Health Benefits of Coconut Oil For Dogs

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When administrating natural products to our pets, there are – for a good reason – some serious questions that come up
Today, I am answering the top 4 questions asked related to the health benefits of coconut oil for dogs.

Most common questions people ask me, when the topic of adding coconut oil to a dog’s diet comes up are:

1. Is coconut oil safe for dogs?
2. Why should I give my dogs coconut oil?
3. What is the best type of coconut oil for dogs?
4. How to administer coconut oil to the dog

Is coconut oil safe for dogs?
Generally speaking, it is safe for most dogs. Like people, animals can present allergies, so as with all new medication, remedies and food changes, watch your dog very closely.The most common side effects of giving coconut oil is  some greasy stool and upset stomach, which occurs most often because it was introduced too quickly to the dogs diet. If your dog shows severe signs of upset, is vomiting or has excessive diarrhea contact your vet, and disclose that you are introducing coconut oil.

 

Island Fresh Organic Coconut Oil Buy It Now!

Why should I give my dogs coconut oil?
Coconut oil has a wide variety of health benefits for your pets as well as for you. The health benefits for your dogs
are the following:

– antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal properties
– aids in recovery and prevention of allergic reactions
– balances thyroid and weight issues
– reduces doggy odor
– improves digestion
– aids in healing from wounds and scrapes
– aids in the reduction and healing of dry spots
– helps reduce the inflammation caused by arthritis and joint dysfunction
– reduces bad breath
– prevents diabetes

What is the best type of coconut oil for dogs?
Make sure you read the label of your coconut oil closely. You should always use organic coconut oil that is
non-gmo (I would highly recommend that you choose the same if you are planning to use it for cooking human food)
Coconut oils vary in their flavors – some of them greatly. For your pet, you want to look for a coconut oil that has little
or no coconut flavor, like this Island Fresh Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, which is my dogs favorite. It is also cold-pressed, which assures that it is of highest quality
How to administer coconut oil to the dog:
While some dogs are eager to try new things, others – like one of my own – need a little bit of convincing. But there
are some ways to make giving coconut oil a little easier to your dog, by making your own dog treats or by purchasing
dog treats made with coconut oil. Some dogs love the taste so much so, that they will enjoy licking it off a spoon!

Coconut Smiles – Dehydrated Organic Coconut Treats for Dogs Buy It Now!

 

 

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER – DO NOT START WITH THE RECOMMENDED DOSE!
Gently introduce coconut oil to your dog’s diet, by including it into your homemade dog food or treats. Start with a fourth
of the dose, then slowly increase the dose over the next 4 weeks. This will prevent stomach upset, and the dreaded greasy
diarrhea, that comes from introducing coconut oil too quickly. The recommended dose of coconut oil for your dog depends on its weight:

Coconut Oil Dosage: 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of your dog’s body weight

 

 

 

Do you have any additional questions regarding coconut oil for dogs? Leave me a comment below!

 

Tea Leaf Reading Symbol Dictionary: Letter Y

Hi, and welcome back. I am sharing with you today the letter Y of our tea leaf reading symbol dictionary. I hope you had fun during this series and learned a lot about tea and tea leaf reading. As I mentioned yesterday, I am working on a book about the subject, and will share with you more information about that soon.

But not before sharing with you a picture of one of my adorable rescue dogs, Athena. She was posing for me this morning, which in her case is rare. She is usually rather camera shy. Not today:

Let me share with you today’s letter:

Letter Y:

Yacht or large boat: a symbol of wealth and financial freedom

Yew Tree: Someone is leaving you an unexpected help or fortune. A better position is offered to you.

 

Wishing you a fiercely independent day

Claudia

 

 

A Day Of Dog Pampering – A Dog Care Supply Haul I Am Excited About

Disclaimer: I have received the products mentioned free of charge in exchange for an honest review. This post also contains affiliate links. See disclosure page for details

Due to the many allergies my little-adopted furry dog  friends have, do I refrain from sending them to a groomer, and rather take care of their needs myself. Even if that means some extra work – and the occasional times when I end up wetter than the dogs taking a bath – I love pampering my pooches, while the cat watches on from the distance.

