Some of our favorite things...
Note: These are products we like to use; we are not a paid partner in any way. We just wanted to share things that have been useful for us, that we get asked about all the time.
Cleaning Pads – We use Douxo Chlorhexidine 3% PS Pads. These are great for cleaning in all of your pups folds to prevent bacteria. They work to help heal any kind of rash as well. It’s also helpful to clean the folds by their private areas. You can use standard hypo allergenic wipes for everyday use, these are meant for more of a deep clean.
Four Paws Magic Coat Hypo Allergenic Shampoo for Dogs – This shampoo is very easy on their skin but you can use any hypo allergenic shampoo.
Zymox Shampoo and Conditioner - This is great if your pup is having skin allergies and itching a lot. You can bathe them 2 days per week and put on the leave in conditioner daily on the trouble spots, if needed.
Olive Leaf Extract - I can't say enough good things about Olive Leaf. There are so many benefits to giving your pup Olive Leaf daily for the first year of their life. Its a natural antibiotic, anti-parasite, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti fungal and more. We give our puppies one capsule daily of the Puritans Olive Leaf brand (you can find on Amazon) daily when they are pups, we also give it to your pup before they leave. Just open the capsule and spread it on their food. This helps them overcome and fight off all sorts of germs and it's great for helping to kill kennel cough. If you notice that your pup is not feeling great increase the dosage and give it to them more often throughout the day mixed with yogurt.
Ester-C - To help build and maintain cartilage and boost immune system, it's better than Vitamin C because they absorb it better. It also appears to be especially helpful for slowing – and some say, reversing – degenerative joint disease, hip dysplasia, and spinal disorders. Pups should have 500mg of Ester-C daily maintenance to help support their growing bodies which is so important that first couple years of their life. Ester-C is also an anti inflammatory and pain reliever so if your pup is having back issues this is a great way to treat it. By giving Ester-C you can actually prevent back injuries and avoid trips to the vet and expensive medications that will weaken their immune systems For the pups that have a back issue they should be on 1000mg daily for maintenance daily for their life span and if your pup is currently experiencing back issues and pain you can give 1500mg daily, once feeling better you can drop to 1000mg daily. When buying Ester-C you either want the powder form or pills, not the gel caps as they are too big to break down.
NuVet Vitamins - To help boost immune system. Also helps to fight allergies and skin issues. It's a great daily supplement. All my dogs are given these daily, as well as your new puppy. www.nuvet.com/312286, use code 312286 to order. It's really important for your pup to have these vitamins their first year to keep their immature immune system up while going through their shots. These can make a difference for your pups future and will help to keep your pup out of the vets office, so we highly recommend using them.
Natural Dog Company – We love all of their products! We use the Snout Soother all the time to help prevent dry noses. We also like to use the Wrinkle Balm after we have cleaned out their folds and Skin Soother for any time they get a skin irritation. Best natural balms on the market! https://naturaldogcompany.com/
Frenchie Bulldog Harnesses – We love the Frenchie Bulldog harnesses and leashes! They fit our frenchies perfectly and have the cutest patterns, and they're reversible. Of course, you can use any harness, but these are just so cute we can’t get enough of them!
Ear Cleaning Solution – We use Virbac-Otic Advanced Ear Cleaner for Dog & Cats as well as Zymox Ear Cleanser. Spray a little bit in your frenchies ear, rub it in and then take a cotton ball and clean out the inside of the ear. It’s okay for the solution to go down the ear canal, that’s how it cleans the inside.
Pet Insurance – We use Healthy Paws - We like to make sure we are covered in case anything was to happen to our pups. When we researched pet insurance we found that Healthy Paws covered the most and reimburses fast. They let you chose what deductible you want and how much coverage you want so that you have control over how much you pay monthly. Your pup can be covered after they turn 8 weeks.
https://www.healthypawspetinsurance.com/
Bones – We prefer to give our pups Bully Sticks and Yak Sticks. We never feed them Rawhide and NEVER give chicken bones to your Frenchie. When they are chewing on the bully stick and they end up with a white string at the end, you can cut the white part off so they don’t choke on it.
