Go natural and add years to a pet's life

I lost a sweet dog because of the food she ate. It had ingredients linked to cancer. I can't say I know how pet lovers who have lost their pets to the never ending tainted foods feel. I offer my heart felt tribute to all the families during this sad and confusing time. I'm sorry to say pet food recalls will keep happening until the Pet Food Giants realize our pets are real.

Check this link for up to date information.

Current Pet Food recall info

Every pet owner knows with the pet you get some odors. But how much odor is too much odor when it comes to the family pet? Dogs and cats do have certain smells that are natural and normal. In fact, in the wild, an animal's smell is his "calling card." Just like we identify each other by the way we look, animals identify each other by the way they smell. Their bodies produce oils, and other odors that send out a number of messages to the world around them. Those messages vary from 'back off, this is my territory' to 'I'm in the mood for love, come see me, or 'I'm afraid, don't hurt me.' Also, some odors could indicate illness in your pet. So it's always important to consult your veterinarian when you smell something unusual on your pet. Bottom line, under normal circumstances it is not realistic to expect your dog or cat to have no odor whatsoever, but with proper grooming, your pet's smells won't be so offensive that you consider making them outside pets.

It is not the least bit cute to us, but dogs seem to love rolling in feces (poop). The conventional wisdom is that dogs would roll in another animal's feces to mask their own scent while hunting, thereby, confusing their prey and giving them a better chance of making the kill. So this disgusting behavior had a place when dogs lived in the wild. Now, it mainly just grosses out dog owners!

Shampoos - Bathing
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of shampoos out there for dogs and cats. Never use human shampoo on your pet. I use a Ph balanced pet shampoo with a fresh scent. While those with heavy perfumes will make your pet smell good right after the bath, that pretty smell won't last long. Many pets with skin allergies have problems with scented shampoos and conditioners. So the scent of the shampoo is really a matter of personal taste. Keep in mind, that your dog may not appreciate smelling like perfume and be more motivated to find a pile of poop to roll in, in order to get rid of that perfume smell! You can be sure that your dog's skin oil glands will start working right away after a bath to restore moisture to the dog's skin. So your dog will go back to smelling like "a dog" soon after the bath.

It is important not to over bathe your pet. Dogs will need a bath more often than cats. I really wouldn't recommend bathing your dog more than once a week. This could cause dry, itchy skin. I recommend bathing a dog every 4-6 weeks at the most. Use this time to check for any sores, hot spots, bumps, warts, or growths on the skin. Cats are pretty good self-groomers, so they need a bath even less often. Probably once or twice a year for a cat is all they need. For most cats, a bath is a terrifying experience, so it may be best to leave this chore to a professional groomer. But if you start bathing your cat as a kitten, she will learn to tolerate the experience.
General pet grooming

The ears of your pet are quite susceptible to infection and disease, 80% in dogs with long floppy ears, because the external ear canal generally doesn't get much air. If you notice your pet pawing at their ears, shaking their head or tilting their head to one side, take them to the veterinarian right away. Ear infections are very painful and can lead to permanent damage. Some of the problems that would require veterinary attention include a yeast infection, or ear mites. To prevent these and other problems, cleaning your pet's ears is very important. Use a solution specifically for cleaning the ears. Squirt a liberal amount just inside the ear chamber, massage the ears a bit using the skin around the ear, and then dry the ear canal thoroughly with a cotton swab.
Ear cleaning info

There is almost nothing worse than putrid doggie breath. Just how much bad odor should your dog's breath have? There is a difference between "normal dog breath" and really bad breath. Your dog's breath should not smell like something died in there! Bad breath could mean an array of problems that should be addressed. Bad breath could indicate gum disease, diabetes, kidney disease, or a foreign object trapped in the mouth. Have your veterinarian rule these things out before just giving your dog a breath freshener and moving on. I've tried all those pet breath mints out there, they will help -- for about 5 minutes. But they don't get to the heart of the problem. The best thing you can do to help with offensive pet mouth is to keep their teeth clean. If you can start when your pet is young, you can train them to tolerate having their teeth brushed by you. This is a great way to fight tartar and gum disease. Even if you don't brush your pet's teeth you should still visually check the gums and teeth. Keep an eye out for swollen or red gums, broken or loose teeth and foul breath. Your veterinarian should check any of these problems out. And for those who would scoff at keeping their pet's teeth clean, let me tell you that periodontal disease can lead to heart, kidney and other internal organ problems. The bacteria that's in the pet's mouth can get into the bloodstream via the blood vessels in the gums. The bacteria can lodge in the heart and cause a life-threatening disease. In fact many chronic and seemingly unrelated health problems are due to periodontal disease. So keep your dog's teeth clean! If your pet's teeth and gums are already in poor shape, see your veterinarian right away. It's much easier to maintain good oral hygiene care after a professional cleaning and it could be last expense for teeth cleaning. I use a safe solution in the pet's water to kill bacteria. The cat can't even tell it's in the water.
Check out this effective - easy way to promote good pet oral care.

