Food and Health Q&As

Hi Cindy, I've been somewhat disappointed by the relatively narrow perspective being presented about the use of Rimadyl in the Newsletter. While I don't doubt that there will always be a downside to the use of any prescription medication, there are also upsides as well. For example, I presently have a 10 year old Border Collie that LOVES to train, compete, etc. and has since day one. Unfortunately, after a long career in dog agility, she's arthritic. Should she "be put out to pasture" and ...

Cindy, I've been reading your responses on the topic of Rimadyl in the last two Leerburg Newsletters. My vet is encouraging me to nueter my 16 month old GSD (a topic for which I have mixed feelings). She gave me a printout with the estimated cost and I see that one of the fees is for Rimadyl use after surgery. Is there a safe alternative I can ask for to provide post operation pain relief for my dog? Thanks again as always.

Hi Cindy, I have just gotten a test result from my vet that gives a positive for Lyme Disease for my four year old GSD. Have you ever heard of a false positive? Would you get a second opinion? I know that Leerburg recommends the RAW diet and alternative medicine for dogs, and I have followed those recommendations over the years. Is there a link to any suggestions for Lyme Disease on your site? Thank you for your time.

I was reading your page on Vaccinosis. This sounds like the answer behind my 7 year old GSD's death. On a friday he was brought into the vet for a leg injury, and we went ahead had his shots done. We were given anti-inflamitories, and sent on our way. Saturday & Sunday he became lethagic, and refused to eat. Monday morning he could barley walk and he'd dropped 5 lbs in 4 days. And he had a fever of 105. He never recovered. Saturday, July 23, 2011 he started vomiting blood, so we had him PTS. ...

Hi Ed and Cindy, I have a simple question that may sound silly, but I really would like your opinion. What would be a good time to focus train my dog in the day? I get home from work and usually go straight into exercise. That doesn't leave too much time before having to rest for a couple of hours before dinner. And I know you've said not to train after exercise, but train when they are hungry. I figure train before the exercise, but with food rewards, wouldn't that be the same as eating b...

Cindy, I just wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for warning people about Rimadyl. I lost my gorgeous 5 year old Staffie mix to this med in March 2010. She was given this med after a surgery to remove a small mass. Before the surgery she was a perfectly healthy. A typically bright and active dog became sickly and confused. She vomited all day long and would back herself in to walls and corners and get stuck. I took her to the ER but it was to late the damage was done and d...

Hi Cindy, Of the many things I've learned from your website is the danger of this drug. It's a sad story to have to read but underscores the importance of giving these so called "necessary drugs or vaccines" to our pets. http://www.pharmalot.com/2011/08/pfizer-sued-after-dog-dies-from-rimadyl-toxicity/ Blessings,Tracey

So sorry to ask you to respond immediately, but I was hoping to get your opinion on a german shepherd puppy that I may be bringing home tomorrow. Her breeding seems excellent for temperament and health (including hips, etc.). She is 3 months old. The only concern that I have is that she swallowed a sock last week and had surgery to remove it. The vet, who is supposed to be very good, had to cut open her belly (6 inch cut) to remove the sock which she swallowed whole. The stitches are inside a...

I have a 5 month old Goldendoodle that picks up everything he finds. He swallowed a 12" long stuff-less toy about a month ago that had to be removed surgically. He loves socks and underwear, and yesterday he got ahold of one of my daughters headbands, but fortunately he vomited up this morning. We try to keep things picked up but he just seeks them out. What can we do? I don't want another $2800 vet bill. Thanks, Tim

Hello! My family and I have two wonderful labs. The oldest is a little over a year and the youngest is just about 6 months old. His name is Hugo and he's the best! Sadly, he has an addiction to socks. He is crated when we are not home (both dogs are) and he's confined to the downstairs when we are (gates). Occationally we have a "jail break" and he sneaks upstairs and digs around for socks (the dirtier the better). We have young children who sometimes forget to lock the gate when they fly ...

Hello, I have 2 male Great Danes that are 4 1/2 months old. They have been having bowel problems for a little while now. We started them on Iams large breed puppy formula, and for a while that was fine. Our vet suggested switching them to a fish based dog food. So we gradually switched them over to the fish based food by Wellness. Now the diarrhea is getting worse. It is everyday all day long. I am really concerned. I saw today about giving them some canned pumpkin, but is there any other ...

I would like to know what the ideal weight should be for a 6 month old female malinois pup. Thanks! Bob

Hi Ed and Cindy, First I want to thank you for the special collar you sold me 5 years ago! It has been amazing! Our lovely rescue can now walk perfectly on a leash. He is now about 10 years and is suffering from inflamed elbows. The vet had it lanced and he is on antibiotics. Do you have anything to recommend to help with this?? We unfortunately have wood floors. He has 2 beds ...but seems to like to spend time on the floor. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much and h...

Hi Cindy, Faithful Leerburg follower here, who has a 3 year old Chocolate Lab who was just diagnosed with a partial tear in her ACL. I just purchased a bottle of Syn-Flex and it arrived yesterday. I have a question about the dosage. My dog is 77 pounds, therefore based on what you have listed on your website, I am to give her 1/8 oz per day. My question is do I follow the loading dosage indicated on the back label of the bottle? My vet is extremely excited about this product. Please advise...

Cindy, I had emailed you quite a while ago with a question about a GSD female that used to love tugs and bite work, but suddenly stopped. You mentioned seeing the vet and chiropractor, which I did but still didn't seem to fix the problem. What it ended up being was a hormone imbalance, she had a "deformed" ovary. She had been left intact until this past week, and when performing the spay the vet noticed the problem. It was very large and misshapen. It was biopsied and was not cancerous, bu...

Hi! We have a 1 1/2 year old beagle and his breath just starting smelling really bad like rotting meat. He is on an all raw meat diet, do you know what may be causing this smell? Thanks! Britni

Hi guys, What can you advise me to use for tick control that is safe and effective. I used to spray a chemical on my lawn until I lost a 6 year old GSD to cancer. I tried a topical but my female GSD had a severe reaction to it. It didn't bother my male GSD. After giving it a lot of thought I felt it isn't safe to put a poison on the dogs. I started using a spray I believe I purchased from your kennel called organic neem spray with pretty good success. This year after all the spring rain w...

Hello Cindy, I just have a question. I started my dog on a raw diet when she was 4 months old and she has been on it ever since. She is now 15 months old. I have been feeding her just meat (alternating between chicken and organic beef) and eggs. She also gets salmon or cod liver oil, olive oil, calcium with vitamin D, vitamin E, Vitamin C, and a probiotic. She also once in awhile gets table scraps or carrots to munch on. But my question is, could I cut the meat amount in half and also feed...

Hi Cindy, About a year ago we adopted a 1 year old Plott/Sheppard mix. We decided at the time to raw feed and bought an assortment of books. Since we raise our own poultry, chicken was the natural choice for protein. We would grind the chicken along with the bones, and add some carrot or other vegetable, a touch of molasses and a little vinegar. After 2 or 3 months (it was March) on the diet we noticed Zoe shedding a lot. Since she was new to us we weren't sure if the shedding was natural ...

Hi Cindy, I have been feeding my 11 month old Doberman pup a raw diet for several months and it has been the best change we could have made for her. She loves this diet. Regarding chicken? I purchased raw chicken thighs and legs and just noticed the expiration date was 12/10/10 (today is 12/12/10). The smell if off a bit an wanted to know if it is not safe to feed this expired meat to our dog. Thanks so much for your guidance. Kind regards, Joan