Please vote for our friend Carol Wilde's Carolina Dog, Sheila... every day if you can. Carol passed away yesterday after battling cancer and this contest was one of the last things she was involved in, she so hoped Sheila would win. Sheila lives with Carol's sister now and Im sure she misses her "special person" everyday. Vote for Sheila here:)

http://poisonedpets.com/2012/04/06/alert-vets-warn-about-new-treats-from-china-poisoning-dogs/

Not just chicken/ jerky treats!!! This is several different brands of treats, sweet potato/ yam, veggie etc. 
If you love your pet do not buy it ANY kind of treat that originates in China!!!
Instead why not give your pet a yummy meaty bone like a pork neck bone or the beef soup bones sold in the fresh meat department at the grocery store or make treats at home from human grade products. If you need more info send me a PM:)

Diamond Pet Foods Expands Voluntary Recall

Diamond Pet Foods Expands Voluntary Recall

Just how far do we go?

Ok a post/conversation in another post, plus some conversations on a yahoo list I belong to, gave me a *thought*, It is something I have pondered on for along time, and may never have a "concrete" answer to, but here goes...
As raw feeders we are somewhat more open in our thinking, and we all know we are trying to do what is best for our pups, that goes without saying, and we all (hopefully) are still open to learning more about raw feeding/natural rearing as we gain experience & go through things with our dogs/cats. Some may be more advanced than others, and that is great, it is all a journey:) We talk alot about "species-appropriateness" and I totally get that idea & am all for it, but just how far should we take it?
Think for a moment about a wild dog/wolf. They have no freezers, butcher knifes, sawzalls, scales, vet clinics, spay/neuter clinics, herbal remedy books, or pharmaceutical companies, let alone orthopedic beds, whelping boxes, or surgical suites. If they get sick or injured, they overcome it or die. If the pups are sickly or not nursing, they die. They eat mostly only pure, free range meat from all sorts of animals, fresh to putrid. What they eat is usually seasonal (different things are plentiful during different seasons) and they forage for whatever they can find and what their instincts tell them they need to survive. They chase down or stealthily stalk their prey(work for it) before they can eat it, then when they catch it they rip it to shreds with their teeth and eat whatever parts they need/want. They share the world with all sorts of parasites and diseases and still have survived for thousands of years.

Now we have taken them into our homes, gave them a nice cushy bed, air conditioning, planned out meals the same time every day, vet visits, vaccinations, pest preventatives (chemical or natural), s/n surgery, medications, nice walks on a leash, & so on.

So if we are trying to be "species appropriate" (this includes myself) how far do we go with it???? Do we turn a rabbit or chicken loose every day & let them hunt it down, kill it & eat it, do we give them no sort of pest preventative(because just how species appropriate is any of it-garlic- essential oils- DE- pesticides) do we never give them ANY vaccinations, and on & on,,,just how far?

We do what we can, we feed raw, try to minimize vaccinations & chemicals, and so on, some more than others. But what about the 'damage' (difference from strictly living wild) the things we do, even the organic, natural things does to them...
What about the person who feeds raw, but must buy grocery store meats(feed lot deficient meat, with solution added, etc) it's better than nasty kibble, but there still may be deficiencies...what about the breeder who feeds goat's milk to the puppies when weaning,  what about the person that does everything natural except rabies vaccine(still gonna be toxicity to the pets system in that vaccine) but gives holistic remedies(not species appropriate to a wild dog) .... and so on....

Maybe this is a rhetorical question. We all have to do what we feel comfortable with and can afford, and what we feel is best for our dogs. Whether it is feeding a certain thing, vaccinations, pest preventatives, spay/neuter surgery, or what ever, after all we are responsible for the care of the dogs we have been blessed with:)
Ponder on that for awhile:)))

10 FAQs Puppies/dogs from East Tennessee Dingos

1.  I am passionate about Carolina Dogs and Natural Rearing and want to share the knowledge of how to assist our awesome, rare dogs to not just survive, but to thrive!


2. You must be open & agreeable to learning about & practicing  some forms of Natural Rearing(raw food or comparable options, minimal vaccines, limited/no exposure to chemicals (internal or external) & Holistic/Natural Vet care.





3. I do not allow AIR delivery for my puppies, I feel this is too traumatic for them and is no way to begin a relationship with a new person. I prefer puppy families come to pick up their puppies, as this also gives you a chance to meet Daisy & Cooter and your puppy to get a little used to you. If you are a great home and someone I am comfortable with, but just cannot make the trip here or you live across the country, I do know a good ground transport company I can refer you to.

4. Your puppy must be a member of your family, they are pack animals and would not thrive living in a backyard kennel all the time.

5. I am always available to answer your questions, and mentor you about Natural Rearing issues that are new to you, and issues with your CD puppy.