Listen to The silent killer of pets

There are quite a number of products on the market that make claims about getting out pet smells from "accidents." I use a pet and home deodorizer with good results, and it's safe with very low odor so it won't bother pets or people with breathing problems. Non-toxic odor elliminator safe enough to use on pets, bedding, in litter pans, everywhere you have pet odors

It's important to keep dogs nails trimmed and don't forget the dewclaws. Don't take so much off that you cut down to the quick, this is very painful and will bleed for some time. Keep styptic (as used with shaving nicks) on hand to control bleeding. Applying pressure with a clothe will stop bleeding but will take several minutes. Many dogs are afraid of nail trimming because of one accident. A grinder works well if you start the dog with it when he's young. If using a grinder with long- haired dogs always wrap them in a towel to keep the hair from getting wrapped in grinder. Some dogs will need to have a professional trim their nails; it's well worth the expense if you are unable to do it yourself.

Cats will keep their claws in somewhat good shape with a scratching post but still need periodic trimming. I use a human nail clipper and take just the point off. I've heard the soft claws work well if scratching furniture is a problem.

I'm with dogs and cats every day 365 days a year. I manage a boarding kennel and have seen many pets suffer from everything from hot spots to hip and joint pain so bad they can hardly move. I'm passionate about helping animals so this lens is a way to offer suggestions, and try to help the dogs and their people.

I'm not an expert on dog health, not a vet, simply a caring pet lover willing to put in my due diligence and follow through with what feels right for my pets. This is for a more natural approach to pet care.

Note to the reader:

The following is intended for educational purposes and is not meant to replace veterinary medical care or any therapeutic program recommended by a veterinarian.

The recommendations I will write about involve methods and remedies based on my own experiences with my own pets and pets I've known. These recommendations are general in nature and may not apply to your pet's particular condition.

If your pet has a health problem, see a qualified veterinarian, preferable one who practices complementary medicine. I cannot be held responsible for any adverse reactions to recommendations, ideas or recipes in this lens.

Okay now that we're past the tech stuff I want to say I'm glad you're here and I appreciate your concern for pet's health and well-being.

My fur family ~
Tara - 17 years old Greatest Sheltie in the world (female)
Scotty - 3 years old Sheltie (male)
Riley - 2 years old Sheltie (male)
Bob - 4 years old Greatest Long Haired Cat in the world. (male)

Ideas come and go. Now in the going stage is annual vaccinations. Experts say that almost without exception there's no requirement for annual boosters. Immunity to viruses stays in the pet for years or for the life of the animal and successful vaccination to most bacterial pathogens provides long-term protection as well. While defending the role that vaccines play in preventing, controlling and eliminating diseases in pets, researchers say the goal of veterinarians should be to vaccinate more animals but vaccinate them less often and only with the products they need.
Based on current findings, a new generation of vaccinations guidelines has emerged.
The new thinking is this:
*The duration of immunity for most clinically important vaccines is at least 3 years and probably more than 5.

*Vaccinations for young dogs should be spaced out over 2 to 4 weeks. They should be split up and fewer done at a time.

*Give an annual booster at one year and then boosters every 3 years unless required more often by law.

*Monitor antibody levels annually between boosters.

*Older dogs usually don't require boosters. Tara my 17-year-old Sheltie hasn't had boosters for 5 years and will not have any more. Giving her vaccinations now would be a death sentence, not a risk I'll take. She's healthy, has great mobility, and still has some vision and hearing. She really is a picture of a happy healthy old dog.

* If you are still unsure about your pet needing shots every year think of it like this, Does your child get shots every year? Do adults need booster shots? Okay why would your pet?

