Good health starts with the basics and the best dog food you can find.

Feeding

We use only the highest quality all natural dog foods available and you can too. It may cost a little more per pound but you will be purchasing way less food in the long run. Don't forget these are small dogs who don't eat but one cup of dog food a day. We suggest 2 or 3 very small meals daily until 2 months old and then twice daily thereafter. Fresh clean water should be available at all times. If a high quality food is used, you will find that Norfolks will never need a large quantity of food over their whole lifetime. Cheaper food just means more volume of food required and larger stools produced for you to pick up after.

We use Life's Abundance, and occasionally Innova Evo, Wellness and all natural human grade foods. No processed chemicals added that cause cancer for our babies. We start with slightly wet and reducing over three days until they are eating it dry.

Make sure the first three or four listed ingredients on any bag, box or can dog food is not corn, but real meat, like beef, chicken or turkey. Not meat by-products which are scary: feet, hooves, intestines, tails, and other gross parts legally allowed, etc. I wouldn't feed my family or children anything other than the healthiest foods I could get, so my puppies are treated as equal family members for the healthiest food I can find. 

 "FOOD IS THE FIRST MEDICINE."   HIPPOCRATES

 

Brands I can highly recommend:       

 

LIFE'S ABUNDANCE                     INNOVA EVO                             AVODERM                                    

SOLID GOLD                                  CANIDAE                                     WELLNESS 

NUTRO ULTRA,  a new line to Nutro that are top products.                                       MERRICK

NATURAL BALANCE                   PRAIRE                                         WOLFPACK

 

Please see our longer list of suggested natural food for your dog and puppy below.

 

Brands I would NEVER feed my dogs, either from my experience or research:

SCIENCE DIET (corn meal & chicken by-products MAIN ingredients)

IAMS/EUKANUBA (chicken by-product meal & corn meal)

NUTRO'S REGULAR LINE OF KIBBLE - all old formulas are inferior.

Anything from  grocery store brands, Pedigree, Purina, Beneful, Kibbles & Bits is full of dyes, chemicals, etc.

 ANYTHING made by DIAMOND PET FOODS - THIS INCLUDES CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE PUPPY LOVERS SOUL LINE. It has been my experience that they have terrible quality control issues that are still not resolved 8 months later. We actually found preserved dead bodies of rats in the bags of puppy food.

 

 

        

SELECTING YOUR DRY DOG FOOD -  If you had any idea where meat-by-products came from, you would never feed them to your pets.  Rendered animal parts, to be exact.  Otherwise known in the industry as; "The fiveD's" - Dead, Dying, Decaying, Drugged or Diseased.  I won't go into the details ...do your own research and see for yourself. Be prepared for some disgustingly true facts on how some commercial dog foods are prepared.

 

For instance, the chicken and meat rejected for human consumption is next offered to cat and dog food companies. Do you want to be feeding known carcinogens or diseased rejected meats to your family member? I think not.

 

 

Our pets are part of our families, too. We want the best for our pets and we know you feel the same way about yours. 

That's why we promise to provide you with the research based information you need to make the best decision for your pets. We rely on veterinarian formulated products that are safe and healthy, inspired by nature and made using good science, and true, all natural products in a clean, healthy process.

 

It is just as important to know what is not put in your dog's food, as to know what is put in your dog's food.

 

Your pet depends on you to make the right choices when it comes to his or her health and happiness. Dogs are supposed to live to be 25 to 30 years old. Surprised? Yes, but you can make a difference to help prolong your pet's life.  They can't do that with chemically processed foods.

 

You can depend on us to do the in-depth research and dive into the

data that is available, in order to bring you

the newest and best information collected.

 

One of our goals is to educate people about their pets, the best food to feed and the best

methods to train your puppy or dog.

 

Although you may think all pet food manufacturers have your pet's best interests in mind, this is not always the case. Current pet food regulations allow manufacturers to use ingredients that you would never knowingly give to your pet. In fact, you may be shocked to learn what some brands of pet food really contain. For example: the use of by-products (feet, bones and intestines, etc.), the 5 D's, (dead, dying, diseased, decayed, drugged), chemical preservatives (BHA and BHT) and grains that are often difficult to digest (corn, wheat, gluten and soy), which are often used as a protein source instead of meat.

 

These last grains are what causes most pets to have allergies; corn based allergens fed into your pet, that you did not know about.

 I was shocked and disgusted when I first learned about how most all commercially processed dog foods are made and their ingredients. I became an educated consumer wanting the best for my dogs.

