Sorbitol in dog treats: is it safe?
Sorbitol is not xylitol. Find out why it is used in dog treats, possible digestive effects and what to check on labels.
Allergy triggers in dogs: why is my dog really itching?
Over the years at FendaF I have spoken to many people whose dogs scratch, lick their paws or struggle with recurring ear problems. One owner has already changed food three times; another has tried ten different shampoos. Eventually the whole story gets reduced to one sentence: “He must be allergic...
Can Dogs Eat Spinach? Benefits, Oxalates and Preparation
For years Faddy gave me a distinctly unimpressed look whenever I offered him fruit or vegetables. Then one day I offered him some frozen, chopped spinach, and to my surprise he took it enthusiastically. He even crunched it up. At the time I joked that perhaps he had decided...
Ingredients to watch in dog food and supplements
I am quite critical of what goes into my dogs' food bowls, particularly Oscar's. His problems as a puppy prompted me to explore what different ingredients do, why they are added to a product and whether they are actually necessary. Sorbitol and glycerine were among the first substances to catch...
Dog ate chocolate: how dangerous is it and what should you do?
Your dog ate chocolate. The first thought is usually: how bad is this? The answer depends more than anything on three things: what type of chocolate, how much, and how large the dog is. A small piece of milk chocolate in a large dog is not the same situation as...
Dog food prices: what are we really paying for?
A bag of dog food costs €100. Is that expensive or inexpensive? The more useful question is what that hundred euros actually pays for. Better ingredients, manufacturing, transport, the work of several intermediaries, packaging, or simply a familiar brand name? This article grew out of a price comparison Irene and I...
Duck in Dog Food: A Good Choice for Allergies?
Duck is not the most common animal protein in dog food, which is exactly why it attracts interest when a dog does not tolerate a familiar food. Some owners dismiss it immediately: if chicken does not suit a dog, how could another bird? Reality is more complicated. A dog can...
Choosing a Safe Dog Bowl: Does Material Really Matter?
My dogs have eaten from stainless-steel bowls for years. I actually love glass bowls too, but I'm not convinced they would be a great idea with Faddu and Ossu. When two big dogs decide to move through the kitchen at once, a bowl can easily go flying. Faddu can even...
Can a Dog’s Lifespan Be Extended Through Diet? What Research Shows
If our dogs could live even a little longer, and stay healthier throughout that extra time, it would already be a huge win. That is why a webinar by Karen Shaw Becker and Rodney Habib about food, the microbiome and intermittent fasting stayed with me. Several suggestions made me want...
Raw fish for dogs: whole prey, omega-3 and real nutritional value
A single small Baltic herring can be far more than a piece of fish flesh. When a dog eats the entire fish, including skin, head, eyes, soft tissues, bones and organs, it receives several kinds of animal tissue at once. That is what makes whole fish such an interesting addition...