But before washing them with our favorite Burts Bee Hypoallergenic Shampoo (for Dogs), however we had to try out our new Furbabies Retractable Dog Leash, and the dogs had a blast with that thing.

I have been staying away from retractable dog leashes, as I had a bad experience with them, having been cut, after it wrapping itself around my leg. So I was pleasantly surprised when the Furbabies 15 ft retractable leash offered a flat soft leash, that will prevent these accidents from happening. While it states, that it is for small dogs – and I originally accepted the offer, because I wanted to use it on a small toy chihuahua, it is better suited for my medium dogs of 30 pounds (Welsh Corgi/Beagle mix), and a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix (45 pounds).The handle of the dog leash alone would have been heavier than our little friend, so we are sticking with a generic, non-retractable leash for our cute sweetheart.  But, for my two larger high energy dogs, this leash is now my favorite.

Adding the finishing touches to their day by using our Safari dog nail clippers, my dogs are again presentable, even if they might not have enjoyed the last part as much as the did the new leash. I contemplated the use of doggie nail polish, but I am pretty sure, my husband would have thought I was completely crazy, so I led that one go.

After such adventure, we are usually all exhausted, as you can see by how one of my puppies passed out, watching us play Sorry!. 

 

Question: What are your favorite ways to pamper your pets? Do you have a special groomer you take them to, or do you also DIY their beauty routine at home?

 

This post is a part of the following blog hops:
March Week #4 Blog hop

What Are You Doing In March Blog Hop

Winter Is Leaving Blog Hop

No Rules Weekend Blog Party

 

 

 

Plan Ahead – Editorial Calendar And Marketing Planner For Creatives, Artists, Bloggers and More (Free PDF)

Creating relevant content for the upcoming months, means to be up to date on major and minor holidays. But it gets more complicated, when you add to these often celebrated holidays those minor and less often remembered celebrations, such as National Pancake Day or the Summer Solstice.

This information can be not only useful for bloggers, who can plan their content around those holidays, but also adds a volume of potential marketing possibilities for Product on Demand Artists, Photographers, Writers, Affiliate Marketers and other creative people who have an online presence.

In order to make it easier for you to plan your marketing strategies for this year, I have combined a list of strategies and lesser known holidays and celebrations, as a gift for you. Simply click on this link: Editorial Calendar And Marketing Planner Year  and download it, to print out to build your own strategies for the upcoming months.

Please do not alter this pdf  in any way. You may share the PDF with your friends, in a non-commercial setting, but only un-altered.

Download it now!
Editorial Calendar And Marketing Planner Year

 

Because it is Friday, which on this blog means, it is time to talk about gratitude – I wanted to share with you what I am grateful for this week:

1. I am grateful that despite the fact that my husband was stuck in snow this morning, while traveling in Dallas, he was safe due to the fact that he had snowchains with him. Apparently everyone has been driving safely, because he has not seen an accident. That is a very good thing.
2. I am grateful that instead of being in snow, I am in Las Vegas to 85 degree weather. I will cherrish every moment of warmth today.
3. I am grateful that my daughter is feeling better after having had a cold. She was invited to a picnic last weekend, and got promptly sick, due to the fact that it was still a little bit more windy then everyone expected. But she is on the mend now.
4. I am grateful that it is Friday, which means it is bill paying day. It might seem a little weird to be happy about paying bills, but I am grateful that I can, when I know how many have to make decisions between eating and paying the electric. I am blessed in every way, and I am grateful for that fact.
5. I am grateful for the abundance of items I have on my list this week. I am exited to share with you those wonderful new products, and some special deals, which I have carefully weeded through. More on that over the next few days. (Some of these are for you pet owners out there)

What are you grateful for this week? Share with us here, or write a blog post, and join the many blogs that are participating in the following blog hops:

