One of the most convenient ways to get your pet food and treats is to have it right when you need it.
That's why we've added a subscribe and save function.
]]>That's why we've added a subscribe and save function.
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]]>How can I feed my pet the proper nutrition within my budget and time restrictions.
And the answer to that question is as unique as your furry friend. That's why I've created multiple consultation options to help you answer all your questions, and maybe answer the questions you didn't even know you had yet.
I'm excited to let show you all of your options and dive into what they mean.
]]>The foundation of your pet's health is based on nutrition. But it's no secret that pet nutrition is confusing. The number one question I always get when speaking with all of you all comes down to this:
How can I feed my pet the proper nutrition within my budget and time restrictions?
And the answer to that question is as unique as your furry friend. That's why I've created multiple consultation options to help you answer all your questions, and maybe answer the questions you didn't even know you had yet.
All options are available for both cats and dogs.
I'm excited to let show you all of your options and dive into what they mean.
This is the most popular consultation that we offer. With this option we'll dive into any questions you may have about pet nutrition and get you on a basic path to start feeding better. You'll leave our conversation with more tools as well as feeding options for you pet.
I'm a certified pet nutritionist and I want to share my knowledge with you. During our conversation I'll work with you and teach you how to make a balanced meal for your pet. I'll share resources and knowledge to get you started making nutritious meals for your pet!
I'll personalize your two pet food recipes and include the basics to start formulating your own pet food recipes. As a certified pet nutritionist, I'll guides you through the needs of your pet through nutrition, and get you ready to make your own recipes.
I'll personalize two pet food recipes for you that are catered to your pet's exact needs. This is recipe formulation only, no training around pet nutrition included.
Do you already have recipes that you're using with your pet and want to ensure that they're balanced and safe? With this option I'll analyze your existing recipes along with your pet's needs to make sure that your pet's diet is balanced.
]]>Does your dog or cat have seasonal allergies? How do you know? Well if your pet goes through cycles during the year when they have itchy eyes, itchy skin, hot spots, and other secondary infections, they may have seasonal allergies. Like us, the environment has an effect on our health and how we respond to it. Unlike our response to seasonal allergies such as hayfever, dogs and cats often show their response through their skin.
]]>I personally have a dog that has terrible seasonal allergies. When we rescued her, she came with a file so thick with allergy treatments and antibiotics I thought I’d never be able to make her healthy and comfortable. I didn’t want to use the steroids, antibiotics and immune-suppressing medications, but I also didn’t want her chewing her paws off and scratching all night. So I started on a path to help her recover and heal. Not only from her internal issues, but from 8 years of medications.
The first step is to figure out when your pet has allergic symptoms. If it is all year, it most likely is not seasonal allergies. It could be food or another environmental stressor that is around your pet all year. If you find your pet usually has these symptoms in the spring or fall when plants are blossoming or molds are in excess, then it is probably a seasonal reaction. Although, if your pet has been dealing with seasonal allergies for years, the symptoms may persist even in colder months due to the untreated battle going on with their immune system.
Next, you need to eliminate as many of the environmental triggers you can. Obviously you can’t get rid of the grass outside or all of the blowing pollen, but there are some things you can do. First, look inside your home. Are you using chemicals for cleaning or air freshener/candles? As simple as that seems, getting rid of those may help. Using more non-toxic products lessens the toxic load on you and your pet, which allows your pet to be less taxed.
Look outside to see what you can control. Be careful of using pesticides and weed killers on your lawn. Your dog isn’t wearing shoes most likely, and these chemicals get on their feet and fur. Also, try not to let them wander on neighbor’s lawns that use chemicals. Last, when you return home, clean off their paws with clean water or even a foot bath.
But the main reason I am writing this blog in the winter is because this is the time to help your pet with seasonal allergies. How does this even make sense? Winter is the perfect time to make some changes to your pet’s diet and supplements. This is because your pet is not dealing with the symptoms and stress as they do during the allergy season. I like to think of winter as the “healing” season. It gives my Zoie a break from many of her environmental triggers and allows me to give her support and healing to prepare her before the allergy season is upon us. Thus, she has had fewer allergic reactions as time goes by. But remember, it takes time and patience to heal our pets. It doesn’t happen overnight, and it’s not as easy as giving a pill. Her allergies didn’t start overnight, it took many years for hers to get this bad. I feel that in the short time I’ve had her, she’s already improved so much!
According to Dr. Becker, DVM and Rita Hogan, canine herbalist, seasonal allergies begin with a pet’s internal organs. By helping make the gut and liver healthier, we can help minimize the allergy symptoms.
First, address your pet’s diet. If your pet is eating a kibble based diet which is highly processed, you may consider feeding or supplementing with more fresh foods. Meaning, feed real meat, fruits, vegetables, and other human-grade foods to your pet (organic if possible). A processed diet contributes to leaky gut and inflammation. You can use healthier foods to help calm and heal the gut, which can lead to less allergic reactions. This is exactly how I helped my Zoie. I changed her diet from kibble to a raw diet. But that’s not all I did.
