The Ear Infection Nightmare

In my last entry dated July 2013, I mentioned an upsetting issue that I hoped would be resolved.

It was a nightmare. At least to me, it was. I felt so stressed out and depressed over it. I couldn't talk or write about it, until now.

Rossi gal had an ear infection, which began in Oct 2012.  All along, she had a skin issue, but she didn't have a problem with her ears until that fateful day in Oct 2012. I noticed her left ear canal looking sore. Stupidly, I used the herbal ear wash to clean her ear and that's it. She scratched at her ear hard, resulting in her whole ear becoming bloody and very inflamed. Wrong move. I shouldn't have used the damn ear wash on her, it worsened her ear's condition. This also marked the beginning of the nightmare.

Between ears and skin, I would rather deal with the skin. At least, I can see her skin and target the rashes. But I was unable to delve deep into her ear canal. The ears are like an abyss to me. I feel so lost.

I got the vet to check out her left ear and she was diagnosed with a yeast infection. She was prescribed Surolan ear drops. As expected, it contains steroids and for this very reason, I refuse to use it on her. Actually, I just wanted a diagnosis of her ear from the vet, not the meds.

I tried to manage her ear infection on my own, using silver sol, internally & externally. I fed her silver sol, flushed her left ear and cleared out a lot of wax  daily for a long time. Her ear flap & lobe were also very flaky. I was also removing a lot of flakes & wiping her flap+lobe with silver sol daily. I used up many bottles of silver sol. But there was no improvement. Silver sol didn't work for her.

As time goes by, her ear's condition deteriorated. She was feeling very uncomfortable, shaking, rubbing & scratching her ear all the time. A lot of furs also fell out from her ear to the extent of being nearly bald. Her ear was so sore, till her canal became narrowed too. It really pained my heart to see her like this. I was very upset and angry with myself for my inability to improve her ear's condition. I blamed myself for what happened to her ear too.

The turning point came when I came across Dr. Dobias' blog on ear infections. In his entries, he wrote on the causes of ear infections and how to manage the ears naturally. One point in his blog that strike me was, excessive cleaning can cause ear infections and ears dun need to be cleaned frequently. He also listed down a step-by-step guide of the natural ear treatment. I decided to follow his advice of not cleaning the ears unnecessarily, as well as his steps in the ear treatment.

http://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11014029-natural-treatment-of-ear-infections-in-dogs-part-1

http://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11014025-ear-infections-in-dogs-natural-approach-to-treatment-part-2

I ordered the products that he listed in the steps of his natural ear treatment.  


I started Rossi gal on a 2-month liver cleanse (Livton Complex), while giving her Green Min concurrently. At the end of the cleanse, I started to give her zyflamend (an anti-inflammatory supp) & continuing Green Min. After 1+month on zyflamend, I added on Zn Otic (a natural ear solution).

His ear treatment works for Rossi gal. It takes time and a lot of patience, but it works! Her ear infection has persisted over a year and finally, things are looking up. I'm overjoyed to see the significant improvements in her left ear and so grateful to Dr Dobias' blog that has helped her so much.

Thank God for Dr Dobias! I like his perspective, which is so different from the conventional point of view. His approach is natural & gentle, working from the inside out, rather than loading the body with meds. I personally find Dr Dobias' blog very insightful & his methods are definitely worth a shot.  

I have taken pictures of her left ear to monitor the progress, as follows:

This is the very first pic I took, though the infection started in 2012. 
It was inflamed, swollen & flaky with black pigmentation spread out on her flap.
The skin on her flap was hard & rough. Eventually, alot of the furs around her ear dropped off too. 

 

 

The latest pic taken of her ear. Looking so much better. :)

Overall view, Before and After:

The inflammation & swollenness have significantly subsided, the flakiness has reduced alot, the black pigmentation is fading off, the skin on her flap has softened & smoothened out and more furs are growing out.  

The journey was not an easy one. It took so long for Rossi gal's ear to see improvements. I was so worried that her ear was not gonna heal.  By looking at her ear then, I really felt hopeless. Thank God this wasn't the case! Thank God that her ear is on the road to recovery. Hoping to see her nice pink ear back soon. ^_^

At the same time, I will also keep up with the supps & do whatever is necessary to maintain the condition of her ear. Seriously, I do not want to go through the nightmare again.

