Healthy Happy Pooch |

Raising Healthy Happy Puppies Part 3

Nalu and Kai’s puppies enjoyed their weaning food, and the weaning stage went very successfully. As they ate weaning food, I could see they grew much more and started to show their dognality (personality) a lot.

If you missed Raising Healthy Happy Puppies Part 1 and Part 2 here are the links:

Raising Healthy Happy Puppies Part 1

Raising Healthy Happy Puppies Part 2

They played with each other, also with Nalu mama and Kai papa and continue played with Eric (my husband) and me very often. They had fun with many different toys and cat’s tunnel.

They became more active, so Nalu mama’s job is mostly done feeding and cleaning. My turn to take care of puppies has come into the spotlight. I needed to spend more time cleaning them up, feeding homemade puppy food, play and take care of them carefully with love.
As much as I spent my time and committed to puppies, I felt that this was essential work and my favorite time.

I think Eric had so much fun in their whelping box and play-pen.

Photo: Eric and puppies playing in the whelping box.

Photo: Eric and puppies playing in the pen.

This is a sample schedule that I and Eric did for puppies every day.

I did not write here, but we sang, danced and slept together also.

6 am: When puppies got up, they did poo and pee right away, so I cleaned up them and whelping box. Hugged each puppy and told “good morning” and “I love you so much!” and played with them, and they also played with each other while I was preparing homemade food for them. Fed them and made sure they had enough food. If they were not eating enough, they were just licking and wandering around. If they ate enough, they did poo and pee again (of course, I had to clean up again), and they played and fell asleep again.

Meantime, of course, I had to take care of their parents, Nalu, Kai and two aunties and one uncle with their homemade food and took them out to the yard. Also, fed cats’ family and cleaned their litters.

This whole thing took about 2 hours.

8 am: Ate my breakfast and rest a little bit and take care of other things.

9 am: Set up the play-pen in the living room or if the weather was suitable then set up the play-pan outside.

10 am Puppies got up, cleaned up again, moved puppies to the play pan, gave snack and played again.

This time, when I cleaned their body (fur), I rub/massaged with an organic cloth (cotton or hemp), dip in a loquat leaves warm water. They loved this body(fur) rub a lot. Loquat leaves are very medicinal. Read my blog ” Loquat Leaves Body Acrub/Rub”

Loquat Leaves Body Scrub/Rub

Photo: Lani is receiving Loquat leaves rub and animal reiki.

I comb them also then massaged their paw as they need and they fell asleep. I took some of the dogs out for a walk.

12:30 am: When lunchtime came, they got up so I cleaned up again and fed lunch and cleaned up another time and played and slept. Then I ate my lunch. Take other dogs out for a walk.

3 pm: As they were getting up, I cleaned up again, gave snack and played also, and I gave Animal Reiki this time, and they went back to sleep right away.

5 pm: They got up, I cleaned up, fed dinner, and played again and they just stayed around me in the living room and played each other while I was preparing my dinner or watched Netflix or news or Japanese show.

7 pm: Ate my dinner and checked puppies how they were doing.

9 pm: They got up, I cleaned up and played and moved them to whelping box to sleep.

Additionally, they love to play and talk with us.

They also really enjoyed holistic modalities (animal massage, animal reiki, etc.) and gentle touch.

It is so privileged for me to be their human mom and to take care of them and choose what good for them.

I wish I could keep them all, but physically I can’t take care of all of them as they grow bigger, so one of the necessary commitments for me to do is finding a trusted people to be their guardians.

I have met wonderful people through this process, and also some of my friends, students, and clients became my dog family.

Once in a while, some people would say what I want to hear, and they did not keep their words to raise puppies holistically or mindfully or blame me when something happened. So finding suitable guardians are not easy and have created my heartache and sadness. But I believe they came into my life to teach something, and wherever they go, they would teach everyone there too.

No matter where these puppies have gone to live in a new home, I continue to communicate with them and send metta to them because they are my dog’s grandchildren.

The puppies are leaving home usually around 8 weeks old. I need to get ready for puppies to leave home completed the weaning stage, giving the first puppy vaccination a few days before they leave home, and deworm them the next day.

Conventional veterinarians would give the first puppy vaccination 6 weeks or sometimes even younger, but we wait till close to 8 weeks and also giving them only necessary vaccinations, which Distemper-parve only/puppy DPV and deworming separating date.

