Clovis & Company

18/05/2024

I'll be taking a limited number of new clients this summer in order to spend more time with my dogs and cat (all 4 have health concerns right now) and my family, and so I can continue to work with my existing clients. Please email me to get on my wait-list. I Iook forward to helping in the future!

In the meantime, and I really hesitate to give generic advice, because an individualized consultation by an experienced professional is 100x better due to getting pertinent background info (and more reasons too numerous to list), but here it goes - If you have a healthy adult dog and are looking for an all-in-one perfect vitamin/mineral supplement to balance all homemade food, it doesn't exist. BUT the closest one I have found is Meal Mix by Barks & Whiskers, formerly Mercola.

I gain nothing by saying this, although in the spirit of full disclosure, if I decide to start a online store I may stock this, because in my five years of formulating customized homemade diets I have learned that most people prefer the convenience of a multivitamin/mineral supplement, and there are a lot out there that don't even get close to balancing homemade food. This is one of the best ones I've evaluated so far.

Photo is of our newest addition Preciosa. Just found out she has an inoperable partial urinary obstruction, so I'm working on a low-protein yet acidifying diet for her. The vet said that's what it will take to dissolve the obstruction. Wish us luck! ❤

31/03/2024

Last year we got a call asking if we'd foster a chihuahua abandoned at a gas station. We fell in love and she never left!

31/12/2023

💫Wishing you health and happiness in the new year!💫

04/12/2023

Every food has pros and cons.

01/12/2023

I hope everyone who celebrates it had a wonderful Thanksgiving!🍗I sure did! But then I got the flu from someone sneezing next to me on the plane coming home from visiting family. I'm about 7 days behind on replying to emails. Please bear with me, as I already know you will. My clients are the best I appreciate you all so much!
~Lindsay

05/11/2023

This week’s Furry Friday cartoon... Happiness is a warm puppy. Thanks for checking in. Please share with your friends! bit.ly/RhymesWithOrangeComic

11/10/2023

08/09/2023

We'll be at FidoFest tomorrow in Omaha at the 8th Street Green from 11am-2pm, next to the big dog park. Have questions about homemade dog food? Come see us for a free mini-consultation!

16/08/2023

PROS AND CONS OF ELEVATED FEEDING BOWLS:

Pet parents with large or giant breed dogs, older dogs with arthritis or other mobility issues and dogs with neck or back pain say that elevated bowls are simply easier and more comfortable for canine family members to eat from. They put less strain on the neck, back and legs because the dog doesn't have to bend down to the ground to eat or drink.

The biggest and most serious potential drawback to elevated food bowls is the risk of bloat, also known as gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV), in deep-chested large and giant breeds like the Great Dane. A study down a while ago by Purdue University, linked elevated food bowls and bloat, concluding that approximately 20% of cases of GDV among large breed dogs, and 52% of cases in giant breeds were attributed to having a raised feed bowl.

Needless to say, not everyone agrees with the conclusions drawn by the researchers. Some people are inclined to believe it's the speed with which a dog eats, along with other risk factors, rather than the bowl they eat from, that is important. However, if you have a dog who may be predisposed to bloat, and you have no compelling reason to feed from an elevated bowl, it may be best to keep your pet's bowls at ground level.

15/08/2023

𝘼𝙣 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙬𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝𝙮

The Association for Pet Obesity prevention reports that over 50% of dogs in America are overweight.

A study done on Labrador Retrievers- who have a very high incidence of obesity- showed that dogs kept at a healthy body weight lived an average of 2 years longer than those that were obese!

Being obese puts your dog at risk for:

Pancreatitis
Cancer
Diabetes
Heart Disease
Arthritis
Orthopedic conditions
Decreased Immune Function
Bladder stones/ infections

Commercial foods can make it difficult to help your dog lose weight. Oftentimes the weight loss foods are very high in carbohydrates to help satiety but typically low carb diets work best for weight loss. On the other hand, commercial raw foods are typically extremely high in fat which can make a lot of dogs gain weight.

What I commonly see owners do with either type of diet is keep reducing the food to smaller and smaller portions and sometimes replace a large portion with green beans. What this does is leave room for some pretty severe nutrient deficiencies which can in turn halt weight loss.

