We got a litter of cane corso puppies on July 30th. I wasn't posting in the blog until today because of having a huge amount of work to do. Mostly dogs/puppy related work I have been drowning in.
But today the pups turned 9 weeks of age and three of them are already in their new families.
Almost right after the dog labor I had to deal with a serious case of dam's diarrhea. She must have had dysbacteriosis or something not very good for at least the first 2 weeks after the labor.
The only thing that really helped to stop diarrhea and loose stools was administration of probiotics every single day. If I stopped giving her probiotics for a day, the problem would reoccur.
But she's been very well for the past 6 weeks. Not a single case of diarrhea.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
How to manage intestinal worms (parasites) in a healthy way
In this post I'd like to share with you some information and advice on parasites (intestinal worms).
Do you deworm your dog with a chemical dewormer? If yes, then ask yourself another question -
'Is it really safe for my dog?' Well, the answer is simply 'NO'. I will explain why.
ALL chemical dewormers (pharma- made products) can be very dangerous to your dog. Even if the product manufacturer claims that 'it is safe for puppies and pregnant bitches' it can still carry away a life of a pet. Some dogs are very sensitive to chemical compounds of these dewormers like 'fenbendazole', 'praziquantel', etc. and as a very bad side effect they die after ingesting these dewormers.
I hear more than enough warnings from breeders, dog owners, puppy owners who lost their dogs to pharmaceutical dewormers.
Anyway, here is what I do to my dogs and what is tested by my four dogs and proven safe by others as well.
First of all, I care about their overall health and I do want to do everything possible to keep their immune system at its best. I do not want to put their health at risk by giving them meds.
We have never had a single case of intestinal parasites, i.e. worms in our dogs.
Every half a year I give them a plant-based anti-parasitic supplement that is cleaning their body of all the possible parasites. Only once in 6 months is not bad at all. I have tested the following product on all of my 4 current dogs and none of them had any sort of discomfort or digestive upset. All are happy and healthy.
The supplement is all natural, it is called 'Parasite Relief' by Flying Basset Organics. It is very cheap too if compared to other dewormers. One bottle with 100 capsules lasted for half a year (4 dogs were treated). I did not try to give this product to puppies yet, so I do not know whether it is a good idea or not but I think I'll write to the manufacturer and ask about this product and puppies.
So guys, if you need to deworm your dog or prevent a worm infestation in a REALLY safe and natural way, get this supplement. Here is the link (remember to use the "KOR780" code at the check-out on iherb.com and you'll have a 5USD off the 1st purchase):
Do you deworm your dog with a chemical dewormer? If yes, then ask yourself another question -
'Is it really safe for my dog?' Well, the answer is simply 'NO'. I will explain why.
ALL chemical dewormers (pharma- made products) can be very dangerous to your dog. Even if the product manufacturer claims that 'it is safe for puppies and pregnant bitches' it can still carry away a life of a pet. Some dogs are very sensitive to chemical compounds of these dewormers like 'fenbendazole', 'praziquantel', etc. and as a very bad side effect they die after ingesting these dewormers.
I hear more than enough warnings from breeders, dog owners, puppy owners who lost their dogs to pharmaceutical dewormers.
Anyway, here is what I do to my dogs and what is tested by my four dogs and proven safe by others as well.
First of all, I care about their overall health and I do want to do everything possible to keep their immune system at its best. I do not want to put their health at risk by giving them meds.
We have never had a single case of intestinal parasites, i.e. worms in our dogs.
Every half a year I give them a plant-based anti-parasitic supplement that is cleaning their body of all the possible parasites. Only once in 6 months is not bad at all. I have tested the following product on all of my 4 current dogs and none of them had any sort of discomfort or digestive upset. All are happy and healthy.
The supplement is all natural, it is called 'Parasite Relief' by Flying Basset Organics. It is very cheap too if compared to other dewormers. One bottle with 100 capsules lasted for half a year (4 dogs were treated). I did not try to give this product to puppies yet, so I do not know whether it is a good idea or not but I think I'll write to the manufacturer and ask about this product and puppies.
So guys, if you need to deworm your dog or prevent a worm infestation in a REALLY safe and natural way, get this supplement. Here is the link (remember to use the "KOR780" code at the check-out on iherb.com and you'll have a 5USD off the 1st purchase):
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Hip Dysplasia: Treatment part 1
This post is not going to be an easy one to write. I could literally write the whole book dedicated to the alternative ways for treating hip dysplasia. Well, anyway, I will try to be brief and give you information that hopefully will be of some use.
This post is for all of you, guys, who actually failed to prevent hip dysplasia and now is in search for an alternative treatment or remedy for your young dog.
