Category: Healthy Dogs

THE DOODLES & POODLES NATURALLY FAMILY

Healthy Dogs

It all started when Denise and Dave adopted their first Black Standard Poodle with the passion to breed better and healthier puppies for families to enjoy as much as they do. It wasn’t long before their family members fell in love with Doodle and Poodle breeds so much that they became Guardian Homes for companion and ethical breeding as well!

Collectively, we make up Doodles & Poodles Naturally.

  • Dave & Denise with one of their amazing grandchildren.

Denise and Dave

Denise is a Certified Natural Health Professional and Master Herbalist and lives in Council Bluffs, Iowa. For almost thirty years, she taught classes in alternative healthcare and considered herself to be a teacher and a coach to those who sought a healthy lifestyle. Now she is semi-retired and describes herself as an animal advocate and a coach for their human companions. Her familiarity with natural health options and modalities makes her an essential team member to the Doodles and Poodles Naturally family. She works alongside the other Guardian Families to ensure the health and wellbeing of both the breeding dogs and their puppies. Denise and her husband, Dave, have five grown children, several grandchildren, and a household of beloved, furry, family members including, Goldendoodles, Standard Poodles, and one Aussiedoodle. Dave is an amazing builder who designs, builds and refines the whelping boxes and puppy nursery areas for Guardian Homes. Recently, Dave built a wood deck, paw bridge, and tree bench as more space to enjoy with the dogs outside amidst the nearly 2 acres of rolling hills in he and Denise’s backyard.

Going for Walks with Your Dog

Exploring, Healthy Dogs, Optimum Dog Health, Puppy Care

Paw care

According to Dr. Marty Goldstein, it is never a good idea to take your dog for a walk on a hot sidewalk or black asphalt without first testing it. Your shoes protect you, but paw pads can suffer from the heat. He suggests before going for a walk on a hot day, that you press your hand against the pavement to test the heat. If you can’t do this comfortably for at least 5-7 seconds, it’s too hot for your dog’s paws.

Generally dogs should not be in the sun for any more then short periods of time, and the best time to walk your dog is before 11:00 a.m and after 4:00 p.m. Dr. Goldstein suggests that to avoid heat exhaustion, make sure your dog has access to water and a shady spot to rest. Even with these cautions, watch for excessive panting, and if your dog seems to be showing signs of lethargy, or exhaustion. If this happens you should cool them down as quickly as you can and provide them with cool water to drink. If you are still concerned, he suggests you take him to a vet to be checked out.

Another issue that has become more common in recent years is poisoning by lawn chemicals. This is something few people think about, yet skin problems and paw chewing, both a sign of chemical exposure, have become one of the leading causes as to why people take their dogs to the vet.

Even with rain and/or watering treated grass, the ground that is chemically treated may be unsafe for puppies and young children for as long as two years. To test for safety, a soil sample can be tested by your state. Contact your state Agricultural department to find out where to send it in your state.


Dog paws can get damaged in the winter, too. If your dog is like mine, they love the snow and cold temperatures and want to stay out for long periods of time. Just like children though, they should be monitored with care and brought in where they have shelter as soon as they appear to be getting cold. Short walks are harmless, but overexposure can lead to frostbite. If you plan on being out in the snow for a long time with your dog, you might want to consider purchasing dog boots.

Parvo, the Clinic Disease

Diseases, Healthy Dogs, Pet Vaccines

One of the breeders we purchased a poodle puppy from called me one morning in a panic. She knew I used holistic support for my dogs and my family and was hoping I could give her some suggestions for 2 of her puppies she was afraid she might be losing. It was a Friday and both of these puppies were scheduled to fly to their new homes on the weekend. I asked her what she thought the problem was and she said “parvo.”

 

She had taken them to the veterinarian just two days earlier for their healthy puppy exam, where nothing was found to be wrong with them. Friday morning they were both sick and had all of the symptoms of parvo. The first thing she said she did was call the veterinarian, where the receptionist, who wasn’t at all surprised with the news about the new illness, told her the puppies probably got it when she brought them to the clinic. They offered no solution.

