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Nutrition Nuggets

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Your dog's nutrition is important for a healthy & happy life. petMD experts help you to know what to feed your dog, how much food to feed, and the differences in dog foods, so your dog gets optimum nutrition.

Nutrition Nuggets is the newest offshoot of petMD's Dog Nutrition Center. Each week Dr. Coates will use her expertise and wisdom to blog about the intricacies of dog nutrition.
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Feeding Dogs with Hepatic Encephalopathy

One of the complications commonly seen with advanced liver disease in dogs is hepatic encephalopathy. The liver acts as a giant filter for the gastrointestinal tract (among other roles). After a meal, the circulatory system absorbs all sorts of things from the gut. Many of these substances, especially... READ MORE

May 17, 2013 / (2) comments

Microminerals: Tiny Amounts, But Big Effects

I’ve found that whenever I talk about the nutrients that dogs require in a balanced diet I tend to gloss over the microminerals – minerals that are required in the diet in relatively small amounts. The big players like protein, carbohydrates, and fat get the most attention.   READ MORE

May 10, 2013 / (2) comments

What Your Pet's Lifestyle and Diet Says about You

I’m sure you’ve heard the adage about how dogs and their owners often look alike. Turns out we also often share diet and lifestyle characteristics, particularly as we get older. A 2011 study looked at similarities and differences in diet and lifestyle between 155 cat and 318 dog owners... READ MORE

May 03, 2013 / (3) comments

Deciphering Diet Pet Foods (Part 1)

Have you ever purchased a so-called “diet” pet food? It may have been labeled as “light,” “lite,” “low calorie,” “reduced calorie,” or something similar, but all of these products infer that by purchasing the food in question, owners can help... READ MORE

Apr 26, 2013 / (3) comments

The Best of Intentions, Gone Astray

Veterinarians often recommend owners feed dogs that have diarrhea a diet consisting of boiled hamburger and white rice for a few days. This type of bland, easily digested diet gives the intestinal tract a bit of a break while still providing needed calories and nutrients. The recommendation is appropriate,... READ MORE

Apr 19, 2013 / (2) comments

Fiber: It's Not Filler (at least not always)

Fiber is an important part of a dog’s diet but does not get the recognition it deserves. READ MORE

Apr 12, 2013 / (1) comments

Performance Diets for Detection Dogs

We’ve talked a lot on Nutrition Nuggets about how a properly balanced diet is essential to good canine health and how tweaking nutrient ratios can help with disease prevention and management. Well … here’s something new. A diet that is relatively low in protein and high in fat can... READ MORE

Apr 05, 2013 / (2) comments

Don't Think 'Good' or 'Bad' When It Comes to Fats: Part 1

You are probably familiar with the concept of “good” and “bad” fats as it applies to human food. Fats are described as being “bad” when their inclusion in the diet is associated with abnormally high blood cholesterol levels and an increased risk of heart attack or... READ MORE

Mar 29, 2013 / (2) comments

Feeding Canine Athletes

I am on vacation this week. Rather than leave you hanging while I’m catching up on some much needed R & R, I thought I’d channel Linda Richman of Saturday Night Live “Coffee Talk” fame. “Talk amongst yourselves. I’ll give you a [link to a] topic. Discuss!”   READ MORE

Mar 22, 2013 / (1) comments

Treats or By-Products?

I had a funny experience with my six year old daughter at a pet supply store a couple of months ago. We were looking for a “chewie” for our dog. He has severe inflammatory bowel disease so is on a strict, limited antigen diet. All the usual treats are off limits, but he still likes to chew,... READ MORE

Mar 15, 2013 / (5) comments

 

 

 


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ABOUT NUTRITION NUGGETS

JENNIFER COATES, DVM

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... graduated with honors from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 1999. In the years since, she has practiced veterinary medicine in Virginia, Wyoming, and Colorado. She is the author of several books about veterinary medicine and animal care, including the Dictionary of Veterinary Terms, Vet-Speak Deciphered for the Non-Veterinarian .

Jennifer also writes short stories that focus on the strength and importance of the human-animal bond and freelance articles relating to a variety of animal care and veterinary topics. Dr. Coates lives in Fort Collins, Colorado with her husband, daughter, and pets.

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