Recently in dog nutrition Category

OK, maybe a little bit TOO healthy.  

Biscuits from "Barkwheats" with SeaVeg & Chamomile.

Really. They're dog biscuits made with "organic sea vegetable (bladderwrack) powder straight from the cold ocean off the Maine coast." Wow.  

$9.50 for a box of 40 biscuits. 19 calories per biscuit.

Lots of claims by the makers of these treats -- "Known for its detoxification properties and weight control abilities (due to the stimulation of the thyroid), bladderwrack has been a staple in coastal culture for centuries as both a food and a medicine. Chamomile also works to calm inflammation and as a treatment for nerves and stomach ailments."

If nothing else, "bladderwrack" is kind of fun to say. Like talking Pirate.

No endorsements here, I lean on the skeptical side of some of this stuff that's being marketed. But that's me. Figured some of you might like to know bout it. If you have extra $$$ and all that.

(But you can probably find less pricey yet healthy treats from our own local San Pedro Dogs.)

H/T: Barkability

I posted an item on Tuesday about discount pet food and supply prices at Global Pet Food Outlet in Torrance.

On a related issue, Dogster recently wrote about how to find a good, quality dog food -- citing a Consumer Reports article that pricier foods aren't necessarily better.

From the article:

The bottom line, says Consumer Reports: It's more important to look for the overall nutrient profile of a particular pet food brand than it is to shop by price or even individual ingredience. "As a pet owner, your main goal is to ensure that your animal is active and healthy," says Jaime Hirsh, associate health editor at Consumer Reports. "That suggests that the food you're buying is doing its job. But it's also important to know that you don't have to choose the most expansive food to get what's best for your pet. Look for food labeled 'complete and balanced,' which indicates it can be the pet's sole nourishment.

Hirsh advises pet owners to look for labels stating that the food's nutritional adequacy was validated by animal-feeding tests based on protocols from the American Association of Feed Control Officials, a regulatory group. That statement is a step above the other one that AAFCO allows -- that a food was formulated to meet the group's nutrient profiles. "In addition, make sure the package has contact information for the food's manufacturer, in case you have questions," Hirsh says.

Consumers should also take into consideration the age of their pet and whether he or she has special needs. For example, cats with kidney or urinary problems might benefit from the moisture in wet food, while animals with dental issues might do better with dry food.

Dogster has posted the entire article.  

If you're like me, the household budget is getting pretty tight these days. But you don't want to scrimp on your pet when it comes to their basic needs.

Some things are easy to cut out -- that extra holiday collar that's so cute (but clearly frivolous and unnecessary), a box of treats (that probably aren't that good for your dog anyhow).

But what about the high-quality food you want to make sure your dog or cat continues to have? My dogs both eat Innova, I use coupons and buy the 30-pound bag at a local chain pet store. But after years of hearing the buzz about Global Pet Food Outlet in Torrance, I decided to check out their prices to see if I could find a better price.

The store, at 20210 S. Normandie (at Jon Street, just south of 190th), touts the "lowest overall prices in the nation." They also deliver and say they carry "every major brand or natural dog and cat food, including organic and raw." The store advertises that it has a full stock of Eukanuba/Iams.

Besides food, they stock a large selection of toys (including Kong products), an array of nutritional supplements, treats, grooming tools and pet accessories. I didn't price check a lot of items (and wouldn't know if many of those things were cheaper without a direct comparison). But I did see a 6-foot long, heavy leather leash marked at around $20, which seemed like a pretty low price for leather.

So the bottom line is I can't vouch for their overall prices. But I can tell you this -- I saved about $10 on my bag of dog food. That's enough of a savings to send me back again. The store seems to have a very loyal clientele.

If you want to check on prices before taking a trip out there, you can call Global Pet Food Outlet at 310-327-3330. The owner was quite helpful and very willing to check prices for me in advance when I called ahead to make sure it would be worth the trip.

Hours are limited, however: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. seven days a week, but extended hours (until 6:30 p.m.) are offered on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

I found these consumer reviews online.

If you're familiar with Gobal and have been shopping there, let me know what you think.

Here's a worthwhile and interesting post on a new blog I discovered a few weeks ago (called Raise a Green Dog) about the importance providing lots of water -- and high quality water -- to your dog. Water, the post says, is "the most important nutrient for a dog's healthy life."

I tried buying bottled water for my dogs for a while -- those big jugs -- during my super-perfect-dog-owner phase.

