We talk to our dogs every day. Some of us more, some less, but it is easy to assume that we communicate brilliantly. I read Dr Karen Shaw Becker's discussion of ten habits that can confuse dogs or undermine their wellbeing. Dogs do not speak our language. They learn largely...
Summer, dogs and water seem made for each other. Once a four-legged friend catches the scent of a lake or the sea, most need little encouragement. Yet inviting-looking water and trouble-free swims in the past tell us very little about what may be living in that water today. When I first...
Some time ago, I was asked to write about which bones are suitable for which dogs. The starting point for this article was, and still is, the approach of integrative veterinarian Dr Peter Dobias, who divides bones into three groups according to purpose: for eating, for cleaning teeth, and for...
There are many recommendations about feeding a puppy. Some say that the food received from the breeder should not be changed. Others recommend immediately eliminating chicken, giving only one protein, or switching to raw food as soon as possible. But what does a puppy really need and how do you...
Arthritis has been a familiar subject in our home for a long time. When I decided against surgery for six-month-old Oscar, or Ossu, I knew that his structural joint problem could eventually lead to osteoarthritis. Surgery might have influenced load distribution and the course of the condition, but it would...
Why antibiotics are not a black-and-white issue Antibiotics can save a dog's life. At the same time, they can cause adverse effects, alter the gut microbiome and select for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The right question is therefore not whether antibiotics are good or bad, but when they genuinely benefit an individual dog. Not...
Great plantain probably grows in almost every garden and, honestly, most of the time we see it as an annoying weed. As a child, I had a completely different relationship with plantain: if I scraped my knee or something was bleeding, a plantain leaf went on top. At some point...
I have used retractable leashes myself. They once seemed convenient: the dog could wander a little farther, the line wound itself back in, and I did not have to gather a long lead off the ground. Today I do not choose them for my dogs. Not because every walk with...
Diarrhea is one of those dog problems where the owner’s first question is very practical: what should I feed now? For years, the standard answer has been “chicken and rice.” Integrative veterinary medicine often suggests pumpkin, sweet potato or other squash instead, together with a well-tolerated lean protein. Both approaches...
How to recognise staphylococcal infection in dogs, when antibiotics are needed and what Oscar's experience can teach us.
