eco dog – Healthy Living for Your Pet – Book Review

I am active on Twitter and early in December, was fortunate enough to win a book in a giveaway sponsored by @PawLuxury,  http://www.pawlux.com/ .  I finally got the chance to read it, and thought some of you might find it of interest as well.

Ecodog, authored by Corbett Marshall and Jim Deskevich, is a great little book, a  short, comprehensive guide  to raising  a healthy dog and  maintaining  a healthy, nontoxic home.  That last part can benefit all of your family members, not just the canines in your home!  It would particularly benefit a fairly novice pet owner, and is a good collection of helpful information in one easy to read, attractive, book.

The subjects include grooming, with some homemade recipes  for flea repellants and shampoos.  I would check with your veterinarian before using  rosemary, as some breeds can be more sensitive to certain herbs. There is  some good basic information included about health as well, stressing the importance of proper exercise and weight control.

Food is one of the more complex issues to attempt to cover in a pet book these days. I do agree with the authors that it is important to give your dogs the best quality food that you can afford, whether that is a commercially prepared or home made diet.  The guide to ingredients is important to read (and if you feed a commercially prepared food, don’t assume that the ingredient list will stay the same from one bag to the next. Manufacturers can and do make changes without indicating they have done so on the bag.)  The treat recipes should come in very handy and are very easy.

There are some great craft projects included that  make use of recycled materials. I thought the most fun would be the dog bed made from old jeans.  Another important kit to pay attention to is the first aid kit, a must have in any house with pets.  I often make my own jerky and it is as easy as their recipe calls for. You can substitute heart for the kidney and liver they mention, too.

My only real disappointment with this book, which is printed with vegetable based inks on paper certified from sustainable forests is that I wish Chronicle Books had not had it manufactured in China. Overall though it was a delightful read.