Care

One of the few organizations in a strong position to provide direct rescue and shelter to animals is the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in Baton Rouge.

There are dozens of products on the market, but look for unrefined oil at your health food store. We like to see oils packaged in glass jars (rather than plastic containers). The really good stuff is expensive, but its benefits are worth the money.üOne good candidate for supplementation is the thick-coated dog who is often greasy or smelly. Many of these stinkers" have freshened up when receiving a little coconut oil daily. Just start out with a low dosage (perhaps just a dab) and increase slowly."

Western medicine’s mechanistic theory regards the body’s joints simply as the anatomic sites where the lever action of bones enables body movement. However, joints are much more complex than this, anatomically, mechanistically, and functionally. And when disease exists within any joint, the result can be completely disabling – not only to the local area but also to the entire body.

The bones that dog owners are most familiar with are the ones they buy for their dogs to chew; ideally, these are moist, fresh (or frozen) cattle bones, still sporting tissues that dogs can tear and gnaw off and nutritious marrow to extract. Posing a great deal more risk to a dog’s teeth are the dead, nearly fossilized bones sold in many pet supply stores.

Whether inviting a swim-crazy dog into the pool is a good idea (and how to keep him out of the pool when it’s NOT).

Whenever you're blending a massage oil for your dog, diluting an essential oil, making a salve, or simply looking for ways to speed the healing of wounds or abrasions, reach for the right carrier oil. Also called fixed oils or base oils, carrier oils literally carry or deliver essential oils or herbal ingredients where needed. Most are vegetable oils pressed from fruits, seeds, or nuts, and they contain important healing properties of their own.

Given the incredibly intricate and complex series of events that need to occur to produce living puppies, it is almost miraculous that any pups are ever born, but they are. And, more often than not, nature doesn’t seem to have many problems with the process. Following are some explanations for what goes on during and immediately after pregnancy.

What’s the most environmentally responsible thing to do about dog poop? Home composting systems solve the problem at home; we reviewed one in June 2000, and still use it today. But when you’re out in the world with your dog, you have to use something to pick it up and carry it to a trash receptacle. (Of course, carrying the poop to a composting facility, rather than a trash can, is the most environmentally friendly thing to do; however, few people are motivated enough to do this.)

At one time, our culture was far more tolerant of dog bites than it is today. When I was a kid, if a dog bit a child, Mom's response was, So

What, exactly, do we like in a collar? To start, we look for top-quality materials – leather that is soft and supple, evenly dyed, neither greasy nor dry; nylon that feels smooth and pliable; and buckles and snaps that open and close easily and securely. Next, we examine the quality of the workmanship. We want to see tight, even stitching, and nylon ends that are smoothly heat-sealed to prevent fraying.

Simply improving your dog’s diet or giving him herbs does not constitute “holistic healthcare.” Several thousand people will likely become discouraged each year by disappointing results from the natural products they buy and use. Many will abandon their pursuit of animal wellness altogether, returning to old ways of feeding bargain- basement foods and spending huge amounts of money on symptomatic treatment of their dogs’ chronic disease.

Most essential oils used in aromatherapy are obtained by steam distillation, at the end of which a small amount of essential oil is extracted from a large amount of water. But that isn't just any water, for the liquid that condenses after steam drives volatile material from blossoms, stems, leaves, fruit, roots, or seeds is itself an aromatic substance with significant healing properties.