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Hi Ladies, On Friday my girls and I fell in love with a puppy and brought her home. Although this is not directly IC related, I wanted to reach out to others who have the same health lifestyle I have and ask what you do regarding natural care for your pets.....vaccinations? insect prevention? Puppy food suggestions?
Thanks! Katie
Yay! So exciting, Katie! We
Yay! So exciting, Katie! We just got a puppy in January. We do only the mandatory vaccinations, really only the rabies shot I believe. There might be one or two other mandatory ones you have to get, but don't do the kennel cough shots. Dr. M says no to front line or any other flea preventative or baths. I keep meaning to ask her about heart guard. My older dog has taken herbs for infections believe it or not, but sometimes have had to go the antibiotic route and then I have to limit my contact. Very sad! :( We let our dogs chomp in ice cubes and veggies especially big carrots for cleaning teeth and cheap healthy treats. Dog food, we haven't gone all crazy natural with them because of the cost. What kind of puppy did you get? Have so much fun with the new four legged family member! :)
No dogs, but cats here. We
No dogs, but cats here. We only do the mandatory vaccines. We don't do chemical flea meds. And we do kitty probiotics for my one who has tummy troubles (lots of antibiotics when he was a kitten.. it was essential. Saved his life.. but we make up for it now with probiotics). There are lots of natural flea preventative options - essential oils, etc. There's a ton of info on the internet. Just careful if you apply to the pup.. probably want to use a spray or have someone else in the family do it.
I do know that there are a lot of alternative vets out there. We used to have a vet who did accupuncture, etc on animals, but we've moved away from there. Wish I could find another who was THAT alternative-friendly but haven't found one nearby yet.
You can also look into more natural diet options.. I have a friend who gives her dog raw chicken legs a few times a week.. I try to stick to giving my cats things they would eat in the wild. I still give them a bowl of the most "natural" cat food I can to supplement, but they also get a lot of chicken, seafood, and leafy greens.
Congrats on your new puppy!! That's really exciting for you guys! :)
Thanks to both of you for
Thanks to both of you for replying! Rose is a two and a half pound Shihtzu puppy. I had one growing up and just loved her. It has been both fun an healing to have her in the house the last few days. Taking care of her (along with my girls) forces me to be outside myself. Does that make sense? I will do some additional research but these are great suggestions!
KAtie WHOOT WHOOT!!!!
KAtie WHOOT WHOOT!!!! Congratulations.
I use Natren Caninedophilus (yes, even the dog is on Natren, but it is a good investment-he had giardia as a pup)
I NEVER again will use antibiotics for my pup. I used them once with giardia and no more. I have done a LOT of reasearch on herbs. Many skin infections such as pyoderma and other common dog infections such as Coccidia, Giardia and EVEN Parvo can be treated with HERBS. Also, I found a homeopathic vet in Conn. that consults on Skype. He is fantastic. Pricey but good. He believes that even herbal therapies deminish the dog's vitality. He is really awesome and I am thinking of treating with him. You can do a 10 minute consult with him you want.
I go to a somewhat holistic vet practice and when Bear recently got coccidia and roundworms, they just wanted to dump antibiotics and deworming stuff on him. But when I pressed the vet, they said "Oh, ok. You can try that herbal stuff first, it may work."" What did they care if I gave my dog abx or not. It is the western way. I give him food grade diatemacious earth in his food to get rid of the roundworms and you can do this periodically as a preventative. PM me if you want to chat more.
If we don't excel at health, the only other option is disease.
Katie, make sure you get the
Katie, make sure you get the actual puppy shots for parvo for sure. Then as they get older you can get what's called Titter's tested and that tells the vet if they still have an immunity to the standard diseases they need shots for but if it is a brand new puppy Parvo is a must. I have heard that so many die because breeders and people selling dogs in general didn't get what they needed and them pass them on. Helping with rescue we see this so often. Make sure to check your papers to see what it had already.
Thank you so much! I will;)
Thank you so much! I will;)