Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from Dog Gone Amazing

Adding raw bones to your dog’s diet is a great way to clean their teeth and they will LOVE them. You can buy them at most pet stores like Natural Paws and PAWSitively Pets. You can also buy them at some grocery stores. I recommend the marrow bones. They are sliced leg bones full of marrow also called soup bones. Make sure the bone is big enough so your dog can’t swallow the bone. These are just to be chewed on. If your dog has never had one before, start slowly. Supervise your dog and let him chew on it for about 5 minutes to start. Take the bone away and put in the fridge till the next time. I let my dogs chew on them till they are small and then I toss them in the trash. I have seen a HUGE difference in my dogs teeth after adding the bones. In the pictures above, the one on the right is my 10 year old’s teeth a few months ago. On the left is just the other day. A pretty big difference!

So save yourself money and heartache and spay or neuter your dogs

I have owned Moxie for just over a year now. I got her when she was 1 and the poor girl has been nothing but a health mess. When I bought her, she had a severe bladder infection and swollen lymph nodes. I got her spayed and treated her for everything of course, but since then it has been one thing or another with her. She loves to eat foxtails (bad) or just seems to run thru the meadows mouth wide open, so she has had several abscesses from that. Most recently, about 6 months ago, she started really scratching herself, I mean really bad…. Sometimes for 2-3 hours a night I’d hear her and grooming was a major part of the day for her. Moxie has bald spots on her legs from chewing and the tips of her ears are bald. She still has a few spots on her face too and actually would scratch her ears and neck so much that she has sores. I started switching her kibble and doing research on food allergies, she had her skin scrapped by my Vet and we treated her for all types of mange, cleaned the carpets, changed bedding, and gave all the dogs Lyme/Sulfer dips…. It was pretty much hell for a while! After research and research and trying everything the medical world could provide, I am re-visiting the food thing. She has been on very high quality kibble made from salmon and other fish and sweet potatoes. I was also giving her Benadryl and fish oil. I’m now wondering if she is allergic to fish!

 I have been reading a lot about raw food and even talked to my Vet about it. Most vets are against it and I can see why. There are store bought raw diets or homemade ones. I have decided to try it by myself. As many of you who own Malinois’ know, their metabolism is AMAZING and I think every time she barks, she loses weight! So the store bought raw diets would cost me about $100 a week to do and that’s a big fat no! In making it myself, there is an amazing amount of prep work, storing correctly and balancing the proper nutrients, which is why most vets get on edge when they hear about it. If you are not careful, you can have your dog lack some very important nutrients or get sick from any number of bacteria.

 So, I thought I would journal/blog about me and Moxie on this RAW journey and hopefully help some of you out there with your dogs. I have been around a lot of dogs and had many in possession for some time so I am familiar with most of the foods out there, kibble or raw, good or bad, and let me say one thing, STICK WITH WHATEVER WORKS FOR YOUR DOG!! I am not a Vet, just a trainer and dog lover who wants to do best by my dogs. There are people out there that swear grains are bad or that chicken is the best meat, or that the best food is from Costco, or changing protein sources with the seasons is a must! Don’t listen; figure out what you can afford to do and what is best for your dog! I am sharing with you the websites that helped me get started. These along with talking to my vets, other trainers and other raw food feeders helped me create what I started with. This is just the beginning and I want to reiterate that I am experimenting too, I am no expert…. But here we go!

Referrences:

http://www.vetlord.org/category/dogs/diets-2/healthy-dog-food/

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2010/06/food-therapy-in-traditional-chinese.html

http://www.acreaturecomfort.com/yinyanbalance.htm

As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage.  I didn’t want her to know that I hadn’t been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn’t want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn’t feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone’s life.

 She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship.

 A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well. Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes. I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven’t walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.

 I rescued a human today…

First, here are my favorite Veterinarians in Reno:
For all vet needs but specializing in Holistic medicine and Acupuncture, take your most beloved pet to Lakeside Animal Hospital. Visit them at:
www.lakesideanimalhospital.com
775-827-8866
They are locates on Lakeside Dr by Bartley Ranch Park in Reno, NV

I also love all the vets at Pyramid Vet Hospital on Pyramid highway at York Ave. They are great vets and have been in Reno since 1982. They have 5 vets there to meet all your needs. Find them at:
www.pyramidvet.net
775-356-8323

Then there’s the fabulous staff at Baring Blvd Vet. They have a huge staff and have very late hours! They are open weekdays from 7:30 am to 8:30 pm, on Wednesday they close at 6:30pm. On Saturdays and Sunday, they are open from 8am to 4pm. You can contact them via their site at:
www.baringvet.net
775-358-6880

So that’s covers my favorite vets. Now my favorite shop is by far, hands down the PAWSitively Pets store in Damonte Ranch. They are located in the Wal-Mart shopping center by Learning Express. They have amazing staff who are all very knowledgeable on food, toys, everything really that will matter to your pets. They carry cat supplies also. Check them out! They are open till 7pm during the week and 10-6 on weekends. I buy all my dog food and toys there. Call them at 775-851-7387.

Also, there are great parks and hikes around Reno. My favorite dog park would be in Hidden Valley although I’m not fond of dog parks and you probably won’t find me at one. For Hikes, I love the Steamboat Ditch trail and really any area surrounding Reno/Sparks in the desert. We live in a great place and I love enjoying it with my dogs off leash!

I wish you all a fabulous 2011. Remember I offer all kinds of training for all kinds of dogs. Call me for a free evaluation and consultation with your dog.