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| Overall View of the New Meats |
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| "Rougie" (French Duck Breast) |
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| "US Cornish Game Hen" |
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| New Meaty Bone,"French Duck Leg" |
Saturday, November 27, 2010
New Meats
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
New Herbal Essentials
Recently, I bought two new herbal essentials for Rossi gal, a ear wash and a travel sickness remedy.
Rossi gal has been on Earrific as her ear wash since young. It is recommended by her very first groomer. Though it worked fine for her, I still wanted to source for a more natural ear wash for her. Then I came across this herbal ear wash. I have not started using it on her yet, but I hope it works well for her.
Rossi gal has been on Earrific as her ear wash since young. It is recommended by her very first groomer. Though it worked fine for her, I still wanted to source for a more natural ear wash for her. Then I came across this herbal ear wash. I have not started using it on her yet, but I hope it works well for her.
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| contains: Purified Water, distilled Vinegar, Aloe Vera juice, Vegetable Glycerin, Witch Hazel extract, organic Goldenseal root extract, Calendula extract and Olive leaf extract. |
When Rossi was younger, she didnt have much of a problem with car rides. However, as she grew up, she began to show signs of car sickness and eventually, started vomitting during car rides. I have tried giving her EasiTravel (PetAlive) for some time, but it did'nt seem to work for her. Hence, I started sourcing for another natural "car sickness remedy" and stumbled upon the "Ginger-Mint". Ginger has anti-nausea properties, which aids in relieving motion sickness and preventing vomitting. I will give her the Ginger-Mint in her upcoming car ride. Hopefully, it helps her.
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| Contains: Certified organic ginger root, peppermint, fennel seed, chamomile, vegetable glycerin USP and distilled water. Alcohol free |
Monday, November 22, 2010
Meat & Bones
When Rossi gal first started raw, I put her on Barf raw, which included raw blended veggies. I believe veggies are a good source of vitamins. During her homecooked days, I included veggies too, but in the cooked form.
I understand that the addition of veggies in a raw diet is a controversial issue and I will not venture into it. My blog entry relates to my Rossi gal only.
Yes, Rossi gal does well on raw, but somehow, I just feel that she does better on meat and bones. On some days, when I omit the raw veggies, I find that she seems to do better. Therefore, I decided to try omitting raw veggies for some time and see if it really works better for her.
For the past 1 month, I gave her meat and bones, the usual supplements and occasional bits of fruits. The only thing that changed was the omission of veggies. Based on my observation, she does better on meat and bones (Prey Model). Daddy feels the same way too.
I have come across an article by a holistic vet with regards to natural management of Demodectic Mange, without the use of drugs. The article recommends that for furkids with Demodectic Mange, they need a raw meat and bones based diet. The veggies and fruits would be best omitted, but if they are to be included in the diet, it would be preferable to include them in moderate amounts and to use only low glycemic veggies and fruits (as low glycemic foods do not turn to sugar in the system easily.) It is also recommended that grains and yeasts of all kinds should be avoided in the diet. Why? Quoting directly from the article, "mites feed on the yeast living in the body, and systemic yeast feed on nutritional yeast and sugars (carbohydrates)".
Other than the article on Demodectic Mange, this holistic vet has also written other articles on various conditions, which I personally find very insightful.
I still believe in the goodness of raw veggies. But for Rossi gal, meat and bones work better for her, so I will continue her on a diet of meat and bones. My stand is, whatever works best for Rossi gal, I will do it just for her.
I understand that the addition of veggies in a raw diet is a controversial issue and I will not venture into it. My blog entry relates to my Rossi gal only.
Yes, Rossi gal does well on raw, but somehow, I just feel that she does better on meat and bones. On some days, when I omit the raw veggies, I find that she seems to do better. Therefore, I decided to try omitting raw veggies for some time and see if it really works better for her.
For the past 1 month, I gave her meat and bones, the usual supplements and occasional bits of fruits. The only thing that changed was the omission of veggies. Based on my observation, she does better on meat and bones (Prey Model). Daddy feels the same way too.
I have come across an article by a holistic vet with regards to natural management of Demodectic Mange, without the use of drugs. The article recommends that for furkids with Demodectic Mange, they need a raw meat and bones based diet. The veggies and fruits would be best omitted, but if they are to be included in the diet, it would be preferable to include them in moderate amounts and to use only low glycemic veggies and fruits (as low glycemic foods do not turn to sugar in the system easily.) It is also recommended that grains and yeasts of all kinds should be avoided in the diet. Why? Quoting directly from the article, "mites feed on the yeast living in the body, and systemic yeast feed on nutritional yeast and sugars (carbohydrates)".
