2 NR Carolina Dog/Mixes need Homes ASAP

Rachel, the owner of one of my 2011 puppies, Star, has 2 dogs she rescued and rehabilitated and now she needs to find homes for them. 
Here is their story. 

She was driving near Drew, Mississippi, by the home where Archie Manning grew up(Peyton & Eli Manning's Father). These two juvenile dogs (pictured to the left  on the day she found them)were hanging out in the yard, they looked EXACTLY like Star, but they were skinny and dirty. 

Eli 

She just couldn't leave them there where they would either be hit by a car or caught & taken to the notorious local pound. So she sacrificed a big roast she had just bought at the grocery store and lured them into her car. After she had them safe & full in her car she took them home with her. 

In honor of the Manning family, she decided to call them Peyton and Eli. They were very shy and she had to work with them for weeks to be able to handle them and give them baths. 

Peyton

Peyton was injured on her face and so she fixed her all up & Peyton's wounds are healed now. Peyton is the larger one in the first picture,a female and is still a shy girl but not ill tempered, just shy. Peyton is cream colored.

Eli (pictured below)is a happy go lucky & friendly male. He is light red.

She thinks they were both under 1 year old when she rescued them last summer(2012)

 Star & Earl took the strays right into the pack and started to teach them the ropes of living with humans. 

Eli

So since they needed some rehabilitation before they could ever be adopted she knew the shelter would be a death sentence for them & she didn't have the heart to take them to a shelter. After she spent so much time getting them tamed and feeding them nutritious raw foods she don't want them to go to just anyone, she really wants them to continue to be cared for Naturally as she has done. Peyton & Eli are unvaccinated and have been fed a raw diet and there have been no chemicals or toxins used in or on them for pests or parasites. They are very healthy and happy with this course of treatment. She only wants a home that will continue raw feeding, no chemicals and no or very minimal vaccines and will love them forever. She would like them to stay together but is willing to separate them to the perfect homes. They are currently located in Drew, Mississippi.

It is not known for sure if Peyton and Eli are true "full-blooded" Carolina Dogs, or if they are mixes or mixes of other breeds altogether, but they look & act very similar to what verified & registered Carolina Dogs look and act like, so based on where they were found(deep south) and their looks and behaviors we are going to call them "honorary" CD mixes. Unless Dr Brisbin himself was to look at them and give us his approval that they are truly Carolina Dogs, we will just stick with CD-MIX.  

Carolina Dogs are a pariah/ancient type of dog thought to be most closely related to the Australian Dingo and quite possibly to the dogs Precolumbian American Indians kept hundreds or thousands of years ago. "CD"s are very pack oriented and bond closely with their human pack. They are not attack dogs but are excellent alert dogs. CDs excel at anything they are asked to do and can be thought to be stubborn, but are actually very intelligent and just need to be asked (not forced) to do things so they understand what is being asked. They shed very minimally and do not have a 'doggy' odor, especially when fed a natural diet, so they make excellent house dogs. Here are some more links about Carolina Dogs 
CLICK HERE
 http://www.mycarolinadog.com/2012/02/general-description-of-carolina-dog.html
OR HERE
http://www.mycarolinadog.com/2012/02/is-carolina-dog-right-for-you-some-tips.html

If you are interested in adopting Peyton and/or Eli and possibly continuing on with the Natural Rearing for one or both of them please email an inquiry & details about yourself to rachelbuser@yahoo.ca, or call Rachel @ 662-719-8182. My email is susanlewelling@yahoo.com 

When The Raw Diet Goes Bad

 

I wanted to take a moment to discuss something that is a pet peeve of mine. That is people that feed raw incorrectly and not in a balanced way that results in their dogs becoming ill and then blaming it on raw feeding. They say "Feeding raw is Bad" or "Raw food makes dogs Sick". I have read comments and stories from and about people that feed raw inappropriately in so many different ways. I will address some of the worst.

1. Feeding only one type meat.

I have heard about farmers that feed their dogs only chicken carcass scraps or beef scraps, or hunters that feed only deer meat. Also pet owners that feed a commercially bought product in only one "flavor" such as chicken. 

An example from a friend of mine: "I just currently had a friend that feeding raw long before me so we never really talked much about what she was feeding... a good friend but don't chat often, and she calls me one day, her dog is brutally sick. First thing I ask what exactly is she eating.. "mainly chicken backs".. !?what?? I asked if she was feeding organs.. "not really".. !!what?!! I know that this poor dogs body finally was so malnourished, nutritionally deficient that this was her entire problem! She was having multiple organ failure and even ended up having a stroke !! She's still here but barely.. I was so mad that I never discussed food with her and just assumed she knew what she was doing!!"- Kim 

When feeding a raw diet, you need to provide as much variety as possible. Feeding only one meat can lead to nutritional deficiencies in specific vitamins or minerals. One meat may be plentiful in certain nutrients and low in others. Here is a link to the different nutrients levels in different meats-  Nutrients in Meats . My following suggestions are not scientific, because there is no way to know for sure exactly what the level of nutrition a specific food is providing without doing analysis on it. Due to local differences in nutrition and different farming practices, and different levels of nutrition available in different meats. I recommend trying to feed at least 2-4 different meats per month and at minimum 5+ different meats per year. The more variety the better.  

