Double T Mini Aussies

03/28/2025

Have an itchy dog?😿 Reduce Steroids, Apoquel, & Cytopoint This Allergy Season! 🌳🍗🪳🦠🏡

As allergy season approaches, help your pet stay itch-free by addressing their immune system before it overreacts. By starting your pet on supplements like quercetin, bromelain, and Butterbur extract—clinically shown to be as effective as Zyrtec (cetirizine) without the sedative side effects (Schapowal et al., 2002, BMJ)—you can prevent seasonal allergies before they start.

This Sunday at 12pm EST on the Inside Scoop, we’ll show you how to reduce the need for harsher medications💊 like steroids, Apoquel or Cytopoint💉. We’ll also share simple recipes for herbal paw🐾🫧 soaks and teas🫖—such as green tea, stinging nettle, and peppermint🍃—that naturally reduce inflammation and allergic reactions.

Plus, in the group, you'll be able to download an 11-page guide📒 featuring recommended herbs, probiotics, and specific dosages for your dog or cat to help support their immune system throughout allergy season.

👉Comment SCOOPERS and we'll message you the link to join Inside Scoop, a Planet Paws monthly subscription group, where all live podcasts are available to watch at any time. Plus, over 5 years of content including: past live podcasts, interviews, ebook downloads, and more!Reduce Steroids, Apoquel, & Cytopoint This Allergy Season

03/27/2025

Do you depend on garlic to help keep fleas, ticks and mosquitoes away from your dog? If you're under-dosing, the garlic administered may not achieve the insect repelling result you're expecting. To ensure optional efficacy I recommend garlic dosing by appropriate teaspoon size rather than clove size. For dosing recommendations by body weight refer to the chart below.

Like all herbs, garlic is not suited to every dog.

👍🏼👎🏼Self Selection:
Allow your dog to indicate if he/she wants to eat the fresh minced garlic. Garlic should always be used as a "self-select" dietary supplement.
✧ Offer the garlic to your dog, by placing the fresh minced garlic beside your dog's food.
✧ If your dog does not want to eat garlic respect your dog's indication.
✧ Never force your dog to eat garlic.

🚫 Never Give Garlic to These Dog Breeds
As discussed in the article the only dog breeds that should NOT be given garlic are:
✧ Japanese and Korean dog breeds.
✧ For example, the Akita and the Shibu Inu as these breeds are hypersensitive to thiosulphate. This is discussed in the article.

🧄 Learn more about garlic for dogs...

Continue to the article here:
https://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/06/garlic-for-dogs-health-benefits.html

Karen Rosenfeld, Holistic Practitioner & Holistic Behaviorist

Holistic Diet, Nutrition, Wellness Services Tailored to Your Individual Dog and Cat

For information about my holistic diet, nutrition, wellness services visit my holistic wellness services page:
https://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.ca/holistic-wellness-services-for-dogs-and-cats/

Maintain good health | Address acute and chronic health issues | Pre and post surgery support and recovery

My holistic wellness services are available worldwide via video consultation.

🌎 USA | Canada | UK | Europe | Australia | New Zealand | Asia | South and Central America | Africa | UAE

📱 FaceTime | Facebook | Skype | WhatsApp

To set-up your holistic wellness consultation get in-touch via email:
https://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.ca/contact-me/

Holistic Behavioral Services For Your Dog

For information about my holistic behavioral services visit my behavioral services page:
https://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.ca/behavioral-services-for-dogs/

For dogs of all ages, sizes and breeds

My holistic behavioral services are available locally in-person and worldwide via video session.

🌎 USA | Canada | UK | Europe | Australia | New Zealand | Asia | South and Central America | Africa | UAE

📱 FaceTime | Facebook | Skype | WhatsApp

To set-up your holistic behavioral session get in-touch via email:
https://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.ca/contact-me/

Affiliations to Companies
✓ None.
✓ I don't sell food or supplements.
✓ I'm not aligned with any companies.

Article and graphics by Karen Rosenfeld, Holistic Practitioner

03/22/2025

02/01/2025

Waiting for breakfast to be served! Scrambled eggs with red bell peppers, collard greens, broccoli, tomatoes and raw carrots on the side! Yum!

12/18/2024

Keeping it simple this am with mango, strawberry and blueberries! Transition to feeding once per day is going well and they are only getting 1/4 or less in the evening! They are doing great with it!

12/16/2024

Didn't take a photo, but this am was poached catfish fillers with cumin! They were SO excited!! We're also gradually switching to once per day feeding😁

12/12/2024

This morning avocado and ground flax seed (all organic). I'm working toward a more natural healthy diet, and although they still get kibble, they also get something fresh and healthy at every meal! It's a work in progress! The movement to get away from feeding kibble is strengthening and I hope prices eventually prices become more affordable. I'm following Dr. Karen Becker and Rodney Habib (love The Forever Dog Life book!), the Dog Nutritionist, Dr. Judy Morgan among others. There are ways to improve your dog's diet in very affordable ways, by simply adding something fresh and healthy to their bowls!

