Ask the Veterinary Nutritionist

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Do you feel diet is responsible for a continual mucous covered stool? My 9 year old Bearded Collie has had this problem for quite sometime and our local vet doesn't seem to have the answer. We feed a diet of Canidae Kibble.
Although not serious, mucous in the stool is predominately a large bowel problem. Yes appropriate diet changes can be beneficial in managing some large bowel problems. Unfortunately, mucous is a very generalized sign and does not specifically identify the type of large bowel problem. Most likely a diet change would correct the problem.

Why are there no studies being done on raw diets?
It takes at least $50,000-100,000 to run a respectable small feeding study of any value and of course one would only spend that kind of money if there were a product to sell afterwards to recoup the initial outlay.

Dr. Bill and any others pushing this diet type apparently see no reason to take on this initial expense probably because they are making money without doing the studies. Similar logic runs ramped in the supplement & nutraceutical business.

Why do vets inisist that dogs "need" grains in their diets when even pet food companies have admitted that they do not and when history, form and function has dictated that they do not? It is my understanding that it is for the sole purpose that kibble must be 40% grain for extrusion purposes.
Sorry I cannot speak for all vets, and I do not know of any that insist dogs need grain.

It is true that AAFCO does not state a min or max of readily available carbohydrate, starch or better defined as nitrogen free extract (NFE) in their nutrient profile for dogs or cats. However, that is not same as saying dog can not use or should not have NFE in their diets. In fact, most dogs and cats digest better than 90% of the starch in their diet.

Yes. The starch in the grain is cooked and expands nicely within the extrusion process when the hot mixture is suddenly cooled. However, I would not say it is the only reason. It is a source of calories and/or fiber without increasing the caloric density of the diet.

There are only 5 nutrient groups and the total must add up to 100% (protein, fat, carbohydrate [fiber and starch], vitamins and minerals). If the vitamin and mineral requirements can be meet with 5-10% of that mixture, and the dog only needs about 15-30% protein and 5-10% fat, there is only one other nutrient class left to make up the remaining 50% = carbohydrate. Various pet foods have altered that last 50% using various combinations of fiber vs. starch, depending on the final fiber and digestible calorie content desired. One could feed no grain but would then have to over feed protein and/or fat to decrease the carbohydrate portion and that then brings on it is own set of different problems.

I am President of our local SPCA shelter and were approached by Hill's Science Diet and offered a deal which includes feeding all shelter animals their product. The staff and volunteer vet are committed to a better quality food for our animals. Currently our food is donated. Is there any reason to be concerned about reccommending Hill's to new owners as the main diet?
I would not have any concerns about using the Hill's Science Diet line of foods in your shelter or recommending it to new owners.

I'm wanting to know if it is harmful for puppies and dogs to eat popcorn? I hope not. My 8 months old puppy has had it for a snack. If it is, I hope not much harm has been done. Please give me info. on this. Would be much appreciated.
Popcorn is a suitable snack for dogs.

I have a 9 yr old Gold Ret diagnosed with lymphoma. He has had 2 chemo treatments so far, and is doing pretty good. The only frustrating thing, I can't get him to eat much. It might be a good idea to have a nutritional consultation with a specialist. Do you think one of your diets will work for such a picky dog?
We can/do formulate complete and balanced homemade diets using the foods the pet can or likes to eat. In the consult request form, you have the option of listing the meat and grains the dog likes to eat. The information provided is also constructed such that you can make appropriate substitutions should the dog's preferences change.

I am interested in reading more about home cooking for my dog. I saw in the website it states

"All diet recipes are guaranteed to be nutritionally complete and balanced according to current scientific information and in our experience." Could you please point me to some references I could read to learn more?
The law defines complete and balance according to AAFCO (www.aafco.org). They have a manual which you may purchase. There is no veterinary nutrition text written for pet owners by Veterinary Nutritionist to my knowledge. There are several nutrition books writing by veterinarians, but I cannot recommend them based on their content. There are a ton of books written by pet owners/lay writers on pet nutrition none of which I can recommend either.

There are excellent pet owner information sites and reading material made available by Hill's, Iams, Purina and Waltham.

By "according to our current scientific info and our experience" is based upon new info as it becomes available in scientific, peer reviewed veterinary journals that you may be able to see if you live near a Vet School.

Diets can be formulated for various disease states I assume, but how would your diets vary from recipes in published books such as Home Cooked Diets for Cats and Dogs? Thank you for your time. I would just like a little more info so I can consider recommending your site to clients.
Each nutritional formulation and diet is done on a case-by-case basis given a specific weight, body condition score, and medical problem(s) and household/owner particulars. The diet given is based upon the owner’s request for foods to be used and we will suggest substitutions if appropriate for the case. A strict food trial for diagnosing food allergy for example, would not get substitutions.

We do not have generic or static recipes on hand. In fact, sometimes a homemade is not the first recommendation (urolith dissolution for example). In those cases, we will make specific commercial product recommendations and give specific reasons for that recommendation. We do not do formulations for pets with medical conditions without involving the primary care veterinarian. Those recipes in the book are set for a particular weight using only a few foods which makes them not amenable to pet and/or owner in most cases.

I recently got a 2 yr old cream point Himalayan male, and he is very thin. Should I try to fatten him up with higher fat and protein feedings? I use Iams dry, regular adult formula for all my cats in a perpetual feeder but I thought I might try feeding the new cat canned food for awhile. What do you think?
I think the cat if healthy will do very well just eating the Iams dry. He should gain weigh quickly.

I have a twenty year old cat who is hyperthyroid and needs to gain weight along with high fiber. What should I feed her?
We are most willing to help you with your pet's diet. There dietary options available to you but in order to make a solid dietary recommendation, I would have to know much more about your specific pet - such as have you decided to treat the hyperthyroidism and how. Why does an underweight cat need fiber in her diet? Most hyperthyroid cats have renal disease, and this must be taken into consideration when formulating a diet.