Milk thistle for dogs: liver support, detox and wider health connections
Milk thistle for dogs: what Dr Dobias recommends, what canine studies show, seed preparation, silymarin dosage and how to assess results.
Spaying and neutering dogs: what do the new guidelines and studies say?
For decades, spaying and neutering dogs was often treated as a fairly simple choice: if a dog was not going to be used for breeding, the ovaries or testicles were removed. This prevents unwanted litters and reduces the risk of several diseases of the reproductive system. For me, the question has...
Parasite control products for dogs: how they work, risks and how to make a more informed choice
Parasite control is often discussed in very simple terms: drops, a tablet, a collar, a dewormer or a ‘natural’ product. In reality, parasite control is a very broad concept: some products are intended for parasites that live on the dog, such as ticks and fleas, while others target worms or...
Pannus in dogs: how to recognise and control chronic superficial keratitis
Fenton was diagnosed with pannus two weeks before his 9th birthday. My first thought, honestly, was: why now? Pannus is often described as an eye disease that develops in middle age in German Shepherds and other predisposed breeds, but the actual age range is broader. For example, in a retrospective...
Dog age in human years – why the 7-year rule does not work
Most of us have probably heard the old rule that one dog year equals seven human years. It is a convenient calculation, but real life is much more interesting. Dogs do not age in a linear way, and their size matters in particular: during the first years of life they...
Fleas on your dog? How to get rid of them and prevent them from coming back
Some time ago, a client called me and said she suspected her dog had fleas. To be honest, my first thought was probably the same as that of many dog owners: is this really still a problem in Estonia? It is. Fleas are not only a “country-life problem” and they...
Grapes for dogs: how dangerous are they and what should you do?
The old version of this article grew out of a very real question: if grapes and raisins can cause acute kidney injury in dogs, why do some dog foods contain grape-derived ingredients such as grapeseed oil or grape extract? It is still a good question. With what we know in...
Dog wound care: why don’t I reach for an antiseptic first at home?
Cleaning minor dog wounds, caring for scabs and using calendula: Peter Dobias’s approach, research limits and when veterinary help is needed.
Chicken and rice for dogs: is turkey and pumpkin a better choice?
When your dog has an upset stomach, the advice to “cook chicken and rice” comes faster than you can ask what caused the upset stomach in the first place. This is one of the most persistent home recommendations in the dog world. However, integrative veterinarians, including Dr. Karen Becker, have...
Three functional foods for dogs: golden paste, bone broth and medicinal mushrooms
Food need not be merely a way to fill the stomach. It also supplies fibre, fatty acids and thousands of plant compounds whose effects we are still learning to understand. That is why integrative veterinarians were discussing functional foods long before the word “functional” appeared on every other packet. The three...