I also use food-grade supplements from Standard Process. Dr. Sheppard, DVM recommended several supplements to help support her liver and other organs. I also consulted Rita Hogan, a canine herbalist. She recommended an herbal supplement with dandelions and other herbs to strengthen Zoie’s liver. I added Cocotherapy coconut oil to her diet every day. Cocotherapy coconut oil has lauric acids which help fight yeasts in the body. Adding sardines as a source of Omega 3 oils has also helped, and it’s easy to do. I started this last winter, and Zoie’s allergic symptoms decreased dramatically from when we rescued her right in the middle of allergy season two springs ago. She’s not completely healed, but she has made significant progress. I keep learning and supporting as much as I can, and I certainly feel she is a happier, healthier dog!
Dr. Karen Becker has a great article on more ideas to help with seasonal allergies in pets. It talks about ideas you can discuss with your veterinarian for a more natural approach to the traditional steroids and antibiotics as well.
Good luck, and start working on those allergies now! Don’t wait for spring to come…..
]]>Most of us already know that chocolate is not good for our dogs, but why? What happens if they eat too much chocolate? How much is too much? I know I’ve had a dog occasionally eat a little chocolate, and nothing seemed to happen, so what does chocolate do to our dogs?
]]>According to Cailin Heinze, VMD, MS, DACVN, in her article “How Much Chocolate is Dangerous for Dogs?” chocolate contains two compounds not good for dogs- caffeine and theobromine. Too much of these compounds can cause “life-threatening heart or breathing problems in dogs.”
The signs of chocolate toxicity will show up within 6-12 hours of ingesting the chocolate. Symptoms of toxicity can be “abnormal thirst, restlessness, hyperactivity, tremors, seizures, rapid breathing, vomiting, and diarrhea.”
Interestingly, different kinds of chocolate have different amounts of toxic compounds. “White chocolate contains minimal amounts, milk chocolate has moderate amounts and dark or bittersweet chocolate has the most.” So depending on the chocolate your pup eats, it can cause more or less toxicity. Obviously the more chocolate your dog eats, the more harmful it is. The size of your dog also is important. An 80-pound dog would probably need to eat 4 ½ chocolate bars for problems, but a dog under ten pounds could tolerate about the size of a Hershey kiss at most to have symptoms of toxicity.
For a dog, chocolate calculator click on this link by Vets now:
How Much Chocolate Can A Dog Eat? Use Our Calculator To Find Out
Always call your veterinarian if you notice your dog has eaten a concerning amount of chocolate or if your dog is showing toxicity symptoms.
]]>Have you seen your pet food claim to be “natural” on its label? Well this is a marketing buzzword that may not be what you think it means. Most of us think of natural as meaning “not caused or made by humankind.” But the organization that defines terms allowed on labels has a different definition. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) defines natural to be: (as cited in Dr. Becker’s Article “Can You Decipher This Pet Food Insider Double Talk?”)
]]>Have you seen your pet food claim to be “natural” on its label? Well this is a marketing buzzword that may not be what you think it means. Most of us think of natural as meaning “not caused or made by humankind.” But the organization that defines terms allowed on labels has a different definition. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) defines natural to be: (as cited in Dr. Becker’s Article “Can You Decipher This Pet Food Insider Double Talk?”)
“A feed or feed ingredient derived solely from plant, animal or mined sources, either in its unprocessed state or having been subject to physical processing, heat processing, rendering, purification, extraction, hydrolysis, enzymolysis or fermentation, but not having been produced by or subject to a chemically synthetic process and not containing any additives or processing aids that are chemically synthetic except in amounts as might occur in good manufacturing practices.”
AAFCO also offers a breakdown of the definition:
This is not what I was thinking when I read ‘natural.” How can they say that “rendering” or “subject to a chemically synthetic process” allows a food to be natural. And to further say the natural feeds are not necessarily safer than those produced by a chemically synthetic process? If that was the case almost any product can be deemed “natural” and there would be no point in labeling anything “natural!”
According to Dr. Becker’s article another important fact to keep in mind is the sourcing of the ingredients in your pet’s food. Not all foods are created equal. Although it’s difficult, try to find more “organic” or “non-gmo” foods. Pay attention to foods grown or made in China or other less regulated countries (even our country is poor at pet food regulation, but not this bad). Try to feed as much fresh foods or foods that mimic a pet’s ancestral diet.
Read the full article here.]]>
Therefore, go by this rule: If pet food is cheap, there’s a reason and it’s probably not very healthy. But if pet food is expensive, you don’t know that it’s healthy!
Could be or NOT! Prescription and gimmicky foods can be very expensive but it doesn’t mean they are healthy. Don’t be pressured by your veterinarian to purchase food from them. Go home, do some research and then decide. You are your pet’s best advocate, so speak up and ask questions. If you don’t like the answers, don’t just submissively go along with what they say. Inform yourself and don’t be intimidated. A good veterinarian will listen to you, answer your questions and hopefully lead you in a direction you and your vet feels will be best for your pet.
]]>When someone takes their pet to the veterinarian, and the pet gets diagnosed with a disease or a condition, it scares us! Every pet owner is looking at the veterinarian to give us the best method to cure or manage the disease. The problem is that the pet food manufacturing community isn’t completely honest with their products. So this leaves us pet owners scared and wondering what to do. We want to trust the veterinarian; they are a doctor for Pete’s sake. But, us as pet owners are now starting to ask questions, and want truthful answers. The veterinarian office will often recommend expensive Prescription Pet Food, or some may call it Veterinary Diet or Therapeutic Food, but not be able to explain how the food will help our pets.
