What Is It and Why You Should Feed It to Your Pets?

A fermented milk drink with a sour taste made using culture of yeast and bacteria.

Kefir contains several major strains of friendly bacteria not commonly found in yogurt. It also contains beneficial yeasts, which control and eliminate destructive yeasts in the body.

Benefits for Your Pet:

• Has antibiotic and antifungal benefits
• Restore balance to digestive tract
• Helps prevent allergies
• Beneficial for candidiasis and heart problems
• Helps promote healthy looking skin
• Helps alleviate gas, bloating and heartburn
• Helps with IBD, eczema and bad breath
• Wards off salmonella, e. coli, and kills h. pylori
• Reduces potential of malignancies, colon cancer, and stops increase of cancer cells

Where can I get it?
Nowadays, kefir can be found in any supermarket, but try sourcing it from your local, fresh farmer’s market to assure that it is hormone/GMO-free.

How much do I give?
Small dogs: 1 tsp. -1 tbsp.
Medium dogs: 1-2 tbsp.
Large dogs: 2-3 tbsp.

Kefir is also awesome for disguising pet pills. Put the pill in the food dish, cover with kefir and right down the hatch it goes!

If your dog is lactose intolerant, find kefir made with water, coconut milk or almond milk. It is also great for dogs taking antibiotics, which can destroy the guts’ good health.

What’s the Difference?
Raw – it’s just that – uncooked fresh foods that have not gone through a dehydration, lightly cooked or cooked process.

Cooked/Lightly Cooked – fresh foods have gone through a heat process.

How do you choose?
That’s a personal choice. Two-thirds of people feed raw food to their pets, while 1/3 feed cooked or lightly cooked. Some dogs cannot handle raw or have geriatric issues that will not allow them to eat raw.

What would make me choose one over the other?
The reason we chose raw is because it provides the most nutrients for getting and keeping the body healthy. We have done all forms – cooked, lightly cooked and raw and Tyson did well on each one. When you cook the proteins, it depletes the protein nutrients the body needs.

Please Note: Certain fish require cooking, so be sure to check based on the protein of your choice. We cooked tilapia, but fed salmon raw by emulsifying because it did have bones. Just know whatever you choose to feed – cooked or raw – you are making and keeping your pets healthy and providing the best quality of life.

Veggies – Cooked or Raw?
Any veggies you give should be steamed, blanched or grilled and emulsified for better nutrient absorption. Especially when making the switch from kibble so the body can digest and absorb easier while it transitions.

TIP: Cook the veggies in bone broth for additional health benefits. We also used any leftover to add to each meal for added moisture.

Health Benefits of Bone Broth
Good for joints, helps liver detox, promotes healthy gut and good for sick dogs.

Why does my pooch need Omega 3s?
Omega 3s are a great nutritional supplement for dogs. They help with skin conditions, allergies, kidney function, lymphoma, heart disease, cognitive function, arthritis, slows growth of common yeast infections, aids in proper development of the retina, slows certain cancers and more.

The best way to ensure your pet is getting sufficient Omega 3s is through a balanced diet and supplements such as Ultra Oil, which you can get from any specialty pet store or Amazon. We added this to Tyson’s food at each meal and refrigerated the bottle after each use. It is full of Omega 3s, 6s, and 9s.

Why Ultra Oil?

• We like Ultra Oil because it’s good for both cats and dogs
• Has just the right ratio of fats
• Alleviates symptoms of dandruff, dry skin, skin bumps, dull coat, allergies, excessive shedding and digestive issues
• Has grape seed oil antioxidants to rid your pet of toxins
• No fishy smell, non-GMO and gluten free!

My Dog Eats Kibble and Has No Problems

Did you know that over time, a poor diet weakens the immune system? Toxins start to form, poor food resides in the organs and blood issues fester.

A stressed out immune system is also more vulnerable to viruses and bacteria. Poor diet doesn’t cause disease, it creates conditions that lead to disease.

But My Dog Is Okay!
How do you know he’s really okay? Do you get yearly blood work and tests? Have you noticed skin issues, dry flaky skin patches of hair coming out, scratching ears? Even the most minor of occurrence, over time, turn into something worse. Do you really know what goes into what you feed?

But My Dog Doesn’t Have Any Issues!
They may not have any issues now, but over time things may creep up. Wouldn’t you feel better as a pet parent knowing you were feeding the best you could? Wouldn’t you want to ward off skin issues, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), congestive heart failure, pancreatitis and worst of all cancer?