New Air Sterilizer

During the month of April, I blogged about new additions to our new home. One of the new additions is an Air Ionizer, for air purification and sterilisation. I also blogged how the improved air quality made a difference to Rossi gal, me and Daddy & benefitted us.

The air ionizer's coverage is just nice for our bedroom, but we find that it doesn't provide the amount of coverage we wanted for the living room area. Thus, we decided to invest in a new air machine with a wider coverage. 

After looking around, we set our eyes on this Air Sterilizer.

We will use the air ionizer in our bedroom and the new air sterilizer will be used for the living room.

It's another good investment & wonderful addition to our new home! :)

New Home, New Things

We have moved again, to our new home. The earlier place was actually a temporary one. This new home will be our permanent residence for a long time to come. I'm very glad that we have finally moved to our new home. :)

These are some essentials I have added to our new home;

The water ionizer is something I have wanted to get for a long time for Rossi gal. At last, I got it. This particular machine caught our eyes. Daddy likes its sleek design, while I like both the design & the PH selectable function.

 

As shown on the label, there are 7 levels to choose from, with 4 levels of Alkaline water, 2 levels of Acidic water & 1 level is Purified water. The consumption of Alkaline water brings about various health benefits, while the usage of Acidic water benefits the skin & is good for cleaning/sterilizing things like kitchenware and table surfaces.  

 

 

Daddy wants to get the air ionizer, for he believes that air quality also plays an essential role for better health. It is for the benefit of Rossi gal too.

 

 

Honestly, the thought to get the air ionizer did not cross my mind. But I'm very glad that Daddy has the intention to get it. I must say, the quality of air does make a significant difference. I have sensitive nose & I often feel discomfort. At times, I feel blockage in my nose and find it uncomfortable to breathe.

 

Ever since we got the air ionizer, my nose feels so much better. I can breathe & sleep much better. We also notice the difference in Rossi gal. She seems to scratch much lesser & also sleeps more soundly during the day & night too. Daddy feels it too. He finds that he sleeps well and he dun get so easily tired during his day at work like he usually does.

 

The intention for the water & air ionizer is for Rossi gal's benefit. But we also gain benefits ourselves. Tats so amazing. ^_^

 

 

The above citronella oil is highly recommended by a friend for mopping the floor or spraying to eliminate peskies like ants, roaches, etc. She is a big fan of this oil, as she has used it personally & witnessed its effectiveness.

 

I have mopped the floor with it, dripping a few drops into a pail of water. The floor feels clean and clear. The smell isn't overpowering too.

 

Thanks Jouni for sharing about it with me. :)

 

Now I would like to share a few of my favorite areas in my new home. ;p

 

The coziest place in the whole house.
My number 1 favorite.



I love this basin, it's so unique. 
I love how it contrasts against the design & color of the wall & table top too.

This is the balcony. It's daddy's idea to make a platform here.
Rossi can view the sights outside, as she munches on her meaty bone.

The evening view as seen from the balcony.
Love the orangey skies.

 

An Update on Silver Sol

Alot has happened lately. The unhappy things jus have to occur all at the same time. Happiness is so out of reach. Whenever things seem to go fine, whenever I feel happy, either some idiot or some thing jus have come up & spoil it for me. What can I say? Well, Life jus sucks at times. Some idiots suck big-time.

Anyway, ramblings aside. I have been consuming Silver Sol on a regular basis, hoping it can do me some good. When I consume it, I give some to Rossi gal too, hoping it can benefit her health as well.

Besides internal consumption, I have been using it externally, on her skin too. I spray it on her rashes with the help of a spray bottle. It seems to work quite well for her. Daddy & I can see significant subsiding of the rashes after using it. As for the consumption part, I dun really see the effect yet, but I do hope it is doing good to her internally as well. 

One of the uses/benefits of Silver Sol includes supporting the immune system.     

As it is being used on a regular basis & stock is not always available at the store, I would get extra bottles to keep for use.

I have encountered occasions whereby I went down personally to the store or called up to enquire about it, and was told that there was no available stock. According to the sales people there, this is quite a saleable item.  

