Ultimate Akitas

For years, we question why our dogs develop certain health and behavioral issues we never expected. Having owned dogs in the past that have suffered from everything from mild allergies to sever hip dysplasia, we questioned what outside factors may have contributed to these illnesses and conditions. We always wonder if perhaps, we did something wrong, or if we could have done something to ensure that our dogs were healthier in order to prevent the onset of such afflictions.

Today in society the current trend is to lean towards a more natural, holistic way of life. This is evident in the many health food stores and natural healing centers we see sprouting up, and the myriad of holistic health information we see thrown at us on talk shows, in books and on the Internet. Humans as a whole are moving towards a much more natural and toxin free way of life. Yet as we do this, it is easy to overlook the similar needs of our dogs. This page focuses on a few areas in which our dogs can also benefit from a more organic lifestyle. This idea of feeding our dogs naturally has become so popular that there are a great number of websites devoted to it. The Natural Akita Ring, listed below, is a webring made up of all Akita fanciests dedicated to natural lifestyles for their Akitas. It is a great resource to start with.

This is an issue we are faced with upon the arrival of a new pet. We were faced with this very dilemma a few years ago when we brought Colten home. People at my training center has been practicing the feeding of raw diets for years, and we decided to climb on board.

The truth is, there are literally thousands of options for you to choose from. Our best suggestion is to DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Talk with a number of veterinarians you feel comfortable with and explore all feeding options before making a decision. The Internet is also a wonderful resource. It's a great idea to do all of this in advance, so you when your furry friend arrives, you are ready to go!

The important thing is to come up with things that work for you! All of the information presented here and throughout the rest of this site is merely a bunch of suggestions. Certainly, we believe a Natural Akita is a healthier Akita, but that doesn't mean your Akita won't live to a ripe old healthy age no matter what you feed. Our goals are to maintain an optimal level of health and a strong, self supportive immune system. We believe that supporting our Akitas Naturally is a great way to achieve this. The information and links regarding natural diets should provide you with lots to think about. Spend some time researching and deciding what will work for you. We have added some tips to make the process a bit easier along the way. Although you will find the BARF Diet included here, we strongly suggest that you read Ian Billinghurst's books "Give Your Dog A Bone" and Grow Your Pups With Bones" thoroughly before implementing the diet. Not only are they filled with valuable information, but you will have a much greater understanding of what to do to prepare your feeding plan, in addition to what the benefits of it are. We actually questioned whether or not to list the diet here, because simply following it is NOT a substitution for reading the books. Also, the books talk specifically about a variety of degenerative conditions and how to modify the diet to accommodate each particular one. A link to the diet page is below.