But eventually it became too logistically difficult and expensive to maintain, so we've gone back to tap water. The author of this blog, as you might guess, takes issue with serving tap water to your dogs. Here's this from the post: 

"Since water is so important to our quality of life, the quality of our water needs to be of great concern. With reports of fluoride and chlorine in tap water, Giardia in standing puddles, salts, and lawn and farming chemicals in rivers and ponds, how do you know if your water is safe?"

The post goes on to provide some resource articles. There also are some pretty good suggestions, even if you don't use bottled water (like never reusing plastic water bottles for your dog's supply).

Any opinions or experiences any of our South Bay dog owners would like to share on this topic? 

An online search turned up several specialty bottled waters for dogs that are now on the market, including one called FortiFido with vitamins and minerals designed for the canine crowd. "Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millan also has launched a bottled water product as part of his new line of pet supplies carried at PetCo stores. But at about $2.50 for just a 2-liter bottle, it seems like few of us could afford it on a full-time basis. 

Now for some fun. Check out this thirsty dog video sent to us by our reader & dog park friend, Indi's Mom :)

I have this ritual at my house. I go home and find the dog sleeping somewhere. (He's too lazy to come greet me at the door)

He wags his tail slightly and I say, "What do you want for dinner tonight?

And he looks at me.

"How about some dog food?" I ask. And he goes running into the kitchen and stands next to his bowl.

I don't know why he gets so excited. All he ever gets is dog food.

But now dogs have a new option, thanks to a class being offered in Manhattan Beach.

Here's a press release I just got. The class offers people the chance to learn how to cook healthy food for their pups. And with the recent pet-food scare, it might also some peace of mind.

No bones about it; you are your dog's best friend. Isn't it about time that you became your dog's chef too? With all the pet food recalls both last year and this year, the time is right to rethink how and what to feed your canine best friends.

 Join guest teacher Annie Siegmann, owner of Ruff-Ruff Bakery, maker of all natural pet treats and biscuits, as you prepare three meals and a treat to take home. She will share tips for natural ways to care for your dog through foods.

 Seigmann's natural treats can be found at Whole Foods Markets and the Torrance and Manhattan Beach Farmers' Markets.

 The dog food making class will be held Monday, September 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the South Bay School of Cooking kitchen inside the Women's Neptunian Club. Pre-paid reservations are required; directions and parking instructions will be provided. The cost is $79/person.

For more information and to register, go here.

Oh those pesky hot flashes. What's a dog to do?

Enter Dr. Phil Schoenwetter, a family physician and "visionary," according to his press release, who advocates hormone replacement therapy for dogs.

His company? EstraPet.

File this one under the "Now we've heard everything" category, if you will. But Dr. Phil, as he's called on the EstraPet web site, is completely serious. He's developed a soy dog biscuit for spayed and neutered dogs who, well, just need that extra umph.

      "Spaying and neutering disrupts the natural hormone levels, which leads to diminished health and longevity," Dr. Phil says. "The ingredients in EstraPet have been proven to offset this loss."

 Dr. Phil says his HTR treats with isoflavones (they're for the boys, too) help fight premature aging and related conditions such as bone loss, brain function decline and a host of other  problems.

As always, check with your vet first if you're thinking of adding anything like this to your dog's diet. Googling "dogs and HRT" brought up very little information on the topic.

But it did bring up this headline: "Viscious dogs attack veterinarian."

Hmmm. 

 Well, for what it's worth ...............      

Nix the nylon, lose the leather -- if you've got cash to burn on your dog, here's a $1.2 million diamond collar from www.ilovedogs.com.

The Torrance-based Web company touts the "Amour Amour" collar as the "world's most expensive dog collar."

Stunning, one-of-a-kind, we're told, with more than 1,600 hand-set diamonds equalling 52 carats.

But enough about that.

The real mission of i Love Dogs is to foster the bond between owners and their canines. The group is a major sponsor of Operation Baghdad Pups, a program that brings stray dogs befriended by our troops in Iraq back to the states. Josh also posted about the program back in April and you can still donate to the effort by going to www.spca.com and clicking on the "Baghdad Pups" square.

But mainly, iLoveDogs.com offers a unique line of nutritional and herbal supplements designed to keep your dog healthy and happy. "It's all about preventative care," says iLoveDogs General Manager Kimberley Foley.

Kimberley, a local resident, recently appeared on the Lifetime television program Balancing Act where she talked about the importance of pet nutrition.