Copenhagen Pet

08/05/2026

TOP 5 TIPS FOR DOG OWNERS CHASING THEIR TAILS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL ALLERGENS THIS COMING SUMMER...

The last three years of yeast research have led me to some important conclusions about skin disease in pets in general.

Let's start with a topical yeast issue to explain.

Our Propythium range is for TOPICAL yeast conditions in dogs - the oil for skin, the ear product for ears, the effervescent tablets for baths or hairy dogs (or cats or horses or rabbits or.....people?).

Our Yeast Defeat, on the other hand, is for INTERNAL yeast conditions in dogs.

The latter very often drives the former but if my fella had a topical yeast condition (a simple, cheap home test will confirm this...), I'd hope it's just a once-off, use Propythium and hope it does the trick.

Only when that yeast condition comes back, again and again, or if I have a client who has been treating the skin condition for some time with various products, with no end in sight, do you start to suspect there is likely something going on under the hood.

The GUT-SKIN axis is one of the most important out there. Helsinki University showed us that if we mess with the gut biome it will soon (6-12mths) become visible in the skin biome, like smoke coming out the roof of a burning house, as I always say.

Chronic skin conditions, yeast or otherwise, are a simple process of elimination that DO NOT require tests or scans or poo samples, straight out of the traps.

It's clear today we are wasting a fortune on "analysis".

Analysis paralysis, they call it.

Here's how I do it - if your dog is getting repeat yeast issues on top, I suspect yeast INTERNALLY, pop in some Yeast Defeat and it very often does the trick. It's a simple product of 5 ingredients that yeast hates.

If it works - GREAT! It was yeast.

Did it not work? OK, it's not yeast internally driving the repeating skin biome disruption and you have elminated the top culprit for less than 30 quid.

On to the next things. They are (and in this order...):

1️⃣ OMEGA 6:3 IMBALANCE
The skin microbiome feeds skin lipids. A poor fatty acid balance (low EPA/DHA, high omega-6) can fuel dysbiosis. Too much plant/seed oils are a culprit, sure, but also too much cheap, high-fat raw (poultry are grain-fed, they're fat BEGIN at 15:1 omega 6:3, a completely alien 6:3 profile for the dog).

SOLUTION - Switch to outdoor-reared / grass-fed meats (and add omega-3).

2️⃣ TOO MUCH ANTI-LIFE AROUND
Washing your dog (or floors) in too many anti-bacterial products disrupting the biome, allowing yeast to propagate.

SOLUTION - Stop using anti-life products on your dog and switch to probiotic cleaners in your home. Recommend Ingenious Probiotics. We have them in store.

3️⃣ TOO MUCH LICKING?
Moisture imbalance at the skin layer. Skin folds aside (English bulldogs, Frenchies, etc), constant warm, dampness from chronic licking (often from food intolerances) can drive issues at the skin layer. What's more, their saliva is antibacterial. Yeast loves this too.

SOLUTION - Get on to my new WellDog platform. It will help you track how your dog is doing on each protein. You'll have your culprits in a month. Also use the TCVM tool to find the most cooling proteins that might suit your dog.

4️⃣ HORMONE DISRUPTION
Hormonal imbalance is a bitch. It disrupts skin turnover, immune surveillance and sebum production. When disrupted, the skin becomes thinner, slower to renew and local immunity goes haywire. Yeast loves this as its the bacteria normally keeping him in check.

SOLUTION - Requires a blood test at the vets.

5️⃣ ENVIRONMENTAL "ALLERGENS"?
Last on the list (but first for conventional vets, sadly the first), is environmental "allergens".

Here's why - your dog is supposed to be able to deal with environmental allergens!

Pollen?! Dust mites?!! Give me a break.

They are everyday challenges that MOST dogs the world over deal fine with. Millions of years of evolution are supposed to have sorted it.

The question should be why is YOUR dog reacting inappropriately to everyday challenges?!

Remember, studies show, the more harassed your immune system is coming into summer (stress, pain, obesity, lack of sleep, chemical exposure, autoimmune disease, poor dentition, etc etc), the more you react to environmental challenges.

The immune system's ability to cope is finite.

