A veterinarian (they/her) looking to help spread research based information to all! There is so much that people don't know about how to care for their animals, and I want to help get the information people need out to them! I've been in practice for over a decade and hope that you will join me - you'll learn something! ko-fi.com/vetmedcorner linktr.ee/VetMedCorner
I'm adding water to canned food but I immediately serve it. I have 2 dogs, one of them drinks enough water but other one really does not drink enough water. She drinks like once a day. She has been this way since we got her. She had some constipation problems while on kibble but now she's good. You said healthy dog will drink enough but when only symptom is that she don't drink enough vets just don't say anything about it. I asked 3-4 different vets. Would you issue some tests if your patient came with this complaint? We adopted her very old so it could be even trauma related. She is scared of getting wet as well.
Yes, a dog that is having issues with hard stool should prompt at least a few questions. Things like: is the necessary water husbandry basics implemented? Does your dog have collar tags that clink on the dishes (a lot of animals don't like that sound)? Is a properly formulated, research based diet that meets WSAVA guidelines being fed? When was the last bloodwork panel and urinalysis? When was the last dental procedure (including full mouth intra oral x-rays)? What pain management medication was used for the trial of pain medication? How long was it given for?
While those companies are excellent at marketing, they would *never* be options that I would consider feeding for any of my pets. When diets are improperly formulated they are causing nutritionally related heart issues (ie daDCM) and none of the options you listed are properly formulated, research based, nor do they meet WSAVA guidelines. It's truly so very important to feed research based, properly formulated diets that meet WSAVA guidelines!
"pets get thirsty, and then they drink" aren't there numerous studies proving that cats have an extremely low thirst drive when it comes to actual water and... won't hydrate themselves adequately if they are eating kibble? i'm not saying that makes it better to add water to their kibble, especially if the downsides are as you say, but to say that all pets will hydrate themselves perfectly on their own when iirc cats have been proven to absolutely not do that is misleading.
No, the research doesn't demonstrate what you claim. It's a myth perpetrated by people who are fear mongering. The reality is that cats fed kibble or canned will maintain the same body water content. There are many factors affecting water intake in cats other than the form of the food, including protein and mineral content, as well as energy density of the formula. Therefore, simply feeding a canned diet is not guaranteed to increase water intake. What's most important is to feed a properly formulated, research based diet that meets WSAVA guidelines *and* always have the necessary basics of water husbandry implemented (which for cats also includes at least one fountain and pulling the water sources away from the wall as cats need the option to position themselves with their back to the wall so they can monitor the room while they drink). This is with the caveat that the cat is healthy. There are some specific medical conditions where we may prefer a canned prescription formula for that specific cat.
@@VetMedCorner interesting. considering how much people preach that cats won’t ever drink enough water by itself to maintain hydrated, it’s shocking that it’s inaccurate. I’ll definitely do my own deep research after hearing this since all of the surface research i’ve ever found has said they don’t drink enough on their own.
When you read that it's from non experts. Search for information from research based expert consensus statements. In this case, that would be veterinary nutritionists. As you will find, they don't say anywhere that cats 'require' canned food in any way. They don't say it because it's not true. As is noted above, feed a properly formulated, research based diet that meets WSAVA guidelines and implement appropriate husbandry. ETA SkeptVet does some excellent, research based, fair overviews of research on topics. Here's his blog on canned vs kibble for cats: skeptvet.com/2019/09/canned-or-dry-food-which-is-better-for-cats/ As he summarizes, there are no clear cut benefits from the decades of research for feeding one over the other. One thing I didn't mention above was that the feline GI tract is meant to eat many (ie 9 ish) small meals per day. Fulfilling that is far more possible for people to do via kibble in food puzzles (which also addresses feline specific enrichment needs - ie their behaviour pattern of nap, hunt, eat and repeat) compared to canned food meals that can't be left out for extended periods of time. So for most people, I end up recommending a combination of canned and kibble in order to best meet the species specific enrichment and GI needs while also still offering some texture variety so that if/when the cat develops a medical issue and requires a prescription formula that they will be more likely to accept it which makes their treatment plan more likely to be more successful.
@@VetMedCorner i appreciate you taking the time to provide your professional input. i have heard certified nutritionists corroborate the claim, so at least to my knowledge it hasn’t just been from non-experts. either way it’s important to digest all angles of information and i definitely appreciate yours! it is eye opening.
@desadia unfortunately, there's no such thing as a certified nutritionist in pet nutrition. Anyone can claim to be one after any amount (or lack thereof) of education and experience. If it's not a veterinary nutritionist, it's not an expert. Here's my video where I cover the topic, and the WSAVA guidelines, in more detail ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eXiqSKUWp0c.htmlsi=5A0bBqivvXlWlXMO
My cat has this but she doesn’t have fleas, our house is really clean, and she’s only one years old. Her skin doesn’t ripple but she bites at her tail and runs away or jumps on the couch. She also looks at her tail and hits it on the floor and runs away. What do we do? We took her to the vet twice and she’s still doing it!
As is noted in the video, a proper pain medication trial and consulting a veterinary neurologist are both a necessary part of the medical work up that you don't mention having done yet. Keep advocating for your cat! 💪
this is very interesting. I'm surprised at the sheer amount of water added here. I do this but the water barely covers the bottom of the bowl and doesn't bloat the food up like this.
