As we each come to terms with the way of life that we now have to face with this extraordinary turn of events, there is an overwhelming sense of fear. What will happen to my job, how will I pay for the basics, and what will we eat? Let us face the fear together in an enormously productive and simple way – let’s each plant a vegetable patch. This provides us not only with food for all our family (our pets included of course), but to garden is possibly one of the most therapeutic things one could do.
Gardening enables you to live for the moment and find necessary peace as you can see colour and natural shapes around you, hear the birds and insects, feel the texture of the ground and soil, smell the earthy nourishment and sweet scent of flowers….and eventually taste what you have produced knowing it is full of essential goodness.
If you have no access to a patch of garden, start on a windowsill or patio with potted herbs and sprouts. Maybe find out who gardens at your local allotment, and if they happen to be elderly and are self-isolating, offer to maintain it for them and share the produce.
We are moving into summer with longer daylight times and warmth around the corner. With schools and universities now shut, this is the perfect time to plan your vegetable garden as a family and spend some quality, valuable moments together.
What nutrients can we grow?
The vegetables that we are mentioning are particularly important for your dog, but we would benefit from eating them all too!
Fast growing lettuce, carrots, green beans, runner beans, peas and turnips
Beetroot where we use the whole plant – including the valuable greens that are full of nutrients
Cabbage, broccoli, swiss chard and kale – all so full of calcium
Sweetcorn that grows so fast as the weather warms up
Sunflowers not only for their beauty, but their valuable nutrient rich seeds
Leafy healthy spinach and rocket
Quinoa can even be grown as explained here – A rewarding and nutritious plant to grow
*The Top 10 Zoonoses In Your Home*
There are cases of dry food or treats (especially the raw hide treats and chews) causing transmission of diseases to people
Wispa’s guilty pleasures
We live in a zero carbon house. Wispa seriously offsets our carbon savings!
Wonderful David Attenborough
When our future seems so precarious, we finally have hope for our fragile natural world with the very wise and passionate words of Sir David Attenborough
The kindest pet owner you can be
At this stressful time, our vet offers advice on being the kindest pet owner to your sensitive dog
Evidence Based Medicine
The meat-based fed control group showed 11 deficiencies while the long-term vegan fed category presented only two deficiencies
The Vit D3 and Vegan Dog Food Debate
Can vegan dog foods be classed as vegan in the UK with Vit D3 from lichen?
Race Against Time
As a vet and a mother and a dog lover, I am passionate about feeding dogs a plant-based diet to support our future
The most common allergen in dogs
We discuss the most common allergen in itchy dogs and what can be done about it
Alkaline urine and crystals on a plant-based dog food diet
Should I be worried about my dog’s urine and crystal formation on a plant-based alkalinising diet?
Confessions of a vegan vet
David Attenborough makes a stark warning on extinction and I felt it would be too upsetting to watch!
Sweet Breta survived cancer
We asked the top vet oncologist in the country and owner of gorgeous labrador Jumble for her opinion on whether a vegan diet could protect our dogs from cancer
How life has changed for vets since the pandemic
Here is a day in my life to share what it is like to be a vet coping with the changes of how the pandemic has shaped a new way of being a small animal vet
