robertwoodsdvm.com Blog

One of the most commonly frustrating situations for both veterinarians, pet owners, and of course pets is dietary sensitivity. There are several symptoms which alert me to the idea of a dietary sensitivity with a patient.
In dogs, it can be excessive gas, loose stools, and vomiting. But it can also present as chronic ear problems and skin problems. Most diets are a combination of poultry or beef based products with corn, rice, and wheat. Interestingly the most common allergens are known to be corn, wheat, dairy, beef, and soy. Whenever I’m presented with a dog who has GI signs or chronic ear problems, my first question is what is the animal being fed. Honesty is the best policy, so when looking at the diet, make sure you catalog the treats and chews as well. Alot of times the diet is ok but the rawhides, treats and “people food” have allergens which can trigger a reaction.
These sensitivities can start at a very early age, and in puppies,it is usually second to parasites as a cause for diarrhea. Probably the first thing to do when facing a dietary sensitivity is to change the diet initially to something that is easy to digest, and eliminate the treats etc. For example, most dogs are ok being fed chicken breast and white rice for several days. If the symptoms improve, try gradually introducing the previous diet. If the symptoms return, probably something in the diet doesn’t agree with your pet. Now, there are dogs who can have a sensitivity to chicken, rice or the combination. Often times feeding them mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes as the carbohydrate source will be helpful. Alot of controversy surrounds what type of food is best to feed to our animals. The simple answer is “it depends”. No one diet is agreeable to every dog, however, the better the quality, the better your chances are that it will not pose a problem. As a holistically minded veterinarian, I have patients on a variety of dietary choices. Some do well with their sensitivities being on a raw diet, some do well with comercial food, others with home cooked diets. The key is to find a diet that is economical for the most part and that is nutritionally complete and safe.
One of the latest crazes to hit pet food over the last few years is home prepared raw diets. The theory behind them has a good intent, but there are some serious consequences that can arise due to bacterial contamination both for the owners and the pets. These risks are due to the possibility of E.Coli and Salmonella contamination and possibly other organisms. Certain parasites can also be found in raw meat so as a general rule, I don’t recommend home prepared raw diets. After going through vet school and having seen how our food supply is prepared, there is definitely room for safety to fall thru the cracks. At least with commercial raw diets, there are some safeguards in place to prevent some of these risks. No food is completely safe, and even dry kibble and canned food can become rancid or contaminated. Always find a food that has not met it’s expiration date, and get in the habit of smelling the food for odd smells, and looking for an odd appearance. Especially when feeding from a new bag or new variety. Most commercial diets have some freshness policy and will often times provide you with a replacement bag or refund.
Home cooked diets can be economical when prepared in large batches but you will want to make sure it is a balanced diet. Often times owners will prepare home cooked diets and not include the right ratio of Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium and other nutrients. It is best to consult a veterinarian or veterinary nutritionist when considering a home cooked diet for long term use.
Now, another question which I often get is in regards to testing for these food sensitivities or allergies via the blood. Most dermatologists and research suggests that the blood testing doesn’t produce reliable results. Food elimination trials are what seem to work best, and owner commitment to the food trial is the most important ingredient. If the animals are still getting treats or the kids cookies etc it can throw off the whole trial.
It is a good idea to consider comprehensive lab testing to screen for other issues when dealing with a really chronic situation. Low thyroid levels can affect an animals immune system and metabolism, and with treatment can help to improve the sensitivity. There are also other conditions which may initially seem like a dietary problem but require specific treatment. Screening the bloodwork and urine can help to determine if a concurrent illness may be complicating the sensitivity. Please don’t forget to check a stool sample as well, I’ve learned the hard way that even though a pet may have a “formed” stool, it can still have one or several gastrointestinal parasites. Stools should be checked at least on an annual basis and with new episodes of GI distress.
As for supplements, I usually recommend to keep it to a limited number under most situations. Some animals might require additional therapy which is best discussed under veterinary direction. The addition of 1 teaspoon of ground psyllium per cup or can of dog food can help with chronic loose stools. Basically it is insoluble fiber, which acts as a bulking agent and helps to solidify the stool. Probiotics are another good choice but it is important to use a product which has the right kind and quantity of beneficial organisms. One product which I highly recommend is Vetri Pro Biotic by Vetri Science. It is in a tablet form and I like it because it has a variety of beneficial bacteria and a beneficial yeast. The number of organisms per serving is also at a beneficial level based on current veterinary research and information.
A third supplement which I use quite a bit is called Prozyme. This product contains plant derived digestive enzymes which when applied to the diet, help to partially digest the food prior to feeding. This allows the pet to not have to work so hard digesting the diet and makes the food easier to absorb in the small intestine. I use this product personally with our dogs and it has made a big difference in their coat quality, stools and weight maintenance.
For some dogs, all it takes is the right diet and one if not all three of the supplements listed above. For others, they require additional therapy. From a holistic or alternative spectrum, I’ve had success with stubborn cases using a combination of Acupuncture, western herbs, homotoxicology, homeopathy, and occasionally chinese herbs. My last resort is the use of medication, but sometimes these medications can make all the difference. Two commonly used medications are metronidazole and tylan powder. Both of which are antibiotics, but are also believed to have an anti-inflammatory effect on the bowel. They can be used long term but only under veterinary supervision.
Cats are obviously a little bit different than dogs. With cats, it seems regurgitation of the food shortly after eating is the most common sign of food sensitivity or food intolerance. Sometimes just the texture of the food and it’s shape are enough to cause the problem. Cats will commonly eat rapidly, and the food when in the stomach expands faster than it can be digested. The body’s response is to regurgitate the food. Often times you will find a “food loaf” on the carpet or floor in close proximity of the bowl. More times than not changing the food from dry to canned can fix the regurgitation problem. Other times an easily digestible diet makes the difference.
Cats are different than dogs in the sense that they are strict carnivores, and need meat as their primary nutrition source. They share some of the common allergens of corn, wheat, and dairy. Most cats do well on poultry based diets.
The food elimination trial works well with cats also, but with home cooked diets you have to make sure it is balanced and has taurine in the diet. A good source of taurine is clams or clam juice. The same diagnostics are recommended for cats as they are with dogs for chronic cases.
In terms of supplements, I like Vetri Science Acetylator and the psyllium. I rarely recommend digestive enzymes for my cat patients. The same alternative therapies can work well for cats with chronic cases.
Another question I’m always asked from both my dog and cat clients pertains to which pet food companies are best. My top choices are wellness, natural balance, and honest kitchen. That is not to say there are not other great choices, but these brands I like due to their cost, availablity, and/or ease of use. The most important thing to consider with the diet is to avoid any animal by products, and avoid foods that have a laundry list of preservatives or ingredients that are hard to understand. Hopefully this information has been helpful and the old adeage “you are what you eat” is true for our four legged friends as well. If you have any additional questions, feel free to send me an email and I’m always available for consultations to help you customize your approach for your beloved friends.