Unfortunately, most conventional veterinarians give maximum vaccinations of 5 combinations at once and give deworm on the same day which is very harsh for puppies. I thought that I had to give all these 5 combination vaccinations, but it is not true. I found out the truth after I met a holistic veterinarian and studied myself about vaccinations.

I appreciate holistic veterinarian doctor Sally Lane who wrote Healthy Happy Pooch book forward to have taught me so much about vaccinations and other holistic approaches.

Here are photos of puppies getting check up to be ready for their first vaccination by holistic veterinarian doctor Sally Lane before they left the home. The number of puppies are the order of birth.

Photo: puppy #1 blue – Cheddar

Photo: Puppy #2 orange – Umi Banana

Photo: Puppy #3 brown – Wylie

Photo: Puppy #4 pink – Lulu

Photo: Puppy #5 green – Vasco

Photo: Puppy #6 sky blue – Lani

Getting vaccination from a holistic veterinarian doctor is important so you are not giving them vaccination at too young age and only unnecessary vaccination it means give only necessary vaccination to puppies and not maximum vaccination and no mercury and unhealthy preservative vaccinations. The better and safer vaccines have limited antigens.

Photo: Eric and Lani

Love,

Sanae ❤️

Raising Healthy Happy Puppies Part 2

Nalu (mother) and Kai (father)’s puppies are growing smoothly.

The first week, all they did was just sleep and suck the milk, poo, pee, and they went back to sleep. I think they were sleeping 90% of the time, which means about 22 hours a day!

Very simple life, but I could not help watching them all the time.

They made a sound when they breathe and drinking milk from Nalu.

These puppies have been teaching me about what preciousness is in life.

At about two weeks old, they became more alert and tried to stand on their own.

Also, their eyes are started to open.

They look sleepy all the time and some open one eye and the colors of the eyes are also very foggy, but after a few days their eyes are opened and they look cuter every day.

After three weeks old, some puppies’ teeth started to show up, but some of them had no sign of teeth so I could see their growth difference as much as their dognality (personality).

They were still sleeping a lot and Nalu was taking care of them very well.

I did not have to do much except taking care of Nalu in the beginning so she has enough milk to produce for puppies, and she continues to stay healthy after pregnancy.

Nalu is a tall, slender, active dog so she did not grain too much weight when she got pregnant. After she gave birth, she lost weight. I want to make sure she gains weight.

Nalu ate lots of protein (beans, tofu, natto, etc. ) and sweet rice, which helps produce milk and gain weight. She also ate mochi (sweet rice cake) with nori seaweed every day.

She ate three times a day and morning snack and afternoon snack and after dinner snack.

When Nalu is hungry, she makes a face and telling us, “Please, give me more food; I need to feed six puppies!” She was so intuitive and such a good mother.

She started making this face when she got pregnant.

At the end of three weeks old, I think puppies were able to see more and they came close to Nalu to hang around her face and stay next to her after they had milk.

It was so beautiful to see this unconditional love.

Four weeks old, all the puppies’ teeth are growing and they started to play with each other so much. I knew that weaning time was coming so I started to make their fast weaning food.

I have done this many times, but I was hoping that this litter puppies also like my homemade weaning food for the first time.

These are some recipes I have been using and published in my Healthy Happy Pooch (HHP) book.

Puppies weaning food for breakfast and lunch (ingredients are all organic)

4 tablespoon rolled oat
4 tablespoon soy, almond, oat, or rice milk, soaked
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 teaspoon raw carob
1 teaspoon apple sauce
1 pinch slippery elm
1 pinch powder kelp
1/2 tsp flax seed meal
1/2 teaspoon Vegedog supplement

Mixed in a blender in the beginning.

They loved my food!

Look at Lani’s face.

As they grow, I add boiled sweet potato, broccoli, and carrot to their breakfast and lunch food.

Also, I add cooked beans and pasta instead of conventional puppy food (kibbles or canned food).

The pasta is very digestible and chewable so they like a lot.

