Bone Broth: Illness recovery in Canines

Bone broth should be in everyone's freezer during the flu season. It's great for 4-legged and 2-legged family members on the road to recovery from a bout of germ mayhem. It's full of vitamins, minerals and electrolytes and very easy to make. It does need to be made ahead of time, because it takes a LONG time to make-- like 10 hrs. The good news -- that 10 hours has nothing to do with preparation or you in the kitchen. It has to do with all the ingredients simmering into goodness in a crockpot. After it's made, you just have to freeze it into portions and wait for the germ apocalypse to strike.

What you need:

• Bones-- any kind of bones. Chicken, beef, pork... whatever suits you fancy. Meat is optional, but obviously Fido will think it's delicious. A popular choice is Oxtail, but anything will work. 
• Vegetables-- please see this list for vegetables that are good/ bad for your dog. Onions and garlic are not a good choice for Fido (TOXIC), but are a good choice for human taste buds. So, you may want to make two batches labeled appropriately? Just a thought. 
• Vinegar-- You need an acid to extract the minerals from your bones. I like Bragg's Raw Apple Cider Vinegar.
• Water.
• A crockpot (If you don't have a crockpot, you can always cook it on your stovetop on low.)

What you do:
 Throw the bones in the crockpot. Chop up the vegetables and throw in the crockpot. Add water to cover everything and vinegar. You don't need much vinegar-- approximately 1 tsp/ gallon of water. I usually don't measure. I just kind of "guesstimate".  Cover with a lid and cook. If you are using the low temperature setting, it will take about 10 hours. If you are using the high temperature setting, it will take about 6 hours.

Once it's cooked and cooled enough to handle, ladle (or pour) it into a large bowl and refrigerate. You will notice that when it reaches refrigerator temperature, it will look like gel. Which is kind of gross to look at, but don't worry. When it's heated up, it will turn to liquid again. The gel means that it is super-duper healthy = full of gelatin from the bones. If yours doesn't turn to gel, don't worry. It' still has the nutrients in it. It's just not jam packed full like the gel. You can now scoop out your gel (or pour your broth) into your storage containers and freeze.

Here are the internet accolades for bone broth:

I like to use bone broth as the first "go-to" after gastrointestinal upset. I then gradually introduce solids-- like rice and chicken (with bone broth) and then my dog's regular dog food. You can even try to use bone broth to entice a finicky eater. (Same goes for my human family members, except substitute the dog food for people food.)

Pet Exposure to Reduce Allergies

At Bark City, we love dogs. I don't have enough fingers or toes on my human body to count the ways dogs are awesome. Recently, some new research on a somewhat old presumption is surfacing that gives one more reason to treat dogs like super heroes: Pet exposure may reduce allergies in humans.

We all know someone who has an allergy to something or other. Research has been suggesting over the past few decades that allergic diseases are increasing: Asthma has tripled in prevalence since the 1970's and food allergies have doubled (1). Some humans carry the presumption that having a clean, sterile household, free of pet dander will ward off allergies. This may be true for adults (and older children) that already have allergies, but may not necessarily be true for a baby yet to be born or a young infant. It seems that exposure to pets in infancy, especially while in utero through the first three months of life, influences the child's immune development and may decrease the probability of certain allergic diseases. Researchers are finding that there could be a critical period in an infants life in which the immune system rapidly develops. Having a pet present in the household, during this critical period, seems to increase the abundance of two bacteria in the gut microbiome of a child: Ruminococcus and Oscillospira. Both of these bacteria  have been linked with reduced childhood allergies (2). Scientists are still working out the nuts and bolts of this new research. As of right now, they are pointing towards the hygiene hypothesis (3): that having a pet in the household offers the opportunity of a more diverse microbial community at home. This in turn, offers infants an opportunity, during the critical immune system development period, to be exposed to infectious agents, symbiotic microorganisms and parasites in order to build immune tolerance.

For more information, you can read these fascinating links!