First, the term “Prescription Diet” is patented by Hills Pet Nutrition. The term does not mean that the food went through the rigorous process of the FDA to be a medicine to treat a condition. Meaning the word “prescription” is just a word that Hills knows that people will consider the food as “medicine” and it will heal their pet’s disease. Hills is using this word to make their food appear to be a medicinal food when it was never an FDA approved medicine.
Just like human doctor offices, where drug manufacturers visit and promote their drugs to doctors, big pet food companies visit veterinarian offices. They provide training, literature, and products to veterinarians along with perks or opportunities to make a profit by selling their foods. These pet food companies spin their products to be healthy and even the only food that the vet should recommend to the client’s pets. Veterinarians don’t have much training in pet nutrition in university, and post-college, the only training they get is from pet food manufacturers unless they choose to do further nutrition training on their own. So, of course, the veterinarians believe the pet food manufacturer’s claims and pass that on to their customers. I don’t believe the veterinarians as a whole are purposely trying to tell you biased information. I believe that most veterinarians are just doing what they are trained to do, and have so many other issues to deal with that nutrition isn’t their top priority.
And why wouldn’t the veterinarian believe the pet food manufacturer? These large pet food companies have tons of money to hire scientists, nutritionists, chemists, and other nutrition experts to formulate pet foods. But they also have tons of money to hire marketing professionals, accounting professionals, and lawyers to help them get the most money from their products. The problem is that not all pet foods and even “Prescription” diets are the best choice for your pet’s health. So this leaves us, pet parents once again lost and scared when our best friends are sick. What to do??
My non-doctor thoughts are to use some common sense and research. First, think about what you are feeding your pet. Kibble is actually the hardest food for our pets to digest when it comes to the types of food. Here is a hierarchy of digestibility for our pets (hardest on the digestive system to easiest): kibble, canned, dehydrated, fresh food. So of course, I recommend switching to a fresh food diet that is balanced. But if that’s not for you, maybe feed more canned or add some fresh food. Some fresh food is better than none.
Also, look at the ingredients and nutritional information on the packaging of your pet’s food. Look to see if a named meat is first on the list (Beef, Lamb, Salmon, etc). If corn or grains are the first ingredients, that means the most prevalent ingredient is not meat. Dogs and cats are carnivores (scavenger or obligate) that need meat to get the nutrients they need. Second, if the food is cheap, the ingredients are cheap. A pet food company isn’t going to lose money. They can only sell cheap food if the ingredients are cheap. Inexpensive ingredients are usually not of good quality. The pet food manufacturers have different regulations they can follow that are not as good as the human food regulations, so it is allowed to have ingredients we would not think as healthy (moldy grains, diseased animals, etc).
Therefore, go by this rule: If pet food is cheap, there’s a reason and it’s probably not very healthy. But if pet food is expensive, you don’t know that it’s healthy!
Could be or NOT! Prescription and gimmicky foods can be very expensive but it doesn’t mean they are healthy. Don’t be pressured by your veterinarian to purchase food from them. Go home, do some research and then decide. You are your pet’s best advocate, so speak up and ask questions. If you don’t like the answers, don’t just submissively go along with what they say. Inform yourself and don’t be intimidated. A good veterinarian will listen to you, answer your questions and hopefully lead you in a direction you and your vet feels will be best for your pet.
Obviously, the pet’s health condition will need to be taken into account, so you do need to research and/or get the help of someone to address the pet’s condition when formulating a fresh food diet. I am not suggesting the pet won’t still need prescription medication or supplements to go along with their food, but most pets benefit from a fresh diet even with diseases. Fresh food may even eliminate the poor health of many pets and alleviate many of the symptoms of their disease.
]]>The first one is crazy! Hydrolyzed foods. On the surface, it seems fine. Hydrolyzed means they break down the proteins into smaller easier digestible pieces. Many hypoallergenic pet foods are made with hydrolyzed soy protein or other hydrolyzed proteins. Most of these hydrolyzed diets use very little meat or organs and the main source of protein is plants. I guess they need to hydrolyze the soy because it’s not something a dog would normally eat! And, if they just say hydrolyzed meat, who knows where that comes from. Stay away from hydrolyzed poultry by-products aggregate, because that’s just ground up chicken feathers!! How much protein is your pet getting from chicken feathers, even if they do hydrolyze it?!
Another interesting source of food is insects. Coming soon to America, but not yet, are pet foods made from insects. This is legal in many countries, but not the USA-yet! I’m not sure how I feel about this. I know my dog Zoie is a great fly hunter, but as a 75 lb dog, I wonder how many flies that would take to make a meal? I also wonder how much digestible protein insects contain for dogs and cats? I know environmentalists love the idea of insects as food because they are more earth-friendly than cows; I feel like it’s not what nature intended as the main source of protein for our furry friends. But, if Simba can grow up on grubs and insects, maybe our pets can too?
The last ingredient I wanted to mention is a new source of fiber called miscanthus grass. This is to replace or accompany the already terrible ingredient of cellulose powder (which is sawdust--not kidding!) and beet pulp. Dogs and cats do need fiber, but in the real world, they would get it from parts of an animal mostly, like fur, feathers, tendons, and minimally from plants. They say miscanthus grass better for dogs and cats than cellulose, but there aren’t any long term studies on it yet. This one we will have to wait and see…..
