People are always asking me what I recommend as a healthy pet treat for a dog or a cat. There are so many options available to us, when we’re hunting through the fridge, if we just keep it simple. Why not try an organic carrot stick for your dog? Honestly, there’s nothing better for the teeth and gums, and this great source of beta carotene really helps exercise their jaws. If your dog doesn’t quite “get it” and looks at you oddly when you serve up a carrot, try putting a dab of cottage cheese, or a schmear of peanut butter on it. Both dips are healthy sources of real protein, and my guess is that you’ll have your pooch begging for more.

A great choice for a cat is a cantelope ball! Oh, I know you’re thinking I’m a little crazy here, but seriously – all of my cats go crazy for this luscious fruit. One or two balls a day are enough. Too much fruit can cause fermentation in their bodies, so don’t overdue it.

One of my absolute favorites for any dog or cat is Voyko’s Paw Lickin’ Liver Treats (right out of my book). No pet can resist them, and they’re really easy to make. Try it yourself!

Ingredients:
3 pounds of organic chicken or turkey liver
Fresh or dried oregano
Fresh or dried rosemary
Minced fresh garlic

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the liver on a large baking pan and sprinkle the herbs on top. Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool, then dice the liver into 1-inch cubes. Put a few ounces into individual ziplock bags, and freeze the portions that won’t be eaten right away. Your healthy, homemade treats will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days, and up to a month in the freezer.

Smart snacking keeps their bodies trim and fit. Stay away from grain filled biscuits and treats and your pets will enjoy all the health benefits that great food provides.

For other great recipes for the ones that you love, get a copy of “The Whole Pet Diet: Eight Weeks to Great Health for Dogs and Cats”. www.wholepetdiet.com

Amidst the Dark Cloud of the Pet Food Recall – There is a Shiny, Silver Lining!

The calls and e-mails from frantic pet owners are flooding the information highways in record numbers. Everyone is worried about what to feed their pets and most people can’t even fathom how the companies they’ve come to trust could have had such disregard for the safety of the ones they love.

For twenty years I have been addressing the problems that most people have with their pets and offer solutions to help keep them! The sad story of the current pet food product recall is actually an important “WAKE UP” call for all of us, and now is the best time to institute important changes to enhance your own pet’s life. We need to examine what we’re really feeding our own animals. For me, most every health problem is in someway related to the diet. Food is the foundation of life. With high quality, wholesome, natural ingredients – great health typically follows. Without well-balanced nutritionally dense elements – we leave our pets susceptible to a slew of chronic health problems (such as allergies, obesity, diabetes, and digestive disorders).

So, how do we know what’s really good for our pets? It’s important to be a devoted label reader, but it’s even more critical to take a monthly assessment of your pet from every angle. I call it “taking your own pet portrait”. It’s about examining the texture of your pet’s coat, and experiencing a minimal amount of shedding or loose hair. You’d see clean eyes, smell fresh breath, and rejoice about their dexterity. They would maintain a trim, fit body, and develop a healthy digestive system that functioned perfectly. Given the right tools, everyone can begin to help take the healing process into their own hands. If what you were feeding your pet was healthy and balanced, it’s likely you’d never have an issue.

For the very best food to keep your dog or cat healthy, visit the Halo® website www.halopets.com and grab the recipe for Spot’s Stew® that you can make yourself, at home. For those of you who may be kitchen or time “challenged” – you can purchase it, already made at Whole Foods Markets, Wild Oats, Vitamin Shoppes and Petco’s everywhere

Sooner or later it had to happen! A crisis so large, it cripples the pet industry – (temporarily) and makes people finally stop to think that what they just might be feeding their pets is making them feel bad, or worse – even causing their deaths!

I won’t go into the bad news here. You have been bombarded by it on TV, radio, the internet and newspapers. The giant pet food recall is a reality though, because the pet food industry has been sadly based on bottom line profits alone, and not on what’s best for the animals we love!

However, that being said – I’m going to give you the good news on this blog site. You’ll find the information here is intended to be thought provoking, while providing you with answers to the most frequently asked questions about how to keep your pets out of the vets. You’ll find everything you need to help you make wiser choices.

The simple philosophy is that what an animal (or human) eats can either make them well or keep them in a stuck state of health. Let’s face it; some people actually can live on potato chips and beer. Not necessarily very well or very long – but they can live on it. Same holds true for the pets. Most pet foods contain an overabundance of grains (which are used as fillers, and are the cheapest of all the food stuffs). Couple these with chemicals and preservatives; it’s no wonder that over time those ingredients build up in those little dog and cat organs and wreak havoc on their immune system.

Once you get the hang of it, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to actually approach pet care and animal wellness from a holistic standpoint and help keep them well. For the last twenty years, I have been teaching a holistic approach to wellness for the animals. In 1986 I was laughed at, because I started a holistic pet product company that no one thought would take off. Because of my vast experience in helping people like you to understand about the importance of diet, nutrition and natural health – I have fulfilled my heart’s desire to help thousands of pets to thrive and live happier, healthier, drug free lives.

Here you’ll find easy recipes for making delicious and nutritious homemade meals and treats. I’ll even give you the short-cuts so that the “kitchen challenged” or the guy or gal on the go can forego the fuss altogether and still ensure their pets get the very best and safest products on the market. You’ll also find my favorite books and links to everything to help you and the ones you love to live better. When our animals feel great, it enhances our own well being!