yard with dead patches of grass, it looks really bad. Thanks, Patti

Hi, I am so glad to have found your web site today while searching for information about using muzzles and the proper fit of prong collars. My ten-month old Westie eats rocks. She has already had two surgeries to remove rocks from her stomach. A small path in my garden is where she gets the rocks and temporarily, I have covered the path with landscape cloth, thinking to remove them (but it will be hard to be sure I get them all). Meanwhile she aggressively digs at the landscape cloth un...

Hello Cindy, Do you have any good referrals for my needing to buy helps for my 12 year old dog who needs a rear harness to help her get up, and other such equipment? Also, would syn-flex or grand flex be best for her progressed hip dysplasia? Thank you so much. Dodie

I have been hearing a lot of unfounded rumor on grapes and avocado and I am wondering why not what is wrong with these? Grapes is one of the fruits that Ian Billinghurst mentions in the barf diet and I believe sold gold health makers of Hunden Flocken and Sea meal to name a few products I am using use Avocado in one of their treats. Mike

My 3 year old female papillon as been on HK for about 2-1/2 years--mostly Force but she has had other flavors too. Her supplements have included at various times vegetables, apple, banana, slightly cooked eggs (she dislikes raw), cottage cheese (stopped this a few months ago), and raw meaty rib beef bones. I've also used frozen raw in the last few months. She developed her first UTI in July 2008 and went on to get 3 more over the next 15 months. It all culminated this week with the remova...

Hello, I have a 4 year GSD. Female spayed. I feed her raw. In fact, I have fed raw for over 10 years. I have had this girl for 1 years and have not vaccinated her-I titer-in spite of my vets objections. She came to me with several issues. Most I have cleared up. One I have only partially cleared. The tips of her ears get little bump like things that can be pulled right off hair and all. Its right down to the raw flesh. So she ends up with ragged looking ears. I have tried ...

Dear Cindy/ED; I will be getting a 12 week old german shepherd puppy next month. And when I have him, he should be done with his puppy shots and his worming. I'm against vaccines, so after I get him he will not be getting any vaccines other then the rabies shot that is mandatory in NY. The reason for this email is I will be continuing him on all natural raw food die. I will be buying Alfalfa, Kelp, Vita E, Super C 2000, Salmon Oil and using that with his daily food. My concern was:...

My one year old GSD has scratched all the hair off of his nose, ears, both his sides, bites at his rear ends both sides, bites and licks at his feet. I have taken him to two different vets now and they both say it is because he is on a raw food diet. He eats chicken, hamburger, beef heart, tripe ox tail, and pork neck bones, raw eggs, yogurt, all feedings he gets salmon oil, vit.(e) super c 2000, and now I have added flax seed oil and more vit. (c) to help boost his immune system. They say I...

I know you are probably busy - so I'll make this as short as possible. I am an RN (feel like I should have known what to do...) who just lost a 3 year old AKC beautiful male shepherd to bloat (fast). Fortunately, the vet had administered pain medication. I read posts on your site from similar BROKEN HEARTED people. You mentioned - no experience of it w/ your dogs? Question #1 - I have a nephew of my dog?s ordered - but am thinking now, I don't want to go thru this again... Is it he...

Hello Cindy, I just have a question. Since reading on your website, and doing quite a bit of my own research I have switched my German Shepherd puppy to a raw diet. She is almost 10 months now, and she has been on it for about 4-5 months. I usually give her either organic beef or chicken, a raw egg yolk a day, and supplement with calcium, vitamin c, vitamin e, and the salmon oil from your website. She also off and on gets things like vegetables, pumpkin, etc... She does really well...

Cali was spayed yesterday and we picked her up today. She is already licking her stitches and the vet said she will need to wear a cone collar for 14 days. He said the bitter apple stuff doesn't usually stop dogs from licking itchy wounds. Should we go along with the collar or try something else?

How do you clean your dog's ears?

I have an English Mastiff that is 1 yr. old. Ever since he was 7 months old we have been in & out the vet's office. He has been on medicine this whole time & he chews on his feet. The vet now thinks Hank has a food allergy. She wants me to put him a new Science Diet food--Z allergy formula. Hank eats about a 20lb. bag a week. This food costs $40.00 a bag. Please help!! Keri

I hope you can answer my question. I have a Golden Retriever that is two years old. Last May (2000) I had her shaved for the summer and her hair was almost completely back by the end of September. This May (2001) I also had her shaved for the summer and it is barely coming back. The only thing that I know that is different is that she has been on Prednisone for Allergies since last December. Do you think that is possible? Or could there be some other reason? Thank you for your help. ...

Ed, great site. I am writing to ask your opinion on my situation. I have a 10 month old female GSD, great temperament and drive. There is one serious problem. She has severe dysplasia in her right hip. She is going to Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine on Dec 12 for a total hip replacement. She has had numerous x rays and I agree with the doctors course of treatment. We had wanted to try the TPO procedure. However the hip was too bad to work with so Total Hip replacement is ...

Ed, I have an eight month old GSD that has already begun to experience hip problems. In your opinion, what would be the best course of action to do what is right for the dog? Thank you for your time. Chad

Hi Cindy, I have not visited your site in a year (when I used it extensively for information on training for our rescue dog). Today I am intrigued by the dehydrated food info. My son has a mini schnauzer (1 yr old) with a very bad spinning problem...that is jumping up from a relaxed state ...spinning as if chasing her tail or trying to sniff her bottom....then sniffing the floor where she was just sitting. It is very sad to see this little girl obsessively spin sometimes for hours. There a...

I have a 14 month old GSD that has been favoring one of its back legs after playing ball or running. I took the dog to the vet and they do not believe that is her hip they think it is her knee. Also, the one knees is bigger on the bad leg (it sticks out father then the normal leg) they gave me Rimadyl for 7 days she was fine while she was on it. I have read on your web site where you talk about the problems of Rimadyl and I am taking her to the vet tomorrow and don't want to give her any ...