Of course, if you want to avoid these ingredients, make your own pet food or at least read the pet food labels carefully. If you don’t know what an ingredient is, research it. Don’t just trust that if it’s in the pet food that it is actually good for your pet.
And always remember that if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out!
Feed Healthy. Feed Fresh. Feed Raw.
Becky
]]>As many of you already know, the ingredients are listed by the amount of each ingredient, listing the ingredient with the most amount first down to the smallest amount. Usually, you want at least the top three ingredients to be meat, unless there aren’t very many ingredients then you might not be able to do that (example: dehydrated duck, fennel oil, oregano oil). It is important you read the labels, but if you don’t know what they mean, you might not catch the innuendos of pet food labeling.
One tactic to make your pet food look like it has less of a certain ingredient that is less appealing because it’s not meat. One way is called “Ingredient splitting.” This is when they list food in its different parts, therefore making the individual parts weigh less and put it lower on the list of ingredients. They do this so something else, like meat, becomes or looks higher on the list. For example, kibble manufacturers put grains, potatoes or peas into their kibble. They have to put some kind of starch in there to make kibble, so that’s unavoidable. However, the amount of starch affects the quality of the food. You don’t want mostly starch, you want mostly meat.
To recognize ingredient splitting, look for the same plant to be mentioned more than once, but different parts of the plant will be named. The ingredients may or may not be listed next to each other. Here’s an example of one kibble: Ingredients: Ground yellow corn, corn germ meal, beef, and bone meal, soybean meal, beef tallow preserved with mixed-tocopherols, pork and bone meal, egg and chicken flavor, poultry and pork digest, corn gluten meal, salt, etc….. Do you notice corn in different ingredients? Ground yellow corn, corn germ meal, and corn gluten meal. Corn is already the top ingredient, but imagine if you add it all together, it would be obvious this food has a minimal amount of meat.
Here’s another one: Ingredients: Deboned lamb, lamb meal (source of glucosamine), peas, potatoes, pea starch, pea protein, tapioca starch, canola oil (source of omega 6 fatty acids), pea fiber, natural flavor, fish oil, etc… Do you see all the peas? Peas, pea starch, pea protein, and pea fiber. If you added all the peas together, would they be more than the lamb meal? We don’t know. That’s one of the problems.
Ingredient splitting is not the only way pet food manufacturers deceive their customers into thinking their pet food is healthy. Here’s another trick, find salt on the list. Anything listed after salt is barely anything. The amount of salt is very minimal, and anything after it is even less!! That’s often where you find blueberries, parsley or other foods that look good to us but are used in such a small amount that it almost doesn’t matter.
The more you know about pet food labeling, the more you’ll understand all the tricks used to get us, consumers, to purchase the product. I talk about this and more in my Introduction to Pet Food seminar. Look on our website for the next upcoming date!
]]>First, taurine is an amino sulfonic acid that is a required building block of protein. It is synthesized from the amino acids methionine and cysteine. Dogs should be able to synthesize enough taurine if they are fed adequate protein sources. This is why taurine has not be generally recognized as a requirement in dog food, and not listed in the nutritional facts on labels.
In the articles recently making the rounds on social media, some of the information is deceptive and misleading. The research facilities and groups are provided funding by large pet food manufacturers, and many of the declarations are vague or misleading. Not to downplay the importance of some of the findings, but there is no need for hysteria. This is something to address and remedy if needed on an individual basis. But, it is not a widespread phenomenon that we need to panic over.
Here is some information that may help explain the problems with low taurine. Deficiency of taurine can cause eye disorders and Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM). There are many causes of DCM. DCM is usually thought of as an inherited disease. Most dogs with DCM have normal taurine levels. Other causes of DCM are toxicity with chemotherapy and deficiency of taurine or carnitine. Other diseases that can deplete the body of taurine are: diabetes, cancer, liver, kidney or heart failure, low levels of cysteine and methionine or excessive intake of MSG. As you see, there are many causes, and even the researchers claim the causes of DCM are linked to a combination of heredity, nutrition and diseases.
Let’s first look at the history of taurine deficiency research:
Recently, these articles have stated that more dogs are having diagnosis of Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM), and the veterinarian “suspects” it is because of grain free or boutique foods. I find it interesting that these studies are not more recent, and being referenced at this time.
There is also talk about grain free, or pet foods made with legumes as being a possible cause for low taurine levels in pets with DCM. Some thoughts may be that some of these foods have a low level of meat protein as well. Or maybe it’s the heat from processing that may be making the levels of taurine lower. In that case, all kibble would be affected at some level. Some feel it may be the peas or potatoes interfering with the synthesizing of taurine. There is so much speculation, it seems there really is no conclusive answer. I wonder if that is the purpose, to make people afraid to feed the grain free or foods with peas. They suggest feeding foods with traditional ingredients such as corn, wheat, and not exotic meats will help pets have less CDM. They consider lamb and salmon to be exotic in the same article.
Interestingly, here are some foods that do not contain taurine:
Dairy products, fruits, vegetables, rice, corn, oatmeal, rye, wheat, barley or sesame seed
Foods high in taurine:
Shellfish (especially scallops, mussels and clams), beef, pork, lamb and poultry dark meat, organ meats (especially heart), sea algae
What can you do if you are worried about taurine levels in your pet?
Overall, I feel that adding more fresh meat to your pet’s diet is the solution. By feeding fresh meats, you are also helping decrease other diseases like cancer too. The healthier we feed our pets, the healthier and happier they will be.
