On this page you will find our recommendations for food,

vitamin supplementation, grooming, training and more. 

These recommendations are based on our experiences

with our own dogs and as breeders for the past 20 years.

The Lowdermilks

Dry Recipes

Prepared in small batches with fresh ingredients delivered daily, the Four-Star dry recipes for dogs offer the highest inclusion levels of fresh meat, fish, fruit, and vegetables.

• Learn about the features and benefits of Four-Star dry by clicking on the image of bag of food.
  

Can Recipes

The perfect compliment to their dry recipes or a rich savory meal by themselves. Available in three shredded varieties. We like to mix a spoonful of canned food with some warm water to make a “gravy” to pour over our dogs’ dry food. They love it!

• Learn about the features and benefits of Four-Star canned food by clicking on the image of the can of food.
  

Why Zija?

I tell you all this because I have discovered that many people have been giving Zija’s Smart Mix to their four legged friends; including cats, dogs, horses and many different exotics. Now that I have seen the phenomenal results my friends and I have had on this product, it seemed only logical that I would start using it with my cotons instead of the NuVet vitamins.  Here is why:

 The Moringa in Zija’s Smart Mix…

*Contains 46 antioxidants & 36 anti-inflammatories,

*Contains Omegas 3, 6, & 9, and 20 amino acids

Zija for Pets

The average coton would need ½ tsp. of Smart Mix each day. You can either mix with water or sprinkle over their food. I sprinkle it over their food then put a bit of “gravy” over the dry food and stir.  I make this gravy by mixing a bit of canned dog food and warm water.  My dogs love it.  If your dog should become ill at some point in time, you can safely increase their normal amount by giving it to them twice a day until they recover.  One packet of Zija’s Smart Mix contains 4 tsp. of Zija powder and each case contains 32 packets so you can see that a case of Smart Mix will last quite a long time.  At the end of this page you will find a number of testimonials from pet owners who have given Zija’s Smart Mix to their pet and the incredible results they experienced. 

I signed up as a distributor for Zija so that I could purchase the product for myself at wholesale.  Once I started reading about people who were giving it to their dogs, I wanted to make this incredible product available to my puppy owners as well.  If you do your research, like I did, I imagine you will want to not only give Zija’s Smart Mix to your coton but you will want to take it as well.  Zija offers a Preferred Customer program that allows customers who sign up for a monthly reorder of product to purchase at wholesale.  Under the Preferred Customer program the company autoships your product to you every 28 days. That would give you enough Smart Mix in a case for one human and one coton!  What a deal!!! The wholesale cost of one case of Smart Mix (32 packets) is $90.  If you decide to purchase Smart Mix  for your coton only, you can order a case at retail for $105.  It will last about 256 days at ½ tsp. a day.  If you have questions, want more info, or need help ordering, just give me a call. You can also call the company directly at 888-913-9452.  Give them my distributor #1188512 and tell them you would like to order a case of Smart Mix.  Please do not order Zija products through Amazon or other sites online.  These people are marketing the products through unethical practices.

  Click here to Purchase Zija's Smart Mix online

If you are more comfortable with a supplement specifically made for dogs, then we recommend NuVet Plus. 

Click the image to the left to visit their website.

800-474-7044-order code:  99741

Canine Vaccination Guidelines

The duration of immunity for vaccines for diseases like rabies, distemper, and parvovirus have been shown to be 7 years. More importantly it has been scientifically proven that, after the initial series, when vaccines are re-administered the immune status of the patient is not enhanced.  Antibodies from the initial vaccine block the subsequent vaccines from having any effect.

Although the true interval at which re-administration of Rabies, Distemper, Parvovirus, Adenovirus and Para influenza vaccinations will enhance the immunity in a significant number of dogs has not been determined, an arbitrary compromise interval of every three years has been agreed upon by the American Animal Hospital Association, the American Association of Feline Practitioners, and 22 Schools of Veterinary Medicine. It is the consensus of immunologists and experts that the duration of immunity is much longer and is probably the life of the patient. This three-year compromise interval will greatly reduce the number of antigens administered, and therefore the risk of adverse reactions, while providing the most complete protection against preventable diseases possible.

Puppy shots are recommended at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks.  Rabies is to be given at 16 weeks.  Boosters given every 3 years. 

We do not vaccinate against Corona or Leptospirosis. These diseases are not endemic in Arizona and the risk of side effects outweighs any benefits.  Check with your vet for recommendations for your state.  Your puppy will come with a Health Record that we created.  Reference your health record to see what vaccinations have been administered as well as other treatments and/or vet visits.

A microscopic fecal exam should be a part of your initial visit to the vet with your new puppy.  Our puppies live indoors in our home. We do our best to maintain a clean, sanitary environment for our puppies, however coccidia is very common in Arizona and extremely difficult to avoid in a kennel situation where puppies live where they potty. Coccidia are small protozoans (one-celled organisms) that live in the intestinal tracts of dogs and cats. Most infected puppies are in the four to twelve week age group. The possibility of coccidia should always be considered when a loose stool or diarrhea is encountered in this age group. Blood and mucous in the stool may also be present. We often give a round of Albon to our puppies as a preventative treatment for coccidia, however, it may need to be repeated once the puppy is in your care.