Something is drawing on your dog's reserves, dropping their force field, lowering their threshold. You need to find out what.

What your dog reacts to exactly is likely defined by their genetic make-up - for me it might be birch pollen, for you grass, for him dust mites, for her fleas (although white coated dogs do suffer "environmental allergens" more...).

But we're all vulnerable, at some point, and the lower your immunity goes, the more of these "pop up" on your environmental "allergies" test you just wasted €300 on.

You need to find out what is drawing the reserves, not just squash the symptoms with antihistamines and NSAIDs.

BEST ADVICE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ALLERGENS THIS SUMMER:
- Feed real food
- Focus on the omega 6:3 balance
- Skin loves zinc, vitamin A and E
- Boost the immune system naturally if struggling (quercetin, stinging nettle, turmeric)

13/08/2024

https://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/06/garlic-for-dogs-health-benefits.html?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2JkixktPR8uOo7__a6sK0CoIpkuTyGseHvCARD2Vbmmxm9O5-yJNfFq1c_aem_I9eq6pxO8kO7eLfYKhu7bw&m=1

13/02/2024

https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/vetr.3609?fbclid=IwAR3Vz_bgzEiridDxHkRJL9petfhtkdvPWXyzZztl1HG9ggmtXkveMcL58Ac

19/10/2023

🫣 The Dirt on Peanut Butter 🥜

To be 100% honest with you, I don’t know where, when or how peanut butter became so popular for dogs as a snack and an ingredient in treats. Dogs “can” eat peanut butter but it is FAR from my first choice for a treat as there are so many considerations to be made. It seems like lip smacking goodness until you really look into it.

☠️ When Peanut Can be Lethal 🥜

Peanut butter can be lethal if it contains the sugar alcohol Xylitol which is used as an artificial sweetener in some brands. Xylitol poisoning causes vomiting, a sudden drop in blood sugar, weakness, incoordination, collapse, seizures, liver failure and even death. Urgent veterinary attention is required after accidental ingestion of even small quantities. Peanut butter doesn’t need sweetener, if you’re stocking peanut butter in your pantry select a natural variety with no additives.

🙅‍♀️ Other Undesirable Aspects of 100% Natural Peanut Butter 🥜

🦠 Aflatoxins 🦠

Aflatoxins are a potentially carcinogenic toxins produced by mould that is found in agriculture in corn and maize (check the ingredients in Science Diet dry food 🫣), cottonseed and peanuts.

These have been known to produce allergic responses, digestive inflammation, autoimmune or heart issues, problems with growth and development and contribute to parasite infestation.

The roasting process removes majority of the mould and therefore aflatoxin concentration of raw peanuts. However, peanuts that are already roasted and stored prior to processing may continue to grow mould. This means that the “grind your own” peanut butters in natural health food stores have a higher concentration of aflatoxins compared to other sources 🫢 Buying roasted peanuts in bulk and grinding them at home with no additional heating may also contain higher levels than expected.

Some brands claim to be aflatoxin free, do your research and buy from reputable brands or ones who have done appropriate scientific testing, such as ELISA, thin-layer chromatography (TLC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and gas chromatography (GC) to check levels. Buying from local, organic providers who care about their produce and harvest efficiently and carefully are also worth looking into.

As a side note, aflatoxins are grouped into 4 categories - AFG1, AFG2, AFB1 and AFB2. The FDA considers peanuts and peanut products containing a total aflatoxin count from all categories no greater than 20 micrograms per kilogram (mcg/kg) or 20 parts per billion (ppb) as fit for human consumption. In Canada and Australia the highest acceptable level is 15ppb.

🌰 Omega-6 Fatty Acids 🥜

Peanut butter is high in omega-6s. These polyunsaturated fatty acids should be monitored within dog diets as they can cause inflammation. If your dog eats a lot of chicken, there is likely to already be a high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 which could promote inflammation.

🙅‍♀️ Rancid Fats 🥜

Even with undetectable aflatoxins, store bought peanut butters may still be become rancid due to high fat content. Roasted and processed peanuts will go rancid faster than raw peanuts. Exposure to air causes oxidation therefore refrigeration and appropriate storage may control this.

