Posts Tagged ‘holistic dog care’
Holistically Cleaning up after your Dog
December 17th, 2009
Poop.
It is a natural part of having a dog or an infant. For those of us with little dogs (or babies) the issue of poop is well.. small. But for those of us dog owners with huge dogs.. well.. the poop problem is proportional.
Lately, I have been giving a lot of thought as to what are we supposed to do with poop as good citizens and dog owners? I’m going to take a shot in the dark and guess that the majority of people opt for bagging and tossing the poop in the trash. But from the holistic view of dog ownership, that is not very environmentally friendly. It is in essence making a poop shrine to save for posterity. The great civilizations of the future will wonder why we decided to save all of our rubbish in giant heaps and why we buried women with silicon sacks on their chests.
Other possibilities:
Throwing it down the toilet, I hear, is not great for our sewage systems.
Leaving it to “disappear” in our yards is bad as it could leach poopy bacteria like E.coli into the water table.
Even burning dried out poops wouldn’t be carbon neutral. (And it’s stiinky!)
So what do we do?!
After a bit of research into the world of dog poop products, I have recently purchased a Doggy Dooley system to reduce the amount of Nala waste in the world. I swear she poops five big piles a day. Up till now, Nala poop and the other 2 dogs poops have gone into a huge trash can outside the house that really smells in the sun. The lid even needs to be left off since it starts to heat up during the day. This doggy dooley thingy is like a mini septic tank for dog poop. After processing, it is supposed to leach harmlessly into the ground. I’ll post updates as we see how it works.
My other dog poop plan is composting. The biggest problem with dog poop and composting is that, “I don’t want to put the dog poop on MY veggies”. Seriously though, it could present a problem with infectious agents making a nice home in the garden. And I’m not a composting wiz with enough skills to maintain a giant hot compost heap. Exothermic piles that heat up can be hot enough to kill bacteria but those also requires a respectable amount of work. I can’t be bothered with that so I found the Naturemill automatic composter on Amazon. It says it can handle dog poop which I am super excited about. I hope to purchase this one soon but it is on the expensive side so I’m holding out. Once I do purchase it, I’ll let you know about this one too. Mind you it is probably only suitable for small dogs.
My third idea was vermiculture. I’ve been working on my own small worm bin for a few months now and it is so cool. The worms eat all of my leftovers and all of my unwanted paper mail. I shred the newspaper, those stupid credit statements that you don’t want to throw up for fear of identity theft, old diary entries I’m to embarrassed to keep; I shred the leaflets left on my car by scientologist; I put my subway sandwich wrappers in there. I feel like I am reducing my paper waste and the act of shredding paper is so satisfying!
Any way, worms really, really, really love poop so making vemicompost out of dog poop is a great idea. It should be kept separate from your food compost and maybe away from the window. While there doesn’t seem to be much data or information about whether or not pathogens survive after worm digestion, I advise still treating it like its potentially dirty. Hand washing is highly advisable as is not using the dog poop compost for your food plants.
This is a problem I’ve been seriously thinking about for months now and maybe it’ll give others something to think about. As holistic dog owners, even poop is something we should consider when we are caring for our animals. What’s the point in feeding an awesome raw food diet and responsibly breeding dogs and caring for those who need homes when we don’t respect the communities we live in.
Worst reasons to get a puppy
December 8th, 2009
Here are a few of the worst reasons to get a dog that have the highest statistical chances of causing stress and craziness.
1. Christmas time! Please don’t buy someone a dog for a present. This is the single worst reason to have a new addition added to the family. As a woman, I think my significant other would be pissed if I (somehow) secretly adopted a human baby and was like “Suprise happy birthday! He’s for you. I hope you enjoy him!” . Dogs as gifts are unfair to both the dog and the gift receiver. Giving away a dog as a present does not allow the potential owner to consider if this dog is right for them. It might not be. And wouldn’t you feel bad if they sold it! That’s why I like to give gift cards!
