Willa Rose, Boise

Sir Andre Golden Eye

Sir Andre GoldenEye turned 2 years old on August 20, 2020. I brought him home at 8 weeks old. He is the very first born to the Alaskan breeding kennel, Alyeska Aussies. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching him grow into a handsome full-coated, bright-eyed, well-muscled and smart-working red-merle Australian Shepherd. One of the great pleasures of growing a pup up is enjoying the health of their young bodies, particularly (for me) their sparkling white teeth, healthy gums and pleasant breath.

I changed kibble just before his birthday thinking I’d give him the best boutique dog food on the market.  Surely with new times the new foods would be formulated better, and the temptation was too hard to resist with so many new brands.  I picked one and in about 3 weeks, I noticed his breath was smelly, and found his teeth were yellow at the gum line. Also, his gums were red and irritated. I guessed he would get sick with disease if I didn’t remove that brand of kibble from his diet. But first, I tried adding some raw meats and pro-biotics to his daily portion. I waited 2 weeks. No improvement. Yup, I was sad that the puppy of my dreams was no longer.

I called Dr. Donna for advice and she recommended I try “Just Food for Dogs – DIY Nutrient Blend” in a home cooked meal for him. Making dog food from scratch sounded effortless, and I opted to try the Beef and Potato recipe. My first batch cooked in my crockpot over night, and lasted about a week. It smelled like a delicious stew, and passed the taste test. Andre loved it!  Best part of this little experiment was the return of pleasant breath and puppy-like sparkling white teeth, amazingly within only 2 weeks time.

My take away is, over-processed foods can contribute to health issues just like with us; and just like us, our pets deserve better nutrients to stay healthy.  During my phone consultation with Dr Donna, she educated me on the making of boutique dog food brands vs some of the well established brands. I learned that not all manufacturers have board certified veterinarians on staff. The ones that do, produce a safer product with no recalls.

-Willa Rose, Boise, ID
October, 2020