Thankful Thursdays

No Rules Weekend Blog Party

Winter Is Leaving

Share With Me Blog Hop

Be Inspired 

Celebrate The Small Things

How To Make Your Own Cat Food

 

Disclaimer: The following post contains affiliate links, see Disclosure page for details

Upon request of a dear reader, I am writing today about making your own cat food. But before sharing a recipe with you, I would like to take a moment to caution you about making your own pet food. My dogs are fed exclusively on homemade dog food, due to severe allergies. They simply can not eat the commercial stuff without loosing all of their fur, and breaking out.  My cat, on the other hand, is almost exclusively fed on commercial food, because he has no allergies. If you are feeding all of your pets homemade food, do not feed the same food you make for your dogs to your cat. With very different nutritional needs, you would have to cook separately. That said, I make homemade cat food as an occasional treat, which he enjoys very much.

 

There are a few foods that should never be added to homemade cat food. Those are:

 

• Garlic
• Onions
• Raisins
• Raw Egg whites
• Tomatoes
• Grapes

Some people will tell you that garlic keeps away fleas, in both cats and dogs, but it is also poisonous to their system. So stick with the commercial flea protection like Bayer Advantage  and skip the garlic

 

When feeding the amount of homemade cat food, keep the following factors in mind, when giving food:

1. Age
2. Activity level
3. pre-existing conditions
4. size of the cat

 

You should consult your holistic veterinarian for feeding guidelines, or consult books specifically written on the subject.

 

Basic Cat Food Recipe:

 

• 1/4 teaspoon olive oil or salmon oil
• 7 grams of feline vitamin/mineral supplement
• 30 grams of potato, cooked without skin
• 50 grams of carbs (choose one: cooked pasta, white rice, barley, oatmeal, peas)
• 83 grams of cooked animal protein (whole meat chicken, lamb, rabbit, beef, pork, tuna, salmon)

Mix all of the ingredients together (a blender works really well for this purpose) and store the food in the fridge until needed

 

Some of my vegan friends consider feeding their cats and dogs an animal protein-free diet. I personally do not recommend that the same goes for raw diets. Most people making homemade food for their pets will agree that liver should only be fed on occasion as the animal protein given. I completely stay away from liver, as my dogs both seem to have an adverse reaction to it (even though they love the flavor). Every animal will react different to a homemade diet, therefore, your vigilance is required.
Here are two books I highly recommend on the subject:

Dinner PAWsible: A Cookbook of Nutritious, Homemade Meals for Cats And Dogs

available on Amazon now

 

 

 The Ultimate Guide To Cats Food

available on Amazon now

 

 

This post is a part of the following blog hops:

Amaze Me Monday

Manic Monday Blog Hop

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop

Keeping It Simple

Show And Share 

4 Health Reasons You Should Add A Pet To Your Life

Having a pet changes many aspects of your life. I purposely did not write “own” a pet, because most pet owners can tell you that most likely you are owned by them, rather than the other way around, especially if you have a cat in the family.

But did you know that pets can also affect your overall health?

Here are a list of 4 ways a pet has a positive affect on your health:

1.According to Dr. Silke Wechsung of the University of Bonn, Germany, simply being close to a dog can have a lowering effect on your pulse rate, which is a sign of relaxation. Instantly, the overall well being begins to improve, no matter what happened before the contact with the animal.

2.She also suggests that active engagement with your pet, via play, stops negative self-talk, by interrupting and redirecting it. This is especially helpful for someone who suffers from depression, and has a hard time disconnecting from negative train of thought without an outside influence, preventing spirals into even deeper depression.

3. It brings needed structure into a daily routine. Especially older people, people who live by themselves and suffer from that loneliness, or have depression, creating a positive structure can have a very positive affect on their overall health. A pet, no matter which type, forces the individual to create and follow a routine, no matter what.

4. Dog walks, having to take your pet outside no matter what the weather is like, also strengthens the immune system, according to Dr. Wechsung. Regular outdoor exercise with your dog, becomes a preventive health measure.

