Apr 14 2008
A Great Resource: Drs. Foster & Smith

If you’ve never heard of Doctors Foster & Smith, allow me to introduce you to a valuable resource for medical information and products.
Who They Are
Drs. Foster & Smith is the largest pet supply cataloger in the nation. They started in 1983 and have steadily grown from a small group of three dedicated veterinarians to well over 600 employees.
Founder Dr. Race Foster received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Michigan State University where he earned the 1983 Feline Medicine and Surgery Award for academic achievements in feline medicine. A member of the Michigan and Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Associations, Dr. Foster is the co-author of four books on pet health, care and behavior, and has a special interest in consulting and working with professional dog and cat breeders, especially in the area of preventive animal health.
Founder Dr. Marty Smith received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at Iowa State University and is a member of the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association. In addition to co-authoring four books with Dr. Foster, Dr. Smith has written hundreds of articles on pet health, care and behavior and is very involved as a consultant with pet organizations, breeders, trainers and other writers across the United States. A number of Dr. Smith’s English Setters have competed in the national showing circuit, including Ch. Sevenoaks Golden Garters, “Vegas,” who was the 1997 Am. Can. Grand National Champion.
Their Products
Each year, Dr. Foster and Dr. Smith personally review more than 2,500 new pet products, selecting only those which offer the highest quality solutions for enhancing pet health and well-being. When available offerings don’t meet their high standards - or when a product simply isn’t available - the doctors develop their own alternatives under the Drs. Foster and Smith brand name.
Drs. Foster and Smith-brand products offer high quality and are available only through Drs. Foster and Smith, often for less money than pet supplies found in retail pet stores.
Informational Articles
Drs. Foster and Smith also offer a comprehensive database of articles, which can be found here, and covers a vast range of issues from allergy care, to sanitation, to diet and weight control, and much, much more.
The American Mutt-i-grees Club, founded by Pet Savers Foundation, wants to spread the word that mutts are people dogs too!
The American Mutt-i-grees Club is all about change and choice:
Changing how mixed-breed dogs are regarded, by celebrating the unique
characteristics of each one of them, and helping people make the right
choice - the choice to adopt mixed-breed puppies and [...]
The pills you pop may make you feel better, but they could be fatal to your pet. Just last year, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) handled 89,000 cases of pets exposed to human medications.
Here’s what to watch out for:
NSAIDs
According to the APCC, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen or naproxen are the most [...]
My distaste for puppy mills notwithstanding, I’m pleased to report that, stepping away from its reputation as “The Puppy Mill Capital of the East,” the Pennsylvania Legislature passed HB 2525 on October 8, a bill that will improve the lives of tens of thousands of dogs living in Pennsylvania’s puppy mills.
HB 2525 doubles the cage [...]
Two years ago today, my husband and I rescued Greta, and our lives have never been the same since. Sure, it was hard in the beginning–after all, she was a puppy with no experiences outside of living in a wire crate 23 hours a day.
Slowly, she learned how to relax and live in a home. [...]
October is Adopt-A-Dog month, a celebration established by the American Humane Association to promote dog adoptions from animal shelters and educate people about responsible pet care. Learn more about events in your area here.
And just in time for Adopt-A-Dog month, Disney’s new film, Beverly Hills Chihuahua hits theaters October 3. The film is about Chloe, [...]
Thanks for the article - I work there and have to tell you I haven’t met a group of pet owners and experts that care more about what they do.
Ellen: Thanks for stopping by, and please tell your colleagues to keep up the great work!
[...] Drs. Foster and Smith, who offer amazing pet products, also have a television show, “Faithful Friends”, on Animal Planet that airs on Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. [...]
I wish someone would review Zymox otic and Zymox skin preparations.
They saved my puppy a lot of misery from both an ear infection and a skin rash that spread all over his body. Had him scraped for the manges (negative) tried the anti-biotics and peroxide shampoo, did not work.
But the Zymox cured my puppy completely in a week. It should be better known. I just happened to stumble on it at Amazon (there are over 100 posts like mine-some dogs had suffered for years with ear and skin infections).
Glad I found it! Hope you do some research on this product because it saved me a lot of money and saved my puppy from his misery. I am taking a bottle to my local shelter.