Written by Suzanne, Chief Health Officer and Resident Grandmother

In January of  2018, instead of making the usual resolutions that we’ve given up on by the end of the month, we decided to break it up by dividing some big goals into manageable chunks.

Each month, we invite you to overhaul one aspect of your life to reduce toxins, improve health, and increase your peace of mind. Our promise is that these changes will be easy to implement, helping you avoid resolution overwhelm. 

(If you’re just joining us, here is January’s mini resolution on upgrading junk foods, February’s with a medicine cabinet detox, March’s on improving indoor air quality, April’s five ways to clean up your cleaning products, May’s on making your yard non-toxic, June’s on water safety, and July’s on natural skincare products.)

This August, we turn our attention away from the humans in your home to focus on your dogs. (If you don’t have a dog, you get this month off!).

As many of you know, we got a puppy a little over a year ago. I did a lot of research before we got him on the best breeds for families with young children, rescue vs. purebred dogs, diet, lifestyle, and how to be a holistic, conscious pet owner. My key takeaways follow.

How to Improve Your Dog’s Health

1. Feed Your Dog a Species-Appropriate Diet

No surprise here: my number 1 tip is about what you feed your dog. Namely, I encourage you to switch to a  species-appropriate diet.

A species-appropriate diet for a dog is one consisting of raw, whole foods similar to those eaten by the dogs’ wild ancestors. The food must contain such things as muscle meat, bone, fat, organ meats, vegetables, and fruits, combined in precisely the correct balance with high protein and plenty of moisture.

The problem with kibble (dry dog food) is the moisture content is way too low and the dog is always dehydrated. Over time, a dog can develop kidney problems, skin problems, allergies, etc.

You can research raw diets to make at home; this one meets the criteria for a balanced high-protein diet.

I spend enough time cooking for my family. I don’t want to also be cooking dog food. BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) is easy and convenient, and a holistic approach to common health problems for dogs. We are amazed that Koa sheds very little and his coat looks silky and smooth. He also doesn’t have any skin issues, which our old dog did have.

BARF’s frozen 8-ounce patties offer a variety of protein sources–beef, chicken, and lamb–each with a particular targeted benefit to enhance your pet’s health. Koa is weird and likes to eat his patties frozen. You can also thaw them in the fridge and give them to your dog. If you would like to feed your dog the BARF diet, here is the link to purchase.

2. Find a Holistic Vet

Taking Koa to a holistic veteranarian has been a game-changer for us. Our vet holds our same values on health and yet has a a traditional medical background.

For example, she understands my concern about so many vaccines and works with us on which ones he needs at any given visit. She performed blood work to check for titers before giving Koa a distemper shot last year. He was due for another, but his titers test showed that he had immunity and therefore we could skip the shot.

(A titer test is a laboratory test measuring the existence and level of antibodies to disease in blood. Antibodies are produced when an antigen (like a virus or bacteria) provokes a response from the immune system. This response can come from natural exposure or from vaccination.)

Our vet also offers the oral kennel cough vaccine, which is less toxic than the shot.

3. Give your dog only non-toxic toys

There no regulations on what dog toys can be made of, so it can be tough to find toys that are non-toxic. Like children’s teethers, pet toys often contain hormone-disrupting phthalates or BPA, so look for brands that make toys from fabrics, FDA-approved plastic (meaning humans can eat off of it), or–better yet–silicone.

$3.99Buy Now

(Koa loves this ball!)

$18.99Buy Now

$14.00 $12.00Buy Now

4. Invest in a non-toxic doggy bed.

Your dog’s bed is probably introducing toxins into your home–and your dog himself also spends lots of time there! Many pet owners have also discovered that their dogs have allergies or skin irritations, which can be exacerbated by microfiber and polypill beds.

Soaring Heart’s organic Doggie Dream Beds are handcrafted, made of out of equal parts 100% organic GOLS-certified Dunlop latex shred, 100% organic American-grown long-fiber cotton, and organic wool.  In addition, Soaring Heart’s extra thick dog beds raises the dog well off the ground, reducing stress on joints and allowing plenty of “nesting” room.

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5. Use Non-Toxic Dog Shampoo

There is actually an odd dearth of truly non-toxic pet grooming supplies, but we like Eco-Me’s line of natural shampoos and detanglers.

6. Shower Your Dog with Attention & Exercise

We take Koa on two walks a day, which is a major time commitment, I admit!

The walk in the morning is off-leash by the river, where he can swim, frolic, and play. The one in the afternoon is walking in our neighborhood on leash.

He has been trained with treats to walk on-leash loosely without pulling. Other times in the yard, we play toss the ball, chase the stick, or engage in small training sessions. (Any training session should not be longer than two or three minutes. Dogs like variety so that they don’t get bored and mischievous.)

7. Engage in Positive Training

Dogs, like kids, need guidelines and boundaries. Just like kids, they are happier with good leadership.

What helped me with this is signing up with a good trainer who uses Science-Based Positive Reinforcement Dog Training. Koa has taken classes on puppy manners, puppy kindergarten, and puppy junior high!

Taking place in classes really helps me focus on his training. Good leaders are kind and fair–not bullies. Be patient, reward behaviors you like and ignore behaviors that you don’t like. By this I mean, don’t reward him with attention if he misbehaves!

Wolfie, age 4, teaching Koa to sit.

To your and your pet’s health,

P.S. If you like the gorgeous portrait above (of our late dog, Mele): it was painted by my talented son, Graham. Email him if you’d like to talk to him about painting a portrait of your special animal!

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The post August: 7 Ways to Improve Your Dog’s Health appeared first on Gimme the Good Stuff.

By John, Certified Holistic Health Coach

If you know us by now, you know that we are always trying to find products and solutions that keep toxins away from our homes and families.

Sometime there are problems difficult enough to make us pay even closer attention. A good example of this is the problems with ticks and the diseases they spread.

Ticks & Pets

We walk our new puppy, Koa, twice a day. There is a great park nearby with a perfect place to take long walks by the river. Koa can be off-leash and we have a great time exploring nature. But nature isn’t always nice.

As Koa explores he runs through tall grass and brush, and ticks are a natural result. We are in the mid-Atlantic and Lyme disease is common.

Because we’d rather deal with these sorts of things in non-toxic ways, we thought that we would use herbal means to discourage ticks. And for simple mosquitos–especially if you’re not in a Zika-prone area, we like Green Goo’s Buge Be Gone product. (My wife, Suzanne, actually only uses this repellent and has not yet gotten any ticks!). But does non-toxic bug spray for ticks really work?

Non-Toxic Bug Spray for Ticks  Didn’t Work for (Some of) Us

Unfortunately, the herbal repellents we’ve tried have not been effective enough. Ticks continued to show up on the dog and on me!

The threat of Lyme and other very serious diseases has caused us to reconsider our approach. We take Koa to a holistic veterinarian. She told us that despite all her efforts to avoid typical tick repellents, she has finally decided to use Frontline (which contains the chemical fipronil) on her pets.

If any of you have seen the results of Lyme disease you’ll know that it is not pretty. We know folks who were not diagnosed early enough and they live with very serious disabilities. Lyme is also devastating to dogs–especially labs.

The breeder who sold us Koa is into all organic raw food and holistic care. They even sell an herbal insect repellent. But a few weeks ago they lost one of their dogs to Lyme (liver failure). They sent out an email informing their community that the time had come for them to recommend using standard repellents like Frontline.

We had simultaneously reached the same conclusion.

Why We Use Frontline

I have read on many websites that fipronil will potentially cause a wide range of maladies, and there is no doubt that it is worth being concerned about. The problem is that there are simply no good scientific studies showing an “all natural” solution.

Yes, there seems to be a lot of anecdotal evidence to warrant concern. There is, however considerable evidence that fipronil works and does not present an imminent threat to a healthy dog. Many folks in the holistic world disagree.

It is a difficult choice, but having spent decades in the northeast, we have seen Lyme disease up close and for us the stakes are simply too high. The choice is between something of concern and something far worse.

Koa is 4 months old. We expect to walk him out in nature for the next 15 years. Statistically, there is zero chance that he will not, at some point, come home with a tick that carries the spirochetes that produce Lyme disease. In fact, it is far more likely that he has already had at least one such tick on him. With 5 grandchildren who play with Koa, it is important that they too are protected. And speaking of people….

Ticks & Humans

Not only have we gone to the dark side and started using Frontline for Koa, but I’ve also started using Off! to protect myself. Yes, DEET is the Bad Stuff. But Lyme is worse and I’m just not convinced that herbal repellents are effective. Maia is also using Off! on her kids when they are in tick-heavy areas.

Here’s how we try to make my use of Off! a little less toxic:

• We don’t use the aerosol spray, but instead the spritz bottle.
• We try to mostly spray on clothing to avoid putting the stuff directly on our skin.
• We only apply it in well-ventilated areas (outside) and do our best not to breathe it in.
• We get the formula that isn’t loaded with a bunch of other toxins (synthetic fragrances, etc.).

Tips for Preventing Lyme Disease

You probably already know that you should check yourself and your children meticulously after being out in tick-heavy areas (having blond kids makes this easier!). Ticks don’t like cold water, so jumping in a pool after a hike through the woods is a good idea, as is taking a cold shower. You should launder any clothing that you’ve worn outside (or at least run through the hot dryer).

Here’s what else we’ve purchased to prevent getting bitten by ticks:

• A lint roller to run over your body when you come inside (this can grab ticks that haven’t yet dug in). 
• A natural loofah to use in the shower after coming indoors (this can scrape off ticks you haven’t seen).
• Tall white socks to tuck pants into when walking outside (this makes it easy to spot ticks you might pick up).
• Permethrin to use on your clothing, which will last through up to six washes (and yes, this is also a chemical!).
• Tick-repellent clothing, which is good for up to 70 washes.

