health and wellness

Heartworm/flea treatments or tick flea treatments are a problem in a lot of breeds. We know several dogs of all different breeds that have died from flea treatments or heartworm flea combinations. The drugs in them can cause autoimmune problems with build up over the years in almost any dog. They can also have a reaction to them right after taking them and pass away, have seizures, organ failure or have bad immune systems after that. The ingredients are harmful to people when they get them on their skin so when the dog gets them systemically in their bodies they can cause organ damage and break down their autoimmune systems. It is much safer for your family and the animals to use something natural. I have found over the years that Flea Flicker tick kicker works along with Wondercide that has a lot of different scents. You can also make your own. None of the separate heartworm treatments are safe for Aussies as they are sensitive to the drugs. It's best to treat them to keep the mosquitoes off of them with something natural if you can.

It has been found over the last few years grain free food has caused heart damage and death in puppies and young dogs. If your going to feed a dry make sure it isn't grain free. We have used Fromm for several years also Victor makes a good dry food with no recalls. If your dog is a picky eater as a lot of dogs are not thrilled with dry food, you can use Fresh pet, frozen biljac or any other already made fresh or frozen good dog food. We cook for our dogs every week. I will put the recipe on here. Also animals crackers make a wonderful inexpensive treat. Better than dog treats that have no human grade food ingredients and are usually make in China or have ingredients that are made in China. We also use cheese for treats and have for almost 40 years. We had French bulldogs for almost 17 years, they choked easily so dry treats are not good for them since their teeth do not line up to chew. Cheese worked well for them as it's easy to swallow and not dry. 

Please ask your veterinarian about a titer test instead of more vaccines. A dogs initial puppy vaccines and one at one year old can last a lifetime. I have done titer tests on 12 year old dogs that still did not need another vaccine. I only do core vaccines for puppies and one year old dogs. They have always done well but a titer test will tell you if your dog is low on a vaccine. I am not familiar with state to state laws on rabies vaccines. Over vaccinating your dog can be very harmful to their immune systems. We have seen dogs between 5 and 8 years old get another set of vaccines that caused them to have Hemolytic anemia which is deadly most of the time. Titer test is much safer than giving another vaccine that isn't needed and can cause great harm.

We make ours in a crock pot every week but any large pot will do.

1 container of chicken livers (we cut them up with scissors so their aren't just a big clump it's a little gross but works)

1 small package of ground chicken or turkey

1  bag (we use frozen) peas and carrots

1  bag frozen sweet potatoes 

1 bag frozen squash 

1 bag frozen spinach 

5 cups of brown rice

10 cups of water

Your can use fresh or whatever you want to change. This is just what we use. If you don't want to make this much you can adjust it or freeze some in containers

We have used raw bones from the butcher or grocery store for years. The marrow if they are marrow bones is very greasy and will cause diarrhea in a lot of dogs. We take it out with a knife (the chickens like it) so we don't have issues. Deer or elk antlers split are a great alternative. We order ours from people that get them fresh each year. Make sure you don't buy any treats or bones that are make in China or other countries. Raw hides and greenies we don't use due to chocking and  getting things stuck in their stomachs or intestinal track. Puppies need to chew and will for up to 18 months as their molars come in then. It helps to have enough things for them to chew on instead of what you don't want them to chew on. Toys with ropes that the strings can be pulled out of also we don't use. Fiber fill toys can be ripped apart and swallowed. We had a puppy about 20 years ago rip a small hole in a dog bed and pull the fiber fill out, she swallowed it. She was very sick as we didn't see the tiny hole. The vet didn't know but we finally saw the tiny piece sticking out and luckily she was fine. It can get stuck which can cause death or surgery. They do make flat toys with no fiber fill.