Better Flour Alternatives for Dogs- Spotlight Coconut Flour & Rice Flour (co-starring Tapioca Flour)

 Always on the hunt for the best ingredients to create our treats with, Shania Bakes, has been playing with flour.  While Wheat flour is the least expensive and most commonly used flour in most dog foods and treats, there are healthier alternatives.  Not only are there healthier alternatives, but many add a unique and tastier flavor to foods we prepare for our pets.  The past few weeks have been devoted to our researching and experimenting with Coconut and Rice flour.

Initially, we were looking to use Tapioca flour and determine how it affected the flavor and consistency of our treats.  Our research found that tapioca was regularly mentioned as one of the healthier flours for pets.  Tapioca flour provides a healthy non-GMO, Gluten free, and safe alternative to other flours.  Unfortunately, we could not find Tapioca flour in the store and chose to not wait for it to be delivered.  Instead, our attention was turned to Rice Flour and Coconut flour.

Coconut flour is extremely healthy for dogs (and humans).  This flour is gluten free and contains many natural minerals and the fatty acid, Lauric acid, which benefits many different areas of a dog’s health.  As you may remember, with our Junior’s epilepsy, we are regularly looking for natural ways to introduce more fatty acids into his diet.  Lauric acid is beneficial to the immune system and can help strengthen a dog’s immunity.  In addition, the other minerals in Coconut flour are known to be beneficial to the digestive system, metabolism, and thyroid function.  In addition, the coconut flour can add a naturally sweet flavor to the food or treat.  While baking with coconut flour, we have found that it is better to cook the treat or food for less time than when baking solely with wheat flour and the coconut flour can help make a treat softer and chewier.  At this time, we have not baked with just coconut flour, but we supplement it in with either wheat flour or rice flour.

Rice flour was our dark horse.  We saw it on the shelf and knew it was considered to be a healthier alternative to wheat flour, but we were unaware of the specific benefits.  Considered a more digestible form of carbohydrate, rice flour is also gluten free.  Although we initially used white rice flour, we have found organic brown rice flour and plan to incorporate this into our treats.    Made from the inner grain of the rice, brown rice flour is (according to Bob’s Red Mill) “high in protein, iron, fiber, Vitamin B, and is rich in manganese”.  These are all vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to our pets.

Although carbohydrates are not a natural part of a dogs diet, they have become necessary additives to create dog foods and treats.  Maximizing the healthiness of the carbohydrates we feed our pets can be accomplished by knowing the differences in flour and other carbohydrate based additives and fillers used in pet food and treats.  Rice Flour and Coconut Flour are just two of the healthier alternatives available.

Safely Treat Your Furry Buddy This Holiday Weekend!

It is a holiday weekend upon us, so I think it is a good time to see which of our Holiday meals we can share with our dogs.  Easter and Passover offer us humans the opportunity for family and good food.  Everyone sets a different table, so I will discuss just a few of the more popular Easter and Passover meals.  If you don’t see your family favorite discussed, comment below or send us a twitter message!

As a reminder, it is ok to share some table food with our furry babies on special occasions, but we need to be careful about giving them raw meats and eggs.  We also want to make sure that unless we have created a Vet approved “human” food diet for our dogs (and cats!) we want to limit the amount of table food we give our pets.  Leftovers should be a special treat and NOT used to replace a proper dog food diet (unless Vet approved as stated above).

What is Easter without hard boiled eggs?  The best part about our Easter eggs is that they are cooked and not raw.  Raw eggs can cause deficiencies in a dog’s biotin level.  Biotin is also known as Vitamin H and helps with cell growth and production of fatty acids.  Hard boiled or cooked eggs can provide dogs with necessary protein, riboflavin, and selenium.  Riboflavin is beneficial for dog breeds who are prone problems with their eyes, cataracts, and will also help with anxiety and will help strengthen the digestive system in dogs.  Selenium is beneficial to the immune system in dogs.  Sharing our hard boiled Easter eggs with our dogs is a healthy treat for our furry friends and may help keep them off the bunnie’s trail.