Health and Happiness Begin with Food
Feed Healthy. Feed Fresh. Feed Raw.
-Becky
]]>]]>
According to Dr. Dobias, grasses are beneficial for dogs to eat. Once again, as long as they are not treated with chemicals. According to Dr. Dobias, because dogs eat a mostly meat diet, grasses provide alkalizing foods rich with antioxidants and chlorophyll. The alkalizing foods can soothe the gut and balance the pH in the gut. But it doesn’t mean your pet is sick or has a disease.
]]>My dogs have been eating grass for years. They don’t vomit and don’t appear to be uncomfortable. From my own experience, I don’t see any problem with it, as long as the grass is not chemically treated. But I decided to do some research, and see what the experts say.
According to Dr. Dobias, grasses are beneficial for dogs to eat. Once again, as long as they are not treated with chemicals. According to Dr. Dobias, because dogs eat a mostly meat diet, grasses provide alkalizing foods rich with antioxidants and chlorophyll. The alkalizing foods can soothe the gut and balance the pH in the gut. But it doesn’t mean your pet is sick or has a disease.
Grasses are high in chlorophyll and antioxidants. You may remember chlorophyll from school when you learned that the chlorophyll makes the plants green, and that tree leaves turn colors in the fall because the chlorophyll retreats into the tree trunk and stems for the winter, thus letting the true colors of the leaves be seen. But chlorophyll is also an important nutrient for us and our dogs.
Chlorophyll has many great nutritional benefits. It can help with digestion, healing, and anti-aging. Chlorophyll also helps detoxify our bodies and maintain our organ health. It can boost our blood health and even help with anemia. Chlorophyll is anti-inflammatory and also inhibits the growth of yeast.
So yes, not only is it okay for your dog to eat clean grass, it’s healthy for them! PS: it’s also good for you to eat your green leafy veggies and get the benefits of chlorophyll too!
Feed Healthy. Feed Fresh. Feed Raw.
Becky
It’s that time of year when the fleas and ticks are back to bug us and our pets! Did you know that the problem is 90% outside and not the pet? If your pet is healthy, and the environment they are around is relatively free of fleas and ticks, you shouldn’t have a problem.
]]>There has been a lot of news lately about the dangers of the chemicals used in collars, drops, and powders. Recently, the FDA has warned about this. According to Dogs Naturally Magazine, “The FDA stated that flea and tick medications are causing neurologic issues in pets. The symptoms most often reported include muscle tremors, ataxia, and seizures.” The brands mentioned were: Bravecto, NexGard, Simparica, and Credelio. These contain a chemical called isoxazoline. Other reactions are vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, skin irritation and lethargy. The issue has finally gotten the FDA to at least require warning labels on these products.
What to do? If your pet is not prone to get fleas or ticks, don’t even use any product. Don’t just automatically use a chemical when it may not even be an issue for your pet. Just because your vet wants you to purchase the flea or tick product does not mean you have to. You decide. Some pets are indoor pets that don’t even come in contact with fleas or ticks. Or maybe your dog barely goes outside, or your yard doesn’t have a flea or tick problem. I rarely use anything on my dogs, and we even walk through state-land on hikes. My husband gets more ticks than they do! He’s got furry legs too! Sometimes I use an essential oil blend diluted with water to spray on myself and pups whenever we go into the fields. I use the Away oil blend, but I don’t think it’s available anymore. To be honest, on occasion if we’re in a highly infested mosquito area, I may use something stronger. But very minimally, especially with the pets.
Here are some ideas of natural preventatives from Mother Nature Network:
Let’s say your pet has fleas, here a couple of natural ideas:
Hope these ideas help you keep your pet comfortable and free from fleas and ticks!
Feed Healthy. Feed Fresh. Feed Raw.
Becky
As with any pet, I looked to the environment first to see what could be causing the problem. I immediately changed her food to a cooling diet of duck, whitefish and rabbit. I also included some cooling fruits and vegetables like apples, cranberries, spinach, and cucumbers. I feed raw, so that in itself also helps cool down her system. As for bathing, I don’t bathe too often, but I do after a walk in the fields or woods. I try to keep up with wiping her paws after walking on grass, but that is difficult with many people taking care of her in the same house. I use animal grade essential oils and diatomaceous earth to help prevent fleas and bug bites. I use Standard Process supplements and herbal remedies to repair her liver. I think I might try a leaky gut protocol next by Adored Beast if what I did over the winter didn’t work.
We’ll see how she does this spring and summer. Hopefully, she will be comfortable. So those of you with this issue, keep trying and don’t give up. Try not to use steroids or chemicals. Try changing their foods and treats to grain-free cooling foods. Consult Sheppard Alternative Animal Care for an appointment to see what other things trigger your pet’s allergies and he will recommend foods to avoid and supplements to strengthen your pet’s system. Feed fresh foods if possible. And, if it does come down to it, sometimes you may have to use limited medicine. Don’t beat yourself up about it, just do what you can.
Wish me and all of the other itchy pets and pet owners good luck on our journeys to make our pets carefree this season!
Health and Happiness Begin with Food
Feed Healthy. Feed Fresh. Feed Raw.
