wanted: stinky dogs with fleas

You know those commercials for products that are supposed to smell good and eliminate bad odors? Personally, those products make me ill and do not smell fresh nor beachy but they usually have dirty and smelly looking dogs in the background as well as other stinky food and stuff. If someone had me sit down on a filthy couch, or brought me into a raunchy kitchen, I’d scream. But the point is that we associate stinky unkempt dogs with having fleas, which they usually do. And they more than likely have bad breath.

But what about your well cared for, even pampered pet? Do they smell and/or have fleas?

If you love your dog’s kisses but can do without the bad breath, read on.

Imagine your dog brushing her own teeth…hmmmmm…

I have to say when I first opened the bag and sniffed I thought these pet treats smelled funny and I wondered if Cici would like them. SHE LOVED THEM… scarfed them up in seconds… she chewed and chewed and chewed … good deal… much easier than trying to brush her teeth. Although she lets me into her mouth, what a mess so these treats make our life much easier.

Now your pets can care for their own teeth!

Ark Naturals BREATH-LESS Brushless Toothpaste is a multiple award winning chewable dental solution for pets.

BREATH-LESS Brushless Toothpaste is a highly digestible dental chew with clinically proven, all natural ingredients.

• On the outside: breath-freshening ingredients include chlorophyll, cinnamon, vanilla and clove. Ridges provide effective teeth scrubbing and support healthy gums.

• On the inside:  Ark’s patented toothpaste center provides three bacteriostats to inhibit the growth of plaque-forming bacteria, as well as to assist with bad breath, and tartar and plaque build-up.

• Recipient of multiple awards as chosen by national pet magazines and their readers!

Use with BREATH-LESS Plaque Zapper for maximum benefits.

For all dogs and cats 12 weeks and older.  Also available in mini size.

Flick those fleas, toss those ticks…

Contrary to popular belief, fleas don’t take the winter months off. In fact, these pesky critters often find refuge and warmth inside throughout the colder months (paw-ticularly since this winter has been generally mild nationwide). Though fleas and ticks are a way of life for dogs, methods to prevent and control them are a pet owner’s choice.

You know that I prefer natural eco friendly ways. I am in good company.

Nancy Scanlan, DVM, Executive Director of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association and past president of the Veterinary Botanical Medical Association, said she has long been aware of the problems associated with the chemical and pesticide-based flea and tick products. “I prefer natural botanicals over pesticides for treating fleas and ticks and there are a number of good natural products that work without harsh side effects,” said Dr. Scanlan.

Here are five ways under $20 to safely keep fleas and ticks away from your dogs.

Food grade Diatomaceous Earth (DE):  Sprinkle this safe alternative on the dog before heading outdoors, on walks, or into woodsy areas. These fossilized remains of microscopic shells act as shards of glass to winged critters. Use a salt shaker from a local retailer and sprinkle gently into dog’s coat. Bonus: Word has it that this is a good bedbug deterrent, so travel with it, too. (Note: Be sure to get the food grade.)

“Tick Key:  Using natural forward leverage to remove the entire tick, this is the kind of product that pays for itself the first time you use it. (It is nicely priced for toting on a key ring, too.)

Brewer’s Yeast: Helping to strengthen Rover’s immune system and containing sulfur compounds, fleas are less likely to host on a dog that has brewer’s yeast in his diet. Rich in amino acids and other vitamins, it also has a rich nutritional value.  Given as a tablet or mixed into food, dogs may also experience an improvement in skin and coat.

Citrus or Peppermint:  Use a gentle shampoo with a citrus base such as orange or lemon acts as a good flea deterrent. Peppermint oil, too, when safely diluted with water acts as a great in-home spray for areas where insects might enter (doors, windows).

Ark Naturals Flea Flicker! Tick Kicker!: This is labeled as GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) ingredients by the EPA and FDA. Easy to apply, it leaves a mild, fresh smell. Spray on a light application, massage into your pet’s coat, and it starts to work immediately to repel and kill fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes.

This botanical formula was developed as an natural, botanical alternative to chemical pesticides in controlling fleas and ticks on your pet.  It is easy to apply and leaves a mild, fresh smell. You simply spray on a light application, massage into pet’s coat, and it starts to work immediately to repel and kill fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes.

Cautionary Statement:

Herbal flea and tick products like Ark’s Flea Flicker! Tick Kicker! tend to be safer than pharmaceutical flea/tick products.  That being said, all products that are formulated to rid pets of fleas and ticks pose a % of risk.

