Holistic Animal Health articles by Dr.
Christina Chambreau D.V.M.
by Christina Chambreau,
DVM
The purpose of this newsletter is to empower you to keep your animals
healthy - and yourselves, too. As part of me keeping myself healthy, this
newsletter is issued only sporadically. There are a lot of "tidbits" this
time as I have been accumulating information for a year. This is going
out in email format first, so if you will send your e-mail address to cbctina@aol.com,
I will now be able to send frequent, brief updates or copies of my talks
to organizations to the email subscribers. I would love to print letters
that you would like to share with other holistically oriented animal partners.
Send what has worked for you, what you have done that did not work as well
as fun and wonderful stories about your animal family.
NEW BOOK Don Hamilton's new book, Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs
is now out. It is wonderful. I highly recommend you buy it and read it.
He says all the things you have heard from me and more.
Homeopathic
Care for Cats and Dogs : Small Doses for Small Animals by DVM, Don
Hamilton
"This book is an understandable introduction to veterinary homeopathy
for the beginner. Dr. Hamilton explains the history and theory of homeopathy
in such a way that virtually anyone can grasp the basic principles. However,
this is not just an introductory text. It is also a great reference tool
for the more experienced animal guardian. Part One covers Homeopathic Principles,
including an introduction, the nature of disease and the nature of cure.
Very important tenets of this modality, and very different from allopathic
medicine. Part Two provides step-by-step guidance on treating animals with
homeopathy. It also explains when NOT to treat your animal without the
guidance of an experienced homeopathic practitioner. While Part Three discusses
vaccinations and the role they play in the health and illness in our companion
animals. Part Four is the Materia Medica, which describes the individual
remedies. "An amazon.com reviewer
COURSES cover basic overview of the holistic paradigm, nutrition, vaccination
controversy, modalities like Reiki, Massage, Chinese medicine, homeopathy
and answer questions. Friends of clients who have barely heard of holistic
medicine or homeopathy and people who have been using homeopathy for years
all get benefit from this overview of what it takes to keep our animals
really healthy. Exact directions and schedule will be mailed when you register.
Register by sending a check for $50 to Christina Chambreau, 908 Cold Bottom
Road, Sparks, MD 21152.
CLIENTS RESPOND - These responses came from the last newsletter.
From Joanne Eisenstein of Baltimore, MD came this feeding tip. "The additional
nutrients I have been using lately are . I think Frosty has really benefited
from the PetGuard and the Prozyme. His fur looks very shiny and he is not
shedding like he was plus a lot more energetic. Boots and Rosie are on
the same program and also are doing fine."
From Gail Pope who runs Brighthaven in California (brighthavn@aol.com)
comes this. "I just received my September 1998 copy of 'The Healthy Animal
Update. Thank you so much - it is wonderful to have a fun publication,
which contains such an enormous wealth of education and experience. (Gail
now publishes her own - Brighthaven Chronicles.) I would like to encourage
your readers in their natural direction by telling them a little about
how 'all things Holistic' have helped us here at 'Brighthaven' - a retirement
home for cats over the age of 16 years!!! We have been working principally
with Diet, Homeopathy and Herbs for approximately 3 years, and I would
love to encourage your readers that it is never too late to start getting
healthier and live longer!! Our new arrivals are in their teens or twenties
and all of them respond magnificently to natural care. We see the same
results here as with younger animals - that is: bright shining eyes and
coats and lots more energy and always a return to better health. Recently
we lost our dear sweet "Alice" who achieved a magnificent 28 years. Please
do remember that your animal is never too old to start getting healthier!!!"
Gail is willing to help you by phone with your cats - especially about
diet and nurturing. Make a contribution to her organization (she has over
75 cats, and many other species, too). Brighthavn@aol.com A wonderful animal
communicator, June Hughes (I love her book by dolphins.), suggests the
following 3 products. "Just Amylase cleared up Tiggy's skin problems. Young
Living Essential oils engender peace and calming. Put on paw pads. This
is good for storms and when they are restless at night. Extralife by Immunotech
is a whey protein from organic and happy cows. It is economical only for
little dogs and cats at $30 per can, but she feels it is good for energy."