Natural Dish Liquid & a Safer Insecticide Alternative

I have been washing Rossi gal's bowls, utensils, knife, scissors and cutting board for holding & processing her meats with vinegar. But somehow, other than vinegar, I feel a need to use some other form of washing agent to wash them, especially when I slice through fatty parts of the meat with the knife or scissors. The knife or scissors can get quite oily.

I have also been using vinegar to clean the floor since Rossi came home 4 years ago. Vinegar is a cheap, natural and a quite effective cleaner. It was recommended to us by our frens, who was using it to clear off the markings made by their dogs while they were still pups. I used it for this purpose as well.

While it is fine for us to use the regular dish liquid (for eg. Mama Lemon Dish washing liquid) from the supermarkets, I do not feel so comfortable using it on her stuff. Therefore, I decided to source for a more natural dish liquid just meant for her bowls and such. 

I have been using the laundry wash of the same brand (Seventh Generation) to wash her towels & toys + our clothing with satisfactory results. We are now into our 3rd bottle of the laundry wash. So far so good. Thus, I decided to get the dish liquid under the same brand for washing her bowls, etc.

One thing I like about this dish liquid, is tat it is odourless, doesn't have tat thick consistency like the regular dish liquids and washes off quite easily.

Lately, Daddy had been toying with the idea of getting insecticide to terminate some peskies in our place. I told him No, cos the fumes from the insecticide could be harmful to our darling. I do not want to risk it, so I told him that we will go source for a safer alternative. And we found this:  

There is another brand available for the same purpose, but the sales lady told us that this brand is more popular of the two. Many of their customers bought this one. So after some consideration, we went ahead to get it.

As per the indication on the bottle, it may be used around food, humans and pets. It can kill and repel peskies like ants, roaches, fleas and mosquitoes. Looks safer than the regular insecticides.

Daddy started spraying it around where it's needed. There are some mini peskies flying around, which is likely due to the construction that is going on directly opposite our place.

The smell of the spray reminds me of essential oils. It doesn't have that strong chemical smell emitted by the insecticides. After using it, we noticed that the number of peskies have reduced significantly too. We are quite happy with the spray. :)

Her New Madan Pin Brush & Comb

I have always been particular about her diet, supps, hygiene and stuff used on her, like her shampoo, the type of chamomile flowers used to do her rinse & the type of washing agent used to wash her stuff etc etc.

But lately, I realised that I have neglected one important aspect, and that is, her grooming tools (aka brushes). I came to this realisation after reading a blog post written by one of my FB frens on brushes.  

I proceeded to approach this FB fren, hoping to learn more from her with regards to brushes, something I dunno much about. She was very helpful & generous in sharing her knowledge & experience with the different brands & types of brushes, which I'm very thankful to her for. Thanks Pepper!

After her sharing & positive feedback on the Madan brushes, I went ahead to place my order for the pin brush, as well as the comb. I wanted Rossi gal to have a good set of pin brush & comb. 

As for the slicker brush, I dun see the need for it. Based on my experience with her, she does fine with just the pin brush & comb.

Her current brush and comb are from the usual pet shop. Well, they would have to retire now, for good.

Here it goes, her Madan pin brush & comb in my favorite colour. They look so sweet! Can't wait to start using them on darling. :p

New Fish Oil

I purchased this salmon oil for Rossi gal on the recommendation of a fellow raw feeder. Previously, I was using Nordics Naturals Fish Oil (for Pets). Not implying that Nordics is not good, but I just want a change.  

We are sharing the big bottle between us. It would take her a long time to finish up all by herself. Besides, this is human grade, fine for me to take it.

As per the label, this salmon oil contains No sugar, No starch, No artificial colours, No artificial flavors, No preservatives, No wheat, No gluten, No corn, No soy, No dairy & yeast free. 

I like that it is free of the common allergens that might cause allergic reaction/s in some dogs, especially those sensitive ones (like my Rossi gal).

I also like that it contains no soy/vit E. In the raw discussion board I frequent, they give the advice to choose a fish oil without soy/vit E.

For Rossi's case, I think a fish oil without soy/vit E would be better for her. She may be fine with soy/vit E, but I would still choose to cut it out completely from her diet if possible. I feel it is best for her to avoid soy/vit E totally, especially when she is so sensitive.     