Hip dysplasia affected one of my dogs. It happened a little over 3 years ago. I had a large breed puppy and knew very little on the subject of hip dysplasia. All I knew was that the ailment had to be a genetic desease and that if my puppy's parents were all screened for hip dysplasia and werent' affected, I had nothing to worry about. Well, I was so wrong...
My puppy became symptomatic (started walking with a limp) at the age of 10 months. Since she was around 6 months old, we allowed the puppy running around and playing with the neighbour's dog. In the end we are in the vet's office taking x-rays. The puppy had a limp, on one of the rear legs. She wouldn't even step on one of her rear legs, she was in pain.
The vet looks at the x-rays and says how sorry he is for us and for the puppy. He says 'unilateral hip dysplasia'. I was so sad, I just wanted to shoot myself in the head. Oh god, that was a horrible feeling! He suggested that we should wait and see how it goes and how quickly the condition worsens, but admitted that we needed to prepare ourselves for putting down the puppy in a short period of time. He gave us no hope at all. The vet said that the chance for her to be able to have a normal active life equalled zero. I just wanted to break down and cry at that point. That was the LAST thing I was going to do. No way I would put my lovely precious puppy down!
About a week of crying and feeling increadibly sorry for my poor puppy I decided that I was going to find the treatment. My research began. Books, articles, internet forum discussions, I just needed more than I could possibly find in order to save my puppy's life and maybe even I needed a miracle.
I had some financial problems at that moment, and could not afford expensive holistic therapies, chiropractors or other methods. All I could try was actually meds and supplements.
My supplement number one turned to be 'Arthramine' by International Veterinary Sciences.
The second one was vitamin C in the non-acidic form - Sodium Ascorbate powder.
The third one - Bromelain.
I discontinued interactions with the neighbour's dog and took my puppy on short walks every single day. We would normally walk for 10 minutes, then increased to 20 minutes a day. I tried to avoid sidewalks, we mostly walked on the grassy parts of the street.
I also massaged the puppy's leg every evening.
A month passed and the limp became a lot less noticeble. After 2 months my puppy was walking firmly on all four legs. After half a year she was perfectly asymptomatic!
Some time later I discovered colostrum and started adding it to her 'treatment program'. We just continued walking, even sometimes jogging. No more limping! My puppy was not in pain anymore.
I will write later about how it went with my puppy in more detail. For now I will say one thing - this treatment program worked for us. The young dog regained mobility without further damage to her joints. And we even took an x-ray of her hips at the age of 2 years old to make sure her condition wasn't worsening.
We used 'Arthramine' for the first 3 months. After that I just bought similar dog supplements that contain not only Glucosamin but Chondroitin, MSM, green lipped mussel extract and some more beneficial extral for the joint health. Anyway, the first three months did help a lot, there was a visible difference - month after month.
Bromelain is a pineapple enzyme and is highly recommended for the joint health. It reduces inflammation in a safe, natural way. I gave it to my pup in between her meals.
Here is a link to 'Arthramine':
And here is Bromelain:
This post is for all of you, guys, who actually failed to prevent hip dysplasia and now is in search for an alternative treatment or remedy for your young dog.
Hip dysplasia affected one of my dogs. It happened a little over 3 years ago. I had a large breed puppy and knew very little on the subject of hip dysplasia. All I knew was that the ailment had to be a genetic desease and that if my puppy's parents were all screened for hip dysplasia and werent' affected, I had nothing to worry about. Well, I was so wrong...
My puppy became symptomatic (started walking with a limp) at the age of 10 months. Since she was around 6 months old, we allowed the puppy running around and playing with the neighbour's dog. In the end we are in the vet's office taking x-rays. The puppy had a limp, on one of the rear legs. She wouldn't even step on one of her rear legs, she was in pain.
The vet looks at the x-rays and says how sorry he is for us and for the puppy. He says 'unilateral hip dysplasia'. I was so sad, I just wanted to shoot myself in the head. Oh god, that was a horrible feeling! He suggested that we should wait and see how it goes and how quickly the condition worsens, but admitted that we needed to prepare ourselves for putting down the puppy in a short period of time. He gave us no hope at all. The vet said that the chance for her to be able to have a normal active life equalled zero. I just wanted to break down and cry at that point. That was the LAST thing I was going to do. No way I would put my lovely precious puppy down!
About a week of crying and feeling increadibly sorry for my poor puppy I decided that I was going to find the treatment. My research began. Books, articles, internet forum discussions, I just needed more than I could possibly find in order to save my puppy's life and maybe even I needed a miracle.
I had some financial problems at that moment, and could not afford expensive holistic therapies, chiropractors or other methods. All I could try was actually meds and supplements.
My supplement number one turned to be 'Arthramine' by International Veterinary Sciences.
