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This is our 25th year in business and in those 25 years we have attended countless seminars and lectures that focused on skin and coat problems. The scope of the information was vast and sometimes very confusing. In the end the entire problems lies within three arenas: genetics, diet and the question of yearly vaccinations.
I can tell you that professionally we see three out of five pets with coat and skin related problems. Staggering!!
Topically we can give some relief but the fix is temporary.
I have seen so many problems greatly controlled by diet and keeping a firm hand on the vaccination schedule for your pet.
Food is something that all living things need and your pet depends on you to make the correct choices. Given a chance your dog would NOT chose what you give.
Dogs are carnivores and require meat. In the wild they would kill and eat the entire kill: bones, organs, skin and meat. Why do we feed cereal? It does not provide adequate nutrition; it does not clean the teeth and your pet would rather not eat it. So, why feed it?
A raw diet is the best but many owners do want to go through the process of learning how to manage a raw diet. The choice to purchase a high end, quality food is the most desirable route for most people and there are many. A vitamin therapy is also a great idea.
If interested in maintaining your pet's health by preparing the meals there is a terrific book that is easy to read and the recipes are simple: Natural Health for Dogs & Cats, Pitcairn, is the reference of choice. (Click the Link below to purchase.) This is an easy read and full of very useful information.
If you choose to purchase your pet's food there are many alternatives such as; Wysong, California Gold, Eagle Brand and many more. The key is to read the ingredients. If it starts with by-products you are purchasing garbage. If your pet is one that eats only kibble (cereal) then there are many quality foods from which to choose. My personal favorite is "Wysong" however there are many more, just type in " holistic foods" in your search engine and make your own decision.
.Dr Ronald Schultz, DVM, chair of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine Dept. of Pathobiological Sciences has been involved in the study of canine vaccines since the 1970's. His research indicates that yearly vaccination for most diseases is unnecessary and very harmful to your pet.
Risks caused by Yearly Vaccination:
Anemia
Arthritis
Autoimmune Diseases many of which involve the skin, ears, coat, thyroid, kidneys, joints and central nervous system.
Injection-site tumors, especially in cats
Seizures
Susceptibility to Infections
Behavioral Changes such as: aggression, Poor appetite, listlessness, fear, short attention span.