Welcome - "About us"

My husband and I have been married 20 years and own a local business in our small town. We live in a rural community in Northwest Ohio outside of Toledo, and share our home with 2 dogs, Abby and Rosie and 2 cats, Gidget and Lola. We met in our late thirties, and are now in our 50's. I author two blogs, "the Cat/Dog Log" and "Living Well."

Long before we met, each of us were advocates of regular exercise, eating healthy foods, and doing all we could to hold back the aging process and hereditary health problems that exist in both of our families. My husband has lifted weights since his late teens and participated in many sports including soft ball, basketball and golf. I've always enjoyed gardening, swimming, walking, golf, aerobic exercise, and since marrying him, occasional weight lifting. For years my husband has subscribed to alternative health publications for advice on diet, supplements, and overall fitness.

One day he read an article by Dr. William Douglass on pet food in which he was advocating a raw food diet as close as possible to the food our pets would eat if they lived in the wild. He mentioned that many of the diseases that affect our pets are because of the chemicals in commercial pet food, skin allergies being one of them. Our cocker spaniel Abby had been suffering with chronic skin allergies and ear infections for several years. She was on Prednisone for the skin itching and antibiotics for the itching ears, and it had progressed to the point where neither of the medications were doing much good. She was miserable.

So began my quest to improve her health and find a natural alternative for her allergies. Approximately 1 month after changing her diet, her itching was greatly relieved, and I began weening her off the Prednisone. A simple breeder's home remedy solved her itching ear problem and she no longer needs antibiotics. As of 2009, it has been over 2 years since removing her from commercial pet food, with no sign of itching skin. Her dramatic improvement was the reason I started blogging about pet health to share my experiences and help other pet owners having the same problem. After we adopted our dog Rosie from Lil Paws Rescue and I became aware of the good work these organizations do to save animals from being euthanized, I expanded my blog to include rescue and adoption efforts as well. And we can't leave out the kitties. Both Gidget and Lola were rescued by our local humane society prior to us adopting them, and I cover information on natural/organic cat diet and products, as well as health and behavior issues.

In addition to pet health, my blog covers information we have learned over the years for staying healthy and reducing chemical exposure in our lives. I pass along tips we've learned about diet, natural cleaning solutions, gardening tips, and generally anything to help you have a healthier home environment.

I hope you enjoy your visit with us and return often for our updates.

* Please note - I am not an expert on pet or human diet and health. The information I provide on my blogs is based on my research and personal experience.

Disclosure: I am occasionally paid to write an article by various companies. If so, the disclosure will be shown at the bottom of the article.