I am sure you have heard me mention upon occasion that we have a collection of cats. Cat Castaway Island is how we refer to our house, we have the cats that no one else will take or manage.
Almost 4 years ago now, a client of mine had a cat named “Moe”, a GIANT orange round tomato of a cat that would board with us often. He also had developed type 1 diabetes because of his weight problem. Moe was a character in his home, would hide from his insulin shots and was hard to monitor his food intake. So his mom, wanting the best thing for him, approached Hannah about taking him. NEVER MENTION TO HANNAH THAT A CAT IS IN NEED!!
Needless to say, “Moe” came to live with us, he got to hang out in Melia’s room while he was getting used to the lay of the land. We got him down to a good weight, he did so well that he was able to get off of insulin as long as his weight didn’t increase again. For 3 years “Moe” was not on any insulin.

“Moe” is 14 years old, turns 15 in August, and has an adoration for Melia that is hard to explain.
He loves his 5 year old little girl “owner”, he waits for her to come home from school. He cries for her to play with him. If Melia climbs up the play structure in our backyard, “Moe” goes up too. Melia slides down the slide, “Moe” will jump down and start all over again with her. He is a joy to have in our menagerie, and we love him! Last week, “Moe” was not himself, no extreme personality change, just not his usual self. Having a “senior citizen cat”, we did some labwork. His glucose was through the roof and his kidney values are elevated. Now “Moe” has type 2 diabetes and will be insulin dependent for the rest of his life, not to mention he has renal failure.
Now for the challenge: diabetics need a HIGH protein diet, and renal patients need a LOW protein diet. So our plan is to start him on insulin to regulate his glucose, to support the kidneys by feeding him a low protein diet, to start him on SQ fluids, and homotoxicology remedies to support the kidneys and endocrine system.
WOW, yes, WOW, for the little 5 year old girl that shares an incredible bond with “her” cat, yes, that is our plan for “Moe”.
Some of you probably know Melia, she is usually at the office with us on thursday afternoons, she looks exactly like Hannah, and is really a 16 year old trapped in an almost 6 year old body. She draws pictures for the patients, sits and pets their heads as they wait, and always remembers them on their next visit.

She is aware that “Moe” is sick, she happily signed up last night to hold him while we gave him SQ fluids, he does not protest anything Melia tells him is “ok” so that comes in handy. She placed his supplements on the floor in front of him and he happily ate them for her. She told him to sit while she gave him his homotoxicology oral therapy, and he opened his mouth for her to squirt the solution in.
Now todays challenge is going to be finding the right dose of insulin for him, glucose checks throughout the day, and getting the ingredients to make him his home cooked renal diet.
We are going to start with an Egg White & Rice diet, so after our trip to the store, I will document the recipe for you and let you know how it turns out.

As you can see from the pictures above, our cat “Oso” is battling with a very serious problem. His left nasal cavity is swollen, and that swelling pushes up into his eye, leaving little room for his eye to be entirely open. I initially treated him with allopathic medicine (western), he was sedated , his nasal cavity drained, biopsied, flushed and was treated with antibiotics. Diagnostic testing could not pin point what type of tissue is causing swelling, but it is believed to be either Nasal Lymphoma or Sarcoma.

“Oso” is about 8 years old, and is a very sweet loving cat. Although, he is not the type of cat who is going to allow me to treat him with chemotherapy, even then a good portion of the nasal tissue would have to be removed, and the quality of life of a cat with half a nose is limited. It is not fair to traumatize him in doing such treatments. This is the same cat , who hears the crinkle of the Advantage flea treatment package, and becomes MIA for the next 12-24 hours.

So, we are going to keep him as comfortable as possible. He still loves to eat, loves to roll around in the sunshine, grooms himself, and is still social with the other cats.

I am going to treat him with some homotoxicology remedies that will help the angry tissue drain, and hopefully make it possible for him to see out of his left eye and breathe out of his nose. Essentially, allow him to maintain a good quality of life.

The 3 weeks he was on antibiotics twice daily, he was constantly hiding, so oral homotoxicology is not his best bet. He will get a combination therapy as a SQ injection once weekly and I will document his progress with the camera. I always get random questions about homotoxicology treatments, so hopefully you can witness homotoxicology in action.

Wish “Oso” luck on his battle!

I have spoken in posts pasts of a particular cat of ours by the name of “Doc”. Our almost 9 year old siamese cat, is notorious for his LOVE of food! His comfort foods are tortilla chips, cheese, doritos, and french fries. By “comfort” I mean, he is comfortable with taking these foods right out of your hands. He also takes his chances just sticking his head in the bag to grab and go. Besides his list of mainly carbohydrate weaknesses, he is a hunter, and loves meat. He has been known to grab a stack of uncooked bacon out of the butcher paper, snake a shrimp tail, and devour a rotisserie chicken. To his dismay, these things are hard to come by in our house since we are a vegetarian family.
I do find it very humorous that while the twins eat their lunch, which sometimes is a veggie dog or tofurkey sandwich, stray scraps fall to the ground and “Doc” will scoop them into his mouth. His brain is telling his carnivore self, that he is eating meat, he growls while he eats the scraps to deter others from taking his “kill”. It is so noticeable and entertaining to the twins, that they willingly throw their lunch to him and giggle as he growls.
Even if “Doc” is one extremely smart cat, and does indeed consider himself to be a person, he is not notice that he is eating tofu.