I feed my dog with kibble and sometimes I add soup to it. Soup as in, I have a couple of fish parts I'm not going to cook, I just boil them and place the fish mixed with the kibble, and then I add some of the soup cuz most of the flavor is there, so why not. Usually he takes a long time to eat at all because he's a lord and will not eat disgusting premium kibble, what is he, an animal? But adding the extra flavors always makes him clean his plate. He also is dumb and won't drink often unless he's either literally exhausted after an entire day (is that normal?? taking more than 10 hours to take a sippy at all) or I offer water from my hand, (he has stainless bowl and he has clean water) because he is a king and will not bend down to society expectations. So adding soup makes him hydrated and I think that staying hydrated is good for my liege. But I'm not vet, so I watched the video with utmost attention. The specific kibble I feed him does not inflate, so that's one thing less to worry about. But I hear the bloating risks, I never considered it. However, I would not be very alarmed. You were only able to cite one experiment with beagles, and that tells me this is not a very researched topic. Different animals need different things from their diets, and what harms them might be different as well depending on their breed. Of course I'm not saying you should always add water, I myself do this scarcely, I'm just saying that, in case you do (for whatever reason), you should see what happens after you do it. Water is usually harmless, but as you said, bloating risks exist (in beagles). After you've fed kibble with water to your dog, were there any issues? Did your specific breed of dog have unexplicable diahrrea in the days after? I know mine didn't, so I wouldn't say it's harmful to add liquid to his foods, but I will from now on be more careful in watching him and how he reacts to the things I give him. I love my precious shiba, a big hello to other pet owners who might read this, take good care of your babies!
Unfortunately, you've misunderstood a lot of the video. Here's the link to the previous video discussing more about the risks of bloat/GDV. There are dozens of studies on bloat/GDV as a topic ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-aZ04-Xrz8rg.htmlsi=pH_OCDTmpNH2aJjA The beagle study was specifically on the risks of adding water to kibble (ie hurting the gut microbiome, increasing stress hormones in the body etc), none of which you would be able to tell simply by looking at your dog at home. This study had nothing to do with bloat/GDV risks. ETA one thing I didn't mention in this video was that it's crucial to be feeding a properly formulated, research based diet that meets WSAVA guidelines. And it's very important to remember that *all* treats/toppers/soup/etc must stay under 10% of your dog's daily caloric intake otherwise you are unbalancing the diet. I hope this helps to clarify things! All the best
@@VetMedCornerThank you for your quick reply. I am not a follower of your channel, in fact this is the first video I see of you, so I have zero context in regard of other videos you've made in the past. If you think your old content is relevant to the present video, I think making a disclaimer and putting it in a card or in the description is the best thing to do so other people can keep up. I am not sure about what I misunderstood, however. You presented a single study conducted on young beagles, a study that concluded that adding water to kibble gave them digestive problems such as diarrhea. Then you mentioned that adding water could cause bloating. I'm pretty sure I understood those two facts correctly and I said I'd keep an eye out for it. My dog is very expressive and if he felt bad I'm pretty sure I'd notice, for he is a drama queen. And I'd definitely notice the diarrhea or variations in his feces, but I never encountered such a problem. Again, this is my personal experience and other pet owners may encounter themselves on a different situation depending on their dog breed, hence why I said I recommend for people to be attentive of their pets. My conclusion was just that we can't really make such heavy statements on banning things with just one study as reference. More research needs to be done to make sure the issues didn't come from other external factors, or even that the same result is replicable in other study groups. We simply lack information to make such heavy statements. Sure, with one result we might recommend not doing it, but I think strictly banning it is a reach. Again, thank you for your time, and if I'm misunderstanding something else and you want to dedicate your time to it, please do tell me where I'm wrong.
@kaitogirldraws feel free to check both the video and the description... As the video on bloat/GDV is in both spots If you watched the video you would also note that I mentioned there are rare (often temporary) situations where it might be necessary to add water to kibble but that it's not appropriate to do for animals outside of those situations. You may also want to read my first comment again as it appears you are still conflating a poor microbiome, elevated inflammation and stress hormones with bloat/GDV. As I noted above, there's zero way for you to look at a dog and know if they are dealing with microbiome/stress hormone imbalances. Welcome to VMC!
@@VetMedCornerYou are correct in that you added the bloat/GDV in both spots, I was misremembering, my bad. You do mention it around 3:30 "If you watched the video"... Kind of aggressive there, not gonna lie. I guess it's my fault for forgetting the part with the video insert. I did not mention the part where you talk about situations when you should or might want to add water for medical reasons, because my dog does not enter that category, he's perfectly healthy and those reasons do not apply. My earlier comments stand, one study should not be enough to consider something inappropriate, we need to search this topic more to be sure about the real risks.
@kaitogirldraws as is already noted, there are dozens of studies on bloat/GDV so this is not based solely on the one study. That is only one aspect of the topic being discussed. Until we have *any* research demonstrating there is *any* benefit to doing this (instead of all the studies demonstrating only risks), then it's irresponsible to recommend people do it (save for the rare situations that it's warranted).
Thank you. i just lost my cat who always begged me to wet her food (i dont remember why my mom and i started doing it) and i didnt realize what i was doing to her. im so sorry now. thank you.