2. Feeding only boneless meat. I have heard of those pet owners that also only feed boneless meat, this may be because they are afraid to feed bones. They do not do enough research, and do not understand that the phosphorus in raw meat must be balanced with the proper amount of Calcium. 

10 % of a raw fed dog's diet should be edible bone. Here is an article about balancing the calcium/phosphorus ratio. Bones help your pet clean their teeth as well as providing roughage & firmness that helps clean gunk from the intestines and express anal glands. However some dogs cannot eat bone or you may have a lot of boneless meat and not enough bone on hand to go with it. So here is another about substituting ground eggshells for bone How to make Ground EggShell Supplement.

3. Neglecting to feed organ meat. I think many people leave organs out of their dog's diet because they think the organs are not truly needed. This is not true. I think the other reason is that people cannot easily find a variety of organs locally so they do not pursue finding them elsewhere. Organ meat should be 10% of the dog's total diet. Half of that, 5%, should be liver (any meat source) and the other half, 5%, should be other organs like kidney, brain, or pancreas. If you can not readily find organs at your usual places, then try an ethnic market or a farmer's market. Another source would be ordering them online. I have several different reputable companies listed on my links page under FOOD. Organs are very important to your dog's health. Here is an article about Why Organ Meat Is Important For a Raw Fed Dog

4. Feeding Kibble and Raw together. I hear so many people saying they do this. Then I also hear of people saying "I tried to feed my dog raw and he kept getting sick" or "he kept having diarrhea" or "he got salmonella poisoning". Upon digging a little deeper I find that the pet owner was feeding raw along with a couple of cups of kibble, just in case.Or the owner was feeding half kibble and half raw or kibble with a little portion of raw. Whatever the proportion I believe this can cause BIG problems! It is a fact that kibble digests at about half the rate that raw food does in a dog's digestive system. One of the reasons that fully-raw fed dogs do not get bacteria infections is the raw is digested rather rapidly and it does not sit in the gut fermenting and being broken down, it is broken down by the strong acids and powerful enzymes specially made to break down raw meat and bone. If that slow moving kibble-goo (you have all seen how that stuff comes out...) gets in front of the raw food that needs to move on through quickly, then the meat will sit there behind the kibble and any bacteria that are present will have time to grow and multiply. This could become a big problem, more "bad" bacteria growing in the gut, as well as slower digestion, and eventually you are going to have a bacteria overgrowth that will result in a very sick pooch. There are a myriad of other problems that feeding kibble and raw together that I am not covering here, as this should be enough to explain why doing this in NOT a good idea for your pet.

These pitfalls are easily avoided and the raw diet can be safely fed to your pet dogs and cats. By feeding only a raw diet in a wide variety of meats and following the basic proportions of 80/10/10,  80% muscle meat, 10 % edible bone, and 10% organ meat - (5% liver and 5% other secreting organs)your dog can thrive and be healthy and happy too!  

Dr. Jean Dodds' Pet Health Resource Blog

Dr. Jean Dodds' Pet Health Resource Blog

Chihuahua and Carolina Dog originated in America and Asia, new research reveals

New DNA testing has proved definitively that several Native American dog breeds, including the Chihuahua and Carolina Dog, have been in North America for thousands of years and can trace their genetic heritage back to Asia not Europe as was previously conjectured. The results were published yesterday.

....Yet the latest genetic analysis has proven definitively that the skeptics were wrong. As noted in the research article “MtDNA analysis confirms early Pre‐Colombian origins of Native American dogs”:...

...Additionally, Oskarsson found that the Carolina Dog, a native dog of the Southeastern United States long believed to be indigenous was, in fact, an indigenous dog whose closest genetic relatives were also in East Asia. Oskarsson noted that his research “provide the first DNA‐based evidence for an ancient Asian origin of the Carolina Dog, a dingo‐like free‐ranging population in the USA. Numerous dogs were probably brought from Asia, since totally 13 mtDNA haplotypes among extant and ancient American dogs were distinct from haploypes found in Europe.”...

...This should put to rest once and for all the origins of both the Carolina Dog and Chihuahua. Both artifactual evidence and DNA prove that the Chihuahua is a native dog of the Americas with a deep ancestry on the North American continent and traces of an East Asian origin suggesting this breed came with Native Americans over 10,000 years ago when they first migrated to North America.

Read the whole article here! 

Pregnancy Update

We are projecting the due date will be March 11- 15 .

 Upon palpation I feel at least 4-6 puppies!

 As you can see she is starting to lose her girl-ish figure!  

We are very excited! If you are interested in getting on the list for a puppy, see our pages to the right and contact us ASAP!

