Good health for your Skye begins with the good health of its parents. Breeding from sound dogs ups the probability that your puppy will start life with what it takes to be physically and mentally healthy.

Close attention should be paid to the bitch when she's due to deliver. For example, when Morgan decided she wanted to nest in the ready box we had set up for her neonate, my husband made sure she stayed in the whelping pen instead. You can see the positive outcome of his efforts.

Proper nutrition is the foundation for lifelong health. While my pups nurse until their dam weans them herself, they're introduced to a 'biologically appropriate raw food' diet as soon as possible. In this picture, Brendan tucks in to his very first snack of pureed raw chicken. (The collar is the size that will fit him when he's fully grown. Click here for a short pictorial essay of him awaiting a meal when he's an adult.)

My perspective is that feeding my Skyes a kibbled dog food diet would be similar to a human continually eating at a fast food restaurant. The human wouldn't die, but they'd sure be healthier and live longer if they ate fresh foods. Filtered water is also a good idea.

Good veterinary care is also important. I make sure my veterinarian is up to date on the latest information about vaccinations. Many veterinary schools no longer recommend repeated doses of the 6-in-one puppy vaccines. My Skyes get their rabies vaccine at the maximum amount of time allowed by law (once per three years in my state). I have titers run every year - at the same time as their heartworm tests - to see if they need revaccinating with distemper and parvo. For example, after receiving one combo puppy shot at the age of 8 weeks, Rhiannon didn't need revaccinating until she was almost two years old. If your Skye has a bad reaction to any of these shots, it might be possible for your veterinarian to document the need for an exemption.

There are ways, and then there are ways to obtain and maintain good health. After struggling with recurrent bouts of colitis with my first show Skye which were treated with ever-stronger medications prescribed by my veterinarian, I figured that there had to be a better way. That's when I started learning about holistic health care.

The sort of health care we in the US are most familiar with is 'allopathic' - it treats the 'what' of disease. 'Holistic' health care treats the 'why' of disease. The term 'holistic' covers a range of modalities: homeopathy, chiropractic and acupuncture are probably those you've heard of. A wise owner realizes that there is room for both in keeping their Skye healthy.

Many books and hundreds of websites are devoted to helping people find out about holistic veterinary care. I urge you to do your own research. There are links on the Resources page to help get you started.

*achondroplasia - a genetic disorder disturbing normal growth of cartilage, resulting in a form of dwarfism characterized by a usually normal torso and shortened limbs, and usually inherited as an autosomal dominant