It’s very likely you clicked on this article because you have a dog suffering from recurring skin, ear and gut conditions (ReSEGs, as we like to shorten it to here at Dogs First). If so, we can assume the following about your current situation: you are at your wit’s end,

In this article, we’ll answer the top ten questions about fleas on dogs. We’ll cover everything from what flea bites look like to whether dogs can get fleas in winter. We’ll also explore the various health risks associated with flea infestations, and provide tips for getting rid of fleas using

If you are the owner of an itchy dog or one with a recurring gut or skin condition, it is likely that at some point, you would have heard the words “allergies”.  However, it is not always the case that your dog has an allergy; this may be an intolerance.

It’s understandable that, as dog owners, we worry about fleas.  We’re told it’s a standard part of dog life and something we should prevent with a plethora of treatments.  After all, we hate the thought of little critters crawling around our soft furnishings and biting us in our sleep.  One

If you have read parts one and two of this series on dog allergies, you may ask yourself, what are dogs allergic to and why? There are many foods that your dog may react negatively to, some of which may surprise you, and we can help you to understand why

Join me while I tease apart the latest in a growing line of surveys analysing the feeding habits of raw (and dry) pet food. This one by Morgan et al. 2022, entitled “A Dog’s Dinner: Factors affecting food choice and feeding practices for UK dog owners feeding raw meat-based or

If you have read the first three parts of our articles on kidney failure in dogs, you will understand the kidney’s role in the body and what happens when they stop functioning. Part two details the top foods that cause kidney failure in dogs. Article three explains how low-protein dog

You know why your dog or cat has kidney disease, mainly because of dry dog food. If your vet recommends a low-protein dog food to benefit his failing kidneys, you should strongly question this advice. If you’ve heard enough, jump to Kidney Disease in Dogs Part 4: The Solution.  This

In veterinary circles, the jury is still out on why so many pets today are suffering from kidney disease. Cats are twice as likely to get kidney disease than dogs (Veterinary Medical Database, University of Purdue) which largely rules out a genetic cause.  If genetics were solely to blame, then

It is a sad fact that kidney disease in dogs is an all too common occurrence. Shockingly, between 0.37% (O’Neil et al. 2003) and up to 3.74% (Sosnar 2003) of dogs are affected by chronic kidney disease each day, which is around five times the rate we see in humans.

Folk are very confused about the amount of iodine for dogs. Here we set the records straight on the difference between real and “conical flask” iodine.

In this article, I’ll share with you my preferred homemade and natural raw dog food recipes. You’ll find 4 different raw dog food recipes that are tailored to specific dog conditions. In short, I’ll share: Why Raw Dog Food? A life spent eating dry dog food is no life at

The following alphabetical list consists of 18 foods that you REALLY should not feed your dogs, even though in many cases we humans can eat them ourselves. The main reason being your dog’s metabolism is a little different to yours and this needs to be considered.  Excluded from this list

If your dog is constantly itching, nibbling and biting himself, rubbing his face along the floor, or anything in between, then this complete guide will help you solve the issue. Itch in dogs is the third most likely reason for pet owners to see a vet. In fact, itchy dog

Worms in dogs are rare, contrary to the many scary adverts, and most are relatively harmless anyway. Everyone knows our stance on flea treatments – they’re absolutely unnecessary and potentially very harmful for you and your dog. I strongly advise not to dose a healthy dog with chemical flea treatments. 

Initially, moving to a raw diet for your dog can seem a little tricky. One of the most likely questions when shifting to raw dog food is how much should I feed my dog? The answer can be simple (2.5% of his body weight per day, if an adult) but

It is usual for dogs to create tears; they lubricate the eyes and create a barrier to prevent debris from collecting on the eye’s surface. However, if you notice your dog’s eyes are watering excessively, it may be a sign of inflammation; something more is happening. Luckily, most of the

To understand where we are with CBD, why mothers have to walk the length of Ireland to get permission to use a herbal product that prevented epilepsy in her child suffering 300 back-breaking and life-endangering seizures a month, an entirely natural product that is supported massively by the science as

Except for a few short years, dogs have shared my home and been an integral part of my life. Mostly lurchers and mongrels, I know and understand the bond that we enjoy with our companions. I understand the day-to-day joys as well as the heartache of loss when they go.