Behavior Matters

   Behaviors matter. Carolina Dogs exhibit several subtle but distinct behavioral traits that make them different from most domestic breeds. Some such traits are a very strong pack mentality, strong prey drive, general shyness & a cat-like attitude much of the time. CDs are stealthy hunters of small prey such as moles, rabbits, squirrels, opossum, birds insects and even snakes. If a small pet is introduced as a member of the "pack" they will usually accept it and not try to kill that animal that you claim as yours. They are very aware of and sensitive to their surroundings, their pack member's emotions and changes in their environment, such as furniture being moved around. They can be leery of strangers and are generally good "alert' dogs, but are not guard-attack dogs. 

  

   CDs do not respond to heavy handed training tactics or force, you must figure out how to get through to them what you want & why this makes sense for them to do. They are very smart and like their wild cousins will rarely look to a human to help them figure out a task(such as getting a treat from underneath a overturned bowl) and many CD owners remark that the 'brain puzzle' toys are quickly figured out and thereafter ignored by their CDs. CDs do require physical exersize as well as stimulating mental exersize.  

CDs also like to den, whether it is digging dens outdoors or preferring to have their own small, enclosed, dark space to relax & 'hide'. CDs also dig snout pits, usually in the fall & spring, we call these holes "ankle breakers" & it is not conclusively proven if they are eating roots, dirt or insects from the holes they dig, so named because they rarely dig a hole much bigger than what their snout will fit into. 

They are usually habitually clean and spend much time grooming themselves. Their double layer coats are self cleaning with only minimal/seasonal shedding and do not generally have a strong dog odor, even when wet, although I have found this is greatly affected by the quality of the diet.  Carolina Dogs are quirky and independent and there are so many little things about them that are subtly different than 'regular' dogs.

I have frequently been told by CD owners that when they are taken to basic agility classes, they easily outshine even the border collies and other breeds that usually excel at such activities. CDs are capable of doing many other different activities such as lure coursing, herding, nose work and tracking, obedience, weight pull or even pet-assisted therapy.  CDs can excel at any task you ask of them and are usually want to please their pack leader.

What odd & quirky traits does your CD have? Join the conversation & leave us a comment or question! 

Natural Pet Healthcare: Homeopathic Remedies for - Vaccination

Natural Pet Healthcare: Homeopathic Remedies for - Vaccination: Homeopathic Remedies for Dogs and Cats Homeopathic alternatives to conventional vaccines are beginning to gain acceptance. Studies indi...

Natural Pet Healthcare: Homeopathic Remedies for - Vaccination

Natural Pet Healthcare: Homeopathic Remedies for - Vaccination: Homeopathic Remedies for Dogs and Cats Homeopathic alternatives to conventional vaccines are beginning to gain acceptance. Studies indi...

Pregnancy Timeline for 2013 litter

Jensen Canine Pregnancy Calander
Pregnancy Calendar for Dogs Date: Sat 19 Jan 2013 Sire: BC Tennessee Whiskey CooterBug Dam: PR Banbury’s Tennessee Daisy Jane Breeder: Susan Lewelling Mon 7 Jan 2013 First day of mating.
48 hours after the first mating the bitch should be mated again. Subsequent matings occurring over a period of time enhance the chances of fertilaziton taking place.
The spermatozoa migrate up through the cervix. Tue 8 Jan 2013 Sperm travel searching for a mature ripened eggs. Tue 8 Jan 2013 -
Wed 9 Jan 2013 Spermatozoa reach the eggs in the oviducts. Wed 9 Jan 2013 -
Thu 10 Jan 2013 Fertilisation occurs in the oviducts which lead from the ovaries to the uterus. Thu 10 Jan 2013 -
Sat 12 Jan 2013 Fertilised eggs migrate down the oviducts and into the uterine horns.
The migration continue to enable even spacing of the embryos.
During this migration the eggs will grow into a blastocystes. Fri 18 Jan 2013 -
Sun 20 Jan 2013 The blastocystes implant in the wall of the uterus. Fri 18 Jan 2013 -
Fri 1 Feb 2013 The blastocystes will grow into an embryos.
During the next two weeks the important organs will develop. Mon 21 Jan 2013 -
Mon 28 Jan 2013 Dams nipples begin to pink enlarge.
The fur on the dams belly and around the nipples may become thinner. Sun 27 Jan 2013 -
Sun 3 Feb 2013 Morning sickness might occur due to hormonal changes or stretching and distension of the uterus. Dam may appear a bit apathetic. She may be off her feed for a while and vomit from time to time.
Feeding the dam several meals spaced throughout the day might help.
Your veterinarian may want to prescribe a drug to relax the uterus. Fri 1 Feb 2013 -
Tue 5 Feb 2013 An experienced person (a breeder or a veterinarian) can tell by careful palpation whether the dam is pregnant.
It's now the best time to do this because the embryos are walnut-sized now and easy to count. Mon 4 Feb 2013 Start to increase the dams food ration.
Don't overfeed, excessive weight gain should be avoided.
The foetuses are now and are fully developed miniature dogs. Sun 10 Feb 2013 The Dams abdomen starts to get larger. Wed 20 Feb 2013 It's very easy now to feel the puppies, counting them might be a bit more difficult. Sat 23 Feb 2013 -
Sun 3 Mar 2013 Dam begins to spend a lot more time in self-grooming.
Her breasts become even more swollen.
She may become a bit restlessness and begin to search for a suitable place to have her puppies. Mon 25 Feb 2013 The dam might lose her appetite during this period. Her abdomen can be crowded with puppies.
It is better to feed several smaller meals spaced throughout the day.
You can easily detect abdominal movement now. Mon 25 Feb 2013 -
Tue 12 Mar 2013 Nipples and vulva should be gently cleaned with warm water, you might want to trim the hairs surrounding the nipples, to allow easier access for the puppies to suck. Thu 7 Mar 2013 -
Sun 10 Mar 2013 Milky fluid may be expressed from the nipples. Fri 8 Mar 2013 You might want to start taking the dams rectal temperature each morning and evening. Mon 11 Mar 2013 Twelve to 24 hours before she is due to deliver, the dams rectal temperature may drop from 101 to 98 degrees.
Clear discharge from the vulva might occur. Tue 12 Mar 2013 Expected date of whelp. Of course this is just an average. Whelping may take place from the 59th to the 65th day. Puppies born before the 58th day will probably be too young to survive.

