Some people don’t even consider what might happen to their beloved pets in the event they are no longer able to care for them. Some make arrangements with family members or friends, however anything in life can happen and usually it does.  Life situations change and the ones we counted on might not be able to make the commitment when the time actually comes.  Recently I boarded a dog who’s owner had passed away during an operation. I received an email asking me to surrender her to the pound and perhaps someone will adopt her. She is 8 years old and her chances of being adopted from a kill shelter are slim. Needless to say she is ok, however what if things were different? Can you really depend on your family to love and care for your pets after you are gone?

I have an agreement with a friend who is also an animal lover. We’ve kept it for years. She has dogs, birds and even horses. Should she pass away I would honor my commitment and I have no doubt she would do the same for me. Of course I also have legal documents to make sure she can afford to care for them and continue my dog boarding business and contacts. I am very fortunate to have this, however I am not sure others are. Have you made arrangements for long term care for your pets? If want to insure their happiness and well being after you are gone you’ll need to set this up ahead of time.

Some people can depend on family and know this without any doubts, however its always good to have a back-up plan in writing in the event your family or friends can not. This should be a legal document included in your will and trust. You should have several reliable options for your family to chose from. You should select a long term dog boarding or dog retirement facility or dog care provider. In your will and trust you should also elect someone to oversee your wishes and to insure the dog care provider is caring for your dog.  Whoever handles your estate planning can help you with the proper documents. make sure to keep them updated.

How much do you need?

This greatly depends on the dog’s age, health and care. If your dog is in good health then you should expect him/her to live at least 18-20 just to be on the safe side. You should factor in any medical care and yearly vaccinations. Long term pet boarding can range from 350.00 to 600.00 per month depending on the facility, level of care and the special needs of your pet. You should make arrangements ahead of time with a facility providing paperwork, deposits and interviews. Some facilities will request a deposit because often it can take months while an estate settles. The deposit will handle all cost so that your dog or pet is well cared for while the estate is settled.

The average cost of just housing alone is 5000.00 per year. This does not include vet bills. Extra money should be in the trust in the event the pet needs medical care. Only you can decide what amount this should be and at what stage you feel your pet should be put to sleep. You can decide these arrangements long after your gone. When you purchase life insurance this should be figured in your calculations. Discuss it with your lawyer and make sure your pet will be well cared for should anything happen to you.

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Yes Ma'am I'll have a pound of ribs and the poodle will have chicken

My dogs love to go bye-bye. In fact all I have to do is begin to say BYE or grab my keys and they start jumping up and down in delight! The especially enjoy going through the drive-thru window ANYWHERE because they know they’ll get a yummy treat. Imagine their disappointment going through the drive up bank teller? hahaha

Just remember that any quick stops will send them flying and its a good idea to strap them into a harness or doggie car seat. Also never ever leave your dog in the car during the summer. The temps in a car can soar well above 100 degrees in no time and many dogs die or become very ill from heat exposure.

I found these unknown chunks in in a bag of Purina One

Just like humans, dogs can become constipated. It may seem like a relatively mild condition, but if left untreated, constipation in dogs can lead to much more serious health problems. Veterinarians have been researching remedies for canine constipation for several years, and have made some useful advances in treating this condition. There are many identified causes of constipation in dogs, most of which are able to be treated by good lifestyle habits and attentive health care.

Constipation is a condition that can be defined by a visible difficulty in your dog’s bowel movements.

Click here to go to a free site about Dog Constipation

Do You Want Your Pet to Live a Long Healthy Life?

Of course you. The most important thing you can give your pet is good health. Good health will help prevent sickness and a short lifespan.  This all begins with a proper diet. But what really IS a proper diet for your dog?  I know I read so much stuff and it scares me that my dog might eat bad food one day and become deathly ill.  As a result of recalls and the media exposing the REAL contents of commercial dog food people everywhere are turning to raw meat and homemade diets.  Here are some interesting articles from Dr. Mercola about pet foods and the industry. Click here There are countess sites promoting raw meat diets. Some include fruits and vegetables while some give just raw meat. I personally feel that raw meat diets perhaps might very well be the most healthiest diet and your dog will live longer then the standard expectancy. When you read Dr. Mercola’s articles you’ll see why commercial dog food and pharmaceutical drugs play a big part in major pet illnesses.

Sometimes a raw diet just isn’t realistic for your budget or you don’t feel comfortable feeding raw food. There are some great dog foods out there an although they are not as healthy as homemade, they certainly are better then the standard supermarket commercial pet food. We feed Taste of the Wild to our long term dog boarding dogs because we feel its one of the best foods available at this time. Click here to see dog food reviews on your brand

You can pay now or later. If you feed your dog food full of preservatives, rancid animal renderings and all the other awful things they allow in commercial pet products, chances are they will get sick and your vet bills will become increasingly higher as your dog gets older. I could write volumes about this but will post more later or you can simply research the countless sites that support this.

Fresh Water is Essential for all Living Things

Even if your dog has water in his bowl you should change it a few times a day. Dogs love cool fresh water and it will encourage them to drink more. Here at the farm we provide all our long term dog boarding and short term doggie camp dogs large buckets of water. Each bucket holds about 2 1/2 gallons (little guys get shorter but wider bowls) and we make sure we provide 1 bucket for every two dogs. This means that at least one gallon of water should always be available to your dog. 1/2 gallon for pets under 50 pounds and quart for dogs under 20 pounds. Replace their water at least twice a day. If you notice that your pet is not drinking enjoy water consider a pet water fountain to encourage them to drink more.  Some people believe a pinch of sea salt will encourage more drinking but I have not found this to be true for my dogs. Changing the water often or using a fountain had them drinking a lot more.

The Natural Pet Medicine Cabinet

There are things I always keep on hand.

