Hershey Health Protocol
The full holistic health plan for [[Hershey]]. Source of truth for flea/tick, dental, heartworm, diet, and [[Organs and Lipoma Diet|lipoma]] management.
About him
- ~75 lb black Lab, fully healthy, loves to swim.
- Black coat → can't spot ticks visually, flea comb essential.
- Lipomas managed holistically. On Heartgard Plus 7 years, tolerates perfectly.
- Active: softball fields, beaches, trails → high hookworm/roundworm risk (stay on Plus, not plain Heartgard).
Flea & Tick Stack (final)
Order list: The Resistance (Wildly Blended), animalEO EVICT 5ml, Edens Garden Rose Geranium oil 10ml, metal flea comb, Project Sudz oatmeal/Manuka shampoo, bandanas.
- Daily in food: The Resistance, 1 tsp — internal repellent, alters scent so bugs won't land. Full effect in 4–6 weeks. The only layer swimming can't wash off. Start immediately.
- Before every outing: EVICT 4–10 drops massaged into coat (legs, neck, shoulders, ankles) + rose geranium 1 drop behind each shoulder blade and near tail base (safe undiluted).
- After every swim: bandana with 2–3 drops rose geranium + 2–3 drops EVICT around neck — keeps releasing without re-coating.
- After every outing: metal flea comb (ears, neck, armpits, groin, toes); run over wet paper towel — flea dirt turns red/brown.
- Bath days: Project Sudz (cleaning only, not protection).
Skipped & why: FleasGone tag (EMF concerns, no studies), Woof Creek powder (redundant), Woof Creek spray (EVICT stronger), coconut oil supplement (already high-fat → pancreatitis risk), shampoo-as-protection (washes off swimming dog). Validated by Dr. Judy Morgan's "Flea and Tick Prevention Revisited." Rose geranium is her #1 tick rec. See [[Hershey Tick Story]].
Heartworm
Heartgard Plus monthly — do NOT downgrade to plain Heartgard given his lifestyle. Paws absorb hookworm larvae from wet ground; he swims = high risk. The Resistance + EVICT cut mosquito exposure as a bonus.
Dental
- Imperial Pet Deer Velvet & Manuka Oral Spray (from Fetch RI) — daily.
- Raw Manuka Honey UMF 10+ — tiny amount on gums.
- Coconut oil — occasional brushing only (not a daily supplement; high-fat diet).
Diet (transitioning off kibble)
Status (March 2026): moved from 50/50 cooked+kibble → 70% gently cooked / 15% freeze-dried / 15% kibble. Goal: 100% whole food. Noticeably more energetic.
Target rotation:
- Simple Food Project (freeze-dried) — daily ~20–30% constant. ⚠️ Corrected 2026-08-05: the ~0.85:1 omega ratio is real but is driven substantially by flaxseed (4th ingredient) and chia, which supply ALA — dogs convert well under 10% of it to EPA/DHA. The anti-inflammatory work is actually done by the krill and cod liver oil in this food, the salmon oil in AllProvide, and Kyle's added fish oil and sardines. Don't drop the fish oil on the assumption the ratio covers it — the number flatters the food. See
qa-omega-sources-2026-08-05.json. - AllProvide (gently cooked) — preferred base when in stock (minimal ingredients, no grains/legumes, whole-food nutrients). Often sold out.
- Primal (freeze-dried) — variety + backup when AllProvide is out.
- Single-ingredient toppers (beef liver/heart/kidney, Stella & Chewy's, Vital Essentials) — 10–20% only.
- 1 raw egg every morning. No fish-oil supplement needed (SFP covers the ratio).
Protein intro protocol: new protein at 25% ~1 week → 50% → 75% if stool normal. One new thing at a time. Duck already tolerated (March 2026). TCVM priority detailed in [[Organs and Lipoma Diet]].
Drop kibble when: AAFCO "complete and balanced" confirmed on both AllProvide + SFP → kibble is redundant.
Lipoma & detox support
Four Leaf Rover Liver & Kidney Clean — triple duty: manage lipomas, support liver detox from monthly Heartgard, kidney health for a swimming dog.
Deficiencies to watch (months, not days)
Zinc (crusty nose/pads, dull coat), B vitamins (low energy), Vitamin D (muscle weakness, rare), iron/anemia (pale gums — caught at bloodwork), omega-3 (lipoma flare — SFP protects), Ca/P (only a home-cooked risk).
Clumpy shedding (noticed March 2026): most likely diet-transition detox shed (resolves 4–8 wks) or winter dry skin. Watch for hypothyroidism (Labs are prone) — add a thyroid panel (T4) to next annual bloodwork. He was very energetic = good sign against it.
AllProvide fatty acid panel — and why the ratio flatters it (2026-08-06)
Manufacturer figures, as fed:
| g | % DM | |
|---|---|---|
| Total fat | 64 | 34.2% |
| Saturated / Mono / Poly | 18 / 21 / 17 | — |
| LA (omega-6) | 11.4 | 6.4% |
| AA (omega-6, arachidonic) | 2.3 | 1.2% |
| ALA (plant omega-3) | 1.8 | 1.1% |
| EPA | 0.3 | 0.2% |
| DPA | 0.1 | (table says 27.2% — typo) |
| DHA | 0.4 | 0.3% |
| Stated omega 6:3 | 4.8 : 1 | — |
⚠️ The finding. Omega-6 totals 13.7g against 2.6g of omega-3, which is where the ~5:1 comes from. But 69% of that omega-3 is ALA from flaxseed, and dogs convert under 10% of it. Counting only what the dog can actually use — EPA + DPA + DHA = 0.8g — the functional ratio is about 17:1.
That's the exact flax-inflation pattern the scanner now detects, found in Hershey's own bowl. The label is not dishonest; it's just measuring something different from what the dog experiences.
Two consequences:
- Supplemental fish oil isn't optional for a lipoma dog on this food — it's the primary source of usable omega-3. The bowl contributes far less than 4.8:1 implies.
- AA at 2.3g is the inflammatory precursor EPA competes with, and it comes from the poultry. A beef or pork base would lower both LA and AA at source, which is a stronger argument for the protein switch than TCVM or zinc alone.
See also [[Two Brains - separation map]] for where this sits, and the omega-sources Pinecone pack.