Pet section in the daily newspaper: Everything about and around pets like dogs going in circles, allergies and marriages

Finding and reading everything about pets is substantial part of my job as the Pet Food Examiner and General Manager at LizzysHealthyPetFood.com. This includes following the pet section in the daily newspaper as well in order to learn just as much as I possibly can to do my job effectively and provide the very best service to our customers. Doing so, one really sees a lot of different things, it seems like being in space, you discover every day something new and it seems to be endless. Just today once again I was thinking about the amazing variety of things coming up.
Like the woman who was worried that something would be wrong with her dog. Her dog turns circles before going to the bathroom. I observe my dogs and have been observing dogs since I was a child. The fact that most of them do that never struck me as being something suspicious and to be worried about. But that’s me, I thought it’s just normal. However I do understand if someone owns a dog for the first time in his life, such behavior may cause concern. It also shows that they are monitoring their dog very closely and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. And Dr. Lisa Radosta, a board certified veterinary behaviorist (I didn’t even know there is such a job, I told you one never is done learning) agrees with me in her answer, saying that behavior is normal. Well, based on her title and education required to earn such a title she should know for sure. So I take her input as reliable advise. However I stopped reading when she attempted to come up with ideas on how to prevent such a behavior, like avoiding the places where the dog circles, and on and on. Why? Why do we think we have to make an animal act just as we please to see it acting? Let nature go its way… Let our dogs circle, that’s the way it is.
The other woman had two dogs, unfortunately both used to suffer from allergies. After extensive investigation and research apparently it turned out to be the feeding bowls she was using to feed her Australian terrier. After she switched from the plastic bowl to a stainless steel one, voila, the allergy was cured within a month and the dog lived happily and healthy to be 18 years old. Her poodle had allergies too, his case was quite different. It took 6 months of feeding lentils and sweet potatoes until he was freed of his disease. Great news, I certainly will add the bowl tip to my list of information I may at my own discretion pass on to my customers. I’m not so sure about the lentils though. It always worries me when I hear about pet owners feeding a carnivore non meat based proteins, it just doesn’t quite correspond to nature’s intentions and setup. Dr. Michael Fox, who answered this inquiry didn’t say anything about the lentils. He agreed on the bowl solution though. And he also advised to stay away from long term steroid treatments to cure the problems. Thanks doc.
In today’s third inquiry someone recommended Feliway for male cats suffering from separation anxiety. Dr. Fox thinks it’s a great product, I don’t know yet what it is and does for my cats, if I absolutely must have it and what it’s made from, but I promise I will check it out. Maybe it’s something I can use to help my Tiger with his obsessive licking disorder. I’ll take anything to fix that.
Finally, it just so happened that today’s pet section was printed on the left side of the page while the right side featured the column about human relationships. That one I usually don’t read, but today’s headline sparked my interest. “Marriage gone to the bowwows” it said and some female married reader was complaining that her husband pays more attention to their dog than to her. It’s so bad that by now her husband with the dog sleep in the bed and she sleeps o the couch. And the husband even prepares the dog’s food from the scratch. Now that’s my kind of guy. Doing the right thing when feeding his pet. As to the relationship aspect of the inquiry, I don’t think I have neither advise for that nor anything in my pet food store to help. Sorry. Stick with “Abby” and do as she recommends in her answer: Try professional counseling. Just make sure you guys never change the way you feed your dog.
As I said, pets make for great conversation and open up a wide universe of questions and answers. I just love my job.