Vegetarian pet food – how right is it for my dog? Recently Lewis Hamilton revealed on his dogs instagram account (250k followers, honestly) his dog is now fully vegan. It was as a result of his other bulldog Coco dying months previously. The dog suffered a myriad of health issues and it was

The New England Journal of Medicine is one of the world’s most prestigious journals. You can bet your life it’s extremely difficult to get your study published by them. Only the best of the best make it. The most impressive. You get a study in there and doors open.  So

Through countless pet deaths, dry food has taught us how not to do it. Enter RawSafe, random audits bring a new level of safety and transparency to (fresh) pet food production.

A note on Dry vs Raw-Fed Dog Blood Readings and what this means to nutrient supplementation …  Your pets’ need of nutrients varies on a daily basis (one of the major reasons you can’t have a “complete” food that suits everyone all the time). Many things affect that need –

The Spike in Puppy Purchases Reveals Ireland’s Shameful Addiction and Disregard for the Need of Her Dogs… A frustrating post on my Facebook wall over the weekend. It read The cost to buy a puppy during this pandemic is appalling. The greed of the sellers is disgusting. If that’s true,

Thiamine (Vitamin B1): Why Dry Pet Food is so Deficient so Regularly and a Warning to Raw Feeders Concerning Raw Fish… Thiamine (vitamin B1) is an essential nutrient for dogs which means they can’t make it themselves. It functions in the energy department. A lack of it can result in

Can you mix dry and raw dog food? Here are the pro’s and con’s, as I can see them, and I finish with a questionnaire, your feedback would be appreciated… So where do you guys sit on the whole “mixing dry and raw dog food” question?! In particular, what is

WSAVA is the World Governing Body for Vets. They lay Down the Rules and They Love Science. Here we Dissect Their Statement on Feeding Pets Species Appropriate Fresh Food… WSAVA, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, the top brass, the head honcho, recently committed an entire three paragraphs of text

Who do you Think is Checking up on Pet Food Labels for you? The latest scandal to hit the human food market was Kerrygold in the US who were labelling their butter as coming from grass-fed cattle, which was desirable in a land where the vast majority of their beef,

On the “Dangers” of Raw Food, Check out how Hillariously Erroneous the AVMA’s Statment is on Fresh Feeding… You would think the top vet governing bodies in the US (where we take all our canine nutritional queues for some reason), would be on top of things science-wise, wouldn’t you? We

Re the Recent “Don’t Kiss the Raw-Fed Dog After Dinner” Article in the Papers Yesterday, That Advice Goes for a Dry Fed Dog Too, Why do They Keep Missing That? We have compared the safety of raw dog food versus dry food many times before. In short, over the last

We Compare the Top 10 80:20 Dog Foods Available in UK for Meat Contents and Value for Money. Again the Results Might Surprise You… Last week we compared the Top 10 Grain-Free dog foods out there available to Irish and UK residents. It gave you some simple tips to take note

Some points on two recent raw dog food recalls and how they compare to dry pet food recalls… There has been a variety of raw dog food recalls in the past. In 2011, one of Australia’s biggest raw dog food producers, V.I.P. PetFood, was caught using dangerously high amounts of

I was in with a vet some weeks ago, doing a friendly bit of nutritional re-education. A question popped up about Nestlé Purina’s new way of stating how much meat is in their dry food… This was a new one to me but then, let’s face it, only a fool

Where are you on the dog food scale?! There is such a range of pet foods now available to the pet owner these days that it can become quite confusing. Every day I am sent links to products by folk asking me is this good or bad for my dog.