HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Holistic Health
We take the health of our puppies very seriously. Our priority is that each puppy starts life with a good head start which includes a well-rounded holistic view of health care. Read on to find out some of our beliefs and practices we provide our pack.
Resources to begin your holistic pet care:
Find a Holistic veterinarian in your area - https://www.ahvma.org/find-a-holistic-veterinarian/
https://www.NaturalRearing.com
Homeopathic guide:
http://animalwellnessguide.com/give-homeopathic-remedies-pet/
Holistic Education:
ASEA
Health begins at the cellular level. Appropriate cellular communication is foundational and vital for ours and our pets’ health.
We provide each of our dogs with ASEA, a Cell-Signaling Supplement that has helped many of our animals with their overall health as well as problems that may arise.
Take a look!
Watch: The REDOX Breakthrough by ASEA
Avini Health
Vaccinations
We like to follow a modified vaccine schedule with our puppies. Our first schedule of choice for puppy vaccinations would be the one in the link below. Dr. Backus has been our holistic vet until recently when she moved her clinic to the other end of the state. She still offers phone consultations. If you can, please follow this puppy vaccination schedule:
Dr Jean Dodds Pet Health Resource
We believe the puppy should not be vaccinated too early because the presence of maternal antibodies can block the puppy's immune system from responding appropriately, the puppy receives a toxin that is not useful and may be harmful. We would prefer that our puppies are not vaccinated until 16-22 weeks, but because we know it can be difficult to keep a new puppy isolated from other dogs and need socialization (including puppy classes) they will need some essential vaccinations before they go to their forever homes. The core vaccines are the distemper (CDV), parvo (CPV-2), and adenovirus (CAV).
We will vaccinate for the first core vaccines just before they go to their homes at 8-9 weeks of age, (unless the puppy is staying with us longer then we will wait until 9-10 weeks) and they will be given a homeopathic vaccine detox such as Thuja. We ask that you, the new owners, wait a minimum of two weeks between doses, preferably 3-4 weeks, to give the immune system time to respond properly.
The schedule would be like this:
8-9 weeks: (9-10 weeks preferred) Distemper, Parvo, Adenovirus
11-12 weeks: (14-15 weeks preferred) Distemper, Parvo, Adenovirus.
14-16 weeks: (18 weeks preferred) Parvo - according to Dr. Backus new research is stating that the last dose of Parvo should be at 18 weeks.
4-6 months: (closer to 6 months preferred) Rabies (Mercury free, Thimerosal free) 3-4 weeks apart from other vaccines. *see 1 year Rabies vaccine below for more info.
1 year old: Distemper, Parvo
A homeopathic vaccine detox such as Thuja after each set of vaccinations should be given. (I send this home with each puppy.) See above link for "How to Give Homeopathic Remedies to your Pet". Or just put 5 pellets on a spoon and slide them into your puppies mouth and hold it shut for a few seconds.
A titer test can be checked two or more weeks after the last shot in the series to see whether the puppy's immune system responded in the desirable fashion. You may "boost" at one year, then vaccinate healthy dogs not more than every three years or, better yet, run antibody titers, and see if the dog needs any vaccinations at all. Dr. Schultz and other researchers have data showing that after the initial round, most dogs will have immunity for life. (see vaccination articles links)
You may be able to find a holistic veterinarian in your area with the link above to help you follow this schedule with titer tests.
1 year old: Rabies vaccines are required by law. There is a 1-year and a 3-year, ask for the 3-year, if possible. Give 3-4 weeks apart from other vaccines and do not give a Rabies vaccine at the same time as any other traumatic event is also happening, like spaying or neutering. Request the homeopathic rabies vaccine detoxifier Lyssin or a tautode from your holistic vet. Ask to have the first rabies vaccine after 4 months of age, preferably closer to 6 months, to reduce the risk of an adverse reaction.
Vaccination articles:
http://www.abrl.org/files/vaccinesWDJ0808.pdf
https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2015/08/01/pet-immunization.aspx
Spaying and Neutering
We ask that you wait to alter your male or female until after sexual maturity has been reached. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT to reduce chance of incontinence and other growth issues. In females this means going through at least one heat cycle—two is better. Allowing them to mature can help prevent Female Urinary Incontinence, but the main reason is for the development of the musculoskeletal system. In males, they should be kept intact, barring any behavioral difficulties, until 18 months to 2 years of age. Males that are neutered earlier tend to grow tall and stay more narrow and may have structural issues. The sex hormones play a vital role in proper development of bones and ligaments.
** This will take responsibility on your part to keep your dog from becoming pregnant or impregnating another dog until they are fully mature and can then be spayed or neutered. **
The choice is yours as the new owners, but it is our suggestion that you wait until maturity, for the health and growth of your puppy. We had our first Swissy Saint altered before 6 months and we believe that she has had some growth issues because of that. Her hind legs are noticeably higher than her front legs. She also is having urinary incontinence issues lately as she is getting older. We want you to be aware of this possibility and have informed consent.
Spay and neutering article:
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2016/07/27/neutering-spaying-effects.asp
Nutrition for your Large Breed
Puppy and Dog
Large breed puppies should not be fed puppy food, it may cause a rapid growth that can lead to structural issues. Slow growth should be encouraged. Your puppy is pre-programmed to be a certain size and he will get there eventually. If you feed your puppy kibble, look for a LARGE BREED PUPPY food or an ALL STAGES adult and puppy food. On each bag of dog food there is in small print a nutritional adequacy statement, look that is says "including growth of large size dogs". Choose a Premium Quality food here.
Food we give our dogs: Victor Active Dog and Puppy Food and Annamaet Encore 25%.
https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/
https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/annamaet-dog-food/
We also hydrate the kibble with a little canned or powdered goat's milk mixed with filtered water, which the puppies love. We will send food and goat's milk with your puppy to help transition to the food that you choose to feed.
SUPPLEMENTS
We recommend giving these supplements for large breed puppies and dogs: Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM, Turmeric, Vitamin C, Fish Oil for joint and Musculoskeletal health. We have started our puppies on Annamaet Endure. These brands of combination formulas are recommended:
ion for gut health
We give our dogs and puppies a supplement called IonBiome. We feel that this helps protect our dogs gut microbiome and you can read more about it here: