Off to a Great Start!

Early natural care gives pets the best chance for a long, healthy life

Many people have become aware of the benefits of a more holistic approach to pet care. More pets then ever are fed raw food diets, treated with herbs and homeopathy and given chiropractic adjustments. People who have switched their adult pets over to a raw diet and natural care have seen what a difference it makes. After seeing these benefits many owners want their next pet to be raised naturally from day one.

Breeders and Natural Rearing

For people looking to add a purebred puppy or kitten to their family there are a growing number of breeders who raise their animals holistically. These breeders feed a raw diet to the their breeding dogs or cats, wean puppies directly on to raw food, vaccinate sparingly if at all, avoid using chemicals, take their animals to a holistic veterinarian and allow puppies or kitten to grow up as naturally as possible by not force weaning them and allowing them lots of room to play and develop muscle.

Finding such a breeder may be a little difficult. You may want to start your search on the internet. There are several email lists on Yahoo for natural breeders. Naturalrearing.com also has a list of natural dog breeders. Naturally reared puppies and kittens tend to be more substantial and have better disease resistance then those who are traditionally raised.

Switching Over

Not everyone is able to start off with a puppy or kitten from a natural breeder. Perhaps you’ve been unable to locate a natural breeder or you decided to adopt a homeless puppy or kitten. Switching your new pet over to a raw diet should be pretty simple, since they haven’t had much time to become picky eaters. To ensure a smooth transition add a digestive supplement such as Fasttrack for the first few weeks.

Some people prefer to switch slowly over the course or a week or two. This can be done by giving the food your puppy or kitten has been eating for half the meals and raw food for half the meals. Then you will simply take one meal of the old food away every couple of days and replace it with a meal of raw food.

Others find that switching “cold turkey” is best and they simply start feeding raw when they bring their new pet home.

An important benefit to feeding growing animals the raw food diet is slow, even growth. Raw fed puppies and kittens don’t tend to go through extreme growth “spurts” and are less likely to suffer joint problems.

Health Care

For health care it is ideal if you can find a holistic veterinarian in your area. A holistic veterinarian ensures your pet will be treated naturally whenever possible as well as offering a great person to give you advice about holistic pet care. To find a holistic veterinarian visit: www.ahvma.org/referral/

If possible try to avoid using chemicals such as sprays and spot ons for flea prevention. Extra garlic added to your pet’s diet during flea season will help make your pets less tasty to fleas. A natural flea repellant spray can be made by pouring boiling water over thinly sliced lemons and rosemary sprigs. Let the mixture steep for a day, then strain and put in a spray bottle. This mixture helps keep insects away and leaves your pet’s coat shiny and soft.

For cats use an earth friendly litter such as Yesterday’s News or Papurr. These litters prevent odor better and are more absorbent than regular litter.

Vaccinations

Many veterinarians are currently following the vaccine protocol given by Dr. Jean Dodd. Dr. Dodd is an internationally recognized authority in veterinary hematology and immunology who recommends core vaccinations which all animals should have. The core vaccinations for dogs are Distemper, Adenovirius, Parvoviris and Rabies. The core vaccinations for cats are Feline Parvovirius, Herpesvirus, Calicivirus and Rabies. Vaccines are started at 8 weeks and given 3-4 weeks apart until 16 weeks. Another vaccine is given after 6 months (usually at a year). Dr. Dodds believes this should offer a lifetime of immunity. Titering can be done to check immunity levels.

Exercise and Fresh Air

Allow your young pet to have all the natural exercise they want. Puppies shouldn’t be forced to exercise, such as jogging or biking with them until they are fourteen months old, which is when the growth plates close.

Sunshine is important for all animals especially puppies and kittens. With the many dangers of suburban life it is unsafe to allow your kitten to free roam outdoors. Instead it is easy to convert a dog kennel into a “cat kennel” where they can climb and lay in the sun safely. Provide your puppy with fun places to explore in your yard and maybe a nice place to dig.

Advantages of Naturally Raised Pets

There are many advantages that a naturally raised pet has over other pets. The advantages include:

• More even growth
• Better muscle development
• A healthier immune system
• Fewer parasites
• Enhanced well being