I’m sure many of you are decorating and getting ready for the holidays and I would like to remind you of the dangers of for our pets during the holidays.  Remember to think of pet holiday safety just like you would for a small child.  Dogs and cats are curious of shinny objects, lights, tinsel, ornaments, and the Christmas tree itself whether it is a live or artificial tree.  Many cats like to climb a tree just like if they were outside and dogs will check the trees out also.  If they chew on the tree or lights that can be very serious.  You can train a pet to stay away from the tree and other decorations. That is done the same way as you would teach them the “leave it” command.
Christmas plants are also dangerous for our pets so if you love to decorate your homes with poinsettias, holly and mistletoe you need to take caution with these toxic plants and keep them away from your pets. If you see any evidence these plants have been chewed on, call your veterinarian immediately for further instructions.  I have a list of poisonous plants on my website if you would like to check out other toxic items for animals. 
https://www.pawsitivewellnesscenter.com/pet-safety.html
 
Many foods are also dangerous for your pets like chocolate, Xytilol, raisins and more.
Chocolate, Coffee and Caffeine all contain substances called methylxanthines, which are found in cacao seeds, the fruit of the plant used to make coffee, and in the nuts of an extract used in some sodas. When ingested by pets, methylxanthines can cause vomiting and diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death. Note that darker chocolate is more dangerous than milk chocolate. White chocolate has the lowest level of methylxanthines, while baking chocolate contains the highest.
 
Alcoholic beverages and food products containing alcohol can cause vomiting, diarrhea, decreased coordination, central nervous system depression, difficulty breathing, tremors, abnormal blood acidity, coma and even death. Under no circumstances should your pet be given any alcohol. If you suspect that your pet has ingested alcohol, contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center immediately or go to your local emergency veterinarian hospital.  When you call ASPECA (888) 426-4435. it can take longer to get the information and that time can be important with many poisonous substances.
 
Xylitol is used as a sweetener in many products, including gum, candy, baked goods and toothpaste. It can cause insulin release in most species, which can lead to liver failure. The increase in insulin leads to hypoglycemia (lowered sugar levels). Initial signs of toxicosis include vomiting, lethargy and loss of coordination. Signs can progress to seizures. Elevated liver enzymes and liver failure can be seen within a few days.
 
Nuts, including almonds, pecans, and walnuts, contain high amounts of oils and fats. The fats can cause vomiting and diarrhea, and potentially pancreatitis in pets. Macadamia nuts can cause weakness, depression, vomiting, tremors and hyperthermia in dogs. Signs usually appear within 12 hours of ingestion and can last approximately 12 to 48 hours.
 
Milk and dairy products are not good for our pets either Because pets do not possess significant amounts of lactase (the enzyme that breaks down lactose in milk), milk and other dairy-based products cause them diarrhea or other digestive upset.  The alternative to cows milk is goats milk for it doesn’t contain lactase so the animals are able to break it down and actually benefit from the healthy nutrients especially goat milk kefir.
 
We love to buy our pets presents but be cautious with so many dog toys and treats on the market, it’s hard to know what to choose and to find healthy and safe gifts for our dogs. One of the main concerns is toxins in plastic and one of the prime examples are BPA’s 
If you are planning to buy toys for your pets, it would be good to use toys made of non-toxic, ‘baby safe' materials that are durable and made of natural materials. 
The most dangerous toys are the cheap, plastic ones made in China, where the absence of regulations poses a serious danger to your pet’s health. Watch for toys that have pieces that can be broken off and swallowed.
 

Many people are hesitant to feed raw chicken or turkey bones to your dogs.  I was for a long time also.  I have read enough now to know that if the chicken and turkey bones are raw (NOT COOKED AT ALL) they are totally safe for your dogs.  I have been feeding the drumstick, neck and wings from the turkey and chicken now for over a few years and my dogs are fine. The stomach acid of our dogs is much more acid and it will digest the raw bones if the dog is able to crunch them.  Femur leg bones and marrow bones are not good for they are too hard and can crack a tooth which can be very costly with the orthodontist bill. Your dog needs bones that they can actually grind with their teeth for that is also a great cleaning action on the teeth.
Granted my dogs are Golden Retrievers and a larger breed but you can feed the smaller dog these bones in smaller amounts. This Thanksgiving I bought them their own turkey and fed them everything over a period of days.  Yes, that includes the back and neck.  They enjoyed it and at the holidays you can find great deals on whole turkeys.
Give your dogs a treat for Christmas when turkey's are still a great price.

