Pawsitive Energy®

Primarily, we realize that each being has her/his own unique

set of needs that must be met for them to have the 

happiest, healthiest life 

they can have. 

In addition to appropriate allopathic / conventional veterinary care, a holistic, natural approach to wellness is essential for your pup's long term good health. 

The most basic components of a holistic lifestyle include:

~Eating good food & treats, made from human-grade ingredients, free of by-products & things like "meat meal" (specific meal, like chicken meal, is fine), corn, soy, chemical preservatives, & other harmful additives. 

We feed Fromms, Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream, Natural Balance Limited Ingredient, & Dr Marty's Freeze Dried Nature's Blend, depending on the dog. 

Back when we only had 20 dogs, I

 also fed raw.

~ Having their meals supplemented with the appropriate vitamins, probiotics, herbs, homeopathic remedies, etc.

~Getting the right balance of appropriate exercise, including playtime with like-minded pups and mentally & physically challenging activities; positive/rewards-based training; & rest.

~Receiving limited vaccinations* per the vax protocols recommended by Drs Ronald Schultz & Jean Dodds.

~ Finding a great vet & maintaining a good relationship with her/him. The vets at VCA Mill Run in Hilliard have been our primary vets for over 18 years. 

~Having limited chemicals used in, on, & around them. For example, we use herbs, Diatomaceous Earth, & nematodes for flea & tick prevention; Fly Predators for fly control; a safer & more natural heartworm treatment; and WYSIWASH cleaning system, a non toxic but extremely effective disinfectant.

~ Having guardians who keep up with food & toy recalls, health issues in their area, and who are always looking for the best ways to keep their animals happy & healthy.

~And, of course, getting lots of love!

When your pup is provided with these building blocks, her/his body is given the opportunity to develop a strong immune system & an increased ability to heal itself.

In all of our almost 30 years of rescue & boarding, we've followed these holistic guidelines, including limiting our own dogs' vaccinations to a modified series of puppy vax or one Distemper/Parvovirus vaccination for dogs who come to us as older pups or adults. We believe that these vaccinations provide lifetime immunity, & our dogs have never contracted any of the diseases dogs are generally vaccinated against, with the exception of one puppy mill puppy who we lost to Parvo shortly after he came here in 2007 (his littermates & parents never got sick) and one young terrier who came down with Distemper shortly after she came. She's still here and doing great ten years later. We've never had any issues in our guest pups with anything contagious other than the rare, unavoidable, minor bout with Kennel Cough or occasional cases of diarrhea due to "fun stress" or the change in food, water, rest, and exercise.

We've been very fortunate to have had more than 120 wonderful dogs call us their humans over the past 30 years. Almost all of our pups live well into their teens, with many staying with us until they're 15 to 18 years old. (Still not long enough, but we're working on it.) Many of them rarely even need to see the vet between puppy vax and their eventual passing, so we know that, even though we will always have much more to learn, what we're doing works.

_____________________

Here's an interesting video about healthy alternatives to traditional spay/neuters: 

https://www.gooddog.com/good-breeder-center/rethinking-spay-neuter

I think that this has become a very important aspect of holistic care & I have a post about it on "Dogs Before Blogs". Of course.

_____________________

* A Note About Our Vaccination Policy

Since we're not vets & don't know your dog's health needs like you do, we believe that the decision about which vaccinations are appropriate for your pup & how often they need to be administered should be between you & your vet. It would be inappropriate for us to require specific vaccines that might not be safe or necessary for your pup.