On a side note, a change of brand is good for me psychologically too, in a way. Nordics reminds me of some unwanted & unpleasant personal memories of previous relationships.

Friends come, Friends go. I have learnt that it is hard or perhaps, impossible for me to have any true friends. I never have the fortune of having friends who are willing to stick long enuff with me or accept me for who I am.

Some friends I have had the misfortune of knowing, only want to manipulate me into doing wat they want or following their ways without any regard for my feelings. I'm glad to be rid of such friends. Good riddance.

I dun believe in friends anymore. Not ever.

Another Bumper Bed

Darling likes her bumper bed . She plays, rests and sleeps on the bed.

Her mummy rests herself on it at times too. ;p It's comfy.

As she has only one bed, so when its covers are being washed, she would have to wait till they are dry before she can enjoy her bed again.

With this in mind, daddy wanted me to get an additional set of bed covers for her, initially. But after further consideration, he decided to get an extra bed for her instead, which I thought was a good idea. :)

Therefore, after going through the available colour schemes for the covers and choosing our desired colours, I placed the order for her second bed.

The package arrived yesterday. :P

Darling's new bumper bed.

Darling in her new bed. See her happy little face. ^_^

With two bumper beds, they can be used interchangeably as the other one is being washed. So, Darling gets to enjoy her bed all the time! :D

Silver Sol for Her Ear

On Saturday morning, I noticed Rossi gal's left inner ear red and swollen. I think it could be her scratching her ear that caused this.

Immediately, I soaked a cotton wool with Silver Sol and gently pressed it against the affected area. I also cleaned the area with the Sol.

I repeated this soaking, pressing & cleaning several times for the rest of the Saturday, as well as on Sunday. And this morning, I saw improvements to her ear. :)

As shown in the After pic, the red and swollen area has subsided.

I will continue her on the Sol for another few days, just to ensure the area heals properly. Not as frequent as I did over the weekend, probably just 2-3 times a day.

I'm glad I kept a bottle of Silver Sol readily available. Never know when I would need it for my darling. :)

Shopping Time & A New Item

Ok, time to add some bright & cheer to my blogging space. :)

Yesterday, I had a great time shopping with my frens. We went to a few places & shopped for the neccessary meat supplies & stuff for our darlings.

After the shopping, we had a nice lunch together & did wat gals love to do most...chatting...chatting...& more chatting. ^^ It was fun.

Our shopping for the day, bagged & boxed up, fitting snugly into the boot. :p

This natural laundry liquid was one of the items on my shopping list. It is a new item, my first time getting it.  

I got it specially to wash both Rossi gal's & our things like clothing, bedsheets & such. As she shares our bed and sticks to us everyday, it's only right that we use the same wash for our stuff as well. 

I do not know how good this product is, but based on the label, I like that it is "natural", "safe" and most importantly, "hypoallergenic".

The word, "hypoallergenic" especially captures my attention, as I'm looking for something that can eliminate or at least, minimise any possiblities of skin reactions. (For my darling's well-being)

There are some more items on my wish list for darling. Eventually, one by one, I will get them all for her.

What's in the Box?

A big box just arrived for Rossi gal.

What's in there? @@ Ok, here it goes: 

Item 1

I have been wanting to get this bumper bed for Rossi gal & finally, I got it. :P

The bed's stuffing is made from 100% recycled IntelliLoft created from reclaimed plastic soda bottles, which makes it an eco-friendly product. The bed looks & feels very comfy too. :>  Benefits both Rossi gal & the environment (in a way).

A good investment for her.

Item 2 

This nap bed is requested by Daddy. He wants me to get it for our darling.

The nap bed is eco-friendly inside & out, with 85% of the fabric comprising of IntelliLoft fibers, created from recycled plastic soda bottles. It also contains an extra layer of IntelliLoft 50% recycled poly batting for increased comfort and support.

Another good investment for Rossi gal. :>

 Item 3

When it comes to her shampoos, I would look for those targetted at skin conditions and I prefer those with natural or organic ingredients. 

She is currently on Keys MetaClean Natural Healing Shampoo. After this, I will start her on the Pop's shampoo. Both the Keys and Pop's shampoo fit my requirements. 

