There is hope outside of the kitchen!!!

Hello Small Dog Lovers!


I know what you're thinking...


"I thought I had more dog food made!?"
"I got home too late tonight to make dog food from scratch!"
"The last time I tried to use the kitchen it burst into flames!"
"I just don't want to make my own dog food!"


Well here's the story, while it is great if you can make your own dog food there is hope for those of you who can't ever or just sometimes.  There are good dog foods out there!  This is a guide to your local holistic pet food store.  There are other good dog foods out there than the ones that I am going to show you take your time and do some research before you buy it.  I'm NOT saying that you need to take weeks to pick a dog food, but it can't hurt to do a quick look online and see what's out there.  Also you might not have a holistic dog food store around you, while I'm all about supporting local businesses, you can find a lot of this goodness online.  Here's a simple rule that you should follow, if you can buy it at the grocery store, its not the best thing for your dog.  Remember that cancer fact from the last post?  If you do decide to switch to a Holistic dog food your dog may not be interested in it at first.  Try some things, try different kinds, and keep at it!  If you're currently buying dog food from the grocery store then your dog may not like this new stuff right away.  There are a lot of additives in some dog food, like animal fat, salt and other goodies.  It's like eating McDonald's everyday, could you go back to eating salad and veggies right away instead?


First of all what you should do is look around your community for a Holistic Pet Food Store.  There are several in the Cleveland area where I live but only a few that I frequent regularly and exciting-ly.  So our first stop is a little place named, The Furry Nation. 

This is a great store in Lakewood, OH that always has a great selection and I really believe they know their products.  So let's venture in...


Now I know that even I sometimes need a quick fix for dinner for the kids.  Sometimes you just run out of time or start to late, etc.  What matters is no matter what the situation the puppies in your life have a good quality meal.  Unlike you and me they don't have much of a choice in what they eat, it's up to you!  So between, you, me, and the our local Holistic Pet Store let's find out what works.  


First I'll introduce you to what I feed my babies as a snack throughout the day.  I leave this dry dog food out everyday in case they want to snack or have a little something extra.  It's Nature's Logic brand.  I stick with the Natural Chicken Meal myself.  

There are also several other great brands of dog food.  I have not personally used them but several people that I know do.  It just depends on your dog and what they like.  Some dogs don't like some dog food flavors, but there are tons of good dog foods out there to try!  Some that I know of are EVO, Grain Free for Dogs, Dr. Harvey's Canine Health.  The last one is interesting because you need to re-hydrate it and add protein.  It's faster than all homemade and still good food.  EVO has several different flavors to choose from in case your dog is not a big fan of fish.

Stores usually offer free samples of the dog foods that they carry in order to make sure that you don't buy a giant bag of new dog food only to find out that your dog is not big on the flavor.  In order to save some time and throwing away pounds of food get a few sample bags and see what your dog gravitates towards. 

 The Furry Nation has several sample options at their store.  I recently picked up a few myself to give to a fellow co-worker who's thinking of switching their dog food.

There are also wet food options that are awesome!  If you go with wet food it is important for your pups teeth to get some hard chewy stuff.  Here are two great wet foods that my kids both like:

Party Animal Organics

Tiki Dog Food

Tonight, infact, was one of those nights that I needed to substitute my homemade food while I brewed up another batch.  Tonight we went with:

Party Animal Jammin' Salmon Recipe

This was the first time they had, had this flavor.  My mom actually feeds her dogs Party Animal Dry Food so I know that they enjoyed that.

So I of course dressed it up and made it fancy for them:

Some Ezekiel Toast, and of course some cut up cheese.

Let me tell you, my kids are P-I-C-K-Y eaters and they were very excited about this dinner!

With things like: Wild caught salmon, organic sweet potatoes and blueberries, what could go wrong?!

And with all good stories, there was a happy ending!

Well everyone, it's been a great adventure.  I'm thinking that next time we'll go over another homemade recipe.  They need a little variation to keep things exciting.  Until then, good night and of course warm noses!

-Hilary Chan

Home-made the way to stay!

Hey Small Dog Lovers!


It's time to go over the food basics!  As you've all heard there have been many pet food recalls over the past several years that have been linked to both the illnesses and deaths of healthy pets.  Here is the complete FDA list for all dog food recalls since 2007. http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/newpetfoodrecalls/#Dog


Quite a few entries, right?