Every year, our household begins to dream of our Easter lamb around the time Lent starts.  Properly cooked lamb is healthy for our dogs, but we need to be mindful of the seasonings we use.  We use garlic t season our lamb.  Garlic in small doses is not harmful for dogs, but it can be toxic in large doses.  If possible, it may be a good idea to cut a small piece prior to seasoning and let it cook with the lamb.  If this is not possible, if a lot of garlic is visible on the lamb, it may be helpful to try to take some garlic off the ham before serving your dog.

We ALL do it.  Ham bones, lamb bones, bones, bones, bones.  That is what our dog REALLY wants, and it often is a great way to keep the dog baby occupied while the family enjoys some quiet time, especially if guests are in the home.  Serving a dog cooked bones is not recommended as the bone has lost most of its nutritional value during the cooking process and the cooked bone is softer and can splinter more easily.  The best bet is to  ask the butcher or local grocery store for any leftover uncooked bones.  If this is not possible, keep a close eye on your dog as he enjoys his bone and do not leave the bones with the dog overnight.

Green beans is another Easter favorite (usually with mushroom sauce and onions).  While green beans are a safe and healthy treat for dogs, the onions are like garlic and should try to be avoided.  

Green beans, on the other hand, are a great source of Vitamin K, C, and manganese.  In addition, green beans are a source of fiber.

Please make sure that while the unfurry babies are enjoying the Easter Bunnies gifts and candy, please make sure that your furry babies are not finding unsupervised baskets of candy and chocolate or rogue candies on the floor.  Chocolate can cause severe stomach upset for dogs and can be toxic.  Sugar is not healthy for dogs either and should be avoided.  Keep the dog’s treats to the healthy and safe variety this holiday.

While I have never attended a Passover dinner, I do know that brisket is a common delicacy on the table.  Brisket is a safe food for dogs, but like other meats, it should not be served raw to your pet.  

I have touched on a few basic holiday foods, but I mostly wanted to let everyone know that we can treat our dogs to a Holiday meal and be guilt free.  No need to hide from the doggie police after filling their bowls with some holiday treats!  Just please make sure that you make sure the foods you treat them with are safe.

Shania Bakes wishes everyone a safe and yummy holiday weekend!

Harmful Human Foods for Dogs

Making the decision to start looking to natural foods for healthier alternatives for my dogs was a fluke.  While researching the causes and treatments for epilepsy in dogs, all I fund was information about foods for humans and recommended diets for humans who struggle with epilepsy.  Initially, I stopped searching and figured his new dog food would be good enough.  Within a month or so, our dog suffered another round of grande seizure clusters, and feeling helpless, I began searching again.  This time I took the recommendations for humans and began trying to find information about if the foods were safe for dogs.

Initially, I wanted to switch my dogs to a diet of mostly natural and organic foods that I would make for them.  As I did my research, I was uncomfortable with my ability to ensure that all of my dog’s needs would be met based on dietary recommendations and necessities.  At this time, I have chosen to decrease the amount of dog food I give them, while it remains about 70% of their daily diet.  In addition, I add supplements of food I have researched and created.  This is what works best for us at this time.  Each pet owner must do their own research, talk with their Vet and decide what works best for them and their pet.  For some it will be a diet similar to what I do, for others they will rely on store bought pet food, and others will choose to make all of their pet’s food.  It is a personal decision for each Pet Owner.

I believe the easiest place to start when determining what is healthy or harmful for our cats and dogs is to start with what NOT to give our pets.  Some foods and supplements are a simple, straight across the board, everyone says “NO!”.  On the other hand, there are some foods that are harmful unless given in small doses and other foods that some believe should not be given to pets and others feel the pet can benefit from the food.  I tend to search an item and read as many articles and opinions about their benefit or harm factor for cats and dogs and will tend to be cautious.  

