This week on Genome Barks, we welcome back Dr. Joe Wakshlag, a veterinary nutritionist at Cornell University.  Dr. Wakshlag discusses the balanced nutrition that dogs require, how to read the labels on dog food bags and cans, and what nutrients to watch for when purchasing food for your dog.

Dr. Joseph Wakshlag completed a DVM in 1998 at Cornell University and continued studies in both pathology and nutrition eventually completing a residency in Clinical Nutrition.. In 2005 he completed a PhD in pharmacology where he studied the influence of tissue transglutaminase in mammary carcinoma and amyloid-induced neurodegeneration.  After a short stay in private practice he returned to Cornell Veterinary Medicine as the assistant professor of clinical nutrition and received board certification by the American College of Veterinary Nutrition in June of 2008.  Presently his research interests include carotenoids and fatty acid metabolism in cancer cell biology and metabolism in working dogs.

This week on Genome Barks we welcome Pat Hastings, a lecturer on canine structure, form and function, and the 2001 winner of the Doberman Pinscher Club of America Lifetime Achievement Award.  Mrs. Hastings discusses her structural evaluation process, the importance of breed type, health and temperament when evaluating a litter of puppies, and her caveat of never letting pieces be more important than the whole.  Mrs. Hastings also describes the developmental milestones that breeders should watch for.