Few supplements match pet-health claims
Local seller insists his product differs, works
By Chris Krepich
Press Enterprise Sunday, May 10, 2009
Pet food supplements are often touted as cure-alls for dogs and cats, but few live up to the claims, an expert on pet nutrition says. David Long, who sells the Pet Skin Doctor supplement, said he couldn't agree with that statement more.
But his supplement is different, he says, because it’s all natural and formulated to give dogs, cats and ferrets the nutrition they need. It contains vitamins A, D3 and E, and omega-3, 6 and 9 fatty acids from emu, ostrich, poultry, beef, pork and olive oil. The supplement is made for Long by a production company, but he supplies the emu oil that is used. He then bottles the finished product and fulfills orders at his Longview Farm along Shaffer Road here.
Long and wife Joanne have been raising emus and making products from the oil for years. They offer 45 other products, such as lotions, lip balms and other personal care items. Long said he was approached by Performance Foods of Colorado about making a supplement to help pets. Owner Thomas Willard, a pet nutrition expert, performed clinical studies and came up with the formula, said Long.
The results are phenomenal, Long said. About 60 percent of the animals tested showed overall improved health, he said.
Willard also formulated a ferret food called Totally Ferret, and a dog food called Total Performance Dog.
Dr. Tony Buffington, a pet nutrition expert at Ohio State University, is skeptical of the claims. He said the product will not harm pets, but he'd have to see test results to determine if it was helpful.
Packaged pet food harms dogs, cats
Animal nutritionist disagrees with Scott man's claim that carnivores must eat only meat
Dogs and cats are carnivores, so feeding them commercial pet food that’s full of grains and vegetables can irritate their skin, cause allergic reactions and cut their lives short, says David Long. That's why Long sells a product called the Pet Skin Doctor, a nutritional supplement for dogs, cats and ferrets.
Carnivores have absolutely no nutritional need for vegetables, says Long. But Dr. Tony Buffington, an animal-nutrition expert at Ohio State University with 35 years experience, has some different ideas. He agrees that dogs are carnivores. However, that doesn't mean they can't survive and even thrive on foods other than meat, he says. There are upwards of 80 million dogs in the US, he said, and most of them eat commercial dog food and do just fine. You can test that yourself, he said. Find the 10 best-looking dogs and ask the owners what they feed them.
But Long said he's at American Kennel Club shows every weekend and he finds a large number of dogs suffering from pet skin conditions and nutritional problems. There are also dogs at each show that have benefited from his product, he says.
Nutrition, not ingredients
Carnivores are allergic to the gluten in grains, said Long, owner of Longview Farms here. Pets that are fed foods with lots of grains and vegetables also develop skin conditions, he says. And he believes such health problems lead to shorter life spans.
So we came out with an all-natural product with essential and non-essential fatty acids that carnivores need.
Buffington, though, says skin irritations can have several causes, such as bacteria or an autoimmune disorder. Dogs need nutrition, not ingredients, he said. There’s plenty of meat in pet foods, and they can digest the carbs in grains as well as any species.
Long, though, doesn't expect veterinary schools to embrace his product. That's because many of those schools receive funding from pet-food companies, he says.
If a grain is one of the first five ingredients on a pet-food label, then the product is 80 percent to 90 percent grain, Long said. And many pet foods contain ingredients that can't be used in other products, he noted, such as chicken feathers, field corn and even road kill. The nutrition disclosure on bags of pet food is basically a lie, Long says. It's just not true. The numbers could be true, he said, if the food wasn't processed so heavily or did not contain preservatives that rob nutrition. But Buffington says providing a dog more nutrition is as simple as buying a higher-quality food. Not rocket science.
Longs liquid supplement is applied to a pet’s normal food. The amount depends on the animals’ weight. An 8-ounce bottle sells for 19.95 and will last for a month on average. Food consumption will decrease by about a third, Long said, because the animals are getting more nutrition. It's not rocket science, he said. It's 100 percent natural and meets the dietary needs of carnivores. It's pretty simple.
Fatty-acid supplements were effective in reducing symptoms of inflammation and itching in 11 percent to 27 percent of dogs with allergies, and over 50 percent of cats with allergies, according to Longs Web site. Buffington said he'd have to see the test results for himself before declaring anything as effective.
Long also sells a topical cream for skin irritations under the Pet Skin Doctor name. Skin rashes such as pet hot spots often go away in two or three days with the cream, he said. That sells for 29.95 The products are in some retail locations, but Long hasn't advertised much. He's been working on an infomercial which should air nationally in a few weeks. Products are sold locally at the farm, and they are available through petskindoctor.com
