Pet therapy
It's official, Having a pet is good for your health!
I have no idea how I can across this site but I thought it was kinda cute and you might find it interesting if not amusing.
There is an article on meditating with your dog, anybody done this? I saw a yoga for dogs DVD at he video store the other month and had a good giggle.
There is also an article on "what you should never feed your dog" I wonder if that is now obsolete now that you can just give them a weight loss pill? Anyway it states that chocolate is no good for our little four legged friends and then goes on to say the mushroom, onions and garlic are also not good. Probably worth reading if you give your dog food scraps or cook for it. But then it says that anti-freeze will shut down your dogs kidney. Who gives their dogs anti-freeze?!? So I'm not sure how reliable a source this guy is.
Me again...
I so totally do not believe in over vaccination. Until Pie Shop got sick and I went to a holistic vet, I believed everything. Did the yearly bull sh*t.
I now have 6 companions that would require vaccinations if I chose to.
Harold will be 19 in March. She hasn't had a vaccination in over 12 or 13 years.
I inherited Tobi. Going to be 13 in March. He hasn't had a vaccination in the 6 years he has joined my home and I convinced my parents for a couple of years before that, that they were doing him harm so he has been vaccine free for at least 8 or 9 years,
Emma Orange Blossom and Smedley Hoover will be 7 in July. They came from my holistic vet from feral parents. They have had one distemper shot and I am not even sure if they had a rabies shot (think they had one). My cats don't go outdoors. My fear of cars and their health make me keep them indoors. Mind you, my cats lack in nothing for entertainment and do go on my balcony.
When I got Biko, my African Grey he had a pancheo (spelled wrong?) vaccine. He had such a reaction that caused a lump. My avian vet wrote on his file to never give him another one. Biko will be 17 this year and when I gave him the shot, I was not in to naturopathic medicine or holistic practices.
I hate that animals are over vaccinated. Rabies shots are good for three years but the government obligates people to do it yearly. Guess a huge way to make money! :-(
Over the last many years, my dogs and not been vaccinated.
My friend's dog had such a bad reaction to his rabies vaccine that he can actually die if he has another. Many kennels are willing to allow them to board with a veterinary note and a waiver signed by you.
I have been to a few emergency vet clinics over the years and they never once asked me about shots.
My holistic vet once told me the lumps and bumps we blame on old animals is OVER VACCINATION. I believe it now.
If you feed your pet a natural diet and give them the supplements they need, their immune systems help fight off disease. If you feed your pet a processed diet on a daily basis, their immune systems don't have the same fighting tools.
Now, for everyone that responded about my beautiful bald Cali, I went to the health food store today.
I got her many immune building supplements. Thanks Dave for telling me about the Tea Tree Oil. I know about tea tree oil but never thought about it for Cali. The guy at my health food store said it might sting so to dampen a wash cloth and put a little on and rub it over her. Then build up to more. Of course I will know if it stings her the second I first apply it.
She is going to be taking digestive enzymes, acidophilus & bifidus, a mixed Carotenoid complex mix, an immune system booster that includes dandelion, omega fatty acids and a new and improved home cooked diet. Vitamin E as well. I know I am missing out on the other things she will get as I didn't buy them today and have them here already.
I talked to my conventional vet and I am willing to do the anti-biotics for another two weeks and the advantage multi. After two weeks when her skin is scraped to check for mites, I am taking her to my holistic vet. I haven't seen my holistic vet since my sweet Isabela died in June. She doesn't even know about Cali.
I made a very hard decision today to continue conventional for two more weeks with all the supplements that I bought. I truly think she needs both.
Oh, as well, I will now be bathing her every two days. I will be rotating from an organic omega fatty acid shampoo and the medicinal one. She will also get a very conditioning oatmeal conditioner.
Cali will get better! She has moved into my home and my heart. I will not give up on her. I told her so and I know she knows I mean it.
By spring or summer, she will be running in the park with all her hair. She left Greece as a sorry soul and although she has found love and happiness, she has had a set back. That is not acceptable to me or to her. Calista is so beautiful, even bald. Soon, she will be beautiful with all of her fur.
Isabela told an animal communicator that I had to rescue another dog. Cali is THAT dog. Isabela would have loved her and if she is looking down at us, would be very pleased with my choice.
RIP Isabela. I still miss you so much!
