Recent content by Dr. Jean Hofve

Hm, haven't seen this one before. Seems similar to Feliway, which sometimes works, sometimes not. I don't see a safety issue with it.

I would just add that a foam earplug would most likely get stuck at the ileocecocolic valve between the small and large intestine, and the timeline is consistent with that. While the foam will not show up, a filling defect (food visible *around* the plug) or food backed up behind it might. If...

In warm weather, I do not leave food out for more than 20-30 minutes. It's best to pick it up or bring it in, cover, and put back out when you get home. Depending on where you are in the country, certain fly larvae can pose a bit of a risk.

Poor dental health can be extremely painful and lead to problems not only with eating but it can seed infections in internal organs and seriously impact quality of life. Gabapentin by itself is a poor pain reliever; 50 mg is too low a dose and unlikely to be of benefit. If your vet will...

Omega-3s really are the best thing for arthritis, they have powerful anti-inflammatory properties. You may want to work on some home "rehab" -- stretching, massage, balance, proprioception, and range of motion exercises. Print out page one of this PDF for some great ideas...

If she'll tolerate it, I'd alternate the ointment the vet gave you with saline rinses. Sometimes those ointments can ultimately become a little irritating themselves. At 43 pounds, I would still feed closer to 1/2 pound of meat. She has been underfed protein for quite some time so she needs to...

That's a VERY handsome cat! :) Here's my litter review, recently updated: littlebigcat.com/cat-litter-roundup-review/

Are you fully rehydrating the freeze-dried food (not just wetting it)? Think about how many potato chips (similar moisture to freeze-dried) you can eat vs. mashed potatoes (full of water). Her water balance may be part of the issue.

Hi Christine, I'm not a nutritionist but that is an awful lot of carbs, and specifically sugars, for a dog. In humans, fruit smoothies are discouraged by a lot of experts because they are a problem for glucose metabolism, stressing the pancreas to produce big dumps of insulin. Dogs don't get...

That product is fine. :)

Oh you're golden then. You only need a few drops at a time, for a couple of weeks. That should last you years... decades, maybe! :)

If you have an original bottle of Vaccine Detox remedy that has a little bit left in it, you can add a mix of 75% water/25% vodka and reconstitute it, succuss it, and keep using it. Jackson is no longer making it and there is no other commercial source.

I think the point about bacteria is getting them all over the rest of the house, which is why I like doing a quick hot-water swipe (less than 10 sec) to get the bulk of slaughterhouse bugs off. The rest of the bacteria in the environment are already commensal and everyone is used to them. ;-)

Hi Kelly! Good for you for wanting to improve Melon's diet. Honest Kitchen is a much better quality food--all human grade. But it is quite high in carbohydrates, so you may want to consider it a stepping stone toward an even healthier plan. Here is a link to my comprehensive guide to Switching...

That was my first thought too, that there's a nook or cranny providing an external hiding place for bacteria, and they are then sneaking back up the urethra to the bladder. Agree with Dr. Jeff on how to go from here.