A few words from two vets about dogs

IT'S not everyday that we get to meet two renowned veterinary medical experts who freely dished out nuggets of health information about dogs. During a public pet event in Singapore, Dr. Mike Woodrow BVSc (Hons) from Australia and Dr. Dr Tan Eng Khim from Singapore gave away some useful tips and valuable knowledge that every dog lover or dog parent should know. We sifted through their presentations and came up with this short list of expert advice that should help a dog to live a better life.


From Dr. Mike Woodrow BVSc (Hons) from Australia:
*  Dogs have 1,700 taste buds while humans have about 9,000.
*  Dogs are omnivores
* Dogs one-year-old and below should eat puppy food. Dogs from one-year-old to seven-year-old should eat adult dog food. Dogs that are seven-year-old and above should be on a special diet rich in amino acids to protect their joints.
* Carrots, broccoli, brussel sprouts and sweet potato are good for dogs. But onion, garlic and chocolate are a big no-no.
* Dogs can eat cat food if they have to, but not the other way around. Cats have higher protein and amino acid requirements that they won't likely find in most dog food formula.


From Dr. Dr Tan Eng Khim from Singapore:
* About 75 percent of dogs are allergic to wheat, beef, dairy and soya.
* About 25 percent of dogs are allergic to lamb and chicken.
* All dogs have demodex canis. But in dogs with low immune system, the parasitic mites become opportunistic.
* Flat nose dogs have more skin health issues.
* Dogs should not be fed chewing gum, human toothpaste, grapes and flaxseed oil.

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