It's scary to think that so many pet foods are affected by poor standards.  According to ASPCA Pet Health Insurance (http://www.aspcapetinsurance.com/learn-about-pet-insurance/dog-insurance/dog-insurance-top-claims.aspx) the top 5 illness claims are as follows: 


1. Growths/Cancer
2. Ear Infections
3. Upset Stomach
4. Skin Problems
5. Vomiting

One could only synthesize that the problems with pet food and their poor standards of ingredients and production are a major part of these reported problems.  I have done some research (to be discussed at a later time) that points these facts out.  If you need to satiate your need for some information RIGHT NOW then he is some information with some research attached.  (http://www.preciouspets.org/truth.htm)

The main reason that I got into researching this topic is because lil j did have monthly seizures when I first adopted him.  At first I thought that they were some kind of leg spasm or back problem, but after conferring with my vet and then doing additional research I came to find out that he was experiencing partial seizures.  I looked into holistic dog food and cooking for dogs and he is mostly seizure free now.  His last episode was when I switched their dry "snack" dog-food to a different brand sold at a local pet store.  Immediately he had two seizures in two weeks after months of no problems or symptoms.  I immediately tossed the bag away and took the longer trip to the holistic pet store that is a few towns over from my house.  The convenience and "good" reputation of this national pet store brand turned out to be harming my little man.

Now I also wanted to fill you guys in on a common recipe that I make for my own little tike's.  Don't worry, there are pictures!  There are other ingredients that you can use in this stock-pot and it does change based on what I have on hand and what is fresh.  If you do substitute or add another ingredient be sure to do a quick Google search to make sure that it is okay for your dog to eat whatever it is you're putting it.  You'd be surprised what delicious items that we two legged people can eat that the four legged kind could become seriously ill or die from!  NOW FOR THE FOOD!

_______________________________________________________________________

First we need to gather the correct ingredients.  This is what I have for this delicious pot-of-goodness (I like to make larger batches and freeze some so it stays fresh and lasts longer):

I have some good quality chicken.  I have here two chickens, one cut into 8 pieces and one split.  Both purchased from a local store which butchers their meat fresh daily. *This is a HUMAN Grocery Store*

Next we have...

Olive Oil, Parsley, Pinch o Salt, Brown Rice, Flax Seed, Kelp Powder, Rosemary, Frozen Corn, Frozen Blueberry, Frozen Peas, Carrots, Green Beans, Kusa Squash, and one Sweet Potato.

ALL TOGETHER NOW!

It's a lot of good healthy ingredients to make a real healthy meal.

Next I start slicing up the vegetables into bit size pieces and place them into a stock pot.  This is when I add all of my spices.

Then I cook it down a bit and add 1/4 cup of brown rice and 2/3 cup of water.

I stir it up and then I place the chicken on top of the vegetables and cover.

Remember that dogs also enjoy some spice of life when it comes to their food.  They don't want to same thing day in and day out!  I like to add a little something extra to my food to make sure that they don't get bored.  This time it is a nitrate-free turkey hot dog (Trader Joe's has the cheapest variety).

This whole pot-o-goodness cooks for about 2 hours (Until the chicken is cooked thoroughly, don't forget dogs are susceptible to food-born illnesses as well!).

Take the chicken out of the pot to cool and you will notice that my food has a soupy consistency, this will disappear when I add back in the chicken.

Then I shred the chicken with my hands (hence the cooling factor) and put it back into the pot.

STIR IT ALL TOGETHER NOW!

Portion it out for the size of your dog (mine also get a little cheese for calcium).

And enjoy!

Save the rest for days to come!

Like I said, I'm not a vet, but I know when my kids are healthy and happy and they are both.  This recipe/concoction is a mix of a variety of recipes and knowledge.  If you need to know more, let me know!

Until next time.  Good Night and Warm Noses!

-Hilary Chan

Up Next: What about Store Brands, aren't there any that are safe?!

Meet the Crew

Hey Small Dog Lovers!


Now in order for me and you to fully connect as a bloggie-blogger couple I'm first going to need to introduce you to my three small lovies that I mentioned in my first post.  I think that we'll go in order of adoption...


First I'll introduce you to my king, Beaner.

He is a puppy-mill rescue Papillon/Chihuahua mix.  He came to me in  the summer of 2009.  He was used as a breeder in a mill in Virginia.  He was transported with hundreds of other dogs via a semi trailer truck to the Buckeye Dog Auction.  This is a horrible event that I attended with a local dog rescue with the idea of obtaining these "rejects", vetting, fostering and rehabilitating them to be adopted out into loving families.  Beans turned out to be a missing piece of my heart that I couldn't let go.  He is sweet, caring and the most advantageous licker (faces that is) in the house.  He holds a tuff little character in this little body and he's always good for a laugh.