I am sure you are all anxiously awaiting news on the toilet training of our siamese cat “Doc”. Sharing a bathroom with a siamese cat is an experience in it and of itself. Foot prints on the toilet seat is understatement while the training litter “pan” is in the toilet. So if you are brave enough to try, I suggest a guest bathroom and one that the cat will always have access too. Seeing how he sleeps in our bed, our only choice was OUR bathroom.
He used the training pan once we showed him where it was.
Then we followed the suggestion and slowly reduced the amount of litter in the pan each day. At the end of a week, we removed the pan completely and he was a little stressed out that day, but eventually used the toilet.
The next afternoon, there was a very loud SPLOOOOOOSH followed by a half sopping wet siamese cat running down the stairs. Apparently, the angle of the toilet seat, combined with his slippery declawed (he came that way, I did not declaw him) paws equals a siamese cat falling in the toilet.
How bad do I feel that he fell in the toilet? Bad enough to give him his litter box back.
So now he is half toilet trained and has an option. If you must know, his preference is to urinate in the toilet and dig around in the litter box for the other.
Now if we can only teach him to flush.

As I had mentioned previously, our impulse buy at the Pet Expo, was the “Kitty Kamode”. It is basically a flat, toilet bowl shaped cover that is attached to the bowl by velcro. Then there is a little plastic tray that drops into it, adding depth. You fill the tray with cat litter, and then place the toilet seat on top of it. It is basically just a little litter box that happens to be hanging inside the toilet. At first it says to fill it with a lot of litter, and then after a few days decrease the litter amount until you take the whole contraption off completely and supposedly the cat will just use the toilet in its place.

Now let me tell you about the cat who is experimenting with it. “Dr. Claw” is his true name, but we usually refer to him as “Doc” or “Crocodile” or “Crew Crew” depending on how nice he is being. He is an almost 9 year old Siamese who has a personality beyond words. When I tell stories about him, I can sometimes sense some doubt in the listeners face, as if my stories are “Tall Tales” or embellished. I assure you they are not. Previous skeptics are always turned believers, once visiting our house. Let me give you a taste of a day in the life of “Doc”:
Our mornings begin at the crack of dawn, there is no need for an alarm clock. “Doc” begins yelling, meowing, and howling at the bedroom door. He has been known on occasion to step on the remote control to our ceiling fan which causes the lights to come on, and the fan to start whirling at high speed. A Tornado at the crack of dawn!
I know what your thinking, well, then just open the bedroom door for him. Open the door and he will sit in the hallway or the stairwell where his meow will echo or worse become amplified! Or what if you just open the door to let him out and then close it? He will jump up at the door knob until he grabs it just right to turn the knob, fling the door open, and come flying back in the room. Walk down stairs and feed him, and he will eat.
Why not just leave a bowl of food out you ask? We have, he will refuse to eat it. He loves the ritual of walking down stairs with you and seeing you have to feed him.
Now if it were only that simple to wake up early, feed him, go back to bed. What he learns from this is that, maybe tomorrow I can wake you up a little earlier, and then earlier and earlier!
Get in the shower and “Doc” comes right in and sits at the back of the shower, water sprinkling on him, yelling at you. Apparently, getting ready in the morning is not going fast enough.
We have baby locks on all the cupboards, and a hinge lock on the pantry. Yes, I know we have 4 kids, but they are not the concern. “Doc” loves to eat ANYTHING, but particularly tortilla chips, packets of seasoned dry noodles, and cheesy flavored items. You open the refrigerator and he walks inside to see if there is anything he would prefer.
He will be quietly sleeping on the couch with his head on a throw pillow, and then wake up, cock his head and start biting the pillow. He has extraordinarily long top canine teeth, so a bite, is a CHOMP out of anything.
Of course, most cats love to sleep on the warm clothes that come out of the dryer, well, “Doc” just prefers the dryer itself. No clothes necessary, so a double check is always needed before starting laundry.
The kids want to play outside, open then door, “Doc” runs out and begins eating grass that in turn causes an allergic reaction that makes the hair on the top of his ears fall out. Neighbors dogs walk by, very confused at the cat laying in the middle of the sidewalk refusing to budge. Dogs can go around him if they please.
After I am at work, if I come home and sit on the couch, he has to lay across my lap, with his front legs wrapped around my legs (a bear hug). Feeling depressed that I spent my day with other animals that he can smell.
When our family friend comes to babysit the kids, “Doc” will trample upstairs, start howling, doing laps in our bedroom, then run down stairs and yell at her. The hardest part to agreeing to watch our kids is not the sleeping babies, it is “Doc”. Will he escape, will he be nice, will he wake up all the sleeping kids on purpose?
He very rarely will drink water by lapping it up with his tongue. He will sit for 10 minutes, and dip his front paw in the water, lick it off his fur, and repeat. If there is a glass on any counter top, he stuffs his head inside to smell it, which 50% of the time results in him spilling it when pulling his head back out. Or, if he recognizes the smell, he will help himself and shove his paw in your drink!

