ColliesHorsesArtLove

What I Love About Auburn ~ The Tevis Cup

The Endurance Capital of the World!!! This banner is right across from the Courthouse & the AERC (American Endurance Ride Conference) office. I get all choked up every year when I see it flying in the wind. What amazing horses and riders to start this race, much less finish the 100 miles of which less than 50% will...

The Bachelorette ~ Finally The Finale!

What excitement! Jillian picks HOT Ed! (LOVE HIM!!!) Kiptyn's mom would have ended it for me (in fact, his whole family was pretty snotty) and Reid was just a neurotic, undecided baby who didn't know how to comb his hair.

I might have to watch next season's episodes because I love reading Kristen Baldwin's recap wwwaaaayyyyyy too much!

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20294249,00.html

Tonight's Dinner

Everyone except Punky had turkey necks with some green tripe. 

Punky had ground rabbit and green tripe. (Both from Oma's Pride....not so gamey as Simon's but he puts everything in his ground rabbit. I used to not breathe when I fed the green tripe & rabbit...I'm over that now.) Yummy!!

These are WONDERFUL to have! I got them at Sam's Club. (Costco also has them but might be a different brand.) I bought 6 boxes, so they should last me several years. I use the same ones over & over, got into that habit when I was down to my last box and I was paranoid I'd run out and not find them again. 

The Raw Diet

Laura from Castlebar Collies suggested to me I put some information in my blog about feeding the raw diet. I thought about it and decided it was a great idea, as I have helped quite a few people convert to feeding this way over the phone and emails. This would be a lot easier for someone to just read it here. Thanks Laura! You know how much I love BLOGGING!!!!

I am going to give you my experience and you can take it or leave it. If you want to do something different or do your own research (highly recommended) please do. I really don't want to get into any discussions on why or how or a better way if you don't agree with me other than some superficial "you might want to try this' type dialogue. I use to preach and found as I get older, it's an exhausting way to live. If someone is interested in what I do, I gladly will share what I've experienced. With that "disclaimer" here goes!

I originally had the idea that kibble was not what I wanted to feed my dogs back when I had my first collie. In the early 80's I questioned it again, but really, loved going to the feed store to buy bags of kibble. The package design was always interesting to me, being a graphic artist, so if it had cool art on it, and looked superior to any other food, I would probably buy it. I did read the ingredients list also, but back then, it didn't mean too much to me. It was really more like "I need to find a 'lamb-based' kibble. Remember that? I probably would credit my best friend Lori Perea to making me look at the error of my ways. My first collie Kiita was very allergic and she was on a vegetarian kibble for a while designed by a very famous vet. Somewhere in my little mind, I thought dogs could eat this way. Lori helped me in her very Lori way to realized dogs are meant to eat meat. She also turned me on to Juliette de Bairacli Levy's "The Complete Handbook for the Dog and Cat". (Juliette recently died at 96!) I devoured that book and still enjoy reading it. She raised champion Afghan Hounds. 

In 1992 I ventured into raw feeding with the help of another individual who had a basic recipe of ground raw meat, ground veggies, cooked grains & supplements. It was a 1/3 portion of each. Most of my dogs did fine on it, except poor Moku who could not deal with the grains (at least in the proportion I was feeding him). After about 2 years, I got frustrated with him and the cost of the meat. I was still feeding a ground, organic meat and also didn't have much of a freezer, except the top of my fridge. 

During the next 8 years, I went back to kibble several times but always coming back to raw with my dogs especially if I was going to breed and whelp puppies. Each time I "refined" what I was feeding, mainly eliminating grains completely. I also stopped stressing about the supplements. I'd lay in bed at night and worry that I forgot their Vit. E or whatever else and that they weren't getting all of their nutrients. Meanwhile I had had several litters, most of which were very normal and healthy. My puppies are never huge when they're born, but I also don't tube feed, as I feel that this is causing a lack of natural selection. I cringe at the fact that I might be breeding to a dog who's breeder prides themselves on bringing back a baby puppy that probably should have died. I know for a lot of people this sounds harsh, but when we look at the lack of health in our animals, this to me is a contributing factor. Survival of the fittest ~ in the best way I can stand. Not all puppies are meant to live and I don't care if it's a future CCA winner. Winning is far from my mind in that respect! 