FOLLOW UP ON TREATMENT - I would like at least one call after you feel
your animal is doing great, so I can go over all the symptoms one more
time. Then I can suggest when to call back. In many cases, we are finding
that to really keep our animals healthy in our polluted environment, we
need to keep them under the influence of remedies. This means giving another
remedy when any of the symptoms plateau or resurface for longer than an
acute flare up. There is a natural tendency for the vital force to slip
back until it has become healthy enough and then it will stay healthy.
We may need to give remedies their whole life. An analogy is that of a
plant whose stem and leaves have been cut off. Sometimes that kills the
plant, but other plants (those great yellow dandelions!) come right back
until you dig the root out. We give a remedy every time the vital force
lags - like pushing a merry-go-round to keep up momentum rather than letting
it completely stop before pushing again.
MONTHLY PHYSICALS BY YOU - Learning what is normal for each of your
animals is very important. One way to do this is to keep a journal. The
other (and write it in your journal) is to examine your animal monthly
once they are adults and not sick, more frequently when young or ill. Start
at the head and slowly work over every inch of their bodies. I will do
more of this in a later issue, at least for those of you with email.
AND YEARLY CHECK-UPS BY ME - Even when you think your animal is in glowing
health, go to your local conventional veterinarian for a yearly exam. This
is important so you can show how holistic methods are successful and so
that her expertise can recognize a problem before you. Of course you will
have noticed many problems by yourself, but a trained professional can
pick up more. And call me at least once a year. I will again offer a free
10 minute annual check-up for any patient whom I have treated more than
one time in the past. We will evaluate the more subtle signs of disease
and look at questions you have.
THOSE LITTLE HINTS OF ILL HEALTH - As you watch your animals and
examine them monthly and write in their journal, look for the following
clues that the energy field is out of balance. We may not start treatment
right away, but if you observe several, we should start or re-start treatment.
Dogs and Cats: SKIN: doggy smell; attracts fleas a lot; dry, oily, lack-luster
coat; excessive shedding; not grooming, ear problems - waxy, oily, itchy,
recurrent mites; eye discharge, tearing, or matter in corner of eyes; raised
third eyelid; spots appearing on iris; "freckles" appearing on face; whiskers
falling out; fragile, thickened, distorted claws that are painful or sensitive
to trim. BEHAVIOR: Fears(of loud noises, thunder, wind, people, animals,
life); too timid; too rough or aggressive (even at play); too hard to train;
barks too much and too long; suspicious nature; biting when petted too
long; hysteria when restrained; clumsy; indolent; licking or sucking things
or people too much; not using litter box, not covering stool. DIGESTIVE:
Bad breath; tarter accumulation; loss of teeth; poor appetite; craving
weird things(rubber bands, plastic, dirt, cat litter, paper, dogs eating
dog or cat stools, rocks, sticks..); sensitivity to milk; thirst - a super
healthy cat on non dry food will drink at most once a week; red gum line;
vomiting often, even hairballs more than a few times a year; mucus on stools;
tendency to diarrhea with least change of diet; obesity; anal gland problems;
recurrent parasites. STIFFNESS when getting up, early hip dysplasia; tires
easily in hot or cold weather; can no longer jump up on counters, or go
up or down steps. TEMPERATURE: Low grade fevers - Normal is 100-101.5.
