Emma's Pets

Biologically appropriate raw food (BARF)
What would happen if you ate fast food for breakfast, lunch and dinner ever single day? We believe the same idea applies to our furfriends: they can either eat fast food (kibble) or home made food (raw diet) on a daily basis. Raw food is a combination of raw meat, bones, internal organs of prey, fat, eggs, dairy and veggetables that immitates the main principals of predator’s eating habits in the wild. It aims at improving your pets health and prolonging his life through a proper diet. Kibble on the other hand consists of preservatives, flavor additives, food die and poor quality products rarely controlled by the FDA. This causes different allergic reactions and bad health of your pet. Bottom line is that any product, that undergone thermal treatment will lose its nutrients which is a must for any organism.

In summary, we found that in 99% of dogs when staying away from processed treats, kibble of any kind, canned dog food, resulted in a variety of expected and unexpected health benefits.

For more details please download our app, there is a whole section on animal nutrition.

The truth is, once you made up your mind to bring a puppy home, no matter how many strikes he has gone through (chewing up your shoes or furniture, pissing all over the house, getting into the garbage or make up, etc.), you will still adore your fur baby! Our experience shows that the only families who wanted to rehome their pups or bring back to the breeder, were the ones who made a spontaneous, heisty decision to become a pet owner, which is roughly .01%

It is a good idea to keep in mind a few things that could help you, while searching and picking your fur-friend. Access your life style. If you are someone, who loves to stay indoors, hang on the couch watching movies, you might need a calmer dog with occasional spurts of energy. If you are someone, who is active, loves hiking and is extremely bored at home, you might need a dog with a more feisty spirit to share all your adventures. If a puppy you are deciding to bring home is not your first one, think about the personality of the existing pets. It might be a little hard to deal with more than 1 rambunctious pet on a daily basis. Keep in mind that, if your older pets are spayed/ neutered, they tend to get used to the young blood faster and easier than those that are not. Lastly, boys and girls usually become friends quickly and without any problems. Those of the same gender might sometimes get jealous and mean to each other.

We let our puppies go to their forever homes at 7 weeks old. It is so, because by this age they:

a. have already been weaned off their mother 3,5 weeks ago. At this point she is tired and annoyed by the puppies. They are like sharp-teeth piranhas who aggressively bite on her nipples, which sometimes leads to the mom snapping.
b. have learned how to eat the real food
c. have learned how to walk
d. have been checked at the vet
e. have gotten their first round of vaccines.

They start developing their personalities and habits at 6 weeks. The sooner they start to get your individual attention, the faster they will be housebroken and turn into your perfect little balls of joy. At this time your fur baby can be already around any other animals as long as those are fully vaccinated.

Having picked up your precious one from the breeder, you should get him checked at the vet ASAP (breeders usually give up to a 3 day window to do so). This is to make sure you purchased a healthy puppy and to establish him with a doctor to follow vaccination schedule and all other routines. Best when your vet has had enough experience with a Bulldog breed to avoid any health complications down the line (primarily when going into anesthesia for whatever reason).

A young puppy usually gets 4 rounds of vaccines and deworming every 3 weeks, starting at 6-7 weeks of age. By the time your pet is 16 weeks old he will have done everything necessary for the next year of his life. Depending on the area you live in, your pet might need flea/ tick medication and heartgard all year round or during specific seasons when these insects are active. Based on our experience we strongly recommend to use only topical flea and tick medications vs oral chemical ones due to some major health issues the latter can cause.

Until your pet gets a 2nd round of vaccines, we recommend to use pee pads or a litter box. Once that’s done and his immune system is a bit stronger, you can start potty training in your backyard. After the 3rd set of shots your pet can follow you to the park or nearby area. Make sure your pet doesn’t vacuum clean the streets where you guys roam around. If he picks up dirty stuff off the ground he might start vomiting or develop a bacteria which will cause diarrhea or other health issues.

