NUFF NANG

Friday, June 07, 2019

HELLO EVERYONE

Hi everyone...

It has been a really long time since I last posted here... I didn't even realise how quickly time has flown... I guess we have been very busy and it has just been easier to post stuff on Facebook and Instagram lately...

Am going to attempt to start blogging again, particularly on issues related to my personal experience with canine health, training and more importantly adjusting your lifestyle and home to suit your aging dogs... My kids are all much older, and I have had to make quite alot of changes over the years to suit their changing needs... Will try to list them here to help any of you that are facing the same issues...

In the meantime, here's a recent pic of my gorgeous girl, Cleo...


Monday, February 09, 2015

LITTLE ANGELS...



Little angels to make your life complete... SMS or WhatsApp 016 322 8816 or 012 790 1252 if you would like to have an angel in your life... And do check out the video - they are sooooo adorable!

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

MERRY CHRISTMAS FFF FROM CLEO & CO


Hello everyone,

Christmas is almost here, and if you haven't gotten your Christmas presents, we think that you should perhaps consider doing something different this year...

Our mommy has told us that we are not getting Christmas presents this year because we are very lucky compared to lots of other kiddos.

And so she has donated ONE bag of kibble from each of us here at home to FFF's kiddos...

So that's a bag each from me (Cleo), Lucky, Rascal, Belle, Mishka, Brownie, Tara, Teddy, Storm & Snowie. So we hope that the kiddos at FFF will enjoy the kibble

So how about making your Christmas gift to your loved ones a donation to a charitable cause instead? That means that instead of spending lots of money getting a gift for your loved one (which he or she may not even like), why not consider getting a bag of kibble for the kiddos at Furry Friends Farm as a gift?

And what's even better is that, Royal Canin has agreed to top up another packet for each packet that you donate...

If you think you might like to do that, here's how you can do that...


How can you donate?
  1. Bank in the amount to FFF's Public Bank Account 317884 262 Furry Friends Farm
  2. Whatsapp FFF at (016) 371 7692 with the transaction details/bank in slip with your full name
  3. Once the transaction is reflected, your name will be updated in the donors listing
  4. Royal Canin will deliver the order to FFF at the end of the promo.

Saturday, August 30, 2014

STOP FEEDING YOUR KIDDOS GARBAGE!

Folks,

Just wanted to share some information with all of you. I think a large number of us are already aware that kibble is really quite bad for our kiddos. And we know that it is made with low quality ingredients and ingredients that are generally not fit for human consumption. We know this from stuff we have read online etc.

Anyway, I am currently at an IT conference in Colorado, USA and was speaking to an IT partner and what he told me confirmed everything that I have read.

The IT solution that we are dealing with has a very good routing system, and he gave me a real life example of how the routing system is used by his client - a pet food manufacturer of a premium brand of kibble.

The routing system is used to schedule, route, track and monitor this pet food company's trucks when they go and make their rounds to restaurants, supermarkets, abattoirs (and any organisation that deals with meat in any shape or form) and collect all the remnants e.g. left over food including packaging like styrofoam and plastics etc; food that have been thrown away including used oils and fats; spoilt and rotten meat; by products including entrails, heads, feet, hooves; carcasses from farms i.e. dead animals and not slaughtered animals, and the list goes on...This company basically collects garbage from all of these places...

And all of this goes into your "fancy" kibble! So please, if you love your pets

STOP FEEDING THEM GARBAGE!!!

Saturday, June 14, 2014

SHOULD I GET A PUPPY?

 
I am getting rather concerned that there are a number of people who have purchased their puppy from a pet shop at a very young age, some even as young as 6 weeks of age.

Folks this is way too young for a puppy to be separated from its mother. It also means that the puppy was in the pet shop and all alone from an even younger age. This could mean a whole load of health and psychological problems for the pup...

And I hear that the pet shop people have told the new owners that these young puppies only need to be fed only twice a day. This is completely untrue. They need to be fed small meals up to 4 times a day or every 4-6 hours depending on the pup and the breed.