There are a few things to consider - are you already feeding a research based diet that meets WSAVA guidelines? Is it one designed for more sensitive GI tracts? Do you already have all the required feline water husbandry basics implemented? What did your veterinarian say about your cat's stool? Was the bloodwork panel (including thyroid) all normal? What pain medication was used for the pain management medication trial? For how long? What did the abdominal imaging show (was it x-rays or ultrasound or both)? When was the last dental procedure (including full mouth intra oral x-rays) done?
One of my huskies refused to eat kibble unless it was floated, so I ended up doing it under the “fed is best” notion until he grew out of it/I found other ways to convince him that eating is a thing he needs to do to continue living. The trick now is that he will only eat if you put the food bowl directly under his face and it’s covered in freeze dried treats. 🫠
The most common reasons for an unreliable appetite are: the dog is being over fed (ie the dog is not thinner than a 4/9 BCS) so is full and doesn't eat more, the dog is not being fed a properly formulated, research based diet that meets WSAVA guidelines, and/or the dog has a medical issue that is impacting their appetite (dental pain, arthritis pain, other pain, nausea, abdominal cramping, GI upset, kidney issues, hypothyroidism etc etc etc)
i let the kibbke stay in water a bit to make it mushy and then squash the food with a fork so it is easier to chew/does not hurt the gums/reopen wounds in the mouth, after the dog has been to the vet and pulled teeth. sometimes i also add half half wet kibble + canned wet dog food.
Yes, it's absolutely a good idea to offer (ideally) canned food, or when that's not possible, softened kibble after a dental procedure. It's generally necessary for around 2 weeks after extractions.
My 7 lb dog has most of her teeth pulled (just a few molars in the back) and she handles kibble amazingly well -- she also learned how to chew her "bones" (nothing that can't be dented with a fingernail) for enrichment just like a "normal" dog (because she is!)
@chloereed8792 absolutely! Once the mouth has healed most pets go back to eating things like they used to (although some will seem to prefer a canned formula). I'm so glad your dog's mouth is so comfortable and that they have adapted so well! 💜🐾
My IBS dog seems to be more excited about kibble with water on it. Not a large amount of water. Mostly a good drizzle. Now I’m worried I’m doing more harm than good. She still is having flares and loose stool. So now I’m a bit concerned. Ty
I presume that you are already feeding a prescription gastro formula, in which case you could consider trialing a small amount of the same formula in the canned version. However, the vast majority of the time when a dog isn't "excited" about a meal it's one of two things: the dog is overfed, so is full and/or the dog has a medical issue that's impacting their appetite (which would be incredibly likely in a dog with IBS). As your dog still has symptoms then you need to discuss the next treatment steps with the internal medicine specialist. This often includes things like a prescription hypoallergenic diet trial, and/or medications to help reduce symptoms.
Cytopoint is amazing. The dermatologist recommended it for my buddy along with yumove oil for itchy skin, protexin synbiotic dc and a weekly bath with douxo3. Shes not had the cytopoint since april this year and so far is doing really well. Shes a VERY anxious dog and i think her itchiness may be linked to her anxiety somehow and as shes become more resilient, maybe thats why the need for the cytopoint has diminished. Whatever is going on, cytopoint really helped and gave her some peace from the itchiness.
What's more likely is that the inflammation/itching in the skin bothers your dog and worsens any fear/stress/anxiety so you note a change in behaviour. I'm so very glad that you and the veterinary dermatologist have found a plan that works for your dog!!! Cytopoint is absolutely wonderful!
This should prompt (at a minimum) two things. First, are you already feeding a properly formulated, research based diet that meets WSAVA guidelines? Is it designed for small breed dogs? Second, has your veterinarian done full mouth intra oral x-rays (and possibly an exam of the jaw hinge joint) to check for any signs of oral pain? Does your dog have any medical issues or other GI symptoms? This is one of those situations where it's most likely the first recommendation to consider a canned formula while you make sure there aren't any other issues causing your dog to want softened kibble.
@@VetMedCorner I live in Japan and so I don't have the same kind of dog foods that people tend to recommend? I feed her a dog food that's pretty high quality from what I was told by the vet here, and sometimes even mix a little bit of ground beef or boiled chicken. She will happily eat the soaked kibble but if she notices there are any hard kibble in the bowl she will not eat, she will even puke from hunger. I asked a few vets about it before and they all say "if she eats the food soaked then just soak it, it's no issue" after checking if she had any teeth or gum soreness. She will chew on hard chews so they determine it's not a pain issue.
I've covered who pet nutrition experts are and what the WSAVA guidelines are in a previous video, I'll grab it for you ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eXiqSKUWp0c.htmlsi=Q0O_Leq7s7eHwXwu Would a list of options that meet WSAVA guidelines be helpful for you? If your dog hasn't had intraoral x-rays it's not possible to rule out dental pain as at least 50% of dental disease is invisible (under the gumline) and your dog may gnaw in spots that don't hurt (but that they can't avoid when eating).