07/28/2024

Warning: small rant in defense of small birds that need big help from humans 💚🫵🏼
Most of you know me as a wellness veterinarian 👩‍⚕️, but I am also a wildlife biologist 👩🏻‍🌾 and licensed wildlife rehabilitator 🦅. This is one of my patients, who is sick because humans fed him cloudy, polluted nectar teeming with bacteria that eventually killed him 🧫😰.

I feel the same way about wildlife as I do domestic pets: it’s our responsibility to know enough to do no harm. When it comes to feeding wildlife, either do it right, or don’t do it at all. If you decide to feed hummingbirds, please do it correctly and responsibly, or you will kill them (and life is hard enough for our wild friends).

1. Do NOT use artificially colored store- bought hummingbird food 🛑❌. Commercial nectars have way too many preservatives, additives, chemical stabilizers and Red Dye #5 that’s harmful to their bodies 👎🏼.

Make your own nectar instead:

1 cup plain sugar + 4 cups boiling water (filter out the impurities)

(1:4 ratio means you can make smaller batches, like 1/4 cup sugar + 1 cup boiling water, if desired). Stir until sugar dissolves and let cool. Store in refrigerator and use up within a week.

❌ I love raw honey, but DON’T USE HONEY with hummingbirds 🍯👎🏼 (sugar is 50% fructose/50% glucose, honey is 40% fructose/30% glucose + other constituents, so it’s the wrong food matrix for them)

❌ I eat organic cane sugar, but DON’T USE ORGANIC SUGAR with hummingbirds👎🏼, it contains more minerals (like iron) that can bioaccumulate over time

2. Warm sugar water can quickly incubate incredible levels of pathogenic bacteria 🦠 and fungi that can infect and kill birds quickly 📈⚰️.The warmer the weather, the faster pathogenic microbes accumulate in nectar ☠️

Thoroughly disinfect and refill your hummingbird feeder twice a week in the spring. Above 85 degrees, clean and refill daily. (Yes, I said daily 😅) 🫗🧴🚰🧽🪣

Is this a complete pain? Yes. It’s also lifesaving and crucial, if you choose to feed hummingbirds. I spend 15 minutes a day taking care of my hummingbird feeders because I want the birds in my yard to not leave diseased and ill 🕊️.

I want to be a responsible steward of the wildlife in my yard. Please do the same, or simply enjoy them without feeding them. Plant hummingbird-friendly flowers 🌸. Better to keep them safe than inadvertently give them fatal food poisoning 💔.

03/30/2024

Whew! NINE batches of Fresh Breath Treats this am! Blueberry/Banana and Pumpkin Peanut Butter coming yet this weekend! Check out Grandma T's Holistic Dog Treats at https://doubletminiaussies.com/grandma-ts. Every recipe has health benefits for your best buddy!! Treats you can feel GOOD about feeding! 😁🐾🐶💞

Quality Miniature Australian Shepherds Dedicated to producing excellent quality Miniature Australian Sherpherd puppies

03/13/2024

Is tap water bad for your pet’s health? 💦

Your tap water may not be as safe as you think.🚰 In addition to the known health risks associated with "forever chemicals", research out of the University of Wisconsin found that dogs with bladder cancer are more likely to live in areas where tap water contains higher levels of the forever chemical - total trihalomethane, a reactive byproduct of disinfection chemicals (especially chlorination) used in municipal tap water. Studies also found pollutants in tap water increase the risk of other cancers like lymphoma in dogs. 😞 The good news is, these studies also show filtering tap water could decrease the overall incidence of these cancers. ☺️

👉Here are 5 tips to reduce your pet’s exposure:

1. Request an Annual Quality Report from your municipal water utility (the company that bills you monthly). You can also check the EWG Tap Water Database for your area. This report will list the detected contaminants, the potential source(s) of those contaminants, and the levels at which those contaminants were present in the water supply.
3. If your municipality doesn’t test for PFAS or you get your water from a private well, purchase a home water test kit (you can find one through a variety of retailers online).
4. Once you know what’s in your tap water, you can select the appropriate type of filter to remove the contaminants in your water supply. Activated carbon and ion-exchange resin filters can significantly reduce PFAS. Do your research and find the right filter for your water and budget.
5. Don’t use bottled water - it is not necessarily any safer and can still be contaminated with PFAS.
6. Avoid plastic water bowls and food storage containers. Many plastics contain PFAS that can leach into your pet’s food and water. Switch to glass or high quality stainless steel bowls, and glass or silicone containers are good choices for food storage.

📘 In The Forever Dog LIFE book, we cover not only water filtration options, but also tips for minimizing your Forever Dog’s 🐶(and Cat’s!🐱) exposure to toxins across the board: how to choose the safest food and water bowls 🥣, DIY recipes for nontoxic home 🏡 solutions (to protect your pet and the water supply), foods 🌿 that support the body in the face of unavoidable pollutants, and much more!