People, please do your homework before getting a puppy. And if you must get a pure breed puppy, do consider looking at the various rescue groups and organisations for your puppy. If not, go to a reputable breeder at the very least. A good breeder will not let you take the pup until it is about 10-12 weeks old. But never buy your pup from a pet shop because chances are that pup came from a puppy mill!


And what is more worrying is also what people are advising these new puppy owners. I am sorry but Cesar Milan's methods are outdated and detrimental to a dog's well being (I have attended his seminar in London a few years ago and had a VIP Q&A session with him - he knows nothing about dealing with problematic dogs. His shows are a huge success as a result of good videography and clever editing!)


A puppy that is so young and separated from its mother and it's litter mate, and has been in a harsh pet shop environment is most likely suffering from separation anxiety and stress. You need to deal with these issues in the right way, and not attempt the nonsensical pack leader mentality.
You need to make sure that your pup is comfortable and feels secure. Crate training is one of the best ways to do this contrary to the mind set of most people here who are anti crate training. You should also leave a hot water bottle to keep it warm at night and a clock wrapped in a towel to mimic the mother's heart beat.


I could go on and on about how to manage this, but the bottom line is, PLEASE DO YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE BRINGING A PUPPY OR ANY DOG INTO YOUR HOME.
It is a lifetime commitment guys... and if you're not prepared to care for the pup for the next 10-15 years no matter what, please don't get one.

********************

Useful links:

http://beyondcesarmillan.weebly.com/dogs-in-danger.html

Friday, May 23, 2014

HOW TO FEED A CARNIVORE...


 How do you feed a carnivore?

Take a large hunk of meat and place on plastic mat!
(no plates or bowls required)
Enjoy watching them eat!


If there are any left overs, pick it up and put it back in the freezer (or fridge - but you should leave it uncovered contrary to popular belief), and serve again at the next meal!

Monday, March 24, 2014

RAW DIET V PRESCRIPTION DIET?


So my Brownie has just been diagnosed with early stages of renal failure, and of course the vets have insisted that I switch her to a presciption diet with immediate effect.

I tried to argue as to why I won't do it but pretty much got told that a raw diet was bad for her and would make matters worse blah blah blah; cause a raw diet has very high protein content and with renal failure Brownie will not be able to cope with such a high protein content.


I then asked what was an acceptable level of protein for a dog that had renal disease and was told that it should be approximately 20% MEAT or protein of their total diet. I had to hold my tongue because a raw diet generally has only about 20% protein, and what people don't seem to understand is that high meat content does not necessarily equal high protein content. The main difference, however, between a raw diet and crapple (kibble), is the quality of the protein, particularly the quality of protein that goes into prescription diets.

I also asked then what should the rest of her diet consist of if only 20% of it should be meat. I was told that the remaining 80% of her diet should consist of carbs from vegetables and fruits such as sweet potatoes and potatoes, barley and grains. Again I had to hold my tongue cause these foods are not even appropriate for a healthy dog as it it very difficult for dogs to digest vegetables and grains, much less a dog that has compromised kidney functions.


Anyway, the objective of this post it to just highlight a few things. The first being that if your vet ever tells you to feed a prescription diet to your sick dog, just take a step back and think for a minute:

Why is it that when humans get diagnosed with some sort of disease, the doctors would almost always tell us to change our diet to a more nutritious, natural and wholesome diet and to go organic if possible; but when our fur kids are diagnosed with the same disease, the vets try to shove highly processed foods that are full of chemicals and preservatives with almost zero nutrition down our kiddos' throats?


Secondly, let's take a look at the prescription diet that will be recommended by all vets for our furkids that have been diagnosed with renal failure: which according to the manufacturer is a complete and balanced food that provides all the nutrition dogs need.

According to the manufacturers: the diet is formulated with the following benefits:
  • Reduced phosphorus to help maintain healthy kidney function
  • Reduced levels of protein to help reduce kidney workload
  • Reduced sodium to help maintain normal blood pressure
  • Increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids to help blood flow to the kidneys
  • Increased levels of B-complex vitamins to compensate for vitamin losses in the urine
  • Added antioxidants to control cell oxidation and promote a healthy immune system
So great, this food has  a reduced phosphorus level. I guess this would be in comparison to other normal non-prescription kibble. The phosphorus level in this prescription diet is stated at 0.2%. But did you know that the phosphorus level of raw chicken is only 0.15%?

