Our family recently adopted a new puppy (after the loss of our long-time family dog, Daisy, several months ago), so I have been researching and talking to friends who are experts in puppy care and to holistic veterinarians about how to make sure we are raising him in the healthiest way possible.
His name is Frazier (pictured above) and my kids are thoroughly smitten with him. He is a Goldendoodle mix and has a wonderful temperament with the kids.
Natural Puppy Care
We hope to have Frazier around for a long time, so we’ve started feeding him a raw food diet at the recommendation of our vet. He is also the first indoor dog we’ve ever had (much to the chagrin of my husband) so I wanted to find natural and safe ways to make sure he was protected from common pests without using chemicals that would be harmful to our children.
Here are the natural foods and remedies we are using for our new puppy…I’m sure there will be a lot more I’ll be adding to this list over the next several months and years.
Puppy Probiotics
Like humans, dogs have a diverse colony of bacteria that lives in their guts and is vital for health. Many books and websites recommend giving dogs natural, unsweetened yogurt in cases of upset stomach, but I found an even better solution: puppy probiotics!
These Puppy Probiotics were recommended by a friend who is a vet to help properly develop our puppy’s gut bacteria. It has a mix of pre-biotics, probiotics, digestive enzymes, l-glutamine and natural immunoglobulins for parvovirus. (Note: Use the code WMPuppy20 to get 20% off!)
Another pet probiotic that is easy to give (I sprinkle it on food) is from Just Thrive. You may recognize their name as I highly recommend their regular probiotic (for humans!) and many other products they offer.
Natural Puppy Food
When we adopted Frazier, he had been eating a high-quality grain-free dry dog food, which was a decent option, but I decided to switch him to a raw food diet.
Our vet advised that making any type of major dietary change was not advisable for a puppy and might cause an upset stomach, so we made sure he was taking probiotics and slowly started switching him over to a raw food.
This post outlines the diet we are feeding him and how we made the switch.
DIY Puppy Treats
We are in the process of training our puppy, and as any well-trained dog owner knows, it’s much easier to train when using treats as an incentive for good behavior. Of course I didn’t want to use an off the shelf box of conventional dog treats, so I created a simple and healthy treat that I could use for training. I made a batch of my regular homemade dog treats but made them in 1/2 tsp mini-treat sizes so that I could use them for training without over-feeding him.
Now, I keep a batch of these in a jar in the fridge for training times.
Topical Chamomile
I found this suggestion in a book about holistic dog care. It recommended using brewed chamomile tea in several ways:
- Topically for stomach aches
- Using a brewed but cooled chamomile tea bag on a dog’s eyes for conjunctivitis
- Using a compress or spray bottle of brewed tea on skin irritation and itching
- Internally for dogs who have an upset stomach and are easily nervous or have anxiety
Epsom Salt Baths
I love epsom salt baths for myself, but it turns out that the magnesium in epsom salts can be good for dogs too. Thankfully, we haven’t needed this remedy yet, but a book recommended giving a dog an epsom salt bath to help speed recovery of wounds, skin infections, rashes or other external problems. Of course, you’d want to talk to your vet and follow their instructions before doing this.
Diatomaceous Earth
I’ve used Diatomaceous Earth as a natural pest remedy in our home and as an internal cleanser for years, and it is great for dogs as well. Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is a finely powdered natural fossilized form of diatoms, a type of algae.
DE is rich in silica and extremely hard with a negative charge, making it useful in several ways. It’s structure makes it ideal for naturally killing insects and pests (like fleas, ants, etc) and for gently cleansing the digestive system and strengthening hair, skin and nails at the same time (due to the silica content). It’s tiny particles are very sharp, but not harmful to human tissue, though they break down the exoskeleton of insects.
For dogs, it is recommended to use DE externally on their coats to ward off fleas and other pests, and to add a small amount to their food to protect against internal parasites and worms. I’d definitely ask a vet first, but we use a small amount on Frazier’s dry coat after a bath and add a small amount to his food a couple times a week.
Those are all the steps we’re currently using to care for our “wellness puppy”. I’m sure there will be quite a few more I’ll be writing about soon.
Do you have any pets? What are your best natural pet care tips? Please share below!