Snack and Treats (ingredients are all organic) for the mid-morning and mid-afternoon

Fruits: Apple sauce and/or mashed banana
Cooked vegetables: carrot, sweet potato, squash, or soft broccoli
Cooked whole-grain pasta
Whole-grain bread with seed butter (pumpkin or sunflower) or dipped in lukewarm vegetable/miso soup or fruits juice
HHP homemade sweet vegetable paste for puppies (Healthy Happy Pooch (HHP) page97)
HHP homemade chia seed pudding and sesame seed paste (Healthy Happy Pooch (HHP) page 102)
Nori (dried sea vegetables)
Natural, organic plant-based dry puppy food

Puppies weaning food for dinner (ingredients are all organic)

1/4 cup beans soft-cooked pureed
1/8 cup brown rice soft-cooked, pureed
1/8 cup raw carrot, grated
1/8 cup raw leafy greens (kale or collard), finely minced
1 pinch powder kelp
1 1/2 teaspoon lukewarm vegetable soup or purified water (moisten food, if necessary)
1/2 teaspoon flax seed meal
1~2 tablespoons Natto (fermented soybeans )

Mixed in a blender a little bit.

Quantity needs to change/add as they have grown, also depending on what kind and size of the puppy.

Also, if the puppy is too excitable and not able to finish, then you take the food bowl away for a few minutes and give it again. Sometimes I have to do for Lani a few times because he is watching her mother, Nalu, her father Kai, aunties Lumi and Happy, and Uncle Bubu eats right next to her and gets exciting.

After everyone else finishes, he goes back to his bowl and finishes, but sometimes takes a much time so I am gently encouraging him to focus on his eating.

It is a perfect practice for me to be a good caretaker with love.

I believe all my animal families come to me to teach me so I am grateful to learn more.

One more thing I cut their nails for the first time. Puppy nail

As you see, I did while they were asleep.

Some puppy has a problem with cutting nails or cleaning toes or ears and anything, but I introduce to them everything that daily life that I can think to them so they will be ready to go new home.

I love the mission to raise healthy, happy puppies who are going to teach me and everyone.

Love,

Sanae ❤️

Raising Healthy Happy Puppies Part 1

When I was younger, I never thought that I was just going to marry and have a child when I grow up. But after I turned 38 years old, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and could not have the baby; then, I realized that I wanted to connect with new birth.
Of course, I did not know how to experience a new birth of life at that, but the universe had a plan.

The first dog lived with me in America was Sakura (meaning my favorite flower in Japan, cherry blossom); she was eight weeks old sheltie mix and came from a shelter.
I have adopted many more dogs and cats from shelters and rescues since then naturally.

After I recovered from ovarian cancer, I read a book by Nakako Yamamoto’s “Henry Heals People.” This book was about how Nakako trained her dog, Henry, to be a service/therapy dog.

Photo: Nakako Yamamoto’s book

I always wanted to train my dog to be a service/therapy dog and go to hospitals and senior centers as a volunteer, so this book gave me a good clue to make it happen.

One year before I read Nakako’s book, I adopted eight weeks old Shepard mix puppy from a shelter, but she died three days after she came to my house. I was so shocked and cried out so much in sadness.
I went to the shelter and told them what happened to the puppy.
They said, “It is less than one month so you can exchange for any other dog.”
What?
The puppy was not something like I want to exchange my sweater.
My stomach got twisted as I was so upset hearing that.
I also found out later that she was sick already before I adopted her.
It was such a painful experience.

After I had this awful experience, I had a chance to raise eight weeks old Golden Retriever puppy. It was a very well-known breed dog, so I should be happy, right?
But I am a kind of odd person who comes to popular things so I was not attracted to what most people like.
My husband, Eric, choose a little puppy girl, but I was not sure about this most popular kind of dog at first. Anyway, I named her “Kin,” meaning gold in Japanese, and raised her with Sakura. Sakura was a grouch older dog, but Kin put up Sakura’s stubbiness and was very patient.
Kin convinced me that why many people love Golden Retriever dogs and also showed me how kind-hearted and sympathetic a dog she was.

By the way, one of my books, Healthy Happy Pooch’s front cover photo is Kin and Sakura on the beach.

Photo: Healthy Happy Pooch book cover: Kin (left) and Sakura (right)

Kin looked different than usual Golden Retriever, slender, athletic, and short fur so most people thought she was Labrador, but not eating enough. She was always friendly to other people and other dogs, but she was a serious dog and supporting my emotions a lot so I felt that I could do anything freely when I was with her.

