Ozdog Wear

30/04/2024

We let our senior dogs wither away with the fallacy of “Senior Dog” foods.

Most dog foods formulated for senior years actually reduce protein, reduce fat, and ramp up carbohydrates.

Why?

Because it makes more money.

Oh, and pet food companies can use the excuse your older dog is slowing down, doesn’t exercise as much, so doesn’t need as much of the good stuff - the animal protein and fat which keeps them healthy with strong, functioning muscle.

Do you have a senior dog?

What do you feed them?

23/01/2024

Vaccinations 💉
Yearly is massive overkill!

Parvo has a survival rate of about 85%.
Distemper - one vaccination usually covers the dog for life.
Puppies are most at risk and the hot spots for getting parvo are kennels, dog parks, dog beaches, and vet clinics.

A puppies mother’s first milk colostrum, contains maternal antibodies. And, these antibodies provide passive immunity to help fight against disease.

When a puppy with a reasonable amount of maternal antibodies is vaccinated, the maternal antibodies will essentially inactivate the vaccine, just as it would a real virus.However, their antibodies can’t protect against the toxins in the vaccination.

There are additives in the vaccinations we are injecting into our dogs.
* Mercury
* Formaldehyde
* Aluminum , to name a few.

The fact many vets are still vaccinating yearly is a massive concern.
Vaccinating your dog or cat yearly is putting your pet at a much higher risk of developing autoimmune diseases and cancer. I do believe so many dogs have allergies, gut issues, cancer from over vaccinating!

You need your know this 👉🏽
The Purdue studies found that the vaccinated dogs had developed autoantibodies to their own DNA.
The Journal of Veterinary Medicine showed that dogs also develop vaccine-induced cancers at their injection sites.
When titers were measured (titers are a way to measure a dog’s level of immunity), 100% of the puppies vaccinated once at 12 weeks were protected.

Dr Ronald Schultz studied every major vaccine in over a thousand dogs.“Vaccines for diseases like distemper and canine parvovirus, once administered to adult animals, provide lifetime immunity.”

Vaccinated dogs developed autoantibodies to their own collagen. They found the same in a follow up study with dogs given only rabies the multivalent vaccine.

The vaccinated dogs in this study were literally destroying their own collagen, and their own DNA and other important substances! 😮

If your vet is vaccinating yearly you are putting your pet at risk. Titre test. Then decide.
Most pet vaccines protect for a minimum of 7 to 15 years.
Question every vaccine that goes into your pet.

Speak to your holistic vet for more info.

14/07/2023

Titer testing is soooo misunderstood!
So if you have/had doubts about titers and vaccinations make sure you read it!

Titer has become a very important and often controversial term in today’s veterinary world. No laboratory test in my memory has been more misunderstood, misinterpreted, misused, and downright maligned by owners and veterinarians alike. The most extreme example is the rabies vaccination. While this...

01/07/2023

What a great idea 😊

Check out this handy way to keep your pet’s foot bandaged!:

19/06/2023

All those flashy ads to bamboozle us into believing what’s in the bag is awesome 🙁

16/05/2023

Please sign & share
Woolworths must stop selling this s #%t!

Protect our pets: food regulations now!

16/05/2023

Please share this, Woolworths need to be made accountable!!!! 😡😡😡

05/05/2023

Handy to know 😀
Make sure you use a good quality essential oil

If you have these few ingredients around the house, you can make your own natural topical to repel pests!

Your dog will smell fresh and clean to you, but unappetizing to fleas and ticks. Win win 🤝!

16/04/2023

Some helpful info about raw feeding 😀

New ever heard of raw feeding? Our friends at created this amazing, simple raw meal breakdown 🙌
⠀⠀
👩‍🏫 Raw Feeding Basics:
⠀⠀
Those new to raw diets often ask, what's actually "in" a raw diet. What are the ingredients? ⠀⠀
It's a good question b/c it can be a major source of confusion for those new to raw.
⠀⠀
Obviously, raw diets can include a variety of ingredients and what's in a single meal may vary quite a bit but for the most part, raw diets include the following categories of ingredients:
⠀⠀
1. Muscle Meat - is the muscle tissue of an animal and it's the foundation of a canine raw diet. When we refer to "muscle meat" we're primarily talking about BONELESS cuts of meat. Muscle meat encompass traditional cuts of meat, like chicken breast for example, but it also includes trim meat, connective tissue, and animal fat, plus "muscular" organs. These are organs that are also MUSCLES like heart, tongue, lung, gizzards & green tripe.
⠀⠀
2. Edible Bone (or a bone replacement)- A raw diet includes edible bone because carnivores eat bone in the wild. We say "edible" bone because not all bones are edible for dogs. For the dogs that don't eat bone (whether due to a health issue or pickiness) we can omit it but we must include a bone replacement to supplement the nutrients bone would provide.
⠀⠀
3. Organs - Organ's are like nature's multivitamins since they contain other nutrients not found in muscle meat, which make them an important part of the diet
⠀⠀
4. Roughage (plants or fur) - When carnivores eat prey in the wild, they don't skin the animal to get the muscle meat, bones, and organs. They eat the skin, fur, etc. with it. These provide important nutrients and act as a source of fiber in the diet. In a modern raw diet, you can source fur to feed, or you can feed plant material instead.
⠀⠀
5. Supplements - Raw diets are based on whole prey. Even though we do a good job putting together meals that resemble whole prey, it's likely we're still missing nutrients from the not so common items our dogs aren't eating. This is where supplements help us fill in the gaps. They can also help heal, support and enhance health.