I feel this information is excellent and worth sharing for anyone considering getting a puppy.  I have learned so much from Dr. Peter Dubias, DVM through many of his courses and blog.  This is worth your time to listen to before getting your puppy.

by Dr. Peter Dobias DVM

When I started writing this article, I thought about listing the 10 most common mistakes dog lovers make with puppies. My list turned into 30 or 40 points and I realized this article will be the starting point of many more conversations, whether it is in these pages or online.  
Hip dysplasia, vaccinosis, too many prescriptions drugs, poor bone growth, chronic diarrhea, cruciate ligament tears, obesity, epilepsy, organ failure, autoimmune disease, cancer and premature loss are often the outcomes of well-intended deeds and poor advice that people get about puppy care.
I hope the following 10 points serve as a springboard and inspire you to go deeper in your learning. Your actions will make a huge, positive difference in the life of the dog you love. Enjoy!
Check out more

By Dr. Karen Becker
Many people believe the love they have for families and friends is best expressed through food, so serving cake, pie, biscuits and gravy and mounds of meat is considered a love language. Family recipes are sometimes thought to be part of the glue that helps holds loved ones together. Unfortunately, the concept is also extended to pets. In fact, the newest statistics show that over the past several years, pet obesity is getting worse, not better. The sad fact is, obesity continues to be the greatest health threat facing pets today.
According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention's (APOP) 2016 clinical survey, nearly 54 percent of dogs and 59 percent of cats were deemed clinically overweight or obese, using the Pet Body Condition Score (BCS). A BCS of 4 equates to overweight, and BCS 5 is obese. According to the organization's website:
"That equals an estimated 41.9 million dogs and 50.5 million cats are too heavy, based on 2016 pet population projections provided by the American Pet Products Association (APPA)."1
Since 2012, APOP's percentages for overweight and obese dogs have shown a steady climb from 52.5 percent to 53.9 percent in 2016. Over the same time frame, there was a slight dip in the percentages for 2013 for cats, but then they climbed and even exceeded the highest numbers ever with a total of 58.9 percent being obese and overweight.
What Does Excess Fat in Dogs and Cats Mean for Their Health? In 2014, the American Animal Hospital Association submitted guidelines for managing the weight of dogs and cats, and noted several related diseases and conditions that may occur when these animals are overweight or obese, such as:
Skin disorders, Respiratory problems, Kidney dysfunction, Metabolic and endocrine disorders, Orthopedic disease, Certain cancers, Chronic inflammation and Diminished quality of life.  But that's not all. Numerous other diseases are claiming the lives of pets due to obesity, and many are related to the strain placed on their bones and joints, circulatory systems, nerves and organs, such as diabetes, osteoarthritis, hypothyroidism, congestive heart failure and intervertebral disc disease. Not surprisingly, any of these by themselves can make your pet feel miserable, but the worst thing is a reduced life expectancy. Obesity can kill animals just as it does humans.  Read more...

This amazing website of Rodney Habib, Pet Nutrition Blogger, is now available with exceptional information.  He is a blessing to all of us pet parents who want to keep our furry friends healthy and happy. Do check this article on immune system healing herbs and all of this other information.  I have followed him for years and have learned so much...