All of those issues we just mentioned are caused by and or contributed to by a poor diet. Research has found that the ingredients found in kibble do more harm than good.

Why are we repeating this you ask?
Because many people come to us asking for help with issues after years of being on kibble and all of a sudden, the issues come up and they don’t know what to do. Sometimes, it’s too late, but many times health issues can be corrected. You have options.

Did you know raw and home cooked diets can fix:

• Dogs with urinary and protein issues
• Dogs with liver issues and thyroid issues
• Dogs with pancreatitis, diabetes and cancer
• Dogs with allergies and heart issues

Back in the old days before kibble, dogs weren’t getting sick with all these diseases, nor were there vets on every corner recommending prescription kibble. Think about it! When did dogs get cancer in those days? Never!

What’s so special about it?

Turmeric is a super-healing food because it:

• Destroys multi-drug resistant cancer
• Reduces inflammation
• Detoxifier
• Relieves allergies
• Prevents formation of cataracts
• Treats depression
• Kills parasites
• Helps with stomach issues, digestive disorders and gas
• High in fiber, rich in vitamins and minerals
• Relieve arthritis pain

Did you know that turmeric can replace steroids? Curcumin has been found in some studies to be just as effective as steroids without all the bad side effects.

If you’re ready to try it, know this…
The Curcumin in Turmeric can be hard to digest by itself. It’s important to combine turmeric with a healthy oil like Coconut Oil, which can increase absorption significantly.

You’ve heard us talk about turmeric and making Golden Paste. Did you know adding cinnamon to it helps prevent them smelling like cat pee? Another option is Curacel Curcumin in pill form, which helps with absorption, too!

Turmeric Remedies:
Open Wound Topical Turmeric Ointment

• 1 tbsp. Turmeric Powder
• 1 tbsp. Manuka Honey
• 1 Capsule Bromelain, Opened and Sprinkled In
• 1 tbsp. Raw Aloe (scraped directly from plant leaf is best)

Mix well, apply to area and cover. Acts as a soothing agent and helps with swelling.

Closed Wound Topical Turmeric Ointment

• 2 tbsp. Turmeric Powder
• 1 tbsp. Salt
• 1 tbsp. Lemon Juice
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil

Mix well, apply to area and cover. Acts as a soothing agent and helps with swelling.

Did you know?
Coconut or Olive Oil will remove Golden Paste from your fingers.

Do Puppies Eat Different Foods Than Adult or Senior Dogs?

Puppies can eat the same things with the exception of bones, however, puppies do need more calories and nutrients to help with growth.

Did you know puppies can eat raw/cooked foods?
Howie has been eating raw since he was 4 weeks old. He’s been eating a premade raw beef blend and because he’s a puppy, we increase the amount he gets versus what an adult dog 1 year or older would eat. He gets a mixture of beef, beef heart, beef muscle, beef lung, beef kidney, kale, cranberries, eggs and eggshells, bone meal and sunflower oil. We also add a few supplements for optimal health.

Wait, puppies need supplements?
Puppies would be just fine with the premade raw variety mentioned. However, I want Howie to be as healthy as possible for as long as possible. Therefore, we are giving Puppy Bac from Dogzymes, which is a combination of colostrum, probiotics, digestive enzymes, with the proper amount of proteins, fats and nutrients. We’re also adding a transfer factor capsule (1/2 capsule AM & PM). This helps strengthen his immune system. A spoon of coconut oil for skin/hair and a spoon of cottage cheese for added calcium and protein. As he gets older, this will change.

Have you heard about Dr. Harvey’s?
Instead of making the cooked veggies, this is a great alternative. We are using it with Howie as of 12 weeks old. Dr. Harvey’s is a blend of the best dehydrated veggies, broth, vitamins, minerals and amino acids. All you do is add warm liquid to it along with an oil of your choice and add your favorite protein.

Howie’s Puppy Meals

• 3/4 C. Raw Beef
• 1 tsp. Coconut Oil
• 1 tsp. Cottage Cheese
• 1 pump Ultra Oil
• 1/3 C. Puppy Bac
• 1/2 Capsule Transfer Factor
• 2 tsp. Dr. Harvey’s Raw Vibrance or Paradigm
• Splash Answers Goat’s Milk (PM only)

Daily Snack:
Splash of Kefir & 5 – 7 Blueberries or Sardine smashed up with Kefir