Becky
First, do you always drink as much water as you should? Some say us humans should drink 8 cups a day. Do you? I know I forget to drink when I get busy. Your dog should drink about ½ oz to 1 oz per pound of body weight of water a day. So if your dog is 10 lbs, that would be 1 ¼ cups or a 50-pound dog would need a little more than 6 cups a day. Cats need a little less than 1 oz water per pound so that a 10 lb cat should drink 7-9 ounces of water per day. I know I don’t drink enough every day. I often get busy and forget. And depending on what you feed your pet, he or she may not be drinking enough water either.
]]>You might wonder why I’m including water as food. What I mean, is that water is in all fresh foods, and that’s one thing that makes fresh foods better for us and our pets. Yes, we can go get a bottle of water, or a cup from the tap and your pets can drink water from a bowl, but that’s not the same as getting it from the food.
First, do you always drink as much water as you should? Some say us humans should drink 8 cups a day. Do you? I know I forget to drink when I get busy. Your dog should drink about ½ oz to 1 oz per pound of body weight of water a day. So if your dog is 10 lbs, that would be 1 ¼ cups or a 50-pound dog would need a little more than 6 cups a day. Cats need a little less than 1 oz water per pound so that a 10 lb cat should drink 7-9 ounces of water per day. I know I don’t drink enough every day. I often get busy and forget. And depending on what you feed your pet, he or she may not be drinking enough water either.
Here’s why you and your pets need to drink or eat (in their food) enough water each day. Water makes up about 60% of our bodies. Every cell, tissue, and organ needs water to function properly. Water gets rid of wastes, including some toxins, through urine and bowel movements. Water helps keep our temperature stable. It helps cushion and lubricates joints. It also protects sensitive tissues. If your pet is chronically dehydrated it may cause fatigue, drain their energy, cause kidney stones or organ failure. If your pet drinks too much water, it can lead to bloat or electrolyte imbalance. It’s important to be aware of your pet’s water intake and notice any significant changes and analyze why there is a change.
How does this all relate to pet food? As I mentioned before, we get water through our food, not only drinking it. When our pets eat dry kibble, the food has at most 10% water, where fresh meat has about 75% water. When your pet eats more fresh foods, they tend to drink less water. They’re getting the most important ingredient in their food already! But when a pet is fed kibble every day for every meal, they are barely getting any water from their food. And, they may not be drinking enough water to compensate for the lack of water in their food.
Dogs have a better thirst drive than cats. Dogs will tend to drink more often from their bowl or other sources. Cats, on the other hand, have a low thirst drive because their ancestors are from the desert, and therefore do not crave water as much. Dry food is highly processed and difficult to digest. The body has to work extra hard to digest dry food. This is hard on the digestive system and the organs. That’s one reason why you should feed as many fresh foods as possible. Pets that often have compromised kidneys or liver can be helped by feeding more fresh foods. Plus dry food does not add water to the body for all those vital functions mentioned earlier.
Here’s what you can do to get more water into your pet’s diet. First, have a clear glass bowl of fresh water available at all times. If you don’t feed all fresh, start with adding more canned food to your pet’s daily meals. You should also include fresh meats, vegetables, and fruits at least twice a week as part of their meal or as a treat (watermelon is terrific for hydration). And whenever you get a drink, give your pet a hydrating treat too.
Here’s a great article written by Dogster about how much water your dog should drink. Another great read is from yourdogadvisor.com!
Becky
]]>March is Poison Prevention Month, so it’s a good time to remind ourselves of some good practices to help our pets be healthy and safe. Below is a quick list of toxic foods and helpful tips, but I also wanted to mention a few things about a couple of particular foods, garlic, and mushrooms.
]]>Garlic is usually considered toxic to pets. In reality, dogs can have a small amount. It is actually considered beneficial in small amounts. Read the article from Dogs Naturally Magazine written by Rita Hogan, a canine herbalist. She discusses the benefits of garlic, what kind of garlic to feed, and when not to feed garlic.
Another food that may be toxic are mushrooms, but not all mushrooms! Wild Food Educator Karen Stephenson discusses how certain mushrooms are not only fine to feed, but which ones you should feed to help prevent diseases like cancer. See the article to find out which mushrooms are good for pets at this link.
Some common toxic foods not to feed your pets
(When in doubt, research the food before feeding it)
Some things to remember:
As you can tell, most of this is common sense. We just need to remember our pets will get into things when we forget to store them properly. Be safe!
Health and Happiness Begin with Food
Feed Healthy. Feed Fresh. Feed Raw.
Becky
The reason I talk about my experience is that your pet may have pain or a condition that a chiropractor may help. Active animals play hard and can twist or tweak their spine. Older animals may slip and pull or strain their backs. I have had my horse adjusted several times, and it helped him perform in jumping competitions. I also had my older dog adjusted after she slipped down a few stairs and couldn’t walk. After some homeopathic remedies and an adjustment, she is back to normal. My daughter also takes her cats in for chiropractic care. One of her cats injured his back and was miserable. After his injury, he got adjusted returned to playing with his brother.
Animals’ spines can come out of alignment just like people’s. The only problem is that they can’t tell us in words. Some symptoms that your pet may need an adjustment are: change in their gate (or the way they walk), lack of movement, flinching when touched near the spine, dizziness, irritability and more. If you suspect your pet might have hurt themselves, seeing a chiropractor may be a good idea. Your veterinarian may recommend a local animal chiropractor, or you can google for one. Some animal chiropractors also do other services like acupuncture or holistic medicine.
