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Five Easy Steps
by Jan Rasmusen
Wish
your sweet dog could live forever? Well, forever might
be a stretch, but you can often add years to a
dog’s life just by taking a more holistic approach to
your canine companion’s care.
Even small changes can make a huge difference and can
even save you money. I modified my own dogs’ care after
two years of research and interviews with top experts
taught me that many dog care “truths” are really myths,
outdated information or commercial propaganda.
Want your dog to live the long, healthy life he or she
deserves? Try these five easy steps:
Step 1: Think Fridge, Not Cupboard
Commercial pet food is fast food. It can legally
contain “4-D” meat (from dead, dying, diseased and
disabled animals) as well as corn contaminated with high
levels of pesticide. And did you know “complete and
balanced” means minimum, not optimum, nutrition?
Dogs given a balanced diet of wholesome fresh
foods have the best chance for longevity. If you can
keep yourself healthy, you can easily learn how to feed
your dog for optimum health.
Step 2: Help Your Dog Chill
Stress kills, and your dog may be under more stress than
you realize. Loneliness, confinement, insufficient
exercise, obesity, impure water, excessive noise,
extreme temperatures and tormenting by family members
(human and otherwise) are all possible sources of killer
stress. Because of their shorter life spans, dogs
succumb to the effects of stress much faster than we
do.
Step 3: Just Say No!
Resist the urge to suppress disease symptoms with drugs.
Though some problems may require pharmacological
intervention, many can be resolved—even cured—with
improved nutrition and environmental changes—without
dangerous side effects. If you do decide to go the “drug
route,” personally check out medications. Countless dogs
have died from popular “cures.”
Step 4: Get Smart about Shots
Most of us over-vaccinate our dogs. We give the wrong
shots and revaccinate too often. The result can
be autoimmune dysfunction, allergies, organ damage and
even death. Did you know your adult dog may already have
lifetime immunity to the most important diseases and
that there’s a simple way to confirm it?
Step 5: Stave Off Cancer
Canine cancer is epidemic, and not just in older dogs.
Because some cancers are linked to toxins, select safe
floor and carpet cleaners, herbicides and fertilizers.
Products unsafe for children are unsafe for dogs. Spay
or neuter your dog and schedule a vet exam and blood
test yearly--twice yearly for older dogs. Wash
pollutants off your dog’s feet after walks on public
lawns and grimy roads. Always investigate sores that
don’t heal, lumps and swelling, unexplained lameness or
weight loss, bleeding from orifices, and other
mysterious physical or behavioral changes.
How long, and how well, your dog lives is largely up to
you. A little education coupled with timely action can
give your dog the best shot at a safe and healthy life!
© 2006 Jan Rasmusen – All
Rights Reserved
You may post this article on
your website, or in your newspaper, newsletter,
forum or group, ezine or blog with
attribution as follows:
Jan Rasmusen is the author of
Scared Poopless: The Straight Scoop on Dog Care,
2006 Ben Franklin Award Winner for the “Best Health
Book” of any kind. Sign up for her free newsletter at http://www.Dogs4Dogs.com.
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