Thank you so much for this video! I’ve looked for information on this in the past and it’s very hard for a laymen to find research backed sources online and I’ve seen people passionately arguing either way. I do have a question if you are able? I am confused about the issue with plastic bowls. Humans frequently use plastic dishes for eating, cooking and drinking. As long as it is properly sanitized such as with a heated dishwasher cycle like most human dishes why would there be an issue with persistent bacteria? Is there some issue with the constant saturation in water? Or is the worry that owners would be using lower quality plastics that can’t be cleaned that way? Apologies I’m not trying to come off argumentative I’m genuinely curious if I should switch out all my cheap dishes at home 😅
Yes, you absolutely need to stop using plastic dishes for your pets. The problem is that as they get used they get wear that includes tiny scratches which harbor bacteria etc and that are impossible to clean. You must use glass or stainless (or possibly a good quality ceramic) dishes.
@@VetMedCornerThank you for taking the time to answer. My pets use ceramic dishes at home, I was referring to my own cups and mixing bowls at home, apologies for the confusion. Your explanation of micro-scratches makes sense to me, that was not where my confusion is. My career involves human medicine and I’m aware that most plastics aside from certain kinds of silicone are not considered body safe because they are porous and will grow bacteria similarly. However for humans this recommendation applies to plastics that will be in contact with sensitive mucus membranes and that will be exposed to known dangerous bacteria such as from storage of raw meat. As far as I am aware there is no danger with persistent bacteria growth on human plastic dish ware from regular use as long as they are properly cleaned with a dishwasher or sanitizing solution. I am confused as to what factors lead to pet water dishes being more prone to harmful bacteria growth? Is it the consistent use to hold standing water? Or am I mistaken and this is a concern with things like plastic Tupperware for humans that I should be more concerned about? I’d hate to be propagating harmful bacteria in my leftovers without realizing it.
@rowancombs4176 oh, gotcha! My apologies for misunderstanding. Yes, 'contact time' plus how there's a significant difference in how a human (generally) brushes their teeth, washes their hands and refills a cup of water many times throughout a day vs a dog who eats fecal material, grooms their own butthole/penis/vulva with their tongue, sniffs other animals' rear ends etc etc etc and then sticks their face into a water dish that (hopefully) gets cleaned and replaced once/day. So so so many people don't even know to do the once daily cleaning and full water replacement because they use 'self waterers' or other terrible products which is incredibly frustrating. I'm not an expert in human leftover food storage so can't offer advice there, but I hope I've helped clear up your other questions!
@@VetMedCornerYou absolutely have thank you so much! That makes a lot of sense, and I totally agree that that’s one more easy risk factor to mitigate. You’ve also given me something new to look into when it come to how safe plastic food storage is for humans over time, which I always appreciate. Thank you so much for your time and sharing your expertise!
Your question made me ponder who to even try ask about food storage... Maybe a microbiologist? I'm honestly not sure! But I hope you are able to find out!!!
I caught my girl's GDV very quickly. Earlier that evening we were out at a park when the parks lawn irrigation turned on. It was air and water coming out like a jet and my girl went to bite the stream of water aggressively. She took in quite a bit before I got to her. I had suspicion she took in a lot of air also. AN hour or so later. She began circling and circling in the living room and then laid down at the water dish and drank like crazy. a few minutes later I felt her abdomen start to swell and she vomited and nothing came up. I called ER vet because I thought she was bloating and she was. I was there under 10 minutes. Successful surgery and excellent recover. Time is TISSUE. Dead tissue = eminent death
Here's the video that covers bloat/GDV in more detail - one of the biggest risk factors that we have control over is feeding a large meal ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-aZ04-Xrz8rg.html
This describes my cat to a Perfect T. He just put his paw under my eye. His claws werent fully extended but they were out. Thank God he didn't scratch my eye but he could have, very easily.
I can’t believe people support this guy. Wearing sunglasses alone and harassing dogs is an immediate red flag and he should be locked up possibly in an asylum. I do think flashing the picture of Cesar Milan is wrong because he paved the right way to rehabilitate dogs teach owners which is the correct road albeit we have learned even better ways to teach dogs today. Some people do need a quicker fix unfortunately and don’t have the time for this and I’m not going to judge as long as dogs have loving homes not everyone is perfect. I agree this DD guy is creepy, the sunglasses and bullying not cool not helpful to dogs and can harm them psychologically. I wonder if the dd knows this or he is convinced he’s good with dogs?
Unfortunately, you have a lot to learn about ethical, research based behavior modification as CM does the exact same things that this person does. This guy is more overtly/obviously over the top abusive, but they are both using the same flooding, punishment, abusive, unethical methods. There's more information for you linked in the video description, if you want to start learning about ethical, research based, behavior modification!
I have a question 🙂 What is the difference of canned food with a high content of moisture vs adding water to kibble? I’m not science minded enough to see a difference. 😊
Excellent question! One of the main differences is that kibble is intended to be fed as it is, and to not have random amounts of water added to it for random amounts of time by people. The canned formulas are designed to be fed as they are, which includes their higher moisture content! We do take advantage of this moisture content for some specific medical situations, and that's why I mentioned that feeding canned is most often the best recommendation for situations where animals need softened food or they have a disease that means they need some support with getting in more water each day. ETA - the main thing to remember is that we should be feeding formulas as they are intended to be fed and not making modifications that are demonstrated to have negative outcomes for the animals.