That is just a taste of his personality, I could go for days, he has no medical condition, BELIEVE ME, I have checked everything under the sun, he is just a Siamese.
He does however, always remind us why we even let him hang around with his antics. He is a 100% purr-er, he purrs on his inhale and exhale, so it is non-stop. He comes running to greet you at the door. He will crawl under the covers and curl up beside you. He will lick your face. He will attack any animal, no matter the size if he thinks they are a threat to his people. He is a very loving cat, but he is also too smart for his own good. And thus, the Kitty Kamode Experiment began. If ever there was a cat that wished to a be human, it would be “Doc”.

Yesterday was Day 1, we showed him where it was, and took his other litter box away and he did use it without any “questions” asked. Is he just humoring us? We will soon find out

Ok, this coming from a person who has their share of cats…….WHY DO SOME CATS GET SOOOO FAT???

Granted, one of my cats, who was previously a patient that we adopted, was so fat he was diabetic. At his heaviest he was pushing 19 pounds, but on his body frame, he looked like a round tomato. AND he is an orange tabby, so he was the perfect example of Garfield in real life. He is 13 years old, and his name is “Moe”. The kids call him “MoMo”. He was on PZI insulin twice daily and eating only a prescription diabetic diet. His body REFUSED to lose more than a few ounces eating 1/2 can twice a day. With no results and his health in jeopardy, we moved him down to 1/3 can twice a day. He was always anticipating his next meal, but at least he was not slipping into a diabetic coma. Over the course of a year, he cut his weight in half and weighed 9 healthy pounds. This made a great difference for the old man cat and his arthritis. He is no longer diabetic, no longer needing insulin or a prescription diet. He can even have food in a food bowl and not feel compelled to eat it.

Two other cats we have, “Calvin” and “Oso” were obviously obese, even for their body frame, I could make no excuse for them. They were both on a low fat prescription diet that produced NO RESULTS. How can a cat gain weight on a diet food?? “Oso” was so chunky that he could not turn around to groom his back, so he was constantly getting mats in his fur. Every exam and/or blood test confirmed that they had no physical or metabolic dysfunction that was causing the weight gain. We placed them on the same prescription diabetic diet, and within a year, each had lost at least 5 pounds. Not perfect, but much better! They were still BIG cats, but now they had a “waddle” on their bellies of loose skin that swayed to and fro as they walked.

Then we noticed “Oso” was becoming much more aggressive to the rest of our cats. He was blaming them for his diet restrictions! We have acquired a lot of cats over the years that were the castaways. We have everything from: a cat with one eye, to born feral, broken legs, or chronic URI, etc. We could not have “Oso” picking on “Uno” (our one eyed cat) every 5 minutes! We had to compromise for the safety and environment of the rest. We placed a free feed bowl of diet food out for the cats to munch on if needed. Some of the cats got a little plumper, maybe by a half a pound or so, others no weight gain at all. Then there were the few that LOST weight being free fed. Focusing on “Oso” we could see that he was protecting his territory…..THE FOOD BOWL! Within 6 weeks, “Oso” was a GIANT again!