AGE and REPRODUCTION: Should live a long life (Shepherds 17 years, Danes
12, cats 24); should be able to conceive easily, deliver normally, and
not pass on "genetic oops" Horses: MIND: cribbing and/or weaving; pen/stall
walking; flank sucking; over-reactive; fearful, excessively territorial
or aggressive; Fear of loud noises, slightest noises, narrow spaces. SKIN,
RESPIRATORY: puffy around eyes; chronic conjunctivitis; dull eyes; "foal
snots"; asthma sweat on upper body but not lower, sticky sweat, unpleasant
odor, dry and/or dull hair coat, dry skin, poor-healing wounds, greasy
skin on face. STOMACH: foul breath, fissures at corners of mouth, salivation
from clover, hollow seeming teeth, hard to float, loose teeth at under
20 years old, coprophagia/pica, craves salt, fussy eating, intolerant to
fat, repeated colics, sensitivity to weather changes with GIT signs, excessively
susceptible to parasites, potbellied foals, distended abdomen (hay belly)
in adults, rectum tears easily when palpated, hard dry fecal balls. EXTREMITIES:
warm up very slowly; stiff muscles; tie up if not warmed up; swollen legs:
hot or cold may or may not go down with exercise; unable to lift back feet;
unable to balance on three legs, bad odor without pathology, excessive
moisture in feet, sensitive to hammering in nails GENERALITIES: poor exercise
tolerance; fat deposits- cresty necks, around tail head, top of croup,
etc; disturbed by temperature changes; offensive odors; not wanting touching,
grooming. Other Species: How would they be in the wild? Is this really
health? Learn the normals and be open for more health. Rabbits - red line,
black teeth, eating roots. EXPENSES A tip to lessen the cost of consults,
phone or in person, is to keep a list of the symptoms your animal has now,
and tell the practitioner how each one has changed over time. This is important
in deciding the next step.
RAW FOODS: List of Raw
Pet Food Products - click here
EAR
MITES Some cats, even when fairly healthy otherwise, have trouble clearing
mites. These are many formulas in Pitcairn, Frazier, McKinnon, and de Bairacli
Levy. The newest suggestion I have is an Ayurvedic medicine from Ayush
Herbs - Neem oil. At this point I do not think it interferes with the homeopathic
response. What ever you treat with, be sure to also treat the tip of the
tail, as it is near the ears when cats curl up and can transmit mites back
to the ear. TICKS A friend of mine did get guinea hens this year and has
had no more ticks.
SUB CUTANEOUS FLUID ADMINISTRATION TRICK For those of you giving fluids
under the skin to keep your older animals healthy - please warm the fluids
before administering them. The easiest way is to run the IV tubing through
a tall container of hot water.
FLEAS I spoke about fleas at length in
the last issue. For a copy of my flea handout, email me or call. ($3.00
to mail one, free for email). Treating the yard with the microscopic nematodes
has been a favorite suggestion of mine, but several people said that the
product was no longer available. I have said to get it from Flea Busters.
They no longer carry the product, although in Florida and some other areas
they will treat your yard with the product. It is still on the market .
The dry product seems to be off the market. The nematodes are still available,
but you have to order direct from the companies, as they have to be kept
refrigerated, as they are live. They are on a sponge that you keep refrigerated
until use (max 3 months), soak in water, wring out, then spray on yard.
1 sponge does 2,500 square feet. In Florida and a few other areas, the
Flea Busters company does apply it to your yard. The 2 companies I found
are Hydrogarden in Colorado, 800-634-6362 and Farnam, 800-267-5211. Dr.
Epstein, a homeopathic veterinarian in Delaware has a different opinion
than I about flea treatments. She feels that Advantage, used sparingly,
is all right. "The other thing I like about Advantage is that if there
is a reaction, you can shampoo it off and you're finished. I have never
seen a reaction in a dog. Cats sometimes will get a local alopecia from
the alcohol, and the manufacturer recommends spreading it out over the
skin in subsequent applications."
HELP FOR ITCHY SKIN Cell Tech Blue Green
algae users suggest feeding the Cell Tech Acidophilus daily in the morning
before giving food. Feed 1/2 capsule to small dogs and up to 6 to large
dogs. You can't feed too much.
FARM ANIMALS I have not researched these products yet, but call Chuck
Mounce, 712-792-0216. He has a number of drenches for rabbits to cows.
Subscribe to: Acres magazine 1 800-355-5313 Scott Hoskett is a homeopathic
veterinarian who treats all sorts of farm animals. He and others who have
recently joined the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy can be found at the
referral site, theAVH.org. COOKING IS NOT GOOD FOR GARLIC? Contact Barbara
Hale at bah@psu.edu, 814-865-9481 on the following information.. Chopping
and cooking affect garlic's anti-cancer activity - crushing helps, heating
doesn't. FOOD NIBBLERS Animals who always nibble at their food may need
a remedy from the psoric miasm category.
CAT LITTER - FERRET PROBLEM, TOO The holistic
community of veterinarians still does not recommend clumping cat litter.
