Wild West Mini Aussies
One of the most common questions we get from new puppy families is "what do I need to buy for my new puppy?". So we decided to put together a list of some of our favorite products that you can easily refer back to anytime, and we will continue to update this as we discover new useful and fun products for your pets! Be prepared, there is A LOT of information here, but it is all GREAT information!
Joint protection for your pets is one of the most important supplements you can provide for them throughout their lives. From protecting young animals' joints while they are rapidly growing to adulthood, and especially during adulthood and their senior years when their joint fluid production significantly decreases or even stops altogether, their joint health should always be a priority.
HyloFlex™ is one of the highest purity Hyaluronic Acid supplements on the market and every batch is purity tested; it also contains Vitamin C for improved collagen production and immune support. It's not only great for their joints and mobility as they age, it's also excellent for their skin and coat.
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Every single one of our pets is given HyloFlex™ with their morning and evening meals. It has provided a 100% improvement in the mobility of of our senior-aged dogs, and helps prevent our adult dogs from having these issues in the first place. After seeing years of success from this product in many species, this is above all else my #1 must have product!
NéVetica™ was referred to us by a trusted breeder friend so we decided to try out the products and have not looked back! We use the products for our adults, pregnant and nursing moms, and puppies. Their products are made in the US and certified by the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC).
A few of the must-haves are:
- Wet-a-way (THIS IS A MUST FOR PUPPIES!): Without trying to sound dramatic, I swear this is a miracle product. We use it not only when we have puppies and are potty training, but anytime we need to clean up a liquid spill. This is a powder that you sprinkle on liquid spills, wait 45-60 seconds, and the liquid is absorbed into the powder and can be swept up with a broom. Think puppy accident, spilled drink, vomit, someone kicked ice cubes under the fridge instead of picking them up..... you know who you are. This is a must have in our house, and especially during "potty training season".
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- The Multivitamin: for obvious reasons, it is always a good idea for your puppy or adult dog (or cat) to be supplemented with a multivitamin for the nutrients they may not be receiving from their food.
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- Waterless Shampoo: Despite what most people think when bringing home a new puppy, they should not be bathed every few days or even weekly. By removing their natural oils often, it dries out their skin and coat and can cause irritation like itchiness, redness, and flaky skin. However, we all know pets (especially puppies) like to get dirty and stinky whenever possible. The waterless shampoo is a great alternative to frequent bathing in order to keep your pet fresh and clean (and sanitized), without drying out their skin and coat.
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- Calming Support: A couple of our dogs are scared to death of thunderstorms and fireworks. They climb on top of us and just shake anytime its thundering or fireworks season. These treat-like chews have shown a huge improvement in their stress when storms roll in and they are finally able to relax a bit and sleep through it (meaning we finally can tool!)
I stand behind all of the NéVetica™ products, and we use several others like the Anti-Itch spray for our little non-Aussie ball of allergies, Paw Protector for cracked paws, chapped noses, long walks, or cold/dry weather, Skin & Coat chew to keep everyone looking their best, and the dental chew for stinky breath (particularly the mamas when they have puppies!)
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Potty training and kennel training… usually the most daunting part of raising a puppy. A family who got a puppy from us a while ago shared a YouTube video series they used to kennel train their puppy and said it worked incredibly well for them in less than 2 weeks. So, we checked out the entire “Dog Training” video library this YouTube channel offers, and we have been very impressed and our puppy families have seen great results! We highly recommend using these methods for potty training, kennel training, preventing chewing, and a handful of tricks (and don't forget the NéVetica™ Wet-a-way - accidents will happen!!)
Kennel/Potty Training
Grooming, Toys, Chews, etc.
We’ll keep this one short… here are links to some of the WWMA crew’s favorite products
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"Fluffer Comb" The best and only grooming brush you will ever need
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goDog Dog Toys (recommended by a puppy family & the closest thing to indestructible we have found!)
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Food & Nutrition
(and why you should not feed grain-free dog food!)
I’m sure a lot of you have heard about why you should not feed grain-free by now, but thought I would share it here as well just in case, since we are one big happy dog family.
Plus, another very common question is “what should I feed my new puppy?”.
Recent studies have been investigating dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs linked to grain-free dog foods that use carbohydrates like peas, lentils, chickpeas, potatoes, etc. in place of grains like rice, oats, barley, corn, etc.
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So, we can kill two birds with one stone here. Let’s begin... Grain free does not necessarily = healthy. What = healthy is a balanced diet of protein, carbs, and fat. “Dr. Lisa Freeman, a veterinary nutritionist and researcher with the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, sees this moment as an opportunity to view grain-free diets skeptically. ‘Contrary to advertising and popular belief, there is no research to demonstrate that grain-free diets offer any health benefits over diets that contain grains,’ she said. Grains are an important source of protein and other nutrients in many meat-based pet foods, she continued. “Grains have not been linked to any health problems except in the very rare situation when a pet has an allergy to a specific grain.” (1)
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While further research is being conducted on grain-free diets in dogs, it’s best to play it safe and ensure your dog food ingredient label consists of protein, carbs from grains, and fat, and the first few ingredients are not peas, lentils, chickpeas, potatoes, etc. (non-grain carbs).
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This brings me to the next point: what we feed
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We feed Fromm Family Adult Gold blend (Puppy Gold for 8 months and younger) and Purina Pro Plan Savor Shredded blend. We alternate proteins every few months - salmon, lamb, beef, chicken - but we only recommend this if your dog is not sensitive to certain protein or food changes. For the adults we mix Fromm and Purina 50/50, but this is not totally necessary if you do not want to mix. It is just good practice to switch up the food and nutrients your dogs are getting so they are not eating the same thing for years. You can simply alternate the bags of food every few months, gradually introducing the new food.
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These foods are exceptionally made and contain a great ingredient list with nutritional balance, and the doggies love the taste. I recommend this dog food to everyone. We purchase the food (any many other items) through PetFlow where you get free shipping and an additional discount when you set up auto-ship.
You can also get another $10 off your order by using our referral link: http://ref.petflow.com/v/wildwestminiaussies_1
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Lastly, this should not cause panic or anything even close to that if you are currently feeding a grain free food, it’s simply a FYI. Check out the ingredient label on your dog’s food, and if it doesn’t seem right based on this information, make a gradual switch to something that does. If your dog’s food does seem to raise an eyebrow, look for symptoms like fatigue, difficulty breathing/constant heavy panting, coughing and fainting (2) and get them checked out by a trusted vet if you’re concerned.
PLEASE NEVER GIVE YOUR DOG RAWHIDE CHEWS/TOYS/TREATS!
