Whole Dog Journal ~ January 2009

Volume 12
Number 1
January 2009

Features
Editorial

January 2009

View the Full Issue (PDF)
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Whole Dog Journal's 2009 Canned Dog Food Review
We like canned food for dogs. It's more expensive than dry, but good varieties of canned dog food are arguably healthier than comparable dry dog foods, due to the higher inclusion of animal proteins and the higher moisture levels. Both of these things are closer to the dog's evolutionary diet than dry diets that contain a lot of grain. Some dog owners stopped buying wet dog food following the spring 2007 pet food recalls of foods that contained melamine and/or cyanuric acid. Given the fear and lack of information in the early days of the recall, this made sense. Now, however, we know more about the factors that led to the recalls, and we feel more certain than ever that wet pet foods offer health benefits to many dogs - and that our recommendations for choosing wet dog foods can help owners identify the safest, healthiest products available.

Whole Dog Journal's Picks for Dog Gear of The Year
Whole Dog Journal reviews a useful tick-removal tool, Premier’s Spill-Less Smart Bowl, Squeaker Kong, an awesome owners’ guide to veterinary care, and a rubber stick. Tick-removal tools are in constant use in our homes, because we spend a lot of time with our dogs in the woods. At last! An accurate, thorough canine health book by a vet who promotes the best of conventional veterinary medicine and is aware of its shortfalls, too. Dr. Nancy Kay, a veterinarian who practices in Sonoma County, California, explains the basics of responsible healthcare and what dog owners should know. Premier’s Spill-Less Smart Bowl isn’t spill-proof, but this product doesn’t need to be wrestled apart – it’s just one piece.

Homemade Low-Fat Dog Food Diets
There are many canine health conditions that are best controlled with a low-fat dog food diet, especially hyperlipidemia (high levels of triglycerides in the blood, even after fasting for at least 12 hours), which can lead to pancreatitis. Other conditions that may respond favorably to a low-fat dog food diet include chronic pancreatitis, EPI (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency), IBD (inflammatory bowel disease), and lymphangiectasia. In some cases, owners may choose to reduce dietary fat as a preventive measure for dogs who may be predisposed to pancreatitis, including those with diabetes or Cushing’s disease, or who are given anti-seizure drugs. In “Healthy Low-Fat Diets” (December 2008), we described how to calculate the amount of fat in various foods, and offered guidelines for preparing a homemade low-fat dog food diet. This month, owners who feed their dogs home-prepared low-fat meals will share their diet plans with us.

What You Should Know About Animal Shelters
Say the words “animal shelter” to 10 different people and you’re likely to get 10 different reactions - from a warm, happy smile to sadness and tears to anger. Why the disparity? Because animal shelters take the “no two alike” approach to service providing, and those 10 people likely had 10 very different shelter experiences. When you’ve had one experience with a shelter, good or bad, you might think all shelters are the same. You couldn’t be more wrong. Many people think that shelters must all come under some national governing body that regulates what they do, a universal “mother club” like Red Cross, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts. In fact, the exact opposite is true - with a few rare exceptions, every shelter is its own entity, complete within itself, with its own policies and procedures, its own governing body, and its own list of services offered - or not offered. With a sole exception, national groups like the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the American Humane Association (AHA), United Animal Nations (UAN), and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) do little to dispel the confusion. None of these organizations has anything to do with the management of shelters around the country; they are primarily educational organizations, offering training, materials, and conferences at a price to local shelters, and issue-based information to the public. (The exception? The ASPCA does have a single shelter, in New York City.)

What’s Wrong With “No-Kill” Animal Shelters?
Imagine a world where no dog is ever euthanized for being homeless. Where there are more homes than dogs, and lists of potential adopters are maintained at every possible dog-adoption-source, with families and individuals anxiously awaiting the next available canine. Where every dog is treasured, and the thought of “rehoming” one of these wonderful, valuable creatures is totally preposterous. Wouldn’t we all be delighted to see that? That’s a lovely vision. But today, in the United States, it is just that – a vision. Despite the growing ranks of shelters that claim to be “no-kill” and the proponents who claim that it’s possible to turn every shelter into a “no-kill” facility, in reality, we are far from being a “no-kill nation.” The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) estimates that 3to4 million homeless dogs and cats are euthanized at animal shelters in this country every year. Thirty years ago, that number was 17 to 18 million. Taken in perspective, that looks like a huge improvement, and indeed it is – but 3 to 4 million per year is still a lot of dead dogs and cats. So, if more and more shelters are adopting “no-kill” policies, where are all these deaths coming from?