What can you do now?
Antibody titers! A blood test done in the vets office to check antibody levels. Check with your vet to see if this is something he will do for you.

Find a Holistic Veterinarian

Home-prepared food is best, if you know what you're doing. Please before you go to your kitchen and start cooking for your pets do some research and talk with a Holistic Vet. I can recommend some books, and will at the end but working with a Holistic vet is the safest way. As for Natural prepared foods there are many good ones on the market. I won't tell you what is best for your pet, what is best for one may not be the case for another. I use (and market) Flint River Ranch for my pets. Check it out here, HealthyPetNut.com. Before I started using the Senior Plus food for Tara. I was making pancakes for her everyday. She has a very sensitive stomach and stopped eating everything except her pancakes. After I tested this food and found she could handle it without being sick for a week I decided to market it and make it available to other pet lovers.

My boys eat the Fish and Chips and love it. All these pet foods are made from human grade ingredients. It has all all the things I want my dogs and cat to eat and none of the stuff I don't want them eating.

What if it worked for your pet the way it has my 18-year-old Tara, would you want to try it?

Do you know anyone who might like to know about something like this?

Healthy Dog & Cat Food

*Ground Yellow Corn is the entire corn kernel,ground or chopped. While the whole corn kernel is nutritious and supplies whole grain nutrition, corn is considered to be highly allergenic and difficult for dogs to digest.
*Beef & Bone Meal is the rendered product from beef tissues, including bone, exclusive of any added blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents, except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices. Beef & bone meal is a by-product made from beef parts, which are not suitable for human consumption. It can incorporate the entire cow, including the bone; although the quality cuts of meat are always removed before beef & bone meal is made.
*Beef Tallow is obtained from the tissue of cattle in the commercial process of rendering. Although this is a very palatable source of fat, it is low in linoleic acid, which is necessary for skin and coat health. It is a low quality fat product.
*Soybean Meal is the product obtained by grinding the flakes, which remain after removal of most of the oil from soybeans by a solvent or mechanical extraction process. Soybean meal is poor quality protein filler. Pet food companies can use the cheaper by-products of human food production, such as soybean meal, to boost protein numbers.
*Animal Digest is a material, which results from chemical and/or enzymatic hydrolysis of clean and undecomposed animal tissue. Animal digest is a palatability enhancer, which can contain unpredictable parts from animals of unknown origin.
*Animal Fat is obtained from the tissues of mammals and/or poultry in the commercial process of rendering or extracting. Animal fat is a by-product of meat meal processing. The origin of the contributing animals is never known, and the resulting oil is very low in linoleic acid, which is an essential fatty acid that is important for skin and coat health.
*BHA/BHT is short for Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT), both of which are chemical preservatives. BHA and BHT have been banned from human use in many countries because they are potentially cancer-causing agents. In the US, they are still permitted in pet foods.
*Propylene Glycol is a chemical preservative used as a less-toxic version of automotive antifreeze.

Healthy dog & cat food

*Dried Beet Pulp is the dried residue from sugar beets, which has been cleaned, freed from crowns, leaves, and sand, and extracted in the process of manufacturing sugar. Dried beet pulp is added to some pet foods to act as a fibrous stool hardener.
*Poultry By-Product Meal consists of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcasses of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines; exclusive of feathers except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices. This is a low-quality, inconsistent ingredient, with multiple organs used, constantly changing proportions, and questionable nutritional value. The origin can be any fowl (turkeys, ducks, geese, buzzards, etc.), instead of a single source, like chicken. Poultry by-product meal is much less expensive and less digestible than chicken meal.
*Brewer's Rice is the small milled fragment of rice kernels that have been separated from the larger kernels of milled rice. Brewer's rice is a lower quality rice product that is missing many of the nutrients found in ground rice and ground brown rice. It is basically a waste product of the alcohol industry.
*Corn Gluten Meal is the dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of cornstarch or syrup, or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm. Corn gluten in dog foods is cheap protein filler.
*Meat By-Products consist of organs and parts either not desired, or condemned, for human consumption. This can include bones, blood, intestines, lungs, ligaments, heads, feet, and feathers.
*Corn Syrup, Sugar, and Cane Molasses are sweeteners. They are usually added to lower quality foods to increase their appeal. Dietary sugars can aggravate health problems, including diabetes.
*Vegetable Oil is the product of vegetable origin obtained by extracting the oil from seeds or fruits which are processed for edible purposes. The source vegetables for this oil (and their nutrient properties) are unknown.

