Holistic Teeth Cleaning: Do you really need to Anesthetize your Dog?

One of the hardest things to do, especially if you are on your way to holistic healing, is to anesthetize your dog.  It is hard enough if you need to decide to have surgery performed on your dog, but even harder for something as secondary as teeth cleaning.  Can't the vet do this with your pup aware and awake?  Maybe not the vet, but you sure can give it a try!

I clean all my dogs teeth, with a gauze cloth, and a dental scrap pick I picked up online.  It is a great way to bond with your dog, and to continue to be a holistic pets guru!  I know that along the way, I may need to bite the bullet, and have the vet do some cleaning, if I don't keep it up.

Here are some motivators to give you some strength to try this yourself.  Dogs are more likely to get infections, and heart disease if they don't have clean teeth.  When you look at older dogs who are healthy and well, they usually have great teeth.  Joints are less likely to have inflammation if there is less bacteria and infection in the body.  It makes perfect sense!

In order for you to become a holistic dentist, be sure to go ahead and pick a time with your dog that is a calm and easy time for you both.  Your first time, you are going to only mess with their mouth only for 5 minutes.  It really helps to have them exercised, and feed earlier, as they will be more quiet and calm at these times.

Get your dental tools ready-square gauze, washcloths, dental scraper, a small soft toothbrush, and some chicken flavored dog tooth paste.  Then, let the dog rest on the floor, and lay the dog down on its side, pulling the head of your pet into your lap.  Pet your dog, and let them know you really love them.  It makes a huge difference!

Then, pull back their lips, and do not let any resistance interfere with your calm demeanor.  You are the leader in this pack, and let them resist, but calmly insist that they stop this resistance,  with a strong hold, and a quiet but firm business like attitude.

Once you are past this struggle, your dog will let you dry a tooth.  Grab the washcloth, wiping it down, and then the gauze, and then scrap with the metal tool, from the base of the tooth, to the tip.

You will see a lot of tartar if you have not been feeding raw bones at least once a week, and are feeding inappropriate dog/people food.  Work on this side of the mouth for as long as you feel calm, and let the experience be very powerful and last only 5 minutes for the cleaning.  Note: it may take you awhile to calm your dog down the first time, but after you insist and are done with the 5 minutes, you are teaching a valuable lesson for your pack.

Now, even though you have not cleaned all teeth, do not worry.  Celebrate the 5 minutes of cleaning with a doggie tooth brush cleaning and a little doggie toothpaste.  They love it!

Repeat this process every day, at the same energy level, until you have a clean mouth.  If you find there are larger cavities in teeth, you are going to have to stop pursuing holistic medicine, and find time to schedule a cleaning.  The vet may need to extract some teeth if this is the case, and you should find some comfort in knowing you will be able to possibly never have to anesthetize your dog again for teeth cleaning!

This is a great way to save money, to find a holistic approach in medicine for your dog, and to bond with your best friend with a little doggie tender loving care!

Allergies and Food: Itchiness and your dog

If your dog is constantly scratching, itching, and cannot stop, you are not alone.  There are so many dogs in the United States that suffer from some form of an allergy.  The cause is hard to diagnose, and can be an expensive task to complete.

But with some patience, and some trial an error, you will be successful with a healthy food choice more than any skin cream or treatment.  It is important to read your dog's food, and see what is on the label.  If you don't know what the ingredient is, chances are the food could be a cause of your best friends allergy.

When our Scarlett came up with her allergy, she was over a year old.  She started with slight itchiness, mostly around her rump.  She would itch until fur would come out, and eventually, she had very little fur on her back legs, and near her tail.  It was terrible!  Every cream, bath, and holistic remedy was tried, along with repeated vet visits and constant care from her doctors.

These remedies did bring some relief, but it did not solve the real issue.  This led me to think, what is really causing the itch, and how can I prevent it from happening?

Once I was at this point, it was really frustrating for both Scarlett and us.  We needed a solution, and needed it fast.

I went to the library, and read about dog's immune systems, and solutions to assist the allergy towards a mild reaction, and most vets and experts pointed toward the food that the dog was eating.  Based on this information, we started to cook Scarlett's food, and then introduced her to frozen raw patties.  We made her a chicken stew that was her favorite, a beef casserole with sardines, and added sea kelp into her diet.  We took away all by-products, corn, fillers, or chemicals in her diet.  Slowly, and within a couple of months, she was developing less reactions to her allergies.  She was happier with her food, and had a new step in her gait.  Her fur grew back, and within a year, she was allergy free.