15/04/2023

Some good info from Rob

The number of joint supplements (food based additives to assist in the relief of arthritic symptoms) for canine arthritis on the market is ever increasing as more and more pet parents are becoming aware of the potential benefit they can provide for their canine companions.
It's not uncommon during routine consultation that these supplements come up for discussion, often people will present to me anywhere between 4-6 different supplements that are being fed on a daily basis.
Whether they are being used as a standalone treatment for arthritis or as part of a complete pain management approach joint supplements can provide a very real benefit to your dog in assisting in reducing the pain of arthritis and improving quality of life.
Some general principles are listed just below for dog owners in this group to help with selecting the right joint supplement for your dog.
Choosing the right one for your dog can often be a very confusing (and expensive) experience due to a range of factors so hopefully the below points can provide some guidance as we again approach another winter in the southern states where many owners suddenly notice their dogs starting to suffer arthritic symptoms:

(Please note: I'm unable to provide specific advice for any dog that I haven't examined myself and I'm not able to make specific comments on any particular brand in an open forum so just general points for consideration are listed below)

1. All dogs are different and at different stages of arthritis; arthritic pain and symptoms aren't directly correlated to age (although there is a general trend of worsening symptoms with time once they start). There are a range of factors involved including breed, diet, bodyweight, exercise levels, co-morbidities, individual pain tolerance, genetics and other lifestyle factors. As a result, different joint supplements can work well in some dogs and not in others; or may work well at one stage of your dog's life but not so well at another stage (even after a 12 month period).

2. While some dog owners notice an early improvement (2-4 weeks) on a high quality joint supplement, oral joint supplements generally take 6-8 weeks to work, sometimes up to 12 weeks before you can confidently rule them out as not going to help. So don't give up too early!

3. The opposite of the above statement is also true; if you have placed your dog on a joint supplement and after 12 weeks there is no perceivable benefit then stop as you are wasting your money and choose an alternative supplement. While dogs don't have a placebo effect, their human counterparts can and often feel better just having their dog on something. The reality is if your dog isn't moving better, getting up and down more freely, increasing exercise levels, showing less soreness after exercise etc. after 12 weeks then the supplement really isn't worth being on for your dog.

4. 'Prevention' is not something I recommend with oral joint supplements but do get asked it quite a bit. Many joint supplements are sold/marketed as having an ability to prevent arthritis. This is very difficult to prove on an individual level so my personal recommendation is wait until you see signs of arthritis in your dog (or your veterinarian/animal health practitioner identifies them for you) and then start supplementation. It will save you money and your dog unnecessary supplementation on a theoretical benefit.

5. The earliest signs of arthritis are not able to be seen on radiographs (X rays). So, absence of arthritic change on x rays doesn't rule out that your dog may be suffering from the disease process. Symptoms consistent with arthritis are more reliable than radiographs - particularly in the early stages. You may be just very perceptive and picking up on changes early! Arthritis in dogs is a spectrum of disease and associated symptoms from mild to moderate to severe. As a general rule of thumb oral joint supplements work best in the mild to moderate stage of the disease process, very few available on the market reliably work in the moderate to severe end of the process as a standalone treatment.