John Moore almost died from mercury poisoning in 1974. Since then, he has become a leading mercury and dental health researcher and has traveled a long road looking for answers to mercury poisoning and spreading a warning. He now refers to mercury as the planet’s most ubiquitous contaminant, a base poison that really rose at the start of the industrial age as a pollutant, is used as a preservative in making plastics and is in practically everything we make from concrete to medicines.
What do we do in the face of such ubiquitous “base poisons” – heavy metals like mercury, aluminum and lead? I share Moore’s mantra: Learn to live a life of detoxification! How do we detox? This is the million-dollar question because there are millions of us who need to be doing this every day. When we’re surrounded by heavy metals in our air, our water and our foods, embarking on an overall lifestyle detox is overwhelming to say the least. Remember a journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step. Take it one step at a time and day by day.
An every day detox begins by eating whole foods, organic – and even biodynamic – if possible. And for our fourlegged friends? A species appropriate raw diet. The raw meaty bones should be the joints and not the long bones unless purchased from a company that tests their bones for heavy metals.
Glyphosate: The Hidden Poison In Your Dog’s DietIt isn’t just the heavy metal mercury but the use of glyphosate (sold under the trade name Roundup) that needs to be addressed. Foods are another form of heavy metal poisoning so we need to be focused on choosing GMO-free foods and here’s why: Dr Michael Fox wrote an article titled Herbicide Glyphosate Found In Pet Foods (uexpress.com/animal-doctor/2015/9/27/herbicide-glyphosate-found-in-pet-foods).
Besides naming all the pet foods that contained high levels of the herbicide, he discusses the addition of sodium nitrite to foods as a preservative; in the presence of glyphosate, sodium nitrite is deadly and a carcinogen. Corn, soy, sugar beets, cotton, canola, all genetically modified, use the glyphosate as a dessicant prior to harvesting. Wheat barley and sorghum are sprayed with glyphosate. These foods are not only fed to our dogs, they are fed to the food animals all of us eat!
MIT researcher Dr Stephani Seneff has authored The Destructive Effects of Heavy Metals and Glyphosate. Glyphosate, it turns out, is a major driver of disease. This toxin stays in bones – our bones – but also in the bones of the food-producing animals where our “raw meaty bones” are obtained to feed our dogs. My colleague the late Dr Gloria Dodd evaluated the presence of metals in pet foods and aluminum is one of the metals found in high levels.
Dr Seneff talks about the aluminum accumulation in the brain and the synergistic promotion by glyphosate. Not only do heavy metals sequester in bones, but so does the glyphosate and this is a staggeringly toxic combination. Mercury and aluminum are all the more toxic in the context of glyphosate. Vaccines become much more toxic because glyphosate inhibits detoxification organs from eliminating these chemical toxins. This combination restricts the liver’s ability to activate vitamin D and therefore accounts for the broad-spectrum vitamin D deficiency we’re seeing. Without the right stuff, we have leaky guts, allergies, overgrowth of harmful pathogens, celiac disease, SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth), and harmful pathogens like C. difficile. The bottom line is that heavy metals like mercury, in the presence of the toxin and herbicide glyphosate, means the toxins are 1,000 times more toxic than they are in isolation.

11 Ways To Combat Your Dogs Exposure To Heavy Metals:

1.  Heal Leaky Gut:
First Humans and our pets in bad shape with leaky gut will have allergies, especially to the things they’ve been eating. That’s because the gut was in fact leaking back into the blood stream which causes a sensitivity (allergy) as the body reacts to these invaders. Much more information about healing leaky gut can be found in the May-June 2016 issue of Dogs Naturally. Suffice it to say, you must remove the trauma (vaccines, processed food, etc.), support the liver; rebalance with prebiotics, probiotics and digestive enzymes; replenish with a healthy whole food diet along with aloe, slippery elm and marshmallow root; and restore with homeopathic remedies that support trauma and heal the body.
For those like myself with leaky gut and digestive issues, I use bone broths and inner leaf fillet of aloe for a week to help repair the gut. I advise using Stockton One aloe because it’s hand filleted for the inner leaf and otherwise unprocessed, and shipped frozen.
I’d give a 60 pound dog about 15 to 20 cc of this aloe by mouth twice a day. Adjust up or down depending on the size of your dog.
For the bone broth, use whole chickens, lots of joints like necks and feet, and pig bones for their chondroitin, which is very healing for the gut. Metals don’t generally store in the joints so also use a hock or stifle. Place the bones in a stockpot and cover with water; add three to four tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar, bring to a boil and simmer for at least 24 hours. Strain the broth (throw away the bones), cool and refrigerate. Fat may harden on the top and you can remove it before feeding. Give your dog a few tablespoons daily with food or as a separate snack.
Caution: Do not use high fat bones like marrow bones or pork bones for dogs with pancreatitis or Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI).
This combination is the best detox I know of for the GI tract. After a week of detoxing, I also supplement with fermented vegetables, which you can buy or make yourself.
2.  Vitamin D:
I learned in herbal certification class the importance of vitamin D in “tightening up the weave” of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, especially where it gets down to a single cell of thickness between the mucosa of the digestive tract and the bloodstream that is home to our antibodies. With adequate natural sunlight, your body can produce its own vitamin D but dogs don’t absorb much vitamin D from the sun, so they need to obtain it via whole foods like liver from grass-fed cows, whole raw eggs from free-range chickens and wild-caught fish like sardines, tuna, mackerel and salmon. Remember, your dog should have organ meats at least once a week, or as 10 percent of his diet.
3.  Prevent And Treat Candida:
If candida is present it’s probably due to heavy metals as it will eat its weight in heavy metals. It’s important not to aggravate candida as it can release more than 60 toxic substances including the heavy metals and ethanols. You must remove the cause of the poisoning or all treatments will be moot. When you treat for candida, don’t feed the beast. Get rid of the carbs, sugar and grains that shouldn’t be a part of the carnivore diet in the first place.
4.  Provide Clean, Filtered Water:
You need to provide your dog with clean drinking water, preferably mountain spring water that has been put through a filter. In this age of industrial pollution – coal burning plants, chemtrails and purple rain – you need to be cleaning your water source.  To find out more about the hidden dangers in your dogs water click here.
5.  Boost These Nutrients:
This is a list of critical nutrients that are made deficient in the face of mercury poisoning:

• Antioxidant vitamins A, C, E and vitamin D
• The complex of B vitamins, zinc, magnesium and selenium.

