Every Friday I attempt to answer a few questions. Please note that I am not a certified vet and that all information is based on independent on-line research and is not intended to replace or use for medical purposes.

Q. My dog won't come when I call him.

A. The obvious answer is dog obedience. Dogs have the mental capacity of a 2 year old, therefore, they need to be properly trained. They also go by tone recognition. Unlike other commands such as "sit", "stay" etc. hearing his/her name is important for the safety of both you and your dog. You need to call it from danger and it needs to recognize when you need help. His and or her name may contain too many syllables. Many pet owners, trainers and vets strongly suggest single one word or single syllable names. This is once again having to do with tone recognition. Also as a dog ages, they can develop deafness. These signs are not as obvious as that of a humans, therefore, when you take your dog for a regular check up, when it reaches past 7 years, try getting a hearing test done to make sure that your dog's hearing is okay.

Happy Thanksgiving. I hope that everyone is doing well. This is just a friendly reminder that orders will not be processed on Thursday the 27 nor on Friday the 28th, only 1 and 2 day air service for Monday and Tuesday delivery will be processed. All ground orders will be processed on Monday. Our customer care center will still remain open during regular business hours.

The following are testimonials collected on our Milk Thistle for cat liver disease.

"About 2 years ago, Pepper had suffered from lepadic Liver Syndrome and we purchased milk thistle for cats from you. It made a world of difference in her recovery."

"Unfortunately I learned of your product to late to save Gray Kitty. He passed away 3 days after I received your products. However, I did give him several doses and could see that it made him more comfortable which gave me extra time with him. I have 3 other cats and have been giving your products to the oldest one and can see that her health is improving."

"Since he started on the milk thistle he has gained all the weight he lost, has a very hearty appetite and has much more energy. The vet had prescribed pills but they were so hard to give to him. He was becoming so stressed out and would run off and hide every time I would try to pick him up. The liquid is so much easier. Not sure how long this will last but truly believe the milk thistle is having a positive effect on him. I would highly recommend it."

Before ordering any of the supplements, please read the disclaimer.

The following are testimonials on our Respiratory aide for cats supplement.

"the product i ordered from your company was very helpful for Haley's cough. she had kennel cough for quite some time, and she took your medicine quite well. i was impressed with the results. she is much better now."

"I must say that the Respiratory Aide product that you sell is by the far the most effective treatment I have found. My cat was clearly congested and she had lost her appetite because her sense of smell was gone. Within the first week of giving her the Respiratory Aide I could clearly see that her symptoms were improving. It is now 3 weeks later and I have just stopped the treatment. She seems to be doing quite well. Thank you for such a great productive. "

"Yes, the Respite Aide worked beautifully in treating my cats URI. However, I find that after being off the treatment for a few weeks that some of the symptoms are reappearing. So I'm putting her back on the Respitory Aide in the hopes of nipping it in the bud."

Before ordering our products, please read our disclaimer.

Just a friendly reminder that all orders are processed Monday to Friday at 11:00 am PT. Orders placed over the weekend will be processed on Monday morning. The following is especially important for customers placing on-line orders for 1 or 2 day air service. If selecting 1 day air service after 11:00 am, the order will be processed the following business day.

We've all seen blind assistance dogs, however, on Monday was the first time in which I saw a seizure alert dog. The lady I spoke to on transit was more than willing to give me some information prompting my further research on the subject.

What the dogs are primary trained in is vocal alert for help when their master has a seizure. Of course we've all heard a dogs bark, however, can easily recognize the type of bark. The bark is encouraged to summon someone to call for help.

The main function is to react upon early onset, no one knows how they can tell, however, scientist believe that it is the chemical smell that is discharged that allows dogs to detect oncoming seizures. They can tell at least 30 - 45 minutes before the seizure happens.

Due to some evening magazine and on-line story coverage, there has been a demand for seizure dogs. These are usually trained and issued for small children and the elderly who may not have a regular care taker.

Dogs also have seizures of there own which assists with assign and predicting when their owners have one. This is of course treated with appropriate medication issued by a certified vet.

Luv Freedom & Sheila

The following is a testominal is for our Cat Cancer Kit.

"In February 2008, at 10 months of age, my boy cat, Beaux, was diagnosed with oral cancer. After he had his right fang removed and some of the surrounding tissue, I was told that there was nothing more that could be done for him and that the cancer would continue eating away the bone in his oral and naval cavaties. After getting no help from traditional veterinary medicine, I did research online and found references to your Cat Cancer kit - ES Clear and Nu-Pet Feline Granular. I started Beaux on these products in May and within 3 months, the bump underneath his right eye disappeared. Just last week, the dental vet took extensive x-rays of his head and confirmed that there is no sign of cancer progession. He is amazed! Beaux is in wonderful health and I am so very thankful to your Cat Cancer kit!