I did many things with her and went to many different places.
When I deiced to go studying Macrobiotics at Kushi Institute in Beket, Massachusett, Kin came with me and I saw her walking down to the Becket General Store with my teacher Michio Kush sensei.
I crossed America driving twice and one time Eric and I went to Prince Edward Island in Canada with Kin and her two puppies (Dore and Kula).
I trained her to be a service dog and passed a test to be a volunteer for the Los Angeles Children Hospital.

Later, I had an opportunity to have Kin’s puppies with a champion golden retriever male dog then I helped to birth Kin’s puppies in 2000. This was my first dog midwife practice and I did know anything about being a dog midwife.
Kin was 3 years old, but she taught me how to follow my heart.
I kept her daughters (Dorem Kula and Oro) and later I got another opportunity to raise Kin’s ground puppies.
They were dogs, but Kin was my dog daughter and I had dog ground daughters then later even great dog ground kids.
I never dreamed to have my kids this way, but they were really my kids and made me feel so real and happy.
Watching Kin’s happiness with her daughters and after she passed I watched her ground puppies’ birth and raising them as healthy happy puppies and dogs were my happiness.

One of Kin’s ground-son, Kona (he was Dore’s son) became a wonderful service dog and he helped Patric Ivison for about eleven years and he just retired the last year.
I am so proud of Kona.

Photo: Dore with Kona 8 weeks old when he was leaving for Paws’itive Teams to be a service dog.

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Photo: Patric graduation with Kona

Experiencing and helping new birth of dog’s lives is very fortunate in my life.

There are too many dogs at shelters and rescues so some people have judged and criticize me badly for birthing new puppies. I am not expecting everyone to understand or accept me.

I am not a bleeder.
I am also not birthing puppies for money.
I am raising healthy happy puppies.
I am committed to finding guardians who raise my puppies.

I have raised 18 dogs and 7 cats including 5 dogs and 7 cats from shelters/rescues in the last 30 years.
I also contribute to work as a volunteer for one of the rescues “A Purposeful Rescue,” to help animals who have had trauma, injured with Animal Communication, Animal Reiki, Bach Flowers Remedy, and Animal Massage, etc.

Photo: Nalu (left) and Kai (right)

About 2 months ago, our Nalu gave birth to her six healthy puppies.
Our Kai is a father.
Because of this pandemic, the veterinarian hospitals were not open as usual so I was a little concerned if something happened to Nalu’s puppies what I was going to do, but everything went great.

Photo: Nalu just before her water broke

Photo: Helping Nalu to cut her first puppy’s umbilical cord

Photo: Eric encouraged Nalu

After Nalu’s water broke, she gave birth to the first puppy in 15 minutes.

Photo: Nalu’s proud face after her first puppy birthed

It was the most smooth births I ever helped with new puppies.

I communicate with Nalu and also gave her Animal Reiki when she got a little tired after she has four puppies. After Animal Reiki she gave birth to two more puppies. She did a really great job!

Photo: Nalu receiving Animal Reiki

I remember being a midwife to help Kin’s puppies’ birth was the closest I felt that connecting to new birth once again.
I am grateful for the universe’s plan for me.

Photo: Nalu right after she gave birth here six puppies

Photo: All six puppies: from left to right – Lani (who is staying with us), Cheddar, Wylie, Lulu, Vasco, and Umi-Banana.

Many people are going through so much struggle this year because of the Pandemic, but we had no problem finding people who want to raise these puppies right away. I will post later all the puppies’ photos with people who adopt them.

I wanted to post photos and these puppies story,
but I really wanted to focus my time to raise healthy, happy puppies so there was no time till now.

Yesterday, Masayo who adopted one of the puppies sent me a message “Made your homemade treats from the Healthy Happy Pooch book. It took time to make them so I felt your love for these puppies. Thank you very much! These puppies are happiest puppies in the whole world”.

I almost cry when I read the word “Happiest puppies in the whole world”.

It is my life mission to raise the happiest puppies in the whole world!

I appreciate to new lives of puppies so much!

Photo: Look at Nalu’s happy face with her puppies

Love, Sanae❤️

Natural Animal Care Zoom Class – Life with Healthy Happy Pooch

Since I was a child I was interested in various things and I felt that I was connected with animals, plants, and nature. As I grew up some of my passion and interest changed, but I have not changed love for dogs, cats, nature, and plants.

I have been living with multiple dogs and cats family for over 30 years. My passion for them is to raise them a healthy and happy life and offer them safe environments.