2. But it’s so cute! The puppy in the window is so adorable, I know. Please don’t be tempted. Impulse buying a cute puppy at the pet store may be more than expected. First the mark up is outrageous. Expect to pay up to 2,000 for a dog from a pet store. And unfortunately, this is not a case of you get what you pay for. Often these dogs come from puppy mills run by irresponsible breeders. The dog may have a weak constitution or poor temperament and require extra and expensive care. Trust me, I’ve done this one and its a huge mistake. I know it’s cute! But do some research and find a responsible breeder.
3. Taking home the mean dog from the pound. Most people are not experienced enough to handle that vicious dog from the pound. This is not the fixer-upper boyfriend from college. It is a dog with sharp teeth and a bad attitude. With so many dogs in rescue, there is bound to be many good dogs surrendered due to misfortune but the bad ones may have been abused or neglected. It could seriously be dangerous to adopt these dogs. Be realistic. If you are a professional dog rehabilitator, thank you! We need more of you! If not, it’s probably best to leave it to the Cesar Milans in the world.
4. Buying a dog for the sole purpose of guarding. Buying a large dog with the only purpose of intimidating those walking by is a bad idea. I admit I would love to have dogs that guard my house when I’m away but these dogs would also be members of my family. The tradition of pole dogs is ancient and necessary in cultures that truly need protection from wild animals and surprise raids by warring factions but in the modern world this is an awesome invitation for a lawsuit!
5. One more couldn’t hurt! I admit I frequently feel the urge to bring home a new dog under this mindset. I already have two and they’re reasonably well behaved I could handle one more! There are so many doggies out there that need homes! However, this is one of the top five reasons people need to rehome their pets. They simply have too many. While some people actually have a diagnosable animal hoarding problem, this is usually not the case in people who have a few and want one more, yet. Being realistic about the number of animals one can keep is really important.
6. I think I want to have puppies! OMG puppies! That’s awesome. So have you done all of your health checks, conformation checks, and are you prepared for the possibility of killing your dam? Puppies are a huge commitment and require a lot of research, preparation, and money.
Home cooking and Raw food Diet Nutrition Basics
October 25th, 2009
Dog nutrition is just like human nutrition. The latest news is always changing things up and shaking the established status quo of a balanced meal. Doesn’t it always seem that tofu is good for you one moment and then the next causes cancer? The same goes with dog nutrition; what was hailed as a break through last week may be old news by this week. We all hope to stay up to date on the latest studies but realistically most of us won’t get the memo. My best advice is to feed a varied diet that is as fresh as possible that makes sense to you. And maybe avoid those foods that apparently are really, really, probably still will be really, bad for dogs this week!
Dogs need at least approximately 10-15% fats and 10-20% protein in their diet. They also need some fiber and carbohydrates to be healthy. When preparing a home meal for dogs, it should start with a high quality protein source.
While the most common proteins are chicken, beef, and fish, some dogs may benefit from novel proteins like rabbit especially those prone to allergies. It is also recommended that pets sometimes be fed organ meats and not just flesh. These meats provide different concentrations and combinations of nutrients. Introducing proteins one at a time will help to avoid allergy riddles.
The next important aspect of a balanced diet is fats. Like people, many pet dogs lead a rather sedentary lifestyle with abundant food sources generously donated by their owners. In people, increased tv watching and microwavable food lead to..? Obesity! That’s right! Many pet dogs and cats are fat. And just like humans it’s unhealthy for a dog to be over weight.
Too much fat contributes to obesity, but at the same time fats are necessary for over all health and to promote optimal skin and coats. Some fatty acids cannot be produced by the dog and need to be obtained through dietary sources, usually meats. Fish oil can be supplemented from the local health store to encourage healthy skin and fur. Oils can also come from plant sources like plant oils and from seeds and nuts. Small amounts of oil are sometimes included in recipes to provide this need.
In commercial pet food, frequently the major ingredient is from starch. Dogs require some carbohydrates but not nearly as much as we humans consume or is present in commercial pet foods. Starches often are allergy culprits and are another huge contributer to obesity in pets as it is quickly metabolized and has a high caloric content. In general, starches are the least important contributor to a healthy diet for dogs.