6. You must be paid in full before you leave with your puppy, cash only day of pickup if you have a balance.

7. I am committed to this puppy for its lifetime, if you ever cannot keep it for ANY reason, I will take it back, no questions asked,  and find it a good home or keep it myself if need be. I do not want any of my pups to end up in shelters!

8. I do have a waiting list, because I do not breed until after I have sufficient homes for a litter.

9. My pups are eligible for full UKC registration, and have pedigrees  back to the founder dogs of the breed, the first dogs caught in the SRS and swamps of GA & SC.

10. You must have some knowledge of dogs & Carolina Dogs in particular. CDs are not for everyone, but ARE the best dogs on Earth!


For more information see post http://www.mycarolinadog.com/2012/02/if-you-think-you-might-be-interested-in.html
as well as: http://www.mycarolinadog.com/2012/02/is-carolina-dog-right-for-you-some-tips.html

For more information about available Carolina Dog juveniles and puppies, email susanlewelling@yahoo.com

Be prepared before you go to your Vet for vaccines!

EPA Document Proves Euthanized Dogs and Cats are Rendered

EPA Document Proves Euthanized Dogs and Cats are Rendered

My Pack Eating Whole Prey Chickens

I fed my pack whole bantam chickens for breakfast this morning and then took photos to show how they did with them. Please do not look at them if you are squeamish. 

I laid all the frozen chicken out and gave the pack the "leave it" command. Daisy appointed herself the guard. 

The rest of the pack sitting nicely behind Daisy.

Huey & Cooter waiting nicely for their chickens.

Cooter with his chicken's head. 

Daisy waiting nicely for her chicken.

Daisy waiting after the "leave it" command.

After I gave her the OK.

And she takes her chicken and moves off to a spot she feels comfortable. 

Cooter waiting nicely.

Cooter getting his chicken.

Jesse & Huey waiting. 

Huey demonstrated amazing control on the Leave it command , he is waiting nicely even with 2 chickens laid right in front of him!

He would not touch it even after I gave him the OK, I had to hand it to him. He is very soft & gentle:) 

Huey about to leave with his chicken.

Jesse was a little more impatient, he would sit & leave it, but when I tried to back up to take a photo, he  would get up and run around me, he never  attempted to touch his chicken though! 

Jesse heading off with his chicken.

Huey 

Jesse.

They each find their own spot where they feel comfortable to eat. they had to work quite a while on these, because they were mostly frozen & completely whole, including all the feathers.

Daisy

Cooter

Cooter.
This shows how those back teeth get cleaned when you feed large pieces or whole prey.

Cooter

Huey preferred to stand up almost throughout his whole meal. This may be because he is the lowest position in the pack and felt someone might come to take his food & he would have to run for it. 

Huey standing and about 6-8 feet back Jesse is laying down eating his  meal.

Huey moving to a different location when some workmen can around the corner of my house.  They did not come near him, but he must have felt uncomfortable with them so close.  

Daisy ripping off the long feathers from a wing.

Daisy

Daisy

Close up of Daisy dealing with the feathers.

Cooter

Cooter being Alpha feels comfortable laying the closest to the house and  he eats laying and standing. 

Cooter getting the meat off the base of the feathers he ripped  out. 

Cooter (and all the other dogs) ate their chickens from head to tail. 

Daisy

Cooter with a wing.

silly boy! 

Another good thing about feeding whole prey or large chunks is they exercise their whole body(and mind)  when eating.

You can see Cooter really tugging. 

Huey 

Huey

Jesse

Huey

Cooter cleaning his front teeth. 

every muscle is involved.

Huey

Huey

Jesse

Jesse kept his chicken partially buried in the leaves while he was eating.  He is usually a slower eater than Huey . 

Cooter

Daisy

Cooter

Cooter.You can see they don't make too big of a mess with whole chickens. 

A shot of how they spread out to eat. Cooter, then Daisy, Jesse is off behind that tree to her left, and Huey  you can see off to the right. 

Daisy, you can see she pulled off all the long feathers and, like Cooter was chewing the bits of skin & meat off the base of the wing feathers. 

Daisy eating the last bit, the chicken foot. 

Daisy crunching the chicken foot

Cooter is a slower eater and was only about 1/2 way through his chicken when Daisy got done. 

Cooter

A close up showing how Cooter goes about eating the whole chicken.

Cooter ate the wings, then started with the neck, down the belly and left the back portion for last. 

This chicken had eggs in her when frozen, so Cooter got an extra flavor bonus. 

Cooter licking the egg yolk out.

a cross section shot of Cooter's chicken

Jesse

Jesse growling a warning at Huey(who was done with his chicken) to stay away. 

Cooter is still working on his meal. He was the last to finish.