I love natural remedies. I've always had things at home that I can turn to for minor concerns: chamomile tea, coconut oil, honey, and some herbal remedies. What I appreciate about integrative veterinarians is that they don't just look at the animal through one symptom, but also notice the impact...
A German Shepherd, Saint Bernard or Great Dane can take up a considerable amount of space at home. Sadly, many large and giant breeds have a shorter average lifespan than smaller dogs. I previously wrote about a study comparing the health histories of tens of thousands of dogs in an...
When a dog begins taking stairs more slowly, getting up stiffly after rest or falling behind on walks, people sometimes attribute it to old age. But joint problems are not confined to senior dogs. Hip and elbow dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament injuries and various forms of joint inflammation can also...
Dandelion is a curious plant. We call it a weed when it grows in the lawn, yet our grandparents knew it as both a food plant and a medicinal herb. I have written about dandelion before, drawing on an article from Dogs Naturally Magazine, and the topic deserves another look....
I have always believed that our dogs' lives are far too short as it is. That is why I have promised myself to do everything within my power for their well-being. If the day comes when I must make a difficult decision, my dog's quality of life must come first,...
If someone had asked me years ago to describe a German Shepherd, I would probably have spoken confidently about alertness, trainability and a desire to work with people. Some of those expectations have a basis: working traits have been deliberately selected during the development of breeds. But when Faddu, Fenton...
Vaccination is a procedure intended to trigger an immune response. Immunization, in turn, means the development of immune protection. These concepts are related, but they are not interchangeable. Administering a vaccine does not guarantee the same immune response in every individual animal, and reaching a booster due date does not automatically...
Dogs love routine. Every dog owner has probably heard that phrase, but for a long time I never stopped to consider what it actually means to a dog. Are dogs waiting for an exact time? Or do they benefit more from a predictable sequence: going outside after waking up, relaxing...
I have listened to and taken notes on dozens of hours of lectures by integrative veterinarians about gut health. I have collected more notes than I could possibly list. The deeper I went, the more one question stayed with me: how much can we genuinely do for our dogs' intestines,...
When a puppy pees in the house, there is usually nothing mysterious about it. They are still learning when and where to go, and how long they can hold it. But if an adult dog who has been reliably house-trained for years suddenly starts peeing indoors, that is a different...