Other than the article on Demodectic Mange, this holistic vet has also written other articles on various conditions, which I personally find very insightful.
I still believe in the goodness of raw veggies. But for Rossi gal, meat and bones work better for her, so I will continue her on a diet of meat and bones. My stand is, whatever works best for Rossi gal, I will do it just for her.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Duck Fillet
Mummy has diced up some duck fillet for Rossi gal to munch on over the weekend. This is her first taste of raw duck. As usual, she loves all her raw meats. Yummy! Mummy will be introducing more new meats in time to come. :)
Friday, November 19, 2010
Day Out with Mummy & Daddy
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| Daddy, why are you hiding behind me? |
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| Daddy, what are you doing behind me? |
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| I see food. I want my food..On the mark..Get Set...Go? |
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| *Sniff Sniff* Wat's tat smell? smells kinda salty.. |
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| Rossi gal, at Marina Barrage, admiring the sea in the cushion of Mummy's laps |
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Rossi gal's Review & Wellness Check
Last weekend, Daddy and I brought Rossi gal for a review and health check at ARVC. Since the last visit months back when Dr. Ly recommended us to switch to raw, we had not been back to see him, until now.
At the same time, I also wanted to do a blood test and heartworm test for Rossi gal. I had wanted to do these two tests during May this year when she did her first (& last) annual vacc at another vet clinic. But this particular vet was very reluctant to do both tests on her.
For the heartworm test, he said that as long as Rossi gal was on the heartworm meds, it was not necessary to do it. Then for the blood test, he said that it was not recommended unless the furkid exhibited symptons of illness and also, most of the time his clients did not request for the blood tests if the physical examination was fine. He said blood tests were "uncommon" and very costly. Well, I did not insist on the two tests, cos the only reason I went to this clinic for the vaccination was because it offered the 5-in-1 vaccine.
What makes him so sure the heartworm meds will definitely work? Whether or not Rossi gal is on heartworm meds, the test should still be done to ensure the meds are working right? That's why there is this heartworm test available at the clinics for furkids to be tested.
For the blood test, expensive, yes, but this is not a factor to me . "Uncommon"? I don't really think so. I believe there are people out there who request blood tests for their furkids. Blood test to be done ONLY when the furkid show symptoms of illness? Oh dear, would'nt this be too late for furkid? Would'nt it be so much better to just do the test and catch signs of illness in advance? Chances of healing are also higher when illness is detected earlier. Well, there is not a single doubt that this will be the First and the Last time I step into this place.
The Review & Wellness Check
The appointment with Dr. Ly was on Saturday, 4.30PM. We waited more than an hour after the appointment time before we saw him. As Dr. Ly was still caught up with a patient, one of his assistants started us off by asking us for our purpose of consultation and some general questions on Rossi gal's health.
When we told her we wanted to do the heartworm test, the first question she asked was, if Rossi was on any heartworm meds. I answered 'Yes' almost immediately. When she enquired about the specific heartworm meds Rossi gal was taking, I answered 'Revolution' in a heartbeat. Yes, I totally Lied. Rossi gal have not been on any heartworm meds for a long time. As I didnt want to give her the chance to educate me on the dangers in not giving her the meds, I have decided not to tell the truth.
Then she went on to advise that actually the heartworm test did not need to be done, since she was on the meds. But I insisted on doing it and she said nothing more.
The moment Dr. Ly stepped into the room, she updated him on the purpose of our visit and highlighted the heartworm test+the monthly revolution Rossi gal was on. I held my breath. In my heart, I was thinking, not again..don't tell me Dr. Ly was going to say the heartworm test is not needed..But to my great relief, Dr. Ly did not say this. Instead, without a question, he told his assistant to that he will do the Wellness Check (which consists of general health check, blood test and heartworm test) for Rossi gal. Finally, Rossi gal got to do the tests!
Dr. Ly looked at Rossi gal's bald patch where it used to be and was pleased that hair had grown back. I told him this was the result of 4 months on raw. He smiled and commented, "Raw is good, right?" Daddy and I nodded in full agreement. He emphasized for us to stick to raw diet for Rossi gal, as she's clearly doing well on raw.