Vibactra by Amber Technology– Vibactra is as a natural way to maintain their immune system. It’s a natural antibiotic and anti-parasitic formula. This is very helpful to use when they are little to help them fight off germs and parasites. It’s also good for when traveling so that they don’t pick up anything along the way, especially if you go camping and they are drinking water from a stream, river or lake. Amber Technology also has other great products that we have used.
Bene-Bac Plus Pet Gel – Bene-Bac is a probiotic that helps with your pups digestive system and mico-flora. We will use Bene-Bac if one of our pup gets runny stools from getting into something they shouldn’t have. This will usually have your pups stool back to solid by the next day.
Goat Yogurt/Greek Yogurt - Goat and Greek Yogurt are a great probiotic to give yours pups and they love it. Just add a couple tablespoon fulls to their food, or as a treat. This is also helpful if your pup has an upset stomach. You can also add a teaspoon of pureed pumpkin if their stools are really runny.
Pumpkin Puree - Pumpkin puree, not the pumpkin pie mix, is great for your pup if they have runny stools or is constipated. They only need a teaspoon a couple times a day mixed in with their food to help them out.
Organic Apple Cider Vinegar- So many benefits to adding a teaspoon in your pups water daily. It helps with their immune system, tear stains, leveling out your pups PH levels and lots more. You can also use it as a topical if you dilute it 50/50 with water and add it to a spray bottle. It can help with itching, rashes (don't put on open wounds), hot spots, tick and flea repellent etc. It's as good for dogs as it is humans.
Histoplex- This will help your pup if they are itchy due to allergies. Give one pill twice a day. Order at www.deservingpets.com
Bovine Colostrum- So many good benefits to giving your pup and adult dog colostrum as a supplement! Colostrum helps build your pups immune system as well as helps your pup out during seasonal allergies and other autoimmune conditions. The antibodies in the colostrum give puppies passive immunity which protects them until their own immune system matures. Colostrum also helps stimulate cell growth, helps repair muscle, bone, and connective tissue. It can also heal the intestinal lining. Allergies are often an overactive immune response. The PRPs in colostrum help moderate that response. Colostrum also helps manage inflammation. Inflammation can cause rashes, itching, and discomfort for your dog. These are just to name a few benefits, there are so many more, just google it!
NuStock Ointment- NuStock is a sulfur based ointment that works great on pups who are having skin allergies and are itching a lot and have caused redness or rashes or any type of skin irritation. In some cases it will take the itch away within minutes of putting it on them. It also helps with hair re-growth in pups that are missing fur in certain areas due to injury or skin issues. It does have a very potent smell however, it works great and fast! It also works for pups that are having itchy ears or ear infections.
Dog Crates- There are lots of different companies that make crates. I usually order off of Amazon and the medium size or 30 inch will do. I prefer the ones that have 2 doors so they can be used in different configurations., like the picture below.
Puppy Play Pen- I prefer the stronger metal play pens so that the pup can't chew on it and it's sturdier than the plastic ones, so less likely the pup will escape. Here is a picture of one similar to the one I have. You can also find these on Amazon.
Perla Beds- We have been using Perla beds the last few years instead of fabric beds because they are pretty much indestructible . I have a Perla bed liner that I place at the bottom of the bed and then put clean blankets on it daily to make it nice and soft. Puppies are known for peeing on their bed and then you end up having to throw out the bed and get a new one, because beds can only be washed a few times before they fall apart. It's definitely not as cute as the fabric beds but, it will last years, its easy to clean and sanitize and you can put cute blankets for the pups to lay on.
Training Classes for pups- Petco and Petsmart have great puppy training classes that the whole family can take. We've had several puppy families take these classes and all of them have said it's been really helpful and taught them a lot. This is a great to get way to get your pup to learn basic commands and for you to know how to handle certain behaviors. The younger you get them started the better but your pup needs to be fully vaccinated before he/she can start.