Coincidentally, these are also important to help treat the TH 2 polarization that happens with vaccinations.
Good sources of these nutrients that you can add to your dog’s meals include:

• Vitamin A: liver, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables, dark leafy greens, eggs
• Vitamin C: berries, citrus, red bell peppers (or, in supplement form, berry powders, ½ tsp per 25 lbs of weight)
• Vitamin E: grains, seeds and their oils, wheat germ oil
• Vitamin D: liver, eggs, oily fish like sardines, mackerel, salmon B vitamins: liver, venison (or supplement with moringa leaf powder, ½ tsp per 25 lbs)
• Zinc: red meat, poultry
• Magnesium: dark leafy greens, seeds, fish
• Selenium: oily fish, grass fed beef and beef liver, chicken, egg
• Turmeric: is a powerful supplement to help treat and prevent gene damage caused by toxins of heavy metals and glyphosate. Give 1/8 to ¼ tsp per 10 pounds of body weight per day, combined with fat (coconut oil is a good choice) and some fresh ground black pepper for better absorption.

6.  No Fake Food Or Vitamins:
I am now a firm believer that the use of chemical synthetic, isolates and imitation vitamins are NOT a long-term solution for living a life of detoxification. Synthetic vitamins can be as dangerous – if not more so – than the use of drugs. That is why I formulate intelligent supplements from whole food sources. I supplement with real whole foods and add gentle chelators like open cell wall chlorella and use super foods like spirulina.
7.  Greens, Minerals and Herbs:
The use of juvenile grasses is very detoxifying and provides the magnesium necessary to undergo a detox. Sea vegetables are used as sources of calcium, iodine and trace minerals. Herbs like curcumin, ginger and cayenne are potent antioxidants, and ginger and curcumin are amazing in DNA repair. Green leafy vegetables like spinach are a must and along with broccoli, are capable of going inside cells and turning off the switched-on inflammatory pathways. Blend or lightly steam veggies to increase digestibility, then add one tablespoon to the dinner of smaller dogs, or three to four tablespoons for larger dogs.
Broccoli sprouts are a potent anti-inflammatory and you can buy the sprouts at most grocery stores, or purchase a concentrated powder; this latter is actually the most effective delivery method.
8.  Probiotics And More:
Probiotics help restore healthy gut bacteria and are responsible for so many things, from gene repair to the synthesis of nutrients like vitamin B 12. Probiotics are also very helpful in removing mercury from the body if the mercury doesn’t kill them first. Cultivating a gut garden of beneficial bugs is one of my favorite ways to get my patients healthy. Probiotics from whole foods include kefir and fermented vegetables. Add a teaspoon or two to the dinner of small dogs, or as much as a tablespoon or two for larger dogs. You can also give your dog a high quality refrigerated probiotic supplement. If it’s made for animals, follow the package directions; otherwise, for human products, assume the dose is for a 150 pound person and adjust for your dog’s weight.
Amino acids, the primary building blocks of proteins, are also an integral part of the detoxification process. Dogs need a range of amino acids found in different protein sources so feeding your dog a variety of meats as well as fish and eggs will provide these nutrients.
Digestive enzymes are a good way to boost health and to prop up your heavy metal damaged patient while they are recovering. Our carnivore pets will need enzymes as well to utilize the plant foods given as medicine. Your dog’s enzyme supplement should include a wide variety of enzymes.