03/13/2024

The Forever Dog LIFE : Important tip!

03/12/2024

Freshening up your dog or cat's space with a room or fabric spray? 🐾 Try this pet-safe, nontoxic room spray!

Here's a sneak peak at one of the many recipes in the "Healthier Homes" section of our new book The Forever Dog LIFE! With this easy to make room spray, you can remove those nasty odors without the coughing, itchy rashes, organ dysfunction and other health risks associated with commercial room sprays!

Our dogs and cats share our living experiences 🏠, and also suffer the same health consequences, but they cannot escape indoor environments with polluted air. So we show you how to make non-toxic products for your pet's body and home that are good for you, your pets, and the environment!

Available for preorder at your favorite online retailer or The Forever Dog LIFE bio.

03/12/2024

Basil Serving Suggestions 🌿🥄

🐾 Fresh basil: Mince and sprinkle 1/2 to 1 teaspoon into your dog’s food for every 10 pounds of their body weight 🐶 (half that amount for cats 🐱).

🐾 Dried basil: Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon to your dog’s meal 🐶 (half that amount for cats 🐱).

Discover the compounds that give basil powerful antioxidant properties here: https://bit.ly/3SYt2k8

03/11/2024

03/11/2024

This!! It doesn't matter if they're adopted, rescued or purchased! This still applies! Keep it very low key for several weeks. No taking them places or having a bunch of company over to "meet your new dog"! They need to trust and bond with you before any of that happens!

Too much too soon WILL cause issues.
It is a really common occurrence with newly adopted dogs.

Congratulations on your new dog.
I know you want to take them to the beach, the pet store and your café....however can I ask for a few minutes so I can explain just what your dog has gone through.....and why you need to take the next few weeks SLOW.
Your new dog has had it's whole world turned upside down.
They don't know you.
They don't know if they can trust you.
They don't know if they are with you for an hour or forever.
They may have been in various scary places.
Other houses, rescues, the pound and likely ALL of these in the past few days or weeks.
Your dog has stress hormones surging through their brain, they are STRESSED....they need to decompress, they need STABILITY in their environment and from you.
They need time with you and their new environment.
They need to know that the tree outside may rustle against the house and that's OK.
They need to know that those normal creaky noises in your house are OK and that at 3.45 the neighbours bang their door shut.
They need to know when it rains that tapping sound is OK.
They need to know that when the door opens they won't be moved somewhere else again.
They need to trust that YOU are safe even when you have had a bad day, you will still give them food and that they can close their eyes around you.
You know what your good intentions are with your new dog, your dog however has NO idea what is happening.....only that everything has changed and it is scary.
They do NOT need other new environments yet. Take it SLOW.
Dogs that have just been adopted need TIME. There is no need to rush out the next day and take them to all the places you want to go with them.....They need the opposite.
Let them decompress, let them inspect a new area of your house or yard every day or two. Walk them up and down outside your house for a few days (and only there), let them sniff, and sniff some more. Let them p*e freely.....it may be boring for you, but not for your dog. They need to know what is happening around them and they learn that through their nose, eyes and ears.
They NEED this.
They need to learn to TRUST you.
The long walks can wait, the café will still be there in a few weeks and you can visit the pet shop alone until they are ready.
Your bond together is the MOST important thing to concentrate on right now.
You will never regret taking it slow and it can save your dog and yourself from making the very same mistakes that can lead to people rehoming in the first place.
All the very best with your new dog.

02/28/2024

I use the BAB protocols in raising my pups. I am still new to it and working on setting the new habits. I cannot stress enough, how impressed I am with this program! Use this, regardless of age, to work on your dog's behaviors and training!

The POWER 3 is a proven method from our Raising the Empowered Puppy Guide. Send your clients home with a copy or get set up as an affiliate and share your link with them. Either way, take an active role in encouraging your families to raise empowered puppies. Click here: https://buff.ly/49uLY0Z

02/28/2024

Your pet’s bedding is freshly washed, a ready nest full of softness, warmth….and formaldehyde?🙀

If you use dryer sheets or other fabric softeners, that “fresh scent” left behind is evidence of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs.

Formaldehyde is one of the respiratory irritant VOCs common in fabric softeners, along with acetaldehyde and acetone. But there are many more - researchers found 25 distinct VOCs emitted from dryer vents when these products were used😱 Other common offenders include:

☠️pentane - causes skin and GI irritation

☠️ethyl acetate - on the EPA’s hazardous waste list, causing anemia, changes in white blood cells, and damage to the liver and kidneys

☠️benzyl acetate - absorbed through the skin and damages the pancreas

☠️alpha-terpineol - causes headaches and nervous system disorders

The good news is that your pet can have clean, soft bedding 🛌 without risk of coughing, itchy rashes, organ dysfunction and more! In our new book Forever Dog LIFE, we show you how to make reusable non-toxic dryer sheets that are good for you, your pets, and the environment, plus many more DIY solutions for home and body! 🙌

www.foreverdoglife.com