We hope that you tuned in for the 4th episode of phoodcast all about our pets. We touched on lots of different ways to help your pets keep it real so they stay healthy and stick around.
Between us, we have 4 pets:
Bearly is a 4 year old Alaskan Malamute,
Sorta is a 6 year old Lynx Siamese kitty,
Ladd is a 2.5 year old pitbull mix and
S’more is a 5 year old guinea pig.
They are both really good at this whole social media thing.
Some of the things we do to keep them healthy is feed them a good quality food. Ladd gets his grub from Costco - Kirkland Signature Nature's Domain Organic. Its grain free and filled with meat. He loves it. Ladd will also get a cooked egg, some chicken or turkey - NOT DELI MEAT THOUGH - or something else that we might be having to eat.
Miss Bearly eats Natural Balance Synergy Grain Free Food. Because its really dry in Colorado, she also gets a big scoop of coconut oil once a day and fish oil the other. Here's some info as to why coconut oil is a good idea. Both keep her skin and coat moisturized and the fish oils also helps keep her cardio vascular system strong. She also gets 2 glucosamine pills with MSM a day to help her joints healthy. She’s a big dog so we want to stave off hip dysplasia as long as possible. We also minimize her joint impacts with a ramp so she doesn’t have to leap in and out of our trucks.
It probably sounds like spoiling, but isn’t that point of a pet. Most of them already live shorter lives than we do, don’t you want them to stick around and be happy for as long a possible? Plus, in doing so, you’re likely to save money at the Vet!
Bearly also gets plenty of healthy “people” food like pumpkin, chicken, spinach and whatever else we might be having. I never understood why not giving your dog people food was a badge of honor… they need real food, just like we do. Kibble is easy, but it should be their only meals, all the time. They need a well-rounded diet, too.
Now… I say that, but then here comes the kitty. She gets Instinct Raw Boost Grain Free Recipe. It has bits of freeze dried meat in it. She, of course, eats all those first and then cries that she’s out food, but there’s a ton of kibble left in the bowl. Yes, we try to keep both animals grain free. Cats and dogs don’t really eat grains in the wild. They’ll snack on the occasional grass or flowers (or in our case, tree bark??), but it’s not a staple so we don’t make it one either. We’ve tried to supplement her with other food over the years, but she doesn’t really eat it, so we stopped. She’s happy with her freeze-dried meat and kibble.
One important thing to remember about feeding your dogs is that they are carnivores. They need Organ Meats, Omega 3s and Prebiotics in their diets. These will increase serotonin to stabilize moods, keep their tummies moving easily and provide vitamins and minerals.
Please, for the love of all things puppy, do not let your fluffer eat any food filled with:
Preservatives (like BHT, BHA or Propelyne Glycol),
Fillers (such as grains, soy, wheat, or corn - highly inflammator) or
Meat By Products (legally, this can be feces - yummy).
Of course, there are all kinds of other pets out there, like birds and snakes and, but hopefully not in the same house? I have a few friends that have bearded dragons. The point is… treat them well, no matter their breed.
We also use essential oils with and around our pets. Bearly is a huge fan of the diffuser in the living room. Sometimes she barks at it when it’s not going. Sorta can take it or leave it… she’s a cat… she has no general opinion about anything, really. S'more will run in her house if she does not like the smell on your hands. If that is the case, we don't push the issue. Ladd likes everything.
We know there’s been a lot of hubbub going around the interwebs about using oils with pets and bad things happening, but if you do any research at all… they’re low-quality oils, they used WAY more than the recommended usage &/or they used oils that are clearly contra-indicated for their animal. Obviously, step one is use quality products. That’s why we like Young Living for ourselves and our animals. If you “can’t remember” the brand you were using, it’s probably not a quality one.
The YL Blog had a great post this week - such amazing timing - about oils and pets. You can check it out here.
Basically… do your research before you use anything around pets, kids, elderly or yourself. Animals are way smarter than we are. If something is bad for them… they’ll walk away. So start slowly when introducing oils, or anything, And ALWAYS give them an out, so they can leave the area of they need to. OK? Here is a link to a great summary from one of our favorite science nerds, Dr. Lindsay Elmore.
I know that we talk a lot about the Ditch & Switch. Kinda obvious, but it goes for pets, too. Take a look at the list of ingredients of what you’re feeding your them. Are there lots of by products or things that end in “meal.” If so, maybe you want to look around for something that looks a little more like what they might eat in the wild?
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