Just finished reading a book about raw feeding and it says about cleaning up after your dog 'do not poison your pet with cleaning chemicals' which got me thinking what do you use to clean up after your dog? I was going to use anti-bacterial wipes or spray but am having second thoughts, i'd much prefer a more natural cleaner to kill any germs etc any ideas ?????
It also says that if your dog is on or has been on antibiotics to give it a natural non-dairy probiotic and a digestive enzyme for dogs for a few weeks when first starting on raw or for older dogs changing to raw-anyone have any ideas where i can find these or if there is a more natural form. I'm sure i read somewhere something about banana's but i can't remember if that was for the probiotic or digestive enzyme I've looked around the internet but haven't really gotten anywhere, i'd much rather use a food source if there is one.
Also Shanie (GSD) has really dry skin and my vet has suggested cod liver oil does anyone know if it's any good for dry skin and how much do i give her? or do you know of anything that may be better?
I've bought a few books from Amazon the first one arrived last week and i couldn't put it down It didn't really tell me much that i haven't already been told but i like the idea of having the books so if i have any questions i can just pick one up or if they don't have the answers i can always come on here and torment you all

Something i just found out tonight-my vet has gone and got herself a gorgeous L/W springer she's about a year old and was brought in by her previous owner who just said that they didn't want her Well she's got a great home now and goes in to work with her new mam
Don't know why i added this, i'm just so chuffed she's got herself a Springer She asked me tonight if Buddy often gets dirty, i just laughed and said if there's muck he'll find it he's a typical Springer muck magnet and by the sounds of things so's her new pup

I must admit, I think anti-bacterial wipes and sprays are just a marketing gag. Normal bacteria are everywhere and we are well able to cope with them, so what's the point of removing them for a minute from a surface? They will be there again presently. On the contrary, growing up in too sterile surroundings will make a child or animal prone to allergies later on.

The cleaning up after my dog I do is hoovering and wiping off paw or nose prints with a damp cloth. If she has made a mess on the carpet, I use ox gall soap. That is all I do. The germs are left in peace - as long as they will not bite me, I won't bite them either. It would be different of course if my dog were ill and would be shedding pathogens - then I would have to get a disinfectant.

Don't know about non-dairy probiotics - I' ve been told to give natural yoghurt after a course of AB and that's what I do. I've never given any digestive enzymes, as I think a healthy dog will produce all the required enzymes himself - but all my dogs have had very robust digestion, so I've never had to care for a truly sensitive stomach.

Really don't want to offend you, it's easily done by writing, and I understand your eagerness to do everything 1000% right (better that way than being careless!), but I find you go a bit round in circles .

My personal opinion to you, start feeding raw as you have been recommended by different sources and see how it goes. This includes feeding liver (again, ideally vary it a bit ...ox liver, pig liver, lamb liver and chicken liver, although chicken liver is expensive, but you get my point, eh?), oily fish and raw egg(s) in your 'weekly' regime and there is no need for cod liver oil really. Your GSD's skin might improve on a varied raw diet anyway, see how it goes before adding any supplements, take things slowly.

Floor cleaning ... I clean the area of floor where Fipps was eating the raw food from with anything (soapy dishwater for example) and wipe with plenty clean water afterwards to take the residues away.

Who me? Never

I'm looking into using probiotics and digestive enzymes mainly for Shanie as she is very sensitive to most things and thought (going from what i've read) that they might make switching over easier for her. She's nearly ten years old and was on antibiotics just before christmas and as i said is very sensistive to most things and if either of my two were to have any problems i could almost guarantee that it would be Shanie and don't think (fingers crossed) that i'll have a problem with Buddy, he's not got such a sensitive stomach or skin and he's just a pup still really-well, four years old isn't that old is it?

Sorry if going round in circles again