By Jean Hofve, DVM There are several companies and websites that promote vegetarian (no meat or fish) or even vegan (no animal products at all) diets for cats. These products appeal to people who have chosen a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle for ethical reasons, and want to apply the same principles to their cats....
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Nutrition
Vegetarian Cats?
Healthy Weight Management for Dogs and Cats
Nutrition experts like to portray weight control as a simple matter of “calories in minus calories out.” But as anyone who’s ever been on a diet knows all too well, it isn’t quite that easy! There are many factors that affect weight, such as genetics, metabolic rate, weather, and even breed. Ultimately, the only...
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Top 4 Pet Supplements
I (Dr. Jean) was recently interviewed for About.com on pet supplements. I was asked to choose my top four, and explain why I recommend them. (Click here to read the article on About.com) 1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids You know I’m a big proponent of Omega 3 fatty acids for dogs and cats. These are...
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Lifestages, Lifestyles, and Cat Food
The number and types of commercial cat food seems multiplying like rabbits. One online store carries 353 different dry foods, and 735 varieties of canned food! Here’s a sampling of the lifestages cat food is made for: Babycat (0 to 4 months) Kitten (0 or 4 to 12 months) Adult (1 to 7 years)...
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Omega-3 Update: more info, more choices
Virtually all cats and dogs are deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids. Choose the right supplement to help fight inflammation and the degenerative diseases it causes.
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Antioxidants
Antioxidants are natural compounds that are important in the neutralization or scavenging of “oxygen free radicals,” which are normal by-products of body metabolism. Controlled amounts of free radicals are normally made by the body as weapons against viruses and bacteria, and are used in hormone production and numerous cellular reactions. However, excess free radicals...
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Omega-3s are Essential for Your Cat!
Jean Hofve, DVM No doubt you’ve heard of Omega-3 fatty acids, Omega-6 fatty acids, and essential fatty acids. But did you know that they are essential for pets, too? The term “essential” means that the animal cannot synthesize the nutrient within its body, but must obtain it in the diet. For example, humans and...
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Fluoride in Pet Food — A New Danger?
By Jean Hofve, DVM According to a report by the Environmental Working Group, excessive amounts of fluoride were found in 8 major national brands of dog and puppy food. The foods contained fluoride at levels between 1.6 and 2.5 times higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum legal dose in drinking water. These...
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Easy Homemade Diets for Cats and Dogs
By Jean Hofve, DVM Homemade diets are great for our cats and dogs. By making your pet’s food at home, you control the quality of the ingredients, and commercial food additives such as colorings and preservatives can be avoided. Once you get the hang of it, homemade food is both time and cost-efficient. It’s...
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Feline Obesity
By Jean Hofve, DVM Obesity is a serious problem for our feline friends. Many serious health problems can result from obesity, such as arthritis, liver disease, heart failure, and renal disease. Prevention is key here: don’t allow your cat to become overweight in the first place. Pay attention to your kitten’s growth to make...
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Fiber Facts
By Dr. Jean Hofve Recently there has been renewed interest in fiber as a pet food ingredient. One pet food manufacturer published an article on the Internet condemning beet pulp in pet food as unhealthy if not downright dangerous, while others are touting the benefits of the latest fiber source, pecan shells. There is...
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Food Allergies in Cats
By Jean Hofve, DVM Cats often develop “food allergies” or “food intolerances” to ingredients found in commercial cat food. The top allergens are: chicken, fish and corn (very common cat food ingredients), beef (often referred to as “meat by-products” or “meat and bone meal” on pet food labels), wheat, and dairy products. However, an...
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Homemade vs. Commercial Food for Cats (and Dogs!)
By Jean Hofve, DVM Preparing a home-made diet for one’s pets is a bit of a challenge. However, it is no more difficult than feeding one’s children a balanced and nutritious diet. Most human beings seem to be able to do that, since we have survived as a species. As any parent knows, it...
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Humane Pet Food?
By Jean Hofve, DVM The headline reads: “The HSUS Launches New Line of Natural, Organic Pet Food” “Selecting a high-quality pet food is one of the most important decisions a pet parent can make. To celebrate pets, The Humane Society of the United States announces the nationwide launch of a cruelty-free, all natural and...
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Kidney Disease in Cats
By Jean Hofve, DVM Kidney disease, in the form of Chronic Renal Failure (CRF), also called Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), is a common problem in older cats. I have seen natural kidney failure in cats as young as 4 years, but it occurs far more frequently in much older cats. However, due to the...
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Pet Food Marketing Hype
By Jean Hofve, DVM A trip down the pet food aisle these days will boggle the mind with all the wonderful claims made by manufacturers for their particular products. But what’s the truth behind all this marvelous hype? You might be very surprised…let’s take a look. 1. Niche claims. Today, if you have an...