Di
Hey Di,
It sounds to me like you are doing the right thing for Cali. Sorry about Isabella, you sound like you still miss her terribly. I too think that you found Cali for a reason. You are the one that is meant to give her a safe home, take care of her, and give her all the love she deserves. Trust me she knows how much you love her, and how much you are doing for her. She's learning that there are us human types that have a heart, and won't hurt her. She's learing that hands are for petting and caressing, instead of hitting and throwning rocks.....
My one question for you (to ask your holistic vet about) is when you say advantage multi...do you mean the flea and tick stuff? Your vet will know better then me, but my common-sense-o-meter ( that actually might be the STUPIDEST term I ever came up with ::)) is telling me that she may be having a bad reaction to that stuff. It can be very harsh on a dogs skin.....anyway i would ask someone who knows more then me about using that stuff at all.
-dave
hey chocsoymilk...
i agree with you wanting to feed your cats meat. i understand people that decide to feed their animals vegan foods, but cats and dogs really are carnivores. if you're really concerned about buying into the animal-slaughtering cycle, there's a few suggestions i have.
if you live in a fairly large city, there's probably an organic, hormone-free, "humane" butchershop around. i know that the farmers market i go to in chicago has a bunch of people selling local, "humane" meat. i know i've seen a couple stores like that around too. i don't eat meat, but if i were going to, i would buy from a place like that.
if you went to a store like that, you might even be able to convince them to give you some leftovers. even a supermarket butcher counter might do that for you. i know that is what my mom did for our dog. again, i hate the idea of buying and handling meat, but the knowledge that you're buying (or getting for free) from a locally owned farm that at least attempts to treat their animals well might be a small consolation to you.
I'm not sure how much credit to give to this study, since this is the first time I've heard of it and there doesn't seem to be actual scientific links (all they have is the claim itself), but I was doing research on natural cat care and came across "Pottenger's Cats." Apparently this scientist came up with the idea to feed some cats cooked milk and meat, and other cats raw milk and meat. The "raw" cats flourished while the cats with the cooked diet were subject to physical malformaties, weakened ligments, parasties, organ malfuntions, and an inability to reproduce after the third generation. Has anyone else heard of this guy/study? And is there any credence to his claims?
The link to the site is http://www.price-pottenger.org/Articles/PottsCats.html - I haven't explored it much.
Hello again, all.
Read Goldstein's book (well the vital parts, anyway) and am now CONVINCED that a combo of holistic and conventional Western medicine is the way to go with my dearie. I am going to order a copy for my sister and a friend who are both animal lovers who both feed their animals crap. Hopefully, they will read and implement some of the suggestions too. Fool that I was, I used to think that 14 years was a rich, full life . . . Hmmmmm . . . .
When I think back on my last cat and how she died at 12.5 of HEART FAILURE--coincidentally the afternoon after she'd been to the vet for all her boosters--and she had no sign of a heart condition previously! Another cat who'd also had congestive heart failure at nine--and lived another year an a half on drugs! It's really outrageous!
I am DONE with vaccinations. I am going to titer only and the only way I'd administer a vaccine again would be for rabies if titer isn't sufficient--or if there's another vaccine that is required by law.
Also, bought the Wellness cat food that was suggested by Duckalucky. Well, so far she isn't biting, (literally) but now having read Goldstein's book, I know it's ok for her to fast for awhile. So I am not panicking. I have mixed in a little of the old Purina crap, (I hope I don't get censored for bashing a name brand on this site--I don't know if I'm allowed to do that) but will cut it out this week.
She has been treated twice for ear mites. Doesn't have them. It's just a lot of wax. I'm hoping the new diet will see improvement in the ear condition. I'm a little bewildered bc the book says food allergies are usually manifested in diarrhea or other bowel issues. But, I'm going to give the food a month. If no improvement, I'll ask the new vet.
Also have decided to supplement the dry Wellness diet with cooked food. I hate to go buy meat, but Goldstein says they get bored with the same meal every day for the rest of their lives. I don't want my darling to suffer! Maybe I'll start off with canned tuna and veggies . . .
Rachandra--to be honest, I would probably feed my dog (if I had one) a vegan diet. But a cat is something entirely different . . .
I'm so sorry your baby isn't interested in the Wellness food-- mine jumped right at it. I haven't tried the kibble with her (her teeth are sufficiently bad that kibble is a no-no) but after a couple months of feeding her on Wellness and watching her wax from skeletal to healthy, I am convinced... unfortunately, I'm not your cat. ;)
Hey Chocsoymilk,
I'm so glad you got the book! i have had it for so many years and still reference it almost weekly. I am about to run out, but keep me posted on how she's doing.