🔥 Roasting Process 🥜

Peanuts are often roasted in hydrogenated vegetable oil which introduces trans fats into the product. Avoid peanut butters made from peanuts roasted in oil and instead opt for the dry-roasted varieties.

🫘 Phytates 🥜

Legumes and grains contain phytates, natural antioxidants that act as anti-nutrients within the body. Phytic acid chelates micronutrients causing decreased bioavailability. Some studies suggest that roasting may reduce phytic acid levels up to 26%. Soaking, sprouting, activating or fermenting peanuts prior to roasting will further reduce the content of phytates.

🌰 Oxalates 🥜

Peanuts are high in oxalates. Similar to phytates, these are anti-nutrients which bind to minerals impairing their bioavailability. Oxalates can also accumulate in the kidneys, leading to the formation of kidney stones. Roasting decreases oxylaye content, and soaking prior to roasting further reduces the oxalate content.

✅ Best Practice for Preparation 👩‍🍳

💧Soak, sprout or activate raw peanuts and dry roast or ferment them to make your own peanut butter. This reduces aflatoxins, phytates, oxylates and trans fats. You may also be able to find companies who follow these practices in their processing.

🙅‍♀️ Don’t make peanut butter from nuts that have been roasted and sorted in an uncontrolled environment as this promotes mould growth and aflatoxin content. This includes avoiding “grind your own” peanut butters from health food shops.

🌴 Nut butters made from Valencia or Jungle peanuts are more carefully grown and are less likely to have aflatoxins. Valencia peanuts also contain all 9 amino acids, resveratrol and monounsaturated fats that help to lower triglycerides.

🐟 Feed your dog plenty of omega-3 rich foods the same day you give peanut butter to help bring the Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio closer to 3:1.

🍶Consider making or buying fermented peanut butter over activated or soaked as this contains also probiotics as well as reducing anti-nutrients.

Overall, small doses of peanut butter can be considered okay for dogs provided specific guidelines are followed. Despite this, there are significantly more nutritious nuts and seeds to consider appropriately preparing feeding instead.

13/10/2022

👇THIS 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Let's pretend!!!

01/10/2022

Can I get you another treat Sir? Oh the guilt 🥺

23/09/2022

Hey👋🏽just our favorite reminder to all newbies and OG’s to: rotate proteins!

Rotating the protein sources that you feed your furry companions can make a big impact on their health - for the better🤗

Every protein provides a different combination of nutrients, and no single protein source can provide every nutrient that your dog or cat needs to be at their optimal level of health.
Some of our batches (such as our duck or lamb) have higher fat contents, some are a bit higher in protein than others, and every protein source has its own unique amino acid profile.

Additionally based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) some proteins have cooling, neutral, warming or hot energies, feeding certain proteins can help alleviate certain issues in your pet’s overall wellness. For instance duck and rabbit are considered cooling proteins🧊these can help pets that are experiencing hot spots and any other skin irritations. Pork and beef are considered neutral proteins, while chicken and turkey are warming proteins and lamb is considered hot🔥Pets with arthritis or joint pain can often benefit from warming or hot proteins.

Keeping their diet varied with any and all proteins that they do well with is the best way to reap the benefits that each protein has to offer.
Which proteins are you feeding and rotating?!🤔🐶🐱

31/08/2022

Not all protein is equal; the protein source for your pup should be in the form of meat 🥩 not a corn 🌽 concoction!⠀
⠀
❌ Corn should not be the first ingredient in your dog's food.⠀
⠀
Aside from the fact that corn is NOT easily digestible, your dog needs the protein and fat found in meat. While corn does contain protein, it is a carbohydrate.⠀⠀⠀⠀

20/08/2022

PSA:

Please read labels before you offer treats.

Vegetable oils such as those listed below are high in omega 6, if the omega 6 isn’t properly balanced with omega 3 then this will become an inflammatory food.

Adding glucosamine for “joint health” to a treat that contains glycerol (glycerine) is counter productive. If the treat is chicken based, chicken is high in omega 6 then adding glycerol! Boom! Double inflammation.

*Click photo to expand the poster.

Be your dogs voice.

Emma Rutherford
Functional Companion Animal Dietary Industry Consultant thenaturalcaninekitchen.com Founder of Holistic Dog Care