If commercial foods aren’t helping your dog lose weight, I recommend reaching out to see if a customized homemade diet can be of help.

27/07/2023

A lot of people are surprised to find out that AAFCO doesn't approve pet food. Have you been mislead with this wording? They set the standards for companies to follow, but they don't approve or certify any food. It's up to the companies to state whether or not they are following the standards.

AAFCO = The Association of American Feed Control Officials

...you are being told incorrect information.

24/06/2023

🐶📄

14/06/2023

Not pet-specific but I feel like it applies! So many of us are trying to learn everything we can and do our best for our pets!

Yes, we can. One step at a time ☀️

02/06/2023

If you're in the Omaha area, please stop by Nature Dog for healthy dog food and treat options, and to see the adoptable dogs from Midwest Dog Rescue Network! (We're fostering a darling chihuahua with MDRN who is not quite ready for adoption. More about her later!)

11/05/2023

"When diets are low in essential nutrients [vitamins, minerals, etc.], supplementation is necessary." I noticed increased concern around this topic. What questions do you have about supplements?

When diets are low in essential nutrients, supplementation is necessary.
Period full stop.
Home prepared diet, especially cooked but also raw, depending on many factors, require supplementation according to how much food is fed (low calorie diets ALWAYS need various boosts).

Absorption of vitamins and minerals varies greatly according to the type of product, the individual dog's gut health, when the supplement is given and how; for example, in recovery from my profound anemia I have taken about 100 mgs of iron daily, which is (in the form I get from my GI specialist) about 90% absorbed, IF taken on an empty stomach, but I also account for my gut health which is not ideal now - and, I take the iron with a Vitamin C source, which enhances absorption.

No vitamin/mineral supplement is 100% absorbed, but the right choices given the rightway are as high as 90%.
No single rule. We work with the indivdual dog and get as close to balance as possible.
This is not obsessing or fear-mongering anymore than my GI specialist writing that prescription for iron is "fear mongering"
If a diet is low in zinc, iron, Vitamin D etc we need to supplement, where adequate amounts of food supplies cannot be met.
It's truly not rocket science, but I understand people don't want to become nutritionists just to feed their dog. If you home feed and are unsure if your diet is adequate, many consultants do assessments and send recommendations; I don't offer this service anymore but I can recommend Lindsay Hadfield of Clovis and Company, and there are several more who can help. (I am focusing on therapeutics now, and complex cases).
After I finish addressing myths about plant oils and fatty acids, which will take me a week I think, I'm going to try and address the serious misinformation about supplements. It is MUCH more nuanced and individual than what I read in the holistic world. And, your dog truly does need the essentials.
Follow my Newsletter to read more about the consequences of chronic low intake, and learn how to quickly and easily ascertain of your dog needs more of any given nutrient.

04/05/2023

Apologies! We had a service interruption with our email & forms.🙀 If you were unable to reach us, please try again! It's working now.

03/05/2023

Come check out the Pet Adoption Event this Sunday! (Details in original post.) We will be there with Midwest Dog Rescue Network and our foster dog, Precious the chihuahua!

03/05/2023

As a homemade pet food formulator, I'm often asked what's the best commercial pet food when you don't have time to prep homemade food. Of course I can give some guidance to my clients, such as what macro-nutrient levels to look for, especially fat content as I work with a lot of pancreatitis dogs. But I highly recommend you shop at your local independently owned pet food store, and let them know what you're looking for. They know more about what products are available than I ever will!

...buy your pet food from local Independent Pet Food Stores today.

20/04/2023

Spring temps have FINALLY arrived! 💐☀️
It’s a good time to get outdoors and enjoy the weather with our flat faced BFF’s before temperatures begin soaring🥵 Some may need the added exercise after a long winter! Remember - obesity in your pets can shorten their lives and cause a cascade of medical problems.
(Click to expand photo for more info)

02/04/2023

Hi, my name is Sandee Roelcke and I have started this GoFundMe campaign to raise f… Dave Filchak needs your support for Let's raise funds to support Cat Lane

16/03/2023

Hey everyone. Cat Lane of The Possible Canine was one of my first teachers in the field of animal nutrition and herbalism - she helped my first dog Clovis when he had cancer and she was the first person I was able to look up to and think, "wow, maybe I could do that!" - and she could use our support right now. Details in the GoFundMe linked in the comments. We are wishing her a speedy recovery!❤️