The only thing that baffled us about her re-grown hair was that the hair was mostly white in colour. Yes, her colours are a mixture of black and white with a touch of tan. But the hair on her back is mainly black, but the re-grown hair is white..hmm...Dr. Ly joked that we needed to get some black dye to make the hairs black. However, the white hairs are not an issue to us. For us, the most important thing is, her bald patch is gone. :)
He did an overall physical check on her and said she's doing very well. Then he proceeded to draw some blood from her right hind leg for the tests. We were advised the results would be ready in about 15 minutes. But we gathered that we would have to wait longer than this, as he was also attending to another patient in the next room. It was fine for us.
I was pacing up and down the room, while Daddy tried to calm me down. Yes, no doubt Rossi gal is doing fine, but a blood test would reveal more specific aspects that could not be detected physically.
Half an hour later, Dr. Ly came in with the results. The first thing he said, was her blood test results were good and heartworm test was negative, except that based on the results, her immune system was a little bit on the low, but he said that this was not an issue. We just needed to work on boosting it up with supplements like Sang Hwang Lingzhi.
I believe her immune system can be boosted up in time to come. Actually, she is just a 0.1 short of the acceptable range. I know her immune system has improved from before, as evidenced by the re-growth of her hair. Demodectic Mange is immune system related, if her immune system is still very poor, her bald patch will still remain. Dr. Ly had also told us in one of our visits that no hair re-growth for her case, was a sign of a very poor immune system.
Before we left, he also said that Rossi gal will continue to do well, as long as we keep up with what we are doing for her now. This further confirms I'm on the right track in what I'm doing for Rossi gal.
I will continue her in the "chemical-free" (no heartworm/deworm+tick & flea meds, no annual vacc & no processed food+treats) route.
At the same time, I also wanted to do a blood test and heartworm test for Rossi gal. I had wanted to do these two tests during May this year when she did her first (& last) annual vacc at another vet clinic. But this particular vet was very reluctant to do both tests on her.
For the heartworm test, he said that as long as Rossi gal was on the heartworm meds, it was not necessary to do it. Then for the blood test, he said that it was not recommended unless the furkid exhibited symptons of illness and also, most of the time his clients did not request for the blood tests if the physical examination was fine. He said blood tests were "uncommon" and very costly. Well, I did not insist on the two tests, cos the only reason I went to this clinic for the vaccination was because it offered the 5-in-1 vaccine.
What makes him so sure the heartworm meds will definitely work? Whether or not Rossi gal is on heartworm meds, the test should still be done to ensure the meds are working right? That's why there is this heartworm test available at the clinics for furkids to be tested.
For the blood test, expensive, yes, but this is not a factor to me . "Uncommon"? I don't really think so. I believe there are people out there who request blood tests for their furkids. Blood test to be done ONLY when the furkid show symptoms of illness? Oh dear, would'nt this be too late for furkid? Would'nt it be so much better to just do the test and catch signs of illness in advance? Chances of healing are also higher when illness is detected earlier. Well, there is not a single doubt that this will be the First and the Last time I step into this place.
The Review & Wellness Check
The appointment with Dr. Ly was on Saturday, 4.30PM. We waited more than an hour after the appointment time before we saw him. As Dr. Ly was still caught up with a patient, one of his assistants started us off by asking us for our purpose of consultation and some general questions on Rossi gal's health.
When we told her we wanted to do the heartworm test, the first question she asked was, if Rossi was on any heartworm meds. I answered 'Yes' almost immediately. When she enquired about the specific heartworm meds Rossi gal was taking, I answered 'Revolution' in a heartbeat. Yes, I totally Lied. Rossi gal have not been on any heartworm meds for a long time. As I didnt want to give her the chance to educate me on the dangers in not giving her the meds, I have decided not to tell the truth.
Then she went on to advise that actually the heartworm test did not need to be done, since she was on the meds. But I insisted on doing it and she said nothing more.
The moment Dr. Ly stepped into the room, she updated him on the purpose of our visit and highlighted the heartworm test+the monthly revolution Rossi gal was on. I held my breath. In my heart, I was thinking, not again..don't tell me Dr. Ly was going to say the heartworm test is not needed..But to my great relief, Dr. Ly did not say this. Instead, without a question, he told his assistant to that he will do the Wellness Check (which consists of general health check, blood test and heartworm test) for Rossi gal. Finally, Rossi gal got to do the tests!
Dr. Ly looked at Rossi gal's bald patch where it used to be and was pleased that hair had grown back. I told him this was the result of 4 months on raw. He smiled and commented, "Raw is good, right?" Daddy and I nodded in full agreement. He emphasized for us to stick to raw diet for Rossi gal, as she's clearly doing well on raw.
