Household items all DogMothers need to have in their homes!

There are some items I absolutely swear by. All DogMothers need to have them in their pantry. They are inexpensive and can be purchased at your local drug store, grocery market or Target!

Ares, my 5 year old, 100-pound German Shepherd

• Apple Cider Vinegar: This is one I absolutely SWEAR by. I've seen dogs of all breeds have negative skin reactions to Frontline and other anti-flea medications. Pick up some ACV (apple cider vinegar) and get on a regular routine. Put one teaspoon per day in your dogs' water bowl and you will never see a flea again. I've lived in heavily wooded areas, Florida and the damp state of NJ. Bonus use: take a paper towel, dip it in some warm water and put some ACV on it. Dab it on the dog's hot spot twice a day and the hot spot goes away (in 24-48 hours in my experience).
• Castor Oil: When shedding season comes around (twice a year for German Shepherds) it seems that the combination of their natural oil, dirt and hair follicles opening causes sebaceous cysts. They are usually round and a little squishy (like bird eggs). The first time Ares had one I admittedly freaked out and took him to the vet. I cannot help diagnose your dog's cyst but I can tell you that taking a cotton ball dipped in castor oil and blotting it on sebaceous cysts has fast results.
• Coconut Oil: Admittedly, I jumped on this bandwagon but the results are undeniable. Put a teaspoon of it in their food every day and you will see their coats start to shine and glow! For picky dogs I recommend melting the jar, putting in their favorite protein (boiled chicken or chicken broth) and putting it in the fridge or freezer to harden - make treats out of it!
• Hydrogen Peroxide: Aside from being able to force vomiting (in case your dog gets into something bad) there are other great uses for it. For instance, kennel cough. I can attest to the fact that you can cure kennel cough with hydrogen peroxide - there is a formula, however, that requires some honey and warm water - check it out here.
• WoundSeal powder: One of the things about having lively dogs (retrievers, shepherds, border collies, etc) is that they will have incidents. My rescue dog has had quite a few of her own. Most recently she sliced part of her ear in a way that could not be fixed by a vet (I recommend seeing a vet first if your dog has a wound) I ran to CVS and spent a little too much money on human wound care and the one thing that absolutely helped was the WoundSeal powder. I was able to stop bleeding with it until we saw a vet (that didn't have a solution). It was our go-to product for 48 hours. We applied it twice and a week later she successfully healed, though she does have a scar!

I am not a vet or a doctor so I can't guarantee your dogs will have the type of results mine have but after years of "incidents." I have tried most things and always prefer to look to a natural, household treatment. If nothing else, I urge you all to get your own ACV and castor oil; those two have been tried and true in my house!

One of my go-to sites is Earth Clinic - they have a way of crowdsourcing solutions to dog problems that allows you to see which have had success and which haven't!

A blog so shiny and sparkly

It's new. I decided to come back to the world of blogging. It's been a few years but it's not my first rodeo. I don't have any kids just yet but I do have two large dogs. One, a german shepherd named Ares that I got when he was 8 weeks old. He's loving, protective, silly and the biggest cuddler in the whole world.

And the other dog, Onyx, a shepherd/lab/border collie mix we rescued when she was 9 months old. We wanted another shepherd and her rescue predates all of the great full-bred adoption resources that flood Facebook. We found her on Craigslist and she has turned out to be the good deed that should somehow result in life-long good karma. She chews, digs, runs away, protects her food with all her will and has good and bad months. She is almost 4.

All in all, I am a jack of all trades. I'm told I'm a great writer but mostly I know I was meant to do something with medicine. I love naturalistic resources and have found great ways to keep my dogs happy, healthy and well adjusted (despite the hand I was dealt with Onyx).

I know a lot about cooking, I love watching terrible TV series, I have spent more money on make-up than I care to share, I love hockey and know more about it than most men and I was raised to only buy American cars (for better or worse). I am partially psychic (though without consistency), I can learn most anything (except sing or draw) and I often have great opinions and poor delivery.

If you want to know about the trials and tribulations of being a Dog Mother like myself, are seeking good advice about make up or are amused by the ramblings of a writer then you, my friend, have found the right blog.