If you are considering to add a pet to your family, please always consider getting a pet from a shelter. There are hundreds of animals waiting for a home, and to give back to you, by being your companion and healthy support.

Thank you.

Check Out This Great Dog Bed From Our Affiliate ActiveDogToys.com 

 

Disclaimer: The above post contained affiliate links to ActiveDogToys.com – see Disclosure Page for Details

Coffee, Cookies And WordPress

My Blood Type Is Coffee

Welcome to Weekend Coffee Share, the wonderful little blog hop where we all get together and share whatever we want to talk about over a cup of coffee. If you were here today, I would offer you some more thumbprint cookies. Store bought, sorry. It has been a somewhat crazy week.

You might be wondering why I am back at WordPress. The short version of this is, that Wix was not what it was cracked up to be. I will write more about my thoughts on Wix in a few days, but let me tell you they are not the best.

So, I am going to make the best of this blog format for right now. And guess what, I already feel better, less stressed, and more focused. Sometimes taking an action away from what you thought was a good idea can be freeing. No reason to try to make something that does not work, work. All that does is cause stress. Something I really do not need more off. I am sure you can relate.

There is a lot to do this week, I have three books to read and review, two products to review (once they arrive), organize this space a little better to make it work for me right now, until I switch over to WordPress.org ( I am not in a hurry, this time, I am going to make sure I took the time to learn everything I need to make this transition smooth, instead of listening to pure recommendations), work on some more designs for Redbubble and Zazzle, and create a few new freebies for you guys. I also have tons of content that I am working on, that I want to share with you, some of it related to making money online, others a little more personal about living with allergies and chronic illness. I am hoping you will stop back here to check those posts out over the next few weeks.

Until I have moved all of the content back from Wix to here, I am expecting to post almost twice a day, fresh content once, the other, those articles I had on the other site. Then, hopefully by the end of this month, everything will be back to normal.

But enough about me, how was your week? I hope your weather was as pleasant as it had been here in Las Vegas. I really enjoyed the warmth of over 75 degrees, even if the mornings are still really cold. The dogs enjoyed the weather as well.

My Dog Gwen Waiting for Me To Take Her Out

Have a great week, and see you next weekend for more coffee talk!

Blessings,

Claudia

Let me tell you about this dog… – A Weekend Coffee Share Post

 

Coffee Time 

 

If we were having coffee this weekend, I would welcome you, and tell you that I am relieved that my friend’s dog is okay. I was worried about the puppy all day yesterday because she is still so little (and cute), but she seems to be fine now. I would also use this as the major excuse, why I did not get as much work done yesterday, as I had planned to.

I would then make you a coffee in my new French Press. Never owned one before, always went for the traditional machines or the espresso machines, but I decided to try it anyway. Can you taste the difference between this one and a standard coffee machine? I am sorry I can’t. But they take away less space, so when I send my daughter off to college, she will get one of those.

We are having chocolate oatmeal cranberry cookies today (vegan). I am hungry, haven’t had much of a chance to eat, because I had to catch up on yesterday’s slacking, so excuse my manners if I shove a few extra cookies into my mouth. I hope you don’t mind. No worries, there are plenty, I made extra. The apple pie in the fridge (also vegan) is not for us, though, it is for the above-mentioned friend, who could really use a treat right now – and can’t bake worth a darn. Sorry, but being a friend means you know their strength and their weaknesses, and embrace them both.

I would tell you, that I would have three things on my agenda today that are a must:
1. Visit the blogs on my list I did not get to read yesterday
2. Write as much as content for the two holiday projects I have coming up (they are kind of secret, so I have to show you, but I can not let the cat out of the bag over the internet yet)
3. Write the outline for the script I have in my head. It isn’t a complicated script, but it was originally a story idea, that just would translate better on screen than it would in a book. Simply because it has a lot of physical action.

Once I wrote the outline, I will be able to define it better, and present you a short synopsis. Still working out all of the plot holes in my head, which are the size of a Florida sinkhole at the moment.