1. Recent Understandings of Pet Allergies, Ownby, Dennis and Johnson, Cole Christine, NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4755411/ 
2.  Pet Exposure May Reduce Allergy and Obesity, University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170406143845.htm
3. Infants With Siblings and Pets Less Likely To Develop Allergies, Koplin, Jennifer, The Conversation: http://theconversation.com/infants-with-siblings-and-pets-less-likely-to-develop-allergies-9523 
4. Man's Best Friend May Boost Immune System: 6 Health Benefits of Owning a Dog, Borrelli, Lizette,  Medical Daily: http://www.medicaldaily.com/mans-best-friend-may-boost-immune-system-6-health-benefits-owning-dog-328414
5. Infants Exposed to Dogs Less Likely To Develop Allergic Reactions, Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin Department of Medicine and Public Health: https://www.pediatrics.wisc.edu/featured-stories/allergies

8 Ways To Save On Your Vet Bills

 Let's face it: The dreaded vet bill. It brings knots to our stomachs, marital arguments and a general all around uneasiness. But, we love our four-legged family members and when it all comes down to it, they are family. So here are 8 ways you can ease a bit of your anxiety and save on vet bills:

1. Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle for your pet. This means that you should exercise your pet, mentally and physically AND keep their weight under control. Over weight dogs can lead to a myriad of health problems such as: diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure and various forms of Cancer. Keeping your dog healthy reduces the risk of treatments that add up to A LOT of money. 
2. Nutritional Supplements  help promote a healthy immune system and are wise to use in moderation to maintain a healthy canine. BUT, you must use common sense. Do your research and find real foods that naturally include the vitamin, mineral, amino acid, fatty acid, ect... you are looking to supplement. If a real food is not found or convenient, look for a bottled supplement that does not have any harmful "inactive ingredients". Here is a helpful link on what to look for and avoid in supplements--> http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/supplements-for-your-dog-hidden-ingredients/  Talk to your Veterinarian/ Canine Nutritionist about what supplements are right for your dog and skip the rest, because you will be wasting your money on the promises of the fountain of youth.
3. Keep up with your annual exams. Pets aged 1-6 should have a standard yearly physical exam once a year. Pets 7+ should have their yearly exam plus blood and urine tests. Regular check-ups keep the probability of  "surprise" vet expenses at bay. 
4. Feed your dog premium food. Giving your dog high-quality food specifically for their breed and size will help eliminate vet visits due to vomiting, diarrhea and all around food allergies. Did you notice that I said "food" and not "pet food"? Ideally, a canine should be fed a real food diet, meaning minimal kibble. But sometimes, that doesn't bode well for the pocket book or convenience. Deciding on what to feed your canine can be complicated and tricky. If choosing a kibble (or canned food), you should look for a dog food that has multiple meats in the top three ingredients. Additionally, there should be less starchy foods and NO CORN OR SOY.  Kibble should also be stored in the freezer in order to avoid the oils in the food from going rancid. A good resource when looking for a dog food is to look up brands on the Dog Food Advisor. They have been researching and rating dog foods for years. You can look up a specific brand and it will give you a breakdown of each ingredient. It's amazing and just what is needed to make a conscious consumer choice.
5.  Be honest with your vet about your finances: I know it's awkward to talk to your veterinarian about how much you can and can't afford. But by doing this, you will open up communication and maybe your vet will be able to find alternative solutions that best fit your financial budget. 
6. Ask for a written estimate before treatment: When you are at the vet, you should ask for a written estimate before your dog is treated. Once the statement is in front of you, go through it with your vet and have them validate why the treatment is (or isn't) necessary. This will give you more power in deciding what is financially feasible. 
7. Make sure you give your dog heartworm medication regularly.
8. Set aside money from your paycheck for an "emergency account" in case something unexpected happens. It may also be wise to invest in a pet health insurance. Price shop for insurance plans that fit your needs as well as prescription medications.

With a little pro-active care and saving for the future, Fido's vet visits can be (almost) stress-free!