Next, Prince, lil j

Lil j is a rescue that came from the woods of Cincinnati. They claim that he is also a Papillon/Chihuahua but I have my doubts, I'm going more with Chihuahua/Italian Greyhound. He was picked up by a local pound in the area, taken in by a small rescue, and then lastly adopted by me.  He is adorable, sweet and unbelievably skittish.  When we first got him he was terrified of everyone (and especially men) and even more afraid of his own shadow.  I like visualize him living in the hollow of a tree snuggled up in piles of hay and twigs that he has collected from nearby.  He has come along way since his adoption in 2010 and although he still has flashbacks to his Vietnam days he has become very outgoing with new people.


Now for our latest addition, Baby Gurl!

Baby Gurl came to us the Fall of 2011.  I received an e-mail from a local rescue that includes dogs of all shapes and sizes that need help being placed in other rescues/homes.  Baby Gurl hit my inbox and I immediately wanted to help her.  She reminded me of Beans in many ways when I first saw her.  She had to be placed up for adoption by her family because they had too many dogs and were not able to care for them appropriately.  I took her home and she immediately bonded with my boys and turned out to be the sweetest dog and a true joy.  She is still learning how to be a "team player" with toys but she is really enjoying life and especially going for walks around the neighborhood.  We are still, however, working on her Chihuahua barking habits!


Now that you've met the crew you will understand who I am talking about when they show up in different topics and stories.  I hope that you enjoy reading/learning about them as much as I do loving and caring for them.


Good Night and Warm Noses!
-Hilary Chan


Up Next:  Where does food come from?

Entering the Dog Universe

First Post - EPIC! 

Here's the thing, if you're like me, then your life is completely ruled by dogs.  Small dogs.  They creep into your heart, your bed and eventually they multiply.  Well there's a lot of things that makes these little people (yes I said people) special.  The whole point of this blog is to talk about everything they like and don't like.  What they think about toys, places, people and other dogs.  They have their own quirks (the small dog syndrome) and they have their own needs (dietary, vet, hereditary).  We'll talk about what's good to feed them and what's not.  We'll go over adding a dog to the family (where to go, what to look for).  We'll also do some interviews with "dog people", people that know things like obedience, agility, and...you guessed it...dogs! 

There's nothing better than waking up and realizing there's a small little bundle tucked in your arms.  Or coming home to barks of joy.  And yes, of course, there will be the occasional mishap (you know what I'm talking about) but they always wiggle their way back into your good graces, manage to make you forget whatever happened, and get a treat out of the deal.  Small dogs are the best winter heaters, the funniest snow buddies, and bark at everything that moves.  They have a way of making you feel safe and secure and are small enough to carry in your purse.  Stars of Hollywood think that they "started a trend" by carrying these dogs everywhere and plastering the tabloids and starting a buzz.  While we can't fault them for wanting a piece of small action we can, however, fault them for not promoting adoption and rescue.  It's important that while we love these dogs and give most of our lives to them, we continue to make sure we do everything possible to make sure these small ones are being taken care of and not abused. 

I myself have three rescue chihuahua mixes, each with their own story, each with their own quirks.  One was a puppy-mill rescue, a former breeder that has major separation issues.  One was found in the woods and taken in by a shelter, then rescue, then me.  Still with major trust issues, which I don't believe will ever completely go away.  The last came from a family with too many dogs (12) and not enough care.  I know they loved her, but she was behind on vet care and infested with parasites.  There are thousands of stories out there, and thousands more yet to be heard.  This blog was made to help me voice my love of these wonderful creatures, and give the knowledge that I've learned over the years to all of you.  Whenever someone at my work has a question about their dog they call me and this blog is just another way for someone with a question to find an answer.  I am not a veterinarian, I am not a dog whisperer, but for sure, a small dog lover.  The one thing that really makes my life feel complete is a warm blanket on the bed and three dreaming dogs kicking around me.  This is my tribute/homage to my lovelies and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.  Expect to see this blog updated every week.  It could be long, it could be short, but there will be something exciting/new/informative happening right here.  Thanks for everything.  Good night and warm noses!

-Hilary Chan

Coming soon: Meet the Crew, learn the rules.