Grooming your Coton is an important part of their daily care.  A quick brushing each day will allow your Coton to maintain his beautiful trademark coat with little or no hassle.  Although the Coton is considered a non-shedding dog, the hair in their undercoat does come loose and will mat together if not brushed out frequently.  Using the proper grooming tools that will reach down into the undercoat to remove loose hairs is key to keeping your Coton free of mats.  Be sure to start at the dog’s back end pulling the hair forward then brushing it back toward the bottom.  This ensures that you are getting to the undercoat.  Be sure to end with a good finishing comb or brush with long tines.  Here are some of our grooming recommendations:

We use the Plush Puppy line of shampoos and conditioners.  They have an extensive line of products.  I am sure there are many quality products out there--these are just the ones we choose to use.  We are able to purchase these products locally, however, you can purchase them online as well by clicking the images of the products below.  Bear in mind that these products are concentrated-that is why they are so expensive.  I fill a 24 oz. water bottle with water and add about 8 pumps of shampoo to it.  Gently mix and use generously. I can get 2-3 baths out of that.  I usually use the Whitening shampoo only on paws and around their mouths.  I pump a pea sized bit of shampoo onto my fingers and work into wet hair.

We use a variety of tools to groom our dogs.  Some people prefer to puppy cut their coton.  This reduces the amount of grooming required. 

Our first brush was a Mason Pearson nylon brush.  That was over 7 years ago and it is still in great shape.  We have discovered that buying quality products may require quite an investment in the beginning but it is worth it in the long run.  I found someone online who sold me a brush that had been returned for a significantly discounted price.  You can find him at http://www.tressence.com.

We also like to use a good slicker brush for removing loose hair and tangles and a good pin brush for finishing.  We use the Chris Christensen line.  They are good quality and the pins on the slicker brush do not hurt the dog’s skin like a cheap slicker brush.  We have found that we save a lot of money by ordering them online versus purchasing them at our favorite boutique pet store.

All of Chris Christensen Systems Slicker Brushes have a super soft relaxed cushion and lightweight Beech Wood body with contoured handles to meet the needs of any brushing style or direction.

 The curved back slicker brushes create a motion that is not obtainable by flat back slicker brushes, cutting your grooming time drastically.

We use the Pet Park system by PetZoom.  It is a plastic tray with artificial grass on top.  The puppies will begin crawling over to the grass at around 3 weeks of age to relieve themselves.  By the time they are 6 weeks old they rarely potty anywhere but on the Pet Park.  If you live in an apartment or will be gone for hours at a time, you might want to consider purchasing something like the Pet Park.  

We recommend crate training a very young puppy.  If a puppy is given too much freedom it will be confused and potty all over the house.  This complicates the housebreaking process.  Remember that your puppy will need to go out to potty first thing in the morning and within 15-20 minutes of eating.  Come up with a single word that will be the signal word for going potty.  Say it when you take your puppy out to potty and again when your puppy relieves himself.  Cotons are very intelligent dogs.  They catch on quickly.

Remember that it is vitally important that you establish yourself as the pack leader from the very beginning with your new puppy.  You might want to visit Cesar Millan’s website for tips- http://www.cesarsway.com/taxonomy/term/657.

There are other good training courses available on the internet.  Do a little research and find one that fits your personality and needs.

We also suggest a good puppy training class once your puppy is a bit older.  Places like PetSmart offer inexpensive classes for puppies that will get you off to a good start. To get you started I have recorded a demonstration video of a training activity called "Settle".  This is an activity that you  begin using right away with your new puppy.  Just click the movie icon below to view.

If you have any questions, we are always here to help in any way we can.

Michael and Cathy Lowdermilk

Zija Pet Testimonials

I have a 9 year old lab whose arthritis was so bad after a long trip across the country that we were afraid we would have to put him down. It was so bad he could hardly stand to get himself outside and go to the bathroom and had to be carried. Having taken Zija myself for a few weeks I started to give it to him. Within a few days he was able to walk again and now he is very agile. That was about 6 months ago and just the other day he jumped up on our bed again by himself-something he had not done in about 2 years.  -- Rev. Brad 

While Noreen was treating Bella, I started having some health issues. I saw Noreen (as a Certified Nutrition Counselor) in April of 2006, just prior to my surgery in May, when I became an ovarian & uterine cancer survivor. At the time, she did a Meridian Stress Assessment and put me on a number of whole-food supplements. I continued on the supplements until I heard about this new product, Zija, in July of 2008. I no longer take all those supplements, as I can drink them each morning in my Zija – it has everything I was taking in a pill form in that one-serving can. I honestly have not felt this good in years!

This year my other dog, Decca, the sister to Bella, had her usual allergy flair up and I once again called Noreen for HELP! Noreen ran an MSA on Decca – we changed her food and put her on Zija. It has been 2 months and you'd never know Decca ever had any problem at all. Noreen, thank you for staying on top of technology and for bringing Zija into our lives. You are a blessing to both, humans and animals. — Michele L, Bella & Decca

Dixie was one of my co-workers whose dog was taking treatments for cancer. Ray Ray is a little dog and he had been taking chemo treatments since Oct. 2009. During his treatments in April, the vet sent him home to die because his blood count was so low the vet was unable to give him any more treatments. I told Dixie to put a little Zija in his food, but she said he was too weak to eat. I then told her to wet her finger, put it in the Zija, and rub it in his mouth. She did that twice daily for two weeks till his next scheduled appointment. When she arrived at the vet, he could not believe it was Ray Ray. His blood count was up enough that they were able to give him his treatment. During his next visit, two weeks later, his blood count was over 8,000. His treatments were going so well the vet wanted to know what she was doing. She told him about Zija.  As of today, Ray Ray is running around and jumping on the bed again and acting like he did before he became ill.  Mary E.- Virginia