I have raised 15 dogs, six cats, and three service dogs so far.

I had ovarian cancer and was not able to get pregnant. After I healed ovarian cancer in 1993 with holistic ways and plant-based food. When my oldest dog, Sakura that time got arthritis and skin issues and did not get better with western medicines I found it logical to apply holistic healing and natural foods to her. She was 12 years old and we did not think she was going to walk again, but using holistic medicine and natural home-made food helped her. She started to walk again and recovered from her skin problem. When I saw her health got better, she really taught me that natural healing food and holistic modalities work for dogs too. So I started to make home-made natural food for my other dog and cat family. Sakura continued to walk and was able to enjoy her short hiking, lived till 16 years old, and passed in her sleep peacefully.

I took natural animal nutrition classes and animal behavior classes to learn about them. Also, have learned animal communication, Animal reiki and Bach Flower for animals, etc.

My dog and cat family have been eating homemade food since 1995. The food is organic, natural plant-based food (cats eat fish combinations), and they all have thrived and live a healthy happy life.

I have been practicing what I have learned for my own animal kids and my dogs have lived 12~16 years old and they have passed peacefully in their sleep.

My cats, Key-chain lived till 20 years old and Mai lived till 19 years old.

When they got old and have had health conditions, I have apply always holistic medicine and natural remedy first which most of the condition got better and change foods to be more healing foods.

I also apply animal reiki, massage, communication, moxibustion, and Bach Flower Remedy to help them during healing time to recover.

I have been offering my knowledge and experiences for rescued animals at the “A Purposeful Rescue” group as a volunteer.

I am offering Natural Animal Care, Healthy Happy Pooch Zoom class on Aug. 2, 2020.

at 8 am (Pacific time) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3706191853

at 11 am (Pacific time) Www.youtube.com/c/ChefAJ

If you missed these times, you can watch them on Youtube

This class will focus on homemade natural dog-nutritious food and treats from one of my books, Healthy Happy Pooch, to help dogs to live a healthy happy life and thrive.

I also will talk about healing modalities that help animals (not only dogs) and people.

Here the recipes I am going to demo at my Zoom class:

Homemade dog meal (for adult dog 60 lbs)

3 1/2 cup Well-cooked Bean (pinto, black beans or lentil)

1/5 cup cooked quinoa

1 cup Well-cooked Brown rice

1/2 cup squash, cubes

1/2 cup kale, chopped

6 dried shiitake mushrooms

1 cup vegetable broth

2 tsp alfalfa leaves or powder

1/2 g kelp powder

1,500 mg Vitamin C powder

1 tsp flax seeds powder

1 tsp hemp seeds powder

18 g Vegedog supplement

2 1/4 tsp nutritional yeast

250 mg Choline

500 mg Methionine

Macronutrient distribution as a percentage of calories:

Protein 19.4%

Carbohydrates 70.1%

Fat 10.6%

Calories per kg = 1100

Calories per cup = 248

Photo: Homemade Sweet Potato Dog Cookies

Sweet Potato Cookies

(Makes about 70 cookies using 2 1/4 inch x 1-inch cookie cutter)

1 organic sweet potato (about 12oz)

1/4 cup organic unsweetened applesauce

2 1/2 cup organic whole-wheat flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Peel sweet potato, sliced in 1/2 inch pieces and steam or 15~20 minutes.
Mash the sweet potato with a fork or potato masher and transfer to a large bowl.
Mix together whole wheat flour and applesauce into the large bowl and then add the sweet potato and blend until dough forms. Place dough on a well-floured surface and roll out until about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out shales using cookies cutter or cut dough into squares with a knife. Place cookies on an undressed backing sheet.
Bake until crisp, 35~45 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing and continued cooling completely on a wire rack.

Chia Seed Pudding

(Makes 2 tablespoons)

2 tablespoon organic chia seed

1 cup purified water or 1/2 cup purified water and 1/2 cup apple juice or almond milk (if your dog has weight issues then just use purified water)

In a bowl, add the chia seeds to the liquid, and whisk them with a fork or whisk.
After a few minutes, you will need to whisk the gel again to make sure seeds don’t clump together at the bottom of the bowl.
Let stand for 10~15 minutes, allowing the seeds to absorb the liquid. Now the chia seed pudding is ready.
Let your dog lick from the spoon, or add the pudding to a meal.

Love, Sanae ❤️