Author: Gene Sower

Anemia can be caused by excessive loss of red blood cells or by inadequate production.

Nutritional iron-deficiency anemia, common in people, is uncommon in dogs with today’s commercially balanced dog foods. Chronic iron deficiency, as described by the “Dog Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook,” is a clear indication that an insidious loss of blood is taking place.

Blood loss is a condition that is commonly caused by wounds or parasites such as worms and fleas. Symptoms of anemia in dogs include white or pale gums, weakness, and a fast pulse. Sometimes this condition indicates a more serious illness such as toxicity that results from a drug exposure. However, the more simple and common cause of anemia which is blood loss can be easily treated with a view toward promoting the growth of new red blood cells.

You need to give your dog a special diet rich in iron, protein, and vitamin B12. The following lists of foods and supplements are especially helpful and provide the necessary nutrients that your dog needs to treat anemia.

1. Beef liver which contains iron, protein, B complex, and B12.
2. Kelp powder which contains iodine and other trace minerals.
3. Green vegetables which contains iron and other minerals.
4. Nutritional yeast along with B12 which offers the same benefits as the liver.
5. Vitamin C, from 500 to 2,000 milligrams per day (depending on the dog’s size) which helps with the absorption of iron from the intestinal tract.

If the condition is caused by parasites, then you will need to nip the problem in the bud and treat the parasite infestation first before using any other forms of treatment.

Using a many commercially available flea treatments such as shampoos and sprays can prove effective in killing fleas. But start by combing or brushing your dog on a white sheet or blanket so you can see any fleas fall off. And keep in mind that fleas can jump.

And don’t forget to wash your dog’s bedding and use a good flea powder on carpets throughout the house, especially in the areas where the dog sleeps and has it’s bed.

According to the “Dog Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook“, “Signs (of anemia) vary considerably, depending on the cause. Often they are overshadowed by the signs of a chronic illness, of which anemia is but one of the associated symptoms. In general, anemic dogs lack appetite, lose weight, sleep a great deal and show generalized waekness. ”

They go on to caution, “With severe anemia, heart murmurs are common. The pulse is rapid and so is the breathing rate. The dog may faint when overexerting. Most of these signs also occur with heart disease, and these two conditions might be easily confused.”

As always, your vet can make the final diagnosis.

About the Author:
Gene Sower is the publisher of the DOG BYTES newsletter and owner of http://www.naturalpetsworld.com, a site devoted to offering a huge selection of natural pet foods at discount prices.

There are a few dog feeders who foolishly insist that meat is the only thing a dog should ever be fed. Meat alone is entirely inadequate for a dog. The foremost deficiency in a diet of meat is its lack of calcium. lf the meat is trimmed of fat there is also likely to occur a deficiency in energy. There are numerous other deficiencies, but none as dramatic as these two.

Meat, nevertheless, is the single most important source of protein fed to dogs. Thousands of tons of horse meat and beef are used each year in producing commercial dog foods. Hundreds of tons more are fed as a supplement to commercial foods or in home-made rations.

When fed as an addition to a balanced commercial food, meat can be added up to 10 percent of the weight of the mixture. When added in any greater amounts it will dilute the commercial food to the extent that the diet will no longer be balanced or adequate. When used as the sole source of protein in a home-made ration, meat should constitute at least 25 percent of the total weight of the diet. However, home-made rations should ever contain more than 75 percent of its weight as meat

All meats except pork can be fed to a dog either cooked or raw, but will usually furnish more nourishment in the raw state. Vitamins are destroyed by the heat of cooking. Fat also is driven out of meat during cooking, and unless it is poured back into the ration, it will become lost as an energy source. The only real justification for feeding a dog cooked meat in a homemade ration is because it is pork, or because the dog does not like raw meat. Dogs having a genuine dislike for raw meat are few and far between.

The nature of the animal from which the meat comes does not seem to be too important where protein is concerned. Nutritionally, most proteins from different animals seem to be about equal. For years it was contended by some dog owners that pork could not be fed to dogs. Feeding experiments do not find this to be true. In fact, pork liver is probably among the most nutritious livers commonly available to dogs. The only restriction which pork has when being fed to dogs is that it be cooked.

The Animal Poison Control Center of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is warning owners about the increased number of cases involving xylitol poisoning in dogs.

Found in sugar-free chewing gum, candy, and baked goods, xylitol is a sweetener that can cause serious and sometimes life-threatening problems for pets.  More info here.

Also, the ASPCA put out this public service video warning dog owners about the health risks of some common back yard plants: