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.
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