Question:
I have a 5-year-old Labrador, and he has had ear-infection problems.My sister has a very good friend who is a Lab breeder and veterinarian, and she advised me to change his diet. I was feeding Science Diet Light, but the vet recommended no beef or chicken, so I switched to Nutru Natural Choice Lamb and gave him only lamb treats."The ear infections cleared up, and we were fine for a couple of years, but he began gaining weight and the Nutru Natural Choice didn't come in "light," so I went back to the former food. Within a few months, the ear infections came back. I switched back to the lamb formula (which now came in "light" form), and his ears are fine and he has also lost weight. The vet says the ears look real good, and I should continue with this regimen."It's also important to note that I use Vet Solutions Ear Cleansing Solution monthly. I hope you find this information helpful.
S.G., Milford, CT Jul 13, 2008
Answer:
Thank you for your helpful insights. Although I do not endorse any particular brand of pet food, I do advocate quality foods, ideally organically certified with all specific ingredients clearly labeled.Meat byproducts and meat meal could mean any kind of animal protein from pork to horse, even road-kill deer and -- until recently -- euthanized dogs and cats from shelters and vet hospitals. So you don't know which animal protein your dog may be allergic to. And there are other sources of protein, as well as various additives, that can appear in manufactured pet foods about which the label on the can says nothing. The massive pet-food recall of 2007 is evidence enough, the only good news being that the owners of thousands of dogs and cats killed or sickened in this debacle could share a proposed $32 million settlement to cover out-of-pocket expenses and up to $900 each of undocumented costs. More readers, like you, are discovering that chronic ear and other health problems can be cured or significantly mollifi
Subscribe