In my quest for more knowledge, I read Dr. Ian Billinghurst's 3 books on raw feeding. "Give Your Dog A Bone", "The Barf Diet" and "Grow Your Pups With Bones". While he's not a talented writer, his style is relaxed and easy to follow. After reading his books, I was less stressed that I was doing something wrong. Onward and upward!

I also joined a yahoo group called CarnivoreFeed-Supplier@yahoogroups.com and several others on raw feeding at YahooGroups. The whole process helped me gain more confidence and again, not feeling like I was doing it wrong. CarnivoreFeed-Supplier is a great place to help find meat & bones in bulk so you aren't paying a ton of money to feed your dogs. This list will help you anywhere you live in the country.

I also looked at the condition of my dogs. I liked that my puppies grow slow. They have very nice muscling and shiny coats. The condition of their teeth and gums are beautiful. Even Kaia at almost 13 years old has healthy looking gums because of all the bones she's consumed. Her teeth are stained with age, but no gingivitis, which you can see on a kibble fed dog usually in their first year. The only teeth cleaning I ever do are on their top canines. For some reason those will get a small bit of tarter. The other perk is their stools. The volume is easily a 1/3 less and if you accidently step in it (I step in it for the fun ~ hahaha!) it won't stick to your shoes. True story! I've suggested to Tony that I can feed his dog what my dogs eat, but he can't seem to go there, even though his dog tries to knock me down every time I bring in Kaia's dinner. When I went on a dog show trip he was home to take care of the rest of the dogs. I told him part of his job was to pick up after them. He called a few days later and said he couldn't find their poop. I thought that would convince him, but in reality, he doesn't have to pick up Parkers' "soft serve shit" anymore so out of sight out of mind. 

Currently and consistently for the last 8 or 9 years, my dogs have eaten a variety of raw, meaty bones, approximately 10% organ meats and salmon oil. I use to cuisinart vegetables but don't anymore. If they get any, it's in a pre-mixed frozen food I'll feed from Oma's Pride (www.omaspride.com). I like to have that food on hand, or ground from Creston Valley Meats (www.crestonvalleymeats.com). to help with variety and feed more meat and less bone. Kaia also in the last month is not interested in eating bones, except chicken, so she's getting mainly ground. I also will feed this on dog show weekends, or sometimes when I'm traveling, as it is easier. Though throwing the dogs a chicken leg quarter, or pork brisket is about as easy as it gets! Traveling by plane also is not a problem as most places I've ever been have markets ~ hence meaty bones.

I buy in bulk 1-2x's a month and freeze or re-freeze meat in smaller packages based on how many dogs I'm feeding. My chest freezer has saved me and I highly recommend anyone wanting to venture into feeding raw to make that a primary purchase. Without one, you will go crazy trying to keep meat on hand if you have more than 1 or 2 dogs. I know I have a few friends who have more than one chest freezer. One friend has 5....but she lives in Canada and can get deer and elk scraps from her hunter friends. (I'm soooo jealous!!) I gave away a smaller one when I bought my big freezer and I'm not sure what I was thinking. D u f u s ! The refrigerator (with freezer) in the garage helps also because I can have several days food in there thawing and it doesn't have to be in the kitchen fridge. Pre-thinking also helps in thawing meat. Remember to do it!!!

Variety is very important to feeding raw, as is in our own food, though I've always been confused on who should eat better first! (The dogs...) A lot of times people will get into the habit of feeding too much chicken (because it's cheaper) and easier to get. That is where the salmon oil comes in, to balance out the Omega 3's. I try and feed red meats more and more, as not only do the dogs love them, they are a more "natural" prey for them, though dogs will eat anything even if it's wrong. My dogs in particular LOVE rabbit, goat and elk. I also feed the usual chicken, turkey, pork, beef AND, buffalo, fish (sardines, salmon), and lamb. Green tripe is another food that the dogs go nuts about and I feed at least once a week. You can order from www.greentripe.com. I usually get it thru Oma's Pride with my other meats or Creston Valley Meats, if Simon has it. I've NEVER had a dog refuse green tripe. I know one company sells it in cans, but to me that's defeating the purpose of raw, but I suppose you have to start somewhere. Or, it makes you feel better.