I think the caveat list could be longer or more solutions to be discussed. ☺ I had an EPI dog who needed to have her food incubated with enzymes and water (the longer the better). My boarded vet nutritionist warned me to add water to a specific fiber supplement I add to her food else the dog could get sick. And then there's powdered probiotics my dogs use....
No, I absolutely will not focus any video on rare/individual situations as that would be a very gray area legally for my license. In order to give specific advice to a specific patient it's required to have a valid patient client relationship (ie VCPR). The definition of a valid VCPR can vary a bit between states/provinces/countries but for a GP veterinarian it generally involves a physical exam within a specific time period (often within 12mo)... And a RU-vid channel video is never sufficient for a valid VCPR. Ethically, legally, responsibly, I need to provide general, educational advice on VMC and that is what I do. When people have rare situations they must work locally with the appropriate veterinary professionals (like a veterinary nutritionist or an internal medicine specialist etc) to get specific advice tailored to the specific animal's needs. I apologize if I hadn't previously made this clear enough and hope this helps! 💜🐾
Very interesting study about water and gut health. Did the paper give any possible theories on why there might be negative outcomes? I could imagine if the food was left sitting in water it could promote bacterial overgrowth, or maybe a gut adaption issue if the beagles were put on the wet kibble suddenly?
It absolutely could be any of the above, or it could be other issues too. As we only have the one study at this point, we do really need more research (a phrase that I say far too often!!!)
So thank you for the great video. I wish my vet would have been this thorough with the treatment plan. I wasn’t aware of any of this. I now have a reinfected dog. I read that 1/2 cup of bleach and a gallon of water is a good solution. I have wood floors so I can put it on that. Do I leave it after I apply or should I clean it off with water after a certain amount of time? Panacur was used as the treatment. Is that the correct medication? Also on researching it said I may want to do the dewormer monthly depending on the dog traffic in my area. There is a lot of dogs. Can I do the bland diet of boiled rice and chicken? Thanks for your help.
Thanks Dr. Em! With all the pets who have owned me, and all the pets I've cared for, I used water in their food for exactly 1 animal. Sushi was a cat who hated water. He wouldn't touch it. I tried everything we could think of, from tuna water to homemade unsalted broth to bowls in several locations to rewarding him with treats. At one point, I swear I put a crystal bowl on a lace placemat with a crystal wineglass, surrounded by silver utensils, with unlit candles in silver candleholders. (It's amazing what people will loan you if you tell them it's for your cat.) The water in the bowl and the water in the glass were different temperatures. One was body temperature, and one was cool. His favorite treats were on a china bread plate. The joke was that he'd drink from that because it was so much work to maintain. But no. If you want a lot of social media attention, try doing that for your cat. My friends loved it. Eventually I started adding water to his wet food. I had to withhold the dry food until he ate the wet food/water. I never put water in his dry food, but maybe that would've helped. In any case, he left lots of gifts inside my shoes and on my pillow to let me know how much he loved that wet food . But it bought him a few extra years, so I'm OK with that. Having done that for so long, I wouldn't mess with altering any pets food unless there was a very important medical reason to do that. I buy the food that I buy for a reason. Hopefully the nutritionists at Iams know more than I do about making good pet food. I'm paying a fortune for their expertise, so I'm not changing the food that they make.
What a challenging situation! I'm so glad you were using canned food - that was smart. Iams is absolutely wonderful, and what you say about defaulting to feeding it as intended is the right call. However, vet med has very few absolutes and it's unrealistic to say there are never situations where we won't need to add water to a diet! We have to leave room for nuance and individual situational needs.
My dog has choking/gagging fits when eating/shortly after eating. Medical reasons have been ruled out via radiographs, ultrasound and even testing for focal MG. Soaked kibble is the easiest for him to eat, after trying out canned food, dry kibble, fresh food etc with the least distress. He is fed every 8 hours and, due to allergies, can only eat Purina HA vegetarian. He may be one of your outliers, but it works for him.
As is noted in the video, there are going to be rare cases where it's the best option for a specific patient, but it's not an appropriate 'go to' for every patient all the time or for healthy animals! I'm glad you've worked so closely with your vet med team to do a thorough medical work up and that you've found something that works. It sounds like it was quite the journey!
He’s a medically complicated dog, but thanks to his dermatologist, neurologist, cardiologist, and rDVM he’s doing better than was expected at almost 11 years old. Luckily my younger dog is completely healthy, and I will stop adding water to her kibble “for a change” as of tonight. My complicated boy may benefit from it, but my healthy girl won’t get it any longer now that I know the science.
Well, I can tell you where the obsession with trying to get your pet to drink. More water comes from. The number of pets that have kidney disease could be part of the issue. Thanks to kibble. There’s a reason why most cats are chronically, dehydrated, and end up with kidney disease. Dogs often get it also. I feed a raw diet, been feeding raw for 20 years. If you can’t feed raw for God sake at least feed canned. They need the moisture. All you ate was crackers all day you would be chronically dehydrated also.
Oh also unrelated to the video, your guide on taking medicine on queue is so helpful! My current pup has allergies (hopefully seasonal, were doing a short trial period of medicine which is so helpful, and also omegas for her dry skin). Were not 100% there but for the omegas (theyre the clear coated pills so they dont taste bad, just kinda weird) she'll take it without having to hide it in anything, just a treat before and after! Ive been working on this with her for a couple months and it's great to see the pay off! Maybe someday we'll be able to get it to work on other types too but we need peanut butter for the apoquel.