You don’t have to wait for an injury to take your pet to a chiropractor. It would be a good idea to find an animal chiropractor you like before your pet really needs it. This way you can get a baseline examination and see if your pet already has an issue. Chiropractors can let you know if your pet is out of alignment, or if your pet might have arthritis. They will also help you with exercises for your pet and let you know if you need to take your pet to a veterinarian for more assistance. This is just another great way to help your pets live a happy and healthy life!
]]>Hi everyone,
I came across Woofer Wellness the other day and I love the information they're sharing!
They did an awesome job covering the benefits of raw bones, how to feed raw bones, and some things to watch out for. Read the full post here.
Here is one of our favorite excerpts:
"Many owners feel intimidated by "horror stories" of giving bones but feeding them is really quite easy when keeping common sense in mind. I hope after reading this you will have a little more confidence in what you can and can't offer to your woofer!
Raw meaty bones are classified as soft, consumable bones that still have some meat attached to them. These range from chicken wings all the way to big items like lamb heads, depending on the size of the dog."
Read the full post here and don't forget to check out our selection of raw bones and chews.
Becky
]]>It is important to take care of your pet’s teeth for many reasons. First, bad teeth = bad breath, yuck! Also, many dogs, especially small dogs, end up getting their teeth pulled because of rotten teeth. This affects their chewing of food and therefore digestion. Then you have to make sure their food is soft enough for them to gum their food for the rest of their lives. Periodontal disease can also cause inflammation and infection that can lead to damaging other organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys. Not taking care of your pet’s teeth can shorten their lives by 2-4 years!
What can you do? Try to get into the habit of taking care of your pet’s teeth on a routine basis. I know it’s hard, I even have difficulty doing this! Rub coconut oil on their teeth and gums every day if possible. Coconut oil breaks down the bacteria that can cause plaque. You can rub a small amount of essential oils made for animals such as AnimalEO Dog Breath also. Next, feed raw bones. The bones scrape the teeth to keep them clean. You can also give them treats that scrape the plaque, such as Crumps Plaque Busters or Hunder’s Crunch Fish treats. Just be sure the treats aren’t loaded with sugar too.
I know it’s hard to even manage your own health, but try to help keep your pet’s teeth healthy too. Make a reminder on your phone or a note on the refrigerator until you get into the habit. Healthy teeth can help your pet stay healthy!
]]>Many have used honey over the centuries for many conditions. Manuka Honey is known for helping wounds heal, and to protect wounds from bacteria.
Recently, I met the EnBiologics team, which makes HoneyCure. It is an FDA approved product with triple action-antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and pest-repellent qualities. HoneyCure is a blend of Manuka Honey and essential oils. It is safe for animals and is a natural veterinary wound care product.
Coincidently, after I met the EnBiologics team, my own dog got a wound from a scuffle with my other dog. The wound was a one tooth puncture wound. For the first couple of days, I used Betadine to wash it and Colloidal Silver without much change. But then, I began using HoneyCure, and the wound significantly showed improvement in just a few days. The wound quickly started to close and the redness decreased dramatically. Within a month, there was just a little spot without fur. And, the dogs haven’t had any more scuffles! Check out the before and after pictures below.
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The first things you might notice about a raw fed pet is their stool is usually smaller and breaks down quicker than kibble fed dogs. Another behavior you will notice immediately is your pet will drink less water. That’s because they are getting their water from their food. After a few months, you should notice their fur getting softer, shinier and even less greasy. Other improvements can be a happier disposition, healthier gums, and a more calm pet.
Dr. Richard S. Patton is an animal nutritionist. He has worked for over 40 years around the world with wild and companion animals. He is the author of Ruined by Excess Perfected by Lack, which goes into detail about how nutrition is part of the circle of health. According to Patton, here are more reasons to feed a raw diet: It improves gum health, promotes healthier gut flora, animals like the palatability of raw, it may stop your pet’s dermatitis, raw foods don’t process the nutrients and most importantly, it keeps the most important ingredient in food-water.
So while it may be daunting to add fresh and raw foods to your pet’s diet, there are many resources out there. What we call “people food” is really just food for all, and our pets can really benefit from human grade foods that are minimally processed. We can help you with a nutritional consult, or you can come to our seminar Introduction to Home-Feeding. Look at our events on our web page for our seminars.
Feed Healthy. Feed Fresh. Feed Raw.
Becky
This information is from an article in Dogs Naturally Magazine:
Many veterinarians also do not agree with feeding raw foods to pets. Many of you know I collaborate with Sheppard Alternative Animal Care, and have discussed nutrition and feeding raw with Dr. Sheppard, Melissa and staff. Dr. Sheppard himself has said that in veterinarian school, he only had one seminar on nutrition throughout his entire veterinarian training! Most veterinarians get their instruction from pet food representatives that want to promote or sell their foods at their offices. Therefore, the information they receive is often biased. Or, some, like Dr. Sheppard, take it upon themselves to learn about nutrition and apply it in practice.
Also, many raw feeders do not feed balanced diets, which can lead to deficiencies in your pet’s diet. You do have to make sure you provide variety and the proper nutrients in your pet’s diets. An unbalanced diet over time can be worse than many of the pet foods you may be avoiding now.