If you can get it anywhere near you, try Nature's Variety ...Raw Instinct...actually any of their foods.
Also Solid Gold...that's what I used to feed everyone in NY (actually one of the foods)..
I think your going to see some great improvements on the wellness...If she's not interested right now i definitly would add some "goodies" to her dish and mix in the wellness.
Anytime I've switched I've never done the "mixing change-over" I've just started the new kibble..never had a problem.
Rachandra--to be honest, I would probably feed my dog (if I had one) a vegan diet. But a cat is something entirely different . . .
Chocsoymilk, please do not ever get a dog if you are considering a vegan diet. Dogs are carnivoires. They are not something completely different. They have different needs than cats but none the less, they have their teeth for reasons. In the wild, they certainly didn't go and dig up carrots. Not trying to be disrespectful but please research all of this carefully if you decide to one day add a dog to your life.
Di
Really glad to have the thread re: vaccines. I too have always been a "responsible" pet owner, v. anal about vaccination updates etc. But the mysterious shrinking of my beloved Saul's liver has given me pause. He was fine until he hit about 10 and then his liver became about a third smaller than it should be??? He developed diabetes at about age 12 and ended up being put down due to complications. :'( Now that the microchip is mandatory in Europe for dogs, cats and ferrets, I don't know if there will be as much leeway as there was with the greenbook system...or whether the vaccine police would turn up on my doorstep with a healthy fine, since the animal would be in the system.
Maybe if we got a dog, got its first vaccines, and then MOVED...naw, spect not...
yabbit..are ALL vaccines manditory in your part of the world or just rabies?
Di:
Thank you for your concern--I do know you have good intentions. But I don't have a dog now and am not in the market for one, so it's not an issue with me.
Yabbit--you have GOT to get and read the book suggested by Davedrum. Author is Martin Goldstein and the book I read by him is The Nature of Animal Healing. Look for it on Amazon. Seriously, it was ILLUMINATING!!! You will be shocked--both the food and vaccination issues.
Chocsoymilk, please do not ever get a dog if you are considering a vegan diet. Dogs are carnivoires. They are not something completely different. They have different needs than cats but none the less, they have their teeth for reasons. In the wild, they certainly didn't go and dig up carrots. Not trying to be disrespectful but please research all of this carefully if you decide to one day add a dog to your life.
Di
Yes, PLEASE do not do this to your dog. Or any other animal companion that happens to be a carnivore.
This was discussed earlier in a post about cats. I would suggest that you search for that thread and read it -it's long, but informative. :)
If you want to feed vegan, find yourself a different companion. There are plenty of nice herbivorous pets out there -- rabbits for one which are NOT as stupid as people think. They can use a litter box and be trained to walk (hop?) on a leash. And who can resist those ears?
I you are looking for legitimate, non-biased studies on diet, there are numerous sites:
http://www.avma.org/
http://www.plos.org/index.php
http://www.plosone.org/home.action
http://www.pnas.org/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
And possibly some things here:
http://www.eurekalert.org/
http://www.sciencedirect.com/
cheers!
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Ferret Research: http://ferretknots.blogspot.com/
Ferret Resources: http://nippynihon.blogspot.com/
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Mahatma Gandhi:
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
Majicka: the rabies vaccination is mandatory in Europe but they also have you tracked for the rest of them (in the case of cats, FIP and FELV, dogs of course distemper.) These days if you get a dog or cat spayed, they check for the microchip, which is expensive! and nearly triples the cost of vaccination. If your animal is unchipped, you get fined. Soooo, that means that many people are not neutering their animals because they don't want to have to spend on unwanted vaccinations and chips. I really dislike the microchip thing...a little too Revelations 12 for me... :D
Chocsoy: Getting US-written books on the subject wouldn't help much as our laws are completely different here and the authorities really don't care about your personal philosophy. One's stance on animal rights has not much effect on legislation...and yet, they know about illegal imports of protected spieces, and dog fighting, and do sod-all about it...
yabbit: that stinks! Here microchipping is about $50 and recommended especially if you show/compete with your dogs..just in case. They are going to end up with serious population problems if they are requiring it with spay/neuters.
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