It's *such* an important skill and I'm so impressed at the progress you've made! Good job!!!! 💪 Dogs are notoriously bad at generalization, so it's common to need to back up a few steps when teaching a different medication, but it usually progresses faster than the first time they are learning the skill. It's totally okay to use a bit of a something to coat a medication (especially if it's bitter!). Are you going to try, very gradually, reducing the amount of peanut butter you are using? Or what were you thinking?
@@VetMedCorner we don't know how long she'll be on the allergy medication, we got a 2 week trial run, it's working great! Then they want us to stop, to see if it's seasonal allergies since we're near the end of typical allergy season, or if it's something she needs to be on longer term or start testing/etc. We only have a couple more days of it right now so I've just been doing the same technique, treat, pill with peanut butter, treat quickly. If she does need to be on it longer term I was going to try coating it in less valuable things, like yogurt, wet dog food "gravy" (she'll eat it but she doesn't love it, she leaves it for last), to see how it goes.
Yes, there are some specific cases where it might be helpful/necessary! It's ideal to use canned food when and where we can, but that's not always possible. I'm glad you figured out something that worked for your dog 💜
Thank you so much for this! I thought about doing this for our cat's kibble but was worried about creating a potential petri dish. Glad I never did. You've helped me clarify what I once wondered was just me overthinking.
Guilty of water addition! I add a tiny bit of water twice daily to my cats dry food because she will not eat wet food and I have been told repeatedly, she needs food with high moisture because she is a cat. Good gads, this is tough!
Your comment is so kind, thank you ☺️ What are you looking for regarding cat food puzzles? I do have a video all about feline enrichment that does touch on food puzzles - have you already come across that one? It was one of my first videos ever, so please forgive the editing etc as RU-vid has been a steeeeep learning curve!!! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-iiCCIUw8E0E.htmlsi=am3D4kV9gFLFj8_y
I splash water over my dogs' kibble to moistened the powdered pumpkin that I add to each meal to moisten it just a bit. With that said, are you saying we should be withholding their water bowl for a time after they eat their kibble? I ask because after eating my dog goes straight for his water bowl every time to drink a bunch of water then goes back to licking his bowl. He's been doing this for years; hes almost 10. Also, I use maze bowls which takes them about 4-5 mins to finish a meal. Their poops are great by the way. 😂 I'll take your advice under advisement, but they don't seem suffer from any negative effects.
Most definitely do not ever withhold water. Your dog will drink the amount needed to stay hydrated. The first question here is - why are you adding powdered pumpkin in the first place?
@@VetMedCorner Why are you asking why I'm giving my dog pumpkin? Sometimes there are situations where a dog may need a bit more fiber than what a serving of kibble can provide. Also, I don't really appreciate the tone of the question. Not sure if you meant for it to come across in that way, but I'll assume no.
Adding pumpkin as a source of fiber doesn't work. It's a myth. Pumpkin doesn't contain near enough fiber to make a difference. So the answer here is to stop the pumpkin and the water. If your veterinarian says that your dog needs additional fiber they should guide you on how much and what type (ie soluble vs insoluble vs both). Most commonly we use a research based diet that meets WSAVA guidelines and is formulated for fiber responsive medical issues, but sometimes we will supplement on top of that (most commonly with psyllium).
@@saral6978 I don't understand why you are seeing tone in a simple text question. if someone asked me the same question, my answer would be that I added a teaspoon of canned plain pumpkin to food for one cat because he liked it, and it encouraged him to eat. Personally, I'm thrilled that vets and doctors and pharmacists have started to give basic advice online. It means that I can start handling situations before I can get an appointment to see someone, and I'm also fairly well educated on the problem and some potential solutions before I ever get in to that appointment. Before that I only had search engines, and the problem with that is that there's so much garbage mixed in with the good results. Here I can pick the brain of an experienced professional, which saves me a ton of time and gives me a solid foundation of knowledge. So if I don't like the way they might say something to me, I assume it's because we are not talking face-to-face and so I ask for clarification. YMMV, of course.
I do it (occasionally) because it seems to increase pleasing smells and/or variety. If my pooch is seeming bored (checks kibble when put out and immediately leaves) I splash some water on it and she wolfs it down!
@@VetMedCorner yes I for sure use lots of puzzles and that works as well. I’m highly sensitive to bloat given her breed (and she did have surgery for it), so based on what I learned for you I’ll cut that method out.