What a great article! We have been using Vivamune Chews for a few years now and could not be happier. We prefer to go the natural route first and when our dog started shedding excessively and scratching we had a choice between the prescription medication our vet was offering or to try something natural first. We tried fish oils and probiotics and while they all worked fine, they were a nightmare to give (our sheltie has very particular tastes!). A friend told me about the Vivamune and we figured we had nothing to lose. I am so happy we tried them! They are like three supplements in one and our dog LOVES them so it’s like giving a treat. His skin and coat look amazing and best of all – no more scratching! I’ve now become one of “those” pet moms and I love telling people about these “treats with benefits” as my husband calls them. 🙂
Do you have a homemade cat food post? That would be a really good one, since I’d like to see if I can give my cat a raw, organic diet.
Great article, Katie! I’ve been looking into purchasing a puppy (haven’t found one that’s for sale at the right prices), so I’ve found your article very helpful. When I get one, I’ll be sure to only give him natural puppy food. How has your dog liked being on the raw food diet? I’m not sure if I could afford it, but it’s sure with a try!
Lily de Grey
Hi, bone broth soups are great for dogs too (like humans). Glucosamine, gelatin vitamins and minerals all beneficial for your pooch. I often make this for myself and my beloved pooch too (additional to bones and her standard diet etc), is not to be missed. While I don’t know a great deal about the effects of bone broth soups and gut health in dogs, I do understand how good it is for building and repairing the gut in humans (see also GAPS diet particularly).
What about a dog with diabetes? Would there be anything, besides a whole food/raw food diet that would help? She is currently on insulin shots and would certainly be better off with a new diet.
Thanks for all the good information.
It would seem to me that Diatomaceous Earth would damage the microvilli in the small intestine, due to their sharp edges that don’t break down. (Microvilli are responsible for absorbing nutrients in digested food.) Who knows, Diatomaceous Earth could be even worse on the small intestine’s villi than gluten!
Sure, Diatomaceous Earth won’t harm the skin, and it’s good for killing bugs, but what about the micro-teeny structures in the intestinal tract? Seems like they’d be cut and ripped to shreds.
Christine
Thanks for that information!
I have been giving my dogs DE every third day on their food for years. 1 Ts for the Rottweilers and a teaspoon for the Chihuahua. NEVER had any problems whatsoever. They never have flees (and I do not rub it in their coats because they are black and then they look so grey and ugly and you cannot see their shiny coats!
We feed our dogs and cat vitamins by The Ninth Life. They are the only ones I’ve found that all the ingredients I want to feed my pets and they are organic and don’t have any synthetic ingredients. We also feed our animals organic apple cider vinegar every day. We put it in their water and when I feed my dogs they get a little on top of their food. Apple cider vinegar has many benefits because it remineralizes the body and normalizes the blood’s alkaline acid balance. It’s great for bones and preventing arthritis. We also feed all of our animals coconut oil. I don’t over vaccinate either. I’ll do a titer test before giving a booster.
I give my dog coconut oil. She loves it. Sometimes I use essential oils on her collar but not often. I’m lucky to live in a region where ticks, fleas, and heartworm aren’t a problem. I take my dog to pick wild blueberries. She loves to eat them and picks her own, just like her wild cousins are known to do.
I loved this post! I rescued a 6 month old Beagle/Golden Retriever mix almost three months ago and have been going in the more natural way with her. She’s on a good grain free kibble and minimum ingredient wet food and treats, but I’ll look into adding yogurt and making my own treats. I also do a can of sardines a week and occasionally a small drizzle of coconut oil for some Omegas and healthy fats. She LOVES the sardines. I don’t love the smell it brings into my kitchen, but, hey, her coat looks amazing.
I am not yet at the point of feeding my 3 pups a good organic food, but there are a few things I have started with them.
Snacks? They absolutely love carrots, pumpkin, sweet pots!
Whenever I make bone broth, they always get some too.
I sprinkle a small amount of a brewers yeast and powdered garlic mix on their food several times a week. (I’ve heard about avoiding garlic for dogs as well…jury’s still out.) This and the next item are to repel fleas.
Raw acv in their water.
They smell delicious (not) when I combine geranium, citronella, eucalyptus, lavender eo for their webbed collars daily before they go out. They do tolerate it quite well.
Their 3/4 acre yard is completely fenced, but deer and other varmints visit. I have found 1 tick so far this season, and last year, I think a total of 3.
And I feel so much better giving them natural alternatives to all the big pharma products out there.