Exciting News!

It is yet unconfirmed, but we expect Daisy & Cooter will be having puppies approximately  March 15, 2013! 
Beside ourselves, we have 4 wonderful homes waiting on their special puppy. If you are still interested in getting on the waiting list for a Naturally Reared Carolina Dog from this litter, see the page Prospective Puppy Family Questionnaire!

Dr. Jean Dodds' Pet Health Resource Blog

Dr. Jean Dodds' Pet Health Resource Blog

10TH JAN 2013 | 2 NOTES

Question:  I have come to highly respect your opinion and protocol on vaccinations. My problem is I have a 16 month old standard poodle who is due for her one year rabies booster in a few weeks I have decided I don’t want to give it. My 9 year old standard came down with immune-mediated thrombocytopenia at age five. He’s a walking miracle He reacted from a rabies vaccine At that time I was ignorant and listened to the vets. Now I am knowledgeable and educated and can’t make any more mistakes. I am petrified of giving the booster. I can’t let anything happen to her. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. 

Dr Dodds Says:  I understand your concern about the rabies vaccination now due for your 16 month old standard poodle, but the law requires you to give it. There is currently no state that routinely accepts a titer in lieu of the rabies vaccine. The fact that your other standard poodle experienced an adverse reaction to a rabies vaccine (not that uncommon in the breed to have immune-mediated blood disorders that can be triggered by vaccinations) does not provide sufficient justification to obtain a waiver/exemption from your puppy’s second rabies vaccine. Sorry!  If she’s intact, please be sure to give the second rabies booster when she’s not due in estrus or is in estrus.  You could also pre-treat her with the oral homeopathics, Thuja and Lyssin, to help blunt any adverse effects of the rabies vaccine.  Telephone the folks at  www.naturalrearing.com to obtain these homeopathics. 

The only other alternatives you have is to “fly under the radar”, but if you’re caught, she could be quarantined at your expense for up to 6 months, depending upon local ordinances.  

Follow Up:  Dear Dr. Dodds, I wanted you to know that after deep soul searching and reading more research on the subject I decided to titer my precious Snowy. My vet was very supportive and deeply respected my opinion. The results won’t be in for a few weeks but I am deeply confident of the fact that they will be fine. The decision is a weight lifted off me and one that I am happy with. Thank you for taking the time to discuss the issue with me. 

After the titer test:  Dear Dr.Dodds, I am sorry to bother you…I had inboxed you a while ago regarding rabies booster. I ended up titering my 17 month poodle. Her titer came back .7 anything above .5 is considered protected. My question is I have decided to fly under the radar regarding this but will this number dip below .5 in the future. I fear vaccinating her due to the adverse reactions rabies vaccine can cause and having a white poodle from the same kennel that came down with thrombocytopenia …Any advice would be greatly appreciated. 

Dr. Dodds Says:  Hello again! Actually, that interpretation is incorrect unless you live overseas or in Hawaii. The titer level considered adequate to protect a person from rabies is 0.1 IU/mL, for all locations except overseas and Hawaii, which require 0.5 IU/mL. 

So, your dog’s rabies titer at 0.7 IU/mL is very good. 

If you want to re-titer for rabies, I suggest every three years. 

W. Jean Dodds, DVM
Hemopet / NutriScan
11561 Salinaz Avenue
Garden Grove, CA 92843

Topical Reference issue of B-Naturals Newsletter

Click HERE to read: January B-Naturals Newsletter, by Lew Olsen, PhD Natural Health This is a  Topical Reference issue And a wonderful one to bookmark!

Takoda's Parvo Survival Story

This is Takoda. He is one of Daisy & Cooter's Naturally Reared pups from 2011. He is a UKC registered Carolina Dog. He lives with Lauri in Georgia. Lauri and I decided to tell his story here in the hopes that it may help others. This post is our combined effort, but any errors in dates, etc are mine. Thanks for sharing Lauri!  

Takoda was born in my home on August 26, 2011. He was from my raw fed, Naturally Reared very healthy pair of Carolina Dogs. He was healthy and was the largest puppy in the litter. At about 3 weeks the litter was introduced to raw meat and weaning was began naturally according to their mother, Daisy. Everything about his upbringing was normal and healthy. He was not vaccinated and was checked by a holistic vet at 7.5 weeks and at 8 weeks went to live with his new family(Lauri). Where he was continued on the Natural rearing protocols of raw feeding, no vaccines, and no chemicals or drugs. He was healthy and accompanied Lauri on a few trips to the pet store to pick out new toys and stylish new collar & leash sets. Lauri provided him with the best of foods; grass fed beef, free range whole chicken and other meats from an Organic farm she found nearby to her, as well as other high quality sources of raw meat for dogs.


In order to comply with Georgia law at the urging of the vets in her area, Lauri took Takoda for his rabies vaccine on 3-12-12, when he was about 7 months old. A couple of weeks afterwards, Lauri had to go out of town on business. Takoda stayed at home with her husband Randy. 

In mid-April, Lauri had just flown back into town. She was still at the airport and so she called her husband to see how Takoda was and let him know she was to be home soon. 
Lauri said, "Randy told me he was going to take Takoda to ER and  I said: "no, why?" "  Randy said that Takoda was not feeling too good and threw up once and kind of mopey since Lauri had been gone. 

Lauri immediately called me (the breeder & her mentor). I asked Lauri to have Randy call me so I could hear directly what was going on.  Randy reported that Takoda had only thrown up once and he had not observed him having any diarrhea. But he had watched him chase the cats in the yard just that day.   Based on what Randy told me, we decided to wait until Lauri got home and could assess Takoda herself. We were thinking he was just missing his Special Person.

Lauri got home very late at night and Takoda greeted her, but she could tell he was not quite up to par, so the next morning she called the holistic vet, J. Partin DVM that had given him the Rabies vaccine. Dr Partin was an hour away and told Lauri she needed to bring him in for testing. They did the Parvo test first and it was an immediate high level Parvovirus result. They retested again and quickly got the same result. The vet did state that Takoda was having diarrhea although nobody had seen him have any at home.  
Dr Partin started him on an IV with fluids. He also received the following meds: 
B-12 injection
Cephalothin injection (antibiotic)
Cerenia Injection( anti-vomiting med)
Vitamin B-complex injection
electrolytes Lactated Ringer's Solution
That vet had a very small practice and wasn't set up as a hospital, so Lauri loaded Takoda up and too him to Dr Carpenter at the local allopathic Veterinary Hospital that was near her home. They decided to continue on with the course of treatment started by Dr Partin, although Dr Carpenter(Lauri's previous vet for past dogs) wasn't very happy about treating him with a more Holistic approach, limited medicines and simply keeping him on IV fluids overnight. He did not give Lauri much hope of Takoda surviving the night let alone making a quick recovery.
The next day Lauri called first thing in the morning to see how Takoda was doing and the Vet Tech said he did good all night and if he will eat he can go home! Lauri took him some lightly boiled chicken because the hospital staff was trying to give him kibble(against Lauri's wishes). We were uncertain if they would actually give him the chicken , but they later reported to Lauri that he turned his nose up at the kibble but happily ate the chicken! 

That afternoon, after a grand total of only 1 day and a half at the vet, Takoda was eating and was allowed to go home! Lauri says "We came home, he ate his raw chicken with bone and went outside and chased squirrels and cats as if nothing ever happened and he has been well every since!"
The Holistic Vet Dr Partin said: "I'm just going to tell you the reason Takoda pulled out like he did is because he is fed raw and no vaccines, he has built his immune system." 

Lauri and I are very proud of how quickly Takoda recovered and how much he amazed all the "professionals".

We are not ever going to be sure of exactly where Takoda got infected with the Parvovirus, but we suspect that he picked it up at the Vet's office in March, when he went for his Rabies shot. Veterinarian's offices are typically one of the easiest places for any dog to 'catch something". In my opinion another factor was the Rabies vaccination and it's suppressive effect on his immune system. Many dogs are not so fortunate to be Naturally Reared, or survive parvo, many die or are sick for many weeks. We believe that kibble, chemicals and most of all vaccines contribute to the high death rate in otherwise healthy puppies that contract this man-made virus. Lauri and I have learned a lot along our respective Natural Rearing journeys, most of all we learned that Natural Rearing IS the way to go and we both now feel stronger and better prepared to face health challenges in the future.  

We would like to encourage everyone to learn more about natural rearing and to not be scared by all the fear mongering that is thrown at you by the Veterinary community, drug companies, and kibble companies. Raising your dog as nature intended is healthy and safe when done responsibly and in accordance with nature's laws. .