The ingredients in Flea Flicker!  Tick Kicker!  are labeled as GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) ingredients by the EPA and FDA. Generally means generally.  It doesn’t mean it’s a 100% safe solution for every dog and cat.  It means the incidence of problems with the ingredients in Ark’s product fall into a low range.

Typically herbal products used correctly pose less of a risk with dogs than cats. Remember to follow the instructions on the bottle, do not saturate the pet, and do not spray on face.

Blog Hop time…  thanks to Life with Dogs,Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume…  grab the blog hop code…

Dogs eat grass

Ever notice that your dog eats grass?  Cici eats grass all the time.

This is because they instinctively know they need chlorophyll (which is what makes grass green). Chlorophyll is cleansing and helps correct most illnesses in you or your pet. Algae has a very high concentration of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is like having  a bath for your insides.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dogs-Eating-Grass/184558638252723

Dogs require 22 amino acids and a deficiency in any of them can cause health problems. Fortunately dogs can make 12 of these amino acids but the remaining ones (called essential amino acids) must be consumed. Algae contains all 10 of these essential amino acids: arginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.

Aside from feeding algae to your pet to improve overall health, algae may also help if your dog suffers from arthritis or cancer, since algae has been known to strengthen their autoimmune system and boost their healing (as it can with humans).

Like you, your pets also need water. Lots of it.  Think about this. When you were a kid, you probably had a gold fish. Right?  Remember what happened when you didn’t change the water? It got murky. Your gold fish seemed depressed, stopped swimming or worse – died. Poor thing. But once you cleaned out the bowl and replaced it with fresh water, little “Goldie”  was probably back doing laps again, maybe even back flips like Dr. Seuss’s  “One Fish, Two Fish”. Well, your body’s cells  are just like little Goldie. They need a constant supply of fresh water and if they don’t get it, they slowly but surely shut down,  just like little Goldie Without a daily supply of fresh water, the water around your cells gets dirty, murky and toxic like the water in your goldfish bowl did. Yuck. Who wants dirty goldfish water sloshing around inside them? Not us. Not Goldie. And not you either. So drink up. Drink often. And hopefully drink with our algae tabs.

But seriously, here’s why you and your pet need water. Your brain is 75% water. In fact, your muscles are 75% water too. Ever notice how you get thirsty when you exercise? Your body is over 60% water and some parts are even higher, like your blood and lungs which are 90% water. Did you know your body is constantly rebuilding itself? Yup, your bones, your organs, your skin, absolutely everything is in a constant state of re-growth 24/7. Can you imagine a skyscraper built without steel? Well, water is one of your body’s most critical building materials and it can’t build healthy bones, organs or anything else for you without water.

Not only that, but water is what moves stuff around in your body. Not having enough water is like not having enough construction workers on a work site. Water does much more than just quench your thirst. It actually helps to build and run your body efficiently. That’s why just an occasional glass of water isn’t enough. You really need those eight glasses every day. Sounds like a lot but you can add lemon, make it bubbly or whatever you like that will help you drink the water.

Let’s do the math. Each day, a typical adult loses an average of six cups of water from urine, four cups from breathing, sweating and bowel movements and two to three cups from digestion. That’s twelve cups even before you add in the dehydrating effects of caffeine, stress or exercise. Granted some of your H20 needs could come from your diet but only if you are eating a lot of fruits and vegetables. And no, French fries do not count.

If you are walking around dehydrated, you fatigue easily and nothing works as well as it should. In fact, without sufficient water, your body thinks it’s in survival mode. And when this happens, your body behaves like a squirrel who hides nuts before the winter. It holds on to and stores whatever it can get its hands on –causing swelling in feet, legs, hands, or horror of horrors – weight gain. But once you give your body what it needs, this stored water is usually released. Say hello to energy and weight loss.

Eight glasses of water a day is just a starting point. Your body treats water like a bank account. Every time you drink water, it’s like you’re making a deposit into the account. But unlike a real bank account where you are the only one authorized to make withdrawals, water withdrawals from your body can be made without your authorization or knowledge.

It’s like giving thousands of total strangers your ATM card and PIN number and allowing them to withdraw whatever they want, whenever they want. And they do. The result? You become bankrupt of water. And who are these unscrupulous strangers making these unauthorized withdrawals? Some are things you can control like your food and drink (eg caffeine and sugary foods are very dehydrating). Others are things you can’t control like breathing. Remember those twelve cups of water that you lose each day?  Without making additional water “deposits” (i.e. drinking more water)  to cover these other “unauthorized” water withdrawals your body can easily go into “overdraft” and become bankrupt i.e. dehydrated.