 

Another story I heard came from a lady who had an adult dog get symptoms of modified parvo virus after playing in a neighbor’s yard. Because he was an adult, she thought his symptoms couldn’t possibly be parvo. She assumed it was something he had eaten in the neighbor’s yard, but symptoms got worse over the week until he was passing mucousy, bloody diarrhea. When she sought help, it was suggested she give a homeopathic remedy made from the parvo vaccine, so it would be the same resistant form he would have been exposed to. It was explained to her that this would more appropriately support her dog’s immune system in detoxing the vaccine toxins. She gave three doses the first day and symptoms were greatly improved by evening. The next day he was himself again.

 

Out of curiosity, I asked her about the her neighbor’s dogs, and she said they didn’t have them anymore. After my initial shock, I asked why she felt this came from their yard if they didn’t have any dogs? She proceeded to tell me about the thirty years they bred, trained and showed hunting dogs. In fact, she said, they have a whole room in their house dedicated to dog ribbons and trophies. Knowing they no longer had dogs, I asked if she knew how long it had been since they had dogs in that yard. I wanted to know how long the laboratory-created resistant strains of bacteria, viruses and pathogens can live in the soil from vaccines. I had heard theories and read comments from scientists and doctors on the topic, but hadn’t come across a real live scenario that may shed some light on the topic. She learned that it had been 22 years since the last vaccinated dog was in their yard! What does that say about dog parks?!

 

In dogs, parvo has become a “disease” in the past 40 years, according to  Drs Pitcairn and Hamilton, both veterinarians, and they believe it is from vaccine exposure.

 

According to holistic veterinarians, this is considered an iatrogenic (doctor caused) disorder, most commonly caused by exposure to the Parvo and Feline panleukopenia virus vaccines, either from the vaccine itself or an animal who has recently gotten the vaccine. 

 

We aren’t veterinarians, and wouldn’t presume to tell you what to do for your pet, but what we can do is share with you the list of things we found in our research to both stop doing and to start doing, in order to support your pet’s health from this point forward. As always, we recommend consulting with a Naturopath that works with animals or Holistic Veterinarian. 

 

Homeopathy

Baptisia (offensive, watery, dark, bloody diarrhea, and pet is very weak), China (Cinchona), Phosphorus, Parvo vaccine remedy, Feline Panleukopenia virus vaccine remedy.

 

Parvaid, by Amber Technology is another homeopathic for Parvo. It can be found at  www.wolfcreekranch.net which is also a website that includes more information.  

 

Environment

To avoid your dog from being exposed to parvo, you might consider avoiding veterinarian clinics/offices where vaccines are done.

 

If you want a veterinarian, it has been suggested to find a house call veterinarian. The benefit is that they can come to your home, away from sick animals and vaccine caused resistant strains of diseases. They also don’t need to push vaccines to pay for their clinic costs.

 

Avoid places, such as dog parks, kennels, stores, etc., where dogs go that may have been recently vaccinated because, like people, they will “shed” their vaccine for at least 10 days after the vaccine is given.

 

Aggression in Dogs

Dog Issues, Healthy Dogs, Nutrition

It is not hard to find stories of dogs being aggressive anymore, although this didn’t used to be true. Like some of the holistic vets, I wonder if this isn’t due to what we are exposing them to, or even from vaccine damage to the brain and nervous system. I have personally been told many stories of aggressive dogs that were helped when the offending substance was eliminated. Here is one story:

Teresa had a sweet, loving bichon frise. Her dog loved the children in their neighborhood. When she was two years old Theresa took her to the vet to have something checked on her and she was given a distemper-parvo vaccine. Not at all what she was there for, or wanted her dog to have, but they did it anyway. Within 24 hours the dog became aggressive. It growled at her children and the neighborhood children. By the end of the week, there was no change in her attitude and Teresa was considering putting the dog down rather then risking a law suit for a dog bite. Before doing so, in an effort to save the dog, she took it to someone who was familiar with vaccines and their damage potential to the brain. This person made a homeopathic remedy for her from the dog’s saliva in an attempt to stop, and hopefully even reverse the damage that was occurring to the dog’s brain. She said she gave her dog three doses of the homeopathic saliva remedy and then waited to see if it helped. Within 24 hours she had her sweet dog back. She said it worked so well that it was like flipping a switch. I know that isn’t very scientific, but this is not the only story like this that I have heard.