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Pet Food Regulation
By Jean Hofve, DVM A note from Dr. Jean: I wrote this for The Whole Dog Journal around 2001. I put it online after the 2007 pet food recall scandal, so you can understand how such a thing could happen, and who’s in charge of fixing it. It’s updated as of 2012. WHO’S IN...
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Pet Food, People, and the FDA
By Jean Hofve, DVM Pet food labels are plenty obscure, but labels on human food are just as bad. As you get better at assessing pet food, you’ll also want to check out a few labels at the grocery store, too. According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, in Food Labels May Be Inaccurate Despite FDA...
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Probiotics: A Dietary Powerhouse for Your Cat
By Jean Hofve, DVM Lately it seems we’ve been running into a lot of cats–and dogs–who needed some extra help with digestive and other health issues. Probiotics have helped solve the problems for many of these animals. The term “probiotics” (which means “promoting life”) covers a variety of “friendly” bacteria that are beneficial for...
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Selecting a Good Commercial Pet Food
By Jean Hofve, DVM Commercial food is a great convenience to dog and cat guardians. Responsible consumers who want the best for their animal companions have a bewildering array of foods and claims to choose from. How do you know what’s best for your animals? The most reputable manufacturers of “superpremium” and “natural” foods...
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Switching Foods
By Jean Hofve, DVM The spice of life is variety, or so they say. If that’s true for people, what about our dogs and cats? I love the commercial where the lady puts down a bowl of new dog food, and the dog shoves it under the rug. The voice-over intones, “(Our food), every...
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The “Dangers” of a Raw Diet
By Jean Hofve, DVM Many proponents tout the benefits of feeding meat raw to our our carnivorous feline and canine companions. But most veterinarians and self-styled “experts” claim that raw diets are highly dangerous to everyone in the household. So who’s right? The bacteria Salmonella is frequently implicated as a major danger from feeding...
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The Right Weight Loss Program for Cats!
By Jean Hofve, DVM A reader recently emailed us to ask how she could help her cat lose weight. Indeed, obesity is a serious problem for our feline friends. Many serious health problems can result from obesity, such as arthritis, diabetes, liver disease, heart failure, and kidney disease. In most feline cases, obesity occurs...
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Water Water Everywhere, but What’s a Cat to Drink?
By Jean Hofve, DVM Everyone is familiar with the 3 basic nutrient categories: protein, fat and carbohydrate. But there is a 4th nutrient that’s just as important (or more!), yet it is usually overlooked by most guardians and even veterinarians—water! Our bodies (our cats’ too!) are 2/3 water, but You may know that two-thirds...
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What Cats Should Eat (excerpt)
What Cats Should Eat (excerpt) By Jean Hofve, DVM You love your cat. And, of course, you want to keep your cat healthy for as long as possible. The one thing you can do that will make the most difference in your cat’s health is to feed a good diet. But with hundreds of...
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Why Cats Need Canned Food
By Jean Hofve, DVM Cats are true carnivores, requiring a meat-based diet for optimal health. Their natural diet is prey such as rodents, lizards, insects, and birds. These prey consist primarily of water, protein and fat, with less than 10% carbohydrate (starch, sugar and fiber) content. Cats are exquisitely adapted to utilize fat and...
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Why Fish is Dangerous for Cats
By Jean Hofve, DVM A lot of cats love fish, but it’s really not a good idea to feed it to your cat! Why not? * The fish used in canned pet foods usually includes bones, and are high in phosphorus and magnesium, which can be an issue in cats with a history of...
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Does Dry Food Clean the Teeth?
By Jean Hofve, DVM Let’s get this one straight once and for all: dry food does not clean your cat’s teeth! In fact, dry food really has no benefits for the cat. It is merely a convenience for the guardian. If you haven’t already read “Why Cats Need Canned Food“, that’s a good place...
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BioSuperfood for Super Health
By Dr. Jean Hofve There are a zillion products out there that make marvelous claims about how they will improve your animal companion’s health. Many of these claims are exaggerated, and sometimes so fantastic that they seem too good to be true–and usually, they are! However, several years ago we discovered a product that...
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BioSuperfood Case Reports
Here are a few of the cases where BioSuperfood has helped animals get healthy! For more information, see the BioSuperfood main page, or go right to the information on choosing the right product. Cassandra, 10 year old female Dachsund This dog developed a malignant tumor in her sinus cavity. Started on BSF2 in September,...
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BioSuperfood: Choosing the Right Product
BioSuperfood and BioPreparation formulas are powerful detoxifiers. Unless there is an immediate health crisis that requires a high dose, start with a very small amount (as much as fits on the flat end of a toothpick), and gradually work up to 1-2 capsules per day for most animals. Too much can cause diarrhea, vomiting,...
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