People ask me how to figure out portions. I have a certain routine with my dogs on how much to give, and having done it for so long, it's not a big deal. The main thing is your dog will tell you with their weight and also if they leave food. I also don't feed the same amount every night, as the meats are so different. Some nights the dogs get a bigger meal, then the next, a smaller meal. Or, the whole week they're all about the same. I also am in big fan of fasting the dogs, though don't do it as regularly as I used to. Dogs are meant to gorge on a big meal then not eat for several days. There is plenty of research done at the diets of wolves (of which dogs have the same DNA). A good book to read on that subject is Dr. Tom Lonsdale's "Raw, Meaty Bones ~ Promote Health". Or L. Dave Mech's many books though I have not read any at this point. An argument is our dogs have been so domesticated in the last 60 or so years, but in the scheme of our world, that isn't very long for the inner workings of an animal to change. If that was true, they wouldn't still have carnivore teeth (for ripping and chewing meat) and a digestive system to digest such meat and bone. If my dogs changed so much, I could feed them corn and wheat and brown rice (a high up ingredient in most kibbles) and they should be able to digest it. They don't. It comes out the same way it went in. Now, if I feed my dogs a whole rabbit, they will digest virtually everything in a beautiful way (hence my cool yard!). Dogs digest meat and bone in about 4 hours and a dog that has been eating such a diet has the proper enzymes in their system to do it properly. A kibbled or processed diet stays in their system for more like 12 hours. That is not good. I'd love to see more study done on bloat and raw fed dogs. Juliette de Bairacli Levy talks about a stomach that doesn't need to digest meat and bone because of an improper diet. She felt the stomach was atrophying and led to problems such as bloat. To me, this is interesting stuff. I know there are many variables to this horrible condition but even Purdue University came back with a study saying that dogs showed less tendency to bloat who ate more meat, even if it was canned meat. A raw diet also has a very high water content. Kibble does not, even if you soak it. My dogs don't drink the huge amounts of water eating raw. Parker, after eating his kibble will drink huge amounts. I don't think that's such a good thing.

There is so much information on why raw is better than kibble or canned food. I will let you do your own research on the quality of the "meats" in kibble, especially the less expensive ones and the hierarchy of the ingredient list. We have only been feeding a commercial dog food for a short time in our history and I don't think that dogs are better for it. All you have to do is talk to some old time vets and find out what they are treating dogs for now, as opposed to when they first started their practice. Excellent reading, and I already have it on my blog is Dr. Martin Goldstein DVM's "The Nature of Animal Healing". I can not recommend this book enough. His clinic, last time I checked has the highest success rate of curing cancer in the country. He's brilliant and humble. Dr. Goldstein has probably helped more people change what they do with their pets than any other individual because of his work.

There are many other variables to health that I won't get into here, but in your quest to change your dog's diet, you will find them. I told someone yesterday that when someone asks me why I think my dogs are better on a raw diet, I tell them I will know more in about 15 years. I'm on my 6th generation of collies, mainly on one side of the pedigree, but there is so much more work to be done. What we've done to our dogs isn't going to fix overnight. It will be a generational thing. Raw is not the end all be all (for you Julie!) but it can be for some dogs. The other variables of eliminating toxins in your pets and environment as best you can, giving the dog good exercise, sun & fresh air, fair training and discipline AND a lot of love. That is a start. Good luck on your quest. This is a wonderful world we live in!

In a nutshell:

Feed as close to a whole prey animal as possible. I haven't found that very convenient or practical most of the time. Simon at Creston Valley Meats puts a lot more parts in his ground that just buying a chicken leg quarter. He also sells whole rabbit and that is an ideal food in my book. 

The idea also is to feed the same prey animal & organs at the same time. Again, not always easiest to do. If you're feeding raw, you are way ahead of the game.

