Right now I’m reading a book called HERBS FOR PETS – The Natural Way to Enhance Your Pet’s Life. The authors are Gregory Tilford and Mary Wulff. This is a great book to read if you like to try and integrate a more holistic approach into your pet’s healthcare. I have a crew of 5 small dogs, several of whom have serious health issues, and so I’m continually trying to educate myself on best practices to managing their health, and for me that involves integrating western medicine and the so-called “alternative” medicines/practices: seeing a holistic vet, visiting chiropractors, and incorporating acupuncture and herbs. It can be tricky, as sometimes I feel like I’m caught in the middle of conflicting opinions about what avenues to take in treating my dogs, but ultimately the extra work helps me make more informed decisions and I learn a LOT along the way. We are lucky to have really good vets and other animal care practitioners here in Bellingham. Choices are good, even if the choices sometimes feel weighty.
A couple of people have asked me recently about dog foods: I like to refer people to Whole Dog Journal and their annual dog food review. I’m not an expert but I do know that WDJ provides solid dog food advice and there are many excellent kibbles to choose from. My dogs eat home-made diets and my biggest quest right now is finding a source of meat from animals that have been humanely raised. I don’t eat meat anymore myself, but my dogs need it and I would like to be sure that what they eat isn’t full of hormones and all the other things that unfortunately are found all too often in animal feed and our foodchain in general. The current issue of BARK magazine has a good article on this subject.
Til next time. . . .