Grapefruit Seed Extract – Is a natural antibiotic and I have used it to treat all kinds of bacterial infections. This includes intestinal parasites. If a dog has a rash or cut I mix 10 drops in a teaspoon of olive oil and rub directly on several times a day. It’s amazing stuff! I even use it to clean, sinus infections and some people even brush their teeth with it. In fact I brush Roscoe and Cheyenne’s teeth it now and then and what they do swallow will take care of any internal parasites. For dosage please post info and questions about your dog in the comments below.

Apple Cider Vinegar – Is great for humans and I think it’s great for dogs too! I give it to dogs with allergies, skin problems and in the summer I mix fresh garlic and it acts as a natural flea repellent. It’s not always 100% but by putting it in their food and also naturally treating the yard I avoid using harmful chemicals on my dogs. I also don’t want my grandkids petting dogs that have Frontline and the like on their coats.

Live Cultured Yogurt – Dogs love it and I think it helps prevent bloating and although they will get gassy at first it will start to disappear with frequent use. Probotic’s helps build immunity and helps the body fight illness in dogs and humans.

Essential Oils

Be careful with these. Do not put in food or directly on skin unless you have spoken to someone with experience.

Lavender, Peppermint, Rosemary and Citronella oils mixed and dropped directly onto a fabric collar or bandanna around the neck helps repel ticks and fleas. You can also mix it with any type of light carrier oil and rub directly on their coat. I use one cup oil then 10 drop of each oil.

Lavender and Camomile oil dropped directly on a bandanna or fabric tied around neck will calm an edgy dog. I do this all the time! It really works. I also burn essential oils to help calm the dogs when they are all getting to crazy and it’s time to rest.

Diatomaceous Earth – Is amazing stuff and I use it in my organic garden to kill pest. It’s a natural fossil shell ground into a fine powder. It doesn’t kill instantly but once the flea or tick gets it on his skin the micro tiny crystals ultimately dehydrate and kill the pest. I also give a food grade Diatomaceous Earth to my dogs and my pet pig Lilly to prevent and kill worms and other nasty parasites. You can dust it right on your dog, spread it in your yard or any animal areas. it’s great!

Do you have any natural remedies or heath you’d like to share?  Questions? Please post blow in comments and click subscribe if you’d like an email to follow up.

For educational purposes only .This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Keep you fur babies AND your garden pest free!

We require all campers, both short term and long term dog boarding, to have a flea and tick treatment such as Frontline or Revolution, however last year nothing was working on the fleas. In the past we used a combination of Apple Cider Vinegar and Garlic Gloves in food, however even that didn’t  seem to work as it had in the past.  We sprayed Mosquito Garlic Barrier which worked well but after a few weeks needed to be reapplied and it’s very expensive for the amount of area we need to treat.

Harmful Chemicals are Bad for Your Dog and Family

When you apply flea and tick chemicals to your dog you normally drop it onto their skin behind their neck and towards the base of their tail. Much of this remains on the coat. You and your children pet, hug and rub your dog. These chemicals can remain on the pets fur for days after being applied.

This year we are using Live Beneficial Nematodes a microscopic insect that will seek out and destroy over 230 kinds of soil dwelling and wood boring insects. It does not harm lady bugs, other beneficial insects but it will wreck havoc on such as flea larvae, white grubs, cutworms, corn root worms, strawberry weevils, gypsy moth larvae, cabbage root maggots, fungus gnat larvae.  Once applied to your yard they multiply and breed!

But I’m not taking ANY chances this year! I’m going to continue to also use Diatomaceous Earth, a food grade fossil often used in organic pest control. In fact it’s so safe you can EAT it and many people, including me, put it in my dogs food to prevent parasites and worms. I dust the dogs with it AND this year I’m puffing it all over the yard and garden!  You can get a puff spreader like I have to easily apply it to the yard and garden CLICK HERE or I read that you can mix with water and spray it. I haven’t tried spraying it and think that it might clog my sprayers but I just might give it a try!  I’ll do anything to keep the fleas off these dogs and out of my house!

Perhaps with a few strategics in place I will win the flea and tick battle and avoid using expensive harmful chemicals.  Please be extra careful what you spray on your yard. It can get into the paws of pets and since pets eat grass they can ingest it and die. I’e know a few people personally who have lost pets because of lawn chemicals.

Good luck this year and please post your feed back, ideas and questions below in the comments section. I promise to answer your questions.

Your pets, and other animals can also benefit from Diatomaceous Earth. Click hereto view more information on the benefits of Diatomaceous Earth for your pets and animals.

Click here
Please click on the “Human Use” menu item under the Product Information  menu and also view the many other things Diatomaceous Earth can be used for and you will soon see why we feel every house in the world should have a container of Earthworks Diatomaceous Earth within easy reach of all.

Get paid for love and cuddles!

Do you love dogs and can you make them part of a your family?  Do you want to work with dogs?

It’s a huge responsibly bringing a dog into your home. Dog owners are often overseas for 1-2 years and depend on you to provide a safe and loving home for their beloved pet while they are away. This means email updates, photos and even videos. Its up to you to not only take care of that fur baby but to ensure the owners feel confident and secure knowing their pet is happy and safe. If you feel you are ready for this responsibility,  can host dogs in your home, provide a fenced yard area for play only, are in good health and able to make a long term commitment, then this just might be for you!

I have been providing in-home pet sitting services for 7 years. It is a wonderful opportunity for me, however a huge commitment. I am happy to work with you, help you get boarding customers, provide contract and billing services. You must meet our criteria and guidelines. All inquiries must first have a consultation to see if you are right for this opportunity.  The fee for this consultation is 75.00 and it is non-refundable.

You must live within 200 miles of the farm located in Southern Virginia.

For additional details email me info@dancingcreekarm.com