Before you read any further, please know that I am not a vet! I am just sharing what has worked for me when it comes to my dog. Since I live a holistic lifestyle, there was no way that I was going to adopt a conventional approach for my dog's health.
There is a rise in dog cancer and other diseases and I truly believe it's because of the processed food they eat, the vaccines, and all the preventative medicine that they are given, such as pesticides (your flea and tick medicine).
When it comes to choosing a vet, I would look for someone who uses holistic medicine. I haven't found one that is 100% natural, they are more integrative and use both approaches. I love reading Dr. Dobia's blog posts on his holistic approach for different topics and I use his products.
1. Let's start with vaccines. The first visit to your vet with your new puppy and the first thing they will do is push multiple vaccines. My dog came with vaccines that the breeder gave him and what I did with my vet was a Titer Test, which tests for antibodies against certain diseases. My dog was fine so we did not do any other vaccines, except for the rabies, which I waited until 7 months only and is needed if you wish to travel with them. Highly suggest you do some research on the topic and you make your own decision.
2. Food- feeding processed, carbohydrate rich foods (aka kibble) will eventually cause obesity, dental aging, premature aging, arthritis, kidney and liver problems, digestive issues and allergies. The best nutrition you can give you dog is to eat a RAW diet. A diet made up of organic, grassfed meats/poultry/lamb etc (muscle meat, organs, and bones) organic vegetables, and a small amount of fruit. If you want to make your life easier, I highly suggest the brand ANSWERS. www.answerspetfood.com
This is what I feed my dog, and for treats we use dehydrated raw treats from Stella and Chewy or Vital Essentials. He also loves blueberries, celery sticks, and sauerkraut. I also give him bone broth and fermented raw goat milk a few times a week. As a weekly treat, I give him a grass fed bone marrow or duck/turkey necks which he loves. It keeps him entertained for a bit and he gets his teeth naturally cleaned.
Water- He gets good quality water either from the Berkey Filter or Mountain Valley. If you wouldn't drink tap water, why would you give your dog tap water?
(Illustration taken from Dr. Dobias)
3. Supplements- these are the supplements I give my dog. Sometimes I just rotate them.
-Probiotics from Dr. Dobias or ION Gut Health for Pets
-SoulFood Multivitamin from Dr. Dobias Certified organic, naturally fermented multi-vitamin and organ support.
-GreenMin from Dr. Dobias - All-natural, plant-based mineral and amino acid-rich green superfood to refuel and energize your dog's body
-No More Worms from Earth Animal- a cleansing, organic herbal blend that helps to cleanse the intestines making them less inhabitable by worms and parasites. It helps support GI Health and contains herbs that help guard against the development of parasites. This is also part of his natural heartworm prevention. Another option is -Giardia & Parasitic d'tox
- Peak Immune Powder- only if he needs it
4. Flea & Tick prevention- What I use for prevention is Dr. Dobias natural flea control shampoo and spray on him Wondercide Flea & Tick spray or Neem Spray when going outdoors.
5. Other Products
Shampoo & Conditioner- Kin + Kind
Miracle Soap
6. Remedies- We try to avoid the use of conventional medicine because most likely you will end up using antibiotics or steroids. I prefer using homeopathy and herbs.
For Kennel cough- I used oregano oil p73. 3x a day 5 drops each time but this obviously depends on your dogs weight and size. Within 3 days it was gone. I also used an immune booster from Peak Immune that is herbs for boosting the immune system.
For Ear infections- you can use Mullein Garlic oil and homeopathic medicine.
For Red Eye- You can use Chamomile, Colloidal silver, and Burts Bees dog saline solution cleaner.
Diarrhea- Pumpkin/ goat milk/ or Nutramin Clay.
Skin Issues- Dr. Dobias Skin Spray or Colloidal Silver