Cellulase is a plant enzyme and one that I make sure is part of the detoxification plan. It’s not an enzyme the dogs would even make, but it’s an enzyme needed to help digest cellulose from plant material. It also just so happens to help pull mercury out of the body. Since mercury destroys our enzymes in general I like to supplement with a lot of catalysts like this. Look for plant enzyme supplements that contain cellulase.  
9.  Feed Probiotics With Prebiotics:
Prebiotics are the preferred food sources for the probiotics. Prebiotics occur naturally in a number of common foods with high fiber content including cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and spinach. I also use carrots, beets and spirulina for the beneficial bugs I want to cultivate in the gut. When you cultivate the right garden of beneficial bugs and probiotics, the health of the gut is established and restores detoxification ability as well as assimilation of critical nutrients. Add a teaspoon or two for small dogs; a tablespoon or two or three for larger dogs.
10.  Raw Food For Detox:
I can’t tell you how much I really hate fake foods. Get rid of commercially processed foods and don’t use chemical synthetic vitamins. Go for raw and whole foods, add fermented foods and supplement intelligently with whole food based supplements. Just getting the dog on a good raw whole food diet and off commercial, processed food is detoxing. It’s even better if the food is from organic sources and grass fed animals, and even better if it’s biodynamic.  
11.  Glandulars:
Glandulars are a must-have and I source mine from neonatal animals from grassfed mothers and not from slaughterhouses where industrially raised older animals are often the victims of lots of drugs, hormones and vaccinations. I also found that large populations of cows were being fed candy corn during a bad hay year! Seriously! I can’t imagine how screwed up a cow is going to be when industrially raised to the point they are line fed candy corn with all that high fructose corn syrup that includes – guess what? MERCURY!
Is Detox Working? As the body detoxifies, it is not uncommon to experience flu-like symptoms including headache, joint and muscle pain, body aches, sore throat, general malaise, sweating, chills, nausea or other symptoms. This is known as the Herxheimer Reaction and it is short-term, from days to a few weeks. Detoxing in your dog can mean discharging from ears, eyes, skin, rectum – some unsavory stuff. If the animal is really toxic the discharges will be more extreme – like diarrhea. I’m seeing fewer extreme cases as more people feed their dogs raw, species-appropriate diets and minimize vaccinations.
What you see with detoxing can be amazing: old dogs getting off the couch and joining back into activities, more cognitive function and awareness, more life or spark to their being. Lipomas shrink down, coats get better and grow in shinier and the skin gets healthy. As our largest organ, the skin is reflective of the immune system as a whole. Eyes get clearer and there is regression of lenticular cloudiness.
This provides some essential basics to begin a detox. If you can only make subtle changes that helps. An every day gentle detox will be able to keep your pets healthier. Of course, when I individualize a detoxification program for a patient I can go into greater detail with protocols specific to each case. Working with someone knowledgeable ensures there is someone to handle a crisis like diarrhea with homeopathy or some other natural remedies.
Detoxification Is An Every Day Practice:
If there is one thing I would impart as a final word it would be to start adding these steps so you can detox yourself and your pets every day. We’re no longer living in a world where you can take clean or safe for granted. It is better to face the facts and know that reversing chronic disease is a lifetime process.