She cannot eat anything with artificial coloring, or any pet food that has a mysterious list of ingredients. She enjoys raw meat, canned food with lots of salmon or sweat potatoes, pumpkin, or green beans right out of the freezer.  She is a sweat potato freak, as we buy her dehydrated sweet potatoes, and she eats those like a chewie.  She does not eat anything from china, or other countries.  She only has the best holistic organic food.

She is a happy dog, and I am happy. She really is a super fun dog, and deserves the best.  I am also happy as the money that was going into salves, vet visits, and allergy treatments,  is now still in my bank account.  The organic and holistic food has saved me a lot of frustration and money.

It makes me sad when I think of the other dogs who may be going through the same thing.  Please don't give your best friend anything but the best dog food.

The choice is empowering, as you are solving a problem, and not covering it up.

How to stop ticks and fleas on your dog

It is the time of year, where we all start suffering from the creepy crawlies, and wish we didn't have to deal with them-ticks and fleas! If you live in a warm and dry climate, or even if your summer is just beginning, you are in the middle of seeing your pet scratch and itch. It is possible to simplify solutions to stop these pests.

For fleas, the best way to get rid of fleas is to prevent them with a spot on preventer that contains fipronil. This drug contains a fast, effective way to kill adult fleas, flea eggs, and flea larvae. The spot on treatment is easy to use, lasts for 30 days, and will prevent many of the tick varieties that you may encounter in your area as well.

If you are looking for a more holistic and natural way to stop fleas and ticks, you will need to remember this involves a process, and will not be 100% effective. However, you will not be using chemicals, and if this is a concern for you and your dog, it is really worth the effort. Any time a natural defense against pests is started, it will take some time and persistence, but you will find many benefits from this process.

One of which will be a cleaner home and pet. Vacuuming your home usually is a great defense against these pests. A vacuum with a wand and a crevice tool will be a great way to find all the flea eggs and adults in your home. If you have carpet this tool is especially necessary. The other idea is to buy some diatomaceous at a garden supply store, and sprinkle it in your carpets and rugs. This non-toxic flea option will work to kill adult fleas and eggs by drying out the outer layer of the flea's skeleton. It is something that you can leave in the carpet and rugs to razor through the problem until the next vacuum session.

It is important to note that 90 percent of fleas live in the environment that your dog inhabits, and only 10 percent are on your dog.

A homemade pet collar containing essential oils like peppermint, citronella, cedarwood, eucalyptus, juniper, lavendar, lemongrass, orange, rosemary , sage and tea tree oil, can be wrapped around your pet to ward off ticks and fleas. This same mixture can be mixed with a castile shampoo, to bathe your dog, and repel ticks and fleas immediately.

A good flea comb will be another way for you to bond with your dog, and at the same time, remove any eggs or adult fleas on your pet.

Combining all of these methods together, in this process, will bring a more harmonious existence for you and your pet. It is important to note, that if you find a flea or tick on your pet, do not exaggerate the problem, but continue the process, as the holistic solutions are just that, a process.

A healthy and happy dog is usually the result of such efforts. Saying as much, if your pet is eating the best nutritious choices for food, you will be sure to have less issues with pests like fleas and ticks. They are naturally repelled by a healthy skin and coat.

Are raw bones OK for dogs?

As a dog lover, you only want to give the best treat for your dogs, so what could be better than a raw bone? It is really good for them, usually, but be sure to keep some general considerations before handing them the bone.

What kind of bone is it? If it is a raw bone, that is to say an uncooked bone, it usually will be hard if it is a beef bone, and will not splinter like a chicken or pork bone. Usually a beef marrow bone is the best option, as you can choose the size of the bone depending on your dogs. I would not allow a small yorkie to handle a large bone, nor would a St. Bernard be the bone lover of a small cut of a round beef bone.

Raw bones are the best options for your dogs, not a commercial dog treat, as you will be giving them the satisfaction of chewing, and that is real exercise for them, and gives them great satisfaction. Many commercial treats are made of corn, or meat by-products, that have little or no nutritional value.

Be sure to let your dog chew on the bone for a limited amount of time, and watch them with the bone, as they can sometimes get a bit overzealous, and chip teeth, get the bone stuck on lower jaws, and choke on broken pieces of the bone.

Raw bones should be chewed on, and then thrown away after use.

The dogs will love you for your time with them as they chew, and your dog's teeth will shine!