Natural Pet Care Radio Show

Dr Kim Bloomer & Dr Jeannie Thomason are great advocates for true pet health. They have a web-radio show on every week on Wednesdays, check out the "Listen Live" link. I highly recommend puppy families listen to at minimum, these Downloadable podcasts to start with. Each and every show is packed with lots of great information, so consider creating a routine of listening to them daily or whenever possible! Animal Talk Naturally

Vaccines:
Show 429 Natural Immunity
Show 431 Why Vaccines Can't Immunize
Show 435 Why Vaccines Can't Immunize Part 2

Raw Feeding
Show 3 The Totally Raw Truth

There are so many more I could list but I will leave it to each individual to explore what interest them and what you are uncertain about.

Easy Directions to Make your Own Ground Eggshell Powder

Ground Egg Shells — How To Make Your Own Ground Egg Shell Supplement and How Much To Give

A lack of calcium, or the inability to properly assimilate calcium has been known to cause dental facial problems as an example. Reports, photographs and x-rays made during Dr. Pottenger's 10 year cat study clearly illustrates this fact.
Many of the cats eating a deficient diet as deemed by Dr. Pottenger had dental facial problems such as an underbite, cramping of the teeth, and in general, under-developed faces.
Although, these problems are irreversible once they have occurred, with puppies and kittens it is important to try and prevent these problems with good wholesome foods and a quality calcium supplement. With mature dogs and cats, good food and a good quality calcium supplement simply help to provide the calcium needed for living.
There are many other functions and benefits beyond the obvious of minerals like calcium. Calcium not only is important for strong bones, but it also is said to help with blood clotting, activating enzyme action, and helps normalize the contraction and relaxation of the heart muscles.
Don't underestimate minerals. They are the spark plugs of life.
As mentioned earlier, calcium is the single most important supplement
you can provide your pets with. An excellent source of calcium for your pets is finely ground egg shells.
The goal that we want to achieve when providing a calcium supplement is to help provide our pets with twice as much calcium as phosphorus. Our pets require a 2:1 ratio between calcium and phosphorus. This is the ratio I personally follow but others suggest lower ratios, anywhere from 1:1 and everything in between up to 2:1. One reason why I provide or follow the 2:1 ratio is because ultimately it is better to have more calcium than less calcium. If you follow the 1:1 ratio, then your room for error is non-existent. At the same time, the nutritional content of foods naturally fluctuates. So sometimes the food we feed will be naturally lower in calcium and on other days, higher. I also follow the 2:1 ratio as this is what veterinarians such as Dr. Pitcairn and others have suggested.
While it's impossible to purrrfectly obtain this ratio (or any ratio) we can, at the very least, get close to creating this ideal ratio for our pets by using finely ground egg shells as a calcium supplement.
When the body is getting the proper ratio of calcium to phosphorus, then this will help prevent a calcium deficiency, will further help prevent calcium related health problems and will also help prevent problems that are indirectly caused by an imbalance in the calcium to phosphorus ratio.

Suggested Doses of Ground Egg Shells

Ground egg shells are extremely high in calcium and contain virtually no phosphorus.
1 teaspoon of ground egg shells contains approximately 1900 mg of calcium. This is a whopping amount of calcium!
Different meats contain different amounts of calcium and phosphorus. Therefore, ideally I would like to provide a specific amount of calcium based on the meat being fed to help create the 2:1 ratio. However, since ground egg shells are so concentrated and the difference in the amount of phosphorus in meats is relatively speaking minute, it would be difficult to successfully make serving amounts for ground egg shells that could easily be given for each meat. So for simplicity's sake, I have created 1 chart for all meats.
Based on my evaluation of the nutritional analysis of various meats, the amount suggested is quite close to creating the ideal 2:1 ratio.
Now wait, I know what some of you are thinking! You are thinking... how do I know how much meat I am going to be feeding anyway?
Well, not to worry — Part 3 of my book explains how to make and feed. You can also read the page earlier about feeding.
So add the following amount of ground egg shells using the table below:

Weight of Meat 	                Ground Egg Shells



100 grams                       1/4 tsp
200 grams                       1/2 tsp
300 grams                       2/3 tsp
400 grams                       3/4 tsp




1/4 pound                       1/4 tsp
1/2 pound                       1/2 tsp
3/4 pound                       3/4 tsp
1 pound                         1 tsp



1 Jumbo Egg or 1 Large Egg      1/8 tsp
2 Jumbo Eggs or 2 Large Eggs    1/4 tsp
4 Jumbo Eggs of 4 Large Eggs    1/2 tsp
6 Jumbo Eggs of 6 Large Eggs    3/4 tsp
8 Jumbo Eggs of 8 Large Eggs    1 tsp

How To Make Ground Egg Shell Powder

If you have access to enough egg shells and if you have the inclination, you can make your own finely ground egg shell powder.
Remember, even if you don't have enough egg shells, you can always ask friends, neighbors, relatives and others to save their egg shells for you.
Choose the direction based on the type of eggs you are using...
Free Range Eggs:

1. Simply collect egg shells.
2. Wash egg shells (optional). If you do wash the egg shells, it's easier to wash the egg shells before you crack them than after.
3. Let the egg shells dry on the stove top, in a gas oven (the pilot light will dry the egg shells) or in the sun.
4. Once the egg shells are dry, bake them at 300° F. This helps to make the egg shells even more dry and brittle for easier grinding.
5. Add egg shells to a blender, grinder, etc and grind. Keep grinding until there are no sharp pieces. The egg shells should become a powder although most likely it will not be a fine powder. Use a sifter or strainer to remove large and sharp pieces of egg shells.

