Healthy food can be "thy medicine."

Grandpuppy Cash

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

― Hippocrates

Recently my beautiful Grand puppy Cash was very ill. She started losing weight, coat became dull and muscles became weak. She is only 7 years old and all of a sudden she couldn't even make it up the stairs by herself. We knew something was terribly wrong! A lot of my work is done from home, so Cash came to stay with me for a week. I took her to my veterinarians, that I adore, and had tests done. 

I believe as wonderful as my veterinarians are, they are they only have so many hours in the day that has to be shared between clients. I also believe that every veterinarian cannot specialize in every area, such as nutrition, supplements, etc. I think one of the things I love about my veterinarians is they have an open mind and do not condemn me for doing my own homework. I am very holistic, and they are very respectful of my beliefs. I believe every being is different, we have to be our pets’ advocates and it is our responsibility to research. We have to decide what is going to be the best route for our beliefs and for their individual specific symptoms. Indian Shamans (healers), would come stay at your house and observe every aspect of your everyday life, before they would decide the best route to take. You cannot find a medical professional with that kind of time on their hands.. We have to put in that time.

The tests ruled out some things with Cash's condition, and it gave us the tools to find the best route for her. I have studied nutrition, but I also contacted nutrition experts, many friends, one a canine nutritionist. I went through the book, Canine Nutrigenomics from Dr. Dodd's, also a nutrition guru.

Cash had been on a lot of antibiotics in the past from chronic UTIs. She was also on a dehydrated food that when she ate too fast my daughter added less water thinking it would keep it thicker for her. We believe the combination of a compromised colon that was not able to absorb nutrients and a food not being properly hydrated, was causing her to basically starve. Antibiotics can wreak such havoc on the colon! My veterinarians prescribed vitamin B shots. We started her on some very good digestive enzymes, raw goat's milk, a different food, pumpkin, bone broth and more.

I am thankful, Cash is getting stronger and better every day! I believe it is due to the veterinarians, whole food, proper nutrition and the army of people with knowledge that I accessed, a lot of reading, and love sent to her by so many!

My friend Paula and I have written here in the past about the ever-important subject of nutrition. I urge you, to do your own research, be your pets advocate. Even if something is not wrong with your pet now, nutrition is the best preventative and important factor in life.

It disgusts me the things that FDA allows and if you get me on my soapbox I will go on and on. So instead I would like to offer you a few facts.

Dog Food Advisor states, according to the pet food industry , Official Publication, American Association of Feed Control Officials, “Generic meat meal can be legally made from road kill, dead, diseased or dying farm animals — even euthanized cats and dogs.”

 “FDA testing found pentobarbital in Nutro dog food ,Ol Roy dog food,Trailblazer dog food, Dad’s dog food,Weiss Value dog food,Super G dog food, Richfood dog food,Pet Essentials dog food, America’s Choice dog food, Ken-L-Ration Gravy Train dog food,Heinz Kibbles n Bits, Kibble Select dog food, Champ Chunx ,ProPlan dog food, Reward dog food” 

I would like to ask you to think on this, could you survive on dry cereal your whole life? Possibly, but would you thrive? 

I highly recommend  home cooking,ONLY after you research the proper ways(if you do it without research and unbalanced you can do more harm than good)

Learn to formulate through a course and or reading:

https://www.myhealthydog.dog/complete-canine-nutrition-overview-1?fbclid=IwAR1nqfnaCtFNpgm1F0OF5pnWTVdOUD81oQ3s62-_bf11uijMEM2_0uJGrv8

The book, Canine Nutrigenomics from Dr. Dodd's.

If you don't want to homecook please PLEASE DO HOMEWORK and RESEARCH. Where is your meat source from? Go to stores like Must Love Dogs in Grand Haven MI where the owner is a canine nutritionist and can advise you. 

Some good dog food names to look for,in my opinion are: Stella and Chewy, Answers, Zignature, and  Dr Harvey's.