Always feed bones with your meat. And, always feed it raw. Cooked bones can splinter and are very dangerous. Raw bones also can get stuck in a dog's throat or teeth, so nothing is guaranteed in life. My dogs eat in crates so I don't have any fighting over meals and I do check them regularly. Meat without bones is unbalanced. Your dogs will get diarrhea. If anything will make you stop the raw diet, that will.
  
Leg bearing bones (especially the larger animals like cows and goat) can be hard on their teeth. Try to avoid them. I also have had leg goat bones get stuck on the molars. Just watch your dogs. And, in all reality, I've heard more dogs aspirate on kibble than choke on bones. A dog eating a raw bone is....poetry.

Variety is very important, especially feeding plenty of the red meats. Human grade meat is what I strive to feed (except green tripe will never be human grade...unless you want to eat it on "Fear Factor"). If I had my way, I'd get meat & bones from hunters or grow my own livestock. Pierre and I used to have our chickens and rabbits and occasionally thin out our animals. The dogs loved the rabbits. With growing your own meat, you know what is in it. Unless you're feeding commercial grain with antibiotics and spraying your pastures with RoundUp, your animals should be in great health. If you live in a rural area, sometimes you can get on a list for road kill (deer) within a certain time frame. If the deer is fresh, healthy looking and you can put it in your freezer (with the help of a knowledgeable loved one like I'm hoping) that is another way.

Supplement with a good wild salmon oil. Read on the package for dosages. As far as supplementing with anything else, I don't. If you can get it in the food, and there is a good variety, that is ideal. I think we can screw up things more by supplementing. And, back to puppies of smaller weight, I figure if they are hardy, nurse strongly on their own, they'll gain the weight asap and grow at a more healthy rate. I don't want joint problems with them, and growing too big and fast can sometimes cause those problems.

Raw, range fed eggs are another item I will feed. I crack the whole egg into their bowls and they sometimes eat the shells. When I get chickens again and I can monitor their diets, my dogs will get eggs again. Store bought, even range fed are not my idea of real eggs.

The end! I promise!

Little Khemali'i In School

I went to watch Ali'i get ridden at Janine's today. These pictures aren't the best, as I was shooting into the shade, but they are still bloggable. Look at his fluffy little legs! I love that about him. He's kinda like a mini draft horse!

He's dropping his head nicely and rounding his back. She's very pleased with him and comments a whole bunch on how smart he is. (Aaaawwwwhhhhhhhh.....Smart Ali'i!) I find him very easy to do stuff with, as he doesn't stress too much about new things. We like to think it's the Khemosabi horses that are so exceptional.

Ali'i's gotten very light in the mouth though most of the time I rode him in a halter so we didn't have too much bad bit training. He's also learning a nice fast walk and different speeds of trot and to stay in them consistently.

He's still barefoot and worst case scenario is I glue on Renegades or the EasyBoot Gloves, so Janine doesn't have to mess with boots when she starts taking him out on the trail. She's an ironshoeaholic (oh ~ did I say that?), but she has said he's got pretty feet and is staying sound (duh.....). Anyway, he's only got one more month and then we're done. So maybe we can do boots for only a couple of weeks.

It's fun to watch my horse get ridden by someone who knows how to ride. It's kinda like watching your dog get shown by someone else who does a great job. I never get to see those things. I also don't think I've ever seen Janine wear any other type of riding gear. I haven't seen her in the winter, but something tells me she rides in shorts even in the freezing cold. (I'll let you know!) She's also got this saddle that looks like it's been thru about 10,000 rides and more than a few bucking fits. (This is not the one she rides on the trail). I guess if the parts are still good, why get a new one.

Operation Sea Men Delivery Successful!

Khemi's little guys arrived in their permanent home this morning and Aura's follicle was still the same size, which in breeding terms means it was probably more perfect to breed her today rather than last night. A gizillion dollars later with paying two different vets I feel a lot better. I think poor Khemi would have rather had the girl than the vet, and everything was much more entertaining this morning AFTER we were all done than before!  S t r e s s f u l . . . . So...we should know in 3 weeks if she took!

BTW, I had to take this picture of the breeding dummy.....gotta love Janine's sense of humor!

The Big Fat Follicle ~ Timing Is Everything!