• Avoid chemicals and toxins in every way: household cleaners, body products and lawn care. Grow your own food or get to know your local farmer.
• Become diligent in your sourcing for clean, unprocessed food. Learn about biodynamic farming and step up from organic to biodynamic.
• Don’t allow the dysregulation of your immune system or that of your four-legged companion with unsafe and unnecessary vaccinations and drugs.
• Spend time in the sunshine. There is a host of nutrition that comes from the sun.
• Exercise is vital. You don’t purge spent mitochondria or make new ones without it. Your lymphatic system won’t work without it. Your brain doesn’t work without it.
• Make friends with beneficial bugs through pre- and probiotics and enzymes. Learn to ferment and sprout and implement both of these nutritious foods today. These are for the whole family, two-legged and four-legged.
• It sounds simplistic but it’s one foot in front of the other, step by step. Every step you take makes the next one easier toward a life of ongoing detoxification.

My holistic vet used this extract with my 8 week old puppy 5 years ago to stabilize the urinary track and it worked great.  Of course the Raw Diet is also a plus in preventing so many other health problems in our pets.  This is just another reason to feed our pets a raw species appropriate diet. I am a firm believer in feeding a raw diet.
​By Dr. Becker
Bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs) are fairly common in dogs, and similar to humans, females are more often affected. E. coli bacteria is responsible for about half of all canine UTIs.
The development of a urinary tract infection is the result of a change in a dog’s immune defenses that allows pathogenic bacteria to proliferate. This can be the result of a disease process, the dog’s individual anatomy, the use of catheters, and certain drugs.
For example, dogs with diabetes or Cushing's disease (hyperadrenocorticism), dogs who are treated repeatedly with steroids (e.g., prednisone), and hospitalized dogs who are catheterized have more E. coli-related bacterial UTIs than other dogs.
Unfortunately, adding antibiotics to the mix can further increase the risk, as does the increasing age of the dog.
Risks Associated With Chronic Urinary Tract InfectionsUrinary tract infections are treated with antibiotics. For treatment to be successful, it’s important that the appropriate drug is selected (which requires a culture and sensitivity test), and the length of therapy is adequate.
There are many side effects of antibiotic use, including gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms that can lead to the dog’s owner not giving the drug as prescribed, the dog refusing the drug, and/or decreased absorption leading to inadequate levels of antibiotic in the blood or urine.
These issues can interfere with the elimination of the bacteria that is causing the UTI, and can also contribute to antibiotic resistance. When a dog has recurring UTIs, it can be the result of a too-short course of antibiotic therapy, or the inability of the drug to reach the location of the bacteria.
Sometimes, relapses occur very quickly after a course of antibiotics is finished; other times, the infection reappears after some time has passed, in which case it can be mistaken for a new infection.
Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem in both human and veterinary medicine. A 2008 study revealed that bacterial resistance is highest in dogs with recurrent E. coli-related urinary tract infections.1
An earlier study identified E. coli bacteria in two dogs that proved resistant to 12 different antibiotics over the span of two weeks.2
Study Shows Cranberry Extract May Prevent UTIsRecently, a team of researchers from the College of Veterinary Medicine at National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan conducted a study to determine the effects of cranberry extract on the development of urinary tract infections in dogs.3
They also wanted to measure the adherence of E. coli bacteria to canine kidney cells.
The team studied 12 pet dogs in one experiment, and six additional dogs in a second experiment. In the first experiment, the 12 dogs all had a history of recurrent UTIs (at least three infections in the previous year).
Six of the 12 received an antibiotic for two weeks, while the remaining dogs received cranberry extract for six months. Over the course of the six-month study, none of the 12 dogs developed a UTI.
In the second experiment, six dogs received cranberry extract for 60 days. In urine samples taken at 30 and 60 days, E. coli adhesion to kidney cells was significantly reduced compared to samples taken before the dogs began the extract. The researchers concluded that:
“Oral administration of cranberry extract prevented development of a UTI and prevented E. coli adherence to MDCK [canine kidney] cells, which may indicate it has benefit for preventing UTIs in dogs.”4
Translation: Cranberry extract appears to be as or more effective in preventing E. coli-related urinary tract infections in dogs as short-term antimicrobial treatment — without the side effects. In addition, cranberry extract can help fight multi-drug resistant bacteria in dogs with recurrent E. coli UTIs.
I recommend choosing an organic cranberry extract with D-mannose, which is a simple sugar closely related to glucose that occurs naturally in cranberries, peaches, apples, other berries and some plants.
D-mannose is fully absorbed (but does not prompt an insulin release or rock blood glucose levels, so there’s no negative systemic side effects) and quickly travels to the kidneys, then the bladder, and is excreted in urine.
D-mannose goes to work in your dog’s bladder, where it adheres to E. coli lectins. Almost all the D-mannose winds up in urine, which in turn coats the E. coli bacteria so it can’t stick to the walls of the bladder, and is rinsed out of the body when your dog urinates.
Symptoms of a Urinary Tract InfectionSome signs your dog may have a urinary tract infection include:

Suddenly urinating in the house
Constant licking of urinary openings

Visible blood in the urine; dark or cloudy urine
Loss of bladder control; urine dribbling

Inability to pass urine; passing very little urine
Vomiting, lethargy and lack of appetite