Before ordering, please read our disclaimer.

If you notice the dog's eye pink, it can be one of two things, Pink Eye also known as Conunctivitis or a bacterial infection.

Pink eye can be transferred from one dog to another or one human to a dog and vice versa, known as Zoonoses.

Common symptoms are pink-ish color, discharge, swollen eye lids and your dog may not be able to open his/her eyelid.

A customer called this morning asking if she could use the medicine that she used for her pink eye for her dog.

Although I am not a certified vet, the general rule of thumb is that any medication may not be transferred from one species or another especially since some eye medication contain steroids which are not recommended for dogs as it may blind them.

As a natural alternative we have pink eye for dog conjunctivitis.

Love Freedom & Sheila

Just a friendly reminder that all orders are processed Monday to Friday at 11:00 am PT. Orders placed over the weekend will be processed on Monday morning. The following is especially important for customers placing on-line orders for 1 or 2 day air service. If selecting 1 day air service after 11:00 am, the order will be processed the following business day.

I had a customer who called in this morning claiming that her dog had kennel cough, even though the dog hasn't been to a boarding facility. This is a common misconception about kennel cough. You do not have to be boarded to receive this common illness in dogs. Like most viruses, this is airborne and even an indoor dog can catch kennel cough just from being outside in the environment when he/she goes to the bathroom.

Kennel cough is highly contagious, just like certain colds and flues in humans. Dogs don't show signs of Kennel cough right away, usually it takes approx 10 days, if not sooner, after exposure.

There are vaccinations, however, costly and results, like with anything very, therefore, it's not a guarantee that it will prevent the virus. There are many different strings, therefore, vaccinations, like flue shots in humans, only covers a few strings.

Although troublesome, it is not deadly. Just like a cold, it needs to run it's course, however, there are treatments available both commercially and alternatively. The purpose is to boost the immune system.

Petwellbeing.com has respiratory aid perfect for Kennel cough and other strings of virus coughs or respiratory issues in general.

The second part of the lady's question this morning is if cats can contract Kennel cough. Although very uncommon, cats are subject to kennel coughs, especially part time or full time outdoor cats.

Unlike dogs, the symptoms aren’t obvious and appear slower and can often lead to secondary infections.

It should be understood that most dogs will eat just about anything that they shouldn't. If this happens, and the dog vomits, a cleaning process occurs to remove refuse from the stomach. Diarrhea removes the rest of the poisons from the lower digestive tract.

Keep the garbage can totally away from the dog, and that means behind a closed door, not just under the sink or cabinet. My sister and I keep the garbage in the spare room until we reach home to either throw away the garbage or continue on filling the bag. The second hazard is compost and vegetation or fruit that falls to the ground. Many dogs eat this vegetation and suffer the consequences. Dogs' stomachs cannot digest raw vegetation therefore, if your dog appears to be craving greens, you must cook them for him.

There are a few ways to prevent dogs from vomiting:
1. Do not feed your dog for a good 12-24 hours after a serious vomiting episode. It's better to give 3 small portions over a 24 hour period and let the dog's digestive tract work slowly. If vomiting continues for more than 24 hours, the dog can dehydrate and suffer from body fluid imbalance, just like a human child.

Dogs can fall prey to as many digestive problems as people. Many of these problems show themselves as diarrhea. Very often, an exam will reveal evidence of parasites (such as worm eggs) and imbalances in bacteria. Bacterial imbalances are generally due to irritation of the digestive tract, which can be caused by stress, as well as by abrupt changes in diet. This change could be something like getting into the garbage can, or just getting a bone to chew on. A soft stool in association with a known diet change should not cause alarm.

Dogs can develop digestive problems due to an allergy to certain proteins. So it is very important to feed your dog high quality food. There are many on the market. Generally, the quality of protein is reflected in the price tag of a bag of food.

Keep the dog away from foods that are high in fats and roughage. (Dogs love cat food, which is very high in fat.) If you do feed your dog table food, make sure it is not pork, chicken bones, or grease. It should be good quality food that you would eat yourself. Don't get in the habit of feeding only table food unless you are willing to cook a balanced diet for your dog every day. As the dog gets older, he may have special health needs and it is difficult to get dogs to eat special foods if they are used to cooked meals.

The following are tips on how to train your dog to sit using a gentle leader leash.

Stand to the side of your dog.

With the other hand, reach around and cup your dog’s chin.

1. Pull the lead forward so that his/her nose is pointed skyward. As the tip goes up, the head naturally goes up and the body lowers.

2. As you dog starts to sit, say "Sit" in a soft voice.

3. Praise the dog by saying "GOOD Sit"


Later this week we will go over some basic tips on how to make your dog stay on command.