#13 What have I learned

When I first started the blog process I didn’t think I would learn that much about it. But, I have to say, I have been surprised by how much I have learned. I have never blogged in the past and I’m not at all tech savvy so the whole process was a learning experience for me. I had to learn how to set up the blog, publish it, and try to make it look nice by adding a couple pictures In the beginning I thought 400 words every week would be a horrible, daunting task. How was I ever going to come up with 400 words, and put them together into something interesting  for people to read who weren’t really interested at all? I soon realized that the word limit was not going to be as difficult as I had originally thought. The tough part was cutting my posts down enough so as not to ramble. 

 I also, learned that just because a particular topic- like canine epilepsy- is important to me it isn’t necessarily important to others. Because, of that I have had to think a little more outside of the box. I have had to add in posts that could pique the interest of the uninterested reader. In doing that I have learned to dig deeper into the subject about why things are the way they are. I knew my veterinarian said Baron should be on a diet that was fairly balanced between carbohydrates and proteins. But, what I didn’t know was why. I assumed she knew best and I went along with it. But, for the blog I couldn’t just say “This is what I do, so you should do it too.”  I had to do some fact checking and I learned that all active dogs should be on a fairly balanced diet like this, not just epi-dogs in particular. I was able to include in my posts some of the ingredients that I use that have worked for me and again I had to do the research to find out if they were in fact good healthy options or if I just thought they were.

 I was most interested to learn about some of the techniques I have been using to help prevent or stop seizures; most poignantly, the topics of ocular compression and flower essences. I have had both of these methods suggested to me by quite a few vets and other owners of epi-dogs, I have tried them and they worked, end of story. But, in writing about those topics I had to explain why they worked and before I could explain I had to learn it myself. It was so interesting to learn how the epileptic brain works in people and in dogs!

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#12 snack for an upset tummy

I love giving my dogs treats! Who doesn’t, right? But, I always have a hard time deciding what treats to give them. Most treats that you buy at the store have tons of crap ingredients that could cause Baron to have a seizure or cause all of my dogs to have allergic reactions. Shopping for them is not an easy task!

I have done a lot of trial and error to come up with recipes for dog treats that my pack will actually eat- they are pretty spoiled and can be very picky eaters. I came up with the following recipe mostly by accident. Baron had just had his medications adjusted and was showing signs of stomach upset. My vet suggested adding canned pumpkin puree to his food. She explained that it is great for dogs suffering from constipation or diarrhea. It is loaded with fiber and beta-carotene that help soothe the irritated gastro-intestinal tract and adds water to the system (It’s also good for cats in preventing hairballs).  Baron, being his regular spoiled self, turned his nose up and wanted nothing to do with it. So I had to improvise and come up with a way to get him to eat it. This is the recipe that I came up with, that Baron actually approved of:

Ingredients- 1 ½ cups of wheat flour

                      ½ - ¾ cup of oatmeal (I used regular I’m not sure if instant would work)

                       ¾ cup canned pumpkin puree

                      1-3 tablespoons of water (roughly may be more or less.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients together except the water. Slowly start adding the water a bit at a time until you have a ball of dough similar in consistency to cookie dough. At this point you can be fancy and roll the dough out and use cookie cutters but, I don’t usually have time for that. I just start pulling off pieces of dough and roll it into a ball about the size of a walnut. Then I flatten them out so they look a little bigger than a fifty cent piece. Bake for about half an hour or until they look dark golden brown. Let them cool completely before you store them and they will get a hard crunchy texture that is great for cleaning your dog’s teeth.  

I was lucky in that Baron actually liked this recipe. I also tried it without the oats and it worked but used four or five cups of flour and didn’t get the crunchy texture. I hope your dogs will enjoy these cookies as much as mine do!


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#11 ingredient lists

We all love to give our dog’s healthy wholesome treats and foods. But, there are tons of different types available on the market and it can be darn near impossible to decide which one is best for your dog. The ingredient lists look like they are written in a different language, and to top it all off treats and dog food are expensive! I’m hoping through this post I can shed some light on what can be a confusing topic.

The first question you should ask yourself when deciding what product to buy is: “What are the first three ingredients?” These three ingredients are the protein of your dog’s food and make up the largest portion of the food. That being said you want them to be “real ingredients” like Chicken, beef, or lamb. Avoid words like corn, wheat gluten meal, and textured soy protein meal. While these are in fact viable sources of protein, they aren’t the best choice to be the main ingredients in your dog’s food. Also, most people don’t realize the majority of dogs are allergic to corn. If your dog gets frequent yeast infections in their ears or between their toes, has dry itchy skin, or is frequently licking/ chewing the bottoms of their feet or skin to the point they are getting sores, it is very likely they are having an allergic reaction to the corn in their diet.

Next you should ask yourself what some of the other ingredients are and what do they do? You may see ingredients like mixed tocopherols (these are preservatives), methionine (a natural amino acid) or pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of Vitamin B6). These are all good additives that are harmless and / or beneficial to your dog. But, be forewarned if you see Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA), Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT), and Ethoxyquin. These are 3 nasty chemical preservatives. BHA and BHT are carcinogens and have caused kidney and liver damage in rats. Ethoxyquin is illegal to use in human foods, yet can still legally be added to pet foods, it has warning labels for people saying “May burn skin”. Ethoxyquin often enters through ‘fish meal’. Propylene Glycol is used to make kibble feel moist or soft. It comes from a chemical called ethylene glycol- also known as antifreeze, not something you want to be feeding your dog!
It’s best that your pet’s food and treats have no preservatives, but natural options like Vitamins C and E are safer choices. Many “Natural foods” will also use Rosemary extract as a preservative which I advise against as it can be a seizure trigger. 


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post #10 flower essences

  In my last blog post I talked about using massage therapy to help your dog to relax and recover from a seizure. I would like to continue the theme of holistic care for managing seizures by discussing a treatment mode that is frequently over looked and many people have never even heard of, flower essences. Let me say that first and foremost it is very important to consult your vet and a reputable herbalist before using flower extracts to know what is safe to use for your dog.

  Because most people aren’t familiar with flower essences I will explain what they are first. Flower essences are made by taking the flowering part of a plant and soaking it in carrier water in the bright sun, much the same way you would make sun tea. After a few hours of soaking, a very small amount of alcohol is added to preserve the essence. The tincture is then applied by dropper under the tongue or it can be mixed with a glass of water and drank. It is believed that the flower essence will help stabilize mood, emotional well-being, as well as relieve stress from physical or emotional trauma. The most reliable source to obtain flower essence from currently, I believe is a company called “Bach flower essence”. Dr. Edward Bach was the first known scientist to start formulating flower essence and he founded his company in the 1930s.   I use flower essence for a variety of reasons but for Baron following a seizure I have a couple favorites.  The first is called “Bach’s rescue remedy”, a combination of essence from rock rose, impatiens, cherry plum, star of Bethlehem, and clematis. This mix was created by Dr. Bach to deal with emergencies and crises - the moments when there is no time to make a proper individual selection of remedies. It helps Baron to get through the seizure when it is happening, making the length of the seizure shorter. Following a seizure Baron is usually very anxious and stressed so this is when I give him a few drops of Bach’s crab apple, this particular essence helps in providing relief from nervous tension. I have found that when I provide him with the crab apple essence the post-ictal anxiety is less severe and doesn’t last as long as if I don’t give it. After Baron has come out of his post-ictal anxiety and is starting to relax he usually has a hard time remembering basic commands or responding to his name. This is when I will give him 3-4 drops of Lemon flower essence. Lemon flower essence will help clear brain fog and confusion and this too helps make Baron’s overall recovery time much shorter.
   Overall flower essences can be used for so many things and are essentially harmless. I highly recommend them to anyone that is dealing with stress, anxiety, or any variety of emotional problems. Flower essences will help stabilize the emotional state of those who take them, whether it is a person or a dog (or any living creature for that matter) everyone can benefit from using flower essences.





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