Item 4 

 

Made the order for this item with the intention of using it clean her eye area. When she gets irritation in her eyes, I can use it too. Other than eyes, it can also be used for the nose.  

 

Something good to have in her first aid kit. Animals' Apawthecary is a good brand for herbal products / remedies too.

 

Item 5  

 

Another item from Animals' Apawthecary. This is a repeat order, her 3rd bottle of herbal ear rinse.

 

I like this ear rinse. It is natural & soothing on the ears, gently cleansing them of things like dirt and ear wax. It smells fine too. Before this, I was using another brand of ear cleanser, it had this "medicinal" smell that I didn't like.

 

♥ That's all the stuff in her box of goodies ♥

                            

I'm always happy to shop for my darling & pamper her. ^_^

The Cream

I just wanna do a quick blog on this product I have bought recently. It is recommended by my frens, who have used it & found it to be effective. Thanks to them for sharing their experiences with me. :>

On & off, Rossi gal still gets her share of rashes / hot spots, especially so when the weather turns hot. I have been searching for a good remedy for her rashes / hot spots and have also tried a number of other products, but they didnt seem to work in the way I wanted them to. I wasn't quite satisfied with the results.

After I got my hands on The Cream, I started using it on her. To my delight, her rashes began to reduce in redness and heal quite nicely within days of application. I'm quite happy with the results I see. The cream will be another essential included in Rossi gal's First aid kit.

*Note: Results may vary with different furkids. 

As per the label, The Cream contains natural emollients with hydrating effects. Aloe Vera, Chamomile, Calendula and Lavender extracts provide anti-inflammatory, anti-bacteria, anti-phlogistic, soothing and healing effects. It is also fragrance & colour free, with no unneccessary additives, no animal testing / ingredient & fit for human use.

I like it that it is all-natural & can be used by humans as well. I cannot tolerate stuff containing chemicals when it comes to Rossi gal. Especially those ingredients with obscure or hard-to-pronounce names, they put me on red alert. @@

The Cream is available at: 

http://www.smoochiepoochie.com/pc_thecream.htm

http://www.thewaterdish.com.sg/the-cream-by-smoochie-poochie.html

Silver Gel

As per my earlier blog post, I have been using some Silver Sol on Rossi gal's hot spots, which seem to reduce in redness.

Then after some contemplation, I decided to get the 'Silver Gel' for her as well. I feel that it would be good to get the gel for her, as it is meant for use in skin-related issues.

The Silver Sol on the other hand, is mainly for health maintenance, supporting the immune system and combating infections.

Like the Silver Sol, the Silver Gel is also anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal and very importantly, non-toxic. It promotes skin healing and could be used for a range of skin-related issues like cuts, abrasions, insect bites, rashes, itch, irritation, ulcers and eczema etc. http://www.argasol.com/pdf/gel.pdf 

I have applied some gel on her hot spots for the first time this afternoon, so it is still too early to tell how useful it is for Rossi gal. I would have to observe longer to know.

Silver Solution (Silver Sol)

Recently, I got a bottle of Silver solution for Rossi gal. It is also known as "Silver Sol". I got it on the recommendation of a fren, who has seen good results using it for her dog.

The Silver Sol has anti-bacterial, anti-viral & anti-fungal properties and is useful for combating infections. It is also a potent anti-inflammatory, non-toxic and safe for human consumption. Personally, I feel it is something good to have on hand.

Please refer to this link for more information on its uses and benefits: http://www.argasol.com/works.php 

I have not used the Silver Sol myself or fed it orally to Rossi gal yet. However, I have been dabbing some of the solution externally on her hot spots that she still gets on & off. Her hot spots seem to reduce in redness, but I would have to use it longer to determine its effectiveness for her in this aspect.

Her Supplements Now

I have stopped many of the supplements that I used to give Rossi gal. As I continue her raw feeding, I find that I'm starting to do away with her supps one by one.

These are the three remaining supps that I'm giving her now. 

From left to right:
'Nordics Fish Oil', 'Hyaflex' & 'Sang Hwang Lingzhi'

In the raw feeding sites I've been to, it is said that a good raw diet does not necessarily require supplementation, other than, perhaps a good fish oil for the omega 3. 