If you would like to send a Get Well card or letter, we've set-up a P.O. Box and we'll make sure she gets them:

Catherine Lane
P.O. Box 634
Boys Town, NE 68010
USA

09/03/2023

Why cats shouldn't eat dog food:

ON THIS LOOK BACK THURSDAY - 3 REASONS YOUR DOG AND CAT SHOULDN'T SHARE THEIR FOOD:

Many pet parents ask if it's okay to feed dog food to their cat, typically when they find they've temporarily run out of food. A healthy cat can eat a meal of dog food in a pinch; however, individual species require nutrition designed specifically for their needs.

*Cats must eat animal meat - Cats must eat animal meat and organs to meet their nutritional needs, and plant based proteins (gains and vegetables) simply aren't a good substitute. Cats lack the specific enzymes necessary to use plant proteins as efficiently as animal proteins.

*Cats require specific vitamins and fatty acids - Cats evolved hunting a different set of prey species than dogs did, so their dietary requirements are also different. They have a special requirement for vitamin A, which is available naturally only in animal tissue. They also lack the intestinal enzymes necessary to convert B-carotene in plants to the active form of vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for maintenance of vision, growth of bone and muscle, reproduction, and the health of epithelial tissues.

*Cats need a very moist diet - Another distinctive biological feature of felines is their need to get most of their water intake from the food they eat. Unlike dogs who drink frequently when fed a diet devoid of moisture, cats aren't driven to search for another source of water to make up the difference between what their bodies require and what their diet provides.

02/03/2023

Just sharing because we love this card company, Cardthartic! They have lots of cards that our animal-loving community may enjoy. 🥰

~Lindsay

Happy National Dog Day to all the Cardies' Best Friends out there! :)

Over the years, Cardthartic's Creative Team has been teased about the giant litter of cards we've created featuring furbabies. But, hey, dogs warm our hearts and widen our smiles!

And how about we all use this opportunity to show off the little four-legged loves of our life! Our Founder Jodee will start us off with this recent pic of three-year-old Gracie going head-to-head with the giant pine cones on Hilton Head Island!

Check out our Pet Lovers Collection here!
https://cardthartic.com/product-category/pet-lover-designs/?utm_source=face&utm_medium=organic-social&utm_term=&utm_content=obedience-dog&utm_campaign=

24/02/2023

CAN YOU FEED YOUR PET ORANGES?

Oranges are OK as dog treats, as they may provide nutrients like vitamin C, flavonoids and other bioactive compounds. The vitamin C in oranges may help boost immunity in pets and support collagen production, which is important for joint, skin and coat health.

You can safely feed your dogs a few fresh slices of orange, obviously peeled with the seeds remove. Just make sure you don't give them the peel, since it may cause stomach discomfort due to the essential oils it contains. Too many orange slices can cause loose stools if fed in excess. Cats generally have an aversion to all citrus, but a bite of orange is safe for cats (without the peel).

Remember that whiles oranges and other fresh fruits are healthy, all "extras", including oranges, should be limited to only about 10% of your pet's daily diet, together with other types of treats. Your pet should be getting the bulk of their nutrients from complete meals, with treats serving as an addition or bonus to nutritionally optimal diets.

Note: Orange-flavored food or drinks, such as orange juice and canned oranges, shouldn't be given to pets, since they're often loaded with added sugars and high-fructose corn syrups, and excessive sugar consumption can be problematic for pets, just as it can be for humans.

15/02/2023

Article includes a list of mushrooms that are safe for dogs (hint: it's the same ones you can have).

Can dogs eat mushrooms? While store-bought mushrooms are OK, wild mushrooms can poison your pet. Here's what to know about which mushrooms are bad for dogs and how to protect your pup.

14/02/2023

09/02/2023

This is the second "veterinary diet" recall in recent months by Purina. This one is for toxic levels of vitamin D in a food for dogs with food sensitivities. The other one (link in comments) is for mislabeling a higer fat food as a low-fat food. Higher fat can cause extreme pain for dogs with pancreatitis. 😔

Nestlé Purina PetCare Company is voluntarily recalling select lots of Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EL Elemental (PPVD EL) prescription dry dog food due to potentially elevated levels of vitamin D.