It is so fine that it gets into the fur and they ingest it day after day.
One vet has seen it in diarrhea stool and raw feet. One writer has seen
death related to a ferret picking up and swallowing a clumped ;otter ball
that then became swollen as it absorbed the digestive juices. Recommended:
SWEET - a wheat based litter.(Dr. Chalmers). Pine pellets - Pamela Grant
says the oils have been pressed out so they do not irritate the respiratory
systems the way wood shavings do.
ANIMAL
TREATS Rosie's Rewards are made from Montana Free Range Organic Beef.
They sound very good to me, especially as an alternative to those non-organic
liver treats that are so popular and not very good for the animals.
BARF Bones and Raw Foods - BARF
is the healthy, safe and nutritious way to feed your pet. The BARF Diet
mimics the way your pet used to eat before highly processed, grain-based
foods entered our pet’s food chain. While manufacturers of modern processed
pet foods tell us that raw diets may not be safe and lack scientific testing,
you have only to look at the spectacular track records of BARF pets to
make up your own minds.
FUNNY From the internet - "Rules for cats": Always accompany guests
to the bathroom and sit and stare. Play is an important thing. Get enough
sleep in the daytime so you are fresh for playing "Catch mouse" under their
bed between 2 and 4 AM.
SPREADING THE WORD How can you get your friends interested in treating
their animals more holistically? Have you had the urge to talk to strangers
about holistic care? HOST A COURSE: One way is to organize a course in
your area and have me come and speak. Karen and Carolyn, active in their
Bernese Mountain Dog club, hosted me in Oakland, CA the end of August.
The room was full with people who love animals, some of whom treat animals
professionally - veterinarians, veterinary technicians, massage therapists,
and more. I always learn as I teach, because every animal is different,
so each person has a different specific successes and failures. While in
Hawaii for the AHVMA conference, Yumi hosted me for a veterinary evening
and a 1 day homeopathy and holistic health course. I met two incredibly
dedicated veterinarians who brought a lot of their staff with them to learn
more. There are many challenges to treating animals holistically in Hawaii.
On the good side, they do NOT have to vaccinate for Rabies there. Yumi
sells Wysong and many natural health products for animals and is a wonderful
source of education and support for animal lovers in Hawaii. Most recently,
I spoke to a huge group of people in Pottstown, Pa. Nancy also has a shop
selling healthy animal products. Most of the group already knew about homeopathy
and many of the holistic modalities, so we had a very advanced day. I met
Anita Curtis, animal communicator, the author of a book and "how to" tape/workbook
on communicating with animals. You can do it. She also does phone consults
and has a newsletter. 610-327-3820 PO Box 182, Gilbertsville, PA 19525-0182.
I got to re-meet some of my long time clients. HAVE A HAND OUT I need to
do this one. Often in food stores I will suggest to people that they feed
raw meat to their animals. Yesterday, the woman I said this too agreed
that she would start doing it again for her dog and invited me to talk
to her international dining club! Sharing your successes with strangers
is easier if you carry a brief handout on how to have healthy animals,
maybe with phone numbers and web sites.
Please let me know if this format works for you. I can certainly send
more frequently, once I master the technology. Be well, Christina Chambreau
Dr. Christina Chambreau D.V.M. is the founder of the Academy of Veterinary
Homeopathy and and is on the faculty of the National Center for Homeopathy
Summer School. She teaches and lectures at conventions, schools, clubs
and to anyone who is concerned about improving the health of animals. She
graduated from the University of Georgia Veterinary College in 1980 and
has practiced veterinary homeopathy since 1983.
Natural
Animal Health category
WHAT
VETS DON'T TELL YOU ABOUT VACCINES Read
the comments of veterinarians who believe that vaccines are damaging our
pets. This information will make you cry and aware of the scam that is
the mainstay of the veterinary field. Learn the truth about the terrible
suffering of pets and their owners and what can be done to protect your
animals from the drug companies and ignorant vets. 'Shock
to the System' covers the latest information on the vaccine issue,
and puts the other pieces of the puzzle into the picture. Diet, environmental
toxins, pharmaceuticals and stress all play a part in the health of companion
animals.
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