It apparently also has reduced sodium at 0.23% compared to 0.084% in raw chicken.

The level of protein in this particular kibble is listed as 14.3% while raw chicken is at about 16.3% and pork at about 20%.  But what you need to really consider is that raw chicken and pork is generally free from all sorts of ridiculous chemicals and preservatives that are required to make the kibble and to keep it fresh. So yes while the protein level is lower, you are also feeding your dog a whole lot of nonsense which will stress their already dysfunctional system even more.


In terms of the added supplements, well most of the nutrients are available in raw meat and you can always supplement your dog with better human grade vitamins. 

Additionally the type of protein that is used in kibble is far from appropriate for our fur-kids. If you take a look at the ingredients list you will find the following:

Brewers Rice, Pork Fat, Dried Egg Product, Flaxseed, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Powdered Cellulose, Lactic Acid, Calcium Carbonate, Dried Beet Pulp, L-Lysine, Potassium Chloride, Potassium Citrate, Choline Chloride, Iodized Salt, Calcium Sulfate, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), L-Threonine, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Tryptophan, Magnesium Oxide, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Natural Flavors.

It is important to note that all dog foods and cat foods must list the ingredients of their food in order of weight. Therefore, the first ingredient listed is the most important because there is more of that ingredient than any other.

Now, we know that dogs are carnivores and are not meant to eat grains as they simply cannot digest it! And the main ingredient in this food is Brewers rice! (To find out how to properly read dog food labels, check out The Dog Food Project.)

What exactly is brewers rice? Have any of you thought about what it really is? According to The Dog Food Project, brewers rice is a processed rice product that is missing many of the nutrients contained in whole ground rice and brown rice. Contrary to what many pet food companies want to make you believe, this is not a high quality ingredient, just much cheaper than whole grain rice.


Then the second ingredient listed is Pork Fat. It is important to note that any animal fat listed on a dog food is not required to originate from "slaughtered" animals. The rendered animals can be obtained from any source, so there is no control over quality or contamination. Any kind of animal can be included: "4-D animals" (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), roadkill, animals euthanized, restaurant and supermarket refuse and so on.

Corn gluten meal is also high up on the ingredients list and what it really is, is an inexpensive by-product of human food processing which contains some protein but serves mainly to bind food together. It is not a harmful ingredient but should not rank high in the ingredient list of a quality product.

And then there is Chicken Liver Flavour...Anything that has the word flavour is something you need to be careful about. The manufacturer may or may not give more detailed information about what is used for flavoring and whether it is made from a natural or chemical substance.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture now. 

Basically, I just cannot see how a bag of highly processed food can be deemed as a complete and balanced died versus whole, natural and unprocessed meat. It just doesn't make sense. A sick dog needs to get high quality nutrients from reliable and clean sources without any added chemicals and preservatives. Quite frankly, if you fed your dog table scraps, that could potentially be better than that expensive bag of prescription kibble!

At the end of it all, I'd like to quote Jamie Oliver "If you can't understand what's on the label, don't buy it".

Related reading:
Should You Feed Your Dog High Performance Kibble?
Why I will Never Feed My Kids Kibble Again?
We are Carnivores
The Quality of Pet Food Ingredients
The Quality of Pet Food Ingredients Part 2
Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats

Note: This post is intended as a guide or reference and is not meant to replace veterinary advice. The information on this post is based on conclusions that I have made after extensive reading, advice from other raw feeders in particular the Raw Feeding and Raw Chat Facebook groups, and on my experience with my own dogs. Please consult your holistic veterinarian for advice on the most appropriate way to feed and supplement your dogs.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

FOUND IN RASMI JAYA, AMPANG


 UPDATE: Milka has been adopted by a really nice family 
 ***************************** 


 UPDATE 14 MARCH 2014: We sent this sweet girl for grooming as her fur was quite dirty and slightly matted at her bum and tail area. Plus her nails were rather long. She's looking very nice now, and after that we took her to the vet today for a checkup. Unfortunately her parvo test kit reflects that she could be a borderline case for parvo. She shows no sign of being sick and her temperature is normal.