 

That is why I will never feed any brand name dog food from Pedigree, Purina, Eukanuba, Iams, Ol'Roy, Beneful, Diamond, etc. ever again.

They are made with dangerous ingredients and deadly additives that are literally bringing our dogs to an early and painful death.  

Case in point, our experience with Eukanuba and Iams, Science Diet:

We had been feeding Eukanuba small breed puppy and lamb and rice small breed dog food. But they are still processing their dog foods commercially, which means chemical preservatives. They were supposed to take out the ethoxoquin - but the government allows so many ppb (parts per billion) and they lowered the number of ppb allowed so it does not even have to be listed on the bag anymore!!! And it is a known cancer causing agent. We started to see more stillborns and some birth defects. We do not use it anymore needless to say. We should be warned about the dangers in the commercial dog foods that are giving our beloved pets cancers and other diseases.

Over the years we have tried several different kinds of dog foods and have switched to some of the new 'all natural' dog foods made with no preservatives now, and we feel switching to the all natural foods will work best for our goal of the healthiest, happiest puppies and adult dogs. They provide all the nutrients for a growing puppy, a pregnant mother and adult dogs in our house.

So we are presently using Life's Abundance for all life stages  for puppies and adults in a chicken and rice formula. it is naturally processed, not chemically processed. We also like Wellness, Merrick and may also try some of the others on the list below. Innova Evo is a basic raw diet in a dry kibble form with 42% protein and you only feed one cup per day to adults. The dog's body utilizes this food very efficiently and produces a significantly smaller stool, which tells us that their body is using all of the ingredients successfully.  Many holistic vets are going this way to the new raw diets as dogs are originally carnivores and not corn eaters. If your dog is eating corn or grain in their diets then you know where the allergies and hot spots are coming from  and where the incontinence problems are coming from. Switch to a better food and your dog will be healthier for it and thank you for better health.

Dogs are supposed to live 25 to 35  years. It is only the commercially processed foods that shorten their lives. Just like we know the processed foods we eat are giving us all cancers, it follows suit with your dog. It is easier to control your dogs diet to keep him or her healthy. This will ensure a longer and healthier life.

DIETS TO IMPROVE AND PROLONG YOUR PET'S LIFE.

Nutrition - The Cornerstone of Health and Disease Prevention.

"Food is the first medicine." - Hippocrates  

 

Dog foods we can highly recommend: 

Life's Abundance by Healthy Pet Net at www.healthypetnet.com/dmsfitz

Avoderm by Breeder's Choice  www.breeders-choice.com

Exclusive www.pminutrition.com A high end product naturally processed  that is carried by horse feed dealers. You can find one near you by going to their store locator page.

Innova Evo, www.naturapet.com or at your local health food or dog bakery store.

Natural Choice Ultra  www.nutroproducts.com

Natural Balance  www.naturalbalanceinc.com

Eagle Pack Holistic Select   www.eaglepack.com

Artemis  at www.artemiscompany.com

Solid Gold at www.solidgoldhealth.com

Wellness at www.wellness.com

Nature's Variety at www.naturesvariety.com

California Natural at www.naturapet.com

Canidae is an excellent food also.

Pinnacle is also found at www.breeders-choice.com

Prairie and Wolfpack are new also and others, just make sure they are all natural or organic and naturally processed or cooked.
 

I can strongly recommend you start your research on dog nutrition and overall health for your dog or cat. Do not make the common mistake of  believing the leading advertisers as to the content of their dog food quality. Check it out, read the small print. If they have chemical preservatives from processing then they still have ethoxyquin as an ingredient - which has been known to be a cancer causing agent for many years and is well known to cause cancer in dogs. We wonder why all adult and elderly dogs are getting cancer like humans? It's the chemicals used in processing their food.

Read the ingredient listing: if corn is listed first, then it is a poor quality, junk food. Find one that has meat listed as the first ingredient.

Do not believe the ads that show Purina or Pedigree or Ole Roy as a good quality dog food. Purina makes only two dog brands that have meat listed first, Purina One, which is still processed with chemicals and carcinogens. And Exclusive - the only one that is the all natural brand with no chemicals. Do your homework. Check the brands and read the small print.

Look for foods that contain all natural human grade ingredients for the best dog foods for your family member. DHA is a key brain-building nutrient for pets and humans. Look for Omega 3, 6 and 9, fish or fish meat, etc.