Straining to urinate; crying out in pain
Drinking more water than usual

I have to post this article by Rodney Habib because so many people really don't understand how many carbohydrates are in kibble and they really think they are getting a better quality food when paying more for their grain free product.
For me feeding a raw diet is the only way to go.  My dogs don't need carbohydrates that turn into sugar any more than I do.  
​
By Rodney Habib Pet Nutrition Blogger
“ ‘Grain Free’ is a descriptor for pet food intended to mean no corn, soy, wheat, barley or oats. This is the epitome of false security and I don’t know who to criticize more loudly, the consumer that buys it or the marketer who pushes it. “ - Dr. Richard Patton, PhD
With an obesity epidemic on our hands (60% of pets), along with the skyrocketing statistics surrounding diabetes and cancer, is grain-free pet food really the answer?
Today, grain-free pet foods account for nearly 30% of pet food sales in the retail channel, hitting almost 24% growth in 2014, adding up to a total of US $2.2 billion sold in US pet stores.
With more and more pet parents flooding to these type of foods in hopes of remedying allergies and obesity, why are things getting worse and not better for today’s kibble-fed pet?
According to Dr. Patton, pet parents are missing the point:
“First of all, the problem is not grain, it is SOLUBLE CARBOHYDRATE, and the absence of specific grains does nothing to lessen the problem. (I know there are those who condemn corn specifically, and its vast monoculture may indeed predispose some deficiency in its nutrient makeup. But I assure you this is minor compared to the problem of excess starch.) The starch needed for the manufacturing process is obtained in other ways, such as potatoes, rice or peas.”
It’s the starch (aka sugar) levels that are the problem in pet food, not so much the grain aspect (although most grains are beaming with starch!).
So, with a carb average in pet food being around 40%, is this a good level? Or is it too high for an obligate (cat) and facultative carnivore (dog)?
Well, according to researchers, the average evolutionary diet of the dog or cat was around 4% carbs!
“So here we come to the fundamental point: Not only is the modern dry diet higher in soluble carbohydrate than anything animals ever ate throughout evolution, but also the animal’s biological machinery was perfected to eke out a survival in a world with near constant lack of soluble carbohydrate.” – Dr. Patton
Furthermore, according to Dr. Jean Dodds, high glycemic starches and cereal grains used in pet foods are the leading cause of the rampant obesity and chronic disease pervading the canine population. She believes these starches have resulted in the decades-long deterioration in the health of our nation's dogs and landed us right in the middle of a national canine health crisis, where obesity and chronic disease are the norm, not the exception.
The bottom line here, my fellow pet parents of the planet, is that pet food manufacturers switched to grain-free foods because we, the public, demanded it (vilifying fats and grains), not because they wanted too.
Basically, every time our pets would itch or scratch, we would self-diagnose, and grains had to be the problem. So we set out in search of grain-less foods and, in return, the manufacturers offered us starchy vegetables and legumes to compensate.
Why?
Because the kibble machinery cannot function without starchy carbohydrates in the pet food mix. It’s impossible. Well, unless you are a raw food manufacturer.
Next time you head out to buy a bag of food, compare the carb contents of the grain-free bag you’re about to purchase, with the other grain-based bag the manufacturer offers. You will see both bags have the same amounts of carbs & starches which, ultimately, your pets’ bodies will convert to sugar, leading to a whole host of future problems.
Moral of the story: don’t be duped and fall for the grain-free hype! If you want to drop all those sugary starches, try switching to a fresh, clean, whole food diet rich in ethically raised meat-based proteins.
Rodney Habib - Pet Nutrition Blogger
"An educated, informed and well-researched community of pet owners can only put more pressure on the pet food industry to be better! When pet owners know better, they will only do better!"

This article is by Rodney Habib and it is what all pet owners that feed commercial pet food should read.  I have tried to explain this to many people who just don't understand how the pet industry is deceiving the consumer.  This article explains it very well.
​
Rodney Habib - Pet Nutrition Blogger

According the to the Petfood Industry Community: “47% of pet owners say they are looking for real meat as the No. 1 ingredient listed on a bag of pet food.”
And guess what? The pet food manufacturer knows this!
What Is Ingredient Splitting?
“Ingredient splitting is the deceptive practice of subdividing a more abundant — yet inferior quality — ingredient into smaller portions.
This dubious tactic can be used to artificially raise a meat item to a higher position on an ingredients list — and lower an inferior one
Being able to divide a dominant ingredient into smaller portions permits any pet food company to trick you into believing there’s more meat in a product than there actually is.” – Dog Food Advisor
This trick can be done with almost any ingredient in a bag of pet food!
For instance, in the photo a random bag of pet food was chosen that was labeled Pork and Peas. The pea ingredient has been broken down into 3 different categories: peas, pea flour and pea protein. By breaking them down into different categories, the weight of the peas can be divided into three, leaving the meat ingredient on top of the list. Pure genius!! (Not really)
The peas outnumber the meat, almost a 3:1 ratio. Rather than the bag being called peas and pork, it can now be labeled pork and peas because of this sneaky trick!
Some other examples to look for when ingredient splitting can occur:
Corn: Corn gluten meal, corn flour, and whole ground corn
Rice: whole rice, white rice, brown rice, rice flour and rice bran
Potatoes: dried potatoes, potato starch, potato protein, and potato flour
Ready for the real kicker?
Pet food labels are listed before the cooking process.
Even though a product lists pork as the first ingredient, the pork meat still includes about 70-75% water. Once extruded, the moisture is removed and left at around 10%, so the pork will have shrunk to 25% of the original amount while dry ingredients, like the different pea categories, will not change that much!
“So, the next time you see a meat item as the first ingredient on the list — don’t be too impressed. Or you could become the next victim of the pet food industry’s ability to re-order its ingredients list to suit its marketing strategy.” – dogfoodadvisor.com
Rodney Habib - Pet Nutrition Blogger
"An educated, informed and well-researched community of pet owners can only put more pressure on the pet food industry to be better! When pet owners know better, they will only do better!"
 