For more details please download our app, there is a whole section on canine vaccination.

If you are one of those lucky families who already has a pet, or two, or three, brining home a brand new puppy might be a piece of cake for you… or it might not.

Best case scenario is when your pets quickly smell each other, become best friends and start playing.

Other times your existing pets might be a little jealous over the new baby or are overwhelming for each other causing all types of issues.

If you are bringing home an older puppy who is almost fully vaccinated 12 weeks old and up, we recommend to introduce him or her to the existing pack on a neutral territory, front yard or back yard. That way your pets wont feel like they need to be dominant to protect their territory. If your puppy is 7-8 weeks old or has had up to 2 sets of shots, do the introduction at home with your full supervision. After situating a brand new puppy in the house, don’t leave them all unattended for at least 10-14 days to make sure everyone is used to each other and there won’t be any danger for the little one.

Keep in mind that the main triggers for fights or jealous behavior among your pets can be food, toys and YOUR ATTENTION. Hence, make sure that if your older dog has a favorite stick or toy, it stays that way and a new puppy has nothing to do with it. When it’s feeding time, make sure each pet has his own bowl and can’t get into each other’s face until all done eating. Make sure, when you are loving on your pets or playing with them, all are involved, get individual attention and no one is left out.

Any pet is a life being and health issues are inevitable throughout his/ her life. Some situations allow you to watch your dog for additional signs for another day or two before going to a vet. But there are also life threatening conditions which require your immediate attention and medical help.

Combination of two or more of these signs require attention:

• No appetite for food or water for 24 hours
• *Lethargic
• Frequent vomiting
• Fever (rectal thermometer is required)
• Cloudy or red eyes
• Diarrhea
• Excessive non-stop panting for over 30 mins

It goes without saying that if your pet has an emergency like an open wound, broken bones, is seizing, is having difficulty breathing, etc., you should be rushing to the emergency room. Our focus is on the examples where it"s difficult to tell if anything is wrong with your pet.

Bringing a puppy home is no less work than having a child. In our opinion there is no perfect time for either one, because in the modern world you will be caught up with all the work and stress and boring routine on a daily basis. At the beginning, a 2 month old puppy requires attention, love, care and needs to be taught different things. He/ she needs to be fed every 4-5 hours and taken to potty regularly which is a key element if you want your pup to pick the potty part on the fly. Keep in mind that young pups learn how to express themselves and at times are more vocal, than a new owner had imagined before brining a puppy home. Besides that a young pup is teething up until he is about 6 months old and might cause some damage to your household, especially if left unattended for longer periods of timeIf.

Remember though, that all these nuances are temporary and will be over before you know it (roughly when your friend is about a year old) and then you will have your most sincere cheerier next to you for many years to come. Who else would have your back in the most venerable time when you are in the bathroom 🤣. If you are willing to take on all that responsibility for a new soul - you are ready for a puppy.

Don’t buy anything expensive, puppies tend to destroy most things they get in contact with. They are cute as a button but need quite a bit of your help getting into a routine.

The Basics:

• Small Crate (best to have a slide out pee catcher underneath for easy clean up)
• Small Bed
• Two bowls for food and water (make sure they are not too big)
• Toys to chew on (Alternatives Cow Hoofs and Deer Antlers)
• Leash
• Body Harness or Collar
• If you live in a colder climate get some warm clothes for when its cold or windy (start dressing early)
• Car Seat with a clip in leash
• Instead of processed treats use approved fruits and veggies (cut in small or thin pieces)
• Grooming Supplies (Brush, Shampoo for dogs, Nail Dremel and chlorhexidine anti bacterial wipes)
• Natural Cleaning Supplies (Vinegar, baking soda, lemon)

Once all the material items are collected, the most important part is to spend lots of time with your new friend and create a routine that works well for you (the puppy will fall in line with your schedule as long as you don’t leave it for longer that 4 hours for the first two months).