Thousands of articles list toxic foods for dogs, but few tell us what foods we should avoid for puppies. In 2022, we welcomed a puppy into our family. Bella is a mixed-breed puppy with Husky blue eyes, German Shepherd dimples, and a love for shoes. We feed our dogs a...
Boron is a trace element found in many foods and can be purchased as a supplement. Boron isn't considered an essential trace mineral, and humans get their recommended daily amount – 1 to 13 mg daily – through diet (we can't produce it on our own). But what...
Have you been told that DIY raw dog food isn't nutritionally complete? You're not alone. People often reference a “study” when trying to convince pet parents that homemade dog food is too hard to make and debunk the practice of balancing over time. In the...
I discovered this video after I read the SkeptVet's review of The Forever Dog. I was curious if anyone else had created any content debunking the book, Dr. Becker or Rodney Habib, and immediately found this video, published on September 23, 2022. In the video, Dr. Em...
Science isn't my favorite subject. I love reading, and I love learning new things but show me a study, and I'm likely to pass out and sleep for a few hours because interpreting someone's scientific findings is boring. I used to believe a great alternative was to...
So, this isn't really DIY, but it's as close to DIY as I can get outside of making dog food and treats. I made flat dog dishes for my dogs. In 2022, I saw many people using the MINE Pet Platters. I purchased four platters for my dogs and was inspired to introduce them...
In 2022, Rodrigo turned 12 years old, and his tastes changed along with his diet. Suddenly, my dog went from being food motivated to being a picky eater. Because I believe being “picky” is my dog's way of trying to tell me something, I began paying...
This blog post was originally published in January 2017, it has been updated with new information and republished after my dog was diagnosed with EPI (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency) in December 2019. Please keep in mind that I'm not a veterinarian. If you...
I'm sure every pet parent can relate to my experience – sometimes, one of our dogs has gas. There are a few times when all of them have gas. A fart here and there doesn't cause concern, but when my dogs can clear a room, and their gas lasts for more than 24...
I transitioned my dogs to a raw food diet in 2013 and began DIY raw feeding the following year. To some pet parents, raw feeding seems complicated; for me, it became easier to formulate a diet that meets my dogs' nutritional needs without supplementation as I learned...
Can dogs eat broccoli? The obvious answer is yes, but not everyone agrees. I received an email from a passionate pet parent warning me about feeding broccoli. “Everyone knows that broccoli is toxic to dogs.” I respectfully disagree but was intrigued. Is...
When my partner and I became dog parents, we agreed that I would take the lead with the dogs (diet, veterinarian, training, etc.), and he took the lead with the house and yard. He didn't anticipate that I'd switch the dogs to raw, and despite the compromise...
Prices are rising, and it's a good time to revisit how to make raw feeding affordable. When I usually write blog posts, I try to maintain a professional/casual tone, but today, I have to be me because…. y'all…. have you seen the prices of eggs, cereal, and...
DepositPhoto/RonJoe When I researched raw feeding, I learned that the two main models are BARF (biologically appropriate raw food) and Prey. After more than two years of feeding raw to my dogs, I’ve found that the main difference between BARF and Prey seemed to...
I've been a member of many raw feeding groups. It's a requirement if you're trying to learn how to feed raw. Over the years, I've learned to identify various types of personalities in the raw feeding groups. I'm not an active member of these groups today, but I still...
I'm a passionate writer in the Pacific Northwest who loves all things dogs. I share what I'm learning as I attempt to crack the code to longevity. Keep the Tail Wagging is a blog dedicated to the dog who inspired this journey: Rodrigo Gauthier - March 2010 - September 2023.
