Animal Acupuncture - Is It Safe? And can you really treat my dog? Animal acupuncture is a wonderful thing and Oscar had it regularly to keep his back muscles in good order and to alleviate any spasms he had in his stomach. Having the acupuncture on a regular basis kept him topped-up and fighting fit. If you want to know more about it, then here is some more information from Emma, the practitioner of Natural Veterinary Care and Oscar's therapist and vet. What conditions can be treated? In animals, acupuncture is primarily used to alleviate pain associated with musculoskeletal pain such as arthritic joints, post orthopaedic surgery and back pain. However, it can also be used as an aid to treatment in certain skin conditions such as allergic skin disease and some functional conditions such as recurrent constipation in cats and irritable bowel type problems in dogs. What Can You Expect From Animal Acupuncture? An acupuncture session will usually last around twenty to thirty minutes. The initial consultation will last longer in order to enable me to gather your pet’s full history and perform an examination. In addition, I will need to contact your regular Veterinary Surgeon to obtain consent for treatment prior to our first consultation. A course of four to six weekly treatments is usually recommended, followed by a maintenance treatment every four to six weeks depending on the problem and how your pet responds. Acupuncture can almost always be claimed for on pet insurance, providing the condition that the animal is receiving acupuncture for is covered by the policy. With animal acupuncture, isn’t it hard to make them lie still? Most animals tolerate needle placement extremely well. I have even had some dogs fall asleep during treatments! During animal acupuncture, if your pet does become sleepy during or after the treatment, this is usually a sign that he or she will respond well to acupuncture. Having said that, if your pet doesn’t become sleepy this does not mean that there will be no response. Approximately 80% of animals will respond well to acupuncture. The number of needles placed and the length of time they are in place for during treatment is individual to the patient, and you will probably see one of three things following treatment:
If you feel your pet may benefit from acupuncture or have any questions please contact me! I am also able to provide home visits – please contact me for details.” If you have a dog with a debilitating condition where more medication is all that is recommended, I cannot encourage you enough to give this a try. You have nothing to loose and everything to gain. Animal acupuncture is fast becoming recognised in the main stream as a safe, non-intrusive treatment for many ailments, which is great; the added benefit with acupuncture is that there are no side-effects that perhaps traditional western medicine may have. If you have any other questions about this treatment, please feel free to comment below or contact me directly.
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 Yet another chicken jerky recall!
Dogs are becoming seriously ill and even dying from contaminated chicken jerky, particularly from China. Do NOT give your dog jerky bought in a pet store or supermarket! It angers me that every year I see recall’s of commercial pet food and treats because of serious contamination...and nothing is changing. Have a look for yourself online, there have been so many recall’s over the years. Pet owners are being hoodwinked by the whole commercial pet food industry and it’s our dogs that are unwittingly paying the price. Dried chicken, or ‘jerky’, is considered a natural treat, supposedly with no additives, just plain old chicken…dried…something that should be delicious and healthy. But what I didn’t realise, until a few years ago, is that the chickens that this jerky comes from are from birds not considered fit for the human food industry – it’s all the left-overs… So What Birds Are Used I The Dogs Treats Involved In The Chicken Jerky Recall? Well, animals that are used in commercial pet food are known as the 4 D’s – Dead, Dying, Diseased & Disabled. So that’s all the birds that die in the overcrowded, sunless barns and are left being trampled on lying on the faeces-covered concrete floor; those dying of disease like cancer or raging infections; or disabled…disabled in that they are unable to get up because their legs have given way due to their bones growing too quickly from the growth hormones pumped into them, to make them get big and fat, in an unnaturally short space of time. Sound appetising? It’s also worth noting that any animal carcasses that are to be used for the pet food industry, including those of the birds used in the chicken jerky recall scandals, are flung into large vats and stored for days before being transported to the plants that process the rotting meat. I stopped giving Oscar store bought chicken jerky, primarily, because I didn’t agree with how they treated battery chickens, but it's more than that. It’s also about the quality of the meat, and it’s not good. ‘Natural’ treats are great, but not when the source of them is bad. Be aware of what you feed your dog, they rely on you to do the best you can by them. That’s why I stopped buying store bought treats and started to make my own, so I knew what went into them. Don’t let your dog be a victim of things that can be avoided like the chicken jerky recall scandal. Treats can be simple to make, but If you need a bit of guidance, my free guide can help you – download it from here and start taking control of your dogs health – every little helps, as they say :) DOGS BODY LANGUAGE – WHAT A TAIL CAN TELL YOUYou can gauge a lot from your dogs body language.
