Lexi waits for breakfast
Chicken broth, ground chicken, beef heart, broccoli,
eggshell, anchovy, acv, wheat bread, EVO kibble
Clockwise: Minced garlic, Ground Anchovy,
Ground Broccoli, ACV, Pumpkin, Dried Fish
A healthy diet is definitely the first defense against pests and diseases. Remember to look into the risks of using flea/tick products or any product containing chemicals. I hate giving them tick treatment or Interceptor for heartworm, but it got to a point where natural products were not enough. I start prevention treatment in May until late September.
In the beginning when I only had Lexi (doberman), I didn't have to worry about ticks because of her short coat. I was always able to visibly check for ticks even though the blackness of her coat sometimes made it difficult. She's had about 5 ticks in her whole 3 year life.
However, when I adopted Wilson and later Carly and Jake their thick coats were heaven sent for ticks. Unfortunately, Carly got diagnosed with Lyme disease. She was limping her hind legs. After antibiotics and a healthier diet, she fully recovered.
Now all our dogs get lyme shots, (except Carly since she is positive) and are on
K9 Advantix. I chose
K9 Advantix because it also repels against mosquitoes which is also a problem in our area and backyard. None of them had any reactions on their skin, behavior, stool, or digestion with K9 Advantix. However, I still find some stray ticks mostly dead ones on them.
Visual and tactile checking (through deep scratches and petting) is always a must after a romp in the woods especially in NY/NJ area. Even I have found 2 on my own skin! I wish there was a human version~ Garlic and herbs help they say... It was also odd to notice that there are more ticks on the dogs that came to our house more recently. So, Jake always has more ticks and he came to us last. A healthy diet is key.
Our dogs diet have recently changed. They still get raw bones as treats. They get fed twice a day. They also get special days where we feed pizza, burgers, pasta, premium can food, and even ALPO! (All dogs have different feeding requirements. This works best for our pack.)
This is their usual meal:
Chicken or Marrow Bone Broth(Cooled overnight @ room temp)
Raw Ground meat (Choose 1 out of chicken, beef, turkey, or pork)
OrgansSlightly cooked on pan for picky eaters. Cooled then cut up or ground. (Choose 1 out of chicken or beef liver, heart, gizzards, kidney, intestines)
Veggies(Choose 1 out of spinach,broccoli, collard green, carrots,
pumpkin)
Carbs/Grains(Choose 1 out of rice, bread, oatmeal, plain corn flakes cereal, or tofu)
Extras/TreatsEgg + Eggshell, Milk, Cheese, Salmon, Tuna, Mackerel, Dried Whiting, Ground Anchovies,
Apple Cider Vinegar, Ground Garlic,
Joint Max,
EVO Red Meat Large Bite kibble .
Here is my 2 cents on feeding homemade food vs. commercial. First, I know exactly what is going in there stomachs and I believe in providing a balanced nutrition over time. Getting vitamins from the actual food source is different than getting vitamins from processed sources. Commercial food marketers like to scare people into thinking that dogs need all vitamins with every meal and that we should leave that to scientists to figure out.
Then why did our parents, and grandparents dogs eating leftover people food live longer healthier lives when we have modern technology at our disposal? I believe that all the processing and chemicals and additives in dog food makes McDonalds an even better choice. Can you imagine eating cereal or canned meat everyday? How can anyone believe that something alive can be healthy eating the same thing daily?
The meat and organs we buy are actually cheaper per lb than if we had to feed can food or kibble to all our dogs. It takes more time to prepare their meals than to pour a cup of kibble into their plates, but eating is fundamental and the basis of being alive. It should be something enjoyable for both parties. Also, in the long run we will save money by not having to pay up at the vet by feeding a healthy diet. I'd rather buy fresh broccoli than pay for medication.
Our dogs look healthier, have better muscle formation, and beautiful gold speckled coats. There's a reason why people ask us what we feed them at dog runs in comparison to a lot of other dogs.
Tips:
Raw meat and organs are frozen and thawed @ room temp. overnight.
Chicken quarter leg broth boiled and cooled overnight daily.
Veggies are frozen, fresh, or canned. Chopped or ground.
The dogs teeth are white, coats shimmer with flecks of gold on the 3 adopted. Lexi's coat is almost blue black. Jake came to our home with yeast infection and constant scratching. Now he is glowing! Also, their stools are perfect every time unless they ate something they shouldn't have....
Hope this helps!
