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Seattle vet's on a a quest to promote pet health photo by Steve Johnson Dr. Charles Kruger, a 40-year veterinarian, launched a nationwide tour of this Ultimate Supplement (a dietary supplement for dogs and cats) in a motor home custom-painted with a giant hound. His tour took off Friday from Grants Pass, and he made a brief stop in Medford on his way to San Antonio, Texas. Plans to sell supplement around U.S. By SARA MURPHY for the Mail Tribune What does a Seattle veterinarian have in common with the Oscar Mayer Weiner mobile? Charles Kruger is hitting the road. No, he's not promoting hot dogs. But he is selling a product he says will make your dog healthier, shinier and more energetic. The all-natural Dr. Kruger's Ultimate Supplement can be yours for just $29.50 (plus shipping and handling) -- and it's guaranteed, or your money back. Kruger launched an 18-month infomercial-on-wheels tour from Grants Pass Friday, stopping briefly in Medford on his way to San Antonio, Texas. He's marketing a dietary supplement for dogs and cats that he developed 15 years ago to help prevent the onset of toxic gut syndrome, a sudden, fatal disorder that afflicts some German shepherds. Today, the powdered potions are available in four formulas: original, show dog, anti-inflammatory and pregnancy-and-puppy. Marketing materials say a teaspoon a day of the supplement's "balance of enzymes, probiotics, vitamins and minerals" helps "guard against skin disorders, ensures complete digestion and absorption of food, prevents bacterial overgrowth and controls digestive disorders such as chronic diarrhea. And dogs love the taste!" Kruger says even finicky pets will eat it. "They like it a lot," he says. "It tastes really good." After a 40-year career as a vet and dog breeder, Kruger retired last week to tour the nation in a 31-foot Fleetwood Flair motor home emblazoned with a picture of a giant hound. He plans to peddle his product at dog and trade shows, in pet store parking lots and, well, just about anywhere he can find an audience. "This is my new adventure," he says. The supplements are marketed and sold through Animal Health Institute, a new branch of The Ken Roberts Company of Grants Pass. "They bought this brand-new bus and I have a paid vacation," says Kruger, who plans to spend several weeks next winter in Florida. In addition to the custom-painted tour-mobile, the Grants Pass company has set up a Web site and a toll-free telephone number to market Kruger's creation. The doctor has a portable computer he plans to use to answer pet owners' questions over the Internet while on the road. And while skeptics may say Kruger's story sounds a bit like a snake-oil salesman's, he stands behind his product. "Denial is a big part of a dog owner's existence," he says, explaining that dog disorders like intestinal torsion and bloat are quick killers. "You wake up in the morning and find your dog bloated and dead," Kruger says. "Once you notice the symptoms, it's too late." Ultimate Supplement is guaranteed to make dogs "healthier, happier" and "more energetic" in 90 days, and Kruger says dogs that have taken the supplement have never died from an intestinal disorder"Your dog may be healthy and never have it, but who knows?" he says. "You never can tell." Dr. Kruger's Web site is www.dockruger.com . To order, call 877-4-KRUGER. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA