20April2008
Posted by tamara under: Doggie Profiles.
These two live together and came to visit Dancing Creek Farm. Stumpy is one of those specialty breeds, sort of a mix between a basset hound and shitzu. Very interesting look and a really sweet dog. Pablo is obvious a Chihuahua only about a 1 year and ADORABLE! They are both males. The video below is actually several clips combined. In the first part you can see Stumpy smiling. Its the funniest thing! You then see them looking out the screen door, their favorite past time, watching the roosters, hens and just checking everything out. You’ll then see Pablo stiff and looking like he’s crying when actually he LOVES sitting in the warm sun but its so bright and he also starts to get sleepy. I was spying on him on the back sun deck, sitting there and I saw him start to fall asleep, nodding out while sitting up! It was so funny. Sometimes the video camera isn’t there when you need it.
Stumpy & Pablo [1:27m]:
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20April2008
Posted by tamara under: Doggie Profiles.
Baily is a pretty blonde lab.She is absolutely the sweetest thing! I have two videos below. One is Rosco and Baily going to town on rawhide bones. Really funny. The second video is Baily waking up from a nap and coming to get some love and affection.
Rosco & Baily Chewing in Harmony!! [0:48m]:
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Baily getting some love after a nap [1:05m]:
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7April2008
Posted by tamara under: Dog Health.
If you can buy goat meat, even older goats and someone that processes it, you can feed your dogs goat meat. Its lower in fat then even chicken and higher in protein then beef! No kidding! Older goats are not sold as much due to the meat being more tough, however your dogs teeth can easily chew it and if you are having the goat processed you can request it all ground. After processing you can get your meat down to around 3.50 a pound.
Keep in mind that when you’re feeding your dog natural REAL meat they are going to need a lot less and it will be more fulfilling because there is less grain and more protein. I have cut my older dogs back to one 1/2 cups of food, once per day and in the evening I give them a biscut and a boiled egg from my chickens. My older dogs were fat and even when I gave them weight controlled food they were not losing and only gaining. I feed them goat meat a few days a week, ground beef (lean) and a few days a week they get canned salmon. I’ve already posted it in another post. My choice to feed them goat meat was that its much healthier and in the long run I save money not only on food but definitely vet bills.
I cook my goat meat. I don’t cook it all the way but enough to bring out the flavor and help kill any bacteria that it might have picked up. I cook it on the stove in a big pan with olive oil, fresh garlic and sometimes curry. After all curry has proven to be great for adults helping all types of health issues. I might throw in some carrots or any veggies I have on hand. When I’m done I add just a little bit of rice (I buy bulk!) and a dollop of non-fat yogurt with cultures. This is their favorite meal. In fact when they smell it cooking they start barking and going crazy!
Goat meat is a better alternative to beef or even chicken. Its great for over weight dogs or even active dogs. The other thing you should consider is the environmental impact that cattle has over beef. They are processed sooner and with a lot less impact on the environment. Most goats are grass fed where as beef can be fed almost anything. pound for pound goat meat is the best and most healthy alternative.
You can also bake it into a healthy loaf adding olive oil, garlic, crushed tomatoes, carrots or even cabbage. Whatever healthy veggie you have will do.
3April2008
Posted by tamara under: Dog Health; News.
We’ve posted about dog food issues and the truth is that there are few foods that meet the needs of dogs and yet are healthy, natural and safe. Homemade dog food is the best route and even though you think its expensive and time consuming the reality is that your dog will live longer and your vet bills will go down so its a trade off. We all know the nightmares of commercial dog food and a simple search will show you that most are filled with ingredients that are unsafe for human consumption so why would you feed your dog this?
If you feed your dog quality food they won’t have to eat as much to feel satisfied and they will stay healthy and trim. You will notice less shedding, a healthy coat, better vitality and the poops will not only be smaller but it won’t smell as bad as it does when feeding commercial dog food. This is enough proof for me!
Here is a site that has recipes for dog treats. Many of them we use here at Dancing Creek Farm. Thankfully we have our own chickens and grow quite a bit of produce. Much of the produce grown here is used to feed the animals. During growing season our guest enjoy added “treats” to their normal diet such as- Baby Bok Choi, Romaine Lettuce, yummy yellow pear tomatoes (less acid), sweet potatoes, peas, collards greens, melons and other fruits. You’d be surprised how much dogs LOVE lettuce and fruit. You’ve seen video of our Princess Sadie that is VERY fussy but she LOVES peanut butter, yogurt and peaches! She gets so distracted with all the fun going on but she has a hard time passing up banana yogurt!
Another great addition is enzymes to help the digestive tract and the absorption of nutrients. Antioxidant support is also a key factor in longivity and overall health. We will be carrying products for pick up from http://www.nzymes.com of course you can order online or pick up when you pick up your baby. These products are good for you too!
Because I have several large dogs I can’t afford to feed organic meats but I can certainly feed them meats made for human consumption. For instance these are a few of my dogs meals. I still feed them a quality food which we now carry for resell at the farm, however thanks to Sam’s Club now in Danville, I can buy meat at a great price.
Fridays Fish Dinner
Canned Fish- this can be tuna packed in water. Jack Mackerel, Salmon - Of course these are also high in sodium so I make sure they only get this once a week. A little garlic clove (minced is fine), a fresh boiled egg, peas or whatever veggie I am growing or there is on sale in a can. Every meal gets a goo dollop of plain yogurt with active cultures.
Where’s the Beef???
I buy large packages of lean beef. At Sam’s they have 80% lean which is fine. I portion it out to about 1/2 a cup raw meat. Sometimes I add raw egg or I whip out the food processor and whip up romaine, strawberries, blueberries, cooked carrots or whatever i happen to have but I make sure they get their veggies. I might add a bit of brown rice but I only give them rice a few meals a week.
Cluck, Cluck
Chicken has gone up in price but if you buy right you can get some deals at Sam”s Club. I buy chicken thighs which are easy to take out the bone. Some people give it raw with the bone but I’m not sure I’m comfortable with this so I bake a large batch and the bone removes easily. One (two for large dogs) is enough then I add a little cayenne pepper, yogurt, rosemary and oregano all which are great for digestive, heart, blood circulation and even joint pain. In fact if you have a dog with joint pain use curry. They love it! Then I add a bit of yogurt and whatever veggies I’m doing that week. Tomatoes are great & even throw in a few grapes!
You can buy chicken livers in big tubs or other organ parts. This is a great addition too. I also add a fish oil gel pill (I buy at Walmart or Sam’s CHEAP) to one meal and of course the enzymes and other supplements depending on the dogs needs.
If you don’t have time to make fresh meals then contact me and I will work out a plan and make it for you. You can easily freeze and pick up monthly or if you want fresh pick up once a week. I can design meals for your dogs special needs, add vitamins or whatever you need. In the summer I will also include frozen treats which the dogs lover using active yogurt and fruit. They LOVE this!
1April2008
Posted by tamara under: Doggie Profiles.
Lehu, Molly Brown and Rosco had a great time. Of course in this video Lehu wants to bark at me wondering what I’m doing. Rosco is kissing Molly Brown on the mouth. These three had the best time and simply wore each other out!
1April2008
Posted by tamara under: Learn.
I first read the books by Dr. Mittleider when I was in Florida looking for a way to grow vegetables in an area that was challenged by sand. He spent a great deal of his career traveling to third world countries teaching them how to grow food for themselves in the worse conditions. Today I use his raised bed system and love it. Not only is it economical but very easy to do.
C lick the link below to learn more. Lots of great information.
CLICK HERE
31March2008
Posted by tamara under: Learn.
What is really in your pets food? Read this enlightening article and ebook about pet food and how you can extend the life of your beloved pet
CLICK HERE to read
”
You’re about to discover the terrifying-truth about commercial dog food that is linked to the deaths of thousands of dogs across the US every single day.
Many world-famous Doctors of Veterinary Medicine and published Dog Care Experts universally agree any dog that eats commercial dog food is at a much higher risk of dying prematurely and by the time symptoms are noticeable, it’s often too late to prevent an agonizing death except by lethal injection.
See their shocking, research-supported claims in this report.
Also in this report, I show you a simple solution proven to increase the lifespan of your dog by up to 134% and save you up to $10,000.
To discover these amazing secrets just continue reading and your reward is a super-healthy, incredibly-happy dog that stays by-your-side for up to 8.3-years longer than statistically predicted.”
31March2008
Posted by tamara under: Learn.
Very cool online web site that teaches you how to train your dog. Experienced dog trainer has a loving, no nonsense approach to teaching your fur-baby how to behave and become a welcome part of the family. Awesome site!
CLICK HERE
24March2008
Posted by tamara under: Doggie Profiles.
This is a little boxer puppy we found at the dump. It appears someone dropped him off. He was hungry and happy to come to live out at the farm. He has a serious under-bite and his tongue always sticks out. I was going to find him a home but we decided to keep him. He’s really smart and cute.
24March2008
Posted by tamara under: My Family.
Amanda threw Michael a surprise birthday party at Lone Star Steak house. The video is kind of long, 10 min. I can’t believe my baby boy is 31!