Dogs communicate with each other almost exclusively without sound, so it’s handy to be able to pick up things such as fear or aggression while out on a walk, so you can cut in before things escalate in ways you don’t want. Have a look at this quick video from the online dog trainer Doggy Dan, all about what a tail can tell you… Being able to interpret quickly and with a high degree of accuracy any dogs emotional stage is very useful as it gives you a good indication of that dogs’ intention. As explained in the video you can tell the emotional states of your dog (or others) from the angle of their tail and there are 5 very distinct positions – they are as follows: 5 States A Dog's Body Language Will Tell You
The 5 states are easy to spot once you know what you’re looking for and reading your dog will go a long way to understanding their needs and keeping them safe. Obviously, if your dog has a docked tail it is going to be a bit harder to tell, but in most cases you can still see the angle of ‘stump’. Even if your dog has a short tail from being docked, you can still tell – it may be a little harder to see immediately, but the tell-tail (no pun intended) signs are there. Can you read your dogs body language?  PROTEIN FOR DOGS – THE TRUTH THAT YOU WON’T HEAR FROM THE COMMERCIAL PET FOOD INDUSTRYProtein for dogs is essential for optimal health…
Protein is a major building block to health and is needed for growth, maintenance and repair of the entire body, so without good quality sources, a dogs body will deteriorate over time. Certain, ‘essential’ amino acids can only be gotten from ‘complete’ proteins such as meat, dairy, eggs and poultry. These amino acids are broken down, absorbed and reformed to create new proteins that are used in the body. It is also necessary for the production of antibodies, which fight against infection and illness, and is the main nutrient that keeps your dogs coat shiny and bones strong. Protein is a major component of all muscles, tissues and organs and is vital for practically every process such as metabolism, digestion and the transportation of nutrients and oxygen in the blood. Why Is Protein For Dogs Particularly Essential? Our domestic dogs are carnivores and are most similar to wolves - they only differ by a mere 2% genetically from their wild ancestors; their digestive systems are just the same. In the wild a wolf will mainly live off the prey they have caught. From this, they will eat various parts including certain bones, muscle meat, organ meat (kidney, heart, liver etc) and the stomach contents. So, with that in mind, would it not make sense that to thrive, a domesticated dog’s food should simulate, as much as possible, the natural diet? And be fed food that the stomach can easily draw nutrition from? The answer is… yes, of course! What if the commercial food says it meets the minimum required amount of protein for dogs? The majority of commercial foods today fall way short of providing your dog with the essential healthy foundation of protein that he or she will need in order to thrive. And I mean ‘thrive’ not just ‘survive’… You must be aware that the minimum amount of protein that must legally be in commercial dog food, for an normal adult dog, is ONLY 18% ! As long as the food meets this standard, then they can claim it is ‘balanced’ and meets all protein requirements. This is not enough – as I have mentioned above, it is essential, and in LARGE amounts. This should equate to at least 70-80% of their diet. Check the labels and make sure protein is high on the list – check out my blog on dog food reviews for more info on this. As well as low levels of protein for dogs, a lot of commercial dog food has low quality protein which comes from undesirable sources such as soy, wheat and corn. These are all extremely hard for your dog to digest – if at all – and provide no nutritional value whatsoever. Why do they use these forms of protein? Quite simply… because it’s cheaper. Did you know that most breeds of dogs should genetically, live longer, sometimes even up to double what is normally accepted as a ‘good’ age, when fed a species appropriate diet (i.e. a fully balanced raw diet) as opposed to a commercially processed one? Make sure your pet is getting a good quality food as without it, he could be facing the future with a multitude of health problems such as cancer, diabetes, digestive problems, allergies, heart failure and even death at an early age, as the body wears out from lack of proper protein for dogs. Keep your dog safe and healthy and make an informed choice. To your dogs health! Check out this amazing video of Ben the dog swimming… Who would have thought a land animal and sea mammal would get along so well? It seems on Tory Island this is a regular occurrence, and every day residents near the harbour can see Ben the dog playing with his friend – and that friend is not another dog, but a dolphin!