​Some people don't feed grains anymore.  The raw diet looks more at the meat protein and vegetables for the dogs nutrition.  If you want to use grains this article gives some great suggestions for quality grains to use.  I would make sure they are organic for so many grains are sprayed at the seed level to eliminate pests create a faster growing crop.
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By AUDI DONAMOR

​In your quest for a healthy diet for your dog or cat, you’ve probably come up against the grain controversy more than once. Should your animal eat grains or not? Which ones should be avoided, and which are okay?
Whole versus refined 
The right whole grains have a lot to offer our animals. The key word here is “whole”. Whole grains are comprised of three parts.
1The bran is the multi-layered outer skin of the kernel.
2 The germ is the embryo; if it is fertilized by pollen, it will sprout into a new plant. It’s a valuable source of many B vitamins, protein, minerals and essential fatty acids.
3 The endosperm is the germ’s food supply, providing essential energy to the young plant. It is the largest portion of the kernel, and contains carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals.
Refined grains are missing their bran and germ, leaving only the endosperm. Without the bran and germ, about 25% of the grain’s protein is lost, along with at least 17 important nutrients, including fiber, vitamins, minerals, lignans, phytosterols and other plant compounds.
Aren’t carbs “bad”? 
Don’t be misled by the blanket statement that carbohydrates are dangerous to dogs and cats. You just need to choose quality over quantity. Complex carbohydrates sustain energy, support organ function and promote overall health by providing vitamins, minerals, fiber, healthy fats and phytochemicals. Poor hair growth and continuous shedding are one of the symptoms of carbohydrate deficiency.
Carbohydrates maintain the health of the thyroid, liver, heart, brain and nerve tissues, and regulate how much starch and fat will be broken down and utilized or stored in the liver in the form of glycogen, which controls the balance of energy. Glycogen reserves regulate protein metabolism and protect cells from malfunction and injury. The heart and thyroid gland need glycogen, and some is stored in the cardiac muscle.
Glossary of healthy grains
• Oats are one of the world’s healthiest foods. They are nutrient dense and provide sustained energy. They contain manganese, selenium, tryptophan, phosphorus, vitamin B1, dietary fiber, magnesium and protein. Oats contain a special type of fiber called beta-glucan, which lowers cholesterol and helps reduce the risk of heart disease, and supports the immune system against bacterial infections, viruses, fungi and parasites. Betaglucans help stabilize blood sugar levels and inhibit the growth of tumors. Oats contain 20 unique polyphenols called avenanthramides, which have potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and even anti-itching properties. Adding oat bran to your animal’s daily diet is an easy way to give him valuable fiber, and additional support if anal glands or hairballs are a problem.
• Barley is another of the world’s healthiest foods. It is a cooling whole grain that supports the intestines, stomach, spleen, pancreas and kidneys. It supports healthy thyroid function and immunity, is an excellent source of dietary fiber, and helps lower blood cholesterol. Barley is an excellent source of selenium, which inhibits the proliferation of cancer cells. Selenium works alongside vitamin E to be cardio-protective and lessen the symptoms of arthritis. Tryptophan, copper, manganese and phosphorus also contribute to barley’s excellent nutritional profile. Cooked barley can be added to your animal’s regular meals.
• Rice nurtures the centre of the body, including the spleen and the pancreas, and soothes the stomach (in Traditional Chinese Medicine). It is a pH neutral grain and helps remove toxins from the liver. Whole brown rice is a rich source of manganese, selenium and magnesium. Manganese is a crucial component of the antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase (SOD), which provides protection against damage from free radicals. Whole brown rice is about as wholesome as you can get. Whole grain brown rice milk is a novel way of providing your animal with all the goodness of whole grains. The rice used in these products is not milled or polished, so it retains all the vitamins and minerals, contains no added sugar or fat, and is also cholesterol, gluten and dairy free.
• Amaranth, quinoa, teff and buckwheat, while considered “pseudo grains”, are usually included alongside the true cereal grains because their nutritional profile, preparation and uses are so similar. Teff is an African cereal grass that contains more calcium than whole oats and more iron than whole barley. Quinoa is actually an amino acid-packed protein seed. It is considered a complete protein, because it contains all nine essential amino acids, including lysine, vital to tissue growth and repair. Quinoa also contains vitamin B6, niacin, thiamin, potassium, riboflavin, zinc, copper, manganese, magnesium, folic acid and vitamin E. It is a perfect substitute for regular whole grains and is gluten free. Whole grains contain more natural fats than refined grains, so store them in a cool, dry dark place, or in the refrigerator.