We’d love to hear your solutions to this difficult problem. For now we are living with the lesser of two evils.

Stay sane,

P.S. There is one less toxic bug spray on the market that looks promising, but about which I haven’t learned enough to make an official recommendation. BioUD’s Insect Repellent is derived from a tomato plant and appears to be extremely effective at repelling ticks as well as mosquitos. Users do complain of the smell, but I just bought a bottle and am going to give it a try. Maybe this is the non-toxic bug spray for ticks that we’ve all been waiting for!

P.P.S. If you are only worried about mosquitos and not ticks, Maia wrote about Zika protection here.

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Written by Suzanne, Chief Health Officer and Resident Grandmother

When we first started doing our research for a puppy, we asked you, our readers, for input. Almost everyone suggested we rescue a dog. This makes sense, given that we have a very compassionate group of followers–moms, dads, and grandparents who love children, animals, and our planet.

Like many of you, my husband, John, favored rescuing a dog. I, on the other hand, have always favored purebreds from reputable breeders. We may end of with one of each at some point. For now, I “won” this match, and we settled on an English Field Labrador.

Read on to learn why we chose a purebred dog, and to meet Koa, the newest addition to our family. I also share about our favorite dog training books.

Our last dog love, Mele.

It has been 5 years since our dear dog, Mele, died at age 15. She was a pure bred Welsh Corgi. I discovered Corgis when I fell in love with Tasha Tudor’s books when I was raising my children in Vermont. I love Tasha Tudor’s illustrations, her gardening books, and her children’s books, which feature Corgis under foot. She always owned at least three!

Painting of Mele by my son, Graham. Email Graham if you want to learn more about his pet, children, and home portraits! He offers 20% off to all Gimme the Good Stuff readers.

Mele (which means “merry” in Hawaiian) was a great dog and we still miss her terribly. Working at Gimme the Good Stuff allows John and me to be home or in the warehouse every day, so after several years of missing Mele, we decided that this was the perfect time to get another dog.

Why I wanted to get another purebred dog

There are so many good reasons to rescue a dog that my reasons for wanting a purebred may sound shallow to you, but here goes:

• I wanted a puppy that I could raise and train from a young age. It can be more difficult to find a rescue puppy.
• I was looking for a specific temperament. With purebred dogs, you can reasonably predict what the puppy will be like as an adult. We got Mele, the Corgi, because I was looking for a small dog with a more mellow big-dog personality, and that is what she grew up to be. Now that I am older, I want a big dog that won’t be too much for me to handle. It can be much harder to predict what a random-bred puppy will grow up to be.
• I wanted a puppy that had good influences from the very beginning. Random-bred litters are more likely to be unwanted and the puppies are more likely to be raised without the consistent care administered by dedicated breeders. As with human babies, the care that puppies get in the first 16 weeks of life can be critical to their long-term development. If done wrong, this can create problems that are very challenging to deal with.
• I wanted a specific breed. I generally like big dogs more than small ones, and I’ve always loved Field Labs. I grew up with them because my father was a duck hunter. When I learned about English Labs recently, I realized that they fit the type of dog that I’m looking for. They’re calmer and generally more relaxed than their American Lab counterparts, and tend to be easier to train. As you can see in the picture on the right, Koa already likes to chill out at my feet!

The breeder matters, too!

Not all purebred dogs are created alike, of course. How they are bred and how they are raised in the early weeks are really important factors, so we decided to with a reputable breeder, Endless Mountain Labradors.

We visited the Endless Mountain Labradors before deciding on our lab. Endless Mountain Labs is a wonderful breeder and breeds labs specifically for their temperament. Donna Stanley, the proprietress, has YouTube videos with lots of great tips on raising dogs, rescue or purebred.

She also makes these essential oil blends. We tried the Calm Puppy Blend for his first few nights in our home in the kennel. He slept all night!

One of the problems with purebred dogs is that they often suffer from diseases specific to their breeds. Reputable breeders work hard to correct these problems. Our puppy, for instance, was selectively bred and cleared with seven genetic screenings.

My favorite books on dogs and dog training

Meet Koa!

Either a rescued dog or a purebred dog can become an ideal companion provided that the right elements are present. Good training is one of these essential elements. I have been reading the books by the Monks of New Skete, who train German Shepherds and write great books on training and raising puppies.

I’m also reading The Art of Raising a Puppy as we begin the journey of raising Koa to be a companion and friend. It’s very important that he be well trained so that he will be welcome anywhere. I see so many wonderful dogs who are a nuisance because of their owners.  How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend is another great book from the Monks of New Skete.

I will continue to blog about our journey and let you know how it goes. Thank you for your input and support.

Please share your puppy and dog stories with us. We love to hear from our readers! I am learning that a lot of our readers are dog lovers too, and look forward to sharing more about organic doggy beds, nontoxic toys, and more!

To your health (and the health of all your fur babies!),

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