Why a Vegan Great Dane?

In 1987, I brought home a beautiful female Harlequin Great Dane whom I named Dagmar. (In Danish, it means "joy of the Danes".) My Dalmation, Sasha, immediately took over the job of potty training and other canine maternal tasks. When I took Dagmar to the vet, who also happened to be a homeopathic vet, I asked the vet if it was possible for a dog to be vegetarian. I was a bit timid about even asking the question, not wanting to impose a nutritional regimen that might not be suited to a canine digestive system, or worse, might be detrimental to the health of the dog. I was surprised when she answered, "Not only will that make your dog healthier, it will extend her life expectancy." I found two "higher quality" brands of dog food at the pet store and, with some of my own dinner menu mixed in, raised my Great Dane as a vegetarian, and switched my Dalmation over to a vegetarian diet. My Dalmation lived to 16 years, and my Great Dane, who was supposed to live 7 to 9 years, lived beyond her 11th birthday. When Dagmar died, I expected to get another Great Dane, followed by a second one, when I was ready, but life got busy and complicated and I lived 14 dogless years before I got another one. On September 23rd, 2012, after I had searched the internet for over a year for exactly the right puppy, my husband and I went to the breeder to pick up a beautiful female Harlequin Great Dane. She was a couple days shy of being seven weeks old. I named her Valentina, which means "brave protector". (It was the name I had come up with 14 years previously, in anticipation of getting another Dane puppy after Dagmar died.) I'm sure every parent thinks they have the most beautiful baby in the Universe, just as every puppy owner thinks they have the most beautiful puppy, but I must insist, this dog is beautiful and very smart. She learned her name by the second day with us, and within the week, she had learned "come", "no", how to ring the peepee bell on the door, "kisses," "sit" and "no bite", (even though teething and tempted to bite everything in sight!). After two weeks with us, Valentina understood questions like,"Do you want to go outside/inside?" (She goes to the door.) "Do you want to go upstairs?" (She runs to the foot of the stairs.) and "Go eat your food." (She would go over to her food dish, look in it, and then look up at me as a signal that I needed to put more food in the bowl.) as well as the command "shake hands." After having read so much about the atrocities contained in commercial dog food, I vowed to make her food from fresh, organic, vegan ingredients, so she could have a good shot at exceeding the current life expectancy for Great Danes. I went to my nearby PetsMart, to get a bag of "transitional vegan kibbles," and found that they no longer carried any. We were happy to find that a local specialty pet store had vegan kibbles and I began transitioning Valentina toward the vegan kibbles, and transitioning myself towards making all her food. So much has changed with the internet. I have found a wealth of knowledge, and connected with people that I never would have found in a library. I have ordered books, researched blogs and websites, and amassed a compendium of vegan canine recipes, all via the internet. And, yet, I feel I have just scratched the surface of what I need to know.

So, Vegan Great Dane will be a record of what my husband and I experience and learn about providing a nourishing diet for Valentina with more-than-minimal nutrients plus everything else involved in raising a healthy Great Dane. (And, of course, I won't be able to resist including some pictures of her.) Much has changed about the approach to puppy training -- I have been surprised to learn that I did a lot of things right in training my other dogs in the past.

One more detail: Valentina will be a bi-national dog. We split our time between Austin, Texas and Lake Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico. Like Kafka, the Dalmation that I had before Sasha, Valentina will be trained in two languages, so she will understand commands both in English and Spanish. There are requirements for taking a dog into Mexico and for taking a dog into the US, so, I'll also be sharing those experiences with you. I welcome your comments, support and any information you might offer. If you are offended by veganism/ vegetarianism, please take your criticism elsewhere. I raised two dogs as vegans, and they were extremely healthy their entire lives. I'd love to hear from you, your experiences, information, your stories, and your support. Thank you.