Why do some cats refuse to lose weight? Cats are true carnivores, they sleep, they hunt, they eat. “Oso” just slept and ate, there was no activity in between. Anyone, including a person, is going to gain weight if the calories they consume or more then the calories they burn each day. Cats, on average sleep anywhere from 16-20 hours a day. Their bodies are designed to conserve energy in between hunting. “Oso” my fat, domesticated cat, was sleeping all day waiting for his next meal to be placed in his round lap. He needed exercise before his meal. The only thing that I have found that consistently all of my cats are interested in is the laser pointer. Granted, they all don’t like it at the same time of day, some enjoy chasing the cat that is chasing the light. So now he has a fitness routine, just like everyone else.
Cats also have another genetic make up working against them, they do not have a carbohydrate enzyme in their mouth like people. That enzyme in humans starts breaking down the carbohydrates the moment we start chewing. In a cat those carbohydrates don’t get broken down until it is in the intestines. A cat that is perfectly healthy, but obese, usually does better if you decrease the carbohydrates, and increase the protein levels. Almost like the Atkins diet for cats.
If you have a fat cat, don’t be ashamed, we have all probably been there. The difference is to not forget that extra weight can lead to diabetes, arthritis, non allergy related skin conditions, and hepatic lipidosis. It may be a long road, but your cat is sure to benefit. Your veterinarian can tell you what the optimal weight is for your specific cat, not every cat has the same goal weight. Also, if it seems like your cat just keeps getting fatter and you are just feeding the same amount, lab work can be done to make sure that your cat does not have an underlying health condition.
If you still don’t think you have a fat cat, I leave you with this tid bit, 54% of all domestic cats are overweight.

I recently purchased a laser that penetrates different depths to be used for acupuncture points. I have an 8 year old, male siamese cat pictured above. He is “crazy” to say the least, but that is part of the territory of owning a siamese. He is vocal ALL THE TIME, he follows us around like a dog, he is mischevious (we have baby locks on the cupboards to keep him from eating people food, not to keep our 4 kids out), he is too smart for his own good (he can open locked doors). So needless to say, when he is not feeling well, it is very apparent. This past weekend, he was not interested in eating much, not vocalizing, etc. So I thought it a good chance to test out my new laser I had purchased to use on volatile pets for acupuncture. I have tried traditional acupuncture needles on him, and he jumps across the room and becomes aggressive. Exactly why he was the best candidate to be my guinea pig. He sat through 10 solid minutes of laser treatment without getting up and walking away-AMAZING! The footage was just taken on a digital camera that we were using to document our kids at Christmas, and all our kids are running around the house during the process. So lots of distractions are going on, but he calmly just sits there. In the fight or flight dynamic, he is definitely “fight”, so we would know if he was not happy. He is spunky today, running up and down the stair well, so I am going to put this in my success category. I uploaded the video to you tube for a little glimpse into the day in the life of a patient receiving treatment.

This past Sunday, one of my siamese cats developed some minor sniffles. By monday, he was NOT himself, just laying around the house. He is a typical siamese, who is always vocalizing, mimicking, and planning his next plunder. So, when he was feeling under the weather, I noticed immediately! Instead of his usual morning wake up call (no need for an alarm, when you have a hungry siamese), he remained in bed and took his time making his way to the food bowl. By the afternoon he was sneezing. With each sneeze, he looked insulted and embarrassed that such a thing could happen to him.

This is NOT a cat who thinks highly of medication, takes every gesture personally, and certainly can hold a grudge.

So, with his symptoms not worsening just lingering, I decided to use a homotoxicology remedy that I had on hand for my children. It was formulated for infants, so it was in a squeeze tube, and very easy to administer-only a few drops.
By day 2 he was still sneezing, but no nasal discharge had developed, and he was still eating. Though not entirely himself, he was much happier than he would have been with me shoving antibiotics down his throat twice a day.
Day 3 he was a little perkier and actually walked down stairs with me in the morning while I was eating breakfast. Still a few sniffles on and off, but not increasingly ill.
Day 4 was this morning, which I awoke to at 5 am to the VERY LOUD meowing of my siamese. He is back to himself, thwapping his tail at me while I get ready for the day, racing me down the stairs, and yelling at his empty food bowl. I can tell he felt the need to make up for the lost time, jumping on the couch, playing with his tail after breakfast.

Thanks to homotoxicology, I will continue to have my alarm cat up and running.