And yes, our constant companions pick up on our Christmas stress. Most dogs who share our lives are like sponges when it comes to emotions.

And we all know how high our own emotions run – when we are trying to get everything just right for gifts and all the food for the holidays.  Make life just a little calmer – it works for yourself just as well as for your canine companions.  When you are out and about – pick up some PURE Lavender oil. It has to be of good and pure quality to work. When you get home – use your defuser or sprinkle a couple of drops on your doggie bed . You can do this every day – it is very soothing. Another great bottle to have handy – always – not just at Christmas time. Get the Bach Flower Rescue Remedies – you can put it on your dogs ears or on their gums – works for cats as well.Check out the Rescue Pastilles as well – it just keeps you calm when someone takes that parking spot you waited for…
Check back in a couple of days for a Christmas biscuit recipe you could make as a gift for your doggie friends.

Christmas is a time when most of us feel that we want to also give something special to our 4 legged people and their guests.

Most often they get some turkey and some dressing. Unfortunately, a lot of dogs are not used to this rich food and all the extras they are given during the holidays. And of course some dogs – just help themselves!!  There is a way to prevent the diarrhea and the stomach upset.  When you do your christmas dinner and baking – bake a squash in the oven. You can take an orange squash or a small pumpkin, cut in half take out the seeds and drizzle it with of olive oil. put it into a baking dish with a bit of water. Bake at 350F for about 45 minutes – depending on the size.  Then when you have Christmas dinner – serve the squash to your canines – you can put a bit of turkey on it. Squash and/or pumpkin will keep their tummy in good shape. It coats the stomach it will prevent the diarrhea. And they have a great christmas dinner!! And NO, they cannot have the Christmas pudding.

Yes, we are having toast this lovely Sunday morning. I just posted on facebook  www.facebook.com/gowithoutkibble  that I publish the exact propotions for scrambled eggs breakfast for the dogs:

Noodle – weighs 70lbs – 2 wholegrain squirily bread toast with butter – 2 eggs with a handful of finelly chopped rainbow chard.

Sally – weighs about the same but runs “marathons with sticks” all day – 3 eggs with a handful of finelly chopped chard and 3 well buttered toast.

Our visitor: Barnaby, the Aussie, gets the same as Noodle. He is large for an Aussie.

With all of this they get their supplements of course – see more on that by going to the supplement page on my website www.30dayswithoutkibble.com

Please – don’t be scared to feed your dogs REAL food.

Enjoy this lovely Autumn Sunday

N

Anyone who read my book has heard me talk about my grandmother and her wisdom for herbs. So when I found the following on the Care2 site – I thought it would be helpfull for some of you to explore and try:

Excerpted from Dr. Kidd’s Guide to Herbal Dog Care, by Randy Kidd, D.V.M., Ph.D.

Judging by the comments from my many human clients who are using the herbs I’ve recommended for their older dogs, herbs are truly one of the very best treatments available for an aging body–whether you are a human or a dog!

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)
Ginkgo is our primary anti-aging herb. It acts on two major systems of the body: the nervous system and the cardiovascular system. Ginkgo has proved effective in treating Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and senile dementia. (In animals, senile dementia associated with Alzheimer’s-like symptoms is referred to as cognitive dysfunction or dimming mind syndrome.) Ginkgo enhances both long-term and short-term memory in puppies and old critters alike. This popular herb improves circulation and has good antioxidant activity. Studies also indicate that ginkgo is often effective as a treatment for age-related hearing and vision loss, dizziness and vertigo, and tinnitus (ringing in the ear).

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
Rosemary contains bioactive ingredients that help prevent the breakdown of the chemical acetylcholine in the brain. A deficiency in acetylcholine is believed to be a contributing factor in senility in general and Alzheimer’s disease in particular. Rosemary is also an important antioxidant.

Read more here.

Flaxseed Oil (Linum usitatissimum)
Flaxseed oil is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, the good fats that reduce triglycerides and cholesterol (the prime fatty arterial blockers) and prevent blood clots.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
Turmeric is the yellow component of curry powder, and it stimulates the liver’s bile production. This herb is a potent antioxidant. Turmeric is also heart healthy, acting as a blood thinner (which prevents clots) and helping to prevent excess cholesterol accumulation.

Green Tea (Camellia sinensis)
The green variety of tea contains flavonoids and polyphenols, which are a type of flavonoid that may be a more powerful antioxidant than vitamins C and E. Green tea is oxidized for a shorter period of time that black tea; practitioners don’t think the black variety has the same health benefits.

Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica)
A traditional herb of both Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, gotu kola has antioxidant activity that protects the body from damage by free radicals. The herb is particularly useful for stress-related disorders and memory problems.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/longevity-herbs-for-dogs.html#ixzz1YXFS0JFA

everyday. Magean passed away on March 20th – see previous post. It’s been really difficult to get my thoughts back to the blog. She was such a big part of my life and she was part of my passion. You can see her on my website http://30dayswithoutkibble.com she is the smallest out of the three.
I am still in Germany. The book has been totally translated now will be available in German as an ebook first. And I have a surprise for all the English speaking readers of this blog.
In the Magean spirit I will keep on spreading the word and keep up my work in trying to make this worls a healthier and happier place for all dogs. Now go hug your dog !

I just served breakfast to my 4 legged “nieces” here in the Black Forest area of Germany. With most of central Europe being covered in snow there is not much green stuff to be harvested – even the winter kale is covered.  Unless you have loads of greens frozen from the summer – adding greens to your dog’s food might be a challenge. As I mention in my book,  STINGING NETTLES are a great alternative.  You can buy them dried – mostly sold as tea. I put 1 heaping TB in their breakfast – it has so many benefits – supporting the metabolism, the kidneys, the blood circulation, just to mention a few and of course it is GREEN.  If you cannot get in in bulk, you can simple buy plain stinging nettle tea and just open the teabag and sprinkle it into your dogs food. For more on this and other ideas go to http://30dayswithoutkibble.com

Enjoy this christmas time and remember that chocholate is poison for dogs.

Merry Christmas to all from a “White” Germany

Eva Blais