I do provide consultations and seminars on raw feeding to help you get started or to make sure your recipes are balanced. Just go on my webpage and book a consult or come to a seminar on the basics of home feeding. I’m happy to help you learn how to start feeding raw or even cooked diets to your pets!
Health and Happiness Begin with Food
Feed Healthy. Feed Fresh. Feed Raw.
]]>Happy New Year! I hope 2019 turns out to be a spectacular year for you and your family. Now’s the time to reflect on your vision and goals for the future, and don’t forget about your pet! Today, I’d like to give you some easy ideas to give fresh, healthy foods to your pet.
It’s so easy to forget how important nutrition is for our pets. Every new year, most of us make a resolution for ourselves to eat better and to get more exercise; but do you do the same for your pet? Your pet would love to eat more fresh foods and get more exercise if they could tell you. That would be their new year’s resolutions too!
Here are some ways to get started, no matter what you feed now.
And, if you’re interested in feeding complete fresh meals, let me know and we can do a consult. I can help you create recipes just right for your pet.
Good luck to you in the new year!
Becky
]]>There are many toxins in ice melts that can damage your dog's paws as well as the environment.
Purchase safe ice melt for your home this winter & also grab some paw protecting balm.
]]>Purchase safe ice melt for your home this winter & also grab some paw protecting balm.
-Becky
]]>Recently I went to the Raw and Natural Dog Summit in Chicago. I learned a lot from the various experts on nutrition and health. One company that I connected with was Cocotherapy. These two sisters from the Philippines, grew up using coconut oils and eating coconut all their lives. They learned to use coconut for food and health in their daily lives. Their family owns a coconut farm in the Philippines, and have harvested coconut for generations. So, these sisters know a ton about coconut!
]]>Hello fellow pet lovers! I was just thinking about how grateful I am for all of you and your trust in Ruff Ruff Raw. I love talking with you and listening to your stories and discussing your questions. Please feel free to contact me through my email, facebook or calling the store!
Recently I went to the Raw and Natural Dog Summit in Chicago. I learned a lot from the various experts on nutrition and health. One company that I connected with was Cocotherapy. These two sisters from the Philippines, grew up using coconut oils and eating coconut all their lives. They learned to use coconut for food and health in their daily lives. Their family owns a coconut farm in the Philippines, and have harvested coconut for generations. So, these sisters know a ton about coconut!
Here are some highlights about coconuts and oils that they discussed.
Coconut oil has many health benefits and uses.
We have a selection of their products on our store here. If you're local, we offer free deliver and free in-store pickup! We accept all cards online, even PayPal.
Reply back with any questions,
Becky
]]>All foods have energy and characteristic properties that affect our bodies. At Ruff Ruff Raw, we use these properties to help heal or encourage your pet's body energy to become more balanced. For example, if your pet has inflammation of the gut, or itchy skin, we suggest cooling foods. However, if your pet has arthritis or general fatigue, we recommend a warming food such as lamb. Even seasonally, we may recommend different foods for the varying Michigan weather.
]]>If you’ve been in my store, or if you’re a customer of Dr. Sheppard’s, you may have heard us talk about “cooling” foods. You may have noticed that my dry foods are organized under signs that say “Cooling Foods, Neutral Foods or Warming Foods.” Many of you have pets on “cooling” foods such as Zignature Whitefish or Duck. These foods were suggested to you because of the energetic properties of these foods.
All foods have energy and characteristic properties that affect our bodies. At Ruff Ruff Raw, we use these properties to help heal or encourage your pet's body energy to become more balanced. For example, if your pet has inflammation of the gut or itchy skin, we suggest cooling foods. However, if your pet has arthritis or general fatigue, we recommend a warming food such as lamb. Even seasonally, we may recommend different foods for the varying Michigan weather.
You can use food energetics to help your pet thrive or to alleviate conditions. Whether you feed kibble, canned, or fresh, the foods you choose can affect your pet’s body energy. If they have a condition, your choice of foods can make the condition worse, or it can help make it better. Or, if your pet is already energetically balanced, using a variety of foods will help keep it balanced. That’s why it’s so important to know if your pet's food is cooling, neutral, or warming.
Call Ruff Ruff Raw and schedule a consultation to discuss food energetics. I can help you balance your pet's food energetically to help their condition or to keep it balanced. No matter what you feed, food energetics is important for your pet and even yourself!
-Becky
Here's a breakdown of the picture:
Yin - Cooling
Balance - Neutral
Yang - Warming
Yang Tonic - Hot
My promise to you all is that I will continue to learn. To be there for all of your pets and to help heal through nutrition. It’s been a pleasure meeting all of you, and I hope to see you at the store soon.
Thank you for being a part of my dream and my passion.
-Becky
]]>My name is Becky and I started Ruff Ruff Raw five years ago. Most of you know that I’m an elementary school teacher by day, and the owner of Ruff Ruff Raw by night. My passion is to help animals, and I chose to make my passion into a business.
I’ve dedicated myself to my pet family, spending my time learning about pet nutrition from world-renowned holistic veterinarians, pet advocates, and raw fed groups. I’ve taken pet nutrition courses from Dog’s Naturally University and have earned my Pet Nutrition Specialist Certification with my Raw Nutrition certification on the way.
My promise to you all is that I will continue to learn. To be there for all of your pets and to help heal through nutrition. It’s been a pleasure meeting all of you, and I hope to see you at the store soon.
Thank you for being a part of my dream and my passion.
-Becky
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