Healthy dog & cat food

Many things contribute to arthritis, including nutritional deficiencies, genetic weaknesses, scar tissue, injury and old age. Wear and tear of joints leads to arthritis. It causes pain, stiffness, lameness, slow movement and reluctance to walk as far as usual.

Adaptogens work well to counteract the effects of stress. Whole Food antioxidants with soy sprouts have also helped counteract free radicals that contribute to accelerated aging and disease. MSM will either work wonders or in some cases pet owners see no change. It will take up to several weeks to see an improvement. Glucosamine and Chondroitin work well alone or combined with Sea Cucumber and other anti-inflammation supplements.

Dysplasia means improper growth. In dogs it's unstable hips, the hip ball and socket are not held together normally.
Many cases have been linked to poor diet, nutritional deficiencies.
Acupuncture works well with some dogs. Antioxidants with adaptogens help with pain. Any and all the suggestions for arthritis can be tried for dysplasia.

I recommend an oral stabilized oxygen product for lung or allergic condition. The one I know of is Earth Bounty Oxy-Max from Matrix Health Products (800-736-5609). This product oxygenates the whole body, including the lungs, and helps clear out toxins generated by allergies.
Dosage
Dogs under 20 pounds, 3 drops; up to 40 pounds, 5 drops; up to 60 pounds, 8 drops; larger dogs, 10 drops. Add drops to food. Use twice a day if condition is severe.

Commercial pet food can often be a cause of hyperactivity and other behavior problems. Another reason to really research what you're feeding your pets.

Flower Essence-
I use Rescue Remedy (Bach) for fearful, anxious, shy, or stressed dogs. There are a number of calming flower essences. Drops can be added to their water, rubbed in their head or sprayed in the air.

Exercise is a missing link for lots of hyper dogs. Dogs need regular exercise and attention from their people.

Behavior training with a dog friendly trainer can help as can adaptogens for balance of stress.

If you have to pill your dog to keep him calm, use natural herbal formulas so he can still live and not doze his days away. Good ones to try are Valerian - German Chamomile - Kava Kava - St. John's Wort - Melatonin. Drugs cover up symptoms and don't address the problem.

Common signs of stressed dogs; constant licking or gnawing of feet and legs, eating nonfood objects, diarrhea or vomiting, skin problems, and of course behavioral problems.
Think about these questions:
Is your pet relaxed or tense in his environment?
Content or happy, or constantly concerned or fearful that something is going to happen? Defensive, angry, or jealous?
Suspicious of other animals and people or interacting well with everyone?
Is he smiling? Yes animals do smile.
Look at your pet's lifestyle and relationship with you. Stress in the household can be transmitted to pets that live there. Take time to look beneath the surface of symptoms and you may find the real reason for your pets stress.

Pets get cancer at about the same rate as people. Age isn't a factor anymore, younger pets are being treated as well as the senior. Many things factor into cancer with our pets. Poor diets, medication, toxic chemicals, vaccines, and stress to name a few. It's a failure of the body's defenses to stop abnormal mutating cells from growing rapidly.

I won't offer any treatment suggestions here except get proper medical care for your pet with cancer. Help protect you and your pet by looking at the above cancer causes and fix these things. You and your pets are worth living a toxic free life so start in your own home.

If you don't change anything else please do some research on the food your pet eats. It could be a life and death decision.

Healthy dog & cat food

*Constipation
Too many bones will create cement like impaction in the colon. Bones are fine in moderation. Metamucil works great, green beans baby food or cow's milk will help keep dogs loose it they tend to constipate.
*Diarrhea
Applesauce contains pectin and works well for mild cases of diarrhea. Mix in food or feed it by itself. Pepto-Bismol will coat and sooth the stomach lining. Kaopectate is reliable for diarrhea. Follow label instructions or use pediatric dose.
*Digestive enzymes are needed to help break down protein; carbs and fats in the food pets eat. As pets age these enzymes decrease causing very large stools, often with undigested fats visible, pets eating their own stool, and underweight pets despite big appetites. Adding enzymes to pet food can improve hair and skin, increase vigor; reduce allergic problems, many pets become more resistant to disease and infections. Many vets say enzymes may also aid older pets suffering from joint problems. By helping digestion and absorption of nutrients the body is better able to counteract harmful degenerative processes. I recommend Prozyme (800-522-5537)
*Gas
Better diet, enzymes, or Ginger Snap cookie. Yes Ginger Snaps! Ginger helps in digestion so the cookie could help with gas, the way it did for my dogs.