The following is a list of foods that I have learned are toxic for our dogs (we will discuss our cats next week).  I have obtained information from a variety of resources, including the ASPCA resources, www.doggie-licious.com/au, and earthclinic.com/pets, just to name a few.

No No Doggie

1. Chocolate- one we know well.  The danger for dogs in chocolate is a compound known as Theonormine which can cause diarrhea and vomiting, as well as seizures and cardiac arrest.
2. Coffee, Coffee Grounds- it is all about the caffeine for us humans, but it is that same caffeine that makes it harmful for our dogs.  The caffeine is a stimulant that can cause harm to our dog’s heart and nervous system.
3. Cooked Bones- once bones are cooked, they loose much of the nurtitional value that raw bones offer our dogs.  In addition, cooked bones also tend to splinter and break which make them a hazard for your dog.
4. Grapes- can cause acute renal failure in dogs.  The damage to the dog’s kidney will cause high levels of toxins in the dog’s system and can cause death.
5. Green- NOT everything green is harmful to dogs, but green tomatoes, potatoes, skins and tomato leaves and plants can cause dogs to suffer with seizures, tremors, and heart arrhythmia.  The recommendation is NO TOMATOES for dogs.
6. Human Vitamins- can cause damage to a dog’s digestive system, and kidney and liver damage.  The risk for harm is greater with vitamins that contain Iron.
7. Onions/Garlic- contain ingredients that damage red blood cells and can lead to anemia.  Of note is that garlic given in small doses as an ingredient in a food should not contain enough of the toxic ingredient to be harmful to the dog.  Caution and moderation should be used as repeated use, even in small doses, can be harmful.
8. Avocado- are toxic to dogs.  This includes all parts of the avocado, skin, and the tree.
9. Xylitol- (found in Sugar Free foods) can cause liver failure and hypoglycemia in dogs.
10. Cat Food- is not healthy for dogs and can cause upset stomachs.  Cats and dogs have different nutritional needs (for example cats need significantly more protein in their diet than dogs) and their foods should not be shared.

This is a short list of items that are harmful and we will take another look in a few weeks at other foods and minerals that are not healthy for our dogs.  It is important to always check with the professionals before giving your dog a “human” food that you are unsure if it is healthy or harmful for your pet to eat.  When we look to add “human” food to our pet’s diet, it is usually with the intention of improving our pet’s healthy through healthier and more natural alternatives.  The last thing we want is to inadvertently harm our pet while trying to help them.

Next week we will discuss foods that are harmful to cats.  Please feel free to share this information, ask questions, comment, make suggestions, and even disagree.

Who is Shania Bakes?

Who is Shania Bakes?  Shania Bakes is the name my family and I created when we began baking Organic Dog & Cat Treats using the information we found while researching our dog’s epilepsy.  Since the creation of Shania Bakes in December 2013, it has become so much more than healthy treats and cute pet gift baskets.  For the purpose of this blog “Shania Bakes Organic” and our Twitter account “ShaniaBakes”, Shania Bakes is me sharing with whoever is interested all of the information I have found out through research and personal experience when it comes to holistic remedies and the benefits of certain foods, natural supplements, and fruits & vegetables when it comes to the needs of our cats and dogs.

Up until the summer of 2012, I was a very active burger and fry loving mother, soccer coach, and dog mom.  I had little need or interest in “holistic” things or even vitamins.  If I felt out of shape or unhealthy- I ran a little more each day and drank some OJ. My kids are active and naturally lean and we all enjoy our steak, burgers, fried foods, and our rice and beans.  This was until the day I was rear-ended and suffered a significant back injury.