Dogs should eat produce! Fresh fruits and vegetables are great sources of vitamins and minerals that dogs need. Some healthy snacks for dogs could be a few nuts or a carrot stick or celery. My dogs love some fresh cut melon or apples. There are some plant types of foods dogs should avoid but the vast majority are great contributers to a healthy diet. Fruits and veggies should make up a hearty portion of home cooked and raw dog food diet meals. A variety of produce should be offered to make sure doggy gets all of the different nutrients he needs.
As a last note, dogs on a home cooked diet may still need their diets supplemented with a multivitamin. This question will require some research by owners to decide if a supplement is needed by their dog.
Urinary Tract Infections in Dogs
October 20th, 2009
Over the past few months I’ve been at war with Emmala’s stubborn bladder infections. The dog bladder infection issues in my household have not only inspired many vet visits but also intensified my interest in holistic health for dogs. It is was the primary motivation for switching to home cooking and forced me to reevaluate the quality of my dog’s lives.
On a Wednesday, Emmala seemed fairly happy and healthy but by Thursday, there were some pretty serious signs that all was not well. Wednesday night there was the bloody urine. Because I still use puppy pads when my dogs are home alone, to my boyfriend’s dismay, and I happened to notice a few red drops in the middle of a puppy puddle. The blood was fairly subtle, maybe only five or six drops.
By morning, I was awakened by Emmala whining to go downstairs earlier than normal. Actually, she never whines at all. After ignoring her until I could no longer (cruel me!), I brought her outside. Once outside, Emmala squatted probably nine or more times. By her third squat I was already on the phone with the vet.
Upon inspecting the squatting area, I observed that she was leaving literally only a drop of blood. The rest of thursday, Emmala was slightly more lazy than she normally is, and definitely looked sad.
Because I was worried that bloody urine could be a sign of an even more serious problem, I took to the internet. It turns out that urinary track infections were the most likely culprit. I was lucky to have caught the infection so quickly. Many owners won’t spot bloody urine when their dog puddles in the grass and may not observe any changes in their pets bathroom habits if they do not already know how often their pets urinate. Blood in the urine is definitely the most dramatic symptom that signifies something is wrong.
Other symptoms are malaise and straining during urination. Dogs may also regress in their potty training, spotting in incorrect places or having dribble problems. “Excited urination” may actually be a UTI. If your dog has potty training problems it could be an infection instead of a training problem.
If you suspect that your dog has a UTI, make sure your dog does not go to the bathroom the morning of your vet appointment, especially if it is small. I made the mistake this morning of letting Emmala use the potty before we left. As it turns out, she is a small dog with a very small bladder. Being empty, the small bladder was impossible to find even using an ultrasound and a long needle. I ended up having to leave her there for three hours to “re-brew” so to speak.
My vet recommended that the culture and sensitivity test were the most reliable test to diagnose UTI. It takes around three days in which a sample of the bacteria in the urine is grown in the lab and then that culture is checked to see which antibiotic it is sensitive to. Without this testing, choosing an antibiotic is a guessing game. Because Emmala was presumably incredibly uncomfortable because of the UTI’s advanced progression, the doctor opted to have the urine gram tested. The lab also checked to see the basic type of bacteria present, whether they were cocci, rod or the spiral guys.
I received the appropriate antibiotics which are administered twice a day with food for probably two weeks. The total for my visit today came out to about two hundred dollars. Fifty for antibiotics, fifty for the office visit, thirty for the ultrasound, forty or so for the urinalysis, and another 10 for a cytosyntesis.
Some dogs are more prone to bladder infections especially older dogs. Dogs can also develop bladder stones which can harbor bacteria. Bladder stones can be caused by diet as in Emmala’s case. My vet also recommended cleaning the vulva area to try and prevent bacteria from entering the urinary track.
UTI’s are very common in dogs but are sometimes hard to diagnose. In people the first sign of a urinary infection would be the burning during urination, but because dog’s can’t talk it is up to us owners to be vigilant and watch our dog’s behavior.