Another story involved a one year old standard poodle that lunged at a four-year-old in an attempt to bite him. Then there was a bichon mix who, on several occasions, lunged at and tried to bite children. Even another dog was just a 10 week old puppy who, 2 weeks after receiving her parvo-distemper vaccine, growled unprovoked at a three year old child. And last, an 8 year old little boy and his golden retriever who were both described as having a “Doctor Jeckyl & Mr. Hyde personality” by the boy’s father. The change in personality occurred shortly after the dog received his vaccines. The little boy, in this last case, slept with his dog which means there was plenty of exposure to the boy from the dog’s vaccines. In all of these cases, the dogs (and the little boy) went to a person who gave them the Distemper-Parvo vaccine homeopathic remedy. All had the same “flipping a switch” reaction.

What was most interesting in all of these stories, was that it wasn’t just the family or owner of the dogs that noticed the changes after the homeopathic remedy was given. For example, in the last story, the little boy’s teacher was so surprised by the changes she witnessed in him that she called his mother to ask what she had given him. He was not only calmer and more cooperative, but she said his school work was rapidly improving. She was hoping the mother had found a “miracle supplement” that she, the teacher, could tell other parents about who also had children struggling in school.

Dr. Pitcairn said he found dogs sometimes become aggressive, destructive, and even hysterical after receiving a vaccine. In his 20 years of practice he witnessed a dramatic difference between pets that were vaccinated and those not vaccinated. Pets not vaccinated have less illness, better coats, they tend not to attract parasites and are generally healthier overall.

Additionally, Dr. Don Hamilton, DVM in his book Homeopathic Care for Cats & Dogs says “A second type of aggression can arise as a consequence of anesthesia with ketamine (Ketaset) or tiletamine (Telazol).”

As you can see, doctors have found chemicals used on animals as the underlying cause of dog aggression.

We aren’t veterinarians, and wouldn’t presume to tell you what to do for your pet, but what we can do is share with you the list of things we found in our research to both stop doing and to start doing, in order to support your pet’s health from this point forward. As always, we recommend you consult with a Holistic Veterinarian or a Naturopath that works with animals.

Homeopathy

Belladonna, Hepar sulph, Hydrophobinum or Rabies vaccine remedy (especially if there is also a fear of water), Hyoscyamus, Lachesis, Lyssin, Mercurius, Nux Vomica, Stramonium, Thuja (after any vaccine is given), CoronaVir vaccine remedy (if aggression is toward moving objects, such as cars or bikes), Distemper & ParvoVirus vaccine remedy combination (if aggression is primarily aimed at children); ParvoVir & Tetanus Vaccine combination remedy (aggression is aimed at people of all ages and a thyroid imbalance appears to be involved); Rabies vaccine remedy (aggression aimed at other animals), Parainfluenza vaccine remedy (aggression is more like rage).

Nutrition

More organic meat, or raw meat in the diet.

Detox

Vaccines you might consider detoxing: Parvo & Distemper together, Rabies, ParaInfluenza, Tetanus.

Herbs & Supplements

Feverfew capsules or extract supports the health and normal circulation to the brain. It also supports the elimination of headaches if that is a factor, and if it started within six months after vaccines were received.

Environment

Avoid poison exposure, including toxic dewormers, pesticide shampoos, pesticide sprays, pesticide ointments, and collars that contain chemical pesticides, all of these weaken the immune system. 

Consider using natural products on the lawn pets have to walk on.

Consider getting titers on dog before revaccinating.. According to Don Hamilton, DVM., in his book Homeopathic Care for Cats & Dogs, “Aggressive animals are much more prevalent these days than ever before” and many holistic vets are suspecting vaccinations as the main cause.

As always, we recommend you consult a Naturopath that works with animals. 

Grooming My Dog is Making Us Sick

Companion Breeding, Grooming, Health Support, Healthy Dogs

Besides vaccines and bad diets, pet owners commonly use chemical shampoos on their animals without a thought as to the consequences to both their pets and themselves. Some of the shampoos contain chemicals that have been found to be dangerous to get on your skin. What does that mean? It means you shouldn’t pick up or hold your pet after the shampoo has been used on them.