Through my job, I knew the dangers of pain medicines and was not someone who liked to take pills or medications.  As I found myself suffering and incapacitated, unable to do most of my normal daily activities, and being young in my 30’s, I began looking into more natural remedies and supplements.  I discovered the benefits of glucosamine and boswellia, as well as some other natural supplements.  A few months into my injury, I was home due to my back and experienced the single scariest moment in my life- our 80 lb Pitbull Junior had his first major seizure which turned into his first in a cluster of seizures.  Scared and unsatisfied with the Emergency Vet telling us that it was “common in dogs and just happens”, I turned to Facebook, friends, and eventually our family Vet and then a holistic vet for answers.  The suggested round of tests they estimated would cost us a few thousand dollars was unfortunately not an option.  After another round of cluster seizures, we reluctantly put Junior on medication.

Feeling helpless, like a failure of a Dog Mom, and still struggling with my back injury and facing surgery, I turned to the internet.  I was disappointed with the lack of information I found available, but I did learn that there was a theory that epilepsy and other “human” diseases becoming prevalent in dogs was believed to be linked to many of the additives in the common dog foods.  We switched Junior’s food and after a lengthy discussion with a very knowledgeable associate at the local pet store, switched his food again to a pricier dog food that was not only more natural but was said to have specific vitamins and minerals that would help Junior and his epilepsy.  I found a new area to research and was off and running.  With my back leaving me little to do but lay around and get on the internet- I began reading and reading and asking and reading.

Through my research, I began baking treats from organic human foods for Junior and our newer addition, Storm, a Blue Nose Pit Bull who entered our lives and quickly became Princess of the home.  Like many, I had always believed that human food was a BIG “no-no” for dogs and would feel guilty each time I gave the fur babies leftovers.  I once again found a new world of information and possibilities to explore.

In December 2013, after talking with some friends and with me being out of work for so long following surgery, the family and I began offering to bake organic dog treats and selling them in Holiday Gift Baskets.  The response was great and we had our cat owning friends asking for cat treats.  Back to researching I went and created a line of Organic Cat Treats.  “Shania Bakes: Home Baked Organic Pet Treats” was born.  As the business has grown and our customer base continued to place orders for treats each week, I began being asked to look into creating treats for doggie bad breath, treats for dogs who have ailments like arthritis, and as Junior’s epilepsy continued even with the medication, I became determined to find a natural and organic remedy to help his symptoms.  

Last week, I realized I have piles of articles and research and remembered everything I went through to find the research.  I decided to create a Twitter page and this blog to share the information I have learned.  I am NOT a VET and I am NOT a professional and I offer this information with the hope that you use it as part of your research and use it to open discussions between you and your Vet.  Although I do sell Organic Pet Treats and ship across the United States, the focus of this blog and my Twitter is NOT to sell my treats.  The focus is to provide information to other Pet Moms and Dads.  There is a link at the bottom of the blog if you are interested in my products, but this will be one of the rare times I mention my treats and do not want the fact that I sell treats to take credibility from the information I share.  

Although this has become a long blog, I must share one more important part of our story.  Shania Bakes was created in the memory and spirit of our first rescue dog, Shania.  A Rottweiler Husky mix, we found Shania through a Husky rescue group and brought her into our family when she was 6-months-old.  Our lives have never been the same.  A year later, our first son was born and Shania shared “her” son with us.  The beauty of the bond that grew between my son and Shania is to this day one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed.  She was with us for 12-years until passing of respiratory issues and she remains a vital part of our family.  Shania was not just a dog, she had the most loving personality, but she was no-nonsense.  She mothered us, our kids, the neighbors, other family members, and even our other dogs as we adopted more.  Shania loved to be outdoors all day long and was friends with anyone who walked by, bonded with the mailman who snuck her treats everyday, and conned the kids at the bus stop out of their school snacks (sorry moms).  When we started this venture, there was no other dog or family member that we wanted to honor and have leading us than our “Nia”.

We hope that you enjoy the stories and information that we will share here.  The plan is to post a new article each Wednesday and encourage questions and feedback, as long as it is always in a respectful and positive minded manner.   I enjoy new information, being corrected, and also the challenge of researching new topics.  Please feel free to comment, question, and discuss.  Invite friends and fellow pet lovers to follow our blog and our Twitter “ShaniaBakes”.