The month of October has been dedicated to a lot of learning and I am so glad I decided to take this step to take the Raw Dog Food Certification course through Dogs Naturally University. I decided it was time to ramp up my learning even further, for my own dog’s sake and for my blog. I am already pretty knowledgeable when it comes to canine nutrition but I want to be as well versed on this subject as I can be.

I started the course in early October and finished by the end of the month. I learned SO much about better balancing a raw diet, inflammations associated with diet, and how a dog’s healthy gut is the main factor in their longevity and living a very healthy life.

Your Dog’s Microbiome

So let’s talk a little about your dog’s microbiome, my biggest takeaway from the course. The microbiome is not just found in the digestive tract, it can be found in external and internal surfaces of the body. But its main purpose is the balance of a dog’s gut and therefore, immune system (and humans too). As a result, the microbiome plays an extremely important role in the health of our dogs.

When your dog has digestive upset, allergies or gets sick and is prescribed harsh antibiotics or other drugs, the microbiome becomes off balance. Vaccines can also disrupt a dog’s natural microbiome balance. The unbalanced microbiome is often always a precursor to all immune disorders in dogs. It can also be disrupted because of stress issues - being in a shelter, living in a stressful home, separation anxiety, etc.

Common Causes of a Disrupted Microbiome in Dogs

• Commercial kibble
• No probiotics or prebiotics
• Vaccines
• Foods dogs cannot digest
• Antibiotics
• Stress

The microbiome of a dog (and human) is a very delicate ecosystem and unfortunately, we have messed with that naturally occurring system. We are all about antibiotics and materials which disrupt the microbiome completely. The modern world has changed this ecosystem for the worse and our dogs are showing it. Early onset diabetes, cancer (in every 2 of 3 dogs), rampant allergies and immune compromised disorders - all these diseases and ailments are the direct result of messing with a dog’s natural microbiome.

My Plan with this Certification

To educate, educate and educate dog parents even more! My dog Mylah is the complete result of a disrupted (and now, unfortunately, ruined) microbiome. I don’t want this to happen to ANYONE’S dog.

Xox,
Alicia