Still not convinced you need water? Then consider what happens when you get dehydrated. Without water in your body, you would be poisoned by your own waste products. Here’s what happens. During dehydration, the water surrounding your cells is reduced, leaving the small remaining amount to become stagnant and loaded with toxins. As dehydration continues, since your body absolutely has to have water surrounding its cells (to perform all its daily duties), it pulls out water from inside your cells. Yup, like a fugitive on the run, your body literally “steals” water wherever it can find it, from inside your cells, your blood, your organs and even from inside your colon (a big contributor to constipation). This continues until your cells finally lose all or most of their internal water, shrivel up, malfunction or become damaged. You can usually stop these early stages of dehydration just by drinking more water, but most people have no idea they are dehydrated. Too bad because there are so many health conditions that could be eased just by drinking more water.

Give your pet lots of water and some algae every day.

Your pet has nutritional needs just like you do. But, if their diet is insufficient, or if they are experiencing stress, joint pain or other health conditions you need to know how to help them. One thing you can do is supplement their diet with a protein rich source of vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids also known as algae.

Two forms of algae are Spirulina and Chlorella. They contain protein (60%) carbohydrates (19%), fats (6%) and bio-available minerals (8%). They are not extracts, concentrates or amalgams of vitamins and minerals that look good on paper such as the vitamin and mineral supplements that people get at the grocery store. In reality, the body does not absorb 90% of these vitamin supplements because they are dead and void of enzymes. Eating Spirulina or Chlorella is like eating any other whole food such as a banana, apple or broccoli…because it IS a food.

Spirulina and Chlorella are complete proteins meaning they provide the body with the eight essential amino acids, yet they go much further. They are over 60% protein, all which is in the form of amino acids (which means your body absorbs them instantly). The amino acids are also in the right ratio to one another (which means your body can use all of them).

The key difference between Chlorella (Recovery) and Spirulina (Energy) is that Chlorella has the additional benefit of being able to absorb toxins and has a higher concentration of chlorophyll whereas Spirulina will provide you with a bit more energy.

When you are introducing a new food like algae to your pet, the best time to do this is early in the morning when they wake up hungry and thirsty. To start, give them 5-6 tabs to ensure it’s something they like. Try mixing the tabs into their food or give them as treats. They’re food. Concentrated, high protein, high nutrition green food.

The amount of algae you feed your dog (or cat) depends on your pet’s weight, age and health condition. A 50-pound dog could be started with 5-6 tabs a day and within a few days can easily increase to 10-12 tabs/day or more. So, starting out with just a few tabs, gives you the confidence to know they are totally safe. In the 50 years that algae has been studied and consumed, there have  never been any reports of negative side affects, allergic reactions or interactions. Algae is food, a green food that comes from a plant, not from a prescription or pill. Its been safely eaten and studied  worldwide for over 50 years. It’s been sold in the USA for over 25 years.

Now Cici and I have been taking Naughty Bits algae tabs. I just swallow them with water and I put some in Cici’s food. She is not a big fan of anything green and neither am I. But I do know that algae is healthy for us both.  In order to ensure that Cici drinks enough water every day, I give her water with her food. Another way to get pets to drink more water is to give them water from a fountain. They enjoy moving water.

The Naughty Bits are sold in large, re-sealable foil bags of 1,000 tabs and each bag comes with a slim travel tin you can carry in your pocket, gym bag, doggie bag or handbag. They make healthy snacks and yummy treats for your pet. Each bag/tin is $115.00 and will last  1-2 months, depending on how many you take each day. For full benefit, take 20-30 tabs/day and give your pet 6-10 tabs/day or more if they are larger. Algae is FOOD, it can’t harm  you or your pet.

Naughtybits® algae tabs are free of artificial ingredients, contain no caffeine, chemicals, sugar, GMO, preservatives, animal products or gluten. Grown organically, they are 100% green, 100% natural, 100% raw, and 100% algae. In Japan, algae has been taken daily for over 50 years. Each Naughtybits® algae tab is the size of a breath mint.

The Naughty Nutritionist Inc.® is a nutraceuticals company based in Boston, MA. The Founder and CEO of The Naughty Nutritionist, Catharine Arnston, has an MBA and is a Board Certified Health Counselor.

If you think your pet needs more energy, try the ENERGYBits® which are 100% spirulina algae. If your pet needs to correct or prevent a health condition, try the  RECOVERYBits® which are 100% chlorella algae. If you would like to help your pet with both of these, give them the VITALITYBits® which are 50% spirulina and 50% chlorella and thus provide a mix of health benefits.