What excitement. I've been waiting for a year to breed my mare(s). Shahara never showed for us....Aura is a showing fool! She came in on schedule when Kathleen thought she would, which was around July 4th. By the time the vet got there to palpate her on Monday morning (something about vets not wanting to call back over a holiday weekend) she had ovulated. Since we were worried she'd come in and be breedable while Janine was riding Tevis, we chose to give her a prostin shot to bring her in earlier. Well, Aura came in big and strong, just in time for Ashley's final last night AND after Janine had said she was going on an evening ride. Talk about STRESSFUL!!! Kathleen AND the vet call me and tell me "best she gets bred tonight". Since I was in the middle of this auditorium aisle crawling back and forth over all the family & friends, I decided to sit on the outside seat. Janine finally called back (exactly when Ashley was on stage ~ of course!) and told me her vet said that a breeding this am will still be fine. I'm so into it with paying vets so what the "f"! Anyway, I am off this morning to pick up Khemi's little guys and drive them to Aura. Wish me luck!!!   

The Natural Body Building Competition

Tony's daughter Ashley has been training for a natural (no steroids) body building contest for the last 2 months. She's also been on a very strict diet and working out some 2 hours a day (ug...). Anyway, the competition was today and she WON!!! She now has her "pro card" and can continue if she chooses and actually win money. Forgive me if I have any of the details wrong because it's new to me, but I love competitions. Whether it's dogs or car shows, or ??? there is detail, balance and beauty to be found in the competition. T used to build Hot Rods and we've gone to quite a few car shows and I especially love to see the work that goes into the cars. Today was no different. Ashley looked amazing (she was really a slouch 2 months ago!!) and totally deserving of her win.

It must suck to have an ass like this......if I was her, I'd wear a moo moo!!

The one thing I didn't know about these competitions is the competitors get spray tanned (very heavy) the night before, then the morning of. Apparently even if you are tan, on stage you'll look washed out. She looked amazing, but up close....wowzeeeeee!! I asked her if she was going to sleep in that stuff another night so she could bask in the glow of her win. I guess after eating what she wanted tonight and having a long awaited cocktail (guess I won't be doing this competition), she was going home to take a shower!

A big CONGRATULATIONS Ashley!!!! Love D!!!

It's Getting Closer..........

This is our front entry all the way to the first garage door. That turret has been a nightmare for the framers and roofers. I think it's obnoxious, but it's got the spanish style look to it so...w ha t e v e r. For all I know T will have a secret hiding place up there to ward off unwanted visitors.

This is the kitchen/dining nook. My computer is going to have to fit there by the ladder as there will really be no other place. 

This is our bedroom and master bath. Lots of windows!!

This is some of the inside workings of our house. I love stuff like this and ask T a lot of questions. I'm always fascinated by how things are put together and why. I'd probably be one of those nightmare inspectors like we had last week. 

The roof is now on and we should be able to start and finish the outside stucco next week. We've already bought a BEAUTIFUL kitchen sink and even though we are doing this as inexpensively as we can, there are a few things that we are splurging on (well, like instead of a $250 sink, it's a $550 sink). T was also able to get a front door exactly like he wanted for trade on some work. So we ended up getting 3 outside doors for 1/2 the cost of a typical front door. Very cool.

I Am A Dog Breeder!

WHY WE SHOW UP

Someone today asked that since SB 250 was going into the suspense file, why did we bother to show up today?

 

The supporters of SB 250 were "tipped" off that SB 250 would be put into suspense and did not show up. Even though we, the opposition, were fairly sure that SB 250 was not going to be voted on and would be put into suspense, we still wanted to be there because it matters. Our voices, our presence, our letters, our standing, our testimony all speaks volumes that this bill and mandatory spay/neuter opposition matters.

 

We could have stayed home. We could have spared the expense of travel, time, and energy but it mattered that we were there today. If nothing more, it was quite the emotional impact when we, the opposition were invited to stand, that the entire room and balcony was on their feet. And it was solidified when Assemblymember Davis showed our stack of letters in comparison to the supporters letters (and he left one stack back at the Sergeant of Arm's desk!).