In order to obtain the desired level of omega 3 from raw fish, much fish would have to be fed, which could take up a substantial part of the diet and this is not ideal. The raw diet should ideally consist mainly or a large part of red meats, as our dogs thrive on them. As much as possible, it would be good to include more red meats (for eg. lamb, beef, pork, kangaroo & venison) to the diet.

Hence, the addition of fish oil to the diet would be a good way to obtain the omega 3 requirement. Feeding grass-fed meats is also another way to obtain omega 3. For Rossi gal, she gets her omega 3 from fish oil, grass-fed meats and an occasional serving of raw salmon.  

While I agree that a good raw diet is the main source of nutrition for our dogs, I believe there could be times, where some form of supplementation might be needed to give an added boost. Like for my Rossi gal, she has a joint condition, "Luxating Patella (grade 2)", so I give her a joint supp (Hyaflex) to aid in lubricating and maintaining her joints.

As for the Lingzhi, I have been giving it to her eversince that time, when she's diagnosed with demodectic mange. This is a supp I would continue giving her for general health maintenance, as well as the immunity boosting and cancer fighting properties. 

Concluding my post with an adorable pic of my Rossi gal, taken this morning. :D

 

Keys Metaclean Natural Healing Shampoo

Rossi gal has been using this herbal shampoo  for some time. It contains organic ingredients and smells really nice too. After bathing her, the smell would linger on her for days. It is a pretty good shampoo.

As I dun bathe her often, the shampoo took a long time to finish up. Finally, after bathing her over the weekend, I'm left with 1/4 of the shampoo.

Then I came to know my fren was letting go of her shampoo, as she bought an extra bottle for her dogs. Her shampoo looks really good. It contains organic ingredients as well. And the best thing is, both pets and their humans can use it, which means Rossi gal, me and daddy can use it. That's great. I got the shampoo from her.

Rossi gal's new shampoo...

For both humans and pets...

The ingredients...

Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil

During the weekend, I got a jar of Extra virgin organic coconut oil for Rossi gal, on the recommendation of my fellow rawster fren.

Raw 100% Organic

There are several benefits to giving our furkids coconut oil both internally and externally. Just to name a few; Internally, it helps to improve skin & coat health, prevent /alleviate symptoms of arthritis and improve digestion. Externally, it is a good skin moisturizer and helps to improve skin & coat condition. When applied topically, it can disinfect cuts and promote wound healing. (*Note: Please choose to give unrefined or 'virgin' coconut oil, as it is made from fresh coconuts and retains most of the nutrients found in them.)

http://www.natural-dog-health-remedies.com/coconut-oil-benefits.html#1
http://www.cocotherapy.com/wdj_coconut_oil_article.pdf

I love the bottom line that says, 'Raw life-energy'.

The coconut oil has a refreshingly nice scent (at least, to me). I like it. It reminds me of the coconut candy that I used to eat when I was younger. Like Mummy, Rossi gal likes the coconut scent too. Last night, I splashed some oil into her meal. She kept smelling and licking her bowl after she finished her 'coconut-flavoured' raw lamb dinner. :>

The oil liquifies at room temperature.

A while later, I applied the oil topically on various parts of her body. She smelled like coconut candy for the rest of the night, while My hands smelled like coconut after applying the oil on her. Nicee...*dances round the coffee table to a catchy tune*

However, there are those who might find the smell a tad too strong for their senses. Daddy didnt take to the smell too well and found it kinda over-powering for him. Oh well...he gota get used to it. The coconut oil would be a new addition to her routine.  

Organic Slippery Elm Bark Powder

Recently, I have ordered some organic slippery elm bark powder. It arrived last Friday afternoon.

After reading about its uses for tummy-related issues and other inflammatory conditions in a herbs' book and online, I thought it would be useful to have it on hand. Not just for Rossi gal, but for me and her daddy as well.  

Pic of Slippery Elm Bark Powder
(*from Mountain Rose Herbs webby)

Besides this, slippery elm is also a nutritive herb, with carbohydrates, protein, fat, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, calcium, and several trace minerals.

I personally find the article in this link on Slippery Elm for pets quite useful.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Slippery-Elm---Your-Pets-Best-Holistic-Friend&id=2207545

This link contains information on the uses of slippery elm for us.
http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_slippery_elm.htm