Queen City Dachshunds

09/29/2026

The gut biome and how it is linked to dogs struggling with anxiety.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1BmugCY99C/

🐶 DOG STRUGGLING WITH ANXIETY, REACTIVITY OR TROUBLE SETTLING? THEIR GUT MAY BE PART OF THE PICTURE. 🦠🧠

A new 2026 peer-reviewed review is shining a spotlight on something most pet parents would never connect with their dog’s behavior:

The gut microbiome.

The researchers highlight a randomized, placebo-controlled study of dogs given the specific probiotic strain Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LP815™ for four weeks.

And what changed wasn’t just their gut.

🤯 Dogs receiving LP815™ showed significant improvements in anxiety and aggression compared with placebo.

Even more interesting, activity monitors showed they settled faster after their owners left and had more consistent sleep.

And LP815™ is one of the specific strains we chose for Dr. Becker’s Primitive Probiotics™.

Why does that matter?

Because with probiotics, STRAIN MATTERS.

You can’t assume every L. plantarum—or every probiotic—will produce the same effects. The review itself points out that probiotic research varies by strain, dose and duration.

This is why we didn’t formulate Primitive Probiotics™ by simply chasing the biggest CFU number possible.

We selected specific researched strains in dogs that were designed to support the microbiome from multiple angles—including LP815™, a strain now being studied for something that goes far beyond digestion.

🦠 GUT → BRAIN → BEHAVIOR 🧠🐶

For years, most pet parents have thought about probiotics for p**p and digestion.

Now scientists are investigating how specific probiotic strains may also influence the gut–brain axis, behavior, stress and sleep. And that’s a fascinating new chapter in canine microbiome research.

👇 Want to learn more about Dr. Karen Becker’s Primitive Probiotics™?

Comment “BETTERBELLY” and we’ll send you the link.

09/25/2026

Dogs with low Vitamin D levels are at a higher risk of getting cancer.

🐶 DOGS WITH LOW VITAMIN D HAD NEARLY 4X THE RISK OF CANCER.

Vitamin D is much more important to our dogs’ health than many pet parents realize.

In a peer-reviewed study published in Veterinary and Comparative Oncology, researchers measured vitamin D levels in nearly 350 dogs and found a striking association: the lower the dogs’ vitamin D, the greater their relative risk of cancer.

Dogs with vitamin D levels below 40 ng/mL had 3.9X the relative risk of cancer. For hemangiosarcoma, one of the most aggressive cancers in dogs, the relative risk was 4.1X higher.

As vitamin D levels increased, the relative risk progressively decreased.

Researchers also found changes in markers related to inflammation and parathyroid hormone as vitamin D increased.

☀️ And here’s what makes this especially important for dogs:

Unlike humans, dogs cannot make adequate vitamin D from sunshine. They depend getting D from their food.

🐟 Fatty fish such as salmon, trout, herring and sardines are natural dietary sources of vitamin D3 and can be healthy toppers.

But this does NOT mean we should blindly start giving dogs high-dose vitamin D supplements.

🩸 TESTING MATTERS:

A blood test measuring 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] can tell you your dog’s vitamin D status. If levels are low, you and your veterinarian can look at the diet and determine whether dietary changes or carefully controlled supplementation are appropriate.

Vitamin D is fat-soluble, so more not better: unnecessary supplementation can cause organ failure.

Considering dogs depend so heavily on healthy food for vitamin D, it raises an important question:

Do you know your dog’s vitamin D level? 🐶☀️🐟

09/25/2026

Dogs struggling with itching, itch less after adding C*D oil.

🐶 DOG STRUGGLING WITH ITCHY SKIN OR ALLERGIES? THEIR GUT MAY BE PART OF THE PICTURE.

🤯 Scientists are uncovering a fascinating connection between the GUT, IMMUNE SYSTEM AND SKIN.

In a randomized controlled study, dogs with atopic dermatitis continued taking Apoquel while receiving either a placebo or the probiotic Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) for 90 days.

Dogs receiving LGG had significantly greater improvement in their skin lesions than dogs receiving placebo, and itching significantly improved from baseline in the probiotic group.

💜 That caught our attention because Dr. Karen Becker’s Primitive Probiotics™ contains L. rhamnosus GG, along with a diverse combination of canine, soil-derived and other carefully selected probiotic strains to support the gut microbiome.

Studies like this highlight the fascinating connection between the gut, immune system and skin.

And this isn’t the only area researchers are exploring. A new 2026 peer-reviewed study in Frontiers in Allergy found that dogs with skin allergies itched significantly less after C*D-rich Cannabis oil was added, and their itch scores were maintained even after their Apoquel dose was cut by 50%.

The C*D study was small, so larger studies are needed, but together this research highlights why scientists are looking beyond the skin when studying chronic itching and allergies.

For dogs constantly licking, scratching and struggling with their skin, sometimes it makes sense to start with the gut.

👇 If you want to explore a science-backed probiotic option for your dog, comment BETTERBELLY and we’ll DM you the link.

09/21/2026

Thanks to everyone, our little lh red girl has found her future home with a fantastic family, right here in Cincinnati.

09/16/2026

How long does kibble really last once opened. Dr. Karen Becker has the real anawer.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Ccoe4Z9Mn/

HOW LONG DOES KIBBLE REALLY LAST ONCE OPENED?

Buying the biggest bag of kibble often makes sense. More food for less money. But a new 2026 scientific review highlights an overlooked problem with what happens after you open the bag.

Once opened, repeated exposure to oxygen can gradually break down the antioxidants added to protect the food. At the same time, the fats can continue to oxidize, creating potentially harmful substances that can be absorbed into your dog’s body and contribute to cellular damage.

And here’s the surprising part:

👉 Antioxidant adequacy is assessed when the food is manufactured.

That doesn’t necessarily tell us what remains weeks later when your dog finally reaches the bottom of that big bag.

The researchers call this an “unquantified consumer level exposure gap.” They say we need studies measuring antioxidants and oxidized fat products at multiple time points after opening to understand what dogs are actually consuming.

Rendered animal fats🥩 commonly used in pet foods can be particularly vulnerable to oxidation during storage. The review specifically discusses oxidation products including MDA, 4 HNE and lipid hydroperoxides.

So what can pet parents do? 🐾

If you feed kibble, consider buying a smaller bag your dog will finish sooner instead of letting a huge bag sit open for weeks or months.

Keep the food tightly sealed, minimize its exposure to air, and store it somewhere cool and dry.

And when possible, consider replacing some of the kibble with fresh, minimally processed foods to diversify the bowl rather than relying exclusively on the same processed food every day.

The researchers say we still need real world studies to determine exactly how quickly antioxidants decline and oxidized fats accumulate once a bag is opened.

Bottom line: Buying the biggest bag may save money, but buying only what your dog can finish while it’s fresher, storing it properly, and adding fresh, minimally processed foods to the bowl may be worth considering.

09/08/2026

Dr. Judy Morgan on vaccine titers, vets charging $$$ to perform vaccine titers, and where to purchase lower cost titers

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1Jw2oSYaeS/