Dog food holistic: Is it worth the money?

You might be wondering about dog food holistic and whether or not its worth the money. Ever since Vance developed more allergies to his dog food, I’ve been searching for the perfect diet for him. It’s not always been easy.

But, recently, I’ve been exploring pre-packaged alternatives to the BARF diet and I’ve discovered that there are a lot of new foods that have recently come on the market that promise many big benefits. For instance, Canidae has a new grain-free line and many other dog food companies are following suit. From my research so far, I’m finding the big concern with any premium food is the protein levels–if you have a puppy, particularly a large breed puppy, it’s important that your dog food not have too much protein. Aside from that, though, it looks like the only other serious consideration is price.

That’s because these premium dog foods are very, very expensive, especially if you have a large dog. Of the premium, holistic foods, Canidae is definitely the best price I’ve found (especially through PetFoodDirect–see their link in the right-hand sidebar for their latest special offers). Because it’s done wonders for Vance’s dog allergies, I highly recommend it.

What’s your dog food brand of choice? And do you think feeding a holistic food is important?

How to find a great vet

If you’re looking for a new vet, you know how frustrating it can be to find the right one–after all, turning to the yellow pages or Google won’t tell you much about the vet’s bedside manner, education, or wisdom. You won’t know if it’s a bad vet or a good one based on an ad or search engine result.

So, how do you find a vet? Here’s my five step process for finding a new one each time we’ve moved:

1. Ask the neighbors. But don’t just ask them where they go. Ask them *why* they go to that particular vet. Their values might not be your values and if they like a vet because he has the cheapest rates or because he has the fanciest waiting room, you want to know that before you make an appointment.
2. Ask your doctor. If you already have a local doctor, he or she can be a great source of veterinarian referrals because of a shared interest in medicine–nowadays most people have pets, so if your doctor has a vet he or she likes, this can be a smart, easy option.
3. Consider online reviews. Cautiously. Online review sites are great, but they don’t always give the full picture–you don’t know if those glowing testimonials were posted by clients or by employees (and the same goes with the bad testimonials), so by all means check out online sites like Epinions but don’t rely on them exclusively.
4. Meet several vets–most vets will let you come in for a free or cheap meet and greet that you don’t bring your dog to. Setting up a couple of these is a great way to get a feel for how the vet takes care of people which is an important element of choosing a vet. (You don’t want a vet who’s brilliant at taking care of your dog, but has no ability to tell you what’s going on.)
5. Ask your old vet. If you’ve moved, or your vet has retired, and so you’re parting on good terms, don’t be shy about asking your old vet for a recommendation. Chances are, he or she knows someone, or knows someone who knows someone.

Each time I’ve needed to find a vet, I’ve used all five of these techniques because I like to have several great vets to choose from. This process is also somewhat similar to how I I find a dog trainer. How do you like to find a vet when you move or you just need a new one?

Dog allergies when you’re on the road

I’ve been talking about our vacation over the last few posts, sharing my tips for car travel with dog, travel with a pet and pet friendly hotels. But, today I want to talk about something a little more personal.

Vance has really severe allergies. I’ve talked about his dog allergies before but on the road they take on a whole new meaning. We have to keep his diet limited to foods he won’t have an allergic reaction to, plus he has reactions to ant bites and bee stings.

So, all of that means we have to be really prepared when we take him on a trip. We have to make sure we take plenty of dog food, and that we have his antihistamines. I always check in with the vet about where we’re headed to make sure there’s not some other preparation we need to make.

Dog allergies when you travel with a pet can be a real headache, but if you prepare in advance, they don’t have to put a damper on your vacation. So, stock up on all the elements you need for your pet first aid kit and make sure that you have everything you need to keep your dog safe, especially when you’re dealing with dog allergies.

Do you do anything in particular when you travel with an allergic dog? I’d love to hear about it!