What are your plans for the day, the weekend? Any special projects you have in place, or something that did not go as planned, but worked  out at the end? Why not add your thoughts and plans to the linky  right here.  (Via Part Time Monster)

I hope you enjoyed your stay, and will join in again next weekend. I am always baking something – I can’t help myself – so always come hungry!

Blessings!

Claudia

Would You Like Some Coffee? A Weekend Coffee Share Post

Coffee  by Faith Family Fun Design

If you would come over for coffee, I would give you a tour of our new apartment and the grounds we live on. I would tell you that I am comfortable here for the time being, and I would tell you about our plans to move to Santa Clarita in about 6 to 9 months.

I would tell you that I finally created an editorial calendar, which is something I can no longer afford not doing, considering that my business is growing and I need to have a written focus for every day, otherwise I will become completely overwhelmed, and get nothing done.

The coffee would be poured into two of the cups I got from my fellow Zazzle artists, and I would tell you that the coffee we are having is the same one I grew up with in Germany and thanks to the internet I can actually get it here. While this might not mean much to you, it means the world to me, as simple things like finding a little treat from over there, helps me with not feeling too homesick.

I would hopefully not sneeze too often while you are visiting. I seem to have picked up more allergies, even more so when I am outside. But thankfully we have hardwood floors now, which helps with all of the indoor allergies everyone else had, including the dogs. A few months ago, both of them had a severe allergic reaction and lost all of their fur. Both have completely recovered, thankfully, partially because of the environmental change, and partially because we changed their diet completely from processed food to homemade dog food (vet approved!).

This chaotic time, though, brought forth the idea of me writing an ebook on making the before mentioned food, which I hopefully will release in January via Amazon. I have two kindle books in the works, which will be released before that, one called “Mixing Teas – 101 Awesome and Flavorful Tea Recipes” and

“Flashes of Light – A Collection of Very Short Flash Fiction”.

I would tell you that the next few days would be very busy – happily busy. I am putting the finishing touches on some of my blog posts for my new home decor and lifestyle blog, and will launch “Avalon Design” in the upcoming week. I would let you have a sneak peak, and show you some images of the dining room table I have bought, and should be delivered by Friday. Then, for our next week’s get-together, I could bake something from  my Grandmother’s cake recipe collection, and maybe we even invite some more friends over, turning this small coffee share into a full blown “Kaffeeklatsch” party.

Now I am going to stop by to connect with the other participants of the Weekend Coffee Share. If you are interested in signing up and participating, click on this link for more information!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Claudia

Celebrate The Small Things – Las Vegas Edition

 

Vintage Las Vegas Poster

;

I am happy to back blogging, and to be joining you all in this weeks “Celebrate The Small Things” Blog Hop, hosted by the wonderful Lexa Cain.

We finally completed  our move to Las Vegas, which was not just relocating ourselves but our entire business, and as you can expect that took some time, especially considering that we are also in the midst of expanding. So I am grateful to be sitting in my apartment (albeit small) typing this post and connecting with you all. Thank you for all of the encouraging words and well wishes we received since we announced our move, and throughout it. This meant a lot to all of us.

I am also grateful that the pets (two dogs and the cat) did well on the trip from Tampa to Las Vegas. We drove, so this took a while, but they all adjusted fine to the trip, and are now comfortably resting in our new place.

The people in our neighborhood are very friendly, so that is also wonderful. I am grateful for everyone greeting each other, as well as for the some short conversations I had with fellow dog owners. Our place has a special pet court yard which has grass (a luxury in the middle of the desert), and there is a dog park within two minutes walking distance (thank you to the neighbor who pointed that out to me)

It’s almost fall time, and I am so grateful that I can switch my attention from summer decor to fall decorations. I am launching my home decor and lifestyle blog within the next few days, and I am looking forward to sharing some of the beautiful finds, I have already run across (and of course I had to purchase some of them, I just can not help myself).

Hopefully all of you also had a great week! It will be fun reading what you guys wrote, and if you have not joined in with this group of wonderful bloggers, but would like to, just follow this link and add your blog to the list!

Till next week!

Claudia