How long will your dog live? Will it be 10 years or 20? What will the vet bills be? The care you give them now decides the future ...
Feeding your dog a natural diet of raw meat, fruits, veggies, and supplements is one of the healthiest options. It preserves their teeth, supports their immune system, and promotes overall health. On a natural diet it is not unusual for dogs to live to 20 or more! Scroll through the slideshow to your right to see suggested brands of prepackaged raw and fresh prepackaged foods.
Why feed raw? It is a dog's natural diet! Most common health issues in dogs such as thyroid, dental, & kidney issues as well as dander, itching, shedding, and that nasty poop eating habit some dogs get are largely due to the unhealthy unnatural diet that pets are fed. Even "doggie odor" disapears on a raw diet!
Homemade dog food
80% meat (examples are turkey, lamb, salmon, duck, beef, venison) I prefer to buy pre-ground raw
meat at my local discount food center. You can also just give chunks of meat to your dog, but it may be a messier process. No need to cook the meat.
10% organ meat (heart, liver, kidney, spleen, lung, tripe, brain, etc) This is harder to find. Asian groceries or local butchers sometimes carry it, or you can order online in various forms. http://petdelistore.com/ offers an easy to serve preground mix.
10% bone and skin. This can either be preground into the meat (some pet stores carry meat and bone meal frozen), or you can just get fresh raw meaty bones and give them to your dog to eat. Butcher shops sell them, or just cut them out of your own food before you cook. As for skin you can buy meat with the skin still on, or buy dried duck or chicken feet for them to chew on.
Supplements such as raw organic egg, turmeric, probiotics (you can purchase canine probiotics at petsmart or on amazon), cilantro, parsley, extra virgin olive oil & coconut oil, black pepper, diatomaceous earth, garlic, red raspberry leaf tea (for unspayed girls), bone broth.
Pulped veggies such as spinach, kale, carrots, dandelion greens, bell pepper. You can buy them prediced and frozen if it is easier.
A few blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, or other fruit.
There is room for variation in this. I do a slightly different version each time. As with humans it is beneficial to eat a variety of things. I mix up and freeze a large batch of this and defrost in small quantities.
If you want to feed kibble suggestions are given in the slideshow on the right. These are free of corn, wheat, soy, by-products, BHT preservatives, and dyes - ingredients that signify inferior quality and that will shorten your pets life, degrade their health and can even cause serious allergic reactions in pets. All of the foods below are made with high quality meats and other ingredients, and important supplements. We recommend avoiding foods that are chicken based due to the low quality of that type of meat when produced by factory farms.
I feed puppies all they want in a meal 4x a day until 12 weeks, then 2x a day until 6 months. Adults over 5 lbs can be fed 1-2 times a day. Under 5 lbs should be fed small meals multiple times a day depending on their needs.
Use the same guidelines that are used for buying dog food when buying treats avoiding corn, wheat, soy, sugar, and unnecessary chemicals.
We also recommend giving your dog purified water or well-water. The heavy metals found in city water supplies are very harmful.
Additionally avoid feeding canned foods due to the aluminum content. Aluminum is very harmful to health particularly brain function. Canned food absorbs aluminum from the can during the cooking process.
Let's Talk About Weight
Being overweight creates many problems for your pet. It not only taxes their organs and joints, and takes years off of your pet's life, it also often leads to behavior problems. What is a correct weight for your pet?
If an adult dog is at a proper weight, you should be able to feel its ribs easily, and the dog should have a defined waist.
It is important not to use toxic "pet shampoos" that are offered
at many pet stores. We use Castile soap from Vitamin Shoppe or
Amazon, Trader Joes Tea Tree Oil Shampoo, or this recipe for
homemade pet shampoo. Natural flea and tick repellents that are essential oil based are also offered by Mercola and are available on Amazon.com including flea collars, drops, and sprays. We also occasionally use Bravecto during the height of flea season as a less toxic alternative. We also have used Earth Animal flea powder as a natural flea prevention.
Common household air fresheners and cleaners are very harmful to you and your pet. They can even put tiny dogs into seizures, even death! We use essential oils for air freshening, and natural based detergents and cleaners.
Vitamin D is critical to your pet's health. Synthetic vitamins are not well absorbed, so make sure your dog gets outside for plenty of sunshine and excercise! Similarly many dogs eat feces. This is caused by a vitamin B deficiency where the dog is not absorbing the synthetic vitamins in the food. Give fresh foods rich in vitamin B to help resolve the problem.
Dental health is critical for long term wellness. Dental problems eventually lead to heart damage and even brain seizures, so dental care is essential to good health. As part of this we highly recommend giving real bones and tendons to your dog. These are readily available at pet supply stores and your local grocery store. They will keep your dog's teeth clean and provide much needed oral-stimulation. raw bones, dried poultry feet, bully sticks, and cow hooves are all good options.
Genetic health is important too. I test my Chihuahuas for two types of PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy), Spinocerebellar Ataxia (a disease of the spinal cord), and have their hearts and knees examined by a veterinarian to confirm soundness.
A Word On Vaccinations
Most pet dogs are heavily overvaccinated. We follow a very limited vaccine protocol with our dogs. Small dogs suffer higher rates of vaccine related injury and death if the vet does not adjust the dose by weight since most vets give a chihuahua and great Dane the same dose. Vaccines contain many harmful heavy metals and toxins. Long term affects of vaccines are often seen in the form of behavioral issues as well as physical maladies.
Detoxing After Vaccinations
Vaccinations destroy gut health. The health of the gut impacts brain and immune system function. It is critically important to detox after vaccination to help remove toxins and rebuild gut health. There are several ways to help your dog detox from vaccines – they’ll help rid his body of unwanted chemicals and side effects, but they won’t interfere with the vaccines themselves. You’ll want to try these as soon as your dog is vaccinated (don’t wait for symptoms to appear, start the detox right away).
Vaccines can disrupt the delicate balance of bacteria in the gut – this community of bacteria helps your dog manufacture and absorb vitamins and it’s the core of your dog’s immune system. You never want to damage this delicate community! Adding probiotics (plus their food, prebiotics) will help restore the delicate balance of bacteria in the gut. You can buy a pre-made prebiotic/probiotic blend or you can give your dog some kefir, sauerkraut or kimchi – any fermented food is a great source of healthy probiotics. Give probiotics twice a day (look for at least 10 billion CFU and avoid dairy-based probiotics) Garlic is perfectly safe for your dog in the right amounts. Garlic contains sulphur, which helps the liver detoxify from heavy metals. Dark leafy greens like kale, parsley and cilantro can help reduce the buildup
of heavy metals like mercury in the body. Give a half clove garlic per 10 pounds and add dark leafy greens to the meals daily. Also give a combination turmeric, black pepper, and olive oil added to their food
A List Of Holistic Veterinarians
Holistic Vet Clinic - Florida Brenda M. Tobin-Flood - South Carolina
352-245-2025 803-712-4522
http://www.holisticvetclinic.net/ http://www.wellnessmattersonline.com/
Dr. Tamara Hebbler DVM - S. California Dr. Charles Loops DVM - North Carolina
http://www.healinghope.net/ http://www.charlesloopsdvm.com/
Dr. Wendell Belfield DVM - N. California Dr. Christina Chambreau DVM - Maryland
http://belfield.com/ http://christinachambreau.com/
Dr. Irene Devilliers D. I. HOM - Washington Dr. Larry Bernstein DVM - Florida
http://www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/credents.html http://www.naturalholistic.com/
The products suggested here are ones that are recommended on other sources and appear to have good ingredients. We do not endorse or have financial interest in these products.