This video is of Ben and his buddy is a female bottle-nosed dolphin nicknamed Duggie. He heads straight for the water along the jetty and Duggie is there waiting. She was first spotted back in 2006 around the same time the body of another dolphin washed up on the other side of the island. Residents think he was her partner, and given a dolphin usually mates for life, she has stayed around the area – especially when she found Ben as her dog swimming partner! It always amazes me when two species get along and form such unlikely bonds with each other… A dog swimming with a dolphin – who would have thought it?! PROTEIN FOR DOGS – THE TRUTH THAT YOU WON’T HEAR FROM THE COMMERCIAL PET FOOD INDUSTRYProtein for dogs is essential for optimal health… Protein is a major building block to health and is needed for growth, maintenance and repair of the entire body, so without good quality sources, a dogs body will deteriorate over time: Certain, ‘essential’ amino acids can only be gotten from ‘complete’ proteins such as meat, dairy, eggs and poultry. These amino acids are broken down, absorbed and reformed to create new proteins that are used in the body. It is also necessary for the production of antibodies, which fight against infection and illness, and is the main nutrient that keeps your dogs coat shiny and their bones strong. Protein is a major component of all muscles, tissues and organs and is vital for practically every process such as metabolism, digestion and the transportation of nutrients and oxygen in the blood. Why is protein for dogs particularly essential? Dogs are predominantly carnivores and therefore protein is the main category of food that is consumed by wolves in the wild. Our domestic dogs only differ by a mere 2%, genetically, from their wild ancestors; their digestive systems are just the same. In the wild a wolf will mainly live off the prey they have caught. From this, they will eat various parts including certain bones, muscle meat, organ meat (kidney, heart, liver etc) and the stomach contents. So, with that in mind, would it not make sense that to thrive, a domesticated dog’s food should simulate, as much as possible, the natural diet? And be fed food that the stomach can easily draw nutrition from? The answer is… yes, of course! What if his food says it meets the minimum required amount of protein for dogs? The majority of commercial foods today falls way short of providing your dog with the essential health foundation of protein that he or she will need in order to thrive. And I mean ‘thrive’ not just ‘survive’… You must be aware that the minimum amount of protein that must legally be in commercial dog food, for an normal adult dog, is ONLY 18% ! As long as the food meets this standard, then they can claim it is ‘balanced’ and meets all protein requirements… This is not enough – as I have mentioned above, it is essential, and in LARGE amounts. This should equate to at least 70-80% of their diet. Check the labels and make sure protein is high on the list – check out my blog on dog food reviews for more info on this. As well as low levels of protein for dogs, a lot of commercial dog food has low quality protein which comes from undesirable sources such as soy, wheat and corn. These are all extremely hard for your dog to digest – if at all – and provide no nutritional value whatsoever. Why do they use these forms of protein? Quite simply… because it’s cheaper. Did you know that most breeds of dogs should genetically, live longer, sometimes even up to double what is normally accepted as a ‘good’ age, when fed a species appropriate diet (i.e. a fully balanced raw diet) as opposed to a commercially processed one? Make sure your pet is getting a good quality food as without it, he could be facing the future with a multitude of health problems such as cancer, diabetes, digestive problems, allergies, heart failure and even death at an early age, as the body wears out from lack of proper protein for dogs. Keep your dog safe and healthy and make an informed choice. To your dogs health! HOW TO STOP A DOG FROM PULLING – IS WALKING A STRUGGLE WITH YOUR DOG? If you’re not sure how to stop a dog from pulling on the lead while out for a walk then take a look at this Doggy Dan video where he talks about the basic principle and underlying reason why your dog does what he does. The main behavioural issue most people seem to be struggling with, is when they are outside, in that they loose control and the dog either pulls on the lead, gets over-excited, barks at moving objects like cars, runners and bikes, or runs away when they are let off the lead, or indeed any combination of these…
Things seem to be generally okay inside, but outside it's a different matter – I know I used to find that with Oscar… perfect at training inside, but outside, he was a law unto himself! Learn how to stop a dog from pulling with just 1 thing! What people need to know (as I did) is that any behaviour where they don’t listen to you and do their own thing, is not because they are ‘naughty’, it’s because they truly believe they are the pack-leader, are in charge, and will do what they see fit, paying no regard to you, because you are lower than them in the pecking order. Being in charge, they decide what is a danger and what is not, and of course, they can make mistakes, like when they might be aggressive to other dogs they see as a threat. So, in order to remain in control, you must remain the pack-leader and this starts inside the home before you even step foot through the front door. Your dog must be calm before leaving, without barking, jumping or pressuring you to go out: this is crucial when learning how to stop a dog from pulling, as once outside, the behaviour is intensified. If he’s at a level 5 (out of 10) when you bring the lead out, jumping around, enthusiastically, then he will be at a level 6 when you attach it, a 7 as he pulls you to the door, 8 through it, 9 by the time he’s down the path and eventually at a high of 10 once outside into ‘freedom’ with all the exciting things to distract him! At that stage, there is little hope of getting his attention back and responding to your commands. And that’s no good, as it will only serve to frustrate and agitate you the more he ‘doesn’t listen to you’, which will, in turn, back up everything your dog feels to start with (agitated and on the lookout for danger) which creates the proverbial circle. Simple tips on how to stop a dog form pulling: Follow these tips – be sure to leave plenty of time to do this right on your first attempt:
For more tips on how to stop a dog from pulling on a lead, including the stop-start technique, have a look at Doggy Dan’s site. I have personally used his site and his ‘No Force, No Fear’ techniques and I can’t recommend them enough. Happy training! MEAT BY-PRODUCTS – THE HORRIBLE hidden TRUTH!  ‘Meat by-products‘ or ‘meat meal’ or ‘animal derivatives’ are all, catch-all phrases, for essentially the same thing – ground up animals.