Non Free Range Eggs:

1. Simply collect egg shells.
2. Wash the egg shells. It's easier to wash the egg shells before you crack them than after.
3. Let the egg shells dry on the stove top, in a gas oven (the pilot light will dry the egg shells) or in the sun.
4. Once the egg shells are dry, bake them at 300° F. This helps to make the egg shells even more dry and brittle for easier grinding. In addition, this helps to get rid of the mineral oils that have been applied to the egg shells to keep them from drying out in the store.
5. Add egg shells to a blender, grinder, etc and grind. Keep grinding until there are no sharp pieces. The egg shells should become a powder although most it likely will not be a fine powder. Use a sifter or strainer to remove large and sharp pieces of egg shells.

Editor's Paw Note

If you are unable or don't have the time to make your own ground egg shell supplement, then you can order a ground egg shell supplement which is found in my online store.

Well, That Was Eggshellent Information

I know that was eggshellent information but there is more to come. Keep reading:

• Why Feed Natural Homemade Pet Food?
• Let's Take A Closer Look A Natural Homemade Pet Food
• An Early Conclusion About Natural Homemade Pet Food
• Feeding — How Much To Feed Dogs and Cats
• Water — Pets Drink Water While Eating
• The Importance of Calcium
• How To Make Your Own Calcium Supplement
• Pet Supplements — A Quick Introduction
• The Benefits of Enzymes
• Nutritive Herbs

Source: Pets Need Wholesome Food Also @ pet-grub.com
Copyright 2012 by pet-grub.com. Used with permission.

Time to Interview Your Vets!

***Puppy Families****
We are a few weeks prior to breeding and there are some things you can be doing now to get ready for your new best friend!  this is one suggestion. Watch for more as the weeks go by! 

Now is a great time to be getting your Vet picked, whether it is a traditional vet that respects your choices in how you will care for your puppy, an Integrative-Holistic vet, a vet practicing classical homeopathy or a Small Animal Naturopath. Interview a few and then make your decision. Right now there is no rush and no pressure to make a choice. You have time to research, v

isit the practice and talk one on one with the vet.
Some tips on things to look for and to consider.
1. Do not compromise. If you dont feel like you click with one vet, there are 20 more waiting to get your business! Walk away now!
2. You should be the one making decisions about your pet, not the vet telling you what you will & wont do. Refer to #1
3. You should feel your questions and beliefs about your pet's care are valued and respected. If you are not feeling that refer back to #1.
4. You should not be constantly bombarded by sales pressure and advertisement. Whether the decor is solely furnished by pet food and drug companies or the vet seems more like a high pressure car salesman, that is not a good place to be, refer to #1
5. If the vet does not support a 100% raw diet, refer to #1

6. If the vet tries to scare you into buying products you didnt come there for or vaccines you already said you dont want, refer to #1. 

7. Your vet should not be-little, poo-poo, or automatically disregard information and opinion you bring. If this happens... you got it! see #1!
A good vet will admit they may not know as much as they could about some subjects. A good vet will get down on the floor with your pup(barring physical limitations) and will gently coax your puppy to come to them, not force the pup or grab them and hold them roughly. A good vet will be a gentle teacher and will offer you alternatives and flexibility and a chance to learn about something before insisting you go along with their way. You should always feel comfortable taking to your vet just like your own physician. You should be able to have open and honest discussions about how you want your pet cared for, bring in literature for discussion, and expect your stance to be given consideration and respect. Ultimately the decision is yours, it is YOUR dog.
I have not always completely agreed with everything my vet suggests, but I do feel she respects my opinion and I listen to her and she listens to me and she ultimately accepts my carefully considered decision.

Dont put it off until it is time to pick up your puppy or time for his/her checkup. Get this out of the way so you can concentrate on that bundle of cuteness coming your way in a few months!
If you need help finding someone or some preliminary literature regarding Natural Rearing, please message, email, or call me!

 — at East Tennessee Dingos.

the Power of Pawsitive Thinking

I have been thinking about the power of the mind, in relation to training your dog or feeding a new protein source or just determining who gets that choice spot on the sofa, all of these can become issues with your raw fed dog or your Carolina Dog, well, any dog for that matter!  If you are uncertain or wishy-washy in your mind, dogs can tell!