Nutritional supplements - importance of using them.

Bilberry is good for eyes. Antioxidants with Coenzyme Q10 have been shown to help some pets with age related eye cloudiness. I haven't done much about improving my old dogs vision, I can't make her have young eyes any more than I can make her be young again. She gets around fine with her fading vision.

888-426-4435

Keep the phone # of the ASPCA animal poison control center near:
888-426-4435

Hydrogen Peroxide is a must for inducing vomiting,
a turkey baster or large medicine syringe works to squirt peroxide.

Activated charcoal for poisoning works great in emergency situations when you can't get to a vet. This is for a quick response when your animal has eaten your medicine, poisonous plants, rotten fish or raided the garbage can. You can buy it at health food stores. Activated charcoal is a time-tested, primary remedy that is always safe. You almost can't give too much in situations like this. The secret is its adsorption power, that is its ability to draw poison to itself and escort it out of the body.
If an animal eats a toxic substance and vomits immediately there's really no crisis. The concern is when the poison is not vomited from the system. In any case see your vet or emergency clinic as soon as possible.

Common household items pet get into:

Pills, over the counter, prescriptions, dietary supplements, herbal supplements

Insecticides used to kill ticks, fleas and insects

Mouse and rat poison

Pet medication, like heartworm preventative, nutritional supplements and arthritis reliever

Household cleaner, bleach, detergents, and disinfectants

Herbicides

Plants, lillies, rhododendron, azalea, sago palm, kalanchoe, and schefflera

Chocolate

Fertilizers

888-426-4435

For minor bleeding sprinkle some cayenne pepper on the cut or wound. The pepper enhances the clotting process and helps stop the bleeding.
Comfrey for fractures helps speed bone healing. It can be used internally or as a poultice applied directly to an affected area. It is available in capsules, powders, herbal tinctures and homeopathic remedies. It can make a dramatic difference for slow-healing breaks.

A combination of brewers yeast and garlic may be helpful. Some pets are sensitive to the yeast so if you notice your pet scratching after starting the brewers yeast, then you know it's not the right thing for your pet.
Frontline and Advantage kill the fleas on pets. Program sterilizes the fleas so this product will not bring immediate relief to pets because the fleas are still on board. Eventually it will help cut down number of fleas unless your pet goes around areas to pick up new fleas then Program is useless.
As William Pollak, DVM says," The best flea control is a vital animal that radiates health and fitness, an animal consuming fresh, wholesome food and living in a good natural balance with it's environment. The presence of fleas is an indication that you need to create greater life energy in your pet." I know this is pretty deep stuff but I believe it's true. Healthy dogs just don't attract fleas; if they do it's minimal. The same is true with wild animals, the weak ones are full of fleas, ticks and parasites, and the stronger ones are much less affected.

Every book I've read from every vet I find the same thing. CoQ10 to perk up the heart muscle and increase blood flow.
Others were adding beef or lamb heart to the pet's food. Selenium, Vitamin E, Antioxidants, Hawthorn and Kelp.

Did you know your dogs tongue will get wider when he gets hot? Check it out the next time your dog is panting after exercise, it will be considerably wider than usual. Never leave your pets in a car, even if temps are in the 70s a closed car will heat up to dangerous temps quickly. An animal going into heat stroke may collapse or appear very depressed. It may pant frantically; the gums may be bright red. Use a fan to cool the air and wet the pet down with cool water.

Always provide plenty of water and access to shade. Keep cats indoors. Avoid excessive exercise especially after meals. Take your dog out for walks in early morning or late evening. Dogs suffer more during hot humid weather especially older dogs, overweight, or breeds like bulldogs and pugs because of their snub-noses. Be alert to coolants from cars. It's sweet taste can attract animals and be fatal.

Cocoa mulch, citronella candles and some garden plants can be a hazard to pets. Visit ASPCA to learn more.

Okay, this lens is for you so I'll ask again if there's anything I could add, change, or any suggestions, recommendations you want to talk about?

I invite you to visit my healthy dog & cat food site, spend some time there.
Do you know anyone who might like to know about healthy pet food like this?