Developing a good diet plan

In between visits we met with a holistic vet and a nutritionist from NC State.  The holistic vet recommended with start Abby on a round of supplements including Thorne Research Super EPA fish oil, and Power Mushrooms as well as Green Tea Phosphate and another anti-oxidant.  At the time we could only afford two so after much research we decided on the fish oil and the Power Mushrooms.  My research indicated that both were very important to help build her immune system up and help provide good fatty acids.  Of course with the antioxidants there is a lot of debate as to whether or not they can impede the process of radiation as the goal of radiation is to cause cellular damage to the bad cells while antioxidants are supposed to rescue cells from damage.  There is much controversy about this and no definitive answer.  We elected to take Abby off of Power Mushrooms two weeks before radiation and chemo and resume it right after until her next round.  It is also good to note that we later found a much cheaper fish oil at our local Rite Aid that had a higher concentration of EPA/DHA and cost half as much and have since been using that since.

In addition to this we started following the Budwig Protocol and giving both the girls flaxseed oil and cottage cheese twice daily.  A quick search on the internet will provide you with information about this and how much to give your dog for their weight.

In addition to this we completely took the girls off of commercial dog food.  We did read that there are some good holistic pet foods out there such as Taste of the Wild and Blue Buffalo, but after talking with a nutritionist we decided it was best to start our girls on a home cooked meal.  She provided us with recipes tailored to our girls specific nutritional needs and exact portion sizes.  However, without having an academic background in nutrition I cannot give advice as to how much to you give your dog.  Our dogs have two main recipes we make.  The first consists of a mix of sweet potatoes, cauliflower and squash as well as chicken, and the second consists of chicken, green beans, squash, and brown rice.  In addition to this we give them multivitamins Canine Plus three times a day and also add a small amount of salt and calcium.   I was also given scanned copies of other recipes from the holistic vet.  We have yet to use them because our girls LOVE the recipes we've been making and until they appear to tire of them we will continue with these.  However, if you would like copies of the recipes please feel free to contact me using the link on my page.

After doing much research on the commercial dog food industry we will NEVER go back to regular commerical brands.  We might would consider a holistic dog food brand mixed with our own recipe in the future but for now we are happy to give our girls their homemade delicacies. If you are interested in reading up on what is really in commerical dog food two great resources for this are What's Really in Pet Food  and The horrors of pet food revealed.  There are tons of other links and even some that provide recommendations for the safest dog food brands out there.

Again, let me repeat I am not a nutritionist so I cannot give advice for your specific vet.  I would recommend consulting with a nutritionist or holistic vet if you are considering switching your dog to a home cooked regime.  It is quite expensive and VERY time consuming but so worth it when you watch your babies gobble dog food they love.  The bowls are always completely cleaned which never happened before with the old dog food.  Our friends have also commented how much shinier and softer their coats are which is definitely an added benefit. :)

Chowing down!

The green gook is the best stuff! :)