DHA is Docosahexaenoic Acid, a long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid DHA, found naturally in breast milk, is important for babies' neural development. Just like babies, a puppy's ability to learn depends on healthy brain development

A diet rich in DHA supports optimal brain development.  At 6 weeks of age, puppies have acquired only 70 percent of their adult brain mass. Neural development continues well into the postweaning period. Feeding a puppy a diet rich in DHA supports development of neural tissues for optimal cognitive function

DHA is the most abundant fatty acid in the brain, and has been shown to be critical for healthy growth and optimal neural development. Dogs experience their most rapid periods of growth during the first 6 to12 months, so during this period it?s critical to feed a puppy the right diet. Look for dog foods that contain the highest level of DHA for optimal brain development and a smart, trainable puppy.

Learn from experts in puppy nutrition. Visit the all natural sites  and make your decisions. Find a dog food that has the highest level of DHA, a key brain-building nutrient They provide important Antioxidants for a healthy immune system and targets six essential health functions for total body health every day

 

 

 

 

"Dog Experts Prove, Balanced Home-Made Diet Increases Dog Lifespan By Up To 100%!"

Wendy and Jack Volhard are well-known & respected, 30-year dog training veterans. Wendy writes about how her dogs live to amazing old age through proper diet:

 

"Commercial Dog Food is Killing Your Dog Because.."

In fact, through my own research I discovered dog food contains at least 6 deadly chemicals that have been banned from human foods because they cause:

·        Kidney cancer

·        Bladder cancer

·        Skin cancer

·        Stomach cancer

·        Spleen cancer

·        Leukemia

·        Liver dysfunction

·        Major organ failure

·        Immune system collapse

·        Severe allergic reactions

·        Birth Defects

·        Blindness

·        Chronic Diarrhea

·        Hair Loss and

·        Behavior problems, including increased aggressiveness --> very dangerous if your dog is around children

And if you think, like I did, that buying foods labeled as chemical and preservative free makes them safe, think again... it's just more lies!

 Good Health and feeding practices:

Raw, meaty bones should be a part of their diet.  The size of the meaty bone is determined by the size of your pet's mouth. Don't cut them up - let them do the processing. Meaty bones are the dog's toothbrush and are vital to help prevent gum disease and overall sickness. Start at an early age after 6 months when their baby teeth have fallen out and their permanent teeth are all in. 

 

Do not get confused and think we mean large knuckle bones or bones only. These can often cause tooth fractures and constipation as well as pose a threat as a choking hazard.  As with anything, monitor your pup when he/she is eating. Use Greenies only for adult dogs, use Greenies Smart Biscuits for your puppy.

 

*TIP*

FREEZE meaty bones - then thaw just before use. This will help kill many bacteria that could be harmful.  When feeding meats without bones, ALWAYS cook thoroughly.

 

A healthy, balanced diet is the key to maintaining optimum health and prevention of disease. We believe that fresh natural food along with a premium kibble (listed above) and supplements makes a healthy dog. We have been feeding this way for healthy dogs and puppies.

 

Our dogs do not have skin problems, intestinal issues, runny eyes or gas. They are not overweight, they have shiny coats and excellent muscle tone.  They have NEVER been to the vet with an illness.  Our litters are robust & healthy and our puppy mortality rate non-existant. Even first time moms, Jack Russell Terriers,  who usually have 2 - 3 pups are having 5 -6 pups and the older moms are having 7, 8 and twice we had a litter of 9.

 

When we were feeding Iams and Eukanuba we were getting many stillborn babies and it is heartbreaking to loose them before they are born. Our dogs also were getting colds and runny eyes in the winter. Since the summer of 2004 we have switched to all natural and organic dog foods - the stillborns stopped immediately. What does that tell you?

 

Important advice when feeding bones: 

 

1.)  Do NOT under any circumstances, feed them cooked bones! Cooked bones splinter.  Raw MEATY  bones are fine and good for them.  Supervise when eating bones or anything they may choke on.

2.)  Easy on the fruits, a carrot, a small apple, pineapple chunks or banana once a week would be fine.     Some dogs love fruit and some won't touch it. Do not feed citrus of any kind. Oranges are on the dangerous foods list also.

3.)   For your dairy source, use cottage cheese, goat's milk or whole plain yogurt.

4.)  RAISINS, GRAPES, ONIONS, and CHOCOLATE can be fatal.  They cause kidney failure.

 

PLEASE consider feeding your new pup as we do.  A great book to have on hand is; NATURAL HEALTH for DOGS & CATS by Dr. Pitcairn.  It is a realistic book combining conventional ideas with holistic/homeopathic remedies and suggestions.  Also contains a lot of information and recipes for a natural raw diet. Make the right decision for your beloved family pet and what is convenient for you. Make good decisions based on your own research. We will always be here to help.