These chemicals readily absorb into the animal’s system (and your hands). This is how chemicals  can cause lethargy, seizures, irritability, abnormal cell growth, and many other symptoms for the dogs. It may also take more than a simple bath to get the chemicals off of the animal as well. Because they get into his system, it may take days or weeks for them to be excreted from the body entirely. The next time you take one of your pets to a groomer, ask to see the label on the products they plan to use, or take a picture. Once home, look up the ingredients to make sure they are safe.

Here is an example of what can happen with the chemical shampoos:

I was talking with a friend who’s mother owned a shih tzu that went to a groomer on a regular basis. She knew I was interested in natural healthcare and asked to consult with me regarding her mom’s issue. It seems that both her mother and her mother’s dog had developed skin problems that were “unexplainable,” according to the doctor. The vet didn’t have any ideas either.

I was curious about the rash, so I asked, if it wasn’t too personal, could she tell me where it was located? It was on each palm, wrist, and forearm, the center of her chest, and at the top, front of her legs (just the front of her legs). Then she explained that she didn’t put anything different on these areas that would cause the rash or would explain why it would be located in just those places. Knowing her dog also had a skin problem, I asked where she commonly held her dog. “Well,” she said, “in my lap when I’m sitting and in my arms when I’m standing.”

As she answered the question, her eyes widened. “And,” she added as if an after thought, “he lays on my chest, or against it when I sleeps at night.” At this point, she had figured it out herself. The grooming chemicals were connected to the rash outbreaks on them both. Unfortunately, the groomer refused to hear about the chemicals in these products or make any changes to accommodate and keep clients. 

A few months later, I talked with another lady who had a similar issue. This dog owner decided to ask her groomer to change the shampoo she had been using on her dog to a non-toxic product. She was even willing to provide the natural product for the groomer. Sadly, the groomer’s response was also close-ended. The groomer said she was “unwilling to be responsible for the use of a product (the natural product) in case it might cause health problems on her dog.” Health problems? It couldn’t have been more opposite. Sometimes you just have to keep looking, until you have an open minded, more informed groomer. Personally, we groom our own dogs to ensure no toxic ingredients or chemicals are used.

Puppy Litter Visit to the Veterinarian

Healthy Dogs

Last month, December 2016, our litter of eleven standard poodle puppies went to the veterinarian for their first check-up. They were just 6 weeks of age, and what a fun trip. All eleven were put in a large, uncovered rubbermaid tub to make the trip a little easier on the humans, as well as enabling the puppies to be emotional support to each other. 

Once at the veterinary clinic, we were sent back to an empty room at the back of the clinic to wait for the veterinarian. Very soon thereafter, a number of excited vet techs and other, non-attending veterinarians, joined us. They even brought some of their regular patients from the waiting room with them to see the “beautiful puppies.”

Each puppy had their turn on the table with the vet and her technician as they did the examinations. Respirations were taken, hearts were checked for murmurs, temperatures and weight were taken, eyes and ears and even muscle tone was examined. Their tummies were checked for the presence of umbilical hernias and other issues, and the males were checked for testicle placement, whether descended or still undescended. Much to their surprise, the males already had descended testicles. At six weeks of age! Come to find out, this isn’t common among puppies anymore. It should be common because it is normal, but so many puppies these days have undescended testicles into their first year of life and beyond. 

When asked if the puppies had had their first vaccines yet, they were told about our use of homeopathic nosodes for immunization, rather then chemical vaccines. Ironically, it was a vet at the same clinic who, just two years earlier, told me off the record that the puppy vaccines are the #1 killer of puppies; therefore, we use alternative forms of puppy immunization. We use homeopathy, also known as nosodes, which are safe, effective, and have no side-effects. Could it be any better then that?! The vet doing the examination was just asking for an explanation of how the homeopathic nosodes worked, as another vet entered the room. This second vet, who happens to use nosodes on his children for immunization rather then vaccines, was able to answer all of her questions. What a blessing. In the end, they asked if they could take pictures of the puppies and feature them on their website. The whole visit was an answer to prayer.