 

We have shown up since AB 1634 and will continue to show up through the rest of SB 250 if needed. We will not allow ourselves to be silenced-- not by complacency or by intimidation or even by being out weighed financially. While SCiL (Mancuso's organization that sponsors SB 250 and AB 241) is donating tens of thousands of dollars to various democratic campaigns, we are using every single penny for efforts to stop the madness of mandatory spay/neuter and work reasonably within the system without the benefit of campaign contributions. Many individuals involved in working against SB 250, including SaveOurDogs and CDOC directors have given of their own money to fund the fight. No one takes a salary-- but the point is, it will take every single one of us and everything that we can contribute in terms of TIME, TALENT, and TREASURE to make sure that this will be the final battle.

 

The best thing that has happened in all of this is the coalition that has emerged. Besides the numerous individuals who have put in hundreds of volunteer TIME, organizations such as CDOC, CaRPROC, CalFed, NAIA, AKC, PetPAC, CFA, SaveOurDogs, and I know I am missing others have worked within their own TALENTS to educate legislators and the public about the risks of mandatory spay/neuter. It has been an extremely expensive quest; one that is not over yet. And we will continue to show up...

 

Laura Finco

CDOC Communications

 

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You can mail donations to CDOC Action, 22647 Ventura Blvd. #108, Woodland Hills, Ca 91364 or paypal at http://www.cdocaction.org  Join CDOC or donate at http://www.cdoca.org

I have not posted anything on this particular issue, as for me, my blog has been a very personal, though sometimes frivolous look at my life. I don't exactly want to get into political issues and like to think my life is fairly happy and simple, but in all reality, there are battles out there to be fought and I think we need to pick and choose so we retain our rights AND our sanity. For me one of the things are insane dog laws being passed all over the country that are taking away the rights of Americans. That affects my simple, happy life and my well-bred collies. It's real easy to think these laws aren't going to affect you, or to let someone else do the work, but that attitude of apathy is the one that will contribute greatly to the loss those rights.

I am not going to feel bad because I am a dog breeder (and doing my best to breed my Arabian mare ~ so I also am a horse breeder). Many of the laws going into effect are making criminals out of responsible breeders (and pet owners), rather than educating the public on responsible care of animals.

I proudly donate to PetPac and write letters/emails when I can to let my congressmen know I don't support these laws, nor should they. I also spend a fair amount of time with people who don't understand the difference between "Animal Welfare" and "Animal Rights". PETA http://www.animalscam.com/peta_7things.cfm and HSUS  www.vidoosh.tv/play.php?vid=4360 are not organizations that you want to support unless you are truly not interested in owning a pet. I consider myself a very responsible breeder and will spend an inordinate amount of time with people who get dogs from me (which is really ~ 9 litters in 20 years) AND, I will spend as much time with someone who needs help, who did not get a dog from me, if they request help. These laws, if passed, will put the responsible breeder "out of business" which in my opinion isn't a business, but a "passion" for their particular breed. I don't know anyone personally who makes money at breeding so by losing individual breeders we will be turning dog breeding over to commercial breeders (ie "puppy mills"). This is scary. It's also tragic to think that anyone who buys a dog from a commercial breeder, could not call them in the middle of the night for help with their dog. (Or even during the day for that matter!) This is where these dogs end up in the shelter because owners don't have the breeder to help them with issues OR to take the dog back. I am a breeder for the life of the dog and will take back a dog no matter what the problem or age of dog. See if you can get your pet shop or commercial breeder to do that. (And, btw, I have never had to do that ~ thank God for my wonderful homes & collies.)

Dog shows (and most activities that animals are involved in) also support our economy in a big way, and spay/neuter laws don't solve the problem of less stray animals in the pound. In fact history has shown us these laws make relinquishing pets to the shelter go up. http://www.cdoca.org/page6/page6.html . It is also a crime in my book to have state mandated spay/neuter at 4 months old of any animal. That is a surgery that only a veterinarian and owner should make. To me it'd be like taking the uterus out of your 6 year old daughter and not thinking you'd have health consequences with her.

Beware of these laws and what the ultimate agenda is. We still live in America last time I looked.