Archive for August 8th, 2008

Ask the Frenchie Vet - Flying My Frenchie?

admin August 8th, 2008

I live overseas and when I next go to the States I am hoping to rescue a Frenchie.  I am concerned about the long haul flight back though.  Is this something that would raise a red flag to you?

Dr. Lori writes –

I think you could certainly arrange to fly your Frenchie in the cabin with you.  Flying them in cargo can be risky, so if that is something you would do, it is best to really check out the holding cabin to be sure it is temperature controlled.

Lori Hunt, DVM
French Bulldogs d’Assisi

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Ask the Dog Food Geek - Raw KILLS Dogs?

admin August 8th, 2008

Hi, I know youve heard this question before, but I have been thinking about giving my dog raw food. She has some really bad allergies and now she has had an attack of pancreatitis. It was VERY frightening! She bled so much we thought she would die. She was in the vet hospital for three days and they said it was ‘touch and go’ for a while. We have had her on I/D ever since, but I have been reading about raw, and how it has helped so many dogs with pancreatitis and allergies.

So, we talked to our vet and he said “Oh no you can’t do that, raw food kills dogs, they get salmonella and die”. And now we aren’t sure. I know raw meat has salmonella. We want to do what is right for our dog and feed her the best food. Her stomach is still upset and her stools soft on the I/D. We don;t like giving it to her. BUt we don’t want to kill her if thats what raw will do!

So I want to know - is it safe?

Carol writes –

Oh dear. Yes, there are lots and lots of people out there who will tell you all the TERRIBLE things OMG! that will happen if you feed raw, and don’t get me wrong - there are risks. These risks, however, can be managed with some pretty basic rules about food storage, preparation and management.

First of all, freeze ALL meat for at least three weeks before feeding it. This will kill almost all of the common parasites which can infest raw meat.

The second step? Simple. Follow the same rules for preparing raw pet food as you would when handling raw meat for yourself and your family.

Don’t cut on wooden surfaces. Don’t allow to get to room temperature. Clean all surfaces, utensils and feeding dishes. Wash your hands.

Really, that’s about it. Think about it — if handling raw meat was so OMG TERRIBLE!!!, how come we can manage it for ourselves, each and every day, without all OMG DYING!! when we do so? Do the parasites and germies magically know that this is dog food, not people food?

Here’s a good compromise - feed her the pre made, frozen raw diets now available on the market. I’ve tried the following products:

Nature’s Variety Raw Patties
Paw Naturaw Organic Bison
Home Made 4 Life (Canada only)
As for pancreatitis and raw, I say go for it - I also have a dog who’s had scary pancreatitis attacks (is there anything worse?), and her condition never cleared up fully until I put her on raw.

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