I suggest adding some whole foods,raw goats milk, bone broth or at the very least water to hydrate the kibble so it is more readily absorbed and easier on the kidneys.Adding 5 minute boiled eggs, blueberries, steamed broccoli in the food processor and/or a no salt added sardine to  kibble. A good digestive enzyme like "Carna 4" added to your dogs food can help them absorb more of the nutrients they need to stay healthy. Some healthy treats your dog will beg for more of are : dehydrated organs and homemade goodies with blueberries, tart cherry juice, coconut oil, coconut flour, eggs and cinnamon. Remember to introduce new foods slowly so the digestive system can adjust. A body needs time to adjust to a new food , just like humans can not transition from junk food to all salads without a digestive adjustment.

We all need whole foods to keep our bodies functioning optimally, and our furry friends are no exception. 

Healthy food can be "thy medicine."

My dog Odin and grandpuppy Cash ...best friends Odin is so thankful his buddy is better.

What kind a difference do you want to make?

Ashley Perry and Wade Marrs
Photo credit Kim Perry

 “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
― Jane Goodall

A fitting quote from a true inspirational hero of mine, to start a piece that includes two other inspirational people I admire so much. Ashley Perry and Iditarod Musher, Wade Marrs. I recently had the privilege of speaking once again with Ashley and her amazing, supportive, sweet mother, Kim Perry. I was also very fortunate enough to have the incredible opportunity to speak to Wade Marrs on the phone.

About a year and a half ago, I wrote about a courageous 14 year old young lady, Ashley Perry, from Anchorage, Alaska. Read more about Ashley here :  https://furryphilosophy.blogspot.com/2017/06/a-true-hero-making-difference.html

Ashley is a bright ray of sunshine to speak to. She inspires my heart. I named a shelter reading program at Muskegon Humane after her because she is the perfect roll model.  Ashley has Turner's syndrome,  and every three weeks has to go into the hospital for the day to receive IVIG infusions that have side affects that resemble chemo. That doesn't stop Ashley, no, not one bit! She has accomplished more and given back, than most adults have even begun to.

In the past year and half Ashley has supported many charities. She has expanded the reading program to 20+ shelters all over the WORLD, including Australia and Canada. Not only expanded it, but on her own, she also emails flyers to schools in the area so the word is circulated. 

Ashley reading to a new friend at a shelter

Reading to dogs in shelters allows children to spend time with the dogs in a loving, innocent non judging manner. This helps a very scared dog or anti-social dog become more adoptable and less likely to be returned. There is a video circulating from this reading program where a shelter had a lot of high energy and barking going on with the dogs, and as the child sat and read, the dogs all quieted and settled down like magic.

It seems that inspiration is also like magic. If you read my link above, you can read about Ashley's friendship with Iditarod Musher Wade Marrs and how they inspire each other to push harder into greatness.

I asked Wade if he had a message for our youth, our future leaders. He replied, "You can achieve your dream." As a child he was happily strapped on a dog sled by his uncle. He states,
"As a kid I dreamed of being a dog musher. I was able to achieve my goal by keeping focused on that. Ashley has the same kind of perseverance."

If you know me I am an animal lover like no other, but have occasionally been asked how can I support the Iditarod and find it so inspiring? I personally see only people who care extremely about their dogs and run their lives around the dogs not vice versa. I see courage and they inspire me!  There are going to be bad seeds in every group that give others a bad name. I have cringed watching people at obedience trials show cruelty. I find for the most part if you spend your whole life competing in a sport with your dog you most likely enjoy it.  When I asked Wade this question, he had a reply that I felt was so well said.  "You can't push a rope, they have to want to do what they are doing. I do it because I love to spend time with my dogs, the sport is just a bonus."

Wade helps to support Ashley, in every way, she calls him her brother. He talks about how much she inspires him and he helps her on spreading the word and being a spokesman for Turner's Syndrome Awareness. He has had a meet and greet, and provides rides at his kennel for others who have the Syndrome. He supports Ashley and would hope that you spread the word about her reading program and Turner's Syndrome Awareness. To find out more about hosting a reading program please contact Perry_Kimberly@ASDK12.org. Or locally cani7lupus@aol.com

Ashley is helping Wade get the word out about his tours. http://stumpjumpinkennel.com/tours/ where he gets to do what he loves best,  "spend time with his dogs in the woods."

Ashley and Wade true friends making a difference
Photo credit Kim Perry