Community ClicksFeeding dogs human food
Dear Dr. Fox,
I would like to know your thoughts on feeding dogs human food and what kind of supplements need to be added to the dog’s diet.
We have a 10-year-old Pomeranian named Muffin who eats fresh-cooked food.
I mix pork or chicken with green beans and green vegetables; then I add a small portion of rice or bread — she loves it!
I limit the quantity so she is not too overweight (12 pounds right now).
I use little, if any, salt and cook with olive oil.
Is this type of diet sufficient?
Do you have any advice for us?
Is there a book you might recommend that shows how to prepare healthy dog food with fresh meat and vegetables?
— C.C., Rockville, Md.
Dear C.C.,
Food is food. Food intended for humans is good for animals, too.
But food condemned unfit for human consumption goes into many brands of pet foods and, after processing, can hardly be called food.
Don’t overcook the meats for your dog, with the exception of pork because of the risk of trichinosis.
Avoid fatty poultry parts — dark meat is best — and remove the skin before lightly cooking.
Also try lean beef and turkey thighs.
Always add a multivitamin/multimineral supplement after cooking.
Many home-prepared pet foods are notoriously low in calcium, so your dog should have at least 500 mg daily of a human calcium supplement.
Crush up a tablet, and mix it in the dog’s food; add a few drops of wild salmon or flaxseed oil.
Help for seasonal changes
Dear Dr. Fox,
I have two cats that are about 2 years old.
They weighed about 8 ounces each when I found them.
They have watery eyes and sneeze when the seasons change.
Is there anything I can do to help with this?
— S.P., Winston-Salem, N.C.
Dear S.P.,
Cats are very sensitive to environmental and other stresses that can make prior infections such as rhinitis (sniffles) and cystitis (bladder inflammation) flare up.
Simply ensuring they have a warm place to lie down and sleep is half the battle.
A blanket in a cardboard box, a heat lamp or a warm pad will give comfort.
Supplements in their food to help boost their immune systems would provide much relief.
These include probiotics, fish oil and super-oxidants like Coenzyme Q10 that you put in their food, beginning with a few drops of fish oil and working up to 1 teaspoon daily.
Probiotics come in capsules or tablets containing around 5 billion beneficial bacteria — break up and give twice daily.
Give 50 to 100 milligrams of CoQ10.
Alternatives for sick pet
Dear Dr. Fox,
I have a 13-year-old male cat I adopted about 10 years ago.
He has recently been diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, which was found through routine blood work and which I am told is rare.
He is asymptomatic and is a happy cat.
His recent ultrasound came back normal, showing no problems with his lymph nodes or internal organs.
I am reluctant to start him on a course of Leukeran/Prednisone because he has no symptoms.
Two veterinarians (both in the same group that has treated him) have differing opinions on the proper course of treatment.
One agrees with me that we should wait; the other feels it’s best to start him on the chemotherapy before he begins to exhibit some symptoms, when the leukemia will be more difficult to get under control.
I’m told cats tolerate Leukeran rather well with minimal side effects.
Can you tell me if I’m doing more harm than good by waiting to treat him with chemo?
Is there another alternative? — D.F., Trumbull, Conn.
Dear D.F.,
I would vote on the side of the cautious “wait and see.”
While chemotherapy (with or without Prednisone) could lead to a “cure,” your cat’s immune system seems to be doing a good job all by itself.
So it may be best to do nothing at this stage.
This entails avoiding any stress in your cat’s life — such as getting another cat, having to board your cat, getting booster vaccinations, chemotherapy or spot-on anti-flea treatments.
Considering your cat’s age and happy disposition, I would do nothing more than add a few drops of top-quality fish oil to his daily diet, like Nordic Naturals or New Chapter’s Wholemega human dietary supplement.