The second one was vitamin C in the non-acidic form - Sodium Ascorbate powder.
The third one - Bromelain.
I discontinued interactions with the neighbour's dog and took my puppy on short walks every single day. We would normally walk for 10 minutes, then increased to 20 minutes a day. I tried to avoid sidewalks, we mostly walked on the grassy parts of the street.
I also massaged the puppy's leg every evening.
A month passed and the limp became a lot less noticeble. After 2 months my puppy was walking firmly on all four legs. After half a year she was perfectly asymptomatic!
Some time later I discovered colostrum and started adding it to her 'treatment program'. We just continued walking, even sometimes jogging. No more limping! My puppy was not in pain anymore.
I will write later about how it went with my puppy in more detail. For now I will say one thing - this treatment program worked for us. The young dog regained mobility without further damage to her joints. And we even took an x-ray of her hips at the age of 2 years old to make sure her condition wasn't worsening.
We used 'Arthramine' for the first 3 months. After that I just bought similar dog supplements that contain not only Glucosamin but Chondroitin, MSM, green lipped mussel extract and some more beneficial extral for the joint health. Anyway, the first three months did help a lot, there was a visible difference - month after month.
Bromelain is a pineapple enzyme and is highly recommended for the joint health. It reduces inflammation in a safe, natural way. I gave it to my pup in between her meals.
Here is a link to 'Arthramine':
And here is Bromelain:
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Kiwis and oranges for dogs - excellent treats
All the dogs in our household love kiwis and oranges. These can be fed either as treats or sliced, diced but best minced and mixed together with their raw foods.
I always buy organic fruit for my dogs and for us humans in the grocery stores. Organic is always best as these fruit are grown with no pesticides or chemical fertilizers used.
Kiwis first. It is our most common delicious and healthy treat. Kiwi is absolutely safe for dogs and puppies but as with all the other safe to eat fruit it should be fed to dogs in moderation. I would give my 12 kg Zella a quarter Kiwi per day, sometimes a little more.
So what's so beneficial about kiwis?
Kiwis are:
Here are some today's pictures of Zella outside enjoying her favourite treat - kiwi
Oranges are normally served to dogs without the peel on. These are also a great source of vitamins C and dietary fiber. Oranges make also a good source of potassium, thiamin and folate.
Our Zella would normally get a quarter or a third part of an orange per day, although sometimes she'd get over a half an orange per day.
Please keep in mind that dogs not used to eating fruit on a daily basis would need a small introduction first otherwise there may be a risk of a stomach upset.
Fruit that are very rich in vitamin C can be used as the sole source of natural vitamin C in your dog's diet. For all of you, guys, that are raising puppies of large and giant breeds, it is a good way to prevent hip dysplasia.
I always buy organic fruit for my dogs and for us humans in the grocery stores. Organic is always best as these fruit are grown with no pesticides or chemical fertilizers used.
Kiwis first. It is our most common delicious and healthy treat. Kiwi is absolutely safe for dogs and puppies but as with all the other safe to eat fruit it should be fed to dogs in moderation. I would give my 12 kg Zella a quarter Kiwi per day, sometimes a little more.
So what's so beneficial about kiwis?
- very low in saturated fats
- rich in dietary fiber
- a great source of natural vitamin C and vitamin K
- a good source of copper, potassium and vitamin E
Here are some today's pictures of Zella outside enjoying her favourite treat - kiwi
Oranges are normally served to dogs without the peel on. These are also a great source of vitamins C and dietary fiber. Oranges make also a good source of potassium, thiamin and folate.
Our Zella would normally get a quarter or a third part of an orange per day, although sometimes she'd get over a half an orange per day.
Please keep in mind that dogs not used to eating fruit on a daily basis would need a small introduction first otherwise there may be a risk of a stomach upset.
Fruit that are very rich in vitamin C can be used as the sole source of natural vitamin C in your dog's diet. For all of you, guys, that are raising puppies of large and giant breeds, it is a good way to prevent hip dysplasia.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Dry dog foods and chronic allergies
Did you know that an allergic reaction to dog food is a result of second or subsequent exposures to the sources of allergy?
It means that after introducing a new brand of dry kibble to your dog it can actually take days, weeks or even months before you see the signs of food allergy:
- itchy red and irritated skin
- hot spots, constant licking of the paws
- vomiting & diarrhea
- hair loss
- irritated eyes with discharge
- ear inflammation
What really causes the allergy could be a lot of ingredients in the food. It makes me sometimes wonder how naive people can be when they assume 'my dog must be allergic to chicken in his food' and switch over to a 'lamb and rice' formula.
Guys, even 'lamb and rice' formula is not as good as it sounds like. Have you heard of grain parasites and pesticides? If not, here is some infomation.
Well, grains in the dog food kibble like corn, wheat, soy and rice (that is used in the 'lamb and rice' formulas) are NOT human grade, they are not suitable for human consumption, they are not organic either. There is nothing good out of these grains for your dog's health and well-being. Filled with pesticides or parasites like grain mites and worms does nothing good for your dog at all. Pesticides and parasites are poisoning your dog.
I am not a dog food manufacturer, I have nothing to do with the dog food industry, so I will be honest with you. Even if your dog is not allergic to grains at all, it still can be allergic to pesticides or parasites that come with the grains. Please be aware of that for the sake of your dog.
A friend of mine kept switching her dog's food every 3-6 months or so. She always had food allergies, redness around the eyes, hairless spots, poor coat. She actually ended up buying the most expensive grainless kibble on the market. It was over 2 years ago. When I discovered raw foods and shared the information with her, she decided to switch because economically raw would be a lot cheaper than the most expensive kibble. So she did it and never looks back anymore. No more allergies for her dog. The raw food she is feeding her dog now is pre-made.
So if your dog still has got allergies and you feed them dry kibble, I would recommend you go ahead and do some research on how to feed the dog raw or simply buy pre-made raw food yourself.
This one here is one of the few we've recently tried. It is freeze-dried real raw dog food. It is a great quality product and the convenient part for a person absolutely new to the idea of feeding raw is that it is pre-made and almost ready to serve right after the opening:
It means that after introducing a new brand of dry kibble to your dog it can actually take days, weeks or even months before you see the signs of food allergy:
- itchy red and irritated skin
- hot spots, constant licking of the paws
- vomiting & diarrhea
- hair loss
- irritated eyes with discharge
- ear inflammation
What really causes the allergy could be a lot of ingredients in the food. It makes me sometimes wonder how naive people can be when they assume 'my dog must be allergic to chicken in his food' and switch over to a 'lamb and rice' formula.
Guys, even 'lamb and rice' formula is not as good as it sounds like. Have you heard of grain parasites and pesticides? If not, here is some infomation.
Well, grains in the dog food kibble like corn, wheat, soy and rice (that is used in the 'lamb and rice' formulas) are NOT human grade, they are not suitable for human consumption, they are not organic either. There is nothing good out of these grains for your dog's health and well-being. Filled with pesticides or parasites like grain mites and worms does nothing good for your dog at all. Pesticides and parasites are poisoning your dog.
I am not a dog food manufacturer, I have nothing to do with the dog food industry, so I will be honest with you. Even if your dog is not allergic to grains at all, it still can be allergic to pesticides or parasites that come with the grains. Please be aware of that for the sake of your dog.
A friend of mine kept switching her dog's food every 3-6 months or so. She always had food allergies, redness around the eyes, hairless spots, poor coat. She actually ended up buying the most expensive grainless kibble on the market. It was over 2 years ago. When I discovered raw foods and shared the information with her, she decided to switch because economically raw would be a lot cheaper than the most expensive kibble. So she did it and never looks back anymore. No more allergies for her dog. The raw food she is feeding her dog now is pre-made.
So if your dog still has got allergies and you feed them dry kibble, I would recommend you go ahead and do some research on how to feed the dog raw or simply buy pre-made raw food yourself.
This one here is one of the few we've recently tried. It is freeze-dried real raw dog food. It is a great quality product and the convenient part for a person absolutely new to the idea of feeding raw is that it is pre-made and almost ready to serve right after the opening:
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Are strawberries safe for dogs?
Summer. Lots of berries. Now it is the strawberry season.
We were shopping groceries today and bought some lovely local strawberries.
Our dogs LOVE strawberries. It is absolutely safe to feed strawberries to dogs and even young pups (2 months old and up) in moderation. Zella got her portion of strawberries today too :)
If you are giving strawberries to your pup for the first time, make sure you are giving them a quarter of the berry per day. Then increase. I would never feed more than 5-6 strawberries per large dog a day.
So what is so healthy with strawberries?
Well, first of all, strawberries are very low in calories and therefore make a perfect snack or treat. They are also natural antioxidant source. Strawberries are rich in dietary fiber, vitamin C, folate, potassium and manganese.
Vitamin C is needed for keeping your dog healthy, to promote a better immune defence, to renew/rebuilt cells in the whole body. This important vitamin is responsible for collagen formation and therefore helps the dog's body build strong tendons and ligaments.
Cut in half or even in smaller pieces for smaller dogs strawberries can be served either directly into the dog's bowl or stuffed into their favourite treat-chewing toy. I still have a puppy KONG chewable treat toy that I purchased when Zella was a small pup. It is quite durable and is still in great condition although she chewed on it pretty well. I would normally stuff it with strawberry pieces mixed with slices of fresh carrots and apples. She just loves it served this way!
Here is the puppy Kong:
We were shopping groceries today and bought some lovely local strawberries.
Our dogs LOVE strawberries. It is absolutely safe to feed strawberries to dogs and even young pups (2 months old and up) in moderation. Zella got her portion of strawberries today too :)
If you are giving strawberries to your pup for the first time, make sure you are giving them a quarter of the berry per day. Then increase. I would never feed more than 5-6 strawberries per large dog a day.
So what is so healthy with strawberries?
Well, first of all, strawberries are very low in calories and therefore make a perfect snack or treat. They are also natural antioxidant source. Strawberries are rich in dietary fiber, vitamin C, folate, potassium and manganese.
Vitamin C is needed for keeping your dog healthy, to promote a better immune defence, to renew/rebuilt cells in the whole body. This important vitamin is responsible for collagen formation and therefore helps the dog's body build strong tendons and ligaments.
Cut in half or even in smaller pieces for smaller dogs strawberries can be served either directly into the dog's bowl or stuffed into their favourite treat-chewing toy. I still have a puppy KONG chewable treat toy that I purchased when Zella was a small pup. It is quite durable and is still in great condition although she chewed on it pretty well. I would normally stuff it with strawberry pieces mixed with slices of fresh carrots and apples. She just loves it served this way!
Here is the puppy Kong:
Monday, July 9, 2012
Hip Dysplasia: Prevention & Treatment part 2
I read some stories of dog owners sharing their opinion and beliefs on hip dysplasia. I do not blame these people for not knowing the whole truth about this illness because I was there myself! I used to think that bad hips and elbows were results of 'bad' genes, or amateur breeding. And I was once among those blaming breeders for an unsuccessful selection of their breeding stock.
People are being told by vets that the condition is congenital and the root of the problem is lying in the dog's genes. Vets are people, they are not supposed to know everything.
I'm not going to try to prove that many vets are completely wrong when telling the dogs' owners what exactly hip dysplasia is. Let me just say that it is fully possible to reduce the severity of this condition and the chance of its incidence by preventing it with a number of tips:
Vitamin C is absolutely safe to give to a young puppy. As soon as you've aquired a new family member at your home, begin the vitamin C supplementation. A daily dose of 150 mg for a small breed puppy, 300 mg for a medium breed, 500 mg for large breeds, 600-700 mg for giants are recommended. These are daily maintenance/prevention plan doses for puppies. Whether a puppy is sick with a bacterial infection or has some injury of any sort, double the daily dose. If your puppy has been treated with antibiotics - double the maintenance dose.
People are being told by vets that the condition is congenital and the root of the problem is lying in the dog's genes. Vets are people, they are not supposed to know everything.
I'm not going to try to prove that many vets are completely wrong when telling the dogs' owners what exactly hip dysplasia is. Let me just say that it is fully possible to reduce the severity of this condition and the chance of its incidence by preventing it with a number of tips:
- Keep the puppy slim
- Exercise the puppy wisely
- Supplement the puppy with vitamin C
- Feed the puppy with raw foods
Vitamin C is absolutely safe to give to a young puppy. As soon as you've aquired a new family member at your home, begin the vitamin C supplementation. A daily dose of 150 mg for a small breed puppy, 300 mg for a medium breed, 500 mg for large breeds, 600-700 mg for giants are recommended. These are daily maintenance/prevention plan doses for puppies. Whether a puppy is sick with a bacterial infection or has some injury of any sort, double the daily dose. If your puppy has been treated with antibiotics - double the maintenance dose.
Hip Dysplasia: Prevention & Treatment part 1
A topic on hip dysplasia is probably one of the longest to cover. I will start with the basics.
Hip dysplasia can affect dogs of all breeds. It is a crippling condition and in worst cases leaves owners no choice but to put their cherished dog to sleep.
Let's start with prevention and what we do to our dogs in order to prevent hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia. I am not a veterinarian but I'll be referring to my own experience and studies described in the following book written by doctor Wendell Belfield:
Vitamin C helps a lot when you are already treating a dysplastic dog, but I will be covering the treatment topic in one of my next posts.
Hip dysplasia can affect dogs of all breeds. It is a crippling condition and in worst cases leaves owners no choice but to put their cherished dog to sleep.
Let's start with prevention and what we do to our dogs in order to prevent hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia. I am not a veterinarian but I'll be referring to my own experience and studies described in the following book written by doctor Wendell Belfield:
I purchased this book 2 years ago and I do highly recommend it to all of dog owners who want to have a healthy dog. Doctor Belfield covers his life-long veterinarian practice and shares advice based on his research on how to prevent and treat hip dysplasia with the help of vitamins.
Vitamin C is the 'super-star' vitamin. And it plays a major part in preventing hip dysplasia in your dog. Just by adding some vitamin C into your puppy's diet will reduce the chances of developing this crippling illness in the future of the dog.
I understand it this way - dogs produce their own vitamin C, unlike us humans. But some canine individuals are worse vitamin C producers than others. By supplementing your pup with this 'super-star' vitamin, you are not gambling anymore on whether your pup in particular is a good or bad producer of vitamin C.
So what does vitamin C do when it comes to hip dysplasia? Well, the answer is quite simple actually. It helps the body produce collagen, that is neccessary for the body to build connective tissues in the joints. When we people do not consume any foods containing vitamin C we literally fall apart, right? The same thing happens to dogs.
In order to begin the prevention plan, I just followed dr. Belfield's advice and purchased sodium ascorbate powder (non-acidic form of vitamin C) and started adding it to my puppie's food daily.
When Zella was a tiny pup, newly arrived, I immediately put her on a vitamin C supplement, with her very first meal at our home. She is over 1.5 y.o. now and she is still on her daily vitamin C regime, just like all the other 3 dogs in our pack.
Vitamin C helps a lot when you are already treating a dysplastic dog, but I will be covering the treatment topic in one of my next posts.
The following brands of vitamin C in the sodium ascorbate form have been tested by our dogs and are proven great quality products:
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Coconut oil for dogs - a very promising remedy
It is virtually impossible for me to express how satisfied I am when it comes to coconut oil! Not only me and my human family benefit from it, but Zella and other dogs too.
Organic extra virgin coconut oil is a wonderful natural remedy for dogs. It helps to promote better immune system, digestion, better skin condition, shinier coat.
I have been administering coconut oil to my dogs for over a year and I am seeing benefits every day. Well I am seeing benefits on myself as well from daily consumption of coconut oil. It is really amazing! I would normally use it as a spread on toasts (instead of butter) and it is also one of my favourite cooking oils.
So if you're thinking of adding some extra oil supplements to your dog's diet, coconut oil is the perfect choice. I won't be writing a long post on of this kind of oil, but the reason it is so beneficial to the dog's health is due to Medium Chain Triglycerides.
It helps with the following:
Please be informed that the quality of the oil you are giving to your dog is very good, i.e. it comes from an organic source and is extra virgin. Simply '100% natural' coconut oil is not good enough to be fed to your dogs.
I either mix it with my dogs foods or give it to them as a treat. It can also be stuffed in their treat toys. If you store your oils in a cool place, it won't be runny.
You can check out for great deals on coconut oils online or at a local health store. I am getting mine from Amazon. These are the brands I usually buy.
Organic extra virgin coconut oil is a wonderful natural remedy for dogs. It helps to promote better immune system, digestion, better skin condition, shinier coat.
I have been administering coconut oil to my dogs for over a year and I am seeing benefits every day. Well I am seeing benefits on myself as well from daily consumption of coconut oil. It is really amazing! I would normally use it as a spread on toasts (instead of butter) and it is also one of my favourite cooking oils.
So if you're thinking of adding some extra oil supplements to your dog's diet, coconut oil is the perfect choice. I won't be writing a long post on of this kind of oil, but the reason it is so beneficial to the dog's health is due to Medium Chain Triglycerides.
It helps with the following:
- Injured ligaments & tendons
- Itchy & dry skin
- Allergies and demodecosis skin condition
- Arthritis
- Digestion
- Wounds - it speeds up healing
- Preventing of yeast & fungal infections
Please be informed that the quality of the oil you are giving to your dog is very good, i.e. it comes from an organic source and is extra virgin. Simply '100% natural' coconut oil is not good enough to be fed to your dogs.
I either mix it with my dogs foods or give it to them as a treat. It can also be stuffed in their treat toys. If you store your oils in a cool place, it won't be runny.
You can check out for great deals on coconut oils online or at a local health store. I am getting mine from Amazon. These are the brands I usually buy.
More on natural foods we tried and liked
I remember how many health issues my dogs had when they ate dried kibbles. Oh god...One of my precious mastiff females had skin allergies, bloating, gas, smelled very-very 'doggy', had the 'wet dog' smell although she was totally dry. I did not know how important it is to feed the dog good quality food.
So, after discovering the raw food, we do not have to deal with all that stuff anymore - thank goodness!
OK, here is another nice type of premade dehydrated dog food that we've tested on our 4 dogs lately. I bought a 12lbs sack with chicken to start with. We took it with us on a camping trip.
So the switch from raw meat to this one was an immediate one during the trip but it didn't bring about diarhhea in any of the dogs. That is a big plus!
The dogs loved it and it was easy to prepare. It is also to be mixed with lukewarm water and is ready to serve in 10 minutes. Very convenient! I am not affiliated with this food's manufacturer, just shareing my honest opinion based on the experience.
I don't think that this food is actually raw, but it is gently dried. Anyway, we were at the camping with the dogs for a week and fed exclusivly with DNA 'Dried-n-Alive' Chicken. No bad odor from the dogs at all, no wet dog smell or strong 'doggy' smell either.
I am planning to purchase the lamb and venison/salmon formulas in the nearest future, it is good to have these foods at home just in case.
So here is the food that I am talking about.
So, after discovering the raw food, we do not have to deal with all that stuff anymore - thank goodness!
OK, here is another nice type of premade dehydrated dog food that we've tested on our 4 dogs lately. I bought a 12lbs sack with chicken to start with. We took it with us on a camping trip.
So the switch from raw meat to this one was an immediate one during the trip but it didn't bring about diarhhea in any of the dogs. That is a big plus!
The dogs loved it and it was easy to prepare. It is also to be mixed with lukewarm water and is ready to serve in 10 minutes. Very convenient! I am not affiliated with this food's manufacturer, just shareing my honest opinion based on the experience.
I don't think that this food is actually raw, but it is gently dried. Anyway, we were at the camping with the dogs for a week and fed exclusivly with DNA 'Dried-n-Alive' Chicken. No bad odor from the dogs at all, no wet dog smell or strong 'doggy' smell either.
I am planning to purchase the lamb and venison/salmon formulas in the nearest future, it is good to have these foods at home just in case.
So here is the food that I am talking about.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Healthy Treats for dogs: Bananas & Peanut butter
In this post I'd like to share a simple tip on healthy dog treats.
About 1 year ago I had no idea about the importance of quality ingredients of snacks for pets and simply purchased dog treats labled as 'tasteful', 'yummy' - these were made specifically for dogs and sold in pet shops. These are very inexpencive, have no essencial nutrients as a rule, and as a result I simply ended up having my little Zella having an acute nasty fungal ear infection, a visit to the vet, two week treatment of my poor dog and an unpleasantly high bill for the vet visits plus medicine expences.
Please do not purchase snacks or treats for your dogs if you cannot judge the quality of the ingredients of the product.
This will be the first healthy treat dog recipe I am going to share with you. It is very easy to make and requires only 3 ingredients:
About 1 year ago I had no idea about the importance of quality ingredients of snacks for pets and simply purchased dog treats labled as 'tasteful', 'yummy' - these were made specifically for dogs and sold in pet shops. These are very inexpencive, have no essencial nutrients as a rule, and as a result I simply ended up having my little Zella having an acute nasty fungal ear infection, a visit to the vet, two week treatment of my poor dog and an unpleasantly high bill for the vet visits plus medicine expences.
Please do not purchase snacks or treats for your dogs if you cannot judge the quality of the ingredients of the product.
This will be the first healthy treat dog recipe I am going to share with you. It is very easy to make and requires only 3 ingredients:
- A chewable dog toy with hollow space designed for treats.
- Organic banana.
- Organic peanut butter.
Any ripe bananas will do, but I am recommending organic ones because they are grown with no pesticides that may cause an allergic reaction.
Peanut butter must be free of additional salt or sugar - it is very important. I prefer the following brand that I normally buy (Arrowhead Mills), but for the photosession I had to use some other brand of the peanut butter that I got at a local 'health store'. Our household is crazy about peanut butter so we run empty pretty quickly and have to reorder all the time.
The pictures I took will demonstrate how simple it is to treat your dog with a healthy snack. Bananas are good for dogs as well, they are a very good source of B vitamins, magnesium and lots of other minerals and vitamins. Peanut butter is an excellent source of folic acid, vitamins A & E, zinc, iron, magnesium and more. Both peanuts and bananas are safe for dogs to eat but make sure you are not feeding them too much of it every single day. I give these treats to my dogs at least once a week, maybe twice. OK, now the pictures:
The ingredients:
Measuring one heaped teaspoon of peanut butter and 4-5 small pieces of banana per treat:
Stuffing the treat jack with bananas first and finishing with peanut butter.
Zella is looking forward to her treat:
Yummy!
Joy, our mastiff girl, is also enjoying her yummy healthy treat.
Very simple to make and good for dogs!
Friday, July 6, 2012
Zella's favourite RAW food - ADDICTION
This type of dehydrated grain-free raw food is one of Zella's favourites. I bought a 2lb pack to begin with but later on ordered bigger packs of this particular kind.
It is called 'Addiction Homestyle Venison & Cranberry Dinner'. One 2lb bag will make 6lbs of fresh raw food. All you need to add is fresh lukewarm water (well, and of course supplements as needed) to make fresh portions of natural raw food. It is then ready to serve in 5-10 minutes.
We normally take this food with us when we are on trips, campings or when we run out of fresh raw food at home.
I think that starting off a dehydrated or freeze-dried type of raw foods is an excellent option for all people brand new to the raw feeding concept. If you still haven't switched your dog's food from the dried kibble, it is the right time to do it now.
Please note, I am not affiliated with the 'Addiction' company in any way. I am a regular consumer and my testimonial is an honest opinion based on the results and my dogs' health after consuming this brand of food.
I'd say I give them a real A++++ or 5 stars for such a great product.
Some of the good things of 'Addiction Homestyle Venison & Cranberry Dinner' are:
No grains, no rice, no soy. Allergen free.
- Rich in antioxidants, vitamins and enzymes.
- Made with free range Venison meat (perfect for sensitive dogs and dogs with allergy to chicken)
- Includes only meat, vegetables and fruit.
- Definitely suitable for dogs of all ages.
Wheat Germ Oil - natural vitamin E for dogs
Many people are well informed about the benefits of antioxidants for ourselves and our canine companions. Wheat Germ oil is very rich in natural vitamin E which is a very powerful antioxidant. It helps dogs improve their coat and skin condition, aids in restoring the hormonal balance, slows down the ageing process of your dog and helps in keeping your dog healthy. There are a lot more benefits that wheat germ oil can give to your dogs.
If your dog has any health issues especially inflammatory processes involved, do get wheat germ oil. Hip dysplasia, arthritis, sprains for example. These conditions can be relieved with wheat germ supplementation.
If I was to chose only a handful of vitamins/supplements to give to my dogs, wheat germ oil would take the 2nd place, that's for certain.
Dosage:
A daily maintenance dose is 100-250 mg of wheat germ oil per 10 kg of dog's body weight. A loading dose for a sick dog, i.e. with mange, demodex, hip dysplasia, skin allergies, hormonal imbalances is twice of the daily dose for the first 2 weeks. Then graduately switch over to the maintenance dose.
Please note that dog food, although natural and all raw, does not contain enough vitamin E to make your ill dog healthy. There is simply a minimum of this vitamin to prevent your dog from developing a vitamin E deficiency. A dog with a any health issue will require a large amount of this vitamin and wheat germ oil is a great source of this vitamin in its natural form.
I have been trying 4 brands of wheat germ oil on my dogs. I have found out that capsules are a lot easier to mix with their food with no need for spoons, measuring and accidental spills of the oil.
I would recommend to get some of the following brands (NOW foods, Country Life, Nature's Life and Solgar). If you are planning to shop wheat germ oil at iherb.com (a very popular and reliable internet store that carries lots of brands of wheat germ oil), do use this code "KOR780" in order to get a 5 USD off your first purchase:
- Wheat Germ Oil is necessary for dogs with false pregnancies.
- It promotes a healthy pregnancy if given EVERY day throughout the pregnancy beginning the 1st day of heat
- It really helps your dog to get rid of mange, demodex, skin irritations, allergies.
- It is a very powerful antioxidant that renews cells and thus is helping to fight inflammatory processes in the body.
If your dog has any health issues especially inflammatory processes involved, do get wheat germ oil. Hip dysplasia, arthritis, sprains for example. These conditions can be relieved with wheat germ supplementation.
If I was to chose only a handful of vitamins/supplements to give to my dogs, wheat germ oil would take the 2nd place, that's for certain.
Dosage:
A daily maintenance dose is 100-250 mg of wheat germ oil per 10 kg of dog's body weight. A loading dose for a sick dog, i.e. with mange, demodex, hip dysplasia, skin allergies, hormonal imbalances is twice of the daily dose for the first 2 weeks. Then graduately switch over to the maintenance dose.
Please note that dog food, although natural and all raw, does not contain enough vitamin E to make your ill dog healthy. There is simply a minimum of this vitamin to prevent your dog from developing a vitamin E deficiency. A dog with a any health issue will require a large amount of this vitamin and wheat germ oil is a great source of this vitamin in its natural form.
I have been trying 4 brands of wheat germ oil on my dogs. I have found out that capsules are a lot easier to mix with their food with no need for spoons, measuring and accidental spills of the oil.
I would recommend to get some of the following brands (NOW foods, Country Life, Nature's Life and Solgar). If you are planning to shop wheat germ oil at iherb.com (a very popular and reliable internet store that carries lots of brands of wheat germ oil), do use this code "KOR780" in order to get a 5 USD off your first purchase:
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