Albuquerque Journal Articles
Different Species Have Different Needs Question: I read in your column, three weeks ago, about the reverse opinion about feeding cats dry food. Would this advice, also, apply to dogs? Do pet owners just feed canned food? Would a really lean piece of meat without the spices and gravy suffice for a healthy diet? Dr. Nichol: If we treat our dogs like big cats with long ears we’ll get into a lot of trouble. Both species are fuzzy and walk on four legs but that’s where the similarities end. They function in different and mysterious ways. Cats are obligate…
Read MoreCat with Different Needs Should have Individual Diets to Manage their Individual Health Question: I live with 3 cats: a 7-year old spayed female with a tendency to UTIs, a 5-year old spayed female who is, at 18.5 lbs, grossly obese, and a relatively normal 2-year old neutered male. The most pressing question is how to help Calypso, my obese cat, lose weight. I’m hearing great things about canned kitten food, but isn’t the protein content too high for Jubilee, the cat with urinary tract problems? Dr. Nichol: You’re right to be concerned. Jubilee’s bladder pain is miserable and…
Read MoreA Good Start but the Best Diets are Balanced Question: I’ve had a shelter cat for a year now. I recently stumbled onto some basic information about pet nutrition and was horrified by the stories of dry food. I switched Knickknack to a raw meat diet. In just three weeks her energy is way up, she is keenly interested in her food, her coat is far more glossy, and she has stopped shedding. Is this change in hair/skin condition a benefit of the better diet? Why is proper pet nutrition not part of our discussion about pet health and behavior?…
Read MoreAvoid Cheese. A High Protein, Low Fat, Low Carbohydrate Diet is Best. Question: Is cheese bad for cats? Are there foods cats should not eat? Dr. Nichol: Cats should not eat cheese, Cheetos, chocolate, nor chicharrones. They need very little in fat in their diet. It turns out that dry cat food doesn’t work well for them either. Veterinarians, like me, have extolled the virtues of dry food for years. We’ve been wrong. The problem is that dry food only sticks together to form those little biscuits (kibbles) if it has lots of starchy carbohydrates in it. Recent…
Read MoreCats & dogs are different species with very different needs. Poor health can result from the wrong diet. Question: Our 8 month old Pomeranian – dachshund sure enjoys eating the cat food! (Although the cat doesn’t appreciate it much). Is this a bad thing? Also, the cat kinda digs the dog food once in a while. What do you think? Dr. Nichol: This reminds me of how much our pets resemble our children. Regardless of how well intentioned our efforts to give them what is right they want the opposite. And it’s tempting to just let it go.…
Read MoreThere is no way to stop plant eating. Give the gift that keeps on giving: a Catnip Garden. Question: We have an 8 year old purebred Manx who seems to really love to eat plants. It was always a problem for the geraniums in his grandma’s house when he lived there (she’s happy to actually have plants now, since he would eat them all), and now he goes completely crazy when my husband brings me flowers. It seems he loves the baby’s breath and the ferns that accompany the roses. We’ve heard that there are plants that are actually…
Read MoreGradual change to a high fiber low fat diet is safe & effective. Question: I have a special problem with my cat “Tigger”. He is fat. But I don’t know what to do for Tigger because if I don’t give him exactly what he wants, he just stops eating. If that happens for too long, I’m afraid he’ll get fatty liver disease. Dr. Nichol: I am glad that you are concerned. For starters, before we try to make diet changes, let’s be sure that he is as healthy as he appears. Get him a good thorough physical exam.…
Read MoreProtect his Kidneys; Try Tough Love Question: My mother took in a throw away dog. He will eat only table scraps and cat food. When she first got him he would get constipation. She would feed him applesauce and he would get better. Now he seems to have gotten used to the cat food. My mother had tried every dry and can dog food but the dog will not eat. I have even tried doggy treats. He seems happy and healthy otherwise. Dr. Nichol: Your mom is a decent human being; she did the right thing by adopting this…
Read MoreFrequent dog food changes, gas, & dry flaky skin. This fellow needs a consistent diet. Question: We adopted “Satchmo” a few months ago–he was the featured pup in the paper one day–and I’m having a heck of a time trying to get the little bugger to eat. I started him right off on Lamb & Rice, but he had the patchy red armpits, itchies, and heavy scalp flaking right away. So, I switched him to a new Nature’s Choice Hound Formula. He ate it initially, but had some nasty gas and started to refuse it completely. Then, when left…
Read MoreLower priced diets boast comparisons to the better brands, but you won’t get what you don’t pay for. Question: I read an article recently in Consumer Reports that said that some of the lower priced pet foods are a much better deal than food like Science Diet because the ingredients are just as good but the price is much lower. But you’ve said that the premium brands are better. Somebody doesn’t have their story straight. Dr. Nichol: You’re not the first person to raise this point. In fact Hills Pet Products, makers of Science Diet and Health Blend…
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