Tricky Woo

Tricky Woo, my bichon frisè, is 16 years young. He’s outlasted nearly every other dog I’ve known. He’s survived numerous sprains, illnesses, infections, and two surgeries. His eyes have cataracts and he recently became very hard of hearing. He rarely barks now, sleeps much more, and doesn’t seem to notice when strangers enter the house. But to me, he’s the same adorable puppy my family got more than 15 years ago.

He may not show as much energy and playfulness as he used to, but it’s still there. Every once in a while when he’s feeling especially spry, I’ll catch him prancing down our long corridor, rolling around on the rug to relieve an itch on his back, or looking at me with a big, satisfied grin on his face after a good meal. Nothing delights me more. He still has that youthful spirit and that’s how I’ll always remember him.

He never holds grudges and is always genuinely thrilled to see me. He doesn’t dwell on the past or focus on the negative. He finds joy in the little things. He reminds me that it’s OK to act silly, get dirty, and have a bad hair day. He never acts his age and isn’t afraid to stand up for himself despite his stature. He doesn’t care what other people think. He’s always himself – his same playful, energetic self. I don’t think I could ever repay him for these life lessons.

Tricky Woo is one of my best friends and I’ll miss him terribly when he passes. But we’re not going to worry about that right now. Today, we’ll focus on the best spot to watch the birds out the window, which tidbits might “accidentally” fall off the table during dinner, and what time Dad will be home so Tricky Woo can greet him by the door, tail wagging. Time passes, but some things never change.

-- by Andrea Wright-Agustin

Petland defends puppy swap meets

Much has been said and written about unscrupulous dog breeders raising large numbers of puppies in inhumane conditions for profit. The Hawaiian Humane Society and others have blamed pet stores for aiding and abetting such activities.

There's no doubt that irresponsible breeders are a problem. Nonetheless, responsible pet stores such as Petland provide a valuable service for those who want to sell and buy purebred dogs in a safe and caring way.

Hawaiian Humane Society spokes­woman Jacque LeBlanc, in a recent story about the rescue of more than 40 Pomeranian puppies in Halawa, said, "Pet shops and Internet sales protect irresponsible breeders who may not want you to see how they care for animals they sell," ("Pomeranians taken from breeder," Star-Advertiser, May 15).

As the president of Petland, a long-established kamaaina pet store, I take issue with such a broad accusation and the assumption that pet stores don't care as much for the health and safety of puppies as the Humane Society. The Hawaiian Humane Society should work with us, not against us.

For example, every quarter, Petland submits a list of breeders who participate in our puppy swap meet to the Humane Society. If any problem breeders come up on our report, the society has agreed to notify us.

We have never been notified by the society about any problem breeders, even though the society has police powers that we lack, and is well-paid by taxpayers to provide these services.

Both the society and pet stores share the difficult problem of identifying dogs that are not provided adequate care. Some breeders use other people to sell for them, disguising the quantity of the puppies they breed. We have banned breeders suspected of having too many dogs.

In the past, we have explored other ways to work with the Hawaiian Humane Society. The society was offered space at our puppy swap meet on Saturdays to display the society's adoptable pets at no charge. The society declined, citing a desire to eliminate the free puppy swap meet, which competes with the society's services. Despite this, we still have agreed to help the society prevent the inadequate care of puppies by sending the society the lists of breeders who participated in our puppy swap meet. We hope to continue these efforts into the future.

Petland's main concern is the health of the pups available at the puppy swap meet. We require that all puppies be examined by a licensed veterinarian and to be in apparent good health within two weeks from their reservation date. Puppies are required to have current shots and a fecal check to test if intestinal worms or parasites are present. The breeder must have a record of the shots.

The veterinarian verifies that the breeder took the puppies to get examined. We also require all breeders to bring the original receipt from the vet examination. To be certain that they are fully weaned from their mother, the puppies should be no younger than seven weeks of age. All breeders are required to show a valid picture identification during the check-in process.

We have these requirements in place in an effort to help prevent puppy mill breeders from participating in our puppy swap meet.

Petland does find homes for more than 100 pets monthly, some at no charge to the community. We recognize our responsibility to the community that supports us. We do not seek public funds to support our staff. Instead, we provide proper education and a wide selection of products to help and encourage our community to care for and nurture their pets and companions.

Our primary concern will always be the health and happiness of the puppies.

Kimo's dog food ratings

[8/18/13] running out of dog food after less than a month.  So went back to Petco.  This time I wanted to try a fish-based food since he's still getting soft poop (most of the time) with the chicken-based product along with the raw chicken (frozen chicken thighs).  Once in a while, his poops is pretty good.  I suspect it's when he eats the chicken thigh bones.

Anyway, this time I decided to get Wellness Super5Mix Complete Health.  This is the fish-based version.  Reading the package, it says on the front

no meat by-products, no wheat, no corn, no soy, no artificial colors, no artificial flavors, no artificial preservatives

single animal protein source - fish
supports skin & coat health
supports digestive health

I guess that's what he needs.  I don't know if I blogged this early, but Kimo developed a small lump/growth hear his rear quarters on the left side.  Took him to Dr. Kamiya and he said it didn't look dangerous and seemed localized to the skin.  And that he probably could apply local anesthesia and take it off.

So he told me to monitor it and see if gets bigger or changed color.