The only thing that baffled us about her re-grown hair was that the hair was mostly white in colour. Yes, her colours are a mixture of black and white with a touch of tan. But the hair on her back is mainly black, but the re-grown hair is white..hmm...Dr. Ly joked that we needed to get some black dye to make the hairs black. However, the white hairs are not an issue to us. For us, the most important thing is, her bald patch is gone. :)
He did an overall physical check on her and said she's doing very well. Then he proceeded to draw some blood from her right hind leg for the tests. We were advised the results would be ready in about 15 minutes. But we gathered that we would have to wait longer than this, as he was also attending to another patient in the next room. It was fine for us.
I was pacing up and down the room, while Daddy tried to calm me down. Yes, no doubt Rossi gal is doing fine, but a blood test would reveal more specific aspects that could not be detected physically.
Half an hour later, Dr. Ly came in with the results. The first thing he said, was her blood test results were good and heartworm test was negative, except that based on the results, her immune system was a little bit on the low, but he said that this was not an issue. We just needed to work on boosting it up with supplements like Sang Hwang Lingzhi.
I believe her immune system can be boosted up in time to come. Actually, she is just a 0.1 short of the acceptable range. I know her immune system has improved from before, as evidenced by the re-growth of her hair. Demodectic Mange is immune system related, if her immune system is still very poor, her bald patch will still remain. Dr. Ly had also told us in one of our visits that no hair re-growth for her case, was a sign of a very poor immune system.
Before we left, he also said that Rossi gal will continue to do well, as long as we keep up with what we are doing for her now. This further confirms I'm on the right track in what I'm doing for Rossi gal.
I will continue her in the "chemical-free" (no heartworm/deworm+tick & flea meds, no annual vacc & no processed food+treats) route.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Pictures of Rossi gal - Before & After Raw
As mentioned in my earlier blog entry entitled Hope, I will be posting up pictures of Rossi gal's bald patch Before and After she went on the Raw Diet.
Just to recap (as "Hope" is a lengthy post), Rossi gal's hair fell out due to Demodectic Mange, leaving a big, glaring bald patch on her body. The bald patch had been there for over a year. Despite visits to different vets, change of diet from Kibbles to Homecooked and many supplements, nothing helped her hair regrow. These vets did not diagnose her condition accurately too, until I brought her to Dr Ly of ARVC. Finally, Dr Ly made the right diagnosis of Demodectic Mange. But he was not optimistic about her hair regrowing. In fact, he told me that he did not think any hair was going to grow back as her hair follicles were dead. However, he recommended that I change Rossi gal to a raw diet and see if it can help her.
I have read up about Raw even before he made the recommedation, but just couldnt bring myself to start her on Raw due to the usual fears of bacteria, choking on bones etc etc. But after Dr Ly said to go Raw, I knew in my heart, for Rossi gal's sake, I must overcome all my fears and go ahead to do it. So I did it, I switched Rossi gal to Raw.
She was deemed a "Hopeless Case". Daddy and I were mentally accepting 'the fact' that her bald patch was here to stay. The turning point came after she was switched to Raw. We started to witness hair regrowing and covering up her bald patch gradually. Raw turned out to be the best thing I have done for my precious Rossi gal.
The Close-Up Views
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| The Bald Patch Before Raw (*This bald patch became bigger than what is shown in the above picture later on, due to more hair that fell out, but I didnt manage to take any close-up pics of this. Thus, the above pic is the only close-up pic I have of her bald patch before raw.) |
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| 1 Month After Raw |
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| 2 Months After Raw |
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| 3 Months After Raw |
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| 4 Months After Raw (Picture taken yesterday) |
The Overall Views
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| Rossi gal Before Raw |
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| Rossi gal After Raw |
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Other Essentials
These are essentials that Rossi gal has been taking for quite a while. Just thought to post them here.
I have been giving Rossi gal Pet Sun Chlorella since her puppy days. Chlorella is another vitamins & minerals-rich food that is beneficial to health. It contributes to better skin and helps to cleanse toxins from the body. It also contains Sun Eleuthero (Siberian Ginseng), which boosts energy levels and immune system function. After I start giving Rossi gal chlorella, I do notice that she is more energetic than before. It is also easy to adminster. I give it to her as a treat once weekly and she chomps it up happily.
Manuka Honey is another essential that I have started giving Rossi gal since puppy time. It has antibacterial+other therapeutic properties and also contains trace vitamins+minerals vital for health (*referring to Manuka Honey with UMF). Whenever Rossi gal has soft stools or indigestion, I just pop a spoon into her mouth, it works well for her. I also give it to her as a treat sometimes and she loves it.
