Natural Dog Diet

Hi Carisa, I saw you gave your dogs pig ears yesterday I buy these at the store but hard ones my dog chews. How can I get what you had and give them as part of a natural diet to my dog? I have read a ton about it but I see your posts and I feel like I know sparkles and you and your babies now. So I wanted to ask you. Thank you for all your posts and I think it's wonderful that you are now doing holistic remedies and solutions for our furchildren. By the way I have a greyhound his diet is only purina energy blend. Thank you so much. Love Angela and Riley (my furson)

How sweet. Pet Riley for us and lots of belly rubs Angela. Thank you for your question.

Natural diets for our dogs are very mportant. We think that giving them just dry food is 1 food and taking care of them while YES it is. Please don't mis understand me because I did the SAME thing for years until I studied what adding natural ingredients can do even taking it to the point of using food to heal my dog for skin disorders and dog runny nose. The key is not to switch them to just all raw food or cooked or people food at once and never processed food. It's even worse for them as it is for us. It will literally shorten their life span but so will cheap dog food that has no nutritinal value and is full of filler and no real nutrients.

1. Their is a section in the grocery store that does sell pig ears, tails feet and much more your dogs will hang their tongue out for aliterally salivate on your kitchen floor as it cooks or yes you can give it to them raw. Many people will tell you raw is best and the vitamins are more concentrated and cooking it takes the nutrients out and yes that true but I haven't quite got to the point of being able to just give it to them raw, so Im with you on this journey. I mean they lick me with that mouth for Heaven sake. But slowly intorducing it into their diet and adding it to the food you give them is the key. Just like any diet plan we get on or change it happens slow not over night. Also make sure the food you purchase is of a high quality like Blue, or Taste of the wild or lesser expensive and made by the same company is Retriever a large 40pound bag is around $20 while Blue and taste of the wild can be around $50-$60 a bag depending on here you get it. I personally use Retriever it's as close to healthy I can get while they still have a holistic healing plan and a natural diet added. They can pretty muc have anything but chicken bones. As chicken bones can break up splinter and poke a hole in their intestines and kill them. I hear people say my dogs been eating chicken boes forever well that may be true one day you may regret it, is it worth a chicken bone? No. Not mine. So the chicken bones are off limits. But chicken is fine. You can also ask your butcher for these parts as well. If you live in a small town with lots of farmers like I do if they don't already have a pak of dogs they feed them too you could score some fresh from them.

sparks

2. Next their are many oils we can give our dogs and add to their food that are packed full of nutrition. coconut oil, wheat germ, pop a vit E capsule and add it to their food, hemp oil and many more. This gives them a amazing coat and actually helps the stomach and intestines along with keeping your dog very healthy. Dogs originally started as wolves and wolves are scavangers by nature they eat left overs and plants int he forest they are ot the "meat eaters" we think they are. When you study the dog packs in the wild they would eat left over prey from animals killed by other larger meat hunting animals and they would then fill their diet with the land of grains and natural food. So veggies are great for them as well. Carrots, corn, green beans and such. Your dog has taste bude like oyu and some things may be exciting to them and other things they will look at you crazy and walk away from it. Always before you add something to their diet allow them to taste it 1st and see if they like it. If you know they should have it simply add it to their food and mask it with some beef broth and some other fresh food adding 1/2 a cup of their normal dog food. Your pet will love feeding time much more trust me. You will also feel great knowing your furbaby is getting the best possible.

3. Now they can have any meat including sardines and fish WITHOUT the bones. Stick to non greasy food like nothing fried. That can upset their tummy and you will never really even know it.

4. Vitamins are essential to dogs just like humas and many dogs are lacking them here is a list of vitamins we can give our dogdogs that we also take as humans. You have t be careful with the vitamins and what's in it. The sweeteners can kill them and make or make them very sick xylitol for example is just one anything with that in it will harm your furbaby (read more about that here http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/xylitol.asp . So a multivitamin is not something you want to give your pet ever unless it's made for a dog. Now they don't need vitamins in the same amounts as humans. Like I mentioned dogs do fine with vitamin E gelcaps, but you need to get the doseages right for your dog. Avoid minerals that are formulated as oxides and sulfates, since dogs do not take those up as readily as they do chelates (look for chelates or proteinates in lists of ingredients). Grind up the pills and add the powder to the food for better results. Remember that some pills may be quite bitter and you need to mix it to make sure your furbaby has a nice meal time. Often times when my furbaby has a tummy ache and vomits and they all have I will give them a teaspoon of coconut oil they lick it and it helps the tummy ache and helps kill whatever is making the tummy upset whatever bug is trying to get them, they feel much better in less than 20 minutes. Also if you are feeding a commercial food it is best to not give vitamins. Commercial dog food companies are not required to list the amounts of vitamins they put in thier foods and that can be dangerous if you are feeding vitamins. Vitamin A the body stores along with Vitamin D is these are in large quantities already in the food you are feeding supplementing them can cause toxicity ( overload ). There are vitamins such as B vitamins and Vit C that are called soluable vitamins; they do not get stored and are not a problem; it is the unsoluable Vits such as A and D that can be an issue.

I know this is alot to take in. It always in when you start. I started with a simple pen and pad many years ago having had my 1st dog 20 years ago to my pack of 8 now. All very healthy the oldest being 22 and adopted saved from being killed by the owner simply because she couldn't have a dog in her apartment and was going to put Zak to sleep instead so now he is still here grey and happy 22 years later and he has been with us for about 15 years. He's a weiner dog. Start slow. You will learn more the more you study. But just take one thing at a time and above all make it happy and fun and watch Riley enjoy you taking care of him he will love meal time and if you have any vitamin questions I will be happy to help as you and if you add them to the regimen and food as well. Thanks so much for your question and give Riley lots of slobery kisses for us all!