6. A good general guide I use when discussing their dog's symptoms with clients is that signs of arthritis can be seen as early as half the life expectancy of your dog. An example is a dog such as a Border Collie where we have a life expectancy of 12-14 years; arthritic symptoms may be seen as early as 6-7 years of age. This would correlate to a person of around 40-50 years of age and yes I'm also in that age group now and know my body certainly doesn't feel like it did in my twenties. This 'half the life expectancy' guide I find to be very reliable and a perceptive owner/vet combination will often notice changes in this time period. This point applies to ‘wear and tear’ Osteoarthritis (OA) not congenital joint disease such as Hip Dysplasia (HD) OR Elbow Dysplasia where symptoms can start in young dogs less than 6- 12 months of age

7. I have a saying 'Dogs don't grow old, they suffer disease'. Many dogs slow down naturally in older age which is a normal process however many of this 'natural' slowing down is treatable once underlying disease is identified. When you treat for pain it is amazing to see how many of these dogs that are getting 'old' suddenly aren't so old anymore. Dogs are extremely good at hiding pain so they don't show it in ways their owners often expect. When treated for pain however they can benefit greatly and when you improve quality of life in your dog it has a direct impact also on quantity of life. Joint supplements can be very helpful in this space.

8. A really worthwhile exercise (under veterinary guidance) is a 'Pain Test' if you're not sure if your dog's symptoms are pain related. This is particularly helpful in the mild to moderate end of the arthritic process. This is very simple and eliminates both owner and veterinary personal opinion as to whether a dog is in pain or not. A minimum of 3 days and maximum of 7 days of veterinary grade pain relief is required and a great way to see if your dog is in any degree of pain. A non-response during this period can confidently help you rule out pain whereas a dog with a new lease of life would help show an owner that their dog is in fact in some degree of discomfort. The reason I highlight this point is vets and owners alike often miss painful animals so a pain test is a great way to check if there’s a difference of opinion or any doubt.

9. More specifically again to joint supplements a supplement that initially helped can after a period of time have less of an impact on your dog. This is due to various factors including progression of arthritis with time (whereby the pain out does the supplement’s capabilities) and individual animal tolerance/metabolism as well as other factors. Often no matter how good a supplement was to begin with it can be a good idea to rotate supplements every 2 years to check in to make sure your dog is still receiving a clear benefit. This also applies to pain relief that your dog might be on for chronic pain management, particularly in later life where many things seem to ‘stop working’.

10. There are two situations where a good quality joint supplement are highly recommended for your dog. A) Following joint surgery at any age & B) Once symptoms of arthritis are evident

Hopefully the above information is helpful for those trying to navigate this area for their dogs (and the general principles apply to other animals as well).
I know how challenging the winter months can be for dog owners in the southern states particularly those dogs in their teens that had a very tough time the previous winter. It can be a very stressful time.
The same principles also apply for any pain management option being used be they a joint supplement, a veterinary painkiller or an alternative remedy.
If it aint broke, don’t fix it…. But if it is broke it’s time to make a change; your dog will love you for it and it may make all the difference in having a beloved pet around for an extra period of time.

Our model today is Gunther, Gunther has just enjoyed a 2 week holiday and is benefiting from such a change/addition to his regime allowing him to get the most out of his time away. Great job Sue & Gunther thanks for the update Sue always great to hear of the positive responses seen in my patients.

10/04/2023

Baxters … still on the shelf … and still killing dogs 😩

01/04/2023

Natural! 😀

Flea season is coming. Try this all-natural repellent to keep fleas (as well as ticks, mosquitoes and other pests) at bay! 👍🐕

For more tips to protect your pet from pests, visit our new website: http://bit.ly/3TBP2kC

15/03/2023

Cost effective treatment for minor skin conditions 😊

This after-bath rinse can help calm minor skin conditions. Try it on your pet’s irritated skin! 🐕🐈

Today’s free pet health blog is all about the home remedies that can benefit your pet. Read it now on our new website (link in the comments).

11/03/2023

BEFORE YOU GET OFFENDED when someone suggests you neuter your pet please read this.

1. Statistically for every kitten sold on Facebook for a few bucks and is actually neutered, another one won't be.

2. Every rescue is dependant on volunteers. Volunteers who lose family time, money, sleep, weekends and evenings caring for and fundraising to ensure unwanted cats get the correct care.

3.Animals have no voice.. So when somebody speaks on their behalf stop getting upset.

4.Uneutered male cats will wander in search of females. They will fight ferociously and cause terrible injury to other males in the process causing FIV and sepsis. And dreadful life threatening diseases.

5. Every litter of kittens born in your home and sold adds to the problem by stopping a rescue cat being adopted.

6. Rescues are full to capacity with cats which have been bought on a whim of Facebook and surrendered or abandoned due to boredom or inability to afford vet bills, Neuter, Vaccs, Food, Flea and worm treatment.

7. Each rescue has a waiting list. They spend literally thousands of dollars (many spend tens of thousands) a year on vet treatment, food, litter, flea and worm treatment, electricity, cleaners and disinfectants and all of the business supplies to keep running. These are just the basics.