I have heard of people who are having troubles "trying" to make the switch to raw feeding. Suddenly a dog is a food bully. Upon starting to feed raw food, one of their dogs becomes a resource guarder or even becomes aggressive with them. Behaviors that are not normal for the dogs and  inevitably get blamed on the "raw meat" myth that feeding raw makes dogs 'bloodthirsty". Utterly ridiculous, but it happens so often.

Also I hear of Carolina Dog adopters and even owners who have had their CDs since puppy hood say that their CD destroys furniture and personal items, bolts through the door and jumps on their neighbors. CDs are supposed to have a "pack" mentality in regards to their family and home and they are not usually destructive of anything in their "den" unless they are not given rules, boundaries and limitations.

How is a loving kind owner supposed to enforce those rules, boundaries, and limitations? What can be done? Maybe a better question is why do the animals suddenly act this way?

I learned this firsthand through my own experiences with my Carolina Dogs and Raw Feeding. Like him or hate him, Caesar Milan taught me this principle. I watched his shows for months prior to getting my first CD. Also the advice given by the breeder of my dogs, Jane Gunnell, meshed with this way of thinking.

Upon getting my first CD puppy I determined in my mind that no matter if I had never been able to potty train a dog or keep one from bolting through the door, I was going to have the mindset that I am in charge and I am the pack leader. I became totally sold out to the idea, after all, the many other methods I had used in the past had not worked for me.
I remember seeing an episode of the Dog Whisperer, where CM was explaining to the despairing dog owner that they needed to visualize the dog responding exactly the way they wanted, not visualizing how the dog could screw up. That made a major impact on me. I was determined to try it! (Upon proof-reading this, I realized that that last sentence was confusing. I was not going to try it, I was going to do it! )

In each training session and every interaction with my new puppy I did visualize him doing exactly the right thing. I saw  Cooter, in my mind, stopping when I asked him to wait at the door and not him bolting out past me to go after the cat. I saw Daisy dropping whatever object she had in her mouth as soon as I said "Drop It" And you know what? It worked! I didn't have to get physical or punish my dog in any way. It really is all about how we think!

How does it work? Well, when it comes to dealing with a Carolina Dog, we know that they are supremely intuitive. They can read our body language. CDs can tell if we are weak in our determination. Subconsciously, if we are thinking "failure" in our minds, then our body projects "failure" in our presence and posture. CDs can assuredly read that and WILL take advantage of it!

If you feel sorry for your CD and  what she went through in her past, she will sense your weakness and inability to be firm with her on a problem issue(chewing, bolting, resource guarding, etc). You will end up with a dog that develops bad habits, some of which could be dangerous. Worst case scenario- escape, illness, or surrender to a animal shelter could result.

For example, I am not meaning that you think in your mind: "I'm opening the door, I hope the dog does not dash out past me. I'm really scared he will and will get hit by a car. Oh crap please don't let that happen! Now Sweetie, you stay over there please while Mommy opens the door a crack and peeks out. No! Stay BAAACK! Arrgghh!" - You KNOW you have done this!!!! LOL
I am meaning the situation goes like this: You, with a strong calm presence back the dog away from the door and entry area until he has given you a good amount of space, so he is not crowding you or the door or entry. You put the dog in a down/stay and firmly say 'Wait' . You visualize Sweetie staying right in that spot until you release him. You turn and open the door and  greet your visitor and invite them in. Then you release Sweetie and praise him and allow him to calmly greet the visitor.

Does that whole scenario happen every time someone comes to our door? No. And that is my fault. My dogs can pick up on my weakness, inattention, nervousness, or agitation or even happiness and will show the same amount of 'excitement' that I am projecting. They will bark and "alert" me  that there is a stranger at the door. That is their "job" when we are home alone all day.  I do try to use each time somebody knocks on our door as a training exersize. Sometimes I don't get to play it out like I would like to, due to visitor urgency or whatever.  But I try to practice at least some parts of our ritual. I am confident that I can open the door and my dogs WILL respect me & 'my' doorway and will not bolt through. I know that I can ask them to back up and give me space at the door.

Another scenario that I commonly practice visualization is with feeding. Whether I am feeding a new food or feeding my dogs as a pack in the yard. I visualize them eating the food like it is their favorite. I also visualize and insist on them respecting each other's space and food.
Early on in my raw feeding journey I experienced my dogs refusing to eat something new. Thinking back I always had that worry in my mind; "I hope they will eat this turkey(or fish or whatever). What if they don't?  It was expensive, if they don't eat it  I will be out that money and they will have nothing to eat! "
When I realized what I was doing, I almost smacked myself in the head! Doh! They can tell I, their pack leader,  am worried about this new food. "It must be dangerous, or bad. Better not eat this!" They probably are reading from my body language!
When I next fed a new food, I made sure I was thinking happy thoughts, positive about them eating the new food, thinking how nutritious it would be for them, how yummy they would think it is. And yet again, It worked! They ate it with no problem!

These are just some examples of the power of Pawsitive Thinking I have experienced. I hope you learned something that you can apply to your journey with your Raw Fed dog or Carolina Dog!



Remember Visualize Pawsitive thoughts!