When you read a dog food label we want to see a protein source at the top, but more often than not we see a list that doesn’t even contain a specific type of meat (ie. chicken), just one of those insidious phrases mentioned above. Until a few years ago, I didn’t know exactly what any of that meant, and when I found out I was disgusted… The phrase is actually a misnomer as it contains little, if anything, that you or I would consider as ‘meat’… if you’re thinking something like chicken breast, or pork loin, then forget it. The truth is very, very different. So why is a by-product not a good protein for dogs? By-products are all the parts of an animal AFTER all the meat has been stripped away for human consumption. According to Henry Pasternak in Healing Animal with Nature’s Cures “chicken by-products include head, feet, entrails, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, liver, stomach, bones, blood, intestines and any other part of the carcass not fit for human consumption”. Yes, things like liver and kidneys are good sources of enriched protein, but when the by-products are kept in large vats for weeks on end as the pile builds up before it’s shipped off to a rendering plant, all the virtues are long gone… When the term ‘meat’ or ‘animal’ is used then it is an amalgamation of many types of animals from many sources, which can contain the boiled down flesh of animals we would find unacceptable for consumption. Alarmingly, these meat by-products can include zoo animals, road kill and what the industry term ‘the 4-D’s’ (dead, diseased, disabled, dying livestock). And in some cases (more evidenced in the US, but a large quantity of food is produced in the US) euthanised cats and dogs. Yes, your pet could be a cannibal… sobering isn’t it? Although many manufacturers claim not to use euthanised cats and dogs, it is still actually LEGAL to do so, so until the legislation changes can you be totally sure if there is no reproach for doing this? Given the crisis of ‘mad cow’ disease that exploded here in the UK, which stemmed from cattle being given infected food made from other cattle, it astounds me that we have learnt nothing from this awful tragedy. I encourage you to take note of the type of protein for dogs you are being sold. Be vigilant, be aware, and make a well informed, conscious choice about what food to serve to your beloved pets. Don’t just help them to survive – help them to thrive! Please share below any thoughts or questions you may have on other ingredients in commercial dog food… Knowing how to set boundaries for your dog can be helpful in many ways, including keeping them out of specific areas like the kitchen while you’re cooking – this could be to stop them from coming to harm or for convenience for yourself. Have a look at this video on how to set boundaries for your dog with Dan. I have a small kitchen area and I found this video from The Online Dog Trainer useful in helping to keep out Oscar and his friends who have a penchant for hanging around my feet while I am cooking, hoping for the odd tit-bits to fall onto the floor!
However, with hot pans and food etc, it’s not a good idea to have them skitting around under your feet… Boundaries are also useful for your dog’s peace of mind too; knowing what is accepted and what is not allows for harmony. Doggy Dan's simple tip is effective and easy to implement. If a dog keeps going into an area you don’t want them to, it could be that he doesn’t know he shouldn’t or perhaps doesn’t care. Making it clear and taking the time to show them, in a calm and structured way, will set them up for success. It’s all part of being the pack leader – it’s not about keeping your dogs out of areas because they are dogs, it’s giving them clear guidance so they know where they fit in and that yes, they can come on the sofa, or into the kitchen for some chicken, but on your terms Have you been able to put this into practice? Let me know if it works for you below… For more dog training tips like how to set boundaries, visit Doggy Dan’s site.  CAN DOGS EAT FRUIT? IS IT PART OF RAW FEEDING DOGS?The short answer is…yes, it’s a great part of raw feeding dogs!
Obviously, if your dog has particular dietary requirements, then it’s best to check with your vet, but on the whole, fresh fruit and veg is great. However, there is one caveat to that... For your dog to get the nutrition from the fruit by being able to digest the produce, it ideally needs to be broken down… i.e. bashed, mashed, smooshed or grated and ground, to release the goodness. A dog’s digestive system is a lot shorter than ours, so there isn't that much time to break things down. In the wild, a wolf (our domestic friends differ by only 2%) eats the fruit and veg mostly from the contents of their preys stomach, where it is already semi-digested; so we need to replicate this as much as we can to benefit our pets digestion. Can dogs eat fruit with the skin on? Absolutely. You may want to remove things like the skin from bananas, the peel from oranges and grapefruits, or the hairy outside of a kiwi – I don’t think anyone, let alone a dog, would like to eat those. But keeping the skin on things like apples and peaches adds to the nutrition. However… Again, I have one caveat – that you use organic produce where possible. If you don’t, then yes, it may prove more beneficial to remove the skin, as this is where most of the chemicals and pesticides will be held and could outweigh the goodness that it may contain. Be aware that grapes and raisins can cause problems in some dogs, so best to avoid those. If you’ve got any ideas on fruit and veg recipes for your dog, or any questions on why you should give raw feeding dogs a go, comment below. Stay fruity! |
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