I'm so glad you already have puzzles, that's great 💪 Remember that healthy dogs shouldn't eat any meals from a bowl (ideally!). They can get kibble as reinforcement on walks, in daily training sessions, and in food puzzles! That's far more enriching for them, which is our goal. If your dog is a breed with an increased risk of bloat, I'm glad to hear that you've already had her stomach tacked. That's a very important prevention step for those dogs. Keep up the good work!!! 🙌
Some trainers recommend soaking kibble in water and using that to stuff a Kong or spread on a lick mat. I prefer canned foot or other recipes for Kongs or lick mat. Whether I recommend a puzzle toy or a Kong or lick mat depends on several things. One of the things that makes me recommend a Kong or lick mat is that licking does appear to have a calming effect on dogs, so dogs that suffer from anxiety may benefit (behaviorally) from licking something (so, I might recommend a stuffed Kong instead of a puzzle toy with kibble in it for an anxious dog). It makes no sense to use food that has absorbed water will slow a dog's eating down. Use a puzzle toy, a snuffle mat, or food toss (toss a few kibbles and tell your dog to "find it") or even hide food around the house and let the dog sniff it out (this will slow their eating down and will tire them out--that's mentally challenging and they use their sense of smell: Caveat--start very easy to make sure your dog is successful and "hide" the food in plain sight, as the dog catches on to the "game", you can gradually make it more difficult to find the food). If you must feed from a bowl, use a slow-down bowl. The only time my personal vet ever recommends wetting a dog's kibble is, like you, after a pet has had a dental procedure (especially if extractions have been necessary).
Absolutely! Using canned food in food puzzles that are designed to have a dog licking them is a much better option. I'm also fine with people using other dog safe 'recipes' so long as they remember that *all* treats/toppers/recipes/etc must remain less than 10% of the dog's daily caloric intake, otherwise the dog's diet will be unbalanced.
What a lovely video. I like all the food puzzle clips as well. Do you think any of the risks in the beagle water study apply to dogs who drink water right after eating?
Dogs should have access to water at all times so that they can drink whenever they are thirsty, which is what the beagles in the dry kibble group would have done. However, I'm not aware of any research done on when dogs drink in relation to when they eat. I would also presume doing that research would be considered unethical (as it's a basic welfare requirement to have clean drinking water available at all times) so I doubt it will be done. If I hypothesize a bit, there are a number of differences between the two situations... When water is added to kibble it forces the dog to ingest a specific amount which may or may not be 'too much' for them at that time. When a dog is left to drink as they have a need to, their body will do what it's supposed to and keep them properly hydrated. It's also different to add water into the acidic stomach environment that contains kibble vs adding it in the neutral air environment... And by the time the kibble is in the stomach it's already started to break down into micronutrients (saliva has digestive enzymes, plus the mechanical breaking down via chewing, plus the acid in the stomach, plus the stomach also grinds whatever contents are inside of it).
Thanks for this video, and part 1. My previous dog had environmental allergies, itchy skin especially feet and anal area. Eventually we did the skin testing with a veterinary dermatologist. Instead of desensitizing injections, we got sublingual drops which were very easy to administer - used for the rest of her life. We used Atopica for a while, but stopped after the dog had a growth on her paw (may or may not have been related). At 9 she was diagnosed with Addison's disease, and the tiny daily dose of Prednisone for the Addison's probably also helped with her allergies. My current dog had recurring / persistent ear infections and eye infections, now resolved with a hydrolyzed protein diet (RC Ultamino). She also gets Cytopoint injections but it's hard to tell how much they are helping - had fewer eye infections / less eye redness after changing cytopoint to 4 week (vs 8 week) intervals, but the ears didn't resolve until the food change. All is better now, except some yeasty skin around her mouth. Allergies are so complicated to treat!
You're so right, it's so complicated and often quite frustrating too! I'm so glad you were able to get treatment plans sorted out that helped your dogs and that you worked with a veterinary dermatologist when you needed to!
Thank you for this video. We have a 6 1/2 year old English bulldog that was running the fence line and tore her cruciate ligament. Our vet suggested just letting scar tissue to form as they are prone to complications from being under. What would you suggest? We have insurance for her and just want to do what’s best without taking unnecessary risks. Thank you.
You should consult a veterinary orthopedic specialist and talk with them about it. As you learned, it's very unlikely that scar tissue will even form, and the longer the stifle remains unstable the faster/worse the arthritis will form. Additionally, it puts a lot of extra strain on the other leg and causes your dog significant pain... ETA yes, there can be additional risk for brachycephalic dogs but a lot of surgeons work with a veterinary anesthesiologist who can carefully tailor anesthesia to minimize the risk as much as possible.
Excellent question! You can find long lines in a number of different lengths, generally from 15 feet to 50 feet. I will use different lengths depending on the dog, the place we are, how fast the dog walks/trots, how fast the person walks, etc but a lot of people tend to use 20 to 30 feet lengths. I have used a 50ft one when working on recalls before, but find it cumbersome for every day walks. If a dog is younger and/or still learning loose leash walking skills it may be beneficial to use a shorter option for a while. Just keep in mind what the purpose of the long line is. You want to enable the dog to move as they would if they were entirely off leash. For most dogs that looks like walking/trotting for a bit, sniffing something for a bit, and repeat. So use a length that enables your dog to do this!
Excellent thanks! I use a 7ft leash at the moment. My dog and I walk at the same pace - he trots beside me and sniffs as much as he wants (as long as it is safe). The leash is always loose during our walks. I will still consider getting a longer leash.
@jayden1996b it would be a good thing to do, as it should afford your dog time to move laterally, ahead and behind you while you're walking (presuming it's safe to do so). Enjoy watching how your dog's behaviour changes! The goal is that your dog behaves as closely to how he would off leash as that means he's getting time to be a dog! Of course, I do also teach my dogs to walk nicely on a 6 or 7 foot leash, because I use that for walking through crowds, going into work with me etc - A heeling sort of behavior is a very different skill than a sniffari style walk where your dog leads the way and the pace. I find that difference in gear helps my dog have clarity about what to expect and what behaviors I am looking for.