For Parasite Dr, I didnt start her on it as early as the chlorella and manuka honey. I also use it on a 'as-needed' basis. Parasite Dr is a natural herbal supplement. Some of its benefits include cleansing the digestive system, promoting digestive health+balance, supporting correct balance of intestinal flora and cleansing+detoxifying the blood. During the time when Rossi gal was switching from homecooked to raw, it really helped in easing her more smoothly into the raw diet.
I have been giving Rossi gal Pet Sun Chlorella since her puppy days. Chlorella is another vitamins & minerals-rich food that is beneficial to health. It contributes to better skin and helps to cleanse toxins from the body. It also contains Sun Eleuthero (Siberian Ginseng), which boosts energy levels and immune system function. After I start giving Rossi gal chlorella, I do notice that she is more energetic than before. It is also easy to adminster. I give it to her as a treat once weekly and she chomps it up happily.
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Saturday, November 6, 2010
Day Out at the Park
Rossi gal had a Day Out at the Park with Daddy and Mummy. :)
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| Rossi gal checking out her surroundings |
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| Rossi gal enjoying her walk under the shady trees |
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| "Arghh..I want to Break Free!" |
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| Dozing off in her favorite corner after her Day Out |
Friday, November 5, 2010
Shopping Time!
It's a holiday today. Mummy has decided to take this time to replenish Rossi gal's meats and bones for the coming weeks. Of course, Daddy have to come along to carry the stuff home, while Mummy is in charge of planning what meats and bones to get. :)
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| All the stuff we got for Rossi gal today |
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| Chicken Wings, Drums & Pork Fillet |
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| Lamb Meat, Liver & Frenched Racks |
Monday, November 1, 2010
Essentials
My first blog entry on the first day of the week and the first day of November. :) Thought I'll just take some pics and share on a few other essentials that I include in Rossi gal's diet. Turmeric is a flavourful spice that I use in my own cooking as well, especially when I cook curry chicken. It is a must-have ingredient in my curry. For Rossi gal, I sprinkle it over her food. Besides its culinary use, Turmeric also has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and liver-protecting properties among other benefits.
Besides bones, eggshell powder also makes up Rossi gal's calcium requirement.
Spirulina is a "super food", consisting of a variety of vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to the skin and immune system. Besides this, Spirulina also has many other benefits to the body, but skin and immune system are two specific areas that I hope to see improvements in Rossi gal. I also take Spirulina myself (share with Rossi gal ;p).
Fresh grated garlic (in moderate amounts) is also added to Rossi gal's food for repelling the internal and external pests.
This is the Joint Support liquid that I put into Rossi gal's food daily. It is tasteless, odourless and very easy to administer. I have been giving her this supplement ever since she is diagnosed with Grade 2 Luxating Patella. It works very well for her. (Initially, I was giving her glucosamine tabs too, but eventually I realised this liquid was more effective for her, so I eliminated glucosamine. Besides, the regular bone intake can also help with her joints.)
Sang Hwang (Wild Lingzhi) is initially advised by Rossi gal's vet, Dr. Ly, to be used for application on her skin. Eventually, I let her take Sang Hwang orally too, as it is a good tonic for boosting the immune system and promoting good general health.
Transfer Factor plus (TF+) is a another good immune system supplement. I give TF+ to Rossi gal to strengthen her immune system, so as to control her demodectic mange condition naturally.
Chamomile is a good natural remedy for calming the nerves and soothing the skin. Occasionally, I give her some chamomile tea to relax herself for a good sleep. She will usually fall into a sound sleep after drinking it. I drink the tea at times and it has the same effect on me too. I will also use chamomile tea to soothe her skin either by sponging it on her body or as a final rinse during her bath.
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Spirulina is a "super food", consisting of a variety of vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to the skin and immune system. Besides this, Spirulina also has many other benefits to the body, but skin and immune system are two specific areas that I hope to see improvements in Rossi gal. I also take Spirulina myself (share with Rossi gal ;p).
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This is the Joint Support liquid that I put into Rossi gal's food daily. It is tasteless, odourless and very easy to administer. I have been giving her this supplement ever since she is diagnosed with Grade 2 Luxating Patella. It works very well for her. (Initially, I was giving her glucosamine tabs too, but eventually I realised this liquid was more effective for her, so I eliminated glucosamine. Besides, the regular bone intake can also help with her joints.)
Transfer Factor plus (TF+) is a another good immune system supplement. I give TF+ to Rossi gal to strengthen her immune system, so as to control her demodectic mange condition naturally.
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