8. Behind the scenes volunteers nurse and clean out several times a day. Fundraising is a constant effort. Worrying about cats who have been surrendered and are traumatized by being torn from their families and surroundings. The staff and volunteers carry the guilt of the decisions they have to make.

9. Rescues have volunteers who drive for miles to keep things afloat. Trapping stray cats, picking up unwanted cats and spending hours on the phone trying to find spaces and foster homes for unwanted pets.

10. Volunteers spend their free time and energy picking up the pieces from people who allow cats to have kittens and refuse to neuter.

Please don’t be offended when someone asks are you getting your pet neutered - rescues see the consequences of these actions every day 365 days a year and are simply giving a voice to the vulnerable creatures so casually given away or sold for a few dollars.

11/03/2023

If you’ve got a dog who experiences seizures read this?
If you don’t read it anyway, then you may just understand how pet food companies pull the wool over our eyes

ARE YOU STILL TUCKED UP IN BED?! I'M NOT. I LEAPT OUT THIS MORNING TO HAVE A WEE RANT...

Going to call this one "Poorina Neurocare IS science..."

Over the last few years, there seems to be a movement of telling people not to involve themselves in matters of health, not to question, not to research, to leave it to the "professionals". Thank God most of us don't listen to that industry line. Social media has completely changed the terrain in that regard. I'll do what I bloody well want!!! Thankfully, many of you agree, happily wandering over to Google Scholar to dig up all sorts of treasures that might counter the narrative.

Yesterday I mentioned it seems the less carbs the better you feed humans with epilepsy and questioned why the hell you would feed a meat-eater suffering seizures an ultra-processed, HIGH carb diet. Then followers start posting dog studies underneath, throwing multiple bones at me.

Eg this: In 2015, big dry food (this time Nestle Purina) compared a group of dogs fed their standard kibble for dogs to a group fed the same muck...I mean kibble, but this time with some MCT oil added.

This is, as I hope most of you now can quickly identify, is a petfood typical UNFALSIFIABLE COMPARISON study, the very backbone of what constitures evidence in dry pet food land.

Why did these scientists add MCT oil? Because MCT oil is long known to reduce seizures in epileptic patients, particularly when it brings the fat content up to around 4:1 (4 parts fat to 1 part protein/carbs, on an energy basis), putting the patient in ketosis, i.e. fat-burning mode, a very natural state for a dog or cat to be in, being meat eaters (which is THE ketosis diet).

And what did these intrepid scientists find? A nice reduction in seizures...

"Seizures in 21 dogs were reduced significantly following a ketogenic diet for 3 months (whereas no improvement was seen in dogs fed a standard diet for the same duration). In 3/21 seizures appeared to stop entirely. In 7/21 dogs, seizures decreased by at least 50% and another 5 dogs experienced a lower seizure frequency overall."

Pretty good!! Not quite as good as the stats yesterday on 20 human children (2 patients were seizure-free, 3 had ≥ 90% seizure reduction, 5 had a reduction of 50-89%) but then, those kids were fed real food.

Studies show dry food is highly inflammatory compared to raw (see comments) but whether that's the lack of good quality protein, poor quality fats, lack of omega 3, bevvy of strange chemicals used in its creations, mycotoxins, glyphosate or MRP content, lack of bioactive compounds etc etc, all known to be highly inflammatory and assumed to aggravate epilepsy, we don't know. So, in reality, the fact this kibble worked in any of the poor, fitting dogs fed it is a colossal nod towards the power of ketosis.

Somehow, the takeaway for the average vet is NOT to move the dog suffering seizures into ketosis (feed them raw....aaaannd, you're done), suggest to the owner they add some very proven, very simple, very cheap and nutritious neutraceuticals such as MCT oil (and CBD!) and ideally reduce the amount of seizure-inducing s**t they sell them on the way out (flea and worm chemicals for fitting dogs with no fleas and worms, boosters for already vaccinated individuals, etc).

No. No. The takeaway for the vet sector, it seems, is to reach for a bag of grossly over-priced kibble (one that may or may not contain a life-threatening amount of vitamin D from a conical flask https://newscenter.purina.com/2023-02-08-NESTLE-PURINA-PETCARE-COMPANY-VOLUNTARILY-RECALLS-PURINA-PRO-PLAN-VETERINARY-DIETS-EL-ELEMENTAL-DRY-DOG-FOOD-IN-THE-U-S-DUE-TO-POTENTIALLY-ELEVATED-VITAMIN-D)..and I guess manage the rest of the fits with the latest, most patented (most expensive) drugs.