Companies That Sell Vegan Dog and Cat Food

Evolution Dog Food -A 100% Complete For All Life Stages Dry Dog Kibble. Human Grade Pure Vegan Ingredients. (Also sold on amazon.com)
F & O Alternative Pet Products Vegan dog and cat kibble and canned food1-877-376-9056
Harbingers ofa New Age Vegecat™, Vegekit™, Vegedog™, and digestive enzymes406-295-4944
Natural Balance Canned and Kibble Vegan dog food 1-800-829-4493
Natural Life Pet Products Canned and kibble dog food 1-800 367-2391
Nature's Recipe Canned and kibble dog food 1-800-237-3856
Newman's Own Organic vegan dog treats
Pet Guard Canned dog food and biscuits
V-Dog Vegandog foodv888-280-8364
Wow-Bow DistributorsCanned and kibble dog food and biscuits1-800-326-0230
Wysong CorporationDog and cat kibble 989-631-0009




Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Doggy Dental Challenge Averted with Colloidal Silver and Manuka Honey (UMF 20+)

I noticed that Valentina had become grumpy lately, and she seemed to not have as much energy as usual. Vet exams showed that she was okay, but I sensed something was amiss.  Checking her teeth, I noticed some tartar that was not too bad, but then noticed a dark spot at the gum and top of the upper right canine tooth. She also had bad breath. I've heard several horror stories about canine dental cleanings. A very sweet couple that brings their two Great Danes at the dog park told me the story of the death of their previous Great Dane who was healthy, went in for a dental cleaning, was given no antibiotic in advance, and became deathly ill from all the bacteria released into his body at the time of cleaning. The vet started the dog on antibiotics later, but the infection had advanced too far, and the dog died FROM THE DENTAL CLEANING! I was determined to avoid anything of the sort, so I started researching the subject. I found entries at curezone.org, as well as many other references to dog dental health. I always keep colloidal silver around -- it is antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal -- all in one. Putting colloidal silver in the dog's water was suggested by several sources. By the way, it also takes away tartar.  Also several sources suggested the use of Manuka honey. Because of my vegan lifestyle, I've always avoided honey.  This is a continual controversy among vegans -- some eat honey  and some don't. But, after reading up on  the curative powers of Manuka honey, and knowing I had to take action, I ordered a jar of UMF 20+ from Amazon. Using a vitamin bottle top, I mixed a little ground Ceylon cinnamon and a little clove powder with the Manuka honey (1 to 5 parts = 1/8 to 5/8 tsp.) and started rubbing the Manuka honey on the infected area of Valentina's gums and teeth, three times per day. We have two water bowls inside that Valentina and Katya share, and I put one tablespoon in each water bowl each day, for a total of 2 tablespoons per day. Valentina became a puppy again, chasing Katya around in the yard, and returning to her playful self, after a week. I'm still applying the Manuka honey, and I keep about 2 teaspoons colloidal silver in the water bowls, and I insert 1 teaspoon colloidal silver twice daily into Valentina's mouth using a baby medicine syringe. Several sources recommend putting a little colloidal silver every day into dog water bowls because it keeps the water sanitary. The dark spot on her gum and tooth turned into a tan spot on her gum and no spot on her tooth, and now the tan-colored gum tissue has fallen off and healthy gum tissue is growing in where the tan spot fell off.

Note about Manuka honey:
Manuka honey comes from New Zealand and is made by bees that collect the nectar of the Manuka tree. The honey is said to have great curative powers. The UMF number is the most reliable when seeking a Manuka honey that is most potent. My research shows that a UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) number of 15+ is recommended for any healing of infection etc.  Methylglyoxal (MG) is a curative substance found in most honey in different concentrations.  It is very high in Manuka honey.  People use it to get rid of sore throats, colds, flu, and it is rubbed on the gums and teeth to heal gum infections and to remineralize teeth and fight cavities. Do a search for "Manuka honey uses" to see all the applications of this medicinal honey.
Remember not to give honey to puppies.
I am not a medical doctor or a veterinarian, so always check with your vet.

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