 We have managed to find a foster carer for her who can isolate he although he has a dog. The vet has prescribed some immune boosters and also antibiotics for any secondary infection that may set in. So please pray that it is a false positive and that she will be okay.


In the mean time we really need to find her family... Please share this as widely as possible and call 016 335 8768 if she is your dog.

*******************

 Just picked this girl up this evening at 8pm (12 March 2014) in Rasmi Jaya, Ampang.

She was walking in the middle of the road and was very disoriented. She is well fed and has no ticks and is just dirty from being out on the streets on her own. So we don't think this is a case of abandonment.

Please call 016 335 8768 if she is yours. 

If she isn't, please share with all your friends so that we can find her family. 
Proof of ownership is required
She will be put up for adoption if she is not claimed within a week. 
Thanks.

http://www.petfinder.my/pets/54565/

Monday, February 17, 2014

FOUND IN BUKIT INDAH, AMPANG


Is this your dog? We found him this morning while walking our dogs. We think he is a slightly older dog and is wearing a collar. 

Please call me at 016 335 8768 if he is yours. If he isn't, please share this post so that we can reunite him with his family. 




Friday, February 14, 2014

What? You have pure breed dogs? But you're an animal rescuer?!?!

Belle, my precocious Beagle!
Yes, I do have 2 pure breed dogs and no I do not classify myself as an animal rescuer. I just happen to be an animal lover that does the best I can with the resources that I have. 

Anyway, in recent times, there have been alot of people that have suddenly became animal activist of sorts. They are big into rescuing and re-homing and feeding the strays etc, which is really great in my opinion.  However, as a result of this "awakening", i.e. compassion for the strays and mixed breeds, there has also been a birth of people that are anti-pure breeds. 

Cleo, my gentle and sweet natured Labrador
While I am whole heartedly against the purchase of animals from pet shops and unethical breeders, I am not anti-pure breeds. I think alot of people have forgotten that there are breeders that are ethical and truly concerned about the well-being and happiness of their dogs and their off-spring.

Mishka and Teddy - my two demanding cats!
People also seem to have forgotten that pure bred dogs were bred for specific purposes, and have many traits that can fit specific needs of people and their families. For example, Labradors make one of the best service dogs due to their calm and gentle nature, and their ability to work long hours. Beagles are tough, sturdy dogs that come in a smaller package. They are great with elderly people (and children) that need a companion but are unable to care for a larger dog. 

Lucky - my most challenging dog ever...
I would always recommend adopting a dog or cat to those who are looking for or considering getting a pet. There are alot of pure breed dogs as there are mixed breed dogs that are available for adoption. If you purchase a dog or cat, it means that there is one less home for a rescued animal.

Rascal - the best guard dog you could ever ask for!
However, before deciding on a particular breed, regardless of whether your are adopting a dog/cat or buying one, it is important to ensure that you research the breed so that you know what you are getting yourself into. Each breed has been bred for a specific purpose, and you will need to know whether or not your lifestyle (and finances!) will be able to cater to the needs of that particular breed. Don't get a dog or cat purely because it is cute or beautiful, only to abandon it when you decide that it is too much trouble to look after it.  Please make sure that you are in for the long haul as getting an animal is at least a 10-15 year commitment.

Brownie - a sweet old lady that loves cuddles...
So this is just a gentle reminder to everyone to take a step back and stop being haters of pure breeds. Instead, start making a difference for all dogs regardless of breed, by not buying any animals from pet shops and unethical breeders. You can also improve animal welfare by educating your friends and family about unethical breeders and by promoting responsible pet ownership.

*************
Natasha Fernz is a proud "mom" to a Labrador, a Beagle, 3 mixed breed dogs and 2 local cats
~all of which were either adopted or rescued 

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