So Kimo started biting and licking it.  And it started to look pretty gruesome.  Then a few days ago, it looked like he gnawed the lump off and there's a small black scar over it.  So it's like he performed the surgery himself.  So I'm watching it to see if it heals or grows back or gets worse again.  Hoping for the best.

Anyway back to the dog food, on the back it has this blurb.

What's so special about whitefish & sweet potatoes?  All of our Wellness Super5Mix recipes start with a a variety of quality proteins and whole grains.  Usually, we add a host of complementary ingredients like fruits, veggies and botanicals in the mix.  However, some dogs need a simpler combination of whole foods and that's why we created our special Whitefish & Sweet Potato recipe.  Instead of several different proteins, we use fish as the primary protein source.  This omega-rich product is complemented by an easily digestible carbohydrate blend that includes sweet potatoes.  As a Super5Mix Complete Health recipe, it's also a great, everyday choice for our furry friends who simply love the taste of fish.

ThoughtfullyMade with a Simple Combination of Whole Foods: Whitefish, Ground Pearled Barley, Sweet Potatoes, Ground Flaxseed

Sounds promising.  We shall see.

Looking at dogfoodadvisor, they rate Wellness Super 5 Mix Dog Food Whitefish and Sweet Potato 3.5 stars.

***

Trying out a new dog food for Kimo after browsing at Petco.

The last one was Iams because before that he got a prescription food from Dr. Kamiya which was Iams.

Before that was I/D from Hills Science from Dr. Lau.

Before that I had been feeding him Beneful Healthy Harvest and when that went away Healthy Fiesta.

I had also gave him Kirkland (from Costco) and Taste of the Wild.

Beneful seems to be OK for a while, but then all this problems started with his runny poop.

How do they rate.

The current one is Nutro Ultra Senior.  It gets four stars from dogfoodadvisor.

Beneful gets one star.

Taste of the Wild gets 4.5 stars.  I got this one at Pet Discount Warehouse and didn't see it at Petco.

Kirkland gets 4 stars.  Didn't really notice any improvement when I gave Kimo this.

Hills I/D is not rated

Iams low residue gets 2.5 stars.

And long ago, Donna used to feed Kimo sweet potato with fish (or something) because it was thought Kimo had allergies.

Despite the higher ratings, I didn't notice any change for the better when I fed Kimo Kirkland or Taste of the Wild.

carnivores?

There are many (including some in dwf) who advocate raw feeding and say that dogs are supposed to eat only meat.  Tom Aman gave a response.

Dogs actually belong to a category of meat eaters called "facultative carnivores", which is so close in functional behavior to the omnivore category as to be hardly distinguishable. Here's what Wikipedia has to say about the term:

"Animals that depend solely on animal flesh for their nutrient requirements are considered obligate carnivores while those that also consume non-animal food are considered facultative carnivores. Omnivores also consume both animal and non-animal food, and apart from the more general definition, there is no clearly defined ratio of plant to animal material that would distinguish a facultative carnivore from an omnivore, or an omnivore from a facultative herbivore, for that matter."

"Facultative" means contingent, optional, or not required. In other words, their primary food is meat or prey but they are capable of surviving without them, perhaps not indefinitely but for long periods.

OK, so I googled "are dogs carnivores?" and this is what came up.

First from dogfoodadvisor which is in meat good, grain bad camp.

Knowing that dogs are optimized for eating meat can make it easier to recognize better dog foods.
Even though dogs do demonstrate a notable omnivorous capacity, we believe it’s important to give preference to meat-based products. That’s because…

Whether you believe they’re carnivores or omnivores, dog’s possess an undeniable carnivorous bias

Meat-based dog foods are closer to a dog’s natural ancestral diet. They’re more like the real thing.

From hillspet, a company which makes dog food:

Some folks have come to the erroneous conclusion that dogs must be carnivores because they fall under the order Carnivora. A close look at the anatomy, behavior and feeding preferences of dogs shows that they are actually omnivorous — able to eat and remain healthy with both animal and plant foodstuffs.

From wikipedia:

Despite their descent from wolves and classification as Carnivora, dogs are variously described in scholarly and other writings as carnivores^[149][150] or omnivores.^{[3][151][152][153]} Unlike obligate carnivores, such as the cat family with its shorter small intestine, dogs can adapt to a wide-ranging diet, and are not dependent on meat-specific protein nor a very high level of protein in order to fulfill their basic dietary requirements. Dogs will healthily digest a variety of foods, including vegetables and grains, and can consume a large proportion of these in their diet.^[3] Compared to their wolf ancestors, dogs have adaptations in genes involved in starch digestion that contribute to an increased ability to thrive on a starch-rich diet.

From Yahoo Answers:

Dogs are CARNIVORES, because of their domestication, by us, they are capable of eating certain fruits and vegetables, but they should make up only a small percentage of their diets.

From RawFed (I assume a proponent of raw feeding)

Myth: DOGS ARE OMNIVORES.

This is false. Dogs are carnivores, not omnivores. Dogs ARE very adaptable, but just because they can survive on an omnivorous diet does not mean it is the best diet for them. The assumption that dogs are natural omnivores remains to be proven, whereas the truth about dogs being natural carnivores is very well-supported by the evidence available to us.

 from OpEdNews:

The dog food industry would like you to believe that dogs can eat just about anything, including lots of corn mixed with low-grade meat meal, and they will do just fine. A growing number of pet advocates, veterinarians and websites have come out in recent years saying that dogs are carnivores and therefore should only be fed a diet of raw meat. So who is right? Neither, of course.

And on and on..