I joined NPP with an eagerness to learn more about pet nutrition and to use that knowledge to help people and pets who need it most. I started out at Branford Veterinary Hospital in with no previous experience in veterinary medicine and by I was a certified veterinary technician.
Both of my dogs Tyson and Pongo are what built my strong interest in nutrition on top of already working in the field as well. When you have pets that need preventative care to avoid future costs- you do what you have to do. And in my case, that was learning and educating myself on behalf of each of their nutritional needs.
In , my boyfriend and I adopted Tyson our pit mix from a rescue in Waterbury. Just like any other pit or pit mix, he came with the upset belly, itchy skin, picky eater β you name it he has it. I originally thought back then that the things I was doing for him were everything I could be doing but, I just gave him the best off-the-shelf dog food I could afford.
After feeding Tyson like that for 18 months, I realized something needed to change to improve his health so I started looking at ways to improve his diet. Food and treat trials you name it. We got him on a kibble that suited his needs best and I learned along the way the information a pet owner would need to know about how to pick the right food. Then came Pongo, our Dalmatian, in Dalmatians are a unique breed and of course, a very cool breed to say the least.
But after owning and taking care of this breed, I can say hands down, if someone were to get a Dalmatian, they MUST do their research that goes for any specific breed. Dalmatians are prone to forming stones through genetic mutation in their breed. They carry a certain crystal in their urine- ammonium biurates- which is normal in dals and a couple of other breeds but if seen in any other breed this would be abnormal.