87% of people who seek advice frome a board certified vet; after one year are not feeding their pet what was prescribed? Do these people have children? I dont understand why fresh home cooked food (when done right) is not healthier than highly processed kiblle. My pooch is on Royal Canin at the mo whilst I research but surely a minimally processed, freshly prepared, balanced, nutritious home cooked meal has to be healthier, IF done with the same care that you'd take over your own childrens food? The learning curve is steep and fraught with anxiety at not having the right info and it is easier just to give comercial but if fresh is healthier for us I cant see why its not for our dogs. I'm not a fan of celebrity youtube nutritionists that sell a certain ideology and fear mung to sell their products but I feel that vets do exactly the same thing when seeking advice, to sell their products. Thanks for the info Doc🤟
No, the things you presume aren't in any way true. Home preparation is not best practice for long term feeding because it has *zero* testing done for bioavailability of micronutrients which will change every time there's a new shipment/batch of any of the ingredients that are being used among the other issues raised in the video. I feed my own dog Royal Canin, it's truly excellent, and I know that it's far far far superior than anything I could do in my kitchen. I get zero money from any pet food companies and (obviously) get zero money from you for going to a pet store and buying RC. I have absolutely nothing to sell here, either. ETA you may find the video linked in the description that covers who pet nutrition experts are and what the WSAVA guidelines are helpful to get some more information. Remember that pets don't need ingredients, they require micronutrients and knowing how bioavailable those are is indescribably crucial.
@@VetMedCorner The assumption is a logical one based on the little I know about human nutrition and health. ( im not saying human nutrition is the same as canine) But I can't imagine going to my Doctor and her saying 'you know, just to make sure that you're getting the nutrition that you require, eat this highly processed delishes product designed over 10 years because you just cant be sure that you're getting all the nutients you need with fresh, 'real' food. Where as in reality (for us at least) eat more fruit and veg is often cited as health promoting by our Doctors. Variety and eating a wide variety of plants (for us) is key in not only gaining health but staying healthy both physically and mentally. They're finding out through gut biome research that highly processed foods, and certain additives, emulsifiers and sweetners diminish health promoting bacteria in the gut and increase some disease promoting bacteria. The research based on the human gut biome, that a life where the majority of our food is highly processed can increase our risk of developing or worsening, mental health issues, heart disease, diabetes and even some cancers etc, then it stands to reason (imo) that a dogs gut bacteria may have the same influence over its well being and health. Obv Also, there is a huge difference in saying that the testing for bioavailabilty of micronutrients in home cooked fresh food hasnt been done and home cooked NOT being healthier than highly processed. Again, that seems like fear mongering and a cynical marketing tactic to promote their product and psychologically nudge people into buying. Its all too complicated and risky so just trust us, weve already done the hard work, so buy our product etc. I cant see a corporation (MARS) worth 5 billion in the business of making profit doing such research on real food. At the end of the day, theyre selling a product and any research they do is gonna be used to promote that product. The 'pets dont need ingredients' quote from one of their promotional vids is another eg Please dont take this as a personal attack as it not intended as such. The conflict of interest isnt around the fact that you personally may or may not receive money from a corporation for selling its product. The conflict of interest is the fact that they sponsor the WSAVA and ECVIM-CA here in Europe. Similar conflicts of interests occur in the human food industry. The beef industry lobbying and influencing the government for eg
Unfortunately, your assumptions are incorrect. People make assumptions that are wrong so often that there's even a common saying about how assumptions make an a** out of you and me... ETA - as you've noted you are not an expert. I'm telling you what veterinary nutritionists (who are experts) recommend. If you choose to ignore research based expertise based on literally nothing, that's your call. I will now be moving on to other comments. All the best!
My cat is having a flare up now. She had a pain relieving injection last night at the vets and another injection. She finally fell asleep but this morning she is dragging her tail and withdrawing to a corner of the room so I may take her back to the vet again today. 😢
My opinion is that this lady has an opinion that may or may not be any more right or wrong than Cesar. Unless people can actually talk to dogs, their opinion will be based on their own experience. I would imagine that both she and Cesar believe they know either what is right or is what has worked for them. To simply say that somebody else is wrong just because it doesn't align with your belief or approach is wrong.
Unfortunately, my sweet summer child, you are not an expert in the field of behavior modification and your comment does nothing other than demonstrate your immense lack of knowledge. In order to learn about the decades of research in this field, you will find the links in the video description to be very helpful. This has nothing to do with 'belief' as the research is incredibly clear on the matter. What is wrong is to abuse dogs and force them to go through things that are proven to be harmful. It's also incredibly wrong to not learn about and use best practices, and lastly it's wrong to turn a blind eye when witnessing others abusing animals. That goes directly against my oath as a veterinarian.
We didnt vaccinate for lyme as a puppy, because its very nearly nonexistant here but i did make sure to get it before we traveled to visit family. Once youve seen lyme disease, you dont mess with it! I cant believe dog anti vaxxers. we also do a daily exam and we use anti tick medicine. Ive only ever found one tick on her and it hadnt latched.