So now, thanks to SCIENCE, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Nestle Purina Neuro Care which is CLINICALLY PROVEN (and it is, very sadly, clinically proven...study below...but as ever, WHAT was clinically proved...?!) to offer marginal benefit to your poor, suffering pet.

While Neuro Care may appear EXTREMELY SIMILAR to their standard stuff (at 1/3 of the price), rest assured this product has added MCT oil and lots of.....well.....errrrrr.......SCIENCEY words and captions on the bag.

Let's look at the claims the Poorina website makes for their latest movement. It reads:

- Formulated with medium-chain triglyceride vegetable oil
- Enhanced with a unique blend of nutrients and medium-chain triglyceride vegetable oil
- Antioxidant-rich nutrition supports the immune system, including a high level of vitamin E
- EPA + DHA, omega-3 fatty acids, to help support brain health
- Chicken is the #1 ingredient
- High in protein to help maintain lean muscle mass
- Great taste

Wow! Sounds cool. But to break each one of these down a little for you:

🚽 Formulated with medium-chain triglyceride vegetable oil 🚽
OK

🚽 Enhanced with a unique blend of nutrients and medium-chain triglyceride vegetable oil 🚽
YES, YOU LITERALLY JUST SAID THAT

🚽 Antioxidant-rich nutrition supports the immune system, including a high level of vitamin E 🚽
YOU ADDED VITAMIN E BECAUSE THE HIGHER FAT CONTENT DEMANDS IT. WITHOUT IT THE DOGS WILL GET SICK AND DIE.

🚽 EPA + DHA, omega-3 fatty acids, to help support brain health 🚽
THESE ARE ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS. YOU ARE OBLIGED TO PUT THEM IN. EVERY DRY FOOD DOES IT...SORT OF (SADLY, 1/4 OF COMPLETE DRY FOODS AVAILABLE TODAY CONTAIN ZERO OMEGA 3).

🚽 Chicken is the #1 ingredient 🚽
THIS IS WINDING ME UP..."CHICKEN" IS THE #1 INGREDIENT?!! YOU GUYS ARE STILL USING THAT LINE?! FOLKS, THE NEXT FOUR INGREDIENTS ARE COMPLETELY INDIGESTIBLE CORN GLUTEN MEAL, BREWERS RICE, CORN AND WHEAT!!!! THIS IS CALLED STACKING. IT'S A WAY TO MOVE THE MEAT INGREDIENT HIGHER UP THE LIST. NOT ONLY A TOUCH MISLEADING BUT WITH ALL WE KNOW OF SEIZURES, THESE ARE CERTAINLY NOT THE SORT OF INGREDIENTS WE WANTED TO SEE IN THERE.

🚽 High in protein to help maintain lean muscle mass 🚽
OHH YOU'RE TAKING THE MICK NOW. ASIDE THE FACT A LOT OF THIS PROTEIN COMES FROM CORN GLUTEN PULP WHICH IS COMPLETELY INDIGESTIBLE BY DOGS, THIS PRODUCT IS ONLY 29% PROTEIN!!! IT'S AROUND 40% CARBS!!!! THIS MAY BE "HIGH" WHEN COMPARED TO THE STUFF THEY USUALLY PUT OUT, BUT THIS DOESN'T HAVE HALF THE PROTEIN OF RAW DOG FOOD (AND STILL MANAGES TO BE TWICE THE PRICE).

🚽 🚽 🚽 🚽 Great taste 🚽 🚽 🚽 🚽
CAN'T SPEAK AS VOMITING. RAGE VOMIT. I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY.

REFERENCE
Law TH, Davies ES, Pan Y, et al. A randomised trial of a medium-chain TAG diet as treatment for dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. Br J Nutr 2015;114:1438–47

04/03/2023

Bathing your dog with medicated shampoo at least once a week is an inexpensive, safe, drug-free and effective way to control yeast overgrowth and provide them relief from itching. 🐶

We recommend using a natural antifungal shampoo, specifically pet-formulated tea tree oil shampoo, as it’s helpful in reducing Malassezia (yeast). 👍

Read today’s free article on our new website (link in the comments) to learn more ways to manage dog yeast infections.

22/02/2023

If you have a dog suffering from Pancreatitis you need to read this!

Chronic pancreatitis in dogs is a huge problem affecting 2/3 of healthy dogs by 7 years of age. This is disgraceful. It is caused by feeding dry food.

18/02/2023

Sharing for the information it contains & not the advertising

VACCINATION, FEEDING, SUPPLEMENTS, EXERCISE AND MORE Many people think puppies are born with a clean slate, but they actually often...