Dr. Jane Bicks

First and foremost, Dr. Jane is the ultimate pet person. She shares her life with a dog, a goat, two horses, a monkey, and two cats. Her pets are her family and she is dedicated to their health and happiness. Dr. Jane knows you feel the same way about your pets and she has devoted her life to the health and wellness of our precious companions.

Dr Jane is a highly respected and nationally recognized holistic veterinarian. She is the author of three national books on pet care and nutrition and has served on professional boards including the Cornell Feline Health Center. Dr. Jane served as the President of the Veterinary Medical Association in NYC and was appointed by former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to help start one of the largest animal shelters in the United States. She has also appeared on many network television and cable programs and numerous radio stations as a veterinary expert.

Dr. Jane is responsible for HealthyPetNet product formulation and development, and she consults regularly with pet industry experts to ensure our cutting-edge formulas meet the highest standards for quality and effectiveness.

Dr. Jane is responsible for HealthyPetNet product formulation and development, and she consults regularly with pet industry experts to ensure our cutting-edge formulas meet the highest standards for quality and effectiveness.

Grape Seed Extract and Grapes In Dog Food

Dear Dr. Jane: I have two young, male Bichon Frises. My question is about the Life's Abundance dog food that you created. All of the research that I have tried to do on Life's Abundance shows it to be an impressively high quality food but I have one nagging concern that I haven't been able to find reassuring info on. The food includes Grape Seed Extract in it's ingredients. I know that Grape Seed Extract is a powerful antioxidant for humans but I also know that grapes are very toxic to dogs. Is this a safe ingredient to have in a dog food? How can Grape Seed Extract not damage my dog's health if the grapes that it comes from are so dangerous? Please educate me. I would appreciate any info that you can give me.

Dr Jane's Answer: Excellent question. I use a grape seed extract called Activin. I do not use the grape, or the skin or most of the seed components. There are many components of the seed that are extracted (by water, no chemicals). The only component I use is the proanthocyanidins which are the active antioxidants. It is very easy for a company to identify plant components by using sophisticated chemical analysis machines that map out the chemical look of each component. There are many companies that are not willing to spend the money to extract just one compound. When you go to the Activin site and see the 60 papers and presentations on Activin’s role against cancer you will understand why I have included it in the food. There is no doubt in my mind that this product helps to make the Life's Abundance Premium Health Food For Dogs And Puppies as successful as it is.
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Large Breeds and High Protein

All studies of large breed puppies show that they should have no less than 26% protein, which we have. Why would one limit protein in a big dog when you need it to grow skin, coat, kidney, lungs, brain, and the list goes on? There is a lot of misinformation out there.
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Life's Abundance Instinctive Choice Canned Cat Food vs. Hill's Prescription C/D
 
Dear Dr. Jane: I recently adopted an adorable male Himalayan-mix (Paddy O'Toole) who the vet believes to be 5-7 years. I took him to my vet a couple of weeks ago as he was straining when peeing. His urinalysis was normal, his urine culture was negative. The vet initially saw some "debris" or small "crystals" in ultra-sound. She put him on a an anti-smasmodic med and a pain med pending the results of the urinalysis and urine culture. She believes he may have FLUTD, which may be chronic or may not occur again. She requested him that I put him on Prescription Diet c/d Multicare food (wet). He is doing quite well. Previous to the flare up with FLUTD, I was feeding him Innova dry food and a variety of wet foods - Wellness, Innova, Merck, PetGuard, Wysong, etc. My question is: Is the Instinctive Choice comparable to C/D? My vet wanted to get his Ph level lower and it was a bit on the high normal end of the scale. A good friend of mine has a male kitty who had the same sort of problem and she had him on C/D for